The South Coast Insider - March 2011

the south coast March 2011 / Vol. 15 / No. 3

coastalmags.com

Here’s to Spring Healthy you Art and healing

Things to do Irish celebrations Get ready for the Relay Enjoy the classics

Food notes

Cook some Kale

Wine notes

What’s in a word?

W I N D O W S

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D O O R S

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K I T C H E N S

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S T A I R S

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M I L L W O R K

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H U D N E R O N C O L O G Y C E N T E R I N A F F I L I AT I O N W I T H D A N A - FA R B E R C A N C E R I N S T I T U T E A N D B R I G H A M A N D W O M E N ’ S R A D I AT I O N O N C O L O G Y

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

MARCH 2011

Contents In Every Issue

5 6

8

34

From the publisher On my mind: Paul plugs in

26

Pro Tips

32

by Dick Clark

FOOD NOTES

Book Picks: Reach your goals

28

by Magoo Gelehrter

by The Celtic Cricket and Duir Kell

by Lilia Cabral

by Elizabeth Morse Read

by David M. Prentiss

30

by Alton Long

THINGS TO DO

by Mali Lim

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12

Relay for Life underway

18

20

23

by Sara Feijo

GRFAA celebrates art and healing

by Lori Bradley

Cheers to the Irish

World Class. Within Reach.

THE SECOND HALF: Lifelong Learning Institute

FOOD: World Class. Within Reach.

Reclaiming Our Community

Goals: empowerment, action, change

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

July 11 to July 14, 2011

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Happenings: Ongoing events

Visit CoastalMags.com for more things to do.

Art transforms

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

www.bristolartgallery.net

A conference on food & sustainable living

by Sheila Oliveira

All About You: Chemicals & Your Health

Please check website for events and our new hours.

What’s the good word?

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Balance is key

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WINE NOTES

Classical South Coast: Classical pop

Kale: More than soup

HEALTH

“Cherries on China” – Kendra Ferreira

Re-thinking transportation

Women’s Fund helps

by Kate Fentress

Words: March moves in due time

Tarot-Scopes:

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by Paul E. Kandarian

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REGIONAL NEWS

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The South Coast Insider / March 2011

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

FROM THE PUBLISHER March 2011 / Vol. 15 / No. 3 Published by Coastal Communications Corp.

Admit it—with every sunny day that’s snow and cold free, the glimmer of hope springs forth. The best thing about

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic

March is that it offers a glimpse of good days to come. It offers hope.

Editors Joe Murphy Michael J. Vieira, Ph.D.

The beginning of spring is a great time to celebrate the transformative power of art. Lori Bradley and Sheila Oliveira share how you can enjoy a workshop and benefit from it.

Contributors Lori Bradley, Lilia Cabral, The Celtic Cricket, Stacie Charbonneau Hess, Dick Clark, Sara Feijo, Kate Fentress, Magoo Gelehrter, Paul E. Kandarian, Duir Kell, Mali Lim, Alton Long, Tom Lopes, Sheila Oliveira, David M. Prentiss, Elizabeth Morse Read, Lynn Tondat Ruggeri The South Coast Insider is published monthly for visitors and residents of the South Coast area. The Insider is distributed free of charge from Mount Hope Bay to Buzzards Bay. All contents copyright ©2011 Coastal Communications Corp.

Deadline 20 days prior to publication.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. All information contained herein is believed to be reliable. Coastal Communications Corp. does not assume any financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements, but will reprint that portion of an advertisement in which the typographical error occurs.

And we offer two new beginnings in this issue: David Prentiss kicks off our new feature, Classical South Coast, which will explore the classical music organizations in the region, the professional and amateur musicians who call the South Coast home, the impressive work being done by music educators in our schools, and exciting developments at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth music department.

And Lynn Tondat Ruggeri examines the impact of chemicals in the first installment of a health column that will help us all be informed advocates, for ourselves and others, when we deal health care issues.

Plus there’s more good reading: Sara Feijo offers ways to achieve balance, Elizabeth Morse Read suggests that kale is not “just” for soup and shares some recipes, Kate Fentress shows that education can be a path out of poverty to economic independence; and as usual, you will enjoy our regular features.

We’ve included some ongoing events in this issue, but for what’s happening in the area, go to www.coastalmags.com. And don’t forget to visit www.

SouthCoastGo.com, our free online classified service.

Circulation 30,000

Enjoy,

Subscriptions $25 per year

Address The South Coast Insider 144 Purchase Street • PO Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722 Tel: (508) 677-3000 Fax: (508) 677-3003

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief PS: Once again, we have lost a fine friend and contributor. Roland J. Hebert,

Website

transportation planner for many years with SRPEDD until his retirement about a

http://www.coastalmags.com

year ago, died on February 14th of a massive heart attack while vacationing with

E-mail editor@coastalmags.com Our advertisers make this publication possible–please support them

his wife in Fiji. While at SRPEDD he penned several articles that focused our attention on the problems and the future of transportation in the South Coast.

His concern for our area and his attention to the crucial details was always welcome. We will certainly miss him.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

5

ON MY MIND

Love in the time of Kindle

by Paul E. Kandarian I’m committing adultery. In a literary sense. I’m cheating on printed books and magazines. With my Kindle.

There, I said it. It’s out in the open now, and you know what? it feels good. No, it feels great! Not exactly like a congressman publicly ‘fessing up about his lecherous lobbying with a hooker or an NFL quarterback about completing amorous passes with a 17-year-old girl, but it’s close.

Call it the cleansing of the cyber-soul, or confessions of a tech-connected mind. Whatever, it’s just right.

Times change You see I’m 57 and grew up in a time when you were entertained by large, clumsy and heinously ugly furniture doubling as appliances.

We listened to good music on big, fat mono players (stereo wasn’t even a word yet), not digitalized music devices the size of your thumb that hold a gazillion songs, most of them bad.

We watched wonderful TV shows on squat, vastly inferior boxes of tubes and wires and humming things that got three black-and-white channels with sketchy, squiggly reception viewed through curved, Hubble-thick glass, not devices the size of a pack of gum that hold a gazillion movies, most of them bad.

We communicated with one another by hefting a large, black, heavy implement known in technology’s dark ages as a “telephone” that could, if need be, double as a cudgel you could use to beat an intruder to death, not a computerized plastic rectangle you stick into your ear and walk around looking like you’re talking to yourself.

And we read books and magazines made of an ancient material known as “paper,” on which words and pictures were printed and you had to use two hands to lift, open and read, not these flat, wafer-thin electrical devices that hold a gazil6

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

lion books, most of them…well, at least cheaper than books.

I know I’m a dinosaur, but I took some comfort in those old devices that became necessary for our comfortable existence, if only just knowing they were impossible to lose.

It’s easy to misplace a cell phone that plays music and movies. Try doing that with a 200-pound TV the size of a Fiat.

So I know I’m out of touch, out of tune, completely out of my realm in a new, highly technical world of gadgets that make our lives faster. But really, is that better?

Isn’t it Gandhi who once said “There’s more to life than increasing its speed?” Or was it “Please pass the urine?”

Whatever, I’m sure he was onto something.

Turning a new e-page But I gotta tell you, I am loving my Kindle, which my Lady Love got me for my birthday. It’s about four and a half inches wide, seven and a half inches long and an absolute godsend to people like me who travel a lot and like to read books and don’t want to carry an entire library on planes.

You fire this thing up and bingo, it powers on and instantly takes you to the last page you read, an automatic bookmark.

You can increase the type size, which due to an odd physiological phenomena known as “aging,” combined with another known as “misplacing my glasses,” I find increasingly appealing.

The thing is just amazing. You can shop anywhere in the world at the Kindle Storefront. I bought an e-book sitting on the beach in Barbados. I read three books in two days by the ocean in St. Thomas. I read the most recent “New Yorker” that hadn’t even hit the newsstands yet while lounging at the Ritz in Florida.

All of which may make you ask: Do you ever stay home?

Are you nuts? In this weather? I’d rather be sprawled on a hot beach reading a book on a Kindle than curled up with a

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Would you prevent cancer if you could?

Regular screening with a procedure called a colonoscopy can actually prevent colorectal cancer in many cases. How?

real one before a fire with a snowstorm raging outside. Duh. For one thing, you could lose power. The Kindle never does. It has a battery with, I swear, the shelf life of Spam; I mean it never dies.

Getting connected And you can shop for books and download samples before you buy, the cyber equivalent of standing in a bookstore thumbing through books for hours while impatient store clerks wonder if you’ll ever buy anything (no, I’m cheap).

You can search a book you are reading for passages. You can highlight stuff you want to remember, or make notes on things you’ve read. You can surf the Internet on it. You can buy a Kindle cover with a built-in light that lets you read on planes without disturbing the person next to you, or just leave it open and pretend to read so they won’t bother you with inane conversation.

And I feel just awful about that, and giddily liberated at the same time. I mean, I grew up in a more tactile time when you picked up a book, felt its heft, inhaled the rich ripeness of the paper, ran your fingers over the surface, wetting them to turn the page, fanning yourself in the ripple of them as you searched for the place you left off.

But those days are gone, and while partly longing for them, I know there’s about as much chance of their return as there is for Dawn Wells to look as hot as she did as Mary Ann in teeny-tiny jean shorts on “Gilligan’s Island.”

The genie’s out of the bottle. The horse has left the barn.

Gandhi can’t put his urine back. Well, yeah, I guess he did.

And I’m cheating on books and magazines with my Kindle.

About the only thing that could feel better is if I were a congressman or NFL quarterback. The stories of which will likely be soon available on my Kindle. I can’t wait.

So if cheating in this case is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Just connected. To my Kindle.

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The South Coast Insider / March 2011

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WORDS

March…In due time!

by Dick Clark

M

arch is a divided month, part winter and part spring. For most, it is a month simply to be endured in the assurance that it can’t last forever.

March is a mentor that comes to teach us patience and the art of living one day at a time, an art grounded in nature.

Even in late February when snow usually covers the gardens, the crocus, tulips and daffodils send up green shoots and buds to reassure us that the beauty of spring will burst forth …in due time.

“In due time…” What an archaic expression or concept that is! Let’s face it, we’re living in a “Now time” and in an “on demand” society…without patience.

Seriously, how can one be expected to live without instant messaging and constant communication, or the vast array of “apps” that provide us with more information than we really know what to do with?

The real kicker is brought to us by the Month of March with the reminder that the whole earth moves in due time and will not be rushed no matter how much we try.

The disconnect A woman recently achieved “instant” fame when she was videoed falling into a fountain while totally absorbed in texting on her cell phone. At first sight it was humorous, but it was more truly a commentary on a looming problem, a kind of disconnection with the real world of sunrise, sunset, tides and seasons, green grass and towering trees. So absorbed in technology can we become that we forget the source of the fresh air that fills the lungs or the sunlight that warms the body and fills it with energy.

Virtual reality replaces actual reality for many people and especially in the schedules of many families. One can play golf, bowl, jog, etc. in the living room in front of the TV without ever seeing the light of day or inhaling fresh air.

The togetherness and bonding are good, the savings may be great, but the sunshine is missing and so is the feeling 8

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

of the wind against one’s face, the sound of birds in the trees and the aroma of the earth.

Touch the sunshine What is needed is a workable balance between the “now time” of the digital explosion and the “real time” of sunrise and sunset and the changing seasons.

With a little resolve it’s possible to shut down, shut off, disconnect and step out… into the sunshine…to inhale, outstretch, and feel in your soles and your soul the vibrant connection with this amazing planet.

With a cleared mind you become conscious of your presence here…now, in the real world, as well as the wonder of being in the presence of birds, squirrels, rabbits, foxes…maybe even a wild turkey, and all of the other amazing forms of life that share this planet with you. It’s all amazing…and humbling…and not limited to a screen.

