55 Plus CNY, #106: August - September 2023

FITNESS: DO WHAT MARTHA STEWART DOES TO STAY IN SHAPE P. 26

Issue 106 August-September 2023 For Active Adults in Central New York

cny55.com

Ronnie Leigh: OVER 50 YEARS ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES P. 34

SHOPPING IN THE REALM OF NOSTALGIA Syracuse Antiques Exchange features 70 dealers who sell antiques and vintage items

P. 22

INSIDE 15 SIGNS YOU’RE GETTING OLD

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Caragh Fahy stands with her sons at Onondaga Lake Park

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, I began thinking about my family’s philanthropic plan early on. It was important to me that we effectively incorporated charitable giving into our overall financial picture.

Building a financial plan is like putting together a puzzle and charitable giving is an important piece. We set up a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation because it is a smart way to give. We can make an impact on Central New York now while having our charitable wishes continue for generations.

I enjoy engaging my sons in the current giving from our fund to organizations that support youth and outdoor revitalization. Our fund will receive a legacy gift with a contribution from my retirement investment accounts when I pass away. I am comforted knowing that my sons will carry forward our love for this community through our charitable legacy for years to come.

GIVING FOR GENERATIONS: CARAGH FAHY

Read more of Caragh’s story at cnycf.org/fahy

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55 PLUS | contents

FITNESS: DO WHAT MARTHA STEWART DOES TO STAY IN SHAPE P. 26

August/September 2023

Are you over 55 and still carrying a student loan? We’d like to hear from you. Send an email to editor@cny55 com or call 315-342-1182.

Issue 106 August-September 2023 For Active Adults in Central New York

cny55.com

To subscribe to the magazine, look for the coupon on pages 37

Ronnie Leigh: OVER 50 YEARS ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES P. 34

ON THE COVER

SHOPPING IN THE REALM OF NOSTALGIA Syracuse Antiques Exchange features 70 dealers who sell antiques and vintage items

P. 22

INSIDE 15 SIGNS YOU’RE GETTING OLD

Roinnie Leigh performing at one of the local venues. Photo courtesy of James Dolan.

20 SAVVY SENIOR 8 GARDENING 10 DINING OUT 12 AGING 29 MY TURN 30 CONSUMER’S CORNER 38 GOLDEN YEARS 49 DRUGER’S ZOO 62 LIFE AFTER 55 64 LAST PAGE

Dom Cambareri, 62 — Syracuse Challenger Baseball director talks about Carrier Park Field of Dreams, an inclusive sports complex project in East Syracuse 6

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

22

www.cny55.com

42

14 MONEY

34 COVER

16 INVESTING

39 MUSIC

• How to pick the right expert for your money.

• Investing in uncertain times.

18 LONGEVITY

• Longevity gap between the genders widens..

20 JOB AT THE FAIR

• Ronnie Leigh: Over 50 years entertaining audiences.

• Retirees urged to join Syracuse University Oratorio Society.

40 BOOKS

• Retired Cazenovia vet’s unique approach to writing.

• Duo has worked at the NYS Fair for 56 years.

44 VOLUNTEERING

22 ANTIQUING

50 SECOND ACT

26 FITNESS

58 BUSINESS

32 LEGACY

• SPECIAL Finger Lakes art

• Syracuse Antiques Exchange has 70 dealers selling antiques, vintage items.

• Do what Martha Stewart does to stay in shape.

• Sharing your life experience through letters.

52

• Volunteer drivers help save lives.

• A new life cleaning and maintaining mausoleums, headstones.

• Sue Chmieleski: Soap maker, lavender farmer. community, home to 12 artistis, thriving after 56 years.

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savvy senior

By Jim Miller

T

How to Handle Social Security Benefits When a Loved One Dies

o help you understand what Social Security provides and what needs to be done when a family member dies, here are some key points you should know.

Let’s assume your father dies. Your first order of business will be to make sure the Social Security Administration is notified when he dies, so the monthly benefits will be stopped. In most cases, the funeral home providing the burial or cremation services will do it. You’ll need to provide your dad’s Social Security number to the funeral director so they can make the report. But if they don’t offer that service or you’re not using a funeral home, you’ll need to do it yourself by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213.

When Benefits Stop There are a couple of things to be aware of regarding your Social Security benefits. For starters, you need to know that a person is due no Social Security benefits in the month of their death.

With Social Security, each payment received represents the previous month’s benefits. So, if your dad were to die in August, the check for that month — which would be paid in September — would need to be returned if received. If the payment is made by direct deposit, you would need to contact the bank or other financial institution and ask them to return any benefits sent after your dad’s death.

Survivor Benefits When your father dies, your mother may be eligible for survivor benefits on his record if she’s at least age 60 (50 if disabled). Here’s how that works depending on her situation.

If your mom is currently receiving Social Security benefits based on your father ’s work record, her spousal 8

benefit will automatically convert to survivors benefits when the government gets notice of your dad’s death. She cannot receive both spousal and survivor benefits at the same time.

Widows are due between 71% (at age 60) and 100% (at full retirement age) of what the husband was getting before he died.

If, however, your mom is eligible for retirement benefits (but hasn’t applied yet), she can apply for retirement or survivors benefits when her husband dies and switch to the other (higher) benefit later. Or, if your mom is already receiving her retirement benefits on her own work record, she could switch to survivors benefits if it offers a higher payment.

She cannot, however, receive both benefits.

To apply for survivors benefits, your mom will need to call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and schedule an appointment. She can’t do it online.

You should also know that survivor benefits are available to former spouses and dependents who meet SSA qualifications – see SSA.gov/ benefits/survivors.

Also note that if your mom collects a survivor benefit while working, and she’s under full retirement age, her benefits may be reduced depending on her earnings. See SSA.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10069.pdf for details.

Death Benefit In addition to survivor benefits, Social Security will also pay a one-time payment of $255 to your mom (the surviving spouse) if she was living with your dad at the time of his death.

If they were living apart, she may still receive this one-time payment if she’s collecting spousal benefits on his work record. In the absence of a surviving spouse, the lump-sum payment can go to a son or daughter who is eligible for benefits on the deceased’s work record.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

cny55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto Associate Editor Steve Yablonski Writers & Contributors Deborah J. Sergeant Mary Beth Roach David Figura, Melody Burri John Addyman John Csiszar, Norah Machia Margaret McCormick Columnists Bruce Frassinelli, Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, Marvin Druger Michelle Reed, Jim Miller Eva Briggs (MD), Christopher Malone Advertising Amy Gagliano Pamela Roe Tom Bachman Office Manager Allison Lockwood Layout & Design Angel Campos-Toro Cover Photo Courtesy of Ronnie Leigh

55 Plus: A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc. at 185 E. Seneca St. P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126.

Subscription: $21 a year; $35 for two years © 2023 by 55 Plus: A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York.

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher.

How to Reach Us P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126

Phone: 315-342-1182 Fax: 315-342-7776 Email: editor@cny55.com Editor@cnyhealth.com

The Cazenovia Area Community Development Association initiated an Art Trail Program to support and encourage the arts in the greater Cazenovia area. Now in its 11th year the Cazenovia Art Trail self-guided tour of artists studios and art hubs is free and open to the public.

ATTENTION ALL PEDAL PUSHERS: We invite you to Bike The Art Trail, with several routes for all abilities.

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We treat pets just like any other family member. We are here to provide your cherished companion the respect and dignity they deserve in their final farewell. As owner of Pettigrass Funeral Home, I, Jerry Pettigrass have been helping families for over 25 years and our family has guided many loved ones for more than 88 years with the professional experience and skill to help you in your time of bereavement. We understand that there is no loss greater, then that of your faithful companion.

Let our family help your family in making this most difficult time in your life, bearable.

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

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gardening

By Jim Sollecito

Nostalgia Revival

Feeling nostalgic? Join Jim Sollecito and his team at 3 p.m. for Popsicle time.

A

s we inevitably inch closer to our sell-by date, we might reflect with nostalgia on life the way it was. For me, root beer- and banana-flavored popsicles come to mind. More on that later.

I recall my dad driving our ’57 Chevy to Muserlian’s Texaco station.

As Charlie himself greeted us at his own filling station, he stuck the “regular” pump handle in our tank, locked the trigger on and expertly cleaned our front windshield. Of 10

course, he offered to check the oil and made some friendly conversation as he worked. Rounding it up to the nearest dollar as he finished pumping, a purchase of eight gallons or more earned us a cheerfully bestowed drinking glass. I still have those memories and even a commemorative tumbler or two.

Now we can’t change the world — that’s understood. But I sure as heck do not enjoy fueling up at any gas station anymore. Fun fact: a service station

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

operator used to make 5 cents per gallon on fuel purchases and maybe something on a Snickers bar. Currently, the profit is 40-50 cents per gallon.

So, the intended business model is for us to fill our large tank, grab a six pack of cold drink, some uninspired pre-packaged food to go, get back in our vehicle and be on our way. This was shared with me by the owner of a very large chain of stations. Now it’s all about self-service, not full-service.

And serving the owner’s bank account, of course.

I can manage the self-service part, but my dream was never to have a cheery conversation with talking gas pumps. Moreover, I don’t need Maria Menounos obnoxiously serving up self-help tips while I attempt to fuel up, dodging other vehicles as they zip in and out. Maria reminds me to eat healthy while the video screen is pushing products with enough preservatives to keep a mummy in good shape.

I’ve tried to be more accepting of change. However, instead, I’ve cultivated a state of avoidance. If something or someone does not put a smile on my face, then I simply don’t go there. I avoid live concerts, movie theaters, large crowds, lousy restaurants, rush hour traffic, people that still smoke, gin mills and a host of other places. Days are more important and time is more precious than before.

I do remember back in the day on a hot summer afternoon my mom would open the freezer and bring out popsicles for us five kids. I can still taste that memory. So now at 3 every day in our garden center, we have Popsicle time. We stop our tasks, and have an all-fruit frozen treat; share what’s on our minds. This is followed

by The Tossing of the Sticks. Whoever gets theirs into the recycle bin from the greatest distance is proclaimed the day’s champion. Then back to work we go, with a smile.

If you find your day lacks enough uplifting moments, stop by at 3 and join us for a Popsicle. Yes, things do change. But at our place, we still aim for a moment of fun and positive memories.

Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in New York State. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 315-468-1142 or jim@sollecito.com.

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Q: I’m reaching my full retirement age and thinking about retiring early next year. When is the best time of year to apply for Social Security benefits? You can apply as early as four months before when you want your monthly benefits to begin. To apply, just go to www.ssa.gov/applytoretire. Applying online for retirement benefits from the convenience of your home or office is secure and can take as little as 15 minutes. It’s so easy!

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Q: Will my retirement benefits increase if I wait and retire after my full retirement age? Yes. You can increase your Social Security retirement benefit in two ways: • You can increase your retirement benefit by a certain percentage if you delay receiving retirement benefits. We will add these increases automatically from the time you reach full retirement age until you start receiving benefits or reach age 70.

• If you work, each additional year you work adds another year of earnings to your Social Security record.

Higher lifetime earnings may result in higher benefits when you do retire.

Q: What is the earliest age that I can receive Social Security disability benefits?

There is no minimum age as long as you meet the Social Security definition of disabled and you have sufficient work to qualify for benefits. To qualify for disability benefits, you must have worked under Social Security long enough to earn the required number of work credits and some of the work must be recent. You can earn up to a maximum of four work credits each year. The number of work credits you need for disability benefits depends on the age you become disabled. For example, if you are under age 24, you may qualify with as little as six credits of coverage. But people disabled at age 31 or older generally need between 20 and 40 credits to qualify, and some of the work must have been recent. Learn more at www.ssa.gov/disability.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

11

Dining Out RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Christopher Malone

START YOUR DAY WITH A LITTLE HOPE Little Peruvian cafés have a lot to offer

S

ince 2017, Hope Café has made a name for itself.

Personally speaking, it’s been thrown around by friends and acquaintances often with encouraging and insisting — “you have to go there.”

Not only does the café provide patrons breakfast and lunch, part of the café’s mission is to give back to those in need.

Hope Café, which prides itself on its Peruvian-inspired food, Italianinfused American-style stake in the local food industry, now officially boasts three locations scattered around Onondaga County. The newest location. which opened recently, is on East Genesee Street, near the corner of Townsend Street.

I visited the Liverpool location at the former home of The Village

12

Burger, which closed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hope Café followed suit with the former burger joint and utilized the brick building with what it had going for it — plus, there’s a drive-thru window to boot.

The clean, refreshing interior of Hope Café gives perspective as to what life could be like after global dominating chains phase out and quality-food-minded local businesses take over.

Plants are everywhere, there are built-in bookshelves packed with literature and a plethora of tables inside and outside.

The seat-yourself establishment requires patrons to order at the counter.

When the food is ready, it’s brought to you. This is all accomplished by a smiling, friendly staff.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

The emoliente ($2.86), a Peruvian barley and herb tea, is probably the first drink to put the idea of abandoning morning coffees. It’s a need-to-try hot beverage for those who haven’t had the opportunity to. Barley may not be the first ingredient atop a morning tea drinker’s mind but it’s a mild addition complimenting the myriad herbs. It’s a very calming way to lead in to a meal or what could be a stressful day.

Out of the handful of smoothie options, the strawberry avocado ($4.45) sounded delightful — a blend of two favorite foods. The mediumthick, light pink smoothie lived up to the anticipation, boasting bright flavor. Of course, the already subdued, modest avocado took a backseat compared to the strawberry.

The first time I enjoyed arepa was

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: 1 ) Chicharron con pan is described as “the best damn ‘sangwich’ outside of Peru.” 2) Hope Café has three locations in Onondaga County, including one on Old Liverpool Road, Liverpool. 3) For sweet and savory lovers — the chicken and waffles is a sure bet, especially with the sriracha maple sauce. at a Miami Marlins baseball game.

The flavor of the white corn dough pocketing meat, cheese, or whatever ingredients you wanted in there. The South American fare was quite a treat and was the highlight of the entire experience being at the game.

Hope Café’s carne arepa ($5.75), basically seasoned beef between the two halves of white corn dough, brought me back to the previous notable food moment. It tasted as great as the stadium’s arepa but probably made with better quality meat and for half the price. (Note: There was only one stand dedicated to arepas at the Marlins’ stadium, so they weren’t mass-produced.)

I opted to have a spicy rocoto sauce accompany the arepa, which already had a slight kick when considering the spices. Adding the chili-mayonnaise sauce provided more flavor rather than intense heat, save the spicy kick.

For sweet and savory lovers — the chicken and waffles ($8.25) is a sure bet, especially with the sriracha maple sauce. The crispy chicken is sandwiched between two light, airy waffles. The spice from the chicken’s coat with the sugar from the maple syrup are one-two punches for the

right reasons.

The small cup of the sriracha maple sauce is also just enough. The waffles were far from dry, so drowning them in syrup would have been (and is) unnecessary.

Hope Café describes its chicharron con pan ($8.95) as “the best damn ‘sangwich’ outside of Peru.” This confident statement sealed the deal when ordering a bold item. The lightly fried, not overly-seasoned pork belly accompanies sweet potatoes and pickled onions. And don’t forget about the finger-licking-good sauce.

The pork belly by itself wasn’t dried out, so Hope Café had nothing to hide with the sauce. There’s a lot going with the sangwich — it’s so fun to say — in terms of seasoning but its not overpowering. The flavor will certainly linger, a food’s passiveaggressive way of saying goodbye.

The Tuscan bowl with chicken ($10.44, includes $2.99 protein addition) is a personal-sized yet hearty option.

The chicken sits atop a bowl filled with quinoa, black beans artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, cheese and more.

The small but substantial bowl focuses more on quality than quantity.

In a world of countless wasted food,

not that anyone would disregard the majority of a grain bowl.

Before tip, the meal came to $40.70.

Hope Café lives up to the hype. If you don’t listen to me, be sure to take the recommendations from family, friends or whoever else is pushing you to try it, seriously.

Hope Café 920 Old Liverpool Road Liverpool, N.Y. 13088 8223 Oswego Road Clay, N.Y. 13090 444 E. Genesee St. Syracuse, N.Y. 13202 315-451-5121 hopecafeandtea.com facebook.com/hopecafeandtea instagram.com/hopecafeandtea Sunday: Closed Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

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money How To Pick the Right Expert Advice for Your Money

By John Csiszar

M

any Americans don’t really know where to turn to get financial advice, and that’s completely understandable.

