Scouth Coast Prime Times - Fall 2009 / Winter 2010

S o u t h

C o a s t

Prime timeS Fa l l 2 0 0 9/ W i n t er 2 010 • Volum e 5 • Num ber 3

Holiday Cheer Turn on the lights Shop the South Coast Simmer soups and stews

Prime wines

Time for sparkling wines

Give back!

Helping Hips & other ways to share

T hings to do

Write your memoirs, make some plans, and more

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The future of cancer care is here.

Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Care - Dartmouth Campus 537 Faunce Corner Road, North Dartmouth

Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Care’s all-new Dartmouth campus is more than just a building. It’s also the area’s most advanced cancer-fighting technology … a team of world-class specialists with affiliations with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School … and more than 30 years of bringing leading-edge cancer care to southeastern New England. Most important, it’s the team of compassionate experts who are dedicated to the science of healing and the art of caring. It’s more proof that the best cancer care is the closest.

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SAINT ANNE’S HOSPITAL REGIONAL CANCER CARE Locations: Dartmouth Campus: 537 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth • Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital, Fall River Radiation oncology consultation: Newport, RI • Hematology/medical oncology consultation: The Truesdale Clinic and PrimaCARE, Fall River

FALL 2009 / WINTER 2010

contents

16

24 8

28 22 F e atures

Prime S e ason

Prime L iving

G ood T imes

10 Plan for the end

6

14 Caring for seniors

28 Wii workouts

by H.B. Ussach

24 Shopping:

South Coast gifts

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

8

Pass it forward

by Elizabeth Morse Read Lights should be bright

by Michael J. Vieira

22 Write your memoir

by Michael J. Vieira

26 Helping Hips help

by Michael J. Vieira

by Stacie Charbonneau Hess

Local health care professionals are meeting South Coast needs with the best possible care. Early in August Saint Anne’s Hospital held the grand opening of its all-new radiation therapy center, the Regional Cancer Care Center in Dartmouth. Then, in September launched its Geriatric Psychiatry Program in Fall River.

At the recent opening of the Southcoast Center for Cancer Care at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, Sean Fitzpatrick, founder of Fitzy Snowman, carved into pumpkins the logos of South Coast Hospital and a cancer awareness ribbon.

S ou th C oast P r ime T imes

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

by Robin LaCroix & Dan Logan

16 Cancer care expands 30 Stewing season

by Brian Lowney 18 Uncommon sense

by Dr. Christa 34 Soup simmering

Johnson

season

by Elizabeth Morse Read 36 It’s antique season

by Jackie Sideli 35 Restaurant Guide

On the cover

2

P rime W ine

32

Add some sparkle

by Alton Long

H appenings

38 Things to do for

fall & winter

From The Publisher Fall 2009/Winter 2010 n Vol. 5 n No. 3

It’s time to celebrate…

Published by

Some will see this season’s chilled days and gray skies

Coastal Communications Corp.

as just more reason to be depressed, but we side with

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

those who stay active, enjoying the seasonal change,

Ljiljana Vasiljevic

decorating for holidays and smiling to brighten the day for all they meet.

Editors

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

Stacie Charbonneau Hess, Christa Johnson, M.D., Robin LaCroix, Dan Logan, Alton Long, Brian Lowney, Elizabeth Morse Read, Jackie Sideli, H.B. Ussach, and Michael J. Vieira

Whatever your outlook, this issue will help you get through the cool fall nights, the festive celebrations, and the winter blues.

Elizabeth Morse Read encourages you to give back—and to simmer soup.

Mike Vieira tells the tale of some belly dancers who help others and provides tips on how to record your own stories.

H.B. Ussach shares how funeral prearrangements can bring comfort, while

South Coast Prime Times is published three times per year and is mailed to homeowners, professional offices, advertisers and subscribers.

Copyright ©2009 Coastal Communications Corp.

Robin LaCroix and Dan Logan get in high tech shape. We also update you on some improved services from local hospital groups. Brian Lowney and Alton Long provide some great food and wine options.

So what if the weather outside may be frightful, make the most of it.

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.

Next Deadline March 1, 2010 Circulation 15,000

Whether you’re Auntie Mame who needs a little Christmas, or somebody who just wants a little peace and quiet, this is the season for both highs and lows. And like a good piece of music, we need both.

Enjoy!

PS: If you’re looking for more ways to get in the spirit of the season—or not —sign up for weekly updates at www.coastalmags.com, and if you want to buy or sell things, go to www.SouthCoastGo.com.

Subscriptions $5.95 per year M ailing A ddress South Coast Prime Times P.O. Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Tel: (508) 677-3000 Fax: (508) 676-7000 Website http://www.coastalmags.com E-mail editor@coastalmags.com

Our advertisers make this publication possible —please support them C oastal M ags . com

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

3

Free Consultations Free Recommendations Free Quotes

Household Modifications

Home Design Solutions or 58 years Enos Home Oxygen & Medical Supplies has adapted our product and service to meet the ever changing needs of our patients. In recognizing the need for Home Safety Modifications, we have created Enos Home Design Solutions.

Enos Home Design Solutions is a fully Insured and Certified Environmental Access Consultation/Contracting firm.

We are able to meet all of your home modification needs.

• Automatic Lighting • Automatic/Remote Door Openers • Bed Rails and Handles • Custom Lift & Transport Systems • Custom & Portable Ramps • Doorway Widening • Easy On/Off Light Switches • Replacement Door Handles • Stair Lifts • Threshold Ramps • Wheelchair Lifts • Many More…

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Kitchen Modifications • Custom Kitchen • Accessibility Modification

Combine your auto and home insurance for maximum discount

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

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.

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114 Riverside Avenue New Bedford, MA 02746

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

5

Prime L iving “There is a debt of service due from every man to his country, proportioned to the bounties which nature and fortune have measured to him.”

—Thomas Jefferson “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”

—Chinese proverb “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

—John F. Kennedy “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

—Mahatma Gandhi

T ime to give back Eliz abeth Morse Read

In just a few weeks, the Salvation Army bell-ringers will be stationed outside South Coast malls and grocery stores. And, during these very uncertain financial times, we’ll feel guilty that we can’t do more than donate a few dollars.

