November 2010 PrimeTime

primetime rhode island

free

n ove m b e r 2 0 10

What’s Next?

encore careers • taking risks • election 2010

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ccording to the National Centenarian Awareness Project, there are 104,099 centenarians in this country, a number that is expected to more than quadruple by 2030. By 2050, they estimate there could be 1.15 million people over the age of 100 in America.

With more and more people living longer, it’s no wonder that many people are turning their retirement into a second career. They’re taking chances and pursuing dreams that seemed too lofty or idyllic when they were in the midst of growing a young family. And with longevity comes added years of paying bills, so retirement isn’t the vacation it once was, especially in a downturn economy where couples are concerned about living within a fixed income. That was true several years ago, and is especially true now.

In a 2008 story in U.S. News & World Report, it was reported that as many as 8.4 million Americans between the ages of 44 and 70 had launched what they referred to as “encore careers,” many of which were motivated by the passions and interests that for too long were left to weekends and holidays.

In this issue of PrimeTime, you’ll read about those individuals. For some, like Patti Avin, it was a matter of survival. She hated being away from her children and grandchildren, so decided to move from New York to Rhode Island. Once she got here, she stumbled into a career she never saw coming.

Pr i m e Ti m e November 2010 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110 Distribution Special Delivery PUBLISHERS Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, John Howell EDITOR Meg Fraser megf@rhodybeat.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella donnaz@rhodybeat.com Creative Director Linda Nadeau lindan@rhodybeat.com photo editor Darcie DiSaia darcied@rhodybeat.com WRITERS Susan Contreras, Don Fowler, Don D’Amato, Matt Holmes, Joan Retsinas, Colby Cremins, Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Cynthia Glinick, Joe Kernan ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com

For others, it was a strange turn of events that led them to a new life in their later years.

Take Don Carcieri; we think of him first and foremost as the governor, but it wasn’t the straight and narrow path of a politician that brought him to Smith Hill. He tried his hand at teaching, banking, business and the humanitarian works of Christian Relief Services before adding elections to his repertoire.

Get some advice on how to make a similar change in your life from authors Pat and Robert Gussin who have experienced it first hand, or get more information on the Senior Community Service Employment Program that’s giving older people the tools to get back to work.

Once you’ve become inspired to follow your dreams, no matter your age, visit our regulars like Mike Fink, Cynthia Glinick, Don D’Amato and, of course, Don Fowler, who this month revisited Fred & Steve’s at Twin River and found some great specials. If you’re in the mood to eat at home, check out Feeling the Flavor for a primer on creating a top-notch risotto dish. Since November is a great month for eating, we highly recommend it. And if you’ve had your fill, read about how giving thanks can have a physical benefit as well as an emotional one.

From all of us at PrimeTime, have a great Thanksgiving - and keep chasing those dreams!

Meg Fraser editor

Classified ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com Cindy Mansolillo – cindym@rhodybeat.com

Counting

Governor Carcieri takes an unlikely path to the State House

7 Back to work

Training program gives seniors a second chance at a career

9 now what?

Authors share insight on starting over

11 just what the ‘doctor ordered’ Grandmother starts new career for the sake of her family

13 two chances at 100

Twin sisters share the secret to their century

14 classroom to

Fighting ring

Wayne Lima becomes RI’s first MMA judge SENIOR ISSUES The changing face of nursing homes............................ 6 A time for giving thanks.......................................................12 Getting to know the Department of Elderly Affairs............................................19

PEOPLE & PLACES Doer’s profile..............................................................................21 Glimpse of RI’s past.................................................................22

PRODUCTION STAFF Matt Bower, Joseph Daniels, Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner

PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

4 Five Careers and

LIFESTYLES What’s in a name?...................................................................... 8 What do you Fink?...................................................................13 Gay and Gray..............................................................................24 That’s Entertainment..............................................................25

Carolann Soder, Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli, Suzanne Wendoloski, Gina Fugere

A Joint Publication of East Side Monthly and Beacon Communications.

inthisissue

next month Can you believe the holidays are already here?

Don’t miss our December issue, which will be dedicated to all things holly and jolly.

FOOD & DRINK Feeling the flavor.....................................................................23

o n t h e c ove r Governor Carcieri photo

by

Darcie Di Saia

b y meg fraser

Five careers and counting...

T

oday, Don Carcieri is known as the governor of Rhode Island - the state’s CEO. But his road to the State House was not straight and narrow. In fact, it had more turns than Carcieri anticipated.

“My view, is that early in life you try different things,” he said.

Growing up in East Greenwich, Carcieri spent a lot of time around teachers, including his father. That’s what he knew, so when he graduated from Brown University, becoming a teacher seemed only natural.

As it turned out, Carcieri wasn’t much of a teacher.

Although he tried his hand at teaching high school math, the governor missed adult interaction and conversation, and learned quickly that he was destined for another path.

“It wasn’t for me,” he said, “That’s where you learn what you really gravitate toward.”

Switching gears, Carcieri went into banking, and worked for Old Stone Bank for 10 years, working his way up to executive vice president.

Taking a break from the suit and tie, though, he and his wife Suzanne packed their bags and headed for Kingston, Jamaica to work for Catholic Relief Services. Upon his return to the states - and to his native Rhode Island - Carcieri became an executive at the Cookson Group, moving their U.S. headquarters to Providence.

Still, Carcieri wasn’t settled. He had a family, he had the job with the fancy title, and was finally in a place where he could retire, and enjoy his growing brood of grandchildren. Life was good.

For a lot of Rhode Islanders, things weren’t so good, however, which is why he says he jumped out of the business work and onto the political stage.

“I love this state and it just felt, like many businesses, it had been poorly run,” Carcieri recalled of his motivation to run for governor. “I wanted to try and see if we could change the direction.”

In 2002, Republican Don Carcieri was elected as the governor of his beloved Rhode Island. With him, he says he took all of the experiences that led up to this life-changing moment.

“All those things came together as governor. Probably what I didn’t understand is the political side, but you learn as you go,” he said.

Once he made it to Smith Hill, though, his to-do list didn’t seem so easy to tackle. Last month, as his administration winds down, Carcieri held up an index card with a star on it. At each of the five points is a major area of reform that he hoped to address: education, economy, environment, energy and expenditures. In the center, the word ethics is underlined.

But by the time his re-election campaign took off in 2006, times had changed, and his plans were shaken.

“None of us expected the economy to collapse,” he said.

To add insult to injury in his mind, his Republican ideology came head to head with a Democrat majority in the legislature. Carcieri had to learn the political game.

4 | PrimeTime

Often times, his pet projects have failed, and reforms he thought were common sense were shot down. As he prepares to say goodbye to his office in Providence, Cariceri can’t quite decide if he looks back on his eight years fondly or with frustration.

“A little of both, I guess,” he says.

As the state holds its breath to find out who will fill Carcieri’s shoes, and what that person will bring to the table, the outgoing governor is hopeful that the next eight years will bring positive things, including the happy conclusion to many of his projects initiated during the previous eight years.

“I think we’re well positioned coming out of this downturn,” he said.

“My goal has been to be a strong hand at the helm.”

What is up next for Carcieri remains unclear. Rumors abound that he will make a run for Congress, or some other office. Surely, the gossip claims, we have not heard the end of him.

For now, he isn’t telling.

“Never say never, but I don’t think about that. I want to conclude all the things we’re working on now,” he said.

He hasn’t had much time for golfing since taking office, but maybe he’ll practice his swing with his newfound free time. More likely, he says, he and Suzanne will be busy with their grandkids. They’ll spend a couple of months at their condo in Florida, but they’ll be back - they always come back.

“I love this state,” he reiterated. “I want to stay here, and I want it to be a better place for my grandchildren.” ■

November 2010

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a second chance

I love this state and it just felt,

like many businesses, it had been poorly run. I

wanted to try and see if we could change the direction

photos by

November 2010

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Darcie Di Saia

PrimeTime | 5

senior issues

b y kerry park

The changing face of nursing homes

T

he American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care recently released their annual report on the state of quality care in America’s nursing and rehabilitation centers. While the report indicates that the country is seeing many positive trends in quality indicators and patient outcomes in nursing homes, more importantly, it points to a need for a more diverse set of quality measurements that reflect the diversity within today’s nursing home population.

Whereas once nursing homes were viewed primarily as convalescent homes for the elderly and infirm, today’s skilled nursing centers are home to a heterogeneous population. It is not uncommon for today’s nursing centers to care for a long-term patient in their 80s who is suffering from dementia and a 30-year-old accident victim who is receiving short-term rehabilitation to recover from his or her injuries. While most people still think predominately of the former when hearing the term “nursing home,” the fact is that long-term care is no longer the general mode of operations in skilled nursing facilities. Most people arrive at a nursing home following a hospital stay and 39 percent of those patients return home within 100 days.

The report points out that despite the variances in

nursing home populations, the means for assessing the quality of care in nursing homes have remained generally the same. Quality criteria, which are routinely measured by government entities like the state Departments of Health and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, rarely take into account the specific needs of the various populations being served, but rather, measure the facility overall.

What often gets lost in doing so, are the nuances that make a facility unique.

For example, a nursing center that specializes in short-term rehabilitation may score higher on pain measurements than one with a resident base made up primarily of long-term dementia residents. Consumers, unfortunately, rarely know the reason for the disparity.

The report states that a better understanding of outcomes and costs of care for similar patients across different settings, such as long-term care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home care or independent rehabilitation facilities, would ultimately provide a better platform to understand the value of nursing home care in the post acute continuum.