Financial literacy courses, although on the rise, are not yet generally a part of the core curriculum at many schools. This leaves many adults underprepared when it comes to handling their money.

As a result, many turn to the internet or other media-based sources.

According to a recent survey by GOBankingRates, more than 47% of respondents indicated they take financial advice from influencers and personalities on social media, TV-

radio- and podcast-personalities or other financial experts in the media at least some of the time. With this approach, many people could be missing out on valuable expert advice.

This begs the question, how can you decide who is worth listening to and who isn’t? Here are some options to consider when you make that decision.

• Look for Credentials — Just like you wouldn’t go to a doctor without a medical license, it’s not usually a good idea to entrust your finances to someone without accreditation.

Exactly what type of qualifications you should look for depends on you.

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55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

Some investors only want to get advice from trained experts with certifications like the certified financial planner (CFP) designation or a chartered financial analyst (CFA) accreditation.

Others prefer experts with more real-world experience than academic qualifications.

The important thing is that you don’t fall into the trap of listening to financial advice that is sensationalized or part of a marketing plan. In other words, be wary of YouTubers and Reddit “experts” who claim to have made millions of dollars from day trading or buying cryptocurrencies.

While it’s possible this may have

happened, it’s not the basis of a longSomeone with a low income and is going to care more about your term wealth creation plan. five children, for example, might personal financial situation than you.

• Find Experts With a Proven Track want to follow a different expert Although experts often give sound Record — Regardless of the credentials than a millionaire with international financial advice, almost by definition of a media expert, you’ll only want to real estate holdings and multiple it has to be generic in nature. Financial take advice from someone who has businesses. personalities in the media are looking a demonstrable record of success. In • Get a Second Opinion — and a to build the biggest audiences they can, other words, it’s all well and good for third one — No one has all the answers not just to reach the most people with someone to say they have a financial in the financial world — otherwise, their advice but also to earn the most road map that will lead you to untold everyone would just use the same money. With that in mind, understand riches, but unless they can back up playbook and their financial worries that solutions you hear in the media their assertions with verifiable, real- would be over. The truth is that may work for you on a general level, world data points, you might want to financial planning is part art and part but you’ll have to tailor them to your give their advice a pass. science. specific needs.

This doesn’t mean you should While the most basic concepts The bottom line is that everyone’s only listen to advice from millionaires, will always be helpful — have an personal financial situation is unique, but it does mean that you should see emergency fund, save as much as so the best approach is generally to take evidence that the information you’re you can, don’t get emotional about bits of advice that apply specifically to hearing has paid real-world dividends. investments and so on — even experts you from a variety of sources. Just like • Seek Someone With an Understanding can have different opinions about how you’d never want to put all of your of Your Personal Situation — Since to implement a financial plan. This is nest egg into a single investment, you 65 orit’s newalways to Medicare? financial advice in the media tendsTurning why a good idea to cross- shouldn’t generally source advice from to be generic, you’ll want to lookHumana check advice you puts solidplan on taking with just a single person — and you should for someone with experience that’s how others view it. While two or three always do at least a little of the legwork Medicare experience relatable to your personal situation. different financial personalities might yourself. your service For example, the financial advice youat not agree, you should be able to draw want to listen to may vary based on some wisdom from how and why they what sex you are, whether or not you differ as well.

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investing

INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Retirees lost 23% of their 401(k) savings in 2022. What they should do next?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

n recent years, many on the cusp of retirement have begun struggling to maintain their nest egg. Inflation has pushed many to reduce saving for retirement to cover day to day expenses.

Recently, U.S. News and World Reports survey revealed that 41% of those saving for retirement have temporarily stopped allocating money for retirement funds to cope with inflation.

In addition, investments have taken a beating.

According to Fidelity, retirees lost 23% of their 401(k) savings in 2022, the average IRA decreased by 20% by the end of 2022 and half of retirees think that they will likely outlive their savings.

It can be hard to know what to do next to protect current assets and continue to grow the nest egg.

Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser for Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in 16

Oswego, advises patience, not panic.

“Clients should develop an investment strategy and allocation that fits their timeframe, risk orientation and their specific goals to be funded,” he said. “I discourage investors from making large changes in their portfolios based upon how markets move around. When people make major changes based upon market volatility, they often make those changes in a way that is diametrically opposed to how their portfolio would be likely to generate recovery.”

He cited high-grade corporate bond market as an example of an investment segment that experienced a “very bad year” with losses ranging between 12% and 15% because of the Federal Reserve’s raising short-term interest rates by 5% within 15 months.

It may seem like a good idea to move funds out of those bonds before suffering further losses, but Zeigler said that would mean those investors would miss the recovery period likely

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

for the bond market when the rates plateau.

“Building a sound, diversified and balanced investment strategy that is consistent with one’s risk tolerance is a much wiser strategy than trying to constantly time the market and move the portfolio around,” Zeigler said. “If investors are unable to determine their own risk tolerance and investment temperament, they should seek professional advisory counsel that can help them understand how to create a balanced portfolio strategy to fit their goals and risk and then can provide guidance to make investment changes that make sense relative to their goals and timeframe and are not based upon emotional responses to market volatility.”

Those yet planning for retirement and still working may want to continue working longer to make up for losses.

“Statistically speaking, especially now, people are working longer into their later years,” said Phil

Provenzano, certified Social Security specialist with The Financial Guys in Rochester.

Delaying retirement can offer more time to put away money in investments and obtain a higher Social Security income.

Adjusting investments can also help ensure more retirement income later. But how to tweak investments varies widely.

“Each person has a different tolerance for risk and therefore the level of risk they are willing to accept is something that can be different for each person, even from one spouse versus another,” Provenzano said.

Knowing one’s tolerance for risk begins with reviewing work-related investment such as a 401k, 403b or IRA. Provenzano said most people do not regularly review these but they should.

He encourages people still working to consider contributing more to their workplace investments.

“In 2023, the contribution limits for 401ks are even more generous, because those limits are adjusted for inflation each year,” Provenzano said.

“Savers will be able to sock away $22,500 a year in 2023; those 50 and

above can contribute an additional $7,500, for a total annual contribution of $30,000.”

Once one reaches 50 to 60 years old, it’s time to reconsider the investment strategy and risk tolerance as well as reevaluate the money accumulated, the fixed income that will be available for retirement like pensions and Social Security, and “how we can harvest the wealth and preserve the wealth that we worked so hard in accumulating,” Provenzano said.

Especially with the tumultuous economy of recent years, “the need for planning and guidance is of utmost importance,” he added. “There are so many ways to accomplish investment objectives, however only one way is right for each person. That is always based on how that person feels. I always tell my clients, if you feel uneasy about the plan that is in place, even though it may be foolproof, a change may be needed. The human element is taken out of planning nowadays because of all the technology we have. I always suggest that a good plan that is created is one that all parties feel good about.”

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17

longevity

Women on average live 5.9 years longer than men, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Longevity Gap Between the Genders Widens

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

he longstanding longevity gap between American males and females has widened to 5.9 years, the biggest discrepancy between the genders in 25 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The current life expectancy at birth for American males is 73.5 years; for females, it is 79.3 years, according to the CDC. Part of the reason why women live longer is that the types of employment ranked most dangerous tend to be male-dominated ones.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the most dangerous jobs in order as: tree trimmers and pruners; commercial pilots (not including passenger plane pilots); farm and ranch animal workers; loggers; roofers; first-line supervisors of farming, fishing and forestry 18

workers; agricultural equipment operators; heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; underground mining machine operators; and farm equipment mechanics and service technicians.

These all employ many more men than women. But at any age, males are more likely to die than females, so it’s not only job-related.

The entire reason why women live even longer remains unclear. However, adopting a few healthful strategies can increase men’s chances of healthy longevity.

“A healthy lifestyle can improve overall health and wellbeing, reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and promote longevity,” said Ying Wang, Ph.D., senior principal scientist for the American Cancer

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

Society.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cancer was the second leading cause of death, after heart disease, in the United States in 2020. In 2020, there were 602,350 cancer deaths; 284,619 were among females and 317,731 among males.”

One key component of lowering cancer risk is exercise. Most men of healthy weight should engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Men who are overweight may need more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers more information on fitness at www.cdc. gov/physicalactivity/index.html and www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ basics/older_adults/index.htm.

Seeking proper healthcare and

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preventative care could also help more men increase their longevity instead of “toughing it out” when sick or hurt or in emotional distress.

Typically, women use healthcare earlier and more frequently. That extends to mental healthcare as well, since the stigma for doing so is often higher for men. Women also tend to find better means of improving mental health such as yoga, meditation and supportive relationships. Forming close friendships with other men and forging tighter family bonds can also help improve mental health.

Women typically oversee the family’s healthcare, shuttling children to the doctor’s office, where they can learn more about health, including eating right. Men often miss learning about healthful eating.

“The key to longevity is to eat a variety of foods and to include more plant-based foods regularly,” said Jane Burrell, registered nurse and associate teaching professor at Syracuse University. “This doesn’t mean you have to be vegetarian but consider substituting plant-based foods like beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds for meats on occasion.”

For example, make chili with beans but not beef. Or eat more meatless meals and snacks per week than ones that include meat.

“Plant-based proteins are great sources of protein but also contain more healthy fats, more fiber and a bigger variety of vitamins and minerals compared to animal proteins,” Burrell said. “They also contain phytonutrients, or the pigmented part of plants that have added health benefits from their antioxidant compounds. This can reduce the wear and tear of aging and may prevent chronic diseases.”

Increasing the intake of fish and other seafood can positively affect health. Burrell said that these contain omega-3 fats that can help reduce inflammation and blood pressure as well as offer protection against chronic disease.

“Including fruits and vegetables is associated with longevity and a longer ‘healthspan,’ which is years of health,” Burrell said.

She advises “eating the rainbow,” which means including a variety of colorful produce as part of the daily diet, since each contains a different nutrient profile.

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19

job

Kathy Tuzzolino and Jim Crosby have worked at NYS Fair since 1967.

56 Years on the Job at NYS Fair

Kathy Tuzzolino and Jim Crosby have worked at NYS Fair since 1967 — and they’re still going strong

T

h e N e w Yo r k S t a t e F a i r opens in late August, with 375 acres of rides, concerts, games, food, animals, exhibits, concessionaires and more.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of employees work behind the scenes to make sure that, across those 375 acres, guests have “a great time, every time,” as the fair’s motto states.

Among those scores of workers are Kathy Tuzzolino and Jim Crosby, who have worked 56 fairs, both 20

By Mary Beth Roach

starting in 1967.

Tuzzolino, a full-time employee, is the fair’s dispatcher. Sitting on her desk in the maintenance building is a wooden plaque that was gifted to her in honor of her 50th year working at the fair. It originally read “Kathy Survived 50 NYSFs,” but each subsequent year, a new disc is made to cover up the number “50” to indicate another year.

This year, she proudly shows off the plaque that reads “Kathy Survived 56 NYSFs.”

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

But it appears that she’s more than just survived. She seems to thrive there and, at the age of 76, she has no plans to leave anytime soon.

“They’re going to have to drag me out,” she said.

She is also responsible for handling all the work orders for various crews.

Including electricians, plumbers, carpenters and forklift operators, not just during the 13-day run of the fair but year-round, as the fair hosts a number of events, like the Nationals,

annually.

The fair appears to be in Tuzzolino’s DNA. Her mother, Angela Tuzzolino, worked there for decades, starting in 1955 and she, too, was the dispatcher, before retiring in 1996.

Jim Crosby, 74, also began at the fair in 1967, and has been involved in the annual exposition ever since.

He works at the fair for about 6 months each year — from May to September — and although he said he doesn’t have a specific title, he has his hand in nearly everything that happens on the fairgrounds, outside of the buildings. Among his tasks, Crosby places the vendors and works with the show promoters. He’s so handson, he lives in an RV on site from the beginning of August through the run of the fair.

The 74-year-old started at the fair when he was just a teen, working on a cleaning crew from midnight to noon.

From there, he went on to become part of the parking detail, and then oversaw the daily parade.

What keeps the two coming back year in and year out?

“Being part of the biggest show in New York state for 13 days,” Crosby said. He likened it to building a small city and running it for 13 days.

And both credit that the people they work with are big reasons for their longevity.

Over the past 56 years, Crosby and Tuzzolino figured they’ve worked for at least a dozen fair directors, and with each new administration, while there can be big changes, “you just go with the flow,” Tuzzolino said.

When asked to pinpoint a favorite or amusing memory in the past five decades, the two were hard-pressed to identify just one. There have been too many. One memory, however, that remains etched on their minds is the demolition of the iconic grandstand and the track in 2016, which paved the way for a dramatic transformation to the west end of the grounds.

These fair veterans offered some advice for those visiting the event this year. Both suggested taking a Centro bus to the grounds to avoid parking, staying hydrated, don’t come on a hot day …. and … “have fun,” said Crosby.

The fair was originally founded in Albany in 1832 but began here in Syracuse 1841. It’s the oldest in the country.

Tuzzolino, a full-time employee, is the fair’s dispatcher. She holds a plaque she received when she celebrated her 50th year at the fair. A new disc was made to cover up the number “50” to indicate another year.

Kathy Tuzzolino and Jim Crosby on a fair cart.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

21

antiquing

“Matthew Pastore, co-owner of Syracuse Antiques Exchange, shows vintage cheerleader jacket

Shopping in the Realm of Nostalgia Syracuse Antiques Exchange features 70 dealers who sell antiques and vintage items

T

he Syracuse Antiques Exchange is a large four-story building filled with a vast array of memorabilia and collectibles, and there’s a good chance when you finish shopping there, you’ll probably be walking out with something unexpected.

While the experience is different for everyone, “what we’re really selling is nostalgia,” explained coowner Matthew Pastore. “Many of these items remind people of a time when they were younger and had fewer responsibilities,” he said.

“Browsing through the store can be a very personal experience.”

The building at 1629 N. Salina St., 22

By Norah Machia (a short distance from the Destiny USA Mall) was constructed in the 1880s as a general merchandise store. It changed hands several times and, 30 years ago, became the Syracuse Antiques Exchange. Today, the main aisles are large and wheelchair accessible and staff will take any shoppers who can’t walk up the stairs on an elevator to reach the upper levels.

“It started with a few vendors trading period antiques, and it’s evolved into so much more over the years,” said Pastore, who is co-owner with Richard Jaeger. “We now have a huge selection of antiques and vintage items from more than 70 dealers.”

Most dealers are from the Central

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

New York region. They offer a “wide variety of price ranges” for their merchandise, he added.

The Syracuse Antiques Exchange carries furniture, lighting, jewelry, art deco pieces, wall art, clocks, vinyl records, books, and sports memorabilia, along with many other items, including oddities that are “oneof-a-kind,” said Pastore.

“Some people may order these items online, but if you come to the store, you can pick it up, touch it and feel it” to get a much better sense of its appearance and condition, he said.

“You just can’t have the shopping experience online that you would have here.”

“We’ve become a destination for antiques in the Northeast,” Pastore added. “Even if you’re not looking for something in particular, walking through the store itself is just a great experience.”

Often people are looking for one thing in particular — say a lamp — and walk through the building browsing at lamps from different time periods in a range of sizes, shapes and colors. But along the way, they may also uncover hidden gems such as a decorative wall hanging, an old coat or a piece of costume jewelry.

“The store is really focused on customer experience,” said Pastore, noting that 95% of the merchandise for sale is not owned by the store, but by the dealers who rent space in the building.

There are 10 full- and part-time employees who monitor the store operations, assist the customers in their selections and ring up their

purchases. If customers have questions about a particular item and would like to speak directly to the vendor, they are just a cell phone call away (although some spend time at the store as well).

There has recently been a lot of interest in mid-century modern furniture, from the approximate time period of the 1950s to 1970s, including chairs and tables, couches, lamps and other household furnishings, said Pastore. “We’ve had a lot of people coming here to buy nice stuff for their apartments and houses,” he said.

Pastore, a dealer himself, sells “decorative and functional” items for kitchens, dining and living rooms, including furniture, along with a variety of other merchandise and clothing.