In just a few weeks, the Salvation Army bell-ringers will be stationed outside South Coast malls and grocery stores. And, during these very uncertain financial times, we’ll feel guilty that we can’t do more than donate a few dollars.

The spirit of giving and volunteerism runs deep in the American psyche—and not just during holiday season. More than any other country and culture, the moral imperative of helping others is an ingrained instinct for us all. And that bedrock impulse is what fuels our always wanting to help in any way we can.

Here are ways we, as individuals, can give of our time, talents and goodwill, no matter where or when they’re needed.

encouragement and personal support to an area student who needs it. Like Big Brother/ Big Sister programs, the South Coast’s SMILES program has matched trained adult mentors to more than 500 students in the New Bedford and Fall River schools— and the results have dramatically impacted drop-out rates, substance abuse and behavior/academic achievement.

To learn more about SMILES (Southcoast Mentoring Initiative for Learning, Education and Service), go to www.smilesmentoring.org or call 508-999-9300. To check out mentoring programs nationwide, check out www.citizenschool.org or www.experiencecorps.org.

Become a mentor

family One in three homeless men is a veteran.

Our men and women in uniform—and their families—deserve our respect and

Brother, you may not be able to spare a dime, but if you can spare an hour a week for a year, you can provide the friendship,

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Befriend a veteran and their

Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

support when they come home. But we don’t need to wait for Washington to do something, because each and every one of us can help out in little ways. And here’s a good example: When Dawn Devlin, a Fairhaven-based realtor, tried to help a three-tours-in-Iraq veteran buy a house recently, she became very frustrated that he and his wife were repeatedly denied a mortgage. So she researched on-line and found them a new and little-known “Home for the Brave” veteran mortgage financing program funded through MassHousing and participating banks/credit unions. Within weeks, her clients closed on their Freetown dreamhouse, the first qualifying recipients in Massachusetts.

We each have it within our power, even at the workplace, to support our military families—go to www.americasupportsyou. mil or www.hireahero.org.

Be a friend to all our children Whether you’re a twenty-something or an empty-nest boomer, you know that the children of the world are our most precious resource. Give them all as much help as you can, especially during these tough economic times. Today, more than 13 million American children live in poverty—many

more have either no medical insurance or not enough to bring them to healthy adulthood. Find out how you can help, whether locally, nationally or globally, by visiting www.childrensdefense.org.

Or check out Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest), our nation’s largest hunger-relief program, which provides meals and grocery supplies to 25 million citizens, including 9 million children and 3 million elderly citizens, our most vulnerable populations. Go to www. feedingamerica.org to find local affiliates and programs here on the South Coast.

Be a good neighbor to the el-

derly Nearly 4 million elderly Americans live in poverty, oftentimes having to choose between paying for food or medicine or rent. Many live alone or in nursing homes, with no family or friends nearby. Like our veterans, they have given their lives, contributing to our community and economy, while raising families—they deserve equal respect and support.

We’re all familiar with “Meals-onWheels”, church-based and Council on Aging programs available for senior citizens, but there are many informal neighbor-toneighbor initiatives we can each take on.

Can you spare a few hours to volunteer at the local nursing home? Can you offer to run errands, drive someone to doctor’s appointments or fix that leaky toilet for your older neighbors? Can your children mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn, shovel the walkway or take out the trash?

For suggestions on what you might do, see www.bristolelder.org Like mentors, our elderly neighbors have much they can teach us all, too.

Be mindful of the animals While many Americans are very aware of the environmental threats facing global wildlife, remember, too, that many domesticated animals have been hit hard by their human families’ personal fortunes. Animal shelters are filled with loyal and housebroken pets whose owners just can’t afford to feed them anymore or who lost them in the chaos of a natural disaster. Consider adopting or fostering a homeless pet – to view on-line potential pets awaiting adoption on the South Coast, check out Fall River-based www.foreverpaws.com. You can also go to www.petfinder.com, www. petconnectrescue.org, or call the local MSPCA, animal shelter or veterinarian.

Global initiatives to protect wild animals and their natural habitats abound—think Greenpeace, PETA, or the Cape Cod-based International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Whether at home or abroad, we can still be good stewards of God’s creatures.

Where do you start?

Don’t forget the long-standing charitable organizations—the Red Cross, United Way, the Salvation Army or church-based initiatives. You can give blood, clothing, or a few hours of your time! Here’s just one, and it has dozens of ideas for you: www.volunteersolutions.org/uwgnb/volunteer

n

Become a Voluntourist !

You don’t have to join the Peace Corps to make a difference. Millions of Americans young and old have signed up for weeklong volunteer vacations both here and overseas. College students have passed up Spring Break partying to work on disaster relief programs after Hurricane Katrina.

Retired couples have traveled overseas to do similar work while getting to experience another culture. Habitat for Humanity International (www.habitat.org) relies totally on volunteers from all over the country to rebuild homes and neighborhoods here and around the world. They work closely with both AmeriCorps and VISTA longterm volunteer programs (up to eleven months), which provide living expenses and insurance for qualified and committed volunteers.

To learn more about voluntourism organizations like Voluntourists Without Borders, Relief Riders International, Ambassadors for Children or Students Today Leaders Tomorrow, go to www.voluntourism.org.

When I was my own children’s age, my mother was very sick and needed the thennew medical treatment of dialysis, which, at that time, was only available in Boston.

My father managed a job transfer so that he could drive her up there and still be home in time to make dinner for the four of us kids. But it was our neighbors, who spontaneously volunteered to drive up to Boston three times a week to drive my Mom home to Mattapoisett and make her a cup of tea before we got home from school, who taught me the true meaning of “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

My belated thanks to all of them (especially Lois) for showing me—and therefore my children—what it means to be a compassionate and socially-engaged American.

ELIZABETH MORSE READ is an awardwinning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After twenty years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.