Equally humbling is the realization that it took nine whole months for you to get your start in life upon this planet earth.

Every stage of your development was programmed by a wisdom far greater than anything you can devise, program or postulate.

Find the time As you read these words you might note that your chest is rising and falling with the rhythm of breathing. Can you control it? Not for very long or else your lights will go out! And that leads to another realization: the whole aging process reflected in the mirror each morning.

That mirrored image gets you to thinking: where did the time go. I wish I hadn’t wasted the opportunities that were mine. I wish I had given more thought to the choices I made. Hindsight is pretty sharp but not all that useful unless it leads to that all-important “wakeup call.”

How do we live in a digital age without missing real life’s opportunities? A few things are certain. You can’t upload a Life’s Opportunities program.

There’s no Opportunities app that will help you. There’s nothing you can download that will automatically prioritize your life. Only you can prevent…lost opportunities. And the good news is… you can do it! With a little resolve!

Put on your coat and hat, slip on some gloves and step outside…into the real world of March. Take a deep breath and exhale. Do it again, but this time stretch out your arms, helping your lungs to really draw in the fresh, crisp air. Do this several more times, and with each exhalation let go of any tension…in your muscles and in your mind.

Choose your route, and as you walk, deliberately take responsibility for your mind, turning off and derailing all trains of thought and that obsessivecompulsive dialogue, and focus on your surroundings. With each footstep realize that you are walking and breathing in due time and in the reality of Creation.

In due time In due time (days, weeks), your mind will become attuned to this reality and to the thoughts and insights that will arise as seeds of opportunities that can change your life…in due time.

Without the frenetic over-stimulation of technology and in the freedom that comes from walking meditation…or even running meditation, you will reclaim your own creativity and feel more “at home,” more truly present in the real world.

Dr. David Simon of the Chopra Center puts it clearly: “…the entire universe is a symphony of rhythms. We feel healthy when we are in synchrony with the dance of nature; we feel dis-eased when we have lost our rhythm.” The ‘dance of nature’ is in due time.”

We’ve all been tempted by the possibility of achieving instant wealth through some kind of lottery or contest, only to have our dreams dashed by the qualification: You must be present to win. Life bestows its riches upon those who are consciously present…in the moment, the measured, rhythmic moment of due time…real time!

Money Minute Tips IRA, 401k or Both?

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irst, what’s the difference between a 401k and an IRA account? A 401k is a pre-tax investment account that is sponsored by an employer and typically includes an employer match of your contribution. If your employer offers a 401k, you should always contribute at least the minimum required to meet the match. After all, it’s free money! If this isn’t an option for you, an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, might be a good choice. Like a 401k, the money you put into a Traditional IRA can help you lower your taxable income because your contributions may be eligible for tax deductions, depending on your individual situation. Another option to consider is a Roth IRA. The money you invest in a Roth IRA account is post-tax, which means you will have already paid taxes on it but you won’t be taxed on the gains when you withdraw for retirement. Everyone’s tax situation is different, so it’s important to check with a tax professional before making any decisions.

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Warwick Beacon Motif THINGS TO DO Pawtucket Rehoboth Rep RI Home, Living De So. Coast Insider

by Mali Lim So. Coast Prime Tim There’s more to St. Patrick’s Day than wearing SRI green and drinking green beer, although no one Traveler will mind if that’s your way of honoring the day.

ValleypaBreeze Boston and New York have their traditional rades, but luckily there’s plenty of things to do Your Smithfield

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

here on the South Coast to show your Irish pride— even if you’re Irish just this one day a year!

W

hy wait until the 17th to kick off the festivities?

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River will be hosting An Evening of Celtic Music & Dance, featuring Pendragon, the award-winning, Rhode Island-based ensemble, on Sunday, March 6 beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be booked by calling 508-324-1926.

Celtic music lovers should also check out the Hibernia Irish Pub on Williams Street in downtown New Bedford, where musicians gather for every Sunday evening year round for a traditional seisún (pub session), the Irish version of an impromptu music jam. The sessions generally run from 4 to 7 p.m., but as with any informal and spontaneous event, starting and end times may vary slightly.

On St. Patrick’s Day itself you can enjoy Celtic music all day long at the Kinsale Inn in Mattapoisett, with Alfie O’Shea’s Irish Show Band kicking off the performances at 1 p.m., followed by one of the inn’s ever-popular “house bands,” The Sha-

nanagans, who’ll be playing from 5 p.m. to the 1 a.m. closing.

The inn will be serving a special menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. featuring traditional dishes including Irish stew, shepherd’s pie and of course, corned beef and cabbage.

Turnout for the annual St. Patrick’s Day bash is always high, according to manager Zanna Camaioni, so reservations are required, especially for dinner. To reserve a table, call 508-758-4922.

The St. James Irish Pub in Fall River —which bills itself as “the only pub in the region that’s Irish 365 days a year”, according to owner Ron Travassos— features Celtic musicians throughout the year. On the 17th, however, the music and Guinness starts flowing at 1 p.m. with Doug Smith, followed by The Publicans at 6:30 p.m.

There will, of course, be the requisite corned beef and cabbage for hungry patrons. Reservations are not required or expected, says Travassos. “It’s catch as catch can, so come early and stay late!”

Keep the party going The celebration of all things Celtic doesn’t end after the 17th.

Join WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan and several musical performers as the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center presents “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn.” a special concert of traditional and contemporary Irish music, song and dance on Saturday, March 19th at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $28 and can be reserved online at www.zeiterion.org or by calling 508-994-2900.

And don’t forget the New Bedford Half-Marathon, for a change of pace (pun intended!) on Sunday, March 20th.

Sponsored and organized by

the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the past three years, the annual 13.1 mile race has evolved into a weekend event that showcases the best that Downtown New Bedford has to offer.

The half-marathon is one of the fastest growing segments of the racing world, explains Dan McCarthy, head organizer for this year’s event, and he believes that more and more runners are registering for the New Bedford race because of the unique experience the city offers.

“It’s a 100% closed course, and at no time do runners share a lane with an automobile,” he says. “I believe this helps attract runners. In

2009 we had 2,300 runners, last year we had just over 2,600 and we’re looking for a record field here in 2011.”

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick also collaborated with the City and many local businesses to leverage the influx of visitors into a destination weekend that offers entertainment and fun experiences for the entire family.

“Downtown New Bedford, Inc., along with our new hotel, The Marriott Fairfield Inn, are promoting “Ready, Set, Eat!” offering runners’ carb or spaghetti-themed dinners throughout the city the day before the race,” says McCarthy.

“There’s an official post race

event known as the Restaurant Run, renamed The Downtown Run, which is a wonderful family-friendly scavenger hunt activity,” he added. Visitors are issued a map of the downtown area, guiding them to participating businesses where they can eat, drink, shop and collect stamps which will allow them to win great prizes.

“With the Z showcasing Irish music the night before the race, it will be a great weekend for all in downtown New Bedford!” he concludes.

For more information about the Half-Marathon or the associated festivities, please contact Dan McCarthy at 617-817-0173.

Celebrate the Irish Way

A

s St. Patrick’s Day originated in Ireland, it’s obviously celebrated there as well, but its observance has slightly more religious overtones, a holiday more akin to Christmas and Easter, with many towns and cities honoring the day with social and community works. Although it’s not a commonly held tradition in the United States, exchanging gifts is something that some Irish families do.

A Claddagh rings true For a symbolic—and very Irish—gift idea, why not give a Claddagh ring to that special person? “It’s a design that dates back to the early 16th century, named after a village in Galway,” explains Denise Miller, owner of The Claddagh Connection, in Bristol, RI. “According to legend, an Irish fisherman named Richard Joyce was captured at sea by pirates and sold into slavery in Algeria,” Miller says.

“He was sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith, who trained him in his craft. He designed the claddagh ring in memory of a sweetheart back in Ireland, who he never forgot: the heart symbolized love, the hands for

friendship, and the crown for loyalty.”

“Years later, after he was freed, he returned to Claddagh and found his beloved still waiting for him. He was able to give her the ring which he had made in captivity, and the ring became the symbol of love and weddings, even to this day,” Miller concludes.

Fine crafts and more For generations, Ireland has been associated with some of the finest craftsmanship and collectible luxuries: Waterford crystal, Belleek porcelain china. Even the Aran Isle sweater, its humble origins dating back to the days when fishermens’ wives handknit the thick, water-resistant sweaters to keep their men warm and dry at sea, are highly prized today.

When descendants Irish immigrants visited their ancestors’ home-

land, they brought back samples of these artistic and practical works, and the interest in Irish imports began to boom, says Josephy Reilly, owner of the Irish Specialty Shoppe in Fall River.

Reilly opened his shop in 1964, exactly one year after he married an Irish lass named Mary from County Clare, and he’s never looked back since. He carries all of the aforementioned Irish products, including Aran Isle sweaters—popularized in America by the Clancy Brothers—as well as jewelry, including the Claddagh design in rings, bracelets, watches and more.

“There’s a new homegrown market that’s coming out of Ireland,” says Reilly. “The younger people are more cosmopolitan but they’re also looking to the ancient arts for inspiration— Celtic designs, the Book of Kells.”

The work that is emerging from young Irish designers is also being embraced by a more mainstream demographic world-wide, thus ensuring the enduring appeal of Irish artisanry will continue for many more generations.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

11

THINGS TO DO

Relay remembers & reminds

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

When Heather Ruel sat in the waiting room at Dana Farber, her first thought as she looked around was, “I’m gonna lose my hair…” She says now, “I was scared. I’m just sitting there thinking, I’m going to lose my hair.”

Fortunately for Heather, her experience with breast cancer was not life threatening or extremely serious.

“I was very, very lucky. I walked out free and clear with a less than ten percent chance of return.

With a better diet and a check up once every six months for the rest of my life, I consider myself very lucky.”

Heather has been more conscientious of her own health since her aunt on her mother’s side was diagnosed with breast cancer years ago. So even though Heather was not yet 40 and had to haggle with her insurance company to get them to pay, she requested a mammogram.

“They usually start giving them at 40,” she explains, but Heather had the good sense and intuition to disregard limits placed upon her health by an insurance company, whose regulations are based on statistics.

“I returned home, and the hospital sent a letter saying everything was normal. Some time later I got a phone call saying, ‘We need you to come back.’”

The second mammogram confirmed the doctor’s suspicion of an abnormality in the right breast, and suggested a biopsy. When faced with all the different forms of biopsy, Heather decided to get a second opinion.

“I went to Boston,” she says, “…and they found something directly behind the milk duct. So it’s something I never would have found had I not had a mammogram. The procedure was minimally invasive; I walked out of the hospital.”

Heather’s diagnosis was “invasive ductal 12

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

carcinoma”—the most common type of breast cancer (180,000 women each year in America discover they have this type of cancer).

Invasive ductal carcinoma breaks through the wall of the milk duct and begins to invade breast tissue. If left untreated, it can spread to lymph nodes and possibly other areas of the body (source: www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/idc/). In Heather’s case, the cancer was detected early and after her procedure there is a less than ten percent chance it will return.

Heather realizes with great relief and gratitude that her story has a happy ending, and walking away from cancer—healthy, happy and young— has revitalized her roles in life.

“I just have this unbelievable drive,” she says. “I am so grateful. That’s the reason why I do what I do every day.”

Giving back Heather Ruel is this year’s Relay for Life Chairperson for the tri-town area of Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester. Under her leadership, although the event is still months away, teams have already formed and raised over $7,000 The 18-hour event will run from June 10th to June 11th from 4 p.m. in the afternoon on Friday until 1 p.m. on Saturday, without stopping. The official American Cancer Society Relay for Life website explains why the event lasts all night.