The authors of the 2010 Annual Quality Report, who include two Rhode Island physicians, Dr. Stefan

Gravenstein and Dr. Richard Besdine of Rhode Island Quality Partners, evaluated trends in survey compliance, quality measures, consumer satisfaction and outcomes of voluntary quality enhancement initiatives in attempting to derive an overall picture of quality in America’s nursing homes. In doing so, they make a compelling case for developing a new measurement system that understands the diversity in nursing home populations and the diversity of specializations in nursing homes themselves.

The report states that by evaluating the care of a particular population, not the care delivered by a particular health care setting overall, the health care delivery system of the future will be able to direct people to the best and most cost-efficient care for their needs.

The 2010 Quality Report by the American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care can be found on the Rhode Island Health Care Association website at www.rihca.com. RIHCA. com also features the 2010 RI Quality Report published by the RI Health Care Association in June of 2010. Both reports provide policymakers and the public with a broad snapshot of quality measurements in nursing homes.■

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6 | PrimeTime

November 2010

a second chance

b y meg fraser

back to work Training program gives seniors a second chance at a career

U

nemployment remains at an all time high, and the job market continues to be flooded with applicants boasting impressive resumes. High school students looking for part-time jobs are suddenly competing with collegiate-educated professionals who are struggling to find work.

For seniors looking for new job opportunities, the prospects can seem dismal.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is hoping to change that.

Funded by the United States Department of Labor, SCSEP has more than $500 million behind it, and provides job training and placement with people with limited financial resources over the age of 55. It is an initiative offered through SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc., and is a life-changing opportunity for low-income seniors who are faced with unemployment at a time when many peers are considering retirement.

For many older Americans, early retirement is not an option.

“They gave us their best years. They worked hard and made this country better. Now the economic crisis is affecting our senior citizens disproportionately,” said Rafael Romo of Jobs for Progress.

That is certainly true in Rhode Island

November 2010

“The list is growing and growing,” said Esther Mendez, a SER caseworker in Rhode Island who handles the SCSEP applicants.

Her office keeps a running list of both English and Spanish speaking applicants, and said the job placements can’t keep up with the demand.

“It’s getting a little bit harder because of the economy,” she said.

Still, SCSEP is putting older people in this state and beyond, back to work. In the past 40 years, the program has helped millions of people find jobs, and more than 100,000 people are trained each year.

“When we have slots we take a group of people, maybe 10 or 12, and they come from orientation and if they’re interested they do another follow-up and then if they qualify income wise then they get the case manager,” Mendez explained.

“We do an assessment to see what it is that they’re looking for.” If the program is

a fit, participants can be directed to jobs they might not have been qualified before prior to SCSEP, which offers valuable skills like those in technology and computers. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage.

They are placed in community service activities, which program organizers hope will lead to unsubsidized employment opportunities.

The training puts older Americans at a level playing field with their younger counterparts, and SCSEP officials point to the experience and reliability of an older employee.

For more information on the Senior Community Service Employment Program, visit www.doleta.gov/seniors or call the toll-free help line at 1-877-872-5627.

■

PrimeTime | 7

Find the...

wishbone

for a Chance to Win a

b y meg fraser

4 nces a Ch in! to W

What’s in a name?

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See our ad on Page 16

mail entries to:

Beacon Communications 1944 Warwick Ave., Warwick, RI 02889 attn: I Found It! or send an e-mail to: megf@rhodybeat.com

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8 | PrimeTime

primetime lifestyles

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

With all due respect to Shakespeare, if the debate over the state name is any indication, a name can mean a lot.

The first question on the 2010 ballot asks voters, should we change our moniker from The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to simply, the State of Rhode Island? As of this writing, the answer to that question is unknown, but either way, the question is an interesting one.

Providence Plantations was the name of the colony originally founded by Roger Williams, while Rhode Island is derived from the Isle of Rhodes, which explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was reminded of when he settled the land.

“There were two separate entities, and when they became a colony they put the two together,” said Warwick historian and PrimeTime contributor Don D’Amato.

At the time, the term plantation brought with it no implication of slavery, but referred to the farms found in the colony. Now, however, the term brings back memories of some of the nation’s darkest days.

In a letter to voters, Senator Harold Metts and Representative Joseph Almeida make the argument that, while not often used, the latter half of the state name is an offensive reminder of the state and the nation’s participation in slavery.

“There are those who will say that the word ‘plantation’ did not, when it became part of the state name, have any reference to slavery, that the word was simply the equivalent, at the time, of ‘farm.’ Perhaps that is true. Yet since that time, given Rhode Island’s major role in the triangle slave trade, the word has taken on a negative connotation and if it has, in fact, become offensive to some of our citizens, isn’t that enough of a reason to change it?” they wrote.

Not everyone thinks so.

As a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1986, Democrat Representative Al Gemma says the name is an important piece of history.

“You can’t revise history, you can face it,” he said. “It shows where you came from. You will never know where you’re going unless you know where you came from.”

Gemma points to the timing of the name, and reminds voters that slavery was not a major issue at the time. “I’ve been involved in history my whole life and to try to twist history like that is against our forefathers; it’s against reality,” he said.

In fact, Gemma added, he believes to change the name would be a disservice to the men and women who built this state.

“It actually would besmirch the honor of our state and the honor of Roger Williams,” he said.

Republican counterpart Joseph Trillo agrees with Gemma on this point.

“I don’t have a problem with Providence Plantations and I don’t see the necessity of changing it. I think it’s being blown out of proportion,” he said.

Slavery was outlawed in Rhode Island around 1780, but proponents of the change maintain that the wounds opened during slavery - and the civil rights violations that continue more than two centuries later - should not be taken lightly.

“Our nation has moved closer and closer to true equality and we need to continue that process,” Metts and Almeida write. “Changing the name is not intended to blame the current generation for the actions of the past, but rather to make amends for the past and to recognize the strength of diversity, to celebrate the contributions that all people have made to our state and nation. True healing is what needs to be achieved and that is precisely what is intended to be expressed with this proposed name change.” ■

November 2010

word on the street

Q&A

b y meg fraser

with

a second chance

Pat & Robert Gussin

Now what?

Authors share insight on starting over After long, successful careers in science and medicine, Pat and Robert Gussin were ready for new challenges in their retirement. What followed was an unexpected journey to writing, publishing, and even winemaking. The couple broke into the publishing world independently - each penning a book of their own - but once they joined forces, they decided to tackle a topic they were learning about firsthand.

The experience gave birth to “What’s Next...For You?” a revealing book about taking chances and making your own way in the world. They say it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, and with this new chapter in their life, offer advice on how to do just that.

We caught up with the authors during their European travels to get the same “he said, she said” perspective they offer in their book.

Q What prompted you to get into writing?

Pat: Being a physician and a pharmaceutical executive and the mother of seven, I had never even dreamed of being a writer. But that all changed when, during my career, I had to take many trips to Asia.

During these long flights I began thinking about my years in medical training with two small children in Detroit in 1967, the year of the riots that devastated that city. That’s when I began writing “Shadow of Death.” Revisiting those years in a dramatic, fictional format was awesome.

Bob: I started writing because of Pat. She decided that she wanted to write a novel and she began to go to writers’ meetings to sharpen her skills. She coaxed me to go along to keep her company.

I was reluctant but finally gave in and went. At one of those meetings I stayed awake long enough to hear a lively discussion between Carl Hiassen, Randy Wayne White and Tim Dorsey. Then, something strange happened. I suddenly had a great desire to go home and write a humorous novel. About eight months later, “Trash Talk” was born.

Q How was working and writing together different from your individual writing careers?

Pat: Working with Bob was much easier and we had fun each giving our own perspective on the issues.

Bob: People kept asking me how we moved from medicine to writing novels, starting a publishing company, and growing grapes in New Zealand. After telling the story numerous times to various groups, we decided to tell our story in a non-fiction book, “What’s Next...For You?” We hope our story will encourage others to consider opportunities to pursue new and exciting directions. Writing with Pat was certainly more fun than going solo. We had a lot of fun writing the book and the “he said, she said” format worked well for us.

Q Where did winemaking come into play? Are there any other careers you’ve dabbled in?

Bob: On our way to Australia to a speaking engagement at a colleague’s retirement celebration, we decided to take some vacation time in New Zealand. We had never been there but instantly fell in love with the country. In addition, Pat became enamored with the beautiful vineyards.

Her daily mantra was: “Wouldn’t it be fun to be in the wine business in New Zealand?” I tried my best to ignore her, but three months later, we returned and bought our first vineyard. Three years later we acquired our second vineyard and now produce about 200 grapes a year, which all go into making that wonderful Villa Maria Estates wine. I haven’t dabbled in any other careers - yet.

Q Do you think you’ll ever officially retire?

Bob: Pat and I don’t even recognize the word “retire.” I look to the future to provide unforeseen opportunities that could take me into yet other directions.

Pat: I doubt that there is an official retirement in the cards. Just the definition scares me. I loved medicine - still do - but wine and books are so much more fun and I am betting that even more exciting things are yet to come.

Q What advice would you give to a retiree or someone thinking about making a career change? Where should they start?

Bob: Every individual is different and has his or her own set of dreams and aspirations, but everyone should realize that we are living longer and healthier lives and are reaching a point where we could well have a longer second career than our original career. So we should be willing to think about trying new things with a bit more impulsiveness and a bit less analysis. Pat and I use the term “thoughtful impulsiveness” to encourage others to take some chances and try new things. Our advice: Let’s go for “thoughtful impulsiveness” rather than “paralysis by analysis.”

For more information, visit the Oceanview Publishing website at www.oceanviewpub.com. ■

Pat: Persistence pays off. I did fall in love with New Zealand and the vineyards, but never would have dreamed of them being a reality for us. We’re not experts, but we’ve learned a lot about viticulture and wine tasting, of course.