Worried that your donated dollars might be misspent? Go to www. charitynavigator.org for ratings of local, national and international charitable organizations, to make sure your financial contributions do the most good.

They also offer a wealth of links to local and regional organizations seeking volunteers and contributions.

n

n For an up-to-the-minute alert on crises, disaster-relief efforts and the spectrum of global issues needing active participation and support, go to www.cnn.com/impactyourworld

Get your children involved in volunteering early—school/community/ issue-oriented volunteer opportunities abound. Check out Youth Service America to match kids’ age, skills, schedules and interests.

n

Over 50 and wondering if you can still make a difference? Find your new niche at www.aarp.org/cr n

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

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Prime Season

Michael J. Vieira

For many of us, putting the lights on the tree remains a challenge.

Despite the promises, the classic “one goes out—they all go out” issue still happens almost every year.

Maybe I’m getting old, but the new lights don’t really seem much

recent years, they seem to be making a comeback at local stores.

The Arruda Family tree in Swansea had these little metal fans inside a plastic thing that hung over the lights. They kind of looked like little carousel buildings with ceiling fans that would spin from the heat of the light below. I’ve never seen them anyway except at that house and now on the trees of their children’s families.

Besides the “little” bulbs—which were about five times bigger than those teeny glowing filaments that are powered by two little

like an improvement. The new LED super cool lights leave me

wires (how safe can that be?)—there were some seriously big

cold—I do kind of like the bluish glow and the energy-saving

bulbs. They were about the size of small lemon and could be seen

features. But they seem to be a little too dull to create the holiday

for miles.

My father would put them on the Christmas tree at the corner of

cheer that I recall.

I don’t know about you, but I miss the “real” Christmas lights.

our house and you’d swear that it was the scene of a major accident

The ones that were really “clear” glass but were painted different

with the reds, blues, whites, and yellow bulbs lighting up Rhode

colors—not even the colored glass versions were as good. They

Island Avenue in Fall River. But it did draw attention to the plastic

screwed in like normal light bulbs and reached a finger-burning

Holy Family (that glowed thanks to 60 watt lamps inside) flanked

temperature in minutes.

by the plywood shepherds, kings and camels on the front porch.

We also had the giant bulbs in huge candles in our windows.

Giant bulbs

They probably kept the neighbors awake. Between those beacons

My Uncle Joe always had “bubble lights” on his tree. They were long cylinders of colored liquid that would make little bubbles (hence the name) when heated by one of those hot little bulbs. We ended up finding them for sale and bought some for our tree. In

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and the tree lights, I think we used to heat the living room and maybe the whole house with the Christmas lights.

And, I know that there were tragic tree fires, but in all the years of growing up, I really don’t remember one. But then again, we didn’t

put our trees up the day after Halloween. There was a time when many families put up the tree after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. We always waited until the second week of Advent—around mid-December. A tradition we still embrace.

L a Salette still shines Another tradition that we still continue is the trip to LaSalette

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As a kid, the ride is a long trek through the darkness to a place of light. When I was young, I remember the journey, but also the little hot chocolate booth and the constant cold contrasting with the warm glow of thousands of lights.

It’s still cold there—and there’s still hot chocolate (and cider and

coverage to match your exact and multi-policy discounts. And with the Safety Net, you have the convenience of one agent, one company, one monthly statement.

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more). And, there are still lights. More than 300,000 of glowing glass giving glory to God. (And most of them are the old school screw-in type.)

This year’s theme is “Jesus is God’s Yes.” The display begins on Thanksgiving night and runs until January 3. The lights are on

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Call 800-660-7401 or visit www.lapointeins.com

from 5 to 9 p.m. daily.

According to Shrine Director Rev. Andre Patenaude, better know as Father Pat, the theme of this year has everything to do with saying, “yes.”

God says, ‘yes’ “God loves all of creation and that God will redeem or set free, and send a Savior,” he said. So ,God sends Jesus to reconcile the world and give it Hope.”

But more than that, Fr. Pat explains: “God says ‘yes’ to humankind, and Mary says ‘yes’ to the invitation to be the Mother of the Savior, and we are invited to say ‘yes,’ to follow and make the world a better place.”

New this year, is display for children called “Clopper the Christmas Donkey.” It will be located around the Rosary Walk. There will also be a contest for children and teenagers in the area schools on this year’s Christmas theme with awards to be given after the lights are turned off.

Concerts with Father Pat are held every day except Mondays and on Dec 5. A number of special concerts will also be an added feature this year with orchestras, choirs etc.

For more information, visit the Shrine website at www.lasaletteshrine.org Mike Vieira is the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bristol Community. He still has glass lights on his Christmas tree and visits LaSalette every year. He and his wife Audrey have been part of “The Reconcilers,” a group that has accompanied Fr. Pat since 1973.

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Prime L iving

Families find comfort in funeral prearrangement A pregnant daughter snaps at her ill father: “How can you upset me like this. Can’t you just keep it to yourself.” She turns and walks away in this scene from the popular AMC H arvey B urt drama series Mad Men, set in the early sixties.

U ssach Her father is taken aback. Forward thinking for his time [1963], he wants to tell her of his will and funeral arrangements to protect her from an industry he sees as dishonest, that preys on family grief.

Times have changed

cooperation during funeral planning.

The stereotype of a smiling funeral director whispering “we understand your grief” but not caring, is gone, replaced by a well-trained professional who not only empathizes with relatives’ sorrow but works them through a difficult time.

Funeral directors tend now to be counselors, licensed insurance agents, and workshop sponsors who instruct consumers in financial prearrangement, long term tax issues, burial and cremation options, and who help to facilitate family dialogue and

Customers need to have full

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More choices While more families prearrange a loved one’s funeral for peace of mind and to avoid the last minute stress of locating important documents and family details, some also opt to cover expensive administrative and transportation costs incurred when a loved one dies while traveling.

This might be a good place to start discussing funeral planning, since people travel larger distances now to see relatives, and because people live longer and travel more in retirement.