At the relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each

team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

During the course of the event, three different ceremonies are conducted, reminding participants to Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back. The Survivors Lap celebrates those who have survived cancer, and is a jubilant and emotional circle around the track.

The Luminaria Ceremony, by stark contrast, is the solemn lap taken after dark, sometimes in silence, as relay participants move past bags of sand, lit and marked with the name of a lost loved one or a person who has been touched by cancer.

Finally, the Fight Back Ceremony ignites a personal commitment to take up the fight against cancer to save lives. So the Relay for Life ends, with hope.

There’s hope Heather’s story does as well. Her experience with cancer is an important one because it teaches us to be an active participant in our own health.

Had Heather taken a laissez faire approach to her body, she might be walking around with a much more serious problem, an advanced stage of cancer that the early detection prevented.

“I have a friend with Stage 3 throat cancer,” Heather says gravely. “She’s only in her twenties.

She has two children, five and three. I do what I do for her and others like her, who are suffering and trying to stay positive despite everything.”

One can imagine that Ms. Ruel will never forget her experience, and perhaps her life is now even more full as a result of her ordeal, because she appreciates her days and moments in the way that some of us seldom do.

“The best part about it, is that I found out I was cancer-free and fine two weeks before Christmas.”

A wonderful gift, indeed.

To learn more about Relay For Life, visit www. relayforlife.org

Working Together to Keep Our Community Healthy Accepting New Patients Member of the Southcoast Physician Network Most Insurances Accepted Christopher Cheney, M.D., Ph. D.

Kevin Murphy, M.D.

To schedule an appointment 1071 Kempton Street, New Bedford, MA 02745

To schedule an appointment 53 Marion Road, Suite #8 Wareham, MA 02571

(508) 961-1500

(508) 291-2161

(508) 984-1000 Toll Free 1-888-225-7262 www.NewBedfordMedical.com

Visit our Locations in New Bedford, Dartmouth and Wareham

Recognized on Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s 2009 Honor Roll for Outstanding Commitment to High Quality Care

Colorectal Cancer Screening Month Are you at Risk for Colorectal Cancer?

If you are aged 50 or older, a colonoscopy screening procedure is recommended. Factors for increased risk are: • History of inflammatory bowel disease • Family history of colon polyps or CRC • Personal history of colon polyps or CRC March is National Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month. I think it is both smart and appropriate to use this time to get the facts and reduce your risk of the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. It is estimated that about150,000 people were diagnosed and approximately 50,000 people died of CRC in 2010.

The lifetime risk in Americans for developing CRC is about 1 in 20, with more than 90% of cases in people aged 50 or older. In the past decade, through increased screening practices for CRC, there have been significant reductions in the incidence, morbidity and mortality of this potentially preventable disease. Estimates are that greater than one million Americans never developed or are survivors of CRC due to prevention, early detection and improved treatments.

You can reduce your risk of CRC by being screened. The American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines for CRC Screening in 2008 recommends, as the preferred screening strategy, a colonoscopy every 10 years, beginning at age 50

for Americans at average risk for CRC. Those Americans at increased risk should be screened at an earlier age and at more frequent intervals. Some factors for increased risk include a history of inflammatory bowel disease, a significant family history of colon polyps and/or CRC, or a personal history of colon polyps or CRC. Other alternative screening choices, although less likely to detect polyps or even cancer, include double contrast barium enema, flexible sigmoidoscopy, computed tomography (CT) colonography or fecal immunochemical test for blood (FIT).

You can also reduce your risk of CRC by exercising regularly and by maintaining a healthy body weight. Unfortunately, 50% of the US population aged 50 and over have not been screened.

I strongly recommend you discuss CRC screening with your health care provider and decide which test is right for you.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

13

REGIONAL NEWS

Women fund hope

by Kate Fentress Executive Director of Women’s Fund

What is a Women’s Fund?

It becomes easier with each passing year to explain what a Women’s Fund is. It is what ignites the graduation speaker at the WISE Women program at Bristol Community College who declares, “We are celebrating education, we are celebrating motherhood, and most of all we are celebrating Strong Women! The WISE women program gave us the opportunity to get back into school…this program showed us that there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel.”

Why is there a Women’s Fund?

To fully support two children in New Bedford or Fall River a single parent must earn more than $54,000 annually. The median annual income for working women in Bristol County is $20,120, and even lower in Fall River ($17,158) and New Bedford ($16,297).

They make only 62.4% of what a man earns at the same job.

Only 56.8% (Fall River) and 52.3% (New Bedford) of girls graduate from High School. Unemployment is high in New Bedford at 14% (12/10). At the same time, there are companies in the Business Park and hospitals with openings for educated workers going begging.

Seeking equity The Women’s Fund is a special fund of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, made up of donors and activists dedicated to equity and access for all in the South Coast region. Their mission is “to fund programs that promote the educational and economic advancement of women and girls. We are committed to bold leadership, diversity, and social justice.”

14

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

The Women’s Fund gave seed money to WISE (Women in Successful Environments), a joint project of Bristol County Community College in New Bedford, the State Office of Community Colleges, and the Department of Transitional Assistance.

“We are celebrating education, we are celebrating motherhood, and most of all we are celebrating Strong Women! The WISE women program gave us the opportunity to get back into school…this program showed us that there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel.”

—2008 WISE Graduate WISE is committed to a “welfare to work” program of supportive elements that will build success. Besides the college course credit, the mentoring, the workshops, the internships and the help with job placement, women are learning what it takes to be financially self-sustaining.

The women come to understand that their WISE experience can be the beginning of a path out of poverty through education and to career development. As students, they work hard, feel proud, and support each other. Many of them vow to continue to move forward and change their lives. They cry at graduation. As another WISE graduate put it, “I go to school so my daughter will go to school.”

Margaret Mead could have been talking about a Women’s Fund when she said “a small group of thought-

ful, committed people…can change the world. It is the only thing that ever has.”

Education is key Education is a path out of poverty to economic independence; it fuels the region’s economic growth, and increases the chances that the children of these educated and independent women will also stay in school and be successful.

When women and girls prosper, entire communities succeed.

Starting with the Ms. Foundation in 1972, the Women’s Fund movement has grown steadily. Together it raises over $65 million per year for programs for women and girls. Locally it has awarded over $600,000 to South Coast non-profit agencies serving women and girls since 2005.

The Women’s Fund recently convened a focus group of high school students around the topic of higher education. Each of them spoke about their intent to attend college and the support they were currently receiving at school to make this a reality.

What struck most deeply about the conversation was their request that the Women’s Fund design and fund a program for their mothers.

“My mom was a WISE Woman at BCC. She dropped out of school but wants to go back now,” and “It would help us if you founded something that helps our mothers. They need the help to let us go and to dream for themselves again.”

We agree.

To find out more about the Women’s Fund and to become a donor visit our website at www.womensfundsema. org.

Dr. Jessica Rome has joined Pediatric Associates A graduate of Brown University in Providence, RI and she received her Medical Degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Rome completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Rome is accepting all new patients and is very happy to be caring for the children of the Greater Fall River Area.

We are all very excited that Dr. Rome has joined our practice.

Jessica D. Rome, M.D. 829 South Main Street Suite 1 Fall River, MA

508-324-6800

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

15

HEALTH

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What is Adult Foster Care?

AFC is a MassHealth funded program that provides 24-hour home care services for people with chronic health care needs. AFC lets people maintain their daily routines with ongoing supervision and assistance from a qualified live-in caregiver. Caregivers are paid a stipend in return for providing care to our members.

Who Can Become an AFC Member?

An AFC member must:

D

o you ever feel like a “robot,” performing the same tasks day after day? Have you had days when you’ve found your body exhausted, your mind racing, and you just can’t get a peaceful moment for yourself?

I sure have.

We all have busy lives and a gazillion places we must go everyday, to work, meetings, and school, to family functions. However, we should never forget to listen to our bodies. When our bodies start to ache, whether it is our backs, shoulders, or necks, it is time to stop and analyze the problem.

I noticed that recently, I started to feel pressure in my upper back and shoulder area, along with neck pains as well.

It got to the point that I decided to get a massage for the very first time. When I spoke with my massage therapist, she told me that the pressure I was feeling was related to stress.

Through massage therapy, I learned that being aware of your muscles and releasing the built-up tension in them helps to promote an inner balance between mind and body.

• Live in Massachusetts and have MassHealth Standard or CommonHealth insurance; • Have a medical, physical, cognitive or mental condition that requires supervision and/or assistance with at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL).

Who Can Become an AFC Caregiver?

• An AFC caregiver may be a relative or friend, or may be unrelated to an AFC member; • An AFC caregiver may not be the spouse or legal guardian of an AFC member; • An AFC caregiver must be at least 18 years of age and be able to devote the time necessary to provide the needed personal care to the member.

For more information call 774-202-1837 or visit our website www.beaconafc.com 16

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Being conscientious According to Helen Chin Lui of Medfield, Massachusetts, Certified Energy Medicine Practitioner, Reflexologist, and Usai Reiki Master, people can achieve inner balance by learning to be conscientious.

“Most people have very little awareness of how they feel. We know that we are uncomfortable, but we do not know why. Out of frustrations, we feel

anger or nervousness.

“We attempt to alleviate our discomforts, but we do not know why we feel the way we do. Most people ignore the signs when they are not balanced.

A good example is how many people do you know put off going to see the doctors when they are in pain?” Chin Lui says.

Chin Lui explained that people who are disconnected tend to overeat, smoke, and drink to numb their feelings so that there is no need to address them.

“Most people are so disconnected with their bodies that they do not know why they are down,” she adds.

To achieve inner balance, first point out exactly what bothers you. Then, face the problem, instead of blaming it on other people or turning it into a destructive behavior.

Downfalls of being disconnected As human beings, our bodies are internally connected, from our genetic code to our emotions. If we are emotionally disconnected, then this disconnection will affect our health.

“Our bodies are made of pure energy.

When our energies become blocked, we develop energy debris. This negativity can lead to physical and emotional illnesses (as well as) uneasy feelings.” Chin Lui said, adding: “Our emotions are the electricity of the body. When an emotion is out of balance for an extended period of time, the energy, or electricity, either moves through our body too quickly, too slowly, or not at all.

“Just imagine a sudden surge of power going through your microwave oven; eventually a fuse will blow or the microwave itself will break. The same is true of our bodies. If the heart is broken due to the loss of a loved one and one cannot or will not work to deal with this extreme emotion, the body eventually forms an energy overload, which can cause diseases of the heart, lung, breasts, upper back, shoulders, arms, or hands.”

Achieving inner-balance To avoid an energy overload and the disconnection between mind, body, and spirit, learn how to utilize your

flow of spiritual energy in our body, which can lead to physical and emotional illnesses and uneasy feelings,” she states.

Opening chakras

Helen Chin Lui

breath to find peacefulness and quiet.

Learn how to breathe correctly. “Most health issues begin with lack of proper breathing. People do not breathe from their diaphragm,” Chin Lui asserts.

Have you considered meditation?

Meditation can help you establish a deep connection with your body, mind, and spirit. Learning how to meditate and breathe will help you to balance your energy fields.

Also, meditation is a great way to release stress, fears, anxieties, and negative energy or thoughts. Through meditation you can connect with your body at a personal level.

Another great form to relieve stress and reaching inner balance is yoga.

Certain yoga positions promote balance between the mind and body.

By practicing yoga, you are focusing on your breath, while opening your body’s chakras. According to Chin Lui: “Chakra means ‘wheel or disk.’ All living things have seven energy centers in their bodies. When the energy is flowing strongly, the body is healthy. If the energy gets interrupted or blocked, the area may move into dis-ease or dis-association…

“Just because the energy is interrupted, it does not mean that it cannot be fixed, but it is temporarily out of service. By learning where the energy flow is clogged in the body, we can learn to restore the energy to that part of the body. Chakras are responsible for a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual functions.”