November 2010

PrimeTime | 9

WE’VE REACHED OURWAITLIMIT. Approve #3.

Continue to fix our roads and bridges.

Like many states, Rhode Island’s infrastructure is in dire shape. It’s the result of decades of deterioration and heavier-than-expected use. The harsh realities of New England weather, including this year’s record floods, have only made things worse.

An “Approve” vote for Question 3, on November 2, is the only viable way to finance our urgent need for infrastructure improvements. This will authorize the borrowing of $84.7 million for highway, bridge and transit improvements – making Rhode Island eligible for another $338.8 million in Federal matching funds over the next two years. $423 million in needed improvements.

For 20 cents on the dollar.

Rhode Island has no other immediate source of funding for transportation initiatives. So it’s more crucial than ever to take advantage of all available Federal monies: which would simply go to other states.

If Question 3 isn’t approved, highway and bridge work in the Ocean State will come to a virtual halt. So will the support of more than 5,000 jobs in construction and related fields.* So will state revenues from related goods and services.

Visit rhodework.com today to learn more about the issues facing our state – and take a look at the progress we’ve made through previous bond issues. Then vote “Approve” on Question 3.

The rebuilding of roads and bridges is crucial to the Rhode Island economy. And the only real solution is to get to the polls. *Based on construction job-support formulas provided by the Federal Highway Administration.

Time for positive action. Temporary fixes are no longer a solution in the face of widespread deterioration. The safety and condition of our roads and bridges are statewide issues that demand our immediate attention.

www.rhodework.com

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES OF RHODE ISL AND • JOHN E. EVERSON, TREASURER

10 | PrimeTime

November 2010

b y meg fraser

a second chance

Just what the ‘Doctor’ ordered

Grandmother starts a new career for the sake of her family

Patti Avin had a good job and a nice home in her native New York, but when both of her adult children moved to New England and started families of their own, she knew she had to make a change.

Fast forward a year and a half, and Avin was in the same boat once again. She was living in West Warwick, close to her daughter and just a short drive from her son living in Connecticut, but her job as the Director of Account Management for Small Business at United Healthcare left her little free time. She was seeing less of her kids than when she lived on Long Island.

It was time for another change, and this one brought the Avin family in a direction they never anticipated.

“In October of 2009 I decided to resign to spend more time with the kids,” Avin explained. “I didn’t want to go back to corporate. I wasn’t getting that warm and fuzzy feeling, and I wanted to do something where I could make a difference in somebody’s life.”

Avin began looking into buying a franchise. When she stumbled upon the Tutor Doctor, a program that began in Canada and is growing its American base, she had an instinct she had found the right match.

Although Avin has never taught before, she can relate to the needs of parents with struggling children. She has four grandchildren, and recalled her experiences with a tutor for her son. She would shuttle him back and forth to sessions multiple times a week, often waiting in the car while he was taught in a small classroom environment.

“All I kept thinking about was how great would it have been if I was able to make dinner in the kitchen while my child is being tutored in the living room?” Avin said.

Tutor Doctor is a one-on-one program that puts tutors – all of whom have received federal criminal background checks – directly in the homes of families. The business model impressed Avin, who soon reached out to the company. She was equally impressed by the level of support the home office offered.

The opportunity would mean Avin could work from home, while performing a service that had the potential of helping students and their families. She bought the franchise rights last May, becoming the first Tutor Doctor in the state.

“I need flexibility,” Avin said. “I’m not in it to make a million dollars, but I’m willing to give it my all.”

In August, Avin prepared to go to training to get the business off the ground. She convinced her daughter, Stefani Reilly, to come along for the ride.

“I’m so happy I went with her. If I hadn’t gone with her, I wouldn’t have the same enthusiasm,” Reilly said.

The training was in Canada for six days from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

As of right now, the Tutor Doctor franchise has free reign within Rhode Island, and tutors are available to visit students statewide.

“Every tutor that I hire, I want them to be as passionate about this business as I am,” Avin said.

With the economy in a bad spot and many people out of work, Avin has been blown away by the quality of applications she is receiving. She has multiple interviews every week and her inbox continues to be flooded with inquiries.

Down the road, she envisions opening the service to seniors for technology classes.

For now, though, she’s busy marketing the program. Most of all, Avin is happy to be getting off the ground on a business she feels so strongly about.

“My excitement has not diminished at all,” she said. “It’s going to take a while but I’m getting the word out and we’re ready to go.”

For more information, call 626-6122 or visit www.yourtutordoctor.com/pavin. ■

November 2010

PrimeTime | 11

b y J im C o nc otelli , Ph.D., h o r i z o n b a y re t i re m e n t l i v i n g , v p o f re s i d e n t p ro g r a m s

senior

issues

A time for giving thanks The power of gratitude

I

n today’s world, qualities such as gratitude seem to belong to another age – a simpler time when life moved along at an easier pace and there was time to appreciate everything. Yet within gratitude lies a tremendous source of power that can radically reshape the way you look at the world. In fact, researchers find the virtues of gratitude include an enhanced sense of well-being.

Many philosophers, spiritual teachers and the world’s major religions prize gratitude as a morally beneficial emotional state that encourages reciprocal kindness. Pastors, priests, parents and grandparents have long extolled the virtues of saying thank you and feeling gratitude for what we have. Now psychologists indicate gratitude plays a significant role in a person’s overall health.

After reviewing previous research on gratitude, Dr. Robert Emmons, psychology professor at the University of California, conducted the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving. The study required several hundred people in three different groups to keep daily diaries. The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day, while the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences. The last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals.

According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. The researchers also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness since one act of gratitude encourages another.

At this point you may be thinking, OK, sounds great, but how can I really be more grateful, more often?

It’s really very easy. Here are a few ways you can practice right now.

1. Make a list of five things you are grateful for. These can be big things (like your family) or little things (like the friendly smile of someone you just met).

2. Reflect on your list and allow yourself to feel good about these things.

3. Think of a person you can thank or you appreciate.

Give them a call or send a note and show your gratitude by sharing your appreciation.

You can do these exercises anytime, and you don’t have to stop at five things. In fact, it is a great idea to keep a running list in a gratitude journal or on note cards. This way you can return to your list anytime you wish, reinforcing your feelings of gratitude. At any moment you can make a list, bask in those thoughts and share that thankfulness with others. And you can say “thank you” to many people in any given day, not just that special someone.

You’ve probably thought of being thankful as a good thing to do or the right thing to do. But now hopefully you see it can be even more powerful than “right.” You can increase your sense of well-being and create positive social effects just from counting your blessings and passing along this feeling by saying “thanks.” ■

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November 2010

wHAT DO YOU FINK?

I

LIFESTYLES

by MIKE FINK

A chance to meet again

recently celebrated a major college reunion; won’t tell you which one! We were a group of six sharing posh spaces on the Yale campus, complete with fireplaces that worked, French windows with views of the ancient elms and fine lawns, in the somewhat sedate era before the invention of cell phones. I was the guy who gathered us together. I could spot the loners and knew how to throw a party, under those glittering silver and crystal chandeliers of the common room at the entrance to the dining rooms, where you had to wear a necktie as your passport to the repast. I could, and should, write a non...there is always a second fiction novel about us six, as we were then, as we are now. I chapter and a second chance... select one of us for the story of hopefully, and beyond second chances. Doug - a year older than the rest of us - hailed from Fond du Lac, Wis. Very blonde and immaculately neat and groomed. He brought some decidedly “mid-western” attitudes to the land of Eli. How he fit into our collection of outcasts from the inner circle of the preppies and “shoe” crowd, I can’t imagine.

He didn’t quite approve of Jewish or minority undergrads, and yet he roomed with us.

He didn’t like girls with foreign accents, or spectacles, or dark hair and deep eyes.

And yet, at a mixer dance on the Vassar campus - then the sister school for our allboy network - he spotted Miriam. She did not at all suit his taste and style. She wore eyeglasses, spoke with the clarity of her stay in London but with the lilt of her native Prague, wore a gold cross on a necklace, and was diminutive, not willowy. She was dancing with a Yale boy who was rude and dismissive, and Doug came to her rescue to give her a second chance for the evening.

Against all odds, he asked her to visit us on the next festive evening. In those days a date was quite a formal event. You dressed up for the occasion, changing footwear all through the day and evening, from your bucks to your loafers, your cordovans to your wingtips. Well, Doug and Miriam became an odd couple and the first among us to announce an engagement. I recall their wedding in Poughkeepsie. It was an intimate affair; I was the one who attached flowers to their get-away car. Doug went off to Harvard Law School. Miriam and Doug had three daughters, and one of them went to Yale. She was a blonde beauty with a thoughtful face.

I saw my former classmate from time to time. Once, at the Grand Canyon! Another, memorable time, in Washington, D.C. at the dedication of the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We had lunch, Miriam, Doug, and me.

This is the story. Although she wore that platinum crucifix, Miriam was, in fact, the daughter of a Jewish survivor of Terezin, one of the few who escaped deportation and the gas chamber. Miriam was not on intimate terms with her mother, but Doug was.

His mother-in-law was indeed a confidante and friend. Doug’s daughter was, by Jewish tradition and herself Jewish, the perfect, successful example of the marrano model of the hidden life. It was a rendezvous of revelations. At a previous Yale reunion, an

“

b y meg fraser

”

a second chance

Two chances at 100 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are approximately 32 twin births for every 1,000 births overall. Representing just 3 percent of newborns, it’s safe to say that twins are pretty rare.

What’s more rare, are twins who celebrate 100 birthdays together.

In September, Mary Spaziano and Margaret DiSanto did just that, with a party at the Evergreen House in East Providence where Margaret lives. Mary lives with her son in Cranston, but the two stay in constant contact.