One such policy, Away from Home Protection, will for a one-time fee of $425 offer life long benefits to a policy holder should “death occur 75 miles or more away from your legal residence,” says their brochure. As part of 24-hour, year-round protection, the policy covers preparing the body, transport, and all administrative and shipping costs.

“It cuts through a lot of red tape,” said Kimberly J. Smith, director of advance planning at Waring-Sullivan Funeral

Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

Homes. Till recently, she explained, nobody thought about death and funerals until later in life, but now they talk about it in their forties and fifties.

Communication is key It is important to bring children into this discussion. Communication is crucial between children and parents, she added.

William “BT” Hathaway agrees that having conversation with children “is one of the biggest challenges” and that it is “an interesting business that way.”

Children are such an important part now of the funeral process, that the Dignity Memorial Network (of U.S. and Canadian funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoriums), of which Waring-Sullivan Funeral Homes is a member, offers a Child/ Grandchild Protection Program. It specifies that if a young family member age 0-21 dies while a pre-planned Dignity Memorial Plan is in effect, a service provider will “provide complete funeral services, free of charge, up to the level of service you originally selected.”

Where to start?

Thinking about funeral prearrangement might logically begin with a visit to the web sites of each funeral home. They all have home pages with links to topics like grief help, help with obituaries, on line registration, services and pre-planning. The last link, for instance, on the Hathaway Family Funeral Homes website says that in the past pre-arrangement “meant a brief verbal agreement between an individual and a funeral director. Today, a pre-arranged funeral (or Pre-need) means written documentation placed on file at the funeral home.”

Pre-arrangement begins typically with an initial consultation and family brainstorming of burial options. The funeral home will typically “gather vital statistics, biographical data, pictures and photos” to keep on file, said Hathaway.

His funeral home distributes a Funeral Planning Guide, so that relatives can leisurely record data such as personal information: name and address, education, military record, and employment; legal arrangements: insurance policies and power of attorney; business matters: property ownership and investments; family and friends: names of children and descendants; and funeral service instructions: casket, pallbearers, visitation, clothing, jewelry, flowers, clergy, method of disposition, obituary notices, and any other important notes.

Also available at this time is a Buyer’s Guide to Pre-Need Funeral Contracts, which must by Massachusetts law be given to every person or group discussing prearrangement “with a funeral establishment (a registered licensed or registered certified funeral director). The Guide discusses pre-payment, types of funding available, income tax consequences, Medicaid issues, and cancellation and relocation matters.

The priority is to encourage family discussion

families, that a Fall River funeral home stresses this concern in a recent television ad, and Hathaway for its part says in its website that any prearrangement made in Massachusetts “should remain portable to any other place in the country; pre-need insurance will pay a claim to whichever funeral home provides the services anywhere in the country.”

It alerts consumers to three vital points, however; first, that trust accounts bearing the pre-arranged funds fall under special rules, “though you should always have the right to transfer funds to another funeral home as you see fit; second, “if such transfers are handled improperly your Medicaid eligibility can be interrupted;” and third, in order to qualify for Medicaid benefits, a pre-arrangement must have the “irrevocable” option checked on the pre-need funeral contract, meaning legally that any money placed in a pre-need fund may not be withdrawn for any reason, “except to pay for the actual funeral at time of death.”

Consumers often ask what happens to their funds if a home changes hands.

Hathaway, for one, assures them that money remains “safe and independent of the funeral home itself.” Third parties such as Massachusetts Funeral Trust, and the New England Funeral Trust, oversee and manage pre-need funds under the auspices of a trust bank, or in an insurance policy specializing in funerals.

Continued on next page

Help with the details Relocation and transferability is such an important issue to highly mobile

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Continued from previous page Nevertheless, customers need to have full disclosure, BT advises, that transferability can be “limited,” depending on state and Medicaid provisions. While consumers receive an annual 1099 tax form, they need to know all the laws.

Planning smart Another time pre-payment becomes a viable option is when families “must spend down their assets, when they have to do it, so that the state does not get their money,” explains Oliver Cabral, owner of New Bedford’s Cabral-Baylies Square Funeral Home and the Cabral-Lamoureux Funeral Home.

Often older persons will put funds into a bank trust, while younger persons opt for an insurance company annuity, which offers a bit more interest. Cabral offers to fund funeral planning through policies with Forethought Life Insurance Company.

Kimberly Smith also said that a majority of consumers use an insurance vehicle for several reasons. It carries no tax implication like a trust fund, it is transportable, allows the carrier to be changed, locks in the funeral price, and importantly, if payments are incomplete, final payments will be made by the carrier. Families can pre-arrange insurance payment over time.

Most common is a single lump sum, or over three to five years, or up to 20 years.

In a trust, funds are put in and kept safe, but that is all, with few if any benefits. The downside of insurance policies is that they are not protected against inflation.

Professional help It was previously alluded to that funeral directors are trained professionals. All

Cremation

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funeral directors who offer insurance annuities must be licensed insurance agents, said Cabral. Certification must be renewed annually, as is annual licensing by the New Bedford Board of Health. A funeral director license must be renewed every three years.

Cabral’s Forethought policy holders put two particular pre-need matters in writing: funeral services, such as professional, embalming, visitation, and transportation; and funeral merchandise, such as a casket, outer vault container, and associated items.

The priority, Oliver Cabral explained, is to encourage family discussion regarding who will make the arrangements, where funds will come from, the cost of the funeral and, says a Forethought brochure, to assure, “there will be no family disputes—your loved ones won’t need to ask: Did we do the right thing? Did we spend too much or too little? Is it what he or she wanted?

These are difficult questions for families, and even though funeral directors are trained to answer them, sometimes consumers need much more background information before they engage in the prearrangement negotiations encouraged by attorneys, accountants and financial counselors. Waring-Sullivan, for instance, sponsors annual consumer workshop seminars that feature nationally known speakers, such as Alan Wolfelt, who created the Picking up the Pieces series dealing with care giving, working through grief, and care for someone dying. Earl Grollman has

Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

also spoken to frontline care givers such as nurses, educators and clergy.