“Blocked chakras can impede the

When all chakras are opened and balanced, people feel physically good and emotionally happy, being able to fight off illness and diseases.

“When we start to feel off, the first thing we must do is to check in with ourselves and feel our body. We must start to be conscious of how we feel … Think about where these negative feelings (are located and) how they are affecting you. Each one of these feelings are being stored somewhere in your body.

“Pain indicates which chakras are blocked. How to open these chakras can be done through many methods: meditation, professional talk therapy, self-processing classes, physical activities, such as kick boxing, yoga, voice elevation therapy, etcetera. You have to find the right method for you.”

Well being involves balancing the mind, body and spirit, which in turn will boost our moods and help our bodies heal themselves. By taking time everyday to unify ourselves, we are providing peace and happiness, hence living a balanced life.

To learn more about Helen Chin Lui, visit www.healingplacemedfield.com.

Tips to restore your energy and focus Focus on one chore at a time

n

Spend time in nature

n

Exercise, exercise, and exercise!

n

Practice yoga and meditation

n

Listen to music, for mental and physical benefits n

n Embrace happy vibes for higher energy to take action n Treat yourself to a massage once a month

Eat a healthy and balanced diet

n

Sleep at least eight hours each night, so the body can heal n

n Check in with your emotions.

Recognize and confront what is bothering you n

Open all seven chakras

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

17

HEALTH

A month of art and healing

by Lori Bradley

Now accepting applications

Spring doesn’t always arrive in March in New England, and the month can seem like a depressingly dark and damp one for winter weary people. Exploring our innate creativity is one of the best ways to weather the remaining frosty days of winter and celebrate the coming renewal of spring.

Arts centers across the South Coast offer many opportunities to purge remaining cabin fever by getting out of the house and creating with other people. Workshops, classes, and events for children and adults are all remarkably affordable.

Island Creations Come in, Hang out and Play!

Create a pair of earrings or a bracelet for under $10.

Don’t know what you are doing?

Ask us; we will get you started and do the finish work for $1.

— CLASSES — One-on-One: $20/hour 2 or more: $25 for two-hour classes $35 for three hour classes Check schedule on our website www.islandcreations-online.com

Call 508-997-9800 info@islandcreations-online.com

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Therapeutic Art The Greater Fall River Arts Association (GRFAA) is offering a series of art therapy workshops throughout the month of March, titled a Month of Art and Healing. The workshops are focused on expressive arts therapy.

Having an art background is not a prerequisite to enjoying the experience. Art therapy is geared towards helping people of all backgrounds and ages express their feelings and get in touch with innate creativity, an aspect of ourselves often lost we get older, through years of self-consciousness or criticism.

In art therapy there is no “wrong” way to make art. All outcomes are welcome and valued. The focus is on the healing benefits of the process of expressing feelings in positive and creative ways. And, there is a particular empowering joy that comes from making something unique and handmade.

According to the American Art Ther-

apy Association website, “Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art making…by people who experience illness, trauma or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development.

Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the lifeaffirming pleasures of making art.”

GRFAA workshops will focus on the life-affirming aspects of art and music.

In one workshop, participants will build sculptural musical instruments with gourds and other materials lovingly gathered from nature by Fall River artist and basket maker Sharon Owens. Swansea painter Joan L’Homme and musician Jacqueline Trudeau will also lead participants in the creation of expressively shaped drums. L’Homme will guide participants in decorating their drums with symbols that reflect personal stories and experiences. At the culmination of the workshop, the instruments will find voice in a drumming circle led by Trudeau. Individually shaped objects will merge with sound in a collective musical experience to warm the soul and welcome spring.

The art of storytelling ArtWorks! in downtown New Bedford also seeks to promote the restorative nature of storytelling in visual art and music. ArtWorks! has offered frequent storytelling events as part of its community arts lineup. This March and April, Massachusetts writer and storyteller Andrew Potter and Massmouth Story Slam winners are featured.

Massmouth: the Living Art of Storytelling promotes the ancient art of storytelling through new media and storytelling events. The Massmouth website details events and workshops, in addition to offering online space for writers to share stories with other members and the public. Massmouth recognizes and celebrates the innate human need to share life’s experiences through writing and oral recital.

A children’s play Connecting creativity and nature with storytelling, the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford is offering a children’s play in early March at the Whaling Museum Theater titled “The Man Who Planted Trees.”

The play is an interpretation of the well-known illustrated storybook

by French author Jean Giono about Elzeard Bouffiera, a man who suffers the loss of his wife and son then finds healing through reforesting a desolate area of Provence, France. He plants 100 acorns every day for many years, throughout the two world wars, eventually transforming a depressing place into one of health and beauty – the perfect allegory for the restorative power of the coming of spring.

Creative gardening

aro nO

we

ns

And, if you prefer to get your hands dirty with earth rather than paint, explore the creative therapy of planting with some pre-season gardening workshops.

The Rotch Jones Duff House in New Bedford is offering a Bonsai workshop in March. Participants can trim and shape a small tree bringing their creation home at the end of the day. The Spring Gardening Series continues throughout March including a class on container gardening, a symposium on shade gardening, and a talk titled New Beginnings, all about how to prepare and design a garden for spring planting.

There are many ways to get out of the house and renew spirits taxed by one of the snowiest, coldest winters in recent South Coast history. Whether participating in art, music, storytelling or planting, waking up hibernating creativity is a great way to survive the cold and damp of March.

Sh

In the second GRFAA workshop participants will be guided in a series of creative exercises with paints and drawing materials that are designed to enhance recognition of life’s challenges and goals. Michaela Gagne, an Art Therapist, Counselor and survivor of a life-threatening heart condition will lead the group, along with GRFFA Curator Sheila Oliveira. Gagne found the healing nature of art helpful as she faced her own health challenges. She later pursued higher education that would enable her to share her findings with others in educational settings.

Participants can set aside worries for one day and simply immerse themselves in the joy of making marks on a surface, telling individual stories, and making music in a non-critical and supportive environment. What better way to celebrate the coming of spring than using art to express the joy of simply being alive?

Custom Slipcovers Sofas, chairs, cushions & more • Save 1/2 off designers • You purchase fabric anywhere • Deal with 3rd generation seamstress directly

Linda Toti 508-695-2474

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

19

HEALTH

Sheila Oliveira: “Juneau Dawn”

Healing drums

by Sheila Oliveira

Friends meet for lunch and conversation. They talk about life, family, relationships and, somewhere between the last bite of a sandwich and the coffee, real conversation happens. It may be about health, particularly if one of them has been touched by a recent illness. The emotional and physical burden of illness can be overwhelming.

I recently shared this kind of lunch with my friend who is going through cancer therapy and it brought to mind my own struggles with illness and how I dealt with it. During treatment for a serious illness it is hard to think about anything else.

I was unable to talk about my diagnosis for fear it would worry my family and negatively affect my work.

After all, our bodies are what drive us through life and when something is wrong the first emotion is fear/anxiety mixed with the rhetorical “why me?”

20

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Art transforms I was reminded how during my cancer treatment I would immerse myself in my artwork. I would go into the darkroom or studio for hours; getting lost in the creative process of art making brought me from cancer diagnosis to successful completion of treatment.

And now, over 15 years later, I still find art making to be the ultimate escape, an activity which causes conscious thoughts of illness disappear. In the studio I become transported to a

timeless reality where expressive image making is the only objective.

As an artist it has often been my work that has allowed me to express myself when I would be too embarrassed—or frankly too numb—to talk about my journey through cancer treatment. All the good intentions and support of friends and family could not alleviate the stress, only the quiet of my studio could transport me.

I’m sure many artists feel the same.

It makes you think about the connection of art making and healing.

Is there a science to it? Can the act of creating expressive writing, or visual arts, dance, or music create a healing synergy?

Embrace art therapy Hospital support programs have embraced Art Therapy for patients who are facing serious illness such as heart disease and cancer, and Art Therapies have long been used in the field of mental health. Creative works

allow people the power of expression without words and this experience is almost always healing.

The Foundation for Art & Healing in Brookline, MA, an organization devoted to study the relationship between art and healing, has documented the healing effects of the arts. They write: “There is a growing understanding of the intricate relationship between many types of health disorders and the personal experiencing of emotions, stress, attitudes and beliefs….

Additionally, the arts have long been recognized for their power to bridge differences - connecting individuals of different backgrounds and experiences through the shared experience of art, music, literature and dance, thus healing communities as well as individuals.”

Visit their website www.artandhealing.org/ for more information.

March workshops Art Therapy’s transformative power is the purpose of Workshops offered at the Greater Fall River Art Association during March. The Board of Governors voted to organize a month of “Art and Healing” for the benefit of the Greater Fall River Community at an affordable cost in part supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

We have asked several area artists and art therapists to design a series of workshops, which we have grouped in two workshops offered on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Art experience is not necessary to enjoy both or either of these workshops.

The first workshop led by three dimensional artist/teacher, Sharon Owens and art teacher/therapist, Joan L’Homme will use natural gourds/ materials to create three dimensional art pieces that can resonate sound and act as a “drum.” At the end of the workshop a “drumming circle” will be offered by Jacqueline Trudeau who is a practitioner of the healing arts through the transformative power of rhythm and sound. This is a powerful and enchanting experience.

Michaela Gagne, art therapist &

counselor, teacher, photographer and designer, will lead the second workshop, asking participants to use art materials to express a goal or life challenge and create artwork that is reflective of that process.

Michaela is a life-long resident of Fall River and a former Miss Massachusetts 2006-2007. Diagnosed with a health condition at a young age, Michaela discovered the healing potential of art, which led her to pursue her education in this field, enjoying working specifically with children and adolescents.

For five years, Michaela held the role as the Art and Graphic Design teacher at St. Vincent’s Home, a residential and educational facility for youth. She currently serves as a School Adjustment Counselor at B.M.C. Durfee High School and Community Coordinator for the Peaceful Coalition. Michaela’s passion also lies with developing therapeutic resources for young survivors with heart conditions. Michaela serves as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and Parent Heart Watch.

March workshops Do you need to be an artist or struggling with illness to participate? Absolutely not! The theme of Art & Healing is a gift to all and a chance to discover the creative spark.

Art and Healing month at the GFRAA will include an exhibition, several workshops, and a series of demonstrations in painting, drawing and creating art with natural materials by our resident artists.

Join us for one or both workshops on Saturday, March 12, from 9 am to 4:30 pm, and come to the Art & Healing Exhibit Opening scheduled for Saturday, March 19, 2011 from 4 pm to 7 pm.

The Greater Fall River Art Association is a long-standing art group in Fall River located at 80 Belmont St. in the Historic Highlands. For more information and a registration form visit www.greaterfallriverartassoc.org.

The relaxation response

by Lori Bradley Swansea painter Joan L’Homme says, “Drums can be decorated with burning tools or markers and paint.

The idea is to tell your story through art, express your individuality in the making of a sculptural drum. Then, finally come together as a group, a collective, and express the healing nature of art and collaboration. And, Sharon Owens is totally immersed in the healing power of nature and art. The entire process will focus on merging nature and art with music.

And, it’s a very peaceful experience.”

L’Homme and Owens recently merged their art studios in the Narrows Center for the Arts and the Greater Fall River Arts Association to better focus on their passion for therapeutic art teaching. They plan to offer more workshops throughout the South Coast via their Moonglow Expressions Design Studio.

L’Homme attained graduate degrees in education and art and studied and worked with renowned University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Art Education professor Peter London, author of the influential book “Drawing Closer to Nature,” among many other books and articles concerning the transformative and healing nature of art.