“We’ve always been close,” Mary said, as friends, family members and other Evergreen residents filled the dining room. “I’m very, very close with all my children and grandchildren.”

Live music boomed in the background as the pair sat in the center of the room, all eyes on them. Black and white photographs adorned the entranceway, and a cake showed familiar faces – Mary and Margaret as teenagers.

Growing up in their Italian household, the sisters lived in East Providence and then Providence, in the same area they chose to raise their own families.

Never moving far from one another, they worked in the jewelry industry together.

Neither left the business until they were 85 years old.

November 2010

interval of five years, Doug and I had strolled among the stately mansions of the New Haven moated, castle realm.

“You took me to the best movies, the finest concerts, the top theatre events; you contributed to my culture,” Doug surprised me with his laughs and his thoughts.

This time, at our reunion of 2010, he surprised me once more.

He played tennis in the morning and came to the tent with its cocktails and its hors d’oeuvres, not with smiles but with frowns of pain. I had to sit by his side as he described the attacks of pain that overcame him. Then, he told me some strange tales.

“I had a parakeet that knew how much I loved classical music. This bird actually figured out how to use its beak to hit the right key on the radio to turn on the correct station.

We shared a love of Mozart. Really! And I also had a fish tank in my office with a large catfish. You may not believe this, but he would turn his face to greet me when I came in early in the morning. Once, I brought it a gift, something I put into his tank. He turned his back on me! Turned out, the thing was poisonous, and he knew it.”

I was astonished, moved, amused, amazed, impressed and stunned at all these responses, both by the mystical anecdotes, and as well by the indication of his essential loneliness.

Despite his winning a Yale prize for having the most grandchildren!

As I write this reminiscence about Doug, he is being operated on with the prospect of a long recovery, perhaps a second chance at the adventure of just living, as he has experienced and enabled second chances throughout his career. Doug majored in American history, and wrote his senior thesis on the massacre in the Polish forest during World War II. The slaughter was officially blamed on the Germans, but during the post-war period it was determined that it was the Russians who committed the crime. Miriam had left Prague not for rescue from the Germans - they were already in hiding from the Nazis - but from the Russians. So my conclusion is...there is always a second chapter and a second chance...hopefully, and beyond. ■

“I enjoyed work, and I worked very hard,” Mary said.

That, she added, is the key to a long life.

That and keeping your loved ones close – just as the twins have done.

“We’ve got a nice family,” Mary said. “I’ve got great-great-grandchildren and I like to play things with them.”

Those grandchildren and great-grandchildren were on hand at the Evergreen celebration, and again when the family celebrated at a more intimate party at Alpine Country Club.

Before digging into the birthday cake, the women’s families wondered aloud at what had kept them in such good shape all these years. Margaret has lived at Evergreen House for four years, but can still share stories and laughs with her twin sister – and a good word search.

“Both of them love to keep busy,” said daughter Marguerite Lachapelle. “They keep active, and they like to be with people.” ■ PrimeTime | 13

b y gary reese

From the classroom to the fighting ring

Wayne Lima becomes Rhode Island’s first MMA judge

14 | PrimeTime

a second chance Wayne Lima of Lincoln, is a man of many passions and accomplishments. He is a former Bryant University professor, distinguished guitarist and founder of R.I. music legends Kings Row, college bowling coach, movie consultant, entrepreneur, radio show host, boxing official and nationally ranked javelin thrower.

Lima, 56, now has earned the distinction of being Rhode Island’s first professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) judge.

Back in the fall of 2009, the General Assembly approved MMA fighting. Over the past decade, the sport has grown at an amazing rate.

“Rhode Island enters the era of combat sports where strength, technique, versatility, athleticism and courage are second to none,” Lima said.

How did Lima, a former senior administrator and faculty member at Bryant who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master’s in business administration earn the credential of the state’s first MMA judge?

“I have always been an avid sports fan and participant; especially track and field, boxing and bowling,” he said. “A strange mixture of athletic interests but all requiring considerable skill, training, focus, flexibility and maybe some natural talent too. I especially respect the individual athlete. They have no one to turn to or blame. They must rely on their own talents, spirit and strength. Plus the boxer, runner, jumper or MMA fighter has to accept responsibility for their own mistakes and limitations.”

Lima began studying MMA when it first started in this country in the 1990s.

“As violent as it has been portrayed, it actually is an ultimate sport requiring stamina, power, athleticism and fearlessness. I equate MMA combatants to Triathlon competitors and track and field Decathletes,” Lima continued.

Lima served as a professional boxing judge for 14 years, and has judged a World Title fight as well as numerous championship belts.

“Now I want to go a step further by cultivating my MMA credentials. I am always motivated to eclipse the most difficult of challenges,” he said.

Lima reports to William DeLuca of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, which handles professional boxing and MMA bouts in the Ocean State. Lima says DeLuca runs a tight ship.

“Under his direction, Rhode Island judges are prepared and clear about our responsibilities,” he said.

Lima’s prior experience doesn’t hurt either.

“It is our commitment to render accurate and honest decisions. My strength in boxing is enhanced by my knowledge base of other fighting styles. In this regard, I am confident the fighter who actually exhibits, exercises and demonstrates winning form earns the victory,” he said.

When asked the differences between boxing and MMA judging, Lima doesn’t hesitate.

“MMA includes boxing. The most significant difference is MMA also integrates other fighting disciplines. The obvious striking exists, but MMA also includes jiu-jitsu, sambo, kickboxing, karate, muay thai, grappling, judo, and other free style forms.”

It was Lima’s daughter Stacy that first sparked his interest in MMA. Now a psychology doctorate student, Stacy earned a black belt in karate, and her intensity caught her father’s attention.

“I figured if a boxer could introduce karate into their offense, it would make that athlete more competitively dangerous. Include grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and you have the perfect or ideal fighter,” Lima said.

Watching Hall of Fame fighter Royce Gracie of Brazil was another factor in the Rhode Islander’s interest in MMA. Gracie is a 180-pound, 6-foot tall fighter who has taken out opponents six inches taller and 60 pounds heavier.

“He showed me there was a future for MMA,” Lima said, adding other fighters to his list of influences, including Ken Shamrock, Tank Abbott and Dan Severn.

As time progressed, MMA athletes became common names in the world of sport including Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, George St. Pierre, Forrest Griffith and Michael Bisping.

Get down to the particulars of MMA, and Lima has no shortage of topics to talk about.

When asked about common submission holds and choke out maneuvers used in MMA, for example, he ticks off a list of moves he sees time and time again, his favorite being, “the Guillotine.”

And when it comes to strategy, he has plenty of advice for fighters.

“Like any challenge or goal you set for yourself, you have to be disciplined and focused.

An MMA athlete has to be agile, explosive, execute intense pressure, and be supreme at both their standup and ground games. A weakness can produce a loss. Most importantly, the MMA athlete has to have a balance of skills and posses a true sense of bravery,” Lima said.

“The MMA athlete with wisdom knows he has to pummel his opponent without hesitation, limit mistakes, and realize any opponent can be a threat at any moment.”

Lima’s passion and exuberance for MMA are complimented by his intellect and reputation as a management guru. He is known as an educator and athlete, as a musician and an entrepreneur, but his new role in the MMA world is a turn in the road that he embraces with enthusiasm. ■ November 2010

calendar of events

AvAilAblE November 1

Thunder is coming

Vocal super group Celtic Thunder will hit the road this winter with a performance at Providence’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Irishmen Damian McGinty, Keith Harkin, Paul Byrom, Ryan Kelly and Scotsman George Donaldson pay homage to cherished musical entertainers of past and present during this special holiday concert. This new musical revue spans six decades of musical styles and celebrates the festive season with a set list to satisfy fans of all ages. Tickets are $75 or $55 and are available online at www. vmari.com, by phone at 421-2787 and in person at PPAC, located on 220 Weybosset Street in Providence.

Learning as a family

The Center for Lifelong Learning at Providence Public Library is pleased to offer Transitions, a new Tuesday social program series for retirees and adults 50+ featuring a variety of wellness programs, classic movies, presentations and lunch discussions throughout the year.

This fall series features wellness instructor Chris Belanger, RYT, who will lead a variety of yoga classes. In addition, the Library will offer a series of free classic movies during the alternating weeks of the session and invites participants to plan on lunch at the Library with friends on these days. Programs are scheduled through December, with more in the works for the spring. For details, call 4558000 or visit www.provlib.org.

Step back in time

Starting on Nov. 1, the Museum of Work & Culture will host a gallery on “The Preservation Movement Then and Now,” which tells the story of preservation of historic sites throughout New England. There will be a textile preservation workshop on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rhode Island Historical Society Library, and the 189th annual meeting of the Rhode Island Historical Society on Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Aldrich House.

Later this month, on Nov. 18, there will be a presentation, “If These Walls Could Talk,” at the John Brown House Museum at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Historical Society Programs Coordinator Dalila Goulart at 331-8575 ext. 45 or e-mail dgoulart@rihs.org.

Millions of meals

Rhode Island Meals on Wheels will host its 16 Millionth Meal Soiree on Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. at Waterplace in Providence. Tickets are $35 per person, and will benefit the work of Meals on Wheels. For information on soiree sponsorships, contact Erin O’Gara Dollard at 351-6700 ext. 140 or e-mail her at eogaradollard@rimeals. org.

November 2010

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BlueCHiP for Medicare is a program of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island—a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. The Medicare contract between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and the Federal Government is valid for one year. The availability of coverage beyond the end of the current year is not guaranteed. The benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1, 2012.