He also carries Syroco wall hangings from the former Syracuse Ornamental Company. In 1890, the company started producing molded wood-pulp interior decorations and

gifts that resembled hand carvings, and later integrated plastics into the molding process before the business closed.

Shoppers have also been looking for vintage clothing, and it’s become such a popular item that nearly 1,000 square feet of space was cleared off on the fourth floor for a large display.

“Everyone can fit something in their closet,” Pastore said.

“We often have families visit the store,” he said. “It’s been a good bonding experience for different generations.” For example, sometimes p a re n t s o r g r a n d p a re n t s f i n d themselves explaining to the younger generations how a rotary dial phone works, he joked.

Customers may “find items here that they didn’t even remember owning at one time in their life,” he said. “They may bring back memories that had been forgotten.”

For nearly 20 years, Steven Phillips

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

23

Vendors Steven Phillips and Heather Binion stand by free-standing atomic red fireplace at Syracuse Antiques Exchange has been a vendor at the Syracuse Antiques Exchange, offering a mix of items that are “trendy and popular,” he said.

Recently, that has included several items from the mid-century modern period. Often customers are seeking out this merchandise to create a “minimalist” design in their homes or apartments, Phillips said.

For example, he has a free-standing atomic red fireplace dating back to the early 1950s that looks like something right out of the “Jetsons” cartoon.

Phillips also carries merchandise that spans other time periods, including a 1949 Packard car transformed into a bar. “I like the more unusual things,” he said.

Phillips mixes up his offerings 24

with more traditional items, including solid cherry dressers that have “stood the test of time,” he said. Many of his items come from referrals, but he also picks up things through Facebook Marketplace, auctions and estate sales.

After working as a dealer for so many years, Phillips has developed a vast knowledge of the value behind all kinds of collectibles and memorabilia.

“If I find something I think people will like, and it’s a reasonable price, I’ll buy it,” he said.

Heather Binion has been a vendor for several years and carries a large variety of items, including furniture, macramé plant holders, costume jewelry, trinket boxes, glassware and games. She also is co-owner of The BeatNook, which organizes outdoor

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

markets for vintage and local artisans throughout the Syracuse area.

Her merchandise ranges from the 1930s through the 1980s, and she also sells a variety of Syroco pieces.

“Vintage is always evolving,” she said.

“If something is older than 20 years, it’s usually considered a vintage item.”

As younger people have developed more of an interest in items from their parents’ generations, including furniture, clothing and vinyl records, the demand has grown, she said. “Curated vintage items for a modern life” is the phrase often used to describe her merchandise, she said.

For more information: www.syracuseantiques.com

Dancing Your Way to Better Health

S

omeone who wants to work out, socialize and feel the beat at the same time may want to put on their dancing shoes.

Dancing has many health benefits, according to a doctor from the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida, who is a competitive ballroom dancer.

“I have patients ranging in age from young children to 90-year-old adults who enjoy Latin and other styles of dancing,” said Kathleen Davenport, a physiatrist who specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of orthopedic injuries and conditions, with special expertise in dance medicine. She is also company physician for the Miami City Ballet.

“Dancing checks a lot of boxes.

In social dancing, you interact with different people and can make new friends, which has multiple psychological benefits,” Davenport explained in a hospital news release.

“On the physical side, you need good balance, you need core strength, you need strength in your lower and upper extremities if you're doing partner work. Dancing can also be an excellent cardio workout.”

Good practices help prevent injury when beginning dancing for fitness and fun, and Davenport offers these tips: • Take lessons to learn the correct steps and proper technique.

• Start slowly, ramping up gradually as you build muscle strength and endurance. Starting too fast can lead to injury.

• Warm up ahead of time, and then cool down after the dance with some gentle stretching.

• Listen to your body: Take a rest day if you're tired or skip an event if you overdid the dancing the day before. This can help avoid overuse injuries.

• As with any workout, it's important to stay hydrated.

• If you experience pain or a potential injury, however slight, leave the dance floor. You don't want to turn a minor problem into a major injury.

• Choose the right shoe for your style of dance.

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fitness

Valerie Patrick, owner of Core Pilates & Yoga, Cicero, demonstrates the Pilates Cadillac. The apparatus has bars and cables that allow students to do core-strengthening Pilates exercises while suspended. Photo by Margaret McCormick

THE POWER OF PILATES Do what Martha Stewart does to stay in shape

By Margaret McCormick

M

artha Stewart made headlines and history in May, when she was featured on the cover of the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, wearing a white one-piece suit with a plunging neckline and a poufy, peach-colored cover-up. “To be on the cover at my age was a challenge,’’ Stewart, 81, said on NBC’s “Today’’ show. “And I think I met the challenge.”

To rise to the challenge of being the oldest cover model to ever grace the magazine, the cookbook author, media entrepreneur and lifestyle maven turned her attention to diet and fitness — and not a fad diet or the latest exercise craze. Stewart limited carbs like pasta and bread and took Pilates classes a couple times a week.

“I went to Pilates every other day and that was great,’’ Stewart noted, adding: 26

“I’m still going to Pilates every other day ‘cause it’s so great.’’

Stewart isn’t the only celebrity fan of the low-impact, mind-body exercise. Actors like Scarlett Johansson and Kerry Washington have said they fit Pilates into their fitness routines, and athletes like Tiger Woods have embraced Pilates to strengthen their bodies and, hopefully, their game.

Pilates isn’t new, and it wasn’t developed to get people swimsuitready for magazines. The method takes its name from German-born Joseph Pilates, who developed his system of exercise and body conditioning, combined with attention to breathing, more than a century ago.

In 1912, Pilates left Germany for England. He was interned by the British as a German enemy alien at the onset of World War I and made

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

productive use of his time in prison: Pilates went to work in a hospital ward and attached springs to hospital beds so bedridden patients could condition and tone their muscles. That was the humble beginning of the apparatus known as the Pilates Reformer, which is still in use today.

Pilates moved to this country in 1923 and settled in New York City, where he opened an exercise studio with his wife, Clara. Early students included dancers George Balanchine and Martha Graham, who turned to Pilates exercises to help recover from injuries. Pilates called his method of movements and breathing “Contrology,’’ because it involves both mental and physical focus. “It is the mind itself which builds the body,’’ he liked to say.

Today, you can find Pilates reels

Pilates: Where to Go to Take Lessons Some places to take Pilates in Central New YorK include: • Core Pilates & Yoga, Cicero: Virtual Pilates and yoga group classes, as well as semi-private and private Pilates and yoga sessions and private sessions using Pilates apparatus. Information: 315-4809727, https://corepilatesyoga.com • Metro Pilates, downtown Syracuse: Pilates mat and Pilates Reformer sessions in a variety of formats. Information: 315-4268917, https://metropilatesstudio. com • Elevate Fitness, DeWitt and Liverpool: Pilates mat classes and small group and private classes using Pilates apparatus. Information: https:// elevatesyracuse.com

Martha Stewart, who appeared on a recent cover of Sports Illustrator, said one of the ways she stays in shape is with Pilates classes. and videos on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and on apps like the 28-Day Challenge. But it’s a good idea, for beginners especially, to take classes with a certified instructor. That way, you’ll learn how to execute each exercise properly and understand how that exercise can help your body.

It’s also a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a new program.

Valerie Patrick, owner of Cicerobased Core Pilates & Yoga, says Pilates and yoga are often grouped together, but there are differences between the two exercises. Both modalities offer stretch and strength, she says, but

Pilates focuses more on strengthening the deep core muscles that attach to the back. It’s a full-body workout that takes aim at the small muscle groups that are often neglected during weight training.

Like yoga, Pilates can be done on a mat. But it also can be done using specialized equipment like the Pilates Chair, Tower, Reformer and Cadillac.

“Pilates can be more of a workout than yoga, depending on the instructor and type of yoga,’’ Patrick says.

“It’s very core based, focused on the abdominals, glutes, back and hips. It tones your midsection very well. A lot of doctors recommend Pilates for

• Precision Pilates, Fayetteville: Classes in a range of formats and sizes, including mat and Pilates equipment.

Private sessions available.

Information: 315-409-5542, www. precisionpilatescny.com • Vyana Yoga, Manlius: In addition to yoga, the studio offers Pilates mat classes for all levels.

Information: 315-692-4471, www. vyanayoga.com • Sky Yoga Studios, Syracuse and Skaneateles: Mostly yoga, with some Pilates classes offered as well. Information: www. skyyogastudios.com This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

27

Valerie Patrick demonstrates the Pilates Reformer machine at her home-based studio, Core Pilates & Yoga, in Cicero. The Reformer has a sliding carriage and allows a full-body workout designed to strengthen the core and increase flexibility.

Photo by Margaret McCormick people who have back issues.’’

Patrick, 66, danced and was a dance instructor for years. “I lived on Advil,’’ she recalls. Once she took Pilates and discovered how much it helped her body and her health, she was sold. Before long, she started doing the comprehensive course work to become a certified Pilates instructor.

At the same time, she became certified to teach yoga.

Patrick taught classes at Syracuse University, Crouse Hospital and at area businesses as part of their health and wellness programs for employees.

In 2005, she opened her own studio offering Pilates and yoga classes. She closed that space in 2020 and made the transition to online classes and private classes in her home.

Her husband keeps asking her when she plans to retire, but Patrick remains committed to Pilates and helping her students achieve their goals. “I’ve worked so hard to hone my craft,’’ she says. “I’m passionate about Pilates. I think people see that.’’

Kelly Meyers, a doctor of physical therapy (and certified Pilates rehabilitation instructor) at the Upstate Bone and Joint Center in East Syracuse, says Pilates as therapy can be beneficial 28

to people recovering from a variety of problems, including spine, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle injuries.

“It is an effective form of exercise therapy for patients who have had surgery as well as non-surgical injuries,’’ Meyers says. “Pilates helps with flexibility, strength, motor control and overall whole-body conditioning because this approach looks at the entire person and how everything is interconnected.’’

All five of the Upstate University Hospital outpatient physical therapy offices in Central New York have equipment like the Pilates Reformer, Trapeze Table and Combo Chair, with staff trained in their use.

“It’s great for all ages and fitness levels,’’ Meyers says of Pilates equipment. “You can sit on it, stand on it and lie on it. You can make exercises easier or harder and work the muscle groups in a slightly different way. It’s highly useful and versatile equipment.’’

Patients leave the office with Pilates exercises to do on a mat at home. And some patients, Meyers says, find Pilates-based movements to be so beneficial they continue by taking classes at a Pilates studio (and

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

Valerie Patrick, owner of Cicero-based Core Pilates & Yoga, Patrick taught classes at Syracuse University, Crouse Hospital and at area businesses as part of their health and wellness programs for employees. In 2005, she opened her own studio offering Pilates and yoga classes. sometimes purchasing equipment for home use) when their therapy has ended.

Kathleen Frizzi, an independent Pilates and yoga instructor who leads classes at several studios in Central New York, notes that Pilates has many benefits for those in the “55 plus’’ age demographic. As we age, Frizzi says, the ability to move easily “can go downhill fast’’ – and that, unfortunately, can lead to falls.

That’s where Pilates comes in. Pilates exercises, whether on equipment or on a mat, promote a strong core. And a strong core promotes flexibility, strength, mobility and balance – things that influence almost everything we do: Bathing, dressing, putting on shoes, picking up a package on the doorstep, reaching up in a cupboard, sweeping the kitchen floor, walking up or down a flight of stairs, navigating uneven terrain – even standing in place.

“Your arms and legs work better when your core is more stable,’’ Frizzi says. “Chores around the house become easier and movement improves in general. Stabilization of the core and abs makes living life easier.’’

aging

By Marilyn L. Pinsky

Another ‘Don’t -Tell-The-Kids Moment’

I

was so proud of myself Monday.

For about two hours. Then I wasn’t anymore.

This all happened between 9 and 11 a.m., right when I got a major energy surge from the three cups of coffee that I felt I needed after having been up since 3:30 a.m. because I had too many things on my mind and just couldn’t get back to sleep.

The surge allowed me to use my former multi-tasking skills and I was feeling just great that they still worked. I was on a conference call with my cell phone strapped around my waist so I could walk around doing things and still listen a n d talk.

At the same time I

was in and out of the den going through a large bag of old VCRs and CDs that my son had decided, when visiting over the weekend, needed to be thrown out and had tossed in a bag for me to put in the garbage.

In between I was taking 10-minute breaks to do weight lifting exercises in the kitchen where I had set up my iPad with a program I could keep starting and stopping. Then I was running back and forth to the garage to take out half

of the VCR tapes that I had just thrown out, even though I had nothing to play them on, but couldn’t make myself give up because who knows, even though I hadn’t viewed them for 20 years, what’s really on them that might be important?

At 11 a.m., I jumped in the shower to get ready for my noon doctor ’s appointment, feeling so pleased with myself that I had accomplished so much in one morning.

Then I went to grab my car keys and head for the car.

That’s when I turned — in the snap of a finger — from a competent, independent multi-tasker into a frantic old lady searching unsuccessfully for her only set of car keys. I knew I had them in my hand that morning as I needed to open the trunk to take out some other things that I was going to give away and then changed my mind about. And besides, the car was in the garage, so they must be somewhere in the house or I couldn’t have driven it home, right?

I always meant to get a backup set of keys but never wanted to pay the $250 and now the car is 12 years old and I figured eventually I’d be trading it in, so why get a second set given I hardly ever lose them and when I do, always find them eventually in a pocket of something I forgot I wore the day before. So I searched everywhere I had been in the last couple of hours — den, kitchen, garage, car trunk, even looking in the garbage can down to the level of two days worth of garbage.

I stopped at the avocado skins from Saturday.

Then, with the time for my appointment ticking away, I said, “Marilyn, you don’t want to miss this appointment as it will take months to get another one, so put on your big girl

pants and think this through.” (Will that line still work when I say “Marilyn, put on your big girl Depends….?” Yes, it will.)

So I called a ride service and made it to the doctor with two minutes to spare. Of course, I was a puddle by then but at least an on-time puddle.

Heading back home in another Lyft, I realized that I talk to myself like my kids talk to their dogs. “Good girl, Marilyn; you stayed calm and on schedule. Now for your treat, we’ll have a nice congratulatory lunch of your favorite hot dogs and beans with sauerkraut and then you’ll have time to look calmly for the keys.”

And just like the dogs, I responded nicely.

The hot dogs and beans part went well. The search for the keys, not so much.

I remembered my friends discussing one night, ‘if you have an accident, don’t tell your kids or they’ll want to take your car away.’ So I hesitated but finally called my son to ask for advice. Being that they’re not actually keys, but a remote with a key in it, he said maybe they were in the car and I should try to start the car, then I’d know.

That didn’t work.

Then he thought that even though I had looked before, maybe the keys were in the garbage, so wheel the garbage can near the car and try to start it. No luck there. Then he made a bad joke about putting the garbage can in the driver’s seat to really be sure and for a minute there, I was tempted. He said stay calm and he and my daughter-in-law would come over after work and help me look. That was comforting.

In the meantime, my granddaughter, who is in Albany, texted about something else and I mentioned the key situation. Ten minutes later her boyfriend, who is in Syracuse, came over and we searched the whole house again without luck.

Next thing I knew, he was putting on a pair of rubber gloves and the night before the garbage was getting put out, he insisted on going through a week’s worth of garbage, even though I was sure there was no way the keys were in there. And at the very bottom of one of those huge cans that I’m sure they used for Jimmy Hoffa, were my keys. I cried.

And then slept for 12 hours straight.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

29

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Penmanship and Note-writing

W

hen I was in elementary school, our desks had an inkwell at the upper right corner, and from time to time we used a fountain pen that we dipped into it to practice our penmanship.

Although I was a straight A student, my penmanship was notoriously lousy, leading me to grades of 77 or 78 each marking period while getting 95s or higher in major subjects.

Once a week, we practiced penmanship using the Palmer Method booklet as our guide. We made elaborate curliques as well as capital and small letters. We printed and used cursive letters of the alphabet. These were tedious exercises, because we would constantly be reinserting our pens into the inkwells.

The Palmer Method was developed in the late-19th and early-20th centuries

by Austin Palmer, an Iowa educator and handwriting teacher. It was hailed as a simplified version of the overly flowery Spencerian Method, which had been the standard handwriting method since the 1840s.