L’Homme says, “Art can promote healing, as described by doctors such as Bernie Segal and Norman Cousins, who wrote ‘The Relaxation Response. Art therapy is used in private practice, hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions to promote relaxation and wellbeing.”

L’Homme and Owens stress the inclusiveness of their workshops.

Children and adults can all participate in their own way and family groups are welcomed. Because the teachers are sensitive to the varied artistic backgrounds of participants, the focus is on the process rather than the product—everyone can feel successful and empowered by the act of creating.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

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ALL ABOUT YOU

Chemicals and health

by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri

C

To assist you with your own advocacy, The South Coast Insider has started this new monthly column on a wide range of interesting topics that can impact health.

onfronted with a health problem? Don’t fret. In addition to following the useful advice of your health care providers, there is plenty that you can do to help yourself.

Talking to others who have found their way through the health care maze and have succeeded in keeping a particular disease at bay can be very encouraging.

Another way to find health advice to fit your lifestyle is to peruse the many legitimate online medical and alternative health web resources, and even health blogs, for current discussion.

The most important thing is to not give up. Stay positive and determined to find out as much as you can about your condition and be confident that you will be able to develop a plan that

will be right for you. Becoming your own health care advocate is probably one of the most important and enduring measures you can take to achieve optimal health.

The chemical conundrum Ever take a long hard look at the ingredients list in some of the products that you use every day? Many of the chemicals listed on a bottle of shampoo, snack or bakery item are barely pronounceable and certainly can be intimidating. You may wonder what all the chemicals are doing in a product and perhaps more importantly what they might be doing to your health.

Well, there is reason for concern.

Problem chemicals are commonly found in household and cleaning

products, clothing, food, water, personal care products, plastics, as well as home furnishings. For many of these products there is no warning label or in the case of cleaning products and fragrances a list of ingredients is not even required. So consumers are left to wonder whether a product may or may not contain chemicals that could cause health problems.

So it’s useful to learn what the health effects might be, how chemicals get into the body, and how to find safer options.

Chemicals affect health Chemicals used in consumer products have been linked to hundreds of health issues such as cancer, hormone, immune, cardiac and lung Continued on next page

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

23

Continued from previous page

Safer living tips From Safer for Your Baby: A Guide to Living Better with Fewer Chemicals by Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Ph.D. and Laura Costa, Ph.D., www.saferforyourbaby.com

Avoid air fresheners with synthetic fragrances and other artificially-scented products. These are made up of 100’s of “trade-secret” petrochemicals that have never been tested for their neurotoxic effects. They can cause immediate breathing problems, asthma, nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms and, in extreme cases, seizures.

Never microwave plastic. Avoid using plastic for food/beverage storage, baby bottles, sippy cups, teethers or toys that are labeled # 3, # 6, or # 7 plastic. These plastics can leach toxins that are then ingested. If there is no label on item assume it is # 7.

Take your shoes off before entering your home. This will greatly reduce the amount of lead and other heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants that get trapped indoors in carpeting and household dust.

Open the window to freshen indoor air: Indoor air quality is typically far worse than outdoor air.

Air out new products before closed-room use. This includes plastic products (e.g., computers), furniture, carpeting and glued wood products. This is the process of “out-gassing” toxic chemicals that are apparent by their strong odor.

These substances can cause immediate health problems such as asthma and headaches.

Buy organic foods whenever possible. Look for USDA Organic label on packaging; for organic produce sticker will have a PLU Code beginning with the number 9.

Take precautions to avoid breathing/inhalation and ingestion of dust since most dust contains traces of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium as well as flame-retardant, pesticides and other environmental contaminants.

Wash all produce before eating, even organic. (See above tip for reason).

Use safer cleaners, such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice or safer cleaners like Bon Ami or Seventh Generation products rather than bleach or petrochemical-based and chemically fragranced cleaners.

Whenever possible, use non-toxic pest control products and solutions.

Safer for Your Baby has practical ways and resources for safer options for any pest control problem. Examples: pour undiluted vinegar onto weeds for spot weed control; use milky spore for lawn treatment of grubs and corn gluten for early season treatment of weeds.

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

problems, headaches, asthma, fatigue and lethargy, as well as a wide range of human behavior problems such as inattention, negative emotions (depression, irritability, and anxiety), memory deficits, and even our very ability to think straight!

How a problem chemical can affect a person is a function not only of a chemical’s toxic properties but also of the individual’s own genetic makeup, prior exposure, age of exposure, liver capacity to clear toxins, immune system status, as well as nutritional status.

How do we get exposed?

Chemicals enter the body through our skin/eyes/scalp, through food and liquids we consume, and via the air that we breath. It’s hard to fathom, but by the time most folks shower and get ready for their day they have already been exposed to hundreds of chemicals from personal care products alone.

Research has shown that even a typical newborn already has over 200 toxic chemicals in their blood at the time of birth. A term that medical researchers now use to describe an individual’s amount of chemical exposure is “chemical body burden.”

What can be done?

The good news that there is a lot that can be done to reduce our chemical body burden and improve our immune system and overall health.

Because of increased awareness and consumer demand about chemicals and health, there are now many safer options for almost every type and kind of product that you use.

You might want to start with one area such as finding safer options for pestcontrol or cleaning products which probably represent the most dangerous products in the average home.

Some safer solutions can be more effective as well as less expensive, such as good old baking soda which can be used successfully for a multitude of cleaning purposes.

Next, move on to safer personal care products and foods. However you start there are plenty of sources to help. One

of these is the Environmental Working Group website ( www.ewg.org ) which has a useful search feature that actually rates (based on research) the toxicity/health risks of hundreds of ingredients in personal care products as well as rating actual products by name.

Other useful websites are listed below.

Even just starting with a simple Google search will quickly reveal the good, the bad and the ugly about a chemical and its toxicity. Read many listings to get a range of information (pro and con) to form a conclusion and then determine for yourself what the risk might be for you. If you have a particular health issue such as cancer, diabetes, or asthma, include the issue in the search and see what you find.

Read over the credits/origins for the website; it would be preferable if a source is affiliated with a medical center or legitimate health organization and not a company that is trying to sell a product.

Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Ph.D. interests are in nutrition, health and environmental toxins, ADHD, drug addiction, and immune system enhancement.

She has publications on a variety of topics including chronic health symptoms in children with ADHD.

It’s Tea Time!

Partners Village Store Hosts its Annual Teas Invite a friend or family member and share traditional English Tea, tea sandwiches, mini desserts, and great conversation on Thursday afternoons through the end of March, 3:00-4:00 pm. $12.95 per person Space is limited.

Please call for reservations.

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Web resources: ewg.org Research and laboratory tests. “Our research brings to light unsettling facts you have a right to know.”

healthandenvironment.org Examines “the impact of environmental factors on human health.”

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cehn.org “The Voice of Children’s Environmental Health in the Nation’s Capital”

chemicalbodyburden.org Information on synthetic chemicals and heavy metals’ health effects.

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508-336-8813 www.TheSilverWillow.com The South Coast Insider / March 2011

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Pro tips Home Pro Remodeling | Michael Vital | Swansea “Always insist that your contractor’s insurance agent faxes or emails a certificate of insurance directly to you. It’s the only way to know that you are really protected. It’s smart to get 3 quotes on any project but go with your gut, not necessarily the lowest price. Regret lasts a long time! Hold back a significant portion of funds on any project until it’s finished and you are completely happy with the results.

You’ll stay protected and not become one of those bad contractor stories.”

Village Plumbing | Bill Battles | Westport “One of the outstanding reasons to visit New England” Yankee Magazine

“A home with a highly efficient heating, cooling, or solar system is a reflection of how we see our world. Most furnaces installed from the 1950s through the early 1980s had efficiency ratings around 65%. Federal law now requires gas furnaces to have minimum AFUEs of 78% and some today have AFUEs as high as 97%.

Few things have an overall impact on a homeowner’s comfort more than an expertly and efficiently designed heating system. The new solar technology is booming with systems designed to take full advantage of the sun’s rays. There is a multitude of options designed not only for our comfort but with an eye toward our planet’s future.”

Costa’s Quality Kitchens | Gil Costa | South Dartmouth “In this uncertain economy, baby boomers nearing retirement are finding it is more financially savvy to invest in their own homes and remodel them to make them more comfortable, than to move elsewhere at a loss due to the home’s depreciation. This wants-to-move-but-can’t generation is engaging in “recession remodeling,” making small and not-so-expensive changes, particularly to the kitchen and bathroom, to make their homes easier to use. A walk-in shower with a seat, or a non slip heated floor, or a comfort height toilet are some ways to enjoy your bathroom longer, and increase the value of your home”.

Taxing Matters | Sherri Mahoney-Battles | Westport As a tax accountant I know the great emotional relief my clients experience when we methodically complete a tax return that they have been stressed about.

Clients often develop the “bury the head in the sand” attitude that allows them to not look at their tax situation all year, or even for multiple years. Many of these clients have physically debilitating symptoms related to the stress their tax situation creates in their minds. Also, those that do end up owing tax money often find relief in completing the tax return and checking it off their “to do” list. Clients who delay the filing carry around an emotional time bomb that can usually be easily diffused.

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Crawford Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Louise Merrick | Fall River “Quit Smoking. The single most important thing you can do for your health and to prolong your life is to quit smoking. For tips on how to quit or for information on local smoking cessation programs, call Crawford’s Better Breather’s Group or Pulmonary Program at 508-679-4866. Speak to Respiratory Therapist Kim Cateon. We want you to stay out of Crawford!”

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27

FOOD NOTES

It’s not just for soup anymore

ready for a kitchen or bath remodel?

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1) New counter top 2) Hardware 3) Crown moulding 4) Tile backsplash 5) New sink & faucet You will get the look and feel of a new kitchen & add resale value to your home. “in today’s economy a minor kitchen remodel has an 80% return on your investment.” call or stop by our large showroom for ideas

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

by Elizabeth Morse Read

O

kay, you can stop laughing now. Over the past year, I’ve gone on a healthy cooking binge (I’ve lost 40 lbs.) which necessitated a lot of Internet research and reading cookbooks and health/nutrition guides from around the world. Fortunately, I have family and friends who are quite willing to play guinea pig and taste-test my recipes.

One of the most fascinating (and surprising) things I read, over and over, was that kale is widely considered to be a super-food nutritionally.

I’ve only seen it in soup (caldo verde), which I don’t much care for. So I asked everyone I know around the South Coast, even grocery store clerks, how to cook kale.

They all said the same thing: Soup.

Soup. Soup.

It wasn’t until I mentioned it to Chieko, my Japanese friend, that I was given a non-soup recipe for kale (see next page). The Japanese diet is one of the most healthful in the world (and they hold first rank in longevity worldwide), and although kale is not well-known over there, she was able to adapt her native cooking style to all the new foods over here (plus, her husband is of Portuguese descent).

Nutritional power This humble garden veggie is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s high in fiber, vitamins (A, B6, C, E, K), beta carotene (and other antioxidants), calcium, iron, protein, folic acid, phytochemicals— and contains no cholesterol or fats.

As a result of its nutritional power and antioxidant properties, kale is an excellent food to help combat cancer, many age-related disorders (osteoporosis, arthritis, eye degeneration), heart disease and obesity (therefore Type II diabetes).

And best of all, kale is an extremely versatile food that can be incorporated (or used as a substitute veggie) in just about any recipe or cuisine.

It’s best to use the leafy parts and the chewy-stems as different ingredients.

The leaves can be served in a salad, (cut leaves into match-stick thin slices, massage dressing into it by hand), steamed, stir-fried, or baked.