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November 2010

b y c o rinne calise r u ss o d i re c to r , r i d e p a r t m e n t o f e l d e r l y a f f a i r s

senior

issues

Getting to know the RI Department of Elderly Affairs

A

s the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA), I am very excited to use this first column to reach out to the community and talk about the challenges and opportunities of growing older in Rhode Island. The first step is to give you some background information about DEA and the constituencies that it serves.

There are more than 200,000 residents aged 60 and older in our state.

There are also countless relatives and friends that are caregivers for Rhode Island’s seniors and adults with disabilities. The Department’s primary mission is to ensure excellence in service, advocacy and public policy dedicated to the needs of older Rhode Islanders, adults with disabilities, and family members and caregivers, through a single, visible and responsive agency. DEA emphasizes the preservation of the independence and dignity of these populations.

The Department was established under General Law in 1977 in response to the needs of the state’s expanding older population. Unlike larger states, DEA is designated as the state’s single planning and service Area Agency on Aging under the provisions of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA is under the auspices of the federal Admin-

November 2010

istration on Aging (AoA). In collaboration with AoA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, DEA is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of a comprehensive system of community-based federal and state programs that enhance the quality of life of our constituents.

Programs such as information and referral, elder protective services and the long-term care ombudsman services, pharmacy assistance, legal counseling, health insurance counseling through the State Health Information Program, Senior Medicare Patrol (recognizing and reporting Medicare and Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse), housing assistance, nutrition programs (community meal sites and home delivered meals by Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island), in-home care, respite, disease prevention and health promotion are focal points in this network of support services.

Since 2005, DEA has also funded THE POINT, Rhode Island’s one-stop Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) for seniors, adults with disabilities, families and caregivers.

THE POINT reflects the state’s goal of providing a one-stop, single point of entry into long-term care information and referral in Rhode Island.

United Way/2-1-1 in Rhode Island was

awarded a three-year grant from AoA to manage the daily operations of THE POINT. Our partnership with United Way/2-1-1 in Rhode Island, which was awarded a three-year grant from AoA, is vital in our efforts to offer clear, concise and accurate information to each caller and visitor to the center. THE POINT is located at 50 Valley Street in Providence. You can contact THE POINT by calling 462-4444. TTY users should call 462-4445 or visit THE POINT website at www.ThePointRI.org.

DEA also works in conjunction with the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to improve the quality of life for those who need supportive services to remain in the community. Other state agencies included in EOHHS are the Departments of Health; Children, Youth, and Families; Human Services; and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (formerly MHRH).

DEA uses these guiding principles to accomplish its mission: *Listen, respond and react to the needs of older Rhode Islanders, their families, caregivers and adults with disabilities with respect, courtesy, patience and dignity. Target services to elders in greatest need and those who are frail

and at-risk. *Protect the rights and confidentiality of our consumers through adherence to laws, polices, and procedures. Ensure integrity of information and equitable access in a manner that is culturally sensitive. *Sustain and promote full adherence to the highest ethical standards and operating procedures in the development of policies and delivery of programs and services. *Foster partnerships that optimize all federal, state and local resources to support a community-based system of care, seeking to refine and expand services reflective of consumer and caregiver needs. *Serve as an effective statewide advocate for the needs of older persons, adults with disabilities, their families, and caregivers.

For more information about DEA, call 462-3000. TTY users can call 4620740. The DEA website is www.dea. state.ri.us. The trained professionals at DEA will provide you with the tools and information you need to make informed decisions about long-term care and the numerous options that are available to Rhode Islanders who need these services. ■

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November 2010

DOER’S PROFILE

A detour in life’s path

Mary Korr Mary Korr will be reading from “Winston the Waterdog” and signing books on Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Barnes & Noble in Warwick.

November 2010

PEOPLE AND PLACES

by JOAN RE TSINAS

In the not-so-long-ago past, an occupation was a bit like a highway ramp: you entered at age 20-something and stayed on that road, exiting at retirement. Regardless of the occupation – plumber, pianist, surgeon – the vocation ended up being lifelong.

Today the road is meandering, even circular.

Mary Korr knew from kindergarten that she wanted to be a writer. And from grade school, she was immersed in the world of newspapers. She grew up in Queens, one of four children; and her father, a corporation counsel for the city of New York, assigned each child a weekend chore, a prerequisite for a weekly allowance. Mary was the news-gatherer. She would get on her bicycle, ride to the neighborhood store, and stuff all the Sunday city newspapers (nine in that era) into her basket.

Once home, she spread out the papers and scanned them for articles that mentioned her father or his department. She’d read him the articles and cut them out.

In the newspapers, she was entranced by the comics, especially Brenda Starr, girl reporter (and Basil, her dashing beau), and of course Lois Lane.

Not surprisingly, when she entered Queens College, she wanted to work on a newspaper.

“I majored in English because they didn’t offer journalism,” she explained.

She eventually earned a Master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri.

And she did start on a career in journalism. In New York City, she worked as copy editor for a business newspaper. When her husband, a cardiologist, accepted a position at Miriam Hospital, Mary signed on as lifestyles editor at the Attleboro Sun Chronicle. For seven years there, she wrote feature stories, did layout and copy-edited text. She went from there to the East Bay and Blackstone Valley bureaus of the Providence Journal, still writing feature stories.

Later she was the editor of the Jewish Voice and Herald, again doing layout, copy-editing text and writing feature stories. After six years there, she veered off the journalism-path.

Thanks in part to her son and in part to her enthusiasm for new ventures, Mary became a writer of children’s books.

Her new career began 15 years ago, when her 10-year-old son Josh desperately wanted a dog.

After weeks of hearing “Can we get a dog?,” Mary and her husband relented. Josh’s asthma, however, precluded a dog with fur.

So the family researched hypo-allergenic dogs with hair. The solution: a Portuguese water dog.

Portuguese water dogs, then and now, are scarce. The Korrs went on waiting lists. One day an owner, living in Hyannis, called to say a family had returned a nine-week old puppy because “he was too wild.”

Did they want the wild one? The Korrs soon drove to the Cape.

“I saw a tiny bullet darting off the dock into the water,” Mary recalled.

She asked, “Where is the dog?”

The owner pointed to the tiny bullet shaking off water at the edge of the dock.

That anecdote became the first of many Winston (named after the dog of Josh’s favorite rock star) anecdotes. When Winston settled in the car for the ride home to Barrington and threw up on the new leather seats, Mary jotted down another Winston tale.

When Josh played soccer, Winston wore Josh’s number 6.

“Josh was running across the field in a game against Central Falls. Winston ran into the field, whacking the ball to Josh,” Mary said.

The Korrs folded Winston into their lives.

Maggie, another water dog, joined Winston. When Winston died, Elvis joined the family, followed by Jakey. And all along Mary jotted down the wonderful antics of the water dogs and their son.

When President Obama chose a water dog for his daughters, Mary decided to publish eight of the antics in one book, “Winston the Water Dog.” She recruited Cathren Housley, who had painted images of the 9/11 rescue dogs, to illustrate the tale.

“Winston the Water Dog” just won a Moms Choice Award. The royalties will go to the Portuguese Waterdog Foundation for Canine Care. Recently Mary wrote a second book, “Winston the Water Dog Explorer.”

On a weekday you may find Mary narrating Winston’s feats at a bookstore, a library or a museum. Or Mary may be taking Elvis, the family’s newest waterdog, to train for visits to hospitals and nursing homes.

Mary Korr entered the ramp labeled “journalism” and veered off to write children’s books. And the detour in her path has been an enjoyable one, both for her and for the children who read her tales. ■

PrimeTime | 21

A GLIMPSE OF RI’S PAST

F

PEOPLE AND PLACES

h i s t o r y w i t h d o n d ’a m at o

Amasa the chemist and William the politician or a number of years following the death of William Sprague II in 1836, the A. & W. Sprague Company expanded and prospered. It had been organized by William’s sons, Amasa (1798-1843) and William (1799-1856).

Government aid to industry

The brothers had inherited their father’s large and prosperous mills, farmland, stores and other properties in the early 19th century at a time when there was a great demand for American made cotton products. This was a period when the U.S. government, dominated by northern industrial interests, aided American manufacturers by high protective tariffs and easy immigration policies. The Spragues, as well as other textile manufacturers, were quick to take advantage of the government’s largesse.

Calico printing

By the 1830’s, the Spragues excelled in the manufacture and printing of cotton cloth known as calico. Thanks to the efforts of Amasa Sprague and his talent with chemicals, the company made great advances in mixing colors and became famous for its “fastcolor” designs and “indigo blues.” The Print Works in Cranston, in what was already known as Spragueville, was the center of the Sprague empire and was managed by Amasa, the senior partner.

Amasa lived in the Sprague Mansion at the corner of Cranston and Dyer Streets with his wife, Fanny Morgan, and his children. His brother William reserved a room in the homestead for his use when on business in Cranston or Providence. He elected to live in Natick in a beautiful home on the farm at East Avenue in Warwick.

A &W – Amasa & William

In a newspaper account by a contemporary, both Amasa and William Sprague, the founders of the A. & W. Sprague Company, were of “massive proportions, with great capacity for physical and mental exertion...”

Amasa is usually regarded as the more dynamic of the two and described as “genial and hail fellow well met with everyone.” A closer look, however, reveals that not all agree with this assessment of Amasa. Donald W. Wyatt, former U. S. Marshall for Rhode Island, in his article in Old Rhode Island Magazine, November 1992, which examines the death of Amasa Sprague, describes Sprague as “burly, vigorous, ill-tempered, and overbearing.”

The political arena

The Spragues were well aware of the significance favorable legislation could have on their business and both brothers were elected to the state legislature. In time, Amasa took a lesser role in politics and concentrated on managing the family business while William became more active, serving as a U.S. Representative in 1837, Governor of Rhode Island in 1838 and U.S. Senator from 1842 to 1843.