30

Palmer Method proponents preferred its speed and plainness over the laborious Spencerian Method and said that it allowed the writer to compete with the speed of a typewriter.

Educators embraced the Palmer Method, claiming that it would be useful in schools to reinforce regimentation, improve discipline and character, even reform delinquents.

Under the Palmer Method, we were taught how to adopt a uniform system of cursive writing emphasized by rhythmic motions.

Because of the frequent number of times that we dipped our pens into the inkwell, it was common for some of the ink to get on our fingers and hands, but God forbid if we got it on our clothing. There would be hell to pay when I got home and tried to explain my carelessness to mom.

The Palmer Method began to fall out of favor in the 1950s and was ultimately replaced by the ZanerBloser Method which encouraged children to use print or manuscript writing. This was a prelude to their being taught cursive writing. It is

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

ironic that cursive writing is today a lost art among many youngsters, although in some schools it is making a comeback.

My teacher, Alberta Ohl, joked that with my poor penmanship I would probably wind up being a doctor since they presumably are notorious for their unidentifiable signature scrawls.

My youngest son, Paul, who is a general surgeon in South Carolina, fits the stereotype. When he signs his last name, it looks like an “F” followed by a straight line.

It was a wake-up call for me earlier this year when my niece told me that her daughter could not read my birthday wishes that accompanied the card I sent her. Yes, I am one of those rare birds who still send handwritten greeting cards, mostly greeting and thank you notes. It brought back memories of my mother telling me to sit at the kitchen table and write a thank you to Aunt Rina and other relatives who sent me birthday gifts.

As for my niece’s daughter, I immediately thought her inability to read my note had something to do with my sloppy handwriting, but, no, it was because I had written it in cursive rather than printed it. I thought to myself, “Gee, my note had to be translated by a third party as if it were a foreign language.”

I subsequently learned that this was not unusual: Many school-age children no longer learn cursive writing as part of their education.

My mind went kaflooey wondering how these children would function in a modern society without knowing cursive. “Just fine,” the answer appears to be.

But what about signing a check?

I am told that most children might learn how to sign their own name in the event that an archaic need such as check-cashing arises, but even there we have many technical alternatives.

I have stopped sending checks to my grandchildren and younger relatives, because they languish uncashed for months for any number of reasons. I sent a $25 check to my granddaughter on Jan. 1 for making the Dean’s List during the fall 2022 semester. She cashed it on June 2.

Now, banks allow us to move money from one account to another instantly without a paper check, and there’s never a need to visit the physical bank. Then there is Venmo and other alternatives to traditional bank accounts.

Some of my generation are furious that cursive is going the way of the horse and buggy. I wonder why. I have come to terms with it. Just because I was brought up with cursive writing is no reason to demand that it should be imposed on a younger generation if it has outlived its usefulness.

Some have compared the demise of cursive writing to the death of the slide rule and abacus. With the birth and proliferation of calculators, the slide rule became a relic of another age, not instantly, but in a relatively short period of time. I remember when calculators first became popular that teachers forbade students to use them in class to force them to use manual applications. Why, I wondered. What a fantastic tool!

With the almost universality of keyboarding, the need for cursive has similarly become antiquated. Sure, it’s a burden for me to print a birthday or Christmas note of some length to one of my younger relatives, so I have turned to alternatives — texting and emailing.

Quite frankly, they quickly skim over the greetings on the accompanying card anyway. It’s my message that counts, even more so the money gift included in any fashion except by check. Cash seems to be most appreciated. As one of my granddaughters put it, Franklin and Grant are her favorites. (Ben Franklin is on the $100 bill, and Ulysses S. Grant is on the $50 bill.)

By the way, even the U.S. Postal Service has weighed in on the issue and says that it prefers typed or computer-generated addresses. If we must manually write the address, it suggests that we use block letters for easier comprehension.

I am sure that I will get a lot of pushback about my views on this subject, but I see the writing on the wall so to speak: Curses on cursive. It’s time to retire the teaching of cursive, assuming it is still out there. There are more important things to teach and worry about. I assure you that all of us will survive.

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

31

legacy

LEGACY LETTERS:

SHARING YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE

By Norah Machia

T

here are many ways to share your vision for a better world with your family, and one option that has become popular in recent years is writing a legacy letter, particularly if you’re an avid supporter of a specific cause or organization.

A legacy letter can be a valuable tool for older adults to share their reasons for wanting to make a donation or a bequest to help others, and why giving that support is so meaningful to them.

Writing a legacy letter provides an opportunity for people to reflect on their life stories. Along with sharing family history, these letters also offer the opportunity to pass along “essential lessons learned and hardearned wisdom” to their loved ones, according to the AARP. They are a helpful way for people to tell how important experiences 32

during their childhood or adulthood led them to create a lifelong legacy of giving back to their community. The AARP holds virtual workshops for those interested in learning more about legacy letters, and no special writing skills are required.

A legacy letter is a personal statement, not a legal document. It may be passed along to family members while a person is still alive, or after a person’s death. A legacy letter may be in the form of a document, or a handwritten letter.

By giving family members a better understanding of your values, you are passing along the importance of generosity to the next generation, said Upstate Foundation Director of Planned Giving Carolyn Hendrickson.

In fact, it’s very helpful for donors if their children understand the reasons they have chosen to support

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

a particular cause. Some will have a family discussion, while others find it easier to write it out in the form of a legacy letter, she said.

While some people choose to have a legacy letter given to their children after they pass away, those who share it with them at the time of a donation offer the nonprofit organization they are supporting an opportunity to get better acquainted with family members and answer any questions they may have about a particular legacy gift, Hendrickson said.

“We have some donors who have written legacy letters to share their childhood experiences, and what it was about those experiences that created a strong desire to help others,” she said. “Children don’t always know what happened in prior generations.”

The Upstate Foundation, founded in 1976, is a nonprofit entity that

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receives and administers gifts and bequests in support of Upstate Medical University. The foundation raises money for patient care, healthcare provider education, scientific research, and community health and well-being initiatives.

Donations are made to the foundation for a variety of reasons, including by patients who are grateful for the care they received at Upstate, along with family members who want to show their support for the hospital, Hendrickson said.

“Some donors want to be an agent of change to improve the lives of others” through medical research, or by helping with unmet patient needs, she said. Others support Upstate Medical University because they received their education or had meaningful careers at the facility.

Regardless of their reasons, Hendrickson said she encourages all donors to share their plans with their families, either verbally or in written form.

A legacy letter is a good option for those who prefer to put their thoughts in writing. “It’s easier for many people

to write it out rather than explain it directly to their children,” she said.

Hendrickson recalled one Upstate Foundation donor who wrote a legacy letter in which she told her children that she hoped they would continue to support her legacy, but if the cause she supported was not of interest to them, she hoped they would still follow her lead and give back to others in the community.

“It’s a great teaching tool,” Hendrickson said. “Anyone who has received a legacy letter from their parents has held it dear to their hearts.”

Legacy letters often convey personal thoughts such as how grateful people are to have so many blessings in their lives, how they worked hard to provide for their families, and how good it felt for them to help others who are less fortunate.

A legacy letter can offer a person the opportunity to reflect upon a particular experience that led them to express their gratitude through a donation, Hendrickson said.

For example, one Upstate Foundation donor wrote a legacy letter to his family explaining why he decided to provide funding to train dogs to become therapy-certified for visits with hospital patients. The donor had a very positive experience with a therapy-certified dog while being treated at Upstate Medical University, and it was important to him that other patients have that same option in the future.

For more information about the foundation: www.upstatefoundation. org To learn more about writing legacy letters: www.aarp.org

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cover

Ronnie Leigh:

OVER 50 YEARS ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES

At age 75, the Syracuse jazz artist continues to have a busy schedule

By Mary Beth Roach

“

It is my life blood.”

That’s how local entertainer Ronnie Leigh describes his love for music and performing, a passion that has fueled the 75-year-old for more than 50 years in the business.

His is a career that has had him on stages across the country and in Canada — brought him recognition among his peers and has earned him legions of fans and the respect among many in the entertainment industry.

Leigh has received a SAMMY Award (the Syracuse Area Music Awards) numerous times in the 1990s and early 2000s, including as best jazz vocalist in 1994, 1997 and 2001. He was inducted into the SAMMY Hall of Fame in 2004.

Frank Malfitano, founder and executive director of the Syracuse Jazz 34

Fest, booked Leigh at the first indoor edition of the event in the early 1980s and since then, Leigh has been a part of the festival many times, with Malfitano praising his performances.

“He’s got a distinctive style and sound, looks like a million dollars on stage and he’s steeped in the show business tradition. And then there’s that incredible voice,” he noted. “Be it pop, jazz or soul, Ronnie has all the bases covered. The guy’s a great singer.”

Leigh started singing in Albany, where he would join in with some friends and various school groups. He moved to Syracuse in the mid-1960s after his mom, Pauline Leigh, who had been working for the state at the time, was transferred here. Pauline is now 101.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

His professional start began in a former club on South Salina Street called The Thor. Leigh had been working for the state’s department of transportation and one night after work, he ventured into The Thor to listen to some live music. During the band’s break, Leigh said he mustered up his courage and asked the group if he could do a song with them.

After a couple of tunes, the band was impressed enough to ask Leigh to join them and would pay him $25 a gig.

A short while later, another band that had heard Leigh sing, pursued him.

Leigh would be a member of several bands in the 1970s and 1980s, and longtime fans will remember Leigh during his days with the bands Celebration, Sail and The Atlas Linen Company.

But he didn’t quit his day job — or

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

35

jobs. Over the next several years, Leigh said he had a variety of jobs, working in a mail room and at some local plants, selling cars and even light bulbs over the phone.

When he was in his 20s, he said he actually tried to quit singing — for about 14 days.

“I wanted to live ‘the normal life,’ whatever that is. And I lasted about two weeks,” he said.

He was fine for the first week, but he said “the second week, emotionally and mentally I was just torn up.”

During that week, he was out listening to a band. They asked him to sit in. He did, and he said that he felt relieved.

“At that point I realized ‘this is what you gotta do,’” he said.

Leigh said he was in his 30s before he felt comfortable in becoming a 36

musician full time.

Throughout his five-decade career, Leigh has sung in venues in 38 states and Canada. He’s played at jazz festivals in Syracuse and Rochester and the Apple Jazz Fest at the Little York Pavilion. He’s performed with the local DeSantis Orchestra and Symphoria!, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Orlando Jazz Orchestra; and he’s been to Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, as well as the Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal.

He has opened for or played with a range of performers, including David Sanborn, Alliance, The Yellow Jackets, Spiro Gyra, Jon Hendricks, James Moody and Etta Jones.

While he doesn’t care to be pigeon-holed into a specific genre,

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

he acknowledges that his biggest inspirations are from the jazz world — Carmen McRae, Lou Rawls, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.

Sustaining such a long career in the entertainment industry, with its ever-changing musical tastes, clubs and festivals and a pandemic, is no small task. But Leigh attributed his longevity to his ability to improvise. “ S o m e o f t h a t c o m e s f ro m sports; some of that comes from jazz improvisation. I think a lot of musicians who made it through this pandemic, maybe not with flying colors; they did that because a lot of them know how to improvise. If you know how to improvise, that’s something that’s part of your life,” he explained. “More than likely, you can do that with any facet of your life.”

Having the ability to improvise is

one thing. Having the vocal cords to be able to still be active some 50 years later and do about 200 gigs a year is also critical.

Leigh credited former Syracuse University professor Diane Stradling with helping him maintain his singing voice. She had been affiliated with SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and he met her through one of her students. During one of his first classes with her, he learned the valuable lesson of what he called diaphragmatic breathing. He recalled that Stradling laid on her back on her piano bench and told Leigh to sit on her. Of course, Leigh hesitated, fearing he’d hurt her.

She assured him he wouldn’t, so he haltingly agreed.

Stradling began singing and he said she raised him up with her diaphragm, while she still sang.

“I got it immediately. That’s how you breathe,” he said.

Leigh would go on to work with Stradling for three to four years, doing a residency with her vocal jazz choir and when she and her husband relocated to Michigan, she recommended him to take her spot. He worked as an adjunct at SU for seven to eight years.

“She just saved me. She saved my vocal career,” he said.

Away from the stage, Leigh likes bicycling, listening to music, watching some sports on television and golf —` although he joked he doesn’t always like his score.

He also likes Central New York.

Despite his traveling, this area remains his home base. He and his wife of 38 years, Barbara, live in Syracuse.

And he certainly loves his fans from this area. He said that while he’s not surprised that he’s still in the business and enjoying it all these years later; it’s his fans that astonish him.

“One of the things that really is amazing to me, and surprising, I guess in some regard, is that, especially here working in Syracuse, people still embrace the work that I try to do. No matter where I go, they come out and give me that same warm embrace.

What a blessing it is to be the recipient of that.”

Leigh is far from done. In the future, he hopes to tour more and would love do a local television show focusing on local artists, sharing their stories and their passion.

NEARLY 20 YEARS OF CELEBRATING LIFE AFTER 55 10 C

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Lisa Romano Moore, new director at Onondaga Historical Association P.42

Issue 104 April-May 2023 For Active Adults in Central New York

Alone and bored?

Consider a parrot!

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Gray Wolves Continue to Prowl the Rinks P.36 SUNSHINE HORSES IN CLAY: Helping Horses, Helping People For 20 Years, and Counting P.16

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

37

consumers corner

By Eva Briggs, M.D.

Allergy? Blame the Pollen.

But What is Pollen?

I

t’s been a banner year so far for seasonal allergies. The major culprit is pollen.

What exactly is this stuff called pollen?

This powdery substance produced by flowering plants contains the male reproductive cells. Each pollen grain has a hard protective coat enclosing a gametophyte (a cell that can become a sperm cell) plus one or more nonreproductive “vegetative” cells.

When a pollen grain lands on a compatible female flower or cone it germinates.

The vegetative cell(s) forms a tube that leads into the female flower. The gametophyte splits to form two sperm cells that travel down the pollen tube to fertilize the female ovule. Of course, the pollen somehow has to get from one plant to another.

Entomophilus pollen travels by adhering to an insect who moves it along.

This type of pollen sticky, protein rich, and relatively heavy. It’s often visible. But entomophilus pollen generally is not the type of pollen to trigger allergies because the heavy grains fall on the ground rather that traveling on the wind to people’s noses and eyes.

Anemophilus pollen, on the other hand, is tiny and disperses when blown about by the wind. Plants with airborne pollen must produce vast quantities of pollen to ensure that it wafts through the air and successfully drifts onto an appropriate female flower. These tiny pollen grains, invisible to the naked eye, trigger allergies by landing in a susceptible

person’s nose or eyes.

There’s actually an entire scientific field called palynology devoted to the study of pollen. Microscopic examination of pollen is used in fields such as dating sediments and forensics. As a forestry student I learned to identify several types of tree pollen via microscope. All I remember is pine pollen, whose grains have two tiny airbladders to prolong their airtime but make them resemble tiny Mickey Mouse heads when viewed under the microscope.

Tree pollen usually disperses in early spring, often before plants turn

So, what should a pollen allergy sufferer do?

• Step one is avoidance when possible: monitor pollen counts and stay indoors during high levels. Keep your house and car windows shut during allergy season. After spending time outdoors change your clothes, shower and wash your hair. This is also a great time to check for ticks. Wearing an N95 or KN95 face mask can help filter out pollen when counts are high or during activities like lawn mowing.

• S t e p t w o i s u s i n g o v e rthe-counter medicines to control symptoms. If you know when your allergies start, these medicines can be started one or two weeks prior to allergy symptoms.

Oral medicines include antihistamines: cetirizine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine and loratadine cause less drowsiness than diphenhydramine. Overthe-counter eye drops for treating allergies include ketotifen and olopatadine. Also h e l p f u l a re s t e ro i d nose drops such as fluticasone, budesonide, and triamcinolone. If needed you can use an oral medicine, eye drops, and nose sprays in combination. Because there are so many commercial brands, I have used the generic names. If you are not sure what is in a particular medicine, consult the pharmacist or your medical provider.

I f a v o i d a n c e a n d o v e r- t h e counter medicines don’t help, the next step is seeing your doctor. They can determine whether prescription medicines, allergy testing, and/or immunotherapy (allergy shots or drops) are needed,

“There’s actually an entire scientific field called palynology devoted to the study of pollen.”