Cooked kale freezes well and lasts a week in the fridge as your go-to green veggie. Learn more by going to kale. us. Flat-leaf kale (also known as locato, cavolo nero, dinosaur kale) can be used interchangeably.

The crunchy stalks can be chopped like celery and used as a substitute for cabbage, bok choy—even as a raw veggie for dips.

If all else fails, you can put it in soups —or your compost bin.

Chieko’s Kale with Clams (domo arigato) 1 can minced clams

n

1 can chopped clams

n

1 10 oz. can whole baby clams

n

5 cups chopped kale leaves, rinsed and drained n

Stems of kale from above, chopped like celery n

1 sm. onion, chopped

n

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (let it “breathe” on cutting board for 10 minutes before cooking)

n

Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil, spray thoroughly with cooking spray; preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, toss kale with olive oil, garlic/chili powder until evenly coated; spread evenly (don’t crowd) on cooking sheets, sprinkle generously with cheese or salt. Bake around 15 minutes until kale is crispy. Flip with a spatula and bake for a few more minutes until evenly crispy. Don’t over handle—they’ll be brittle.

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Monuments

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Cemetery Lettering

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Cleaning & Repair

Olive/cooking oil

Sauteed Kale

n

Mailbox Posts

2 cups cooked brown rice

n

4 cups shredded kale leaves, trimmed, rinsed and drained

n

Benches

n 2 leeks (or 1 onion, 1 bunch scallions) trimmed and thinly sliced

n

Address Rocks

n n

Chili oil or dried hot peppers (optional)

n

Low-sodium tamari/soy sauce (optional) n

Drain canned clams, reserve juice. In a covered non-stick skillet heat up a few swirls of olive/cooking oil; stir-fry kale stems, onion and garlic until soft. Add kale leaves, mix/coat using tongs, add a splash of clam juice, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until leaves are wilted. Add clam juice, ½ cup water, clams and cooked rice, stir thoroughly.

Return cover, and raise heat to blend flavors, stirring to prevent scorching.

Add a little more water if needed. If you’re using optional flavorings, add them towards end and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

Kale Chips Looking for a tasty snack food that’s a lot better for you than potato chips or Doritos? These are incredibly crunchy —but they’re pretty brittle—so use them with liquid dips/sauces instead of thick/creamy dips like guacamole.

And save all the crumbles! They make a great topping for casseroles or a substitute for parsley flakes in many recipes.

4-5 cups kale leaves, rinsed, drained and patted/spun dry n Non-fat cooking spray n Olive oil n Garlic powder and/or chili powder n

Grated parmesan cheese and/or sea salt

n

n

1-2 cups thinly-sliced mushroom caps (shiitake or portabello), rinsed and drained; discard stems

Pet Markers

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Laser Etchings

n 1/2 red pepper, seeded and thinly- sliced

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n

www.AlbaneseMonuments.com

n 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (let “breathe” 10 minutes before cooking)

Olive/cooking oil

n

n 1 teaspoon herbes de provence (or Italian herb mix)

In a covered non-stick skillet, sauté garlic in a few swirls of oil until browned. Add leek/onion, red pepper and mushrooms, stir to coat, simmer until soft. Sprinkle with ½ the herbs.

Add chopped kale, another swirl of oil and remaining herbs. Using tongs, mix thoroughly (add a splash of water if it needs moisture); cover and simmer until kale is wilted and soft. Serve as a side dish or atop brown rice/pasta.

Or freeze some for future soups/stews/ stir-fry. By varying the herbs and ingredients, you can change the flavors of this dish to match your menu— grated/powdered ginger for Asian, flaked red peppers for spicy Mexican.

A quick swirl of chili oil mixed in at the end will give it a real zing.

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The South Coast Insider / March 2011

29

WINE NOTES

Wine

words

by Alton Long

The so-called wine expert poured a little sample of the wine he had taken great care to open, raised his wine glass, sniffed it with his nose deep in the bowl of the extra large wine glass, then remarked, “It’s just a simple little wine, but you’ll be amused with its audacity.”

an assorted lot of wine consumers and so-called wine experts and asked them to be part of a study.

“Do wine writers communicate anything of meaningful value when they describe a wine?” Do the readers understand what they are saying, or is it just a bunch of fancy words meaning little to anyone?

Well organized, with a hint of clarity The experiment was done (as well as I can remember) by having the volunteer subjects smell and taste several wines and write down their descriptions of what they were experiencing by “tasting” the various wines.

The participants included wine novices, people who had just become interested in wine, wine consumers who had been enjoying wine for at least five or more years, and then what they called “experts” (Wine makers, distributors, and writers, that is, anyone who made some income related to their wine knowledge.) The results were very interesting.

The experiment was carried out by having the subjects taste several wines and writing down their description.

They returned a week or two later and repeated that exercise but were not told which wine was which.

They were then given cards with other subjects’ wine descriptions and were asked to select the wines that the

Do the descriptions of wine, made by wine tasters, wine judges and wine writers (even me) make sense to their listeners and readers? Sometimes, so-called experts do try to impress wine novices and the public in general with their so-called “expertise” in wine knowledge.

Sometimes what they say is truly a good appraisal of the wine in question.

But it seems too many try to “show off” their skill with complex and fancy words.

Do they really mean anything to anyone else?

This was a question that some scientists at the Mellon Institute of the Chemical Senses, located in Philadelphia, asked a number of years ago. I was one of the people asked to be a part of their study. Briefly, they took © Betsy Hern | Dreamstime.com

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

other person’s cards were describing.

This second step was repeated as a third test.

In this final test the researchers had really mixed the cards up but experts and some of the experienced wine consumers were still able to match the descriptions of other experts with the wines but were barely able to match the written description of the novices with any wine.

The novices could on occasion match expert’s descriptions to wines, but not those of other novices (except some could match their own.)

Expected, but lacking communication The results were almost what one might expect. Wine professional and experts communicate very well with other wine experts. Wine professionals could even communicate with many of the “novices” wine consumers.

But the novices were only able to communicate a little to the experts and essentially had no communications with the other novices. This is indicative that the experienced wine writers, wine makers and other professionals do learn “wine speak,” the language of wine descriptions.

Many wine descriptions are rather basic and easily understood by even a novice. Color and clarity are rather simple; such as very clear, or slightly cloudy. Descriptions of wine aroma are also easy to understand as they are mostly related to the smells of other food product or common odors such as the aroma of apples and cherries or even oak or rubber.

Some are a little more complex like hydrogen sulfide, a chemical used in stabilizing wine and preventing oxidation. When used in excess it has the smell of rotten eggs or burnt rubber.

These are odors we can all relate to.

Accurate, though a touch esoteric What can get a little confusing is when the wine writer uses a rather special example for comparison such as an unusual fruit, like kiwi or kumquat. But at least you could try to

sneak a smell of one of those fruits at the supermarket. There are only a few aromas and flavors of fruits,vegetable or woods used in describing wines than are not common to the average person.

One that surprised me some years ago was a wine that was described as having the aroma “of lychee nuts.”

So my wife and I went to an Asian grocery shop, bought a can of lychee nuts and the wine (an Alsatian Gewurztraminer) that allegedly had this characteristic, and we compared them. Yes, there were some similarities but the wine’s aroma was much lighter in that component than the canned lychee nuts.

It is fun to try to find simple substances that are similar to some of the many complex aromatic components of wine. There are kits available that can be purchased to help train your nose (actually your verbalization of aromatic sensory experiences) to be able to identity the name of common wine aromatic components.

One kit supplied a scratch and sniff card with several dozen typical wine aromas, but somehow some of the aromas were not even close to what they were supposed to be representing.

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Stick to the basics Almost any good wine reference book will have a glossary of wine term definitions. You can find a couple of good ones online. Simply Google “Words To Describe Wine” and you will find several good lists.

Long ago I came to the conclusion that all the wine descriptions in the world are not nearly as good as one small taste. So whenever you get a chance to actually taste a wine, take advantage of it, and try to think about what you are experiencing.

If you can, try to name your reactions, and that will help you remember what you like about that wine. That experience is worth all the written descriptive words about wine in the world.

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31

REGIONAL NEWS

Getting there from here Re-thinking transportation

by Lilia Cabral Senior Transportation Planner, SRPEDD

In a perfect world, our transportation system would work together seamlessly and offer everyone unlimited options to get where they needed to go without delay or inconvenience. Our system would be livable and sustainable, allowing us to get anywhere we needed without an automobile.

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Unfortunately, we do not exist in a perfect world and our transportation system relies heavily on the automobile.

Continued development and impacts from urban sprawl continue to keep all of us dependent on the automobile as our primary means of travel.

Can this continue?”

Southeastern Massachusetts and the entire country are trying to answer this question as we journey into the future.

With the rising cost and diminishing supply of gasoline combined with the effects of climate change and its impacts to infrastructure and the environment, the big question is, can we afford to continue to live in this way?

During the first decade of the 21st century, we have seen the cost to repair bridges and roads quadruple. Asphalt, the key ingredient for road repairs, went from an average cost of $150 to as much as $500 per ton in a 5 year period. You might ask why, and the answer is simple: oil.

When the cost of oil increases, so does the price of asphalt—and the cost of the gasoline needed to haul the asphalt—because they are petroleum based products. The bottom line of this viscious cycle is: paving 1 mile of road cost $1 million in 2004, but it now costs $3 million.

However, the revenue to pay for these improvements, the gasoline tax (ironic, isn’t it?), has remained unchanged since 1993. No one wants an increase in the gas tax because many feel “we are taxed too much already.” But how can we maintain these roads with no additional revenue, inflationary costs, and everyone screaming “cut government spending!” Yet, the same people are screaming, “Why aren’t you fixing my street!”

Freshmen College Students or High School Seniors Secure your summer job now!

Earn TOP $$$ as Machine Operator or Shipper

What can we do?

We need to re-think transportation. We need to question accepted wisdom and find new ways to get from point A to point B. We cannot go back to the “good old days” when gas was cheap and plentiful. Those days are gone, and we cannot remain idle and hope the problem simply goes away.

Many of these issues are addressed in the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)’s upcoming Regional Transportation Plan. The purpose of the T-Plan is to provide a comprehensive, longterm analysis of existing and future needs of the regional transportation system.

The T-Plan addresses every type of transportation in our region, including roads and bridges, as well as public transportation and buses. It even takes a look at freight, airports and the connections between all these options. It also addresses other issues in our region, including patterns and predictions concerning housing, jobs, land use and the economic vitality of the region and how it all ties together.

Some previous job experience required • Must be able to pass a drug test Must be at least 18 years old • Some weekend availability a must Work part-time now around your school schedule to prepare for a great summer job.

If interested, complete application #1 at

www.goldmedalbakery.com/jobs or apply in person (Mon-Fri 8:00am–4:30pm; Sat 8:00am-12noon)

Gold Medal Bakery • 21 Penn St. • Fall River, MA

You can help The 2011 T-Plan is still a work in progress and draft chapters will be posted on SRPEDD’s website (HYPERLINK “http://www.srpedd.org” www.srpedd.org) as they are completed. While these chapters are in draft form, they can be read and commented on. In fact, we are looking for feedback from the public to make this a better document.

The vision for the Regional Transportation Plan is to provide a fully integrated, seamless transportation system that links people, as well as goods, into and out of our region while promoting alternative modes of transportation, economic development, mobility, road safety, as well as smart planning and growth.

We need a more sustainable transportation system.

This includes more fuel efficient cars and better forms of mass transit with reasonable connections providing the option of choice. We need to develop homes and businesses concentrated in areas accessible to multiple forms of transportation and promote bicycling and walking. We need to maintain our current infrastructure on a regular basis and try innovative measures to reduce the maintenance costs.