The Irish come to Spragueville

Under the leadership of Amasa Sprague, the A. & W. Sprague Company expanded to the point where one of its chief concerns was acquiring more inexpensive labor. The general belief at the time was that to succeed, the textile industry had to keep prices competitive and to do this successfully it was necessary to keep wages low. As the demand for textiles increased, mill owners began to look to the poor immigrants from Europe as the solution to their problems.

During the mid-19th century, many immigrants from Ireland came to Rhode Island looking for work. According to Patrick T. Conley’s “The Irish in America” (1986), a number of events in Ireland spurred immigration. Poor agricultural prices, disfranchisement of the small tenant farmers in 1829, and repeated failures of the vital potato crop from 1828 to 1835 saw many Irish taking advantage of inexpensive fares and the easing of passenger travel restrictions. Conley tells us that from 1815 to 1845, “a million Irishmen, most of whom were Roman Catholics, came to North America. Perhaps 5,000 of these settled in Rhode Island.”

During the period of expansion under Amasa Sprague, a large number of Irish immigrants were hired to work in the Print Works. One of the early Catholic Irish immigrants to Spragueville was Nicholas S. Gordon. This ambitious Irishman opened a small candy shop in the village near the schoolhouse and later, to the displeasure of Amasa Sprague, opened a larger store near the Print Works where, in addition to groceries, he sold liquor to the Sprague employees.

The story of the clash between Gordon and Sprague, which allegedly led to the latter’s murder, will be continued. ■

calendar of events

Capital Art Auction

The Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) has joined forces with the Rhode Island arts community in an effort to support and celebrate the arts and entrepreneurship in Rhode Island. Together the groups will sponsor the 2010 Capital Art Auction on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Peerless Lofts Atrium at 150 Union Street in Providence, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event will highlight local artists and designers. Structured as a silent auction, proceeds will benefit both the participating artists as well as CWE programming and scholarships. For tickets or more information, www.cweonline.org or call Julie Bilodeau at 277-0800.

Holidays are here The Generations Quartet is already planning their

holiday line-up of performances for December. They will take their show, “Holiday Harmony” to First Congregational Church in Bristol on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m., to Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich on Dec. 4 at 2 p.m., and to the Edgewood Congregational Church in Cranston on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. For information on tickets and additional performances, visit www.generationsquartet.com or call Steve Isherwood at 578-2260.

22 | PrimeTime

November 2010

Feeling the flavor

R

food&drink

b y matt h o lmes

Risotto

isotto is a style of rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency.

It achieves it’s creaminess from the slow release of starch from the rice while being cooked slowly and stirred constantly while adding liquids a little at a time.

It sounds complicated, but the beauty of risotto is its forgiving nature in regards to flavor. Because risotto is a style of cooking rice, and not a variety, many different types of rice or grain may be used.

Varieties like Arborio and Carnaroli are the most common and popular. They are shaped like little white footballs, which releases it’s starch easily and results in the most ideal end results.

The beauty of risotto is its ability to absorb everything we can put into it. It takes on all flavors and combines them as beautifully as we can hope. The possibilities are truly endless. From braised meat, cured meats, seafood, chicken, any and all vegetables and the full spectrum of cheeses. Fall flavors are especially perfect for great risotto dishes. This is because of the deep, earthy nature of the season.

The best blank canvas for autumn flavor

When choosing your list of ingredients for your first attempt at risotto, just remember to keep it simple. You’ll need the risotto rice of course, white onion, fresh garlic, bay leaves and a good cheese of your choice. You will also need wine and either stock or water. If you choose a protein to include, either go with something that cooks quickly (like shrimp) that you can add at the end or something braised or long cooked that you don’t have to worry about overcooking. Avoid proteins (like strip steak) unless the risotto is a side dish, which is also a great option! Proteins that are not at their best when in between these two styles will only end up being tough and stringy.

When choosing vegetables, pick one or two vegetables that have high water contents like tomatoes or a vegetable like beets so you can use the liquid you steam or boil them in and add it to your risotto. But please don’t use tomato and beets in combination. Use these as your base and the liquids from these will make up some of the absorbed stock. Use a stock (chicken, beef, vegetable, etc.) that will compliment your other ingredients. Add other vegetables or herbs as you see fit.

Add your cheese at the end. There are many great recipes to be found on the specifics of risotto cookery. They may be found on the Internet and in cookbooks all over. Just remember that undercooked risotto is much worse than overcooked risotto.

It’s actually very hard to overcook risotto but fairly easy to burn toward the end of the process. Just have fun, play around with it and KEEP STIRRING. ■

You are cordially invited to attend

“Brian R. Ott, M.D. Research Symposium” Presented by:

The Causes & Treatment of Dementia: Perspectives from Vascular and Cellular Biology Guest Speaker

Benjamin Wolozin, MD, PhD

Professor Departments of Pharmacology and Neurology Boston University school of Medicine

Thursday, November 18, 2010 – 6:00 to 8:00pm HilTON PROviDeNce

21 Atwells Avenue, Providence, Ri 02903 Reception and refreshments 6:00-6:30 p.m. • Presentation: 6:30 p.m.

This Symposium is free, but registration is required. Please respond by: November 15, 2010 401-421-0008 or 800-272-3900 Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter Office, 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306, Providfence, RI 02906

www.alz.org/ri November 2010

PrimeTime | 23

GAY & GRAY

LIFESTYLES

by CYNTHIA GLINICK

Sappho’s Fire O

n a remote mountainside sparsely dotted with juniper trees, gnarled and battered by the relentless elements on a harsh, age-old landscape, the sound of the ocean crashes on an obscured rock-bound shore. Around a blazing fire, throwing mutable shadows and light, a wizened woman, draped in trails of gauzy, white linen, dances barefoot to the hypnotic thrum of a ritualistic drum. The night wind, carrying with it the primordial scent of the deep, catches the winging gossamer and fans the flames into fingers of ever increasing intensity. Glowing embers fly up into the clear, starlit sky and across a full moon just beginning to crest the ridge and make its cyclical ascent through the heavens.

These might be images from an ancient text, a fragmented Grecian poem, or alternately and perhaps more likely, the imaginings of a science-fantasy writer, but in reality they are taken from a documentary being made here in Rhode Island called “Sappho’s Fire.” The filmmaking duo of Alexia Kosmider and her partner Deb Monuteaux, together, are Shifting Visions Education Films Project, Inc. “Sappho’s Fire” is the collected stories of 15 aging lesbians who range in age from 55 to 88. With seed money from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action fund, Alexia and Deb have spent the last two years researching and filming women from all over New England. They are women of Jewish, Caucasian and African-American heritage with life-partners, without life-partners, veterans and educators, among others. Some are still employed; many are in retirement. What all these women have in common, however, is a fire that makes them stomp their feet at old age and resist the societal message: they are too old to do anything useful.

For some, their life has been a hardship or economically compromised, for others a financial bonanza but not a personal success. But for all of the women in the film, their lives have been an intriguing and singular journey.

“No one can tell ‘our story’ like we can,” said Alexia, the producer and director, “and that is especially true of older lesbians who, in some cases, have lived through it all.”

“Some of the stories, as we’ve gathered them, are so poignant, so sad that it’s brought us to tears,” revealed Deb, a skilled photographer, videographer and editor. “We even lost two women during filming and we all felt the pain of that.”

“It’s been a genuine bonding experience for everyone and it’s even changed some of the women’s lives in ways no one could have predicted,” agreed Alexia.

Let’s look briefly at a few of the women featured in the film. Claire and Dot, who are 88 and 79 years old, respectively, and who have been together for 35 years, are both dealing with various health issues and seem to spend most of their time going between doctor appointments.

Suzanne, who is 69, retired and single and has basically been “coming out” for the past 20 years, is now finally and seriously looking for a partner.

Connie and Janet, who are both in their 70s, are looking for a retirement home in which to be together as a couple.

Ann, a relative newbie to the lifestyle but hardly a newbie to life, came out when she was 70, is now 79 and is still teaching at a Boston area college.

Karen, Joyce and Maureen, all sisters, talk candidly about their lesbian mother who, tragically, had to give them up earlier in life.

24 | PrimeTime

www.shiftingvisions.com

“As filmmakers, our goal is to make films that bring a perspective to the audience that they probably haven’t seen before,” said Alexia. “We want to make people think about what they are witnessing and shed a new light on the subject.”

“Our film, ‘In the Shadow of the Crow: Legacies of the Narragansetts,’ is a good example of that,” added Deb. “During the filming of it, the Smoke Shop incident, the casino and state issues collided and then it all exploded and it became a controversial and important film.”

In fact, their documentary about the Narragansett Indians premiered first at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Rhode Island Indian Council before being widely shown throughout Rhode Island. It was then featured at the Anthropological Association Film Festival in Washington, D.C. Other documentaries made by Shifting Visions are “Not Your Mama’s Roller Derby,” which follows the Providence Roller Derby league’s edginess, rigorous training and sisterhood and “Venus, Priests and Superwomen,” which captures the protest of Providence College students against the banning of the “Vagina Monologues” on campus.

It is owing to the success of these films that Alexia and Deb embarked on making “Sappho’s Fire,” which is in post-production getting fine-tuned for its debut. Where it premiers, however, is unclear since so much of an independent filmmaker’s life is based on funding and trolling for sponsors.

At this writing, they are waiting to hear whether grants they applied for have been accepted (check their website for updated information: www. shiftingvisions.com).

Regardless of where it opens, you can be sure “Sappho’s Fire” will set aflame any pre-conceived ideas we might have about what it means to be lesbian and growing older and do so with poetic elegance. ■

November 2010

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

by DON FOWLER

lifestyles

Extra special specials at Fred and Steve’s

W

e made our second trip to Fred and Streve’s Steakhouse at Twin River when we heard about their latest specials.