38

green. Grass pollen season starts in later spring and continues into the summer. Weed pollen usually kicks in during spring and extends into the fall. A major source of allergy-inducing pollen is ragweed which starts in August and continues to November.

Tree and grass pollen counts are highest in the evening. Weed pollen counts peak in the morning. Rain washes pollen out of the air. But after the rain ends plants may release a burst of pollen making the counts climb.

On calm days pollen drifts to the ground but windy days blow the pollen around.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

John F. Warren Syracuse University Oratorio Society during a recent presentation. Photo provided

music

Retirees Urged to Join Syracuse University Oratorio Society

A

lthough not specifically targeting older adults, the Syracuse University Oratorio Society tends to attract retirees who have more time to practice and perform vocal music. Conductor John F. Warren estimated that about onethird is retirees.

The group combines community adult singers with SU students and they frequently perform with Symphoria.

It all started in the 1970s when Cornelia Yarborough, a professor of choral music education at SU, and Christopher Keene, conductor of the then Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, collaborated to organize a chorus to sing Messiah. George Frideric Handel’s oratorio sounds best with a robust choir and Yarborough organized a chorus including community members to reach the size needed.

That formed the beginnings of the Syracuse University Oratorio Society, which has performed many times with SU and now performs with Symphoria.

Participants must audition for a place in the group. Of the 110 vocalists

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

involved, most have sung publicly before in school choirs, church choirs or other groups. About 20 to 25 of them are SU students.

“Community members range from one high school student to quite older adults,” Warren said.

He believes that joining a group like this of like-minded people who enjoy music can be very fulfilling.

“And then there’s the chance that we perform with Symphoria. There’s nothing like singing with a professional orchestra. It’s exhilarating. We work hard for a number of weeks leading to the performance and it’s rewarding.”

The group performs about four times annually, typically performing Messiah each December. The oratorio is 105 minutes long. They also perform shorter works throughout the year, such as Holst’s Planets, Debussy’s Nocturne, or a compilation of opera’s “greatest hits.” Sometimes, soloists are needed to augment a particular work.

The Syracuse University Oratorio Society often performs at the Civic Center in Syracuse, but sometimes performs at area churches, depending

upon the concerts. Their concerts p ro d u c e d i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h Symphoria are ticketed events, but occasionally, the group offers free admission concerts on SU’s campus.

Participants pay dues of about $50 each year. Warren said that they receive instruction on vocal performance and reading music, although “most of these singers are well-experienced and have some good training.”

The Syracuse University Oratorio Society rehearses on Mondays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. As performances draw closer during a concert week, that schedule includes additional rehearsals, including one with the orchestra.

The group members provide their own “concert black” clothing for performances and receive a list of suggestions as to what that might look like. Typically, the group participates in one performance per event.

The Syracuse University Oratorio Society hosts an audition every August.

Anyone interested should email Melissa Rashford at marashfo@gmail. com

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

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book

Every morning, Frank Martorana visits the kitchen first to grab a cup of coffee and then go straight to his study for a morning of writing.

He has handwritten four books by hand — typing doesn’t help him concentrate.

Retired Cazenovia Vet’s Unique Approach to Writing

Frank Martorana a retired veterinarianturned-author pens suspense-filled mysteries — he published his fourth book recently

By John Addyman

40

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

P

ark the truck under a tree in the cemetery.

Ease your back against a tombstone.

Unwrap the lunch in your lap.

Pour yourself a cup of the wine you bottled last summer.

Look around at the squirrels running through the grass, listen as the birds chirp at you and feel the gentle sunshine. …and get ready for a story.

That’s the way Frank Martorana sees it, feels it, hears it…and does it.

He’ll weave a tale for you, about a country veterinarian and his four-legged sidekick, Lucinda, a redbone coonhound. He’ll take time to describe what it feels like to spend a good portion of your life in barns, taking care of sick animals.

If you’ve never been in a barn, that’s OK — he’ll make it vivid, right down to the night sounds and earthy smells of a place where all are asleep.

He’s written four books about a middle-aged, comfortable, confident vet, Kent Stephenson, who’s earned the trust of the people and animals in his sphere. Stephenson is a problemsolver, an amateur detective and Martorana, 72, builds a complete picture of him, drawing heavily from personal experience.

“I was worried about retiring and what would I do because my life had been veterinary medicine since the time I was in seventh grade,” Martorana said, sitting at his kitchen table in Nelson, near Cazenovia.

“I knew I needed something to keep me going because there would be a big hole when I retired. With that I mind, I started to think about doing something.

“My kids were in school. I wanted to be an example for them.

We had a rule in our house that there would be no TV during the week. The kids were working on homework and I wanted the kids to see their dad working, too. At the time I was reading a lot of mysteries.

I said to myself, ‘I think I can write one of those.’ So I started writing. It just became a book and eventually became four books over time.”

The first book, “Taking On Lucinda,” took about three years to write, start to finish.

“I started writing, finished it and put it away,” he said. “Then I got it out, polished it up a little and decided

to publish it myself.”

Retirement helped put more structure in the writing process.

“When I get up in the morning, I write first thing. I go from the bed to the coffee pot to the desk. I do not check email or look at anything else and I write for a couple of hours,” he explained.

“He keeps a little pad by the bed,” said wife Ann Marie. “Something will come into his head in the middle of the night and he has to write it down and then he goes back to sleep.”

Martorana said it takes more than just a couple of hours in the morning to turn out a mystery novel.

“In my first books, I’d also write at lunchtime. I’d pull off into cemeteries — they are great little parks. They’re isolated and quiet. I find a bed of myrtle and a tilted headstone that’s just right to lean on and I sit with my back against it and I write through lunch. There are no restaurants out here in the country. My veterinary mobile unit truck is very noticeable.

So every time I would stop along the side of a road, people would stop and ask me if I were OK. “In a cemetery, I find a sunny spot and get 20 minutes or an hour to write. I turn the radio off. I write and eat lunch. I have great memories. I had students traveling with me all the time who wanted to be veterinarians — Cazenovia College students — and they still to this day talk about me stopping at the cemetery for lunch.

This cemetery or that cemetery — they were wonderful places.”

The inspiration doesn’t fall far from the headstone: in the fourth chapter of “Simpatico’s Gift,” Martorana’s second book, Doc Stephenson is having lunch in the cemetery with daughter, Emily, while Lucinda is chasing squirrels.

It’s no surprise that the character Doc Stephenson is an Upstate New York vet, has a daughter, that he has a practice in a large-animal veterinary hospital, that his range is deep into the country.

“You write what you know — that’s what they say, right?” Martorana said.

“When I was in seventh grade in Colonie, New York, I was pretty sure I wanted to be a veterinarian. At that time, there was a ’farm practice’ requirement in order to go to veterinary school: you had to have worked on a farm. So, I started looking into it and

Frank Martorana in his wine cellar. He makes his own wine and shares 200-400 bottles with lots of family and friends. ended up writing a letter, as a seventh grader, to the admissions department in the school of agriculture at Cornell University, asking ‘How do I get farm practice?’

“I got a nice letter back that said, ‘You’re in luck. There’s a fellow in Burnt Hills, Stan Garrison, he’s a veterinarian, a Cornell graduate and he has a dairy farm. If you contact him, he might give you a job, and then you would get a minimum of two summers’ experience.’ I wrote this letter to Stan, in my seventhgrade penmanship, about how I am in seventh grade and I am 110 pounds and very strong for my age and would like to work on your farm. He saved that letter for years. He got the biggest laugh out of it.”

The summer job working for

Garrison was life-changing.

“He was a wonderful man. He just took me under his wing. I worked in the summer on his dairy farm with a number of other young men and made friends I still have today. He wrote a letter of reference for me for veterinary school and sure enough, I got in. Then he hired me while I was a student in veterinary school, at his Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital. Doc Garrison had a great reputation. Everybody loved him,” he said.

Martorana and Ann Marie met in his first year at Cornell med school.

“Some guys in my fraternity were going bar-hopping in Cortland. Ann Marie, an RN, was visiting a friend there,” he started.

Ann Marie took it from there.

“On Friday night,” she explained,

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

41

LEFT: Frank and Ann Marie Martorana met while in college and were married 48 years ago.

RIGHT: “Where Waters Run North” is Frank Martorana’s fourth book about veterinarian and amateur detective Doc Stephenson.

“I went partying and my friend watched out for me. On Saturday night, she was partying and I was watching out for her. Frank asked her to dance and I told him, ‘You can’t take her home: she’s had too much to drink.

I’m sorry – that’s the way it is.’

“So he said, ‘Well how about you?

Can I get you a drink?’ I told him, ‘Yes. I’m drinking Coca-Cola.’ We started talking about his life and his family and we started dating. I come from a very strict Irish family and my father said, even though I was 20 years old, ‘I have to meet the boy or you can’t go out with him.’ Poor Frank drove down to meet my father and we proceeded to get a speeding ticket as we left Cortland. He looked at me and said, ‘I hope you’re worth all this.’”

They were married in 1975.

“It was a good investment,” Frank said.

Retirement at 68 didn’t mean Ann Marie had a husband hanging around with nothing to do. Frank started making wine and that got serious.

42

Now he bottles 200-400 bottles each year, part of a collective of amateur oenologists who buy red-wine grapes in bulk from California, Chile and Italy, and white-wine grapes from the Finger Lakes. He has a wine cellar along one wall of his house in Nelson and looks absolutely happy and engaged while in it.

He’s also an engaged reader and belongs to a serious men’s book club that has met each Tuesday for years, now on Zoom because so many members have such varied schedules.

He takes a Spanish class.

And he has four books in print now. “Taking on Lucinda,” was published in 2018. “Simpatico’s Gift” came out a year later, then “The Color of Wounds” in 2020 and most recently, “Where Waters Run North,” in 2022.

“I wrote each one, start to finish, in about a year,” he said.

Martorana also discovered selfpublishing through Amazon (where books are offered for sale) and Book Baby (which actually prints the books

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

on demand). His books are available through all major online retailers and sold worldwide.

He’s done book signings in Syracuse, Liverpool, Jamesville, Hamilton and Woodstock, staying pretty close to home. He’s been able to tap extended family members for social media, design and promotion help. And he’s loving it.

“It’s keeping my head on straight,” he said. “Writing gives me something to do and keeps me out of Ann Marie’s hair.”

And he’s been surprised by one reaction to his books.

“Lucinda the dog was just a little minor thing on the side in my first book. I knew a seasoned vet in Cazenovia who always had a hound dog that rode with him everywhere — that’s how Lucinda came about,” he said. “Over the four books she has become a major character (she’s on the cover of each one). You don’t want to hurt her — I’d get death threats if I did that.”

Want a Healthier, Happier Old Age? Get Moving

T

he couch potato life may not be a happy one.

When older adults become more sedentary, their overall quality of life takes a hit, new research cautions.

Sitting still is your enemy, the study suggests. Even slow walking can help improve your mental and physical health, say the British researchers who tracked more than 1,400 adults age 60 and up.

“We set off to look at whether people who reduced their physical activity levels or increased their sitting time in their older years had poorer quality of life later on,” said study lead author Dharani Yerrakalva.

The answer to both questions was yes, said Yerrakalva, a doctoral fellow with the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge.

This really matters, she and her colleagues said, noting prior research suggests that as quality of life worsens, the risk for hospitalization goes up. So

too does the risk for a premature death.

Connie Diekman is a food and nutrition consultant and former president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She said the findings serve as a “strong confirmation of what most health organizations recommend: Stay physically active to keep the body and mind healthy.”

“Regular activity helps people feel vital, strong and anxious to keep enjoying life,” said Diekman, who was not part of the study.

There are several ways in which improvements in our physical behaviors might help maintain a better quality of life, Yerrakalva noted.

“For example, more physical activity reduces pain in common conditions such as osteoarthritis. And we know that being more physically active improves muscle strength, which

allows older adults to continue to care for themselves,” she said.

“Similarly, depression and anxiety are linked to quality of life, and can be improved by being more active and less sedentary,” Yerrakalva added.

Researchers zeroed in on 1,433 English adults who were originally enrolled in a cancer study. They tracked activity routines and evaluated quality of life, including the ability to move about, to take care of oneself and to engage in basic everyday activities.

They also noted overall pain levels and mood.

Guidelines in the United States and United Kingdom recommend that adults clock at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity a week.

The team found that seniors who increased their activity levels — while cutting down on couch potato time — ended up with a higher quality of life by the study’s end.

Adding just one hour of activity to a senior’s daily routine was associated with a significant boost in quality of life scores.

Even upping engagement in relatively light activities — such as slow walking — was helpful, Yerrakalva said, though boosting more moderate-to-vigorous exercises, like brisk walking, produced the most payoff.

But before investing in a pickleball paddle or gym membership, talk to your doctor, said Diekman. “Make sure you check with your physician to learn if there are any limitations to activity due to your personal health status,” she advised. After that, “get moving.”

welcomes

JESSICA R. ALBANESE, MD Specializing in Neck & Back Currently Accepting New Patients!

S OS BON E S .C O M | 3 1 5. 251. 3232 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

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volunteering

Volunteer Drivers Help Save Lives A team of 65 volunteers drive all over delivering blood from the American Red Cross Donor Center to hospitals and other medical facilities in Upstate New York

By David Figura

I

t’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday and Red Cross volunteer Dick Dembowski is anxiously waiting for an assignment to deliver blood.

“I’m on the STAT team, meaning I make runs to medical facilities that need blood ASAP,” he said. “Wherever I’m going, I never stop unless I have to pee. I figure every trip is important and that I’m saving someone’s life by making my delivery.”

Dembowski, 76, of East Syracuse, a retired truck driver, is one of 65 dedicated volunteer blood transportation specialists, who work a wide variety of day and evening 44

shifts out the Red Cross Donor Center in Liverpool.

The majority of the drivers are mostly retired men, ranging in age from college students to one retiree who’s 82.

The volunteers working out of Liverpool are in the Red Cross’s Eastern region and drive to hospitals and other medical facilities in an area ranging roughly from Binghamton up as far north as Messina, and as far east as New Hartford and Cooperstown and west to West Henrietta and Elmira.

Some drivers like Dembowski are on the STAT crew. Others have

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

dedicated runs to local hospitals to help keep their available blood and other blood products at acceptable levels for surgeries, emergencies and other needs of patients.

Members of the STAT crew are required to live within a half hour of a donation center where the blood is stored, according to Rachel Elzufon Couch, who oversees the transportation of blood across the state.

The STAT drivers strive to deliver the blood within 1½ hours after picking it up, she said.

“I can’t emphasize how wonderful all of these volunteers are, always

Red Cross volunteer Dick Dembowski of East Syracuse crisscrosses CNY and beyond making deliveries of blood. looking to help beyond their shifts. We are so blessed,” said Connie Wheatley, transportation coordinator at the Liverpool office.

Nearly all the volunteers drive Red Cross-owned vehicles to and from their assignments.

An exception is Mike Bocketti, 76, of Chittenango, a wheelchair-bound, Vietnam War veteran who uses his own vehicle. Bocketti retired from the Syracuse Veterans Administration Hospital where he was a therapist specializing in post traumatic stress disorder.

“He’s been driving for us more than 15 years and averages 1,600 miles a month on the road,” Wheatley said. She added that Bocketti, who

volunteers on Fridays and Sundays, during 2022 drove 19,462 miles and donated a total of 446.8 hours transporting blood.

The Liverpool volunteers include former truck drivers like Dembowski; a commercial airline pilot, teachers, military personnel, retired engineers and “a whole range of regular Joes,” Wheatley said.

T h i s re p o r t e r a c c o m p a n i e d Dembowski on one of his morning shifts as he delivered a box of blood to the VA hospital in Syracuse and soon afterward drove down to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City with a box of platelets.

Dembowski, a truck driver for 32 years, retired at 62.

Since then, he has played a lot of golf while working part-time at Golf Galaxy in DeWitt, repairing golf clubs on a part-time basis. In addition, for nine years he was a volunteer driver for the Veterans Hospital in Syracuse, driving patients to and from appointments.

He stopped driving for the VA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My wife and I were talking about it, that I wasn’t volunteering any more at the VA. I wasn’t doing anything when the golf season ended. What was I going to do?” he said.