Sounds difficult? It is. Sounds expensive? Probably. Can we ignore it? NO! If the trend continues, and it will, with ever increasing costs of fuel, we will ultimately be forced to change our unsustainable ways. I’d like to choose to do the right thing before I have to. How about you?

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

33

BOOK PICKS

by Magoo Gelehrter Courtesy of Baker Books - www.bakerbooks.net

This month we highlight books that will help you—and your family—escape to magical kingdoms, or to refreshing, far-away travel and cruises. And we end with one volume of tips for shorter escapes, closer to home.

Interior and Exterior Painting Wallpapering • Tile Work/Flooring Carpentry • Remodeling • Gutters and Siding Decks and Additions Home Repairs and Maintenance New and Replacement Windows/Doors No Job is Too Small – References Available

Paul L. Rousseau

508-996-1795

Home Improvement Contractor HIC License #127946 CS License #104196 Fully Insured – Established in 1985

Quality and Service since 1921 • Auto Glass • Glass for Frames • Insulated Units • Glass Table Tops • Screens & Sashes Repaired • Plastic / Lexan • Mirrors: Polished, Beveled,Framed • Specialty Glass for Cabinet Doors • Custom Stationary Storm and Screen Frames • Frameless Shower Door Glass & Hardware 1265 Purchase St. • New Bedford, MA 508-999-6497 • 1-800-942-6444 910 Pleasant St. • Fall River, MA 508-676-1464

Glaser by Name...

Glazier by Trade!

www.glaserglass.com 34

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Little Black Book of Walt Disney World

by Rona Gindin Peter Pauper Press $14.95 paperback Here’s your pocket guidebook to all the magic! The Little Black Book is just what you need to navigate the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, accommodations, and Disney World’s recreation venues! Author Rona Gindin is a writer, editor, and TV personality based in Orlando. The author of two travel guides, she also hosts a popular television show celebrating local restaurants.

2011 Walt Disney World for Kids

by Birnbaum Guides Harper Collins $12.95 paperback Children are perhaps Walt Disney World’s biggest fans.

It has become almost a rite of passage to visit America’s most popular travel destination, and kids can be wonderful sources of information.

Every area and attraction of Walt Disney World is covered, with kids’ honest reactions and impressions included. There is a whole chapter

devoted to each of the theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Another chapter describes the rest of Walt Disney World, including Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Fort Wilderness, Downtown Disney, and dining spots with kid appeal.

The 2011 edition features new insights and tips from young Disney Experts.

Frommer’s Cruises & Ports of Call

by Frommers Wiley & Sons $24.99 paperback Completely revised, Frommer’s Cruises & Ports of Call features photos of all the major ship classes that sail out of North American home ports. You’ll also get up to the minute coverage of all the lines servicing North America and the Caribbean, so you can choose the ship that’s best for you. The authors, longtime cruisers, hit all the major ports of call from Oahu and Vancouver to New York and St. Thomas. Their candid reviews will help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget.

Experience the best a place has to offer on the cruise that’s right for you. Here are the details of the hottest trends in cruising. Learn the exact prices, including cruise rack rates and the average discounted rates for every

ship, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget may be.

Check out all the major cruise ships sailing in North America, from cabin amenities and ship facilities to shore excursions and recreational activities.

Fodor’s Walt Disney World with Kids 2011: with Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & Aquatica

by Fodors Random House $18.99 paperback Inside this new edition is all the information you need to have the family vacation of a lifetime at the Orlando theme parks. Up-todate and written with the help of more than 500 families, this guide is packed with details on all the attractions at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. It’s user-friendly, fun, and designed for at a glance reference. And it will help you and your family plan the vacation each of you wants.

Europe on a Shoestring

by Tom Masters & Oliver Berry Lonely Planet $27.99 paperback For twenty years Lonely Planet has been the expert on European travel.

Whether you’re soaking up history in Britain or sun in Spain, crossing the Arctic Circle or cruising the Bosphorus, the sixth edition of Europe on a Shoestring helps you uncover the continent.

Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.

Costa Rica

by Frommers Wiley & Sons $21.99 paperback Completely updated every year, Frommer’s Costa Rica features gorgeous color photos of the lush rain forest, the amazing array of wildlife, and the spectacular beaches that await you. Personally researched by a longtime resident, it’s the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-changing country, with recommended accommodations in every price category. There are adventures here to suit all ages and abilities, such as swooping from treetop platform to treetop platform on a canopy tour, taking a dip in a jungle swimming hole, spotting playful spider monkeys as you hike through lush foliage, windsurfing on Lake Arenal, or watching endangered sea turtles nest on the beach.

Fun with the Family Massachusetts – Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids

by Marcia Glassman Jaffe Globe Pequot Press $14.95 paperback Written by a parent, this opinionated, personal, and easyto-use guide has hundreds of ideas to keep the kids entertained for an hour, a day, or a weekend!

Fun with the Family Massachusetts leads the way to historical attractions, childrens museums, festivals, parks, and much more. Geared towards parents with children between the ages of two and twelve, Fun with the Family Massachusetts features interesting facts and sidebars as well as practical tips about traveling with your little ones.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

35

TAROT-SCOPES

by The Celtic Cricket and Duir Kell

We use the tarot to predict your horoscope. If you’d like more in depth and personal information, stop by our shop—The Silver Willow in Rehoboth, MA for a private tarot reading.

Aries – Focusing on your goals is very difficult when you keep holding onto the past. Don’t assume the worst, learn to be more optimistic.

Taurus – This month, keeping your moody side to yourself will bring peace and tranquility at work, and at home.

Gemini – You have a new attitude on finances this month. Growth is slow and steady, but very practical. Do not give up!

Cancer – What makes you happy and what is good for you needs to be kept in check. Everything in moderation will bring balance.

Leo – When asked for your opinion, your honesty may cause some friction. So think twice before you speak. Sometimes biting your tongue is best.

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36

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

care. They’re also experts in “up-close-and-personal-really-get-to-know-you” care.

Learn about their outstanding quality at www.southcoast.org/heart.

Heart Surgery at Southcoast.

Big city heart care.

Without the hassle.

SOUTHCOAST HOSPITALS CHARLTON • ST. LUKE’S • TOBEY

Virgo – Speak and you shall be heard. You will have an amazing effect on people this month. If you need to motivate others, speak up!

Libra – You have balanced your mind and heart, but let’s not push the limits. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Scorpio – Don’t try to do everything on your own, as family and friends may feel left out. Your independence may drive others away.

Sagittarius – Actions speak louder then words. This is a good month to make big changes. Living well will cast all doubts aside.

Capricorn – Reconnecting to those in the past is the best medicine for our future.

It also shows that you are on the road to victory.

Aquarius – This is a good month to focus on one goal only, especially in work or finances. Being frugal will ensure stability for the months to come.

Pisces – Complaining gets you nowhere.

Learn to be decisive and be quick about it. Following your decisions through will bring immense joy.

CLASSICAL SOUTH COAST

Classical pop

by David M. Prentiss President and CEO, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

M

ost people probably don’t think of classical music as being all that popular. But think again...

Just about everyone knows the beginning of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Handel’s Hallelujah chorus. A YouTube video of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 has more than 13 million views.

Not bad for music that was written over 200 years ago.

More than 55 million Americans listen to classical music, with 21 million attending a live performance of classical music within the last year. Nearly 10 million Americans are musicians playing or performing classical music. There are over 1,800 orchestras and chamber groups in the United States and they perform 34,000 concerts a year.

Classical and new Last year, American orchestras presented 150 world premieres of new music. More than half a million people are directly involved with orchestras and chamber groups as volunteers, staff, board members, musicians, and conductors.

Perhaps most importantly, there are more than 500 youth orchestras in the United States, with over 50,000 student musicians.

And classical music is becoming pretty comfortable with technology.

The Metropolitan Opera now transmits high definition broadcasts of its performances to movie theaters across the United States and both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra have plans to do the same.

In 2009, the YouTube Orchestra was created, with thousands of musicians (mostly amateurs) posting video auditions on YouTube. More than 15 million people viewed the videos and the winners performed a concert at Carnegie Hall conducted

by Michael Tilson Thomas. A 2011 YouTube Orchestra is now being planned for a performance at the Sydney Opera House.

For all ages If some people may view classical music as elitist, they probably should attend a grammar school concert or youth orchestra performance.

There’s nothing like seeing a 10 year old child from New Bedford or a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Venezuela break into a big smile after finishing a Mozart symphony. It makes you realize something that should be obvious: anybody can love music, regardless of where they live, the color of their skin, or the amount of money their family has in the bank. That is the power of classical music.

We are fortunate in the South Coast to have an abundance of groups performing classical music.

Some of them consist of professional musicians who live in the region, others are musicians who tour nationally and internationally.

Live and vibrant A number of groups give an opportunity for local amateur musicians and singers to perform (and some bring together amateur and professional musicians to perform). Just consider all the classical music being made around us: the South Coast Chamber Music Society, Concerts at the Point, Sine Nomine, the Fall River Symphony Orchestra, the Tri-County Symphonic Band, the Greater New Bedford Choral Society, the Sippican Choral Society, the Zeiterion Theatre Sanctuary Concerts, the Buzzards Bay Musicfest, the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth Music Department,

and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra.

Information about all of these groups can be found at www.classicalsouthcoast.org.

Over 17,000 children in South Coast communities start everyday of the school year by listening to five minutes of classical music through the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s Music in the Morning program.

The Acushnet Classical Ensemble (ACE) and the New Bedford Symphony Youth Orchestra give local student musicians the opportunity for music training and performance experience.

Many communities also have music programs in their schools where students experience the joy of music-making and receive the well-documented academic and personal development benefits of participating in music programs.

Sadly, public school music programs in many communities have been severely cut in recent years, but that is a story for another day.

So, what is it that makes classical music so popular? Theodore Thomas, one of the “founding fathers” of the American orchestra (he conducted free concerts in Central Park in the 1860s), said that popular music is whatever music people listen to. By that standard, classical music in the South Coast is popular music indeed.

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

37

Not Your Average Plumber.

Visit CoastalMags.com for extended listings and to sign-up for our free weekly events email AHA! Night: Downtown New Bedford comes alive with Art, History and Architecture. Every second Thursday of the month. 508-996-8253. www. ahanewbedford.org

Specializing in the installation of outstanding state-of-the-art plumbing and heating systems designed to exceed your expectations.

Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn Street, New Bedford. 508-991-6178. www.bpzoo.org Common Fence Music, 933 Anthony Road, Portsmouth. 401-683-5085. www.commonfencemusic.org Four Corners Arts Center, 3850 Main Road, Tiverton Four Corners. 401-6242600. www.tivertonfourcorners.com/ artscenter

Bill Battles - Master Plumber 171 Pine Hill Road ~ Westport, MA

508-636-9080 www.TheVillagePlumber.com

M aking M on ey M at ters L ess Ta xing

T

171 Pine Hill Road • Westport, MA

Call Sherri Mahoney today 508-636-9829 sherilyn@taxingmatters.com

here are a few tax credits that taxpayers need to be aware of for 2011:

The credit for energy efficient property or improvements is in effect for 2011. This property can include high-efficiency heating systems, air conditioners, and water heaters.

It can also include energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation materials and certain roofs.

The credit is 30% of qualifying costs with a $1,500 limit. The credit also applies to solar with no limit on the 30% credit.

American Opportunity Credit is an education credit that replaces the Hope Scholarship credit. The credit amount is the sum of 100 percent of the first $2,000 of tuition and qualified expenses plus 25 percent of the next $2,000 for a total maximum credit of $2,500 per student.