We had been to the restaurant on the second floor when it first opened, and loved the atmosphere, service and food. Fred and Streve’s is a first class dining establishment, featuring top quality steaks, but also offering some items you do not find on a usual steakhouse menu.

Don?t fill up on the basket of warm, exquisite nut bread immediately brought to your table.

If you had told me (as someone did) that you wanted to go back to Fred and Streve’s for the creamed corn and macaroni and cheese, I would have questioned your culinary tastes. Creamed corn was something my mother heated up from a can; and macaroni and cheese was out of a Kraft box.

Not at Fred and Streve’s. The corn is sliced fresh off the cob and has a rich creamy taste like something I?ve never experienced. The macaroni and cheese has an added ingredient: lobster. Lots of lobster.

While Joyce goes to a steak house for steak, I?ve found that the top quality steak houses have outstanding seafood dishes. The chef has added a seasoned Ahi Tuna, cooked very rare, with a sesame seed crust and wasabi couscous and cucumber salad to the regular menu. For $28, it is as good as it gets.

Former linebacker Steve De Ossie was working the crowd the Thursday night we were there. He had to leave for an interview at half-time of the Patriot?s game.

?It?s a quick ride to Foxboro from Lincoln on my motorcycle,? he said. ?I?ll be back here for the late night crowd.? ?Fred [Smerlas] and I are proud of our restaurant,? he told us. ?We have a terrific staff. See that waiter?

Errol. People call for reservations and specifically ask for him. We get a lot of repeat customers.? We were very pleased with our waiter, David, who was from Johnston and told us that he loves his job, which was obvious.

Joyce couldn?t decide which of four sauces she wanted on her extra rare petite filet. He brought her all four.

Two for $20 Special We saw a man eating a hamburger, and wondered why. David told us it was part of their new special, and it wasn?t the quality of meat you would get in a hamburger joint.

Fred and Streve’s is currently running an incredible special on Wednesday and Thursday: two for $20.

For the low price of $20, you get to share an appetizer, soup, or salad, plus a hamburger, prime rib sandwich, pork cutlet, cod, and other items from the menu.

For $30 each, a couple can enjoy some of the finest dishes the restaurant has to offer.

You can start with clam chowder, Caesar salad, or other appetizers, and move on to the petite filet, which Joyce guarantees is top shelf. Other entrees include stuffed shrimp, cod and chicken. And remember to order the creamed corn and mac and cheese for sides.

Save room for the dessert menu, or do as we love to do

Health care agencies and advocates honored by RIHCA The Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA) Distinguished Service Awards were initiated nine years ago to showcase and honor the talents and dedication of volunteers and professionals working in Rhode Island’s skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities.

Candidates are nominated by RIHCA members for their efforts to fulfill RIHCA’s mission: to provide high quality health care and quality of life to the state’s nursing home residents. Nearly 300 people attended a special ceremony held recently at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, to pay tribute to this year’s winners.

They are: • Joan Woods, Grand Islander Genesis Health Care, Middletown – Distinguished Administrator Award • Salla Fall, Elmhurst Extended Care, Providence - Distinguished Certified Nursing Assistant Award • Deborah Lambert, Elmhurst Extended Care, Providence – Long-Term Care Nurse of the Year • Congressman Patrick Kennedy - Distinguished Public Service Award • Angelo Rotella, Friendly Home, Woonsocket/Berkshire Place, Providence - Distinguished Service Award • Enviro-Clean - Distinguished Associate Member November 2010

• Maria Palethorpe, Elmwood Health Center, Providence - Health Care Social Worker of the Year • Heather Siravo, Elmhurst Extended Care, Providence – Therapy Resources Management Spirit Award • Nancy and Kevin O’Connell, nominated by Riverview Healthcare Community in Coventry, and Barbara Travers, nominated by Orchard View Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in East Providence – 2010 Volunteers of the Year • Joe Walsh, Esq. and Gail Wolfe, Esq.– Chair’s Award

Established in 1972, Rhode Island Health Care Association is a non-profit organization focused on providing accessible, quality health care to Rhode Islanders. RIHCA is comprised of approximately two-thirds of Rhode Island’s skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities. Today, RIHCA facilities care for over 7,000 people each year, in every Rhode Island community.

The primary goal of every RIHCA member is to provide each resident with the highest quality of care and life possible. ■

and take home half of the entrée for the next day. David told us that most seniors do that.

Dinner Dance For $75 a couple, you can enjoy a full course dinner, which includes their shrimp, prime rib, seared tuna, and a wide choice of entrees and fine wine, plus dessert (try the cheesecake). After dinner, enjoy dancing to many of the great bands or visit the Comedy Club.

Florentine Fruitabunga The best dessert that I have ever experienced in my life is the chef?s new creation called Florentine Fruitabunga.

At $8, it is large enough for two if you care enough about your companion to share this masterpiece. I do, but Joyce chose her favorite: Flourless Chocolate Cake, with Cabernet Savignon Rum Sauce. I did let her taste mine. Whipped cream, white chocolate mousse, strawberries, blueberries and a crisp, sweet indescribable piece of pastry made up this attractive dessert.

Was it sinful? You bet.

Fred and Streve’s offers a number of options for fine dining. For special occasions, I suggest going for it. Get the large filet or the tuna. For an inexpensive, but classy night out, try the special offers. They will make you want to come back for more.

Fred and Streve’s is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.

Call 475-8400 for reservations. ■

calendar of events Band of Brothers & baseball

Veterans Memorial Auditorium and Tim Gray Media will host a remarkable evening featuring Boston Red Sox legend Curt Schilling and World War II’s most famous war heroes, the Men of Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne and the actors who played them in the HBO series “Band of Brothers.” The Men of Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne were made famous in the book by Stephen Ambrose and the HBO series produced

by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The fundraising event will be held on Nov. 12, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence at 7 p.m. with a VIP reception beginning at 6 p.m.

For ticket information, visit www.vmari.com.

PrimeTime | 25

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White Cross Pharmacy Caring for the people of Rhode Island for over 70 years!

White Cross Pharmacy is a family owned independent, specialty pharmacy located at 1 Randall Square in Providence, Rhode Island. A trusted name in business for over seven decades Robert L. Iacobucci, president and CEO, his son Robert J. Iacobucci, vice-president and pharmacy director, and daughter Beth Brown, business manager carry on the tradition of personalized service with a focus on accuracy, timely delivery, technology and affordability started by Robertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father seventy years ago.

The goal at white Cross Pharmacy is to provide patients with outstanding pharmaceutical service and consultation. To achieve this goal, their pharmacists work closely with each facility to design and implement medication policies and procedures that are best suited to all residents. The pharmacists and highly qualified pharmaceutical technicians at White Cross are always available to provide answers to your questions.

Being able to attend to your needs and improve a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life is their primary concern.

At White Cross Pharmacy services include (but are not limited to): * 24-Hour on-call Pharmacist * Free routine daily delivery 5 days a week * Provide medication carts and emergency medication kits as requested * Monthly printouts available for all psychotropic and antibiotic drug usage * Medication side-effect printout for each resident * Part B Accredited Pharmacy; test strips, lancets, incontinence supplies * Provider for RI medical assistance, Part D plans and most commercial insurance plans

SPECIALIZING IN MEMORY CARE The most caring and dedicated staff...just ask our residents

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Working with assisted living facilities, group homes for children, adults and developmentally disabled, mental health centers, outreach programs, nursing homes,  visiting nursing agencies, and hospice organizations White Cross offers a full line of medication packaging solutions that helps patients receive â&#x20AC;&#x153;the right medicationâ&#x20AC;Śthe right doseâ&#x20AC;Śat the right time.â&#x20AC;? This specialized medication packaging in vials, blister-cards and multi-dose packaging (a personal prescription system) takes the daily hassle out of taking medicine. Also for your convenience, using Auto Fill, an automatic prescription refill system, White Cross automatically refills and delivers medications when they are due.

Why should you choose White Cross Pharmacy over other pharmacies? White Cross Pharmacy offers personal service not found any where else. They have their own drivers, not a courier service, delivering to your facility 5 days a week (weekend and 24 hour emergency delivery service is available for new orders and admissions) and all deliveries for both routine and weekend are FREE of charge.

To find out how you can benefit from the many services available at White Cross Pharmacy call 351-5900 today, or visit the website at www.whitecrosspharmacy.com.

0BLMBXO "WF $SBOTUPO 3* t www.PacificaVictoriaCourt.com Lic #ALR01454

Years of loud music catching up with you?

Glass Audiology

Jodi L. Glass, Au.D.

Doctor of Audiology

complete hearing & hearing aid services statewide

We Still Make HouSe CallS! 401-575-9951 â&#x20AC;˘ jlglass53@aol.com www.glassaudiology.com 26 | PrimeTime

The goal of Robert L. Iacobucci, daughter Beth Brown, and son Robert J. Iacobucci, of White Cross Pharmacy is to provide patients with outstanding, personalized pharmaceutical service.

November 2010

ght business spotlion

Scandinavian Retirement Center An Assisted Living Community

The Scandinavian Retirement Center a non-profit Assisted Living Community, is located at 50 Warwick Avenue in Cranston. The name reflects the heritage of its founders, but today they are an inclusive community that welcomes people of all faiths and ethnic origins.

With just 35 apartments in the Assisted Living Community, it allows residents and staff to come to know each other well. Bonds of friendship and trust grow easily, and residents are able to balance the level of privacy, socialization, independence and support that fits their personal lifestyle and needs.