Dembowski said his mother-inlaw worked for the Red Cross for years. He said he and his wife heard something on the news about the need

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

45

for Red Cross volunteers. He said he didn’t want to sit and take blood from people. However, the idea of picking up blood and delivering it to different hospitals appealed to him.

He began volunteering as a blood transportation specialist more than seven months ago.

“Who am I helping? I never get told. I guess it’s none of my business,” he said. “However, I look upon it as a matter of life or death. It could be for a pregnant woman who had problems, maybe a baby, someone getting heart surgery or a liver transplant, someone who was in a car accident, someone fighting cancer.”

Since starting, Dembowski said he has driven through all sorts of weather, including intense snow and rain storms.

He works from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays. That’s the time frame for him to get delivery assignments, but often he ends up driving for several more hours outside of his shift, depending on the destination — particularly if he’s going to places like Potsdam or Messina.

On one trip to a medical facility in Herkimer on the other side of Utica, Dembowski said “as soon as they saw me drive in, there was a lady who came out to my van and got the blood. That’s how much of a hurry they were in.”

Wheatley, who oversees the scheduling and training of the volunteer drivers, said applicants need a clean driver ’s license (no DWIs or other serious tickets) and a background check.

The training includes mandatory viewing of an online training video, instructions on following and filling out required paperwork, a test drive in one of the Red Cross vehicles and a ride-along with a seasoned driver on the shift you’re interested in filling.

The volunteers staff day and evening shifts. A paid courier is also available if no one is on hand or for third shift deliveries.

During a recent morning trip to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City, the hospital staffer who took the box of platelets off Dembowski’s hands upon his arrival inside the building said simply, “Thanks. We have an individual who really needs this.”

Walking back to his Red Cross vehicle afterward, Dembowski said, “That really makes me feel good.”

46

1

2

3

1. Dick Dembowski hands off a box of blood to (from left) Malgorzata Jamer and Shannon Long, medical technicians at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in Syracuse.

2. Dembowski chats with Connie Wheatley, transportation coordinator at the Liverpool Red Cross Blood Donation Center.

3. Boxes of blood ready for delivery at the American Red Cross Donation Center on Oswego Road (Route 57) in Liverpool.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

Following the Red Cross Blood Trail Blood donated in the CNY area ultimately ends up at the state’s main lab in West Henrietta, south of Rochester, then Charlotte, North Carolina

By David Figura

I

t all starts with a person sitting down, getting a needle or two stuck in their arm and making a donation at a local Red Cross blood drive event.

But where does the blood go from there? How does it get to a local hospital for such uses as a surgery or stabilizing a car accident victim?

Rachel Elzufon Couch, the state’s Red Cross transportation supervisor, outlined the blood trail for CNY donations recently.

During the blood collection events, donations are extracted from individuals as either whole blood, platelets, plasma or double red blood cells. Also, testing is done for donors with blood that can be used for pediatric or sickle cell disease patients.

Whole or unprocessed blood contains red cells, white cells and platelets (comprising about 45% of the blood’s volume), which are suspended in plasma (about 55% of the volume).

Platelets are small, colorless cell fragments in the blood with the main function of interacting with clotting proteins to stop or prevent bleeding. They are commonly used for patients undergoing cancer treatments, organ transplants or other surgical procedures.

During the platelet collection process, two needles are stuck in a donor’s arm and during that time a special centrifuge process performed at the donation site separates the platelets out and the red blood cells go back into the donor’s arm.

Individuals can also donate just blood plasma or double red blood cells during a blood donation event.

Once a person in the greater Syracuse area or elsewhere in Upstate New York donates his or her blood or parts of their blood, the donations are kept separate and transported by Red Cross staff or volunteers, ultimately ending up at the state’s main lab in West Henrietta, south of Rochester off the NYS Thruway.

Red Cross staff fill six test tubes from each donation at the blood collection site. Once those test tubes are delivered to the West Henrietta lab, a courier then drives five samples from each donation to a lab in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, the samples are tested for bloodborne diseases

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

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1

2

AMERICAN RED CROSS DONOR CENTER

HENRIETTA RED CROSS BLOOD, PLATELET AND PLASMA DONATION CENTER

Liverpool

3

RED CROSS GREATER CAROLINAS REGION Charlotte, North Carolina

West Henrietta

Blood donated in the CNY area ends up at the state’s main lab in West Henrietta, with samples sent to Charlotte, North Carolina, for testing

for bloodborne diseases. Once cleared, packaged blood products from West Henrietta are then returned to the

Liverpool and three other blood donation centers across the state for delivery to medical facilities.

including HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and West Nile Virus. The sixth sample is kept at the West Henrietta lab.

“We usually get an answer from Charlotte within 24 to 48 hours,” Couch said. “It’s an intricate process.

We hold ourselves to an extremely high standard. It’s important for these results to be accurate.”

Staff at the West Henrietta lab, using a centrifuge, take portions of the donated whole blood and “manufacture it” into various blood products for use in transfusions.

The main ones, along with platelets, include: • Red cells: These cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissue and carbon dioxide back to the lungs and exhaled. Red blood cells have a shelf life of about 42 days and can be used for patient suffering from an iron deficiency, anemia, trauma, surgery (general, heart), neonatal (deliveries), hip replacements, sickle cell or blood disorders.

• Plasma: This is the liquid portion of the blood. Once processed, it gets frozen and has a year shelf life. It is composed of 92% water, 7% vital proteins, such as albumin, gamma globulin, anti-hemophilic factor and other clotting factor and 1% mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins. It can be used for patients suffering from trauma, shock, massive

bleeding, burns, liver failures, severe infections and bleeding disorders.

• Cryoprecipitate (Cryo for short): This is a portion of the plasma rich in clotting factors, including Factor VIII and fibrinogen. This blood product, which is frozen and has a one-year shelf life, is used for patients suffering from hemophila, von Willebrand disease and coagulation disorders.

In regard to the platelet donations, they require additional work at the West Henrietta lab, with the white blood cells being separated out.

Platelets have a shelf life of only about five days, Couch said.

Couch said whole blood, used for giving transfusions to trauma patients, is not separated. Requirements for its use include that it must be Type O and the donor must have no history of pregnancy and that the blood must contain no trace of aspirin. These requirements minimize the risk of the patient rejecting the blood, she said.

From the West Henrietta lab, the blood is then transported by volunteers or a paid courier to one of one of four donation centers in the Upstate region.

They are located in Liverpool, Buffalo, Binghamton and Albany, where it is stored for distribution.

Depending on the blood or blood products, some of it is refrigerated, some of it stored on dry ice, in temperature-stabilizing packs or just

packed in regular ice.

“We have enough product kept in Liverpool for several weeks,” Couch said.

The Red Cross has an “order management department” that works closely with local hospitals and medical facilities and the local Red Cross donation centers.

Hospitals and other medical facilities put in regular online orders to the donation centers to maintain their blood supplies, along with emergency (STAT) requests, via an online program the Red Cross has set up.

F ro m L i v e r p o o l a n d o t h e r distribution centers, the blood is then delivered to the local hospitals mostly by volunteer drivers.

In some cases, if the needed blood product is not available at the local donation center, volunteer drivers have to go to West Henrietta first, then drive to the local medical facility where the blood product has been requested. Often, depending on the need, volunteer drivers or a paid courier from the West Henrietta office will drive straight to the medical facility.

Couch said she has a soft spot in her heart for the volunteer drivers.

“It’s amazing what these men and women do. I work with them every day. They make you feel better about the world,” she said.

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golden years

By Harold Miller Email: hmiller@mcsmms.com

Do You Want to Live 100 Years?

W

The secrets of centenarians

hen President Franklin R o o s e v e l t i n t ro d u c e d the Social Security Act of 1935, as America was just recovering from the crash of 1929, most people thought he was out of his mind to pay a person an income even after their retirement. The average life for American men at that time was 47 years.

As you grow older, your life expectancy stretches. For example, while the life expectancy of a male at that time was 47, today a 65-yearold could expect to live 19 additional years. The oldest of the old are often remarkably healthy.

How well your age will help dictate how long you stay alive and how happy you do so. Whether or not your family is long-lived the answers lie less in your genes than in your actions. Do you smoke? Do you eat well? Are you active? Are you an active weight? Do you have ailments now that are inherited from family background?

If your answers are discouraging, take heart. It is not too late to make changes.

A recent study in the American Journal of Medicine focused on adults who adopted a healthier lifestyle during middle age.

The researchers followed 15,700 adults (age 45 to 65) for a decade and noted that 970 of the people embraced a healthier lifestyle. By the sixth year of the study these individuals had eaten five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, worked at least two and a half hours per week, did not smoke, and avoided obesity. Just four years later the group of individuals who made these changes had a 40% lower rate of death and 35% lower death rate for any reason.

10 steps towards a longer, healthier life • Don’t smoke.

• Build physical and mental activities into every day.

• Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

• Have a daily multivitamin.

• Maintain a healthy weight [not too thin, not too fat].

• Challenge your brain.

• Build a strong social network.

• Protect your sight, hearing and general health by following preventive measures.

• Floss, brush and see a dentist regularly.

• Discuss with your doctor whether you need any medication, perhaps to control high blood pressure or lower cholesterol.

More study is needed to clarify the link between optimism and good health. It is likely that multiple factors are involved. Personality is complex, and doctors do not know if optimism is hard-wired into an individual or if a sunny disposition can be nurtured in some way.

“Twixt the optimist and pessimist The difference is a droll The optimist sees the doughnut But the pessimist sees only

the hole.”

Today’s doctors do not think much of doughnuts, but they are accumulating evidence that optimism is good for health. Do your best to seek silver linings.

According to a 2010 Census, there are more than 371,000 people aged 95 and older in the U.S. while 85- to 94-year-olds number five million.

Studies of people who reach the century mark note that their health is surprisingly robust despite advanced age. Once decline does set in for these centenarians, death follows fairly quickly. That’s an attractive prospect for those who fear a drawn-out loss of health and independence in their waning years — like me!

What is a centenarian’s secret?

Not surprisingly genes play a role.

A study of Swedish twins 80 and older attributed about half of the changes in mental function to genes, up to 35% and that longevity itself is inheritable.

It is all very well to pile up statistics on average life span, but what does this tell you about your life? Not enough.

Clearly, more work needs to be done to crack the code of ageing. But you do not have to wait until the final answers are in to take steps that may extend and enhance your life right now.

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second act

Grave Work Helps Families Honor Their Loved Ones

By Margaret McCormick

T

im O’Boyle has always felt drawn to cemeteries. He and his wife, Linda, have trekked to Arlington National Cemetery to visit The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and admire the thousands of meticulous white marble stones honoring America’s war dead.

While in New York City, they went to see Hamilton — not the Broadway musical, but the spot where Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of our country, was laid to rest in Trinity Church Cemetery.

In Paris, their tombstone tourist agenda included Pere Lachaise cemetery, the final resting place of opera singer Maria Callas, writer Oscar 50

Wilde, pianist and composer Frederic Chopin, and singer, songwriter and vocalist Jim Morrison of The Doors.

These days, O’Boyle is spending a good amount of time in Central New York cemeteries.

The Syracuse resident, who will turn 55 this fall, is the founder of With All Respect Due LLC, a gravesite maintenance company.

His services include cleaning family mausoleums, headstones and ground-level markers, straightening headstones that have shifted in the earth and general site maintenance and beautification, like grass trimming and flower and plant installation and care.

Rules and regulations for such

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services vary from cemetery to cemetery and O’Boyle operates within the guidelines of each one. He’s not buried in work, but the job is keeping him busy, so far.

“I want to help people honor their families,’’ O’Boyle said of his service.

“These sites are the final resting place of someone who means something to you.’’

O’Boyle’s job is seasonal, roughly April to late October, depending on the weather. It’s his semi-retirement occupation and he comes to it after a long career in the tech world. He supported sales of computer systems for a local company as their technical solutions architect and when that

After long career in the tech world, Syracuse resident now owns With All Respect Due LLC, a gravesite maintenance company company was sold, he worked as a product manager and in product development for the new owners, a global electronics company.

O’Boyle also works part-time for the Onondaga County Public Library, delivering books to local libraries that patrons have reserved online. With All Respect Due gets him outdoors and into the peaceful, park-like settings of local cemeteries and burial grounds.

So does the volunteer work he does through the website Find a Grave (www.findagrave.com).

In his off hours, O’Boyle helps people locate and virtually visit the final disposition places of their loved ones with updated pictures.

Tromping through cemeteries might seem morbid to some, but it isn’t to O’Boyle. It’s a learning experience. “It’s always interesting to see how people are remembered in these places, to see the inscriptions and dates and epitaphs and what they lived through,’’ he said.

Why this line of work and why now? These days, O’Boyle noted, families are scattered, and family gravesites become overlooked, overgrown and generally unkempt. A lot of times, all that’s needed is some personal attention and light cleaning.

At a recent job at Assumption Cemetery, off Court Street on the North Side of Syracuse, O’Boyle arrived at mid-day and got to work. He starts by pulling a couple brushes out of his toolkit and using them to gently remove the mold and lichens that have taken up residence on a gravestone.

“The motto of anyone cleaning headstones is ‘do no harm,’” he explained. That means not using bleach, which is strong and can cause more harm than good to gravestones.

He extends the hose from a 15-gallon water tank in the back of his vehicle and gives the headstone a thorough rinsing.

The task at hand requires little in the way of products and tools.

O’Boyle sprays a proprietary, ecofriendly solution on the gravestone and pulls out a couple wooden tongue

depressors, which he uses to gently remove dirt build-up in the crevices of the lettering on the stone. After the solution has been on there for a few minutes, he pulls out a passel of brushes and gives the headstone a good scrubbing. “You don’t want to use a mechanical brush,’’ he said. “A lot of this work is elbow grease.’’

Next, he rinses the stone and sprays on a cleaning solution similar to dish soap — pleasant smelling and not very strong. He lets the solution rest for a few minutes, then goes to work with a brush so the stone becomes soapy. He gives the stone a rinse and waits until it has dried some before determining if he should repeat the cleaning process.

“It’s a lot of scrubbing and a lot of time waiting for the stuff to work,’’ O’Boyle said. “It’s part of the process.

You’re spraying, you’re waiting, then you’re scrubbing and scrubbing. It’s mainly scrubbing.’’

Even relatively new gravestones and crypts need care, O’Boyle said, because the environment has an impact on them. Pollen from trees and plants, tree sap, air pollution, road grime and salt in the air all take their toll and cause damage. “All of those things start to work away at a stone,’’ O’Boyle added.

Sometimes, well-intentioned family members try to restore a stone’s luster with bleach or paint a stone to camouflage signs of wear.

Bleach can cause internal damage and disintegration over time and paint will chip and damage the stone underneath, O’Boyle explained.

Some jobs are bigger and more challenging than others and might require a ladder to reach the carved figures at the top of a crypt, for example.

Pauline Tucci, of Syracuse, a retired nurse, met O’Boyle through his wife (she owns Metro Home Style, a boutique in Syracuse) and hired him to clean the gravestones of her maternal and paternal grandparents, who are buried within a few feet of each other at Assumption Cemetery. She cleaned the stones herself more than a decade

ABOVE Before and After — At a recent job at Assumption Cemetery, off Court Street on the North Side of Syracuse, Tim O’Boyle removed the mold and lichens that have taken up residence on a gravestone.

OPPOSITE PAGE Tim O’Boyle of Syracuse started his business gravesite maintenance business after working in the tech industry for many year. “It’s always interesting to see how people are remembered in these places, to see the inscriptions and dates and epitaphs and what they lived through,’’ he says.

Photos by Margaret McCormick ago but decided to consult O’Boyle and have him clean them up.

“I was impressed,’’ Tucci said. “I was building up the strength to clean the stones myself but it’s quite a job.

Tim is easy to talk to and he explained everything very thoroughly.’’

That’s the kind of favorable review O’Boyle hopes to hear after each job.

“I feel honored to perform this work,’’ he said. “I can help a family member do something they couldn’t do. It’s a good feeling.’’

For more information on With All Respect Due LLC, go to https:// withallrespectdue.com

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51

living

LIVING TOGETHER AT EAST HILL FARM Finger Lakes’s art community, home to 12 residents and 35-40 members, thrives in its 56th year

By Melody Burri

I

t was 1972 when Annie Schliffer first stepped foot onto East Hill Farm soil. She’d planned to visit the Finger Lakes homestead of The Rochester Folk Art Guild for just one month, but fell so deeply in love that she stayed for the next 50 years.