Waring-Sullivan’s Kimberly Smith also explained that local sessions are held as often as possible, maybe every other month, called Planning Ahead for all the right reasons. These workshops aim to foster better communication among family members and especially between children and adults.

Burial or cremation?

Up till now, the topic has been funeral pre-planning with passing reference to casket needs. That begs the question, though, whether traditional burial or cremation will be performed. Someone might be tempted to take a perceived easy and inexpensive way out and opt for organ and body donation. The state requires informing families of the choice of organ donation, but medical schools and other pathology facilities might have no space for cadavers, and so plans are needed for the bodily remains.

Oliver Cabral’s two New Bedford funeral homes have a 90 percent Portuguese immigrant customer base. They generally wake a family member, then conduct a traditional burial in a metal or hardwood casket.

Cremation, now accepted by Catholics, accounts for only 10 percent of his funeral services.

He explained that cremation services are strictly regulated by the state. In fact, he

said Massachusetts is generally “very strict” about funeral home operation. For instance, unlike in Rhode Island and Florida where a crematorium is at the funeral home for “one-stop” convenience, Massachusetts for anti-monopoly and perhaps forensic reasons, require crematoriums to be in cemeteries.

“BT” Hathaway reported the cremation rate percentage rising into the high 30s, with parts of Maine and New Hampshire seeing it in the 70s. Kimberly Smith agreed that it is rising in Maine and on Cape Cod as high as the 70s. Reasons for this cremation option is partly cost; partly ecological sense, though not so much in southeastern Massachusetts—Smith pointed out that all the cemetery land in the U.S. would not equal the land area of Rhode Island.

Those who choose cremation still must select a service with the body present and cremation afterwards; no body present; with or without an urn—more options for the uncertain consumer who is aided by a well trained Massachusetts funeral director who is also a dual licensed embalmer. They require two years of schooling in funeral services, two years as an apprentice, and then need to pass national and state certification boards.

Cremation is “often more complex than burial,” said Smith.

Hathaway agreed that it is complex. Massachusetts law requires a 48-hour waiting period before cremation, in case of hidden criminal evidence. Then a medical examiner signs off on the cremation process, he said.

Other cremation decisions are choice of a rigid combustible container, whether ones ashes will be buried with another person’s body or ashes, and dispersal procedure. Relatives often assume full responsibility for scattering ashes, though Waring-Sullivan and other funeral homes will contract for boat services to scatter ashes at sea (outside the three-mile limit).

When all is prepared, said and done, all that remains is for relatives to feel at ease at the memorial service, and funeral homes strive to assure their comfort in many ways. Chapel sizes vary from intimate to large, where chairs can still be repositioned for conversational groups. Many offer a children’s room with small work tables for reading and coloring, though Kimberly Smith encourages children not to be set apart but allowed to take part in a family’s bereavement.

Families set up photo displays of the deceased; some families, like mine, set up a slide projector. Some of the newer chapels have ceiling installed projectors.Waring-Sullivan features a lobby designed according to feng shui decorating principles, complete with waterfall and hearth to represent the soothing sights and sounds of nature.

Funeral planning, like many things now in life, is time-consuming, challenging, and stressful. More consumers are pre-planning and pre-paying funerals for peace of mind. A lot of options and legalities are involved, which are dealt with by increasingly more professional funeral directors who understand human relations, grief, insurance and financial matters. They encourage consumers to call, visit their establishments, and log on to their web sites to see what they offer.

The Quiet Comfort funeral homes.

Fall River • Somerset • Taunton New Bedford • Fairhaven • Attleboro

508-673-0781 helping people find hope 1813 Robeson Street, Fall River, MA 02720

Family-owned • Dedicated, professional staff Caring, compassionate service

www.hathawayfunerals.com

H.B. Ussach is a college writing instructor and freelance journalist with an M.A. in print journalism and communication from American University in Washington, D.C. He writes often on business issues and worked for many years as a retail manager.

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Prime L iving

South Coast care meets Seniors’ needs The new geriatric psychiatric program at Saint Anne’s Hospital fulfills a true community need

The debate about healthcare these days seems to be “who will pay?” rather than “how can we help the sick get well?” Obama is relentless Stacie in his pursuit of creating a unified, Charbonneau Hess affordable, accessible healthcare system in the United States. The system in place right now, most agree, is in dire need of change.

It is as if we have forgotten why we need health insurance in the first place. Healthcare has become a business, not a humanitarian undertaking.

This is not true at community hospitals such as Saint Anne’s in Fall River. Since it was founded over one hundred years ago by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, Saint Anne’s has sought to fulfill a true community need for healthcare based on compassion and service, not on the bottom line.

The hospital, thriving today on the Catholic values by which it was conceived and a member of Caritas Christi, serves the entire South Coast community—young and old, rich or poor. Maybe miraculously, Saint Anne’s does this without sacrificing quality.

The hospital has some of the finest, most up-to-date technological equipment, and provides care that would be otherwise available only in big cities.

On September 2nd of this year, Saint Anne’s unveiled its Geriatric Psychiatry Program, in response to a growing community demand. Dr. Edgardo Angeles, a board-certified psychiatrist, heads the Unit, closely aided by Administrative Director Margaret (Peg) Pfeiffer, RN, MS, CS and Theresa Sousa, LICSW, a clinical social worker.

Peg Pfeiffer says the unit has enhanced the scope of care at Saint Anne’s: “We have been able to add another service to patients who are coming in through the Emergency Department and Inpatient

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Units. This has allowed us to expand our services to patients that would normally have to leave the area for this type of treatment.”

In 2007, research was conducted to identify the needs of older adults and the findings were astonishing.

One in five older adults in the U.S. will experience a psychiatric disorder at one time or another in their lives. In 2007 alone, of 902 patients in Fall River aged 60 and older, 254 required some form of psychiatric treatment, and 86 of the patients were denied this treatment due to lack of availability.

Saint Anne’s, as a community hospital, worked to rectify this problem and create a local program that would serve the specific needs of older adults. With funds totaling 1.5 million, Saint Anne’s hired Consigli Construction Company to begin work on the third floor Unit, which made its debut on September 2nd.