Each apartment is individually climate controlled and features a kitchenette with dining area, private bath with sit-in shower, and a walk-in closet. Our spacious onebedroom apartments feature large living rooms and bedrooms. A grand dining room, library, atrium, and other cozy gathering places create an environment that is as comfortable as any home. In addition, all areas are barrier free and totally accessible.

Scandinavian Assisted Living Community also offers Respite Suites for those who may need a short stay while their primary care giver is unavailable. Respite Care allows your loved one to be surrounded by attentive staff and know that they are well fed, secure, and with people who care. The assisted living community is part of the larger Scandinavian Home family. The Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation facility and Assisted Living Community are attached and therefore allows residents to age in place.

The mission of the Scandinavian Home is to provide a continuum of excellent health care to individuals through their stages of life in a warm homelike environment where resident dignity and quality of life are emphasized.

Come see what sets us apart!

• Assisted Living since 1992 • Spacious one bedroom apartments • Priority admission to Scandinavian Home Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation

Scandinavian Assisted Living Retirement Center 50 Warwick Avenue Cranston, RI 02905

Call for details or arrange for a tour

401-461-1444

Email: TSodipo@ScandinavianHome.com A non-profit organization A CareLink Member

Some of the services at Scandinavian Retirement Center include: Meal Service

* Three delicious, home-cooked meals a day with a choice of entrees * Elegant dining area * Late morning self-served continental breakfast cart * Meal trays to apartments by request * Picnic style bag lunches upon request

Transportation * To medical appointments (residents can still visit their own doctors in the community) * For weekly banking, shopping, library visits, and postal services locally Health Care & Personal Assistance * Medication Administration * Follow up with personal physician as needed * Licensed nurse on site 7 days a week * Assistance with activities of daily living * An Enhanced Program is available for those who need more help on a daily basis * Housekeeping and laundry services * Priority admission to the Scandinavian Nursing Home for qualified stays.

In addition, residents of Scandinavian Retirement Center enjoy a rich cultural and social life. Activities include trips to theaters, restaurants, concerts, movies, and religious services (There is a chaplain on staff and St. Paul’s Catholic Church is right next door).

To keep fit, exercise programs which include yoga, meditation, physical and massage therapy, and Wii games are available. If residents want to keep in touch with friends, surf the internet, or just play solitaire they can use the It’s Never 2 Late computer system.

Small enough to be personal and responsive to every resident’s needs, yet part of the larger Scandinavian Home family, the Assisted Living Community is living at its best for men and women seeking support, security, and the comforts of home without worries.

For more information or to schedule a visit, call the Director of Resident Services, Tai Sodipo, R.N. at 461-1444. You can also visit the website at www.scandinavianhome. com.

November 2010

Spotlight Your Business $150*/Month for 5 months includes Spotlight Story for one month minimum *5-month commitment

Call Donna Zarrella 732-3100 X216

ght business spotlion PrimeTime | 27

letters

to the editor Great Grandma’s faux pas

By Peggy Maxwell

PrimeTime values the opinions of its readers and wants your feedback -positive and negative. Whether you want to drop a line of thanks to one of our writers or you disagree with something in the magazine, we want to hear from you.

Letters, comments or questions can be sent directly to the editor at MegF@rhodybeat.com or by mail to 1944 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI, 02889 I look forward to talking to you soon!

Meg Fraser

Happily, I attended my granddaughter?s wedding celebration recently. I had been told that the bride and groom were bringing their cherubic little 4-month-old son to the big event, and that he would be tended to by a favorite babysitter.

Imagine my delight, upon arriving, when I immediately glimpsed the smiling baby. I quickly whipped out my camera. Several shots were taken of me with my little one. Then he was presented to his paternal Great Granny for more pictures.

Such attention!

I heard someone mutter “Why did they dress him in pink? I quickly retorted, “Tradition; these days who cares, anything goes.”

Well, about that time another baby appeared on the scene. My great grandson Max; I recognized his fancy party shirt right away. It was a present from me.

The baby girl’s mother was delighted with all the attention to her little Sara. She now has pictures of her baby with two great-grandmothers who discovered that beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed babies can look alike.

RETIREMENT

By Saul Ricklin

Retirement can mean absence, nonattention, withdrawal or nullibility The latter is a state of being nowhere, perhaps a form of felicity Roget offers backsliding and tergiversation Which for some leads to elation And then there are recession, regression and recoil Very human responses after years of hard toil Retirement to some is reclusion and rustication Highly recommended but only for vacation Or else it can be blushing, verecundity and humility Emotions that result from feelings of futility When you say you will retire, we have meanings by the score But I like best Webster Number 8, which though obsolete, Means come back for more and do not retreat

Welcome The Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter welcomed Donna McGowan as their new executive director recently. McGowan brings over 30 years of experience in both the non-profit and for profit sectors to her position with the Alzheimer?s Association as well as a bachelors degree in business administration from Bryant University. Her past responsibilities include executive director of the Rhode Island Scholarship Alliance, division president of Textron Financial Corporation, consultant to non-profit organizations specifically concentrating in development and fundraising and for profit organizations. She also has extensive experience in insurance and regulation and has delivered numerous presentations to both professional and lay audiences. McGowan has chaired the Rhode Island Catholic Parents Federation and had been a board member for more than 10 years.

She has also been the president and state director for the National Association of Insurance Women of Rhode Island. She presently sits on the Tri-Parish School Board for St. Peter School in Warwick.

McGowan resides in Warwick with her husband William and her two sons Jonathan and Brendan and her yellow Labrador, Bailey.

28 | PrimeTime

CLUES ACROSS 1. Scallywag 6. Part of actomyosin 11. Dr. Ross on “ER” 14. Shaft horsepower (abbr.)

15. Nerd 16. Mama 18. Nonreligious person 21. Talk (Olde English) 23. 19th C. couples dance 25. Carried out systematically 26. Heroic tales 28. Fawning in attitude or behavior 29. Ardent followers 31. Personal computer 33. Household god (Roman) 34. M.D. designation 35. Exterior faces of an object 38. More leprose 40. Orchis mascula 44. Pallidly 45. Mama partners 47. Organisms of the same

ancestor 48. Removed a fish skeleton 50. Direct toward a target 51. Famous chair designer 56. Old world, new 57. Did the job 62. Move sideways 63. Incontrovertible truths CLUES DOWN 1. Reddish browns 2. 38th state (abbr.)

3. Atomic # 18 4. Million gallons per day (abbr.)

5. Long bench with back 6. Brew 7. Stocky short-legged harness horse 8. Toward 9. Not out

10. Greek goddess of vengeance 11. Albanian dialect 12. Atomic # 58 13. A bumpkin 14. 40th state (abbr.)

17. Person born in Media 19. Patti Hearst’s captors 20. Clothe 21. Small torn piece 22. Lays pavement 24. Hip living quarters 25. A kept animal 27. Scad genus 28. Skin lesions 30. Holiday (informal) 31. Whined 32. Co-founder of The Cleveland Clinic 35. Highly seasoned dried sausages 36. Slightly insane 37. Not happy 38. Prevents harm to creatures 39. Civil and religious muslim leader 41. Scientific workplace 42. Yeddo 43. Flat sections of a door 46. Sew up the eyelids of hawks and falcons 49. White House city 51. Snakelike fish 52. Sweet fruit juice beverage 53. Metric ton 54. Extremely high frequency 55. A very large body of water 58. Chinese distance measure 59. Initials of ÒTitanicÓ star 60. Prior to AD 61. Exclamation “I’ve got __!”

November 2010

November 2010

PrimeTime | 29

Funeral Directors

A Lifetime of Achievement Demands Protection

classifieds G & R PLASTERING, INC. New homes, additions, repairs, ceiling patches.

Licensed & insured. Call Russ 401-486-3283 or Gerald 401-374-0974. Reg. #12230.

UrqUhart-MUrphy

Edward L. Murphy - Director 800 Greenwich Ave. Warwick 737-3510

Barrett & Cotter FUneral hoMe

You can email your ad to: sueh@rhodybeat.com

Peter Barrett Cotter - Director 1328 Warwick Avenue Warwick 463-9000

Carpenter-Jenks FUneral hoMe & CreMatory

Stephen E. Carpenter - Director 659 East Greenwich Ave. West Warwick 826-1600

thoMas & Walter qUinn FUneral hoMe Michael, Patrick, Jerome Quinn Directors 2435 Warwick Ave. Warwick 738-1977

Appears in Tuesday Warwick Beacon, Thursday Cranston Herald and PrimeTime Magazine

Please contact your sales representative for advertising information

Tel. 732-3100

30 | PrimeTime

Fax 732-3110

The most important decision of your life may be about your death.

It’s a subject few people enjoy talking about– especially when you’re young and healthy.

Your Will

A comparatively simple, legally binding document, that ensures your assets go directly to the people you choose, and the people you care about.

797 BALD HILL RD. WARWICK, RI

(401) 821-1330 Serving The People For Over 25 Years The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law. The Court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.

calendar of events

Alzheimer’s month brings with it schedule of events

November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and all of the Association’s events happening in November benefit the Alzheimer’s Association RI Chapter. On Sunday, Nov. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a Spa Day for a Cause at Whispering Waters in Cranston. Guests will receive 50 percent off all services. Call the Salon at 785-2144 for reservations. Then, on Nov. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., there will be a Volunteer Recruitment & Orientation Night at the Chapter Office at 245 Waterman St., in Providence. The Getting Started Education Series will take place on Nov. 9, 16 and 23 at Cortland Place in Greenville. Lastly, on Thursday, Nov. 18, the Brian Ott Research Symposium will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Hilton Providence. For more information on any of these events, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 421-0008 or visit www.alz.org/ri.

November 2010