Was it the natural beauty of the 350-acre hilltop farm overlooking Middlesex Valley and Canandaigua Lake?

Was it the lifestyle of the Folk Art Guild members’ “intentional community devoted to offering support and nourishment to all who are searching for a more conscious, creative and responsible way of living?”

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Was it the impressive cadre of respected artisans whose work ranked among the best in the region?

Was it the members’ shared belief system, centered on the teaching of Greek-Armenian teacher and philosopher G. I. Gurdjieff?

The answer, quite simply, was yes — Yes to it all.

And it’s likely that’s why the Rochester Folk Art Guild is still thriving on a hilltop outside of Naples after all these years.

“I really don’t know another life at this point,” said the 74-year-old Rochester Folk Art Guild master potter. “I’ve basically grown up here.

I met my husband here and we raised

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our family together here.”

Schliffer said her original intent back in ‘72 was to apprentice as a potter with guild founder Louise March. The RFAG community was just five years into its 56-year history at the time.

She was immediately drawn to the quality of the pottery, but also to the way of working. It emphasized not only the product but also the process that went into making it. What kind of attention should she give to the piece and what kind of care and love would go into it?

“What I discovered is that the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff gave me clues about how I could go about my work,” she said. “I saw that most of the

time I’m acting in a very mechanical, ‘asleep’ way, and that by noticing that, I could start to move myself gently, the same way I learned to center a pot, to center myself and aspire to have more attention and care about what I do.”

Beyond the potter ’s wheel, a second aspect of Schliffer ’s halfcentury connection to East Hill Farm is that she fell “deeply in love with the land.”

“I’ve watched it over these 50 years and watched the trees grow and the sun shine and the angle of the sun right now because it’s winter,” she said. “I’ve watched the ice freeze and thaw and have gone through all the seasons. I’m very attached and need

very much the nurturing quality of nature. That’s just part of who I am. So I walk every day and in the summer I swim in the pond and in the winter I cross-country ski.”

It’s not hard to understand her connection and passion.

The setting is rural and idyllic, the views spectacular and the work fulfilling.

Rochester Folk Art Guild’s 12 residents and 35 or 40 members have an established tradition of organic agriculture, fine craft work and personal development. Projects include organic gardens, orchards and vineyards; food preservation; s u s t a i n a b l e f o re s t r y ; f i re w o o d

production; grounds maintenance and construction.

The farm boasts multiple meeting and residential buildings and art studios for daily life, cooking and sharing meals, creating art and pursuing personal development.

East Hill Gallery, which is front and center at the farm, showcases some of those unique crafts made on site by resident artists, including turned wooden bowls, toys and furniture, glass jewelry, hand-sewn clothing, handwoven scarves and ponchos, stoneware and porcelain pottery, ecoprinted pieces, stationery, greeting cards, books and original musical recordings.

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A short walk from the gallery takes guests into the creative heart of the campus. Well-appointed working studios — each one active, spacious, intuitively laid out and multi-functional — live in separate buildings clustered near the epicenter of the farm.

They’re home to resident artists, their tools and materials, and often students specializing in graphic arts, natural clothing design, pottery, weaving, woodworking, wooden boat building and repair and more. Step across any of their thresholds and the hum of creativity is palpable.

A few more steps down the lane is weaver Truus Radin’s loft studio.

She began her relationship with RFAG more than 40 years ago, and before she began weaving in 2000, she served as a cook and also a shepherd for some 20 years. Radin said at the guild she enjoys the independence and freedom to make what she wants in the way she wants and can work flexible hours to create her colorful wool scarves and wraps. In her secluded second-floor studio, she can “go weeks without seeing anyone,” or may have fellow artists drop in for a visit. It’s a rhythm that feeds her creative spirit.

Connected by purpose Master woodworker David Barnet came to East Hill Farm in 1975 after a series of visits. Steeped in a passion for Asian thought, religion, philosophy and language, he had graduated from the University of Rochester with majors in history and Asian studies.

Barnet was eager to take the next step beyond exploring “the science of being,” and “how to be in life,” into experiencing it.

RFAG’s spiritual community became his new home, and its members became his adopted family.

But that change came with continued adjustments.

“Working and living in community is not a simple path, like rolling downhill,” said Barnet. “It’s always a sacrifice because there are elements that are uncomfortable, that require compromise and accommodation and reconciliation with other people.

That is something that one learns and develops a taste for. And you either accept it or not.”

Nearly 50 years later, he still lives on site, contently, with a core group 54

of about 12 people. In addition to woodworking, Barnet also manages the orchards and the guild’s publicity.

“When you throw your lot in with a group of people, they’re not necessarily the people you would have chosen to live with,” said Barnet. “But there’s a kind of a gravitation toward the same aim and that unites the people together. In a way, it is a family, but not a family by blood.”

Schliffer said she treasures the opportunity to be able to cook for one another and gather for meals each day.

“It’s just wonderful to be able to share not only resources, because it’s much cheaper to cook for 10 or 12 or 15 people than one, but also enjoy the feeling of community coming together,” she said.

Schliffer said she bakes 13 loaves of bread once each week and loves it.

She raised her kids to bake as well.

So it was especially rewarding when Schliffer’s youngest son, after going off to college and traveling around the world, came back and became a “super good artisan bread baker.” For a time he even took over his mom’s role as the guild’s main breadmaker.

“But then you have the challenges — this person leaves a mess here, that person makes something that tastes all wrong, who’s going to clean up. Group living isn’t easy,” said Schliffer. “It has its challenges — it’s not all hunky dory.

But life isn’t. You work on it. You work to not judge that person because they left a mess.”

More than creativity Even at first glance, it’s obvious that life at East Hill Farm provides an ideal climate for artists to birth new ideas and stoke their creative fires.

For instance, Barnet may take inspiration from a pattern that Schliffer uses in the pottery studio and adapt it as a wood carving on a turned bowl.

But for guild members, community life is really more about character growth and inner development than anything else. It’s not so much about becoming a more proficient or capable artist, Barnet said. It’s about becoming a more complete, considerate person.

And there’s a deep-rooted respect for the “we” in the creative process, rather than the “I,” he said. Yes, there is a wonderful opportunity for artists to express themselves, but it’s not the end in itself.

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“The guild members don’t sign their names to their work, we just put a guild symbol on it or write Rochester Folk Art Guild rather than our own names,” said Barnet. “And that is emblematic of indicating that I’m not the sole maker of the piece. I’m just a part of the process. So that is more honest provenance than saying ‘this is all about me.’”

Guild members agree that the creative process is a collaboration between the artist, the community and all of the natural processes that produced the tree or the clay or the wool.

Learn More

East Hill Farm is located at 1445 Upper Hill Road, Middlesex, NY 14507 Phone: 1-585-554-3539 Email: info@folkartguild.org Web: www.folkartguild.org/

A LOOK AHEAD:

COMMUNE AT EAST HILL FARM TURNS 56 With preliminary groundwork laid in 1957 and the East Hill Farm dream realized in 1967, the Rochester Folk Art Guild is now in its 56th year.

Guild members know the nonprofit is reaching an important crossroads, said master woodworker David Barnet. They’d like to see the guild position itself to be “a place of sanctuary and refuge — a haven for developing stability in today’s world.”

“And to that end,” Barnet said, “we’re working on the infrastructure to make the place safer and more accessible to outside groups that want to use the beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces that we have, and avail themselves of the place as a retreat center, for workshops and retreats. Not so much for weddings, but for gatherings where people want to get together and further their connection with each other.”

And like a favorite pair of blue jeans, old leather boots, fine wine and friendships, the founding East Hill Farm residents have aged well over time. But the dream doesn’t have to end with them.

“We’re realizing that all of us — the older members are in their 70s — are getting older,” said Schliffer.

“And if we’re going to have this farm continue past our time, we need to make all of these capital improvements.”

Soon guild members will welcome a new, young family with a 2-year-old into the resident community, Barnet said. They hope it marks the start of more growth to come.

“We need to replace ourselves,” said Schliffer.

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EXPERIENCE IT FIRSTHAND Carrying a longstanding tradition into the future, the Rochester Folk Art Guild continues to open their studio doors for public tours and to offer multiple apprenticeships, internships and summer craft weekends for various ages and in assorted formats.

These are open to interested members of the public.

• Apprenticeships in the areas of pottery, woodworking and wooden boat restoration last one to three years and offer a practical, hands-on approach to learning and living.

Apprentices take part in the daily life of the community, sharing in meal preparation, cleaning, maintenance, farming and gardening as well as the seasonal celebrations and special events.

Study of the Gurdjieff teaching is available to apprentices, but is not required.

• Internships are offered in the various craft disciplines and in community life for those interested in shorter stays at the guild.

Summer interns work alongside guild members in the areas of organic gardening, orchards, cooking, food preservation and storage with an emphasis on agriculture.

• Craft Weekend is offered from 56

Aug. 10 through 13 for school-aged children through adults. Courses often include filmmaking, pottery, weaving, woodturning, poetry, indigo vats and shibori and earth camp.

Attendees enjoy 15 hours of studio time and instruction, kicked off by a welcome dinner and celebration of creativity at the close.

This is popular for individuals, friends or parents and children to attend and take the same or different courses, Barnet said. Options are available for guests depending on age and housing needs.

• Classes in various disciplines are offered throughout the year to members of the public, including but not limited to group pottery, fiber work, reiki healing, Iyengar and chair yoga, orchard workshops, sourdough bread baking and woodturning.

RFAG programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

For information on classes, event space rental or apprenticeships and internships, visit www.folkartguild. org, call 585-554-3539, email info@folkartguild.org or find @ TheFolkArtGuild on Facebook.

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ABOUT THE GUILD The Folk Art Guild is an intentional community and craft center located in Middlesex. For 56 years, guild artisans have been producing fine crafts including pottery, woodworking, weaving, natural fiber clothing and folk toys.

Membership includes both non residents and residents who live on site year-round, sharing meals and working together in an effort to live more sustainably.

As a nonprofit institution, the guild offers education in traditional crafts through classes, residencies and apprenticeships.

The 350-acre farm is home to the East Hill Gallery, open May through October and displaying the work of guild artists.

The Folk Art Guild is part of an international network of groups studying the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff.

MEET GURU G. I GURDJIEFF

DAILY LIFE Guild members seek to pay close attention to what is happening in both their inner and outer worlds as each day unfolds. Striving to cultivate a finer quality of attention, they acknowledge the diverse impulses that arise inside them. This can ultimately bring a greater sense of inner balance and relatedness with themselves, others and the world.

rhythm of work, guild members feel closer to their sense of being alive and the purpose of their time here on earth. With their hands and body, they plant the seed in the soil, knead the bread in the kitchen and pull a pot from a mound of clay. When the mind is open and attentive, not interfering but rather quietly interacting with the intelligence of the hands and body, the heart awakens to a new understanding.

Practical Work

Living with Others

Work is a laboratory where guild members learn about the laws of nature, about their own desires and resistances, and about interacting with others.

The challenge of working with crafts, farming and other natural processes can be a great help.

Guild members celebrate the joys and face the frictions and difficulties of daily life together. With the help of others, they become both a teacher and a student, listening with less judgment and seeing some of their own shortcomings.

Through personal effort combined with mutual support, cooperation and trust, they continue to build a community that nurtures all through acts of service, love, encouragement and self discipline.

Awareness

Working with Our Hands When the mind and the body together find the corresponding

Mmbers of the Rochester Folk Art Guild follow the teachings from Greek-Armenian George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (pronounced GURD-jeef). He was an influential spiritual teacher, writer and musician of the first half of the 20th century.

He taught that human life as ordinarily lived is similar to sleep. He said transcendence of the sleeping state requires work, but when it is achieved, an individual can reach remarkable levels of vitality and awareness.

Gurdjieff’s legacy of writings, music and movements, or sacred dances, engage the intelligence of body, heart and mind and are studied at the Rochester Folk Art Guild.

According to RFAG master potter Annie Schliffer, making a beautiful pot requires that a person participate in a universal process of awakening the intelligence of the body and the hands. The same forces that shape a pot can also shape a person’s life, she said. As one attends to what one is doing in every moment, simple acts come to have inner meaning.

So it is that guild members all share in community tasks that include cooking, cleaning, gardening, care of animals, building maintenance and general upkeep. These daily chores, the discipline of the crafts, and the practice of music and movements provide opportunities to practice that “attention” and offer a model for transformation.

Gurdjieff’s message is one of hope, that there is the real possibility of evolution and discovering what it means to truly be a human being.

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business

Sue Chmieleski: Soap Maker and Lavender Farmer Lavender farmer now trying her hand at wine-making

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

hirty years ago, a former fruit farm in Red Creek in Cayuga County provided a place for Sue Chmieleski, now 60, to finally put down roots — figuratively and literally — after moving around quite a bit as a young person between towns in Pennsylvania and New York.

That last move would prove influential in her next decades of life.

At the time, she saw it only as a beautiful, roomy property near her children’s school, dotted with old barns. But now it’s the home of her businesses, Ol’Factory Soaps and Scents and Ol’Factory Lavender and Herb Farm.

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For years, Chmieleski had been making soap as a hobby, using her garden’s herbs as part of the ingredients.

She began selling products as Ol’Factory Soaps and Scents.

In 2004, she and her family visited a lavender farm in Pennsylvania, and it occurred to her that she could add lavender to her soap. The blossoms’ fragrance appealed to her. She was not sure if the lavender bush would grow in New York. The area’s harsh winters seemed too severe for the perennial, so she planted a test plot the following season. Once she discovered that the Lake Ontario microclimate supported

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lavender plants, she planted more and more, which led to opening the farm to the public during the plant’s peak season in July for a Lavender Festival in 2007.

In addition to picking lavender, the event features live music, food, artisan vendors and special speakers for workshops. About 2,220 people attend each of the two weekends of the festival.

Chmieleski also opened a seasonal store, selling her 40 varieties of soap and other lavender goods along with local products, and most recently a wine barn. Like many business owners during the COVID-19 quarantine, she

learned some new skills and expanded her business.

“I didn’t think I’d go there, but I had all that extra time to think of more things to sell because we couldn’t be open,” Chmieleski said. “I put all that time into learning.”

As a testament to her pluck, Chmieleski took a class, read about winemaking and searched for videos online. She also converted a circa-1891 barn into the Wine Barn, a rustic tasting room. She sources juice from Fulkerson Winery in Dundee and infuses the wine with her own lavender before bottling it.

Currently, she makes about 700 bottles of wine annually. New York state laws dictate that farm wineries must produce a minimum of 55 gallons of their own vino.

Chmieleski also sells other farm wines and ciders.

She also makes lavender syrup and lavender chocolate.

“We’re constantly coming up with new ways to use the lavender and the products,” she said.

In June, Chmieleski hosted the wedding of a family friend on the farm.

That has sparked her consideration for making Ol’Factory Farm a wedding venue.

She conceded that as a one-woman operation who only recently hired part-time help; it’s hard to fit in time for all of her business aspirations.

When asked about her hobbies, she admitted that making soap and taking care of the farm occupies all her time.

But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love what I do here; I’ve made this my home,” she said.

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travel

Beating the Travel Budget Blues

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

f your financial investments took a beating in the last few years, travel may be lower among your priorities than it used to be. But that doesn’t mean you should put away getting or renewing your passport. You can still satisfy your travel bug.

“In general, I think retired adults should analyze their cash flow needs and make adjustments to their expenses only if they are drawing more than 3.5% from their investment accounts each year and their portfolio 60

has declined in value,” said Randy L. Zeigler, certified private wealth adviser and certified financial planner at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC in Oswego. “If their portfolio draws are less than or equal to 3.5% — if they are using a percentage for their draws this means their income would automatically drop from one year to the next if their portfolio declines —then they do not normally need to adjust their lifestyle costs.”

He added that research shows that

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

the 3.5% to 4% draw rate represents a “sustainable portfolio draw rate” for many years with a diverse investment combination 60% stocks and 40% bonds.