The Geriatric Psychiatry Program has 16-beds, with private rooms and safety features such as modified beds, special alarms, secure plumbing and electrical systems.

Members of Saint A nne’s Hospital’s new Geriatric Psychiatry Program team include (left-right) Edgardo A ngeles, MD, medical director; Barbara Smith, RN, case manager; M argaret Pfeiffer, RN, MS, administrative director; and T heresa Sousa, MSW, LICSW, clinical social worker.

Caring for older adults is a passion of all of the staff.

Anne Ferreira, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator at Saint Anne’s, adds, “The unit includes an isolation room for medically compromised patients, a “quiet zone,” and a sensory room for therapeutic activities including music, aromatherapy and other stress reduction techniques.”

Patients normally stay for seven to ten days, or as long as it takes to get their psychiatric symptoms under control.

According to Pfeiffer, “As an acute psychiatric facility, we treat major mental illnesses that have caused impairment in functioning. The patient may respond very quickly to medication management and different treatments, such as group and individual therapy, stress management, cognitive therapy, and aromatherapy. The goal is to get the patient stabilized and then transition them either home or to another living arrangement.”

Patients in the program benefit from the combined care of psychiatrists, case managers, registered nurses with geriatric and psychiatric experience, clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists and dieticians.

Family members play an important role in the goal of psychiatric health. “We are a benefit for families,” says Pfeiffer, “because having their loved ones closer to the South Coast region is important to our patients. Also, they are in a community hospital they are familiar with.”

Older adults often have issues with depression, stemming from physical constraints such as lack of mobility or independence.

Sometimes they have trouble sleeping, begin to lose weight, or isolate themselves—all because of depression.

Sometimes, says Pfeiffer, “An older person may also have an awareness that their cognition is declining.” The Geriatric Psychiatry Unit at Saint Anne’s provides an array of therapies to help the depressed patient return to his or her “baseline.”

Adds Pfeiffer, “The hospital chose this area due to the high volume of patients seeking these services and having heard feedback from families that wanted to have their loved ones treated in their community. Caring for older adults is a passion of all of the staff.

As one nurse put it, these are our moms and dads.”

That sentiment doesn’t sound anything like a business that cares only for its bottom line.

It sounds like a humanitarian undertaking, and on the South Coast we have come to expect such care from the community hospital known as Saint Anne’s.

How to choose a senior community.

Start with choices At Sunrise Senior Living, we are celebrating our 26th year of giving seniors more choices about the way they want to live.

Today, Sunrise offers a variety of living arrangements, amenities and services, meal plans, social activities, transportation options, personalized assistance, medication management, and continence care services.

Our resident-centered approach to senior living puts seniors first, giving them options to meet their individual needs and wishes.

Visit or call Sunrise Assisted Living of Dartmouth and choose the life that’s right for you.

In Massachusetts we offer Assisted Living, Alzheimer’s Care as well as respite and rehabilitative stay options.

Sunrise Senior Living

274 Slocum Road v Dartmouth, MA v 508-999-0404

www.SunriseSeniorLiving.com

Stacie Charbonneau Hess is a mother, a graduate student, and a freelance writer based in New Bedford, Massachsuetts, where she lives with her husband, three children, and too many pets to mention.

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Prime L iving

Southcoast Center for Cancer Care opens in Fall River Top local oncologist chooses to join new Southcoast program offering seamless care for cancer patients

C

“We want to ensure that no matter where a patient lives in the South Coast, they have access to expert, compassionate and comprehensive cancer care.”

— Keith A. Hovan President & CEO Southcoast Hospitals Group

ancer patients in the South Coast have another option for health care without traveling to Boston.

Southcoast Hospitals Group is opening the Southcoast Center for Cancer Care in Fall River. The new center recently held an open house for community members.

“The level of care being provided by this stellar team of professionals further solidifies Southcoast’s commitment to the entire South Coast region,” said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Located at Charlton Memorial Hospital, the new cancer care center is their first step toward bringing coordinated care and advanced oncology services to the entire South Coast region — from Fall River to Cape Cod. The new comprehensive center provides a full range of oncology services, including image-guided radiation therapy, the very latest technology available in radiation treatment for cancer. The radiation therapy program will utilize IGRT, IMRT and PET/CT technology, which is considered the very latest technology available in radiation treatment for cancer.

The Cancer Center will also specialize in the latest chemotherapies, surgery and advanced diagnostic imaging. Support services, educational materials and screenings will be offered in collaboration with the American Cancer Society.

services, transportation and any questions the patient or family members may have during their visit or after they return home.

“After meeting with oncology patients from across the region, we determined that one of the hardest parts of undergoing a cancer diagnosis is managing the many appointments, medications, transportation concerns and any issues that may arise during treatment,” said Linda Bodenmann, Chief Operating Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

“Our Patient Navigators will guide our patients in a compassionate and comprehensive manner so they are getting the best care possible in a hassle-free environment.”

The newly renovated area at Charlton also offers patients and their families a comforting, spa-like environment with a host of amenities such as valet parking, personal TVs in the chemotherapy treatment area, Internet access, refreshments and a resource library.

The Fall River cancer center will operate as an extension of Southcoast’s new flagship cancer

Comforting care Southcoast’s new Cancer Centers will also have a dedicated “Patient Navigator” to make sure every patient’s journey through cancer treatment is as smooth as possible. The Patient Navigator is a “go-to” person to help coordinate appointments, answer questions and point them in the right direction will guide every patient through their care.

This coordinator will manage all aspects of the patient’s care, including appointments with physicians, radiology and laboratory services, medication and pain management, support

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center in Fairhaven that is slated to open in 2011. The Fairhaven center will be located on Mill Road and will address the fragmented cancer care and growing need for advanced comprehensive cancer services in the eastern portion of the region.

“In anticipation of the main Southcoast Center for Cancer Care in Fairhaven, we have upgraded our regional system of cancer services.