Be sure to take advantage of these unprecedented credits when filing your 2010 tax return!

w w w.taxingmatters.com 38

ONGOING

March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant Street, Marion. 508-748-1266. www. marionartcenter.org Memorial Hall, 124 Bay Street, Rehoboth. 8-11pm. 508-252-6375. www.contradancelinks.com Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan Street, Fall River. 508-3241926. For schedule of events visit www.ncfta.org New Bedford Art Museum, 608 Pleasant Street, NewBedford.

508-961-3072. www. newbedfordartmuseum.org New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. 508997-0046. www.whalingmuseum.org Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence.

401-421-2787. www.ppacri.org Stone Church Coffee House, 280 High Street, Bristol. 401-253-4813. www.churchstreetcoffeehouse.com Trinity Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence.

401-351-41242. For schedule of events visit www.trinityrep.com Veterans Memorial Auditorium, One Avenue of the Arts, Providence. 401421-2787. www.vmari.com Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford.

508-994-2900. For schedule of events visit www.zeiterion.org

Annual Support Kick Off Luncheon

White’s of Westport | March 4 | 11:45 am Tickets $15 or Table of Ten $150

508.758.4203

Leprechaun Golden Coin Hunt | Dartmouth March 12 | 10:30 am

508.675.7841

Supporting YMCA SOUTHCOAST YCares Financial Assistance Fund featuring keynote speaker Andy Boynton, world-renown business scholar and author

Middle School Dance | Wareham March 12 | 7-10 pm

Fall River YCares Financial Assistance Campaign

3 pm | Child $5 Adult $10 Family $20 For tickets or more information call your local YMCA

508.295.9622

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY

508.997.0734

Magic Show | BCC | March 19 | To support the

YMCA Southcoast | www.ymcasouthcoast.org

508.993.3361

YMCA Special Events

Dartmouth • Fall River • Mattapoisett • New Bedford • Wareham

Upcoming

March 12 & 13, 2011 Free with zoo admission

Visit the Zoo and cast your vote for your favorite flower arrangements.

Visit “Blooms at the Zoo” under “Things To Do” at www.bpzoo.org to learn more!

Buttonwood Park

ZOO 425 Hawthorn St. New Bedford, MA 02740

Where the Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow

Retirement the way you imagined it.

BALLET GRAND PRIX: SATURDAY, 8PM

MARCH 5 CO-SPONSOR

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With Guest Artist Jose Carreno and Dancers from the Berlin, Mariinsky, La Scala and American Ballet Theatre

It begins with a ticket...

Take control of your future with an Individual Retirement Account from First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union. At First Citizens’ we can help you achieve retirement the way you imagined it. For the peace of mind you deserve and a future that looks bright for you, Think First and choose an IRA from First Citizens’.

Zeiterion Performing Arts Center FREE GARAGE PARKING - FULL BAR

Stop by your local branch today, or visit www. firstcitizens.org

You’ve seen “Black Swan.” Now see the real thing!

www.zeiterion.org 508-994-2900

The South Coast Insider / March 2011

39

PA I D A DV E RT I SE M E N T

PA I D A DV E RT I SE M E N T

Renowned Orthopedic Doctors offer appointments available this week, maybe even today.

9 Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons are devoted to uncompromising treatment in 5 convenient locations.

FALL RIVER, MA – Nagging pain?

Arthritis? Sports injury? In some medical practices you will wait up to 4 weeks to see a specialist and get a diagnosis of your ailment. Wait no more! Coastal Orthopaedics, a leading orthopedic care center located at 235 Hanover Street in Fall River, MA offers their patients guaranteed appointments within the week and often can get their patients same day or next day appointments.

Coastal Orthopaedics has 9 Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons in 5 convenient locations in southeast Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island. This extraordinary bandwidth and Coastal Orthopaedics commitment to patient convenience allow Coastal Orthopaedics to offer appointments and follow up appointments within tight timeframes, something no single-doctor Orthopedic care practice can equal.

“Coastal Orthopaedics is very happy to offer our patients same week or same day appointments. We get our patients started on their path to wellness faster, and that is important to us and to our patients,” commented Bill Custer, Administrator at Coastal Orthopaedics, “Our commitment to patient convenience and the excellence of our orthopedic care is what separates Coastal Orthopaedics from other care providers.”

That is not everything that separates Coastal Orthopaedics from other orthopedic care providers. The practice offers expertise in general, specialty and pediatric orthopedics making them an ideal choice for orthopedic care regardless of your injury or age. Whether treating bones, joints, ligaments, muscles or arthritis each Physician, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner and staff member are committed to providing the best orthopedic care available anywhere. And, patients are provided piece of mind knowing their doctor is a leader

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March 2011 / The South Coast Insider

“Our commitment to patient convenience and the excellence of our orthopedic care is what separates Coastal Orthopaedics from other care providers.” in their field and up-to-date with the latest care, physical therapy and surgical technologies.

Coastal Orthopaedics has five locations, in Fall River and New Bedford in Massachusetts and Warren, Bristol and Tiverton in Rhode Island. “Our five locations is just one example of our commitment to patient convenience,” states Custer, “by shortening our

patients commute to their orthopedic appointments we make it all the more convenient for them, that’s a great thing and something we are very proud of.

Coastal Orthopaedics and our patients truly have the same goal, moving our patients towards wellness as quickly and conveniently as possible.”

An extension of Coastal Orthopaedics commitment to patient convenience is having Physical Therapy facilities onsite. Their patients have the convenience of their orthopedic appointments and their recovery based physical therapy at the same location.

Appointments at Coastal Orthopaedics can be made by calling 877-859-2663 or through a referral by your primary care physician. More information regarding Coastal Orthopaedics can be found at www.coastal-orthopaedics.com.

HAND SURGERY • SHOULDER SURGERY • SPORTS MEDICINE • JOINT REPLACEMENT

We guarantee you an appointment this week… maybe even TODAY! The Board Certified Surgeons of Coastal Orthopaedics provide state-ofthe-art, comprehensive surgical and medical care treating bones, joints, ligaments and muscles as well as arthritis. Our Doctors have the specialized knowledge and expertise to provide exceptional care.

ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY • GENERAL ORTHOPEDICS • PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDIC CARE

This is the cancer team

YOU want on your side.

THERESE MULVEY, MD Physician-in-Chief/ Medical Oncologist

MARK SHPARBER, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

ELIZABETH BLANCHARD, MD Medical Oncologist/Hematologist

TODD F. ROBERTS, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

TUSHAR KUMAR, MD Radiation Oncologist

HARRY W. MATELSKI, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

PATRICK GAGNON, MD Radiation Oncologist

Great local care with top national connections: Nobody fights cancer alone, not even our doctors.

nation’s leading cancer center — The University

Instead, we bring together the unique knowledge

of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

and experience of a whole panel of experts to develop the best treatment plan for each individual patient. And we use the same clinical guidelines and consultation services as the oncologists at the

Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care have advanced chemotherapy, radiation treatment and experienced oncologists credentialed by the MD Anderson Physicians Network®. This is the quality and care you’re looking for, and it’s just minutes away.

www.s re outhcoast.org/cancerca

A way of life.

JOIN US! Saturday, March 26 Sunday, March 27 12:00 to 5:00pm We’d love to show you around!

O

AKRIDGE, Westport’s premiere 55 and older community is hosting an open house weekend with tours of 8 of their striking 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath units.

The model home will be offered at a tremendous savings and additional “Developer Incentives” will rival comparison.

OAKRIDGE is located off Tickle Road at the top of Chabot Street in Westport, MA.

Call Equity Real Estate, Inc. for more information at 508-679-3998

MODERN DENTISTRY FOR YOUR FAMILY It is with great pleasure we welcome Dr. Aaron Campini to our practice. Dr. Campini attained his dental degree at University of Connecticut in 2009 and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010. Dr. Campini’s family is from Acushnet, MA and his roots are in the East Bay area.

Dr. Campini has been with us since July and is a proven asset who shares our philosophy of quality and care in a relaxed environment. I would like to thank all of our patients for letting us provide your dental care. We appreciate each and every one of you! — Dr. J.P. Van Regenmorter

HAND-FORGED JEWELRY BY NEW ENGLAND DESIGNER TOM KRUSKAL

The latest technology and professional standards coupled with on time personalized service.

FINE JEWELERS SINCE 1905

2 0 7 S WA N S E A M A L L D R , S U I T E 1 6 0 , S WA N S E A C R O S S I N G P L A Z A , S WA N S E A M A I N F O @ P L A N T E J E W E L E R S . C O M • 5 0 8 - 6 7 3 - 0 5 6 1 • W W W. P L A N T E J E W E L E R S . C O M

T O

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I N

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C O A S T

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C A L L

5 0 8 . 6 7 7. 3 0 0 0

It pays to be

Our Active Checking actually rewards you. No added fees. Just added benefits.

2.22

%

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If you regularly swipe your debit card for all those daily purchases, you can qualify for higher interest rates, nationwide ATM refunds up to $25 per qualification period, and free online banking and bill pay.

APY

Qualifying is simple: • sign up for online banking with eStatements • set up one direct deposit, automatic payment or online bill payment per qualification period • make as few as 12 debit card purchases per qualification period.

On balances up to $25,000. .75% APY on balances over $25,000.

• Free online banking & bill pay • Free eStatements.

• ATM fees refunded up to $25 per qualification period.

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Sounds easy? It is. Stop by today and make 2011 the year you get Active.

Member DIF

FALL RIVER ~ NEW BEDFORD ~ SOMERSET ~ SWANSEA ~ SEEKONK ~ TIVERTON • 508-678-7641 (Connecting all offices) • www.CitizensUnionBank.com The Annual Percentage Yields (APY) are accurate as of 1/1/2011 and are subject to change without notice. The minimum deposit to open the account is $500. 2.22% APY is paid on balances between $0.01 and $25,000 and .75% APY is paid on all amounts above $25,000 each qualification period the minimum qualifications are met. If the minimum qualifications are not met during the qualification period, 0.10%APY will be paid on the entire balance. All foreign (non Citizens~Union) ATM fees are waived and ATM surcharges are refunded up to $25 per qualification period if the minimum qualifications are met. Whether or not the qualifications are met, there is a no monthly service charge. Please refer to the Qualification Calendar on www.citizensunionbank.com for additional information. Available for personal accounts only.

Whaler’s Cove Assisted Living Centrally located between Boston and Cape Cod, Whaler’s Cove Assisted Living offers a supportive setting for older adults who need assistance with daily activities.

Whaler’s Cove residents enjoy a comfortable environment enriched with cultural diversity and social stimulation.

FEATURES:

Open House Every Saturday!

• Studio, One and Two Bedroom Units • Elegant Dining Room • 24 Hour Emergency Response System • Exercise Programs • Library • Large Auditorium with Daily Activities • Cozy Common Areas • Interior Gardens • Beauty Salon • Weekly Housekeeping

10:00 –2:00 pm Walk-ins Welcome!

114 Riverside Avenue New Bedford, MA 02746

Please call 508-997-2880 or visit www.whalerscove-assistedliving.com for more information.

T O

A D V E R T I S E

I N

T H E

S O U T H

C O A S T

I N S I D E R

C A L L

5 0 8 . 6 7 7. 3 0 0 0

Because You Deserve it.......

The Webster Room The “Inn” at Clifton offers seniors a careful balance of elegance and affordability. Our almost all-inclusive rates start at just $89 per day and consist of amenities that many other facilities charge extra for. When compared to other Assisted Living Communities, the “Inn” at Clifton offers much more…Should your healthcare needs change, as part of the 19-acre scenic Clifton Healthcare Campus a greater array of complimentary services (many Medicare certified) are available to you. And Clifton’s Nursing and Rehabilitative services have received the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. We encourage you to call, make an appointment, and compare…….

b

Clifton

ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

444 WILBUR AVENUE, SOMERSET, MA 508-324-0200