This may still leave room in the budget to plan trips. Of course, the “needs” of the budget must be met first. If you really want to pack your bags and travel, you may be able to trim some of the other “wants” so that you can prioritize travel. Maybe you could cut cable TV, dinners out or

To reduce the cost of attractions, Guyle mentioned checking national parks and museums, as these often have free admission days. Before going to attractions, check the website for coupons and, if these apply, policies about 60-plus and veteran’s discounts.

The cost of lodging can add up fast. Guyle mentioned using Airbnb or other vacation rental-by-owner arrangements as a means to save, since these types of lodging may cost less for a long-term rental and you can do more of your own cooking.

As another option, consider housesitting or pet sitting in another city through TrustedHouseSitter.com.

“You can get paid to go someplace and be there every day; you get paid for your vacation,” Guyle said.

Naturally, she suggested using a travel agent to save money, as they keep their finger on the pulse of discounted venues, deals and discounts.

“Most people don’t realize it doesn’t cost you any more to use a travel agent,” Guyle said. “Some highend places charge for research, but I don’t. It costs the same if you book it through a cruise line.”

Travel agents also offer general money-saving advice related to vacationing. For example, Guyle said that many people don’t realize that their medical insurance won’t cover them outside the USA. Travel insurance covers these expenses.

Robin and Jim Guyle boarding Carnival Cruise.

expanding your wardrobe so you can include travel in your budget.

If your vacation budget is strained, you could also plan less costly trips.

Robin Guyle, travel adviser at Anna Day Travel, in Oswego, an affiliate of Cruise Brothers in Rhode Island, said that planning fewer but longer trips can save money.

“The cost to fly is the same, whether you stay a week or a month,” she said.

The timing of the trip can also matter. If you’re retired, then Guyle recommends traveling during the “shoulder seasons,” the months before or after a region’s busy season.

“Sometimes, the cost is half,” she said.

Flying at odd times like Sundays through Thursdays can make travel less expensive also. Remaining flexible can also score deals. Guyle said that

if you check what’s available lastminute, another traveler’s canceled plans can become your bargain flight or lodging.

For many types of travel expenses, “leverage memberships like AARP or AAA to get discounts,” she added.

She also said that using points from rewards programs can help defray the cost. Don’t forget about credit card points, frequent flyer points, Microsoft Rewards and MyPoints.com. The latter two rely upon using online searches and with MyPoints, using online vendors with whom they partner to gain points. For example, if you log onto your MyPoints account and then make purchases from vendors listed there, you can earn points you can apply towards United Airlines, American Airlines, restaurants and more.

Vacation Savings Want other ways to travel on a shoestring?

• Swap homes with a trusted friend or relative who lives in another part of the state or country. Lodging is often the most expensive part of traveling.

• Camp at a state or national park.

Many of these offer cabins that are still comfortable through early fall.

• Look online for discounts and coupons for the attractions you want to visit.

• Select a room with a kitchenette or at least a mini fridge so you can eat out less.

• Stay at less popular, and thus less costly, destinations near the attractions you want to see.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

61

druger’s zoo

By Marvin Druger Email: mdruger@syr.edu

15 Signs You’re Getting Old

A

lthough many of us would like to deny it, our body ages.

We try to do everything we did in our younger days, but we soon realize that this is impossible.

Like others, I have experienced the signs of aging that are the subject of this article.

1. We start getting up earlier to make sure that the day is fully used. As youngsters, we slept late. As older adults, we get up as early as we can.

Life is short and sleeping too much takes away from precious conscious time in life.

2. People open doors for us and are eager to offer help. I was about 20 feet away from the door of a store. A young lady saw me coming and she opened the door and held it open until I got there. On another occasion, I was in a store pushing a cart loaded with gardening supplies when a middleaged lady said, “Do you need any help?” Of course, I refused her offer, and I later excused the episode by convincing myself that she was just trying to pick me up.

62

3. People are protective of older people.

Whenever someone sees me doing some vigorous physical activity, the person says, “You shouldn’t do that.

You might fall and break your hip.”

Older people do tend to fall. I have fallen several times, but because I was daydreaming and tripped over some object. I have not yet broken my hip, but I’m cautious about that event happening. The fall may not be disastrous, but the problem is that we can’t get up.

4. Family conflicts diminish. As we reach older age, our children and relatives are much more protective and attentive to our needs. Family love emerges in full force. Almost every day, I get a phone call from my daughter and two sons to check on how I’m doing. At first, I was annoyed by these calls. Now, I look forward to them.

5. Mirrors are our enemies. We wonder why and how our face changed so much over time. Our skin isn’t what it used to be and our smiling expression has turned to a perpetual frown. A

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

hairdresser asked me, “How shall I cut your hair?” I replied, “Just make me handsome.” Her response was, “Then I’ve already done my job.” I gave her a big tip and I spent the rest of the day telling people about that remark. When someone meets an older person, it’s very common for them to say, “Gee, you look terrific!” How am I supposed to look? Recently, I have met several people whom I hadn’t seen for a long time. My thought was, “I thought you were dead!” (But I kept that thought to myself).

6. Health becomes an obsession. We exercise with the unfounded hope that the exercise will cure us of old age. It was discouraging to see that the chart for heart rate on the reclining bicycle at the health club ends at 65. Whenever I saw a potential new member at the club, I commented “If you join, you start looking like me.” That comment probably resulted in many individuals not joining the club.

7. We get senior discounts. A sure sign of older age is the senior discount.

We know we are older when the

storekeeper gives us the discount without even asking our age. I am thrilled when I buy a sixpack of beer at the grocery and the cashier asks to see my ID as proof of age. I don’t even drink beer, but I buy it to be proofed and feel young again.

8. We become grouchy as we age.

Somehow, life owes me more than I’ve experienced. As life goes on, I am more aware that it must end sometime in the future. Story Musgrave, the former astronaut, gave a talk at a memorial ceremony for my late wife at Syracuse University. After dinner, I asked, “Story, what’s your next big project?”

He replied, “I’m preparing to die.” I laughed, but I’m not laughing now.

9. We become more outspoken. We tend to say what we think and don’t worry about political correctness. In younger days, we might think more carefully about what we think, in fear of offending someone. Now, who cares what I say? I’ll just say what I think.

When I published my “Diary of Love,” (available at the Syracuse University bookstore) my daughter said, “That’s too personal.” That’s the strength of the book. It reveals personal thoughts about love and tells how intense it can be.

10. Strength and physical abilities decline. I used to jog at a reasonable rate and my fastest time for running a mile was 6:01. A fellow jogger commented, “Wow. Marv did a 6:01 mile.” An exfriend replied, “How long did it take him?” Running is no longer on my agenda. I found that my legs no longer respond to the commands from my brain to move faster.

11. Health issues arise as we get older. My belief is that, as we age, we are bound to get something that we don’t want. Many health issues can be effectively dealt with, and I have numerous older friends who have had open heart surgery, knee and hip replacements, arthritis, cancers, etc.

Yet, they are still vertical and they move on in life. Taking pills becomes commonplace as we age. It amazes us to see how such tiny pills can have such dramatic effects. One older friend had several kinds of cancer. Miraculously, he was cured. The doctors removed all his drugs, except Prozac, an antidepressant. He asked, “How come I still have to take Prozac?” The doctor replied, “Everyone your age takes Prozac.”

12. Surgeries and body repairs such

as knee and hip replacements, cataract surgery, heart surgery and other body repairs become common. About 20 years ago, I had a twisted colon that required emergency surgery. A few years ago, I began having intestinal problems. Nobody could figure out what was wrong. I was in the hospital for more tests when a former student dropped in to say hello. He is now a prominent colorectal surgeon. He suggested that my problem might be scar tissue formation from my surgery 20 years earlier. He performed a fivehour surgery to remove the scar tissue and he kept me alive. I am now in the recovery stage which is very slow. I tell everyone, “I taught this doctor how to dissect a frog, and now he dissected me.”

13. Friends of older people disappear.

At my age, most people I know are either retired, terminally ill or dead.

We have to survive and cope with death of loved ones. We constantly talk about our latest ailments and who died recently.

14. Bodily functions and sexuality declines. Many older men develop prostate problems. A joke that I heard tells about a 90-year-old man who was approached by a lady of the night. She purred, “I can give you super sex.” The old man thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll take the soup!”

15. Wisdom increases. Our many past experiences have provided us with a vast reservoir of knowledge. We know what works and what doesn’t.

The problem is that few people want to listen to our advice. It is important to consider the past when planning the future.

The best sign of old age is that we are still here. Although dementia is not uncommon in old people, some older people retain mental capabilities until the end. When I visited a nursing home, I observed a number of individuals with sharp minds, but decaying bodies. Those with sharp minds still retained their sense of humor and wit. I imagined what they might be thinking: “What the hell am I doing here? It all went by too quickly. I should have gone on that special trip while I was physically able to do so.”

So, let’s live life fully and do as much as we can while we can. There are good memories, but there are also positive things ahead for all of us who are still here.

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

63

life after 55

By Michele Bazan Reed Email: bazanreed@hotmail.com

Be a Flâneur

Strolling Lyon’s old town, we found a vintage atelier run by the seventh generation of silkmakers, using antique looms like this one.

I

learned a new word the other day — flâneur.

I was browsing the New York Times online and the headline of a story, caught my eye: “The Art of Being a Flâneur.” As the author, Stephanie Rosenbloom, explains, it’s the art of idly strolling, letting your senses be your guide.

When I read it, I found myself remembering my late husband, Bill, and his way of traveling. He would’ve loved that word, flâneur. He just called his method serendipity. And it gave us some of the best adventures of our 64

lives.

I’ve always been a planner, and if we didn’t have an itinerary — preferably written or printed up — I’d get antsy. I pored over tourist books and maps for every destination.

I’d make lists of “must sees” — a museum here, a cathedral there, the best restaurant for seafood in a city on our list.

Not so Bill. Whenever we got to a destination, whether it was our first time there or one we’d visited many times, like Barcelona, he couldn’t wait to head out on foot to explore

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

aimlessly.

We’d drop our bags at the hotel and hit the streets within minutes of arriving. He’d take me by the hand and lead me down back streets and into cul-de-sacs to see an interesting piece of architecture or an intriguing shop.

That’s how we chanced upon one of the most fascinating shops we’ve ever visited, down a twisty narrow street in Barcelona.

In a tiny, dim shop, little bigger than my loft’s living room, we found a treasure trove of paper ephemera — postcards and advertisements, and most interesting to our daughter, Katie, playbills and movie posters from the early days of cinema. We spent an enjoyable hour sifting through boxes stacked hip deep and posters like the Spanish version of “King Kong” and “Frankenstein” plastering every vertical surface, before leaving with a handbill for the original 1951 movie release of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Another day we turned a corner in the city’s Gothic Quarter, to find ourselves face to face with four 30foot columns from the first-century Roman Temple of Augustus. Not a museum, just a space between two medieval buildings on a public street, where children could climb all over the history lesson and we could touch a relic of the Roman occupation of Spain.

We spent many happy days wandering Collioure, France, on foot.

On one occasion, looking for a cold beer on a hot day, we visited the Bar des Templiers, named after the Templar knights. In the early years of the 20th century, artists like Matisse, Gauguin and Picasso were frequent visitors to Collioure, drawn by the unique quality of light in the southern French town.

But the proverbial starving artist is real and many left paintings to pay their bar bill. So we enjoyed a drink and a museum visit all in one.

We took an organized tour of Poland, with little free time to just explore. But we managed to eke out a couple of hours in Warsaw, which left us with more memories than many of the organized parts of the tour. We wandered the streets, eating fried mini pierogi sold in a paper cone from a walk-up takeout window, until we came upon the Polish War Museum.

It was closing time and we couldn’t get into the museum proper, but the guard gave us a half hour to wander the grounds among Polish Army tanks,

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Wandering aimlessly through Collioure, France, we chanced upon a bar where famous artists like Matisse and Gauguin paid their bar tabs with paintings. trucks and planes displayed there to the delight of my history buff hubby.

In Lyon, France, we wandered the Old Quarter for hours, poking our heads into churches, staring into dusty shop windows at the marionette puppets the city is famous for and grabbing bits of food like “silkworkers’ brains,” a savory cheese dip eaten on crusty baguette. Bill spied a colorful display of scarves in a shop window. Inside, we were treated to an impromptu exploration of a vintage silk atelier or workshop, complete with antique looms and silks, led by the owner, a seventh-generation silkmaker.

You don’t have to be a world

traveler to employ the art of being a flâneur. Wandering without an agenda in your own hometown can bring surprises and unexpected pleasures.

A s t ro l l t h ro u g h O s w e g o ’ s downtown can find you enjoying some homemade chocolates, browsing an independent bookstore and sipping freshly ground coffee with some marvelous baked goods. Ithaca’s Commons, Syracuse’s Armory Square, Manlius village center and Sackett’s Harbor ’s main drag are ripe for a leisurely way of exploring.

So the next time you venture out, try ditching the list and the agenda, and enjoy the soul-enriching benefits of being a flâneur.

On Amazon.com or your favorite bookstore

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023 – 55 PLUS

65

last page

By Mary Beth Roach

Dom Cambareri, 62

Syracuse Challenger Baseball director talks about Carrier Park Field of Dreams, an inclusive and accessible sports complex project in East Syracuse

I

n 2003 Dom Cambareri, 62, took over as volunteer executive director of Syracuse Challenger Baseball, a program for children and adults with special needs. Since then, he has helped to expand the program and worked for years with Dewitt Supervisor Ed Michalenko to develop an inclusive and accessible sports complex.

The site, dubbed the Carrier Park Field of Dreams, was developed at the former Carrier Corp. in East Syracuse.

Cambareri and others have recently launched the third and final phase of their project, starting to fund to construct a superfield at the complex.

Q: When and why did you get involved in Syracuse Challenger Baseball?

A: When my son, Domenico, was 6 years old, we had heard about Challenger Baseball, geared to children with special needs. So we contacted the volunteer directors and inquired about a roster spot for Domenico that summer. When Domenico was 7, he got a chance to play, and it 66

changed his life dramatically, and it certainly changed our [mine and my wife, Valerie’s] life dramatically as well because it was such an amazing experience for all of us.

In 2003, which was the third year of Domenico’s participation, I became the executive director. My wife and I had a conversation. We discussed what an amazing experience it was for Domenico, not only in terms of physically playing baseball, but he felt part of something bigger, he felt appreciated, and part of a group of his peers. The first thing I did was to open up the league to any family with any special needs player that wanted to play.

Q: You’re currently working on the last phase of the Carrier Park Field of Dreams, correct?

A: We completed the second phase in 2020. Now, Syracuse Challenge Baseball has partnered with the town of Dewitt for the most exciting phase. We call it our crown jewel — a six-diamond, state-of-the-art, fully

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023

turfed superfield with two Jumbotron scoreboards. The superfield would accommodate six little league or six Challenger games at one time; it could accommodate four softball games at one time; it could accommodate two 90-foot full baseball games at once; or two lacrosse, two soccer, two field hockey, or two football games at once, or one magnificently large Special Olympics outdoor event.

Q: When would you like to see that come to fruition?

A: If the fundraising goes as well as we hope, and we can partner with not only the private sector but a foundation or foundations, maybe get some assistance from Onondaga County or New York state, we would like to break ground in 2024. At the event on June 6 [the league’s opening day], we received a donation from the Lobdell family of $125,000, a donation from John and Laura Lally of $100,000, and the donation from the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation of $100,000, which allowed us to eventually raise more than $400,000 in two weeks. This superfield is a multi-million-dollar venture. It’s going to take a village in order for us to be able to do it, but we’ve done it before. And at the heart of it is the pure joy expressed by the faces of the Challenger baseball players, which have enamored every part of our community.

Q: What has your involvement meant to you?

A: First of all, I have utilized whatever abilities I have to provide my sons, Domenico and Antonio, a wonderful program in which Domenico can participate and play the amazing national pastime game of baseball and allows Antonio to be his mentor.

As a father, there isn’t a greater joy that can be experienced than to know that your sons are participating in something that’s truly special and it has to do with baseball. The second piece of it is I feel that I have answered a special vocational call to make a difference in the lives of these families in this community. It’s important to me to be able to be an instrument that provides opportunity and hope to the families affected by Syracuse Challenger Baseball and the families of any young athlete, to be able to find a place where they are welcome and they play side by side with their peers.

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