Previously oncology services in the region were fragmented among providers and services,” Bodenmann said, adding: “Our patients and their family members will have access to the same team of experts and services whether they are at our Fall River or North Dartmouth sites.”

Current services at the North Dartmouth location will be upgraded to reflect the full-range of care provided through Southcoast’s new cancer program. Cancer patients at both locations will receive treatment from our expanded team of cancer specialists, including being appointed a Patient Navigator.

Patients who receive medical treatment at the North Dartmouth location, and need radiation services, will be offered a free shuttle to and from the Fall River cancer center. Staff will coordinate appointments at both sites. Families are welcome to ride on the shuttle as well.

Clinical Leadership Mark Shparber, MD, medical oncologist is the latest physician to join the Southcoast oncology team. Having been a part of the South Coast medical community for 20 years, he brings a unique perspective on the region’s demographics and the patients he will continue to serve.

“I am proud to join the oncologists who will be leading Southcoast’s cancer program. Practicing at Southcoast Cancer Centers will allow me to reach patients who in the past have had to travel to receive their care elsewhere,” said Dr. Shparber.

“Fittingly, I have an intimate knowledge of the health challenges facing our community members and the patients who I will be caring for. My unique role on the team will be offering this insight as a way to target the most critical services that may be absent at the present time,” he continued.

In addition to Dr. Shparber, Southcoast has pulled together an outstanding team of professionals, including physicians from some of the major academic cancer centers around the country. Patients undergoing cancer treatments may receive care from medical, radiation and/ or surgical oncologists. Other members of the team include oncology nurses, technologists, pharmacists, social workers and nutritionists.

“Our new services, staff and locations are designed with one goal in mind—to bring our patients and their families the very best cancer treatment possible and make it available right here in your own community,” said Therese M. Mulvey, MD, the Physician-in-Chief of Oncology Services for the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care.

“It is important that the South Coast community have access to high-quality oncology services and leading-edge clinical cancer research without having to travel. We hope to empower patients to receive high-quality care in their own communities, with shared decision making among specialists and patients,” she added.

“We will continue to pursue our goal of being recognized as a top provider of care in every clinical service we offer,” Hovan said. “Cancer is a growing health problem that will soon surpass heart disease. We want to ensure that no matter where a patient lives in the South Coast, they have access to expert, compassionate and comprehensive cancer care.”

For more information on Southcoast’s cancer services visit www.southcoast.org/cancercare/.

Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Massachusetts, Inc. Serving the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts and Southern Rhode Island 24 Hours a Day—7 Days a Week Offices in Fall River, Raynham, & Little Compton Phone: 508-676-8251 Toll Free 800-698-NURSE (6877) WWW.VNASM.ORG

Nursing - Hospice & Palliative Care Rehabilitation Therapies - Adult Day Care

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Prime Living

October 2009

Common

Children of Eden

by Stephen Schwartz Musical Bristol Community College

sense

December 2009

Forever Plaid— Plaid Tidings

Musical The Firebarn Theatre a special holiday edition

January 2010

Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark

not so common

and

Hush Little Celia, Don’t Say a Word 2 original one act plays The Firebarn Theatre

Christa Johnson, MD

March 2010

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

by Tennessee Williams Drama Bristol Community College

May 2010

Grease

Musical Bristol Community College

For information, dates and times, and to reserve tickets, call 508-675-1852 or visit us online at www.littletheatre.net

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Horace Greeley’s wise words give me the title for my comments on something that is all too rare.

“Just use your common sense,” we say, assuming that a common sense approach to life is easy, simple. Yet, so often what might seem to be common sense is not obvious. This is so even with one’s own happiness.

A parable tells of a sage old gentleman who was walking down the street: a man in a car pulled up beside him and asked, “I am planning to move into this town, could you tell me what the people are like here?”

The sage responded with the question, “What were they like where you came from?”

And the man said, “They were kind, loving and friendly. I had many friends there.”

In response the sage said, “You will find the same thing here.”

A while later, another man pulled up in a car and asked the sage, “I am planning to move into this town and was wondering what the people were like here?”

Again the sage asked, “What were they like where you came from?”

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The man said, “They were mean, unfriendly and no one could be trusted.”

To which the sage responded, “You will find the same thing here.”

The sage understood the very simple yet not totally obvious bit of common sense that we are what we think.

What determines happiness?

In our culture we are socialized to believe that what we have, how successful we are, fame, fortune and other externals will determine our level of happiness. And there is no doubt whatsoever that if you have enough to never have to worry about food, housing and other basics, your life will be easier.

But there are truly happy people who live

in abject poverty just as there are horribly unhappy people who live lifestyles of the rich and famous. We all know this, but what may not be clear is that it is nothing but our thoughts, our own internal images, that determine our level of happiness and our satisfaction with our lives.

What determines your mood from day to day ?

Certainly when great things happen, you will most likely feel happy, and when horrible things happen, sad. But what about the rest of the days when your life is just going on without anything happening that is particularly either good or bad? What determines how you feel on those days?

Nothing but your own thoughts.

Your thoughts not only determine your level of happiness but also have a significant impact on your health.

Hans Eysenk, a researcher from England, did a massive study over many decades in which he looked at the psychological profiles of 13,000 people. He divided them into three personality groups. Group 1 was made up of people who were generally depressed, group 2 were people who were angry much of the time and group 3 were people who were generally happy. Of the people the people who ultimately died of cancer, 75% were from group 1, 15% were from group 2 and less than 1% were from group 3.

The percentages were different, yet much the same, for people who ultimately died of heart disease: 15% were from group 1, 75% were from group 2 and again less that 1% were from group 3.

You are what you think This provides incredibly convincing evidence once again of the intimate connection between our minds (thoughts, emotions, worries) and our bodies. In fact, your thoughts (internal images) direct your body’s physiology.

This study, along with hundreds of others done over the last five decades, goes a long way toward proving what the Buddha said in his teachings centuries ago, “Mind is the

forerunner of all things. As we think and act so our world becomes.”

The good news is we do not have to be passive victims to everything that befalls us. Certainly Anne Frank was anything a victim when in her diary she wrote, “I keep my ideals because in spite of everything, I still feel that people are really good at heart. I simply cannot build up my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery and death. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will come right that this cruelty too will sometime end and that peace and tranquility will return to the earth.”

There is no denying the horror of her life or of its end. But her beautiful internal images not only made her own life better than it might have been but lives on as an example of what is possible for each and every one of us.

Just close your eyes, take a few gentle breaths, and look for a moment at your own internal images.

How do they make you see the world?

From this quiet introspective place, look at those things that worry you or make you angry or sad. They will look quite different when viewed from that relaxed, quiet, contemplative place that we all have inside.

Understand that these worries are nothing but thoughts or images. Replacing worry images with peaceful images is possible.

When you can do this, your bio-physiology shifts from stressed to relaxed with all the associated emotional and physical health benefits. You always have a choice.

The bottom line is you do not see the world as it is. You see the world as you are.

This knowledge makes all the difference.

Now this is common sense.

Christa Johnson, MD is available to present Mind Body Medicine topics to groups or organizations in a variety of formats.

To receive dates, location and further information call 508-636-2589 or email DrCLJ5@aol.com

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trinity repertory

0, x223 pm performance tonight rmance on Sept. 30 before show; limit 1 per person

company

ow

We’re saving a seat for you — call today! oct. 16 – nov. 22

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nov. 20 – dec. 27

Jan. 29 – March 7

Feb. 19 – March 28

www.trinityrep.com • (401) 351-4242 201 WASHINGTON ST. • PROVIDENCE • RI • SEASON SPONSORED by

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— The Center for —

Vascular Diseases Sophisticated care in a caring way Board-certified, Fellowship-trained Working with your physicians, in your town • Arterial and venous testing • Diabetic circulatory problems • Stroke prevention • Aortic aneurysms • Minimally-invasive endovascular techniques • Office-based vein procedures Ibrahim G. Eid, MD, FACS

David A. Bigatel, MD, FACS

Martin A. Fogle, MD, FACS

Jennifer C. Lussier, PA-C

Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Center at Newport Hospital For compassionate and expert care Acute rehabilitative inpatient care Outpatient therapies Prosthetic and orthotic clinic Cardiac rehabilitation Direction and oversight provided by physiatrist Barbara Reiser, MD, medical director of Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Center, board certified in physical and rehabilitative medicine

Fall River • Newport • Providence

508-673-4329 • 401-849-3791

Thank you for helping us help others!

Useable Clothing •Shoes Furniture • Household Items Electronics • Sporting Goods

As part of a Magnet-designated hospital, the Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Center offers you not only the benefit of experience but also the highest quality nursing care available.

— The Salvation Army Family Stores — Providence 201 Pitman St. 401-421-5270

Attleboro 21 Union St. 508-226-5372

Newport 76 Broadway 401-846-0896

Swansea 534 GAR Hghwy Route 6 508 676-2226

We still accept good useable donations at all of our locations.

We offer free pick-up of furniture & large household items.

Your donations are tax deductible.

Better buys for better living at your local thrift stores

www.newporthospital.org

www.salvationarmy.com C oastal M ags . com

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21

Prime Season

Write your own book

or at least write it down It seems that memoir writing has become a popular sideline for the rich and famous—and folks who are not either. Visit Amazon.com and search for “memoirs”— Michael more than 35,000 results show up. Some J. Vieira are written by famous people like Ted Kennedy; some were made into movies like Julie and Julia; and some were written by folks mostly to record the stuff they still remember.

I fall into the latter category.

It all started about 40 years ago when as a young lad I researched the history of Camp Noquochoke, my boyhood camp. I was about 15 when I worked on staff at the camp in 1969 and over the next couple of years I typed the first version on “thesis paper.”

(If you remember that red lined, erasable paper as “high tech,” then you’re reading the right magazine.

Fast forward to the 80s, and a Scout Executive friend heard about it and asked me if I could dig it out and share it at a Boy Scout Massasoit District event. I did—and moved it onto a computer.

The printed copies were distributed and probably pretty quickly forgotten about.

About a year ago, the Cachalot Alumni Association called me to ask about the history—which I guess had become somewhat of a Scouting legend. Did it even exist? I began to wonder myself.

Sure enough, I not only found the old manuscript on thesis paper with lots of editing marks on it, but also the file. That was easy.

But what made the project come alive were some old photos from 1921 that the Cachalot Alumni Association had published on their website.

Finding a publisher As the 40th anniversary of my staff year started to come closer, I decided it was time to publish the text—but as a real book. But who would want to publish a history of a camp that’s been closed for almost 30 years?

Thanks the wonderful world of the Internet, I was able to search for “vanity presses.” Most of them wanted money, minimum copies and other fees. I didn’t have much of any of that. Then I found Lulu.com.

For many years, Fall River’s Troop 50 turned the Pine Grove area into a pioneering wonderland. Photo courtesy of Norm Menard, Jr.

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Lulu may have a goofy name, but they offer a sweet deal. They provide a Microsoft Word template, you drop in your copy and photos, and they print one—or one million copies —on demand.

They will also get an ISBN for the volume, which makes it “real” in my book.

There are choices of bindings, various qualities of paper, and other printing options that only a desktop publishing geek like me would care about. I was off and running like a Tenderfoot!

Building the book For those not so picky, the basic process is pretty easy. Write your story in Microsoft Word. Copy and paste it into the template, pick a cover and you’re on your way. I wanted more.

As I worked on the book, I decided it needed more photos. I called on some old camp buddies and John Hutchins and Norm Menard, Jr. came through in style. Add this to the Cachalot Alumni Association photos and things were looking good.

But when the history section was finished, it just didn’t seem finished. I added a few more photos, some other materials, but still wasn’t satisfied. First off, it was too short. A “real” book needed about 100 pages I decided. Second, the history told the facts—but not the experience that made it important to me.

Remembering camp life For my entire publishing career, I’ve been more of a “just the facts guy.” As a journalist, my goal is to let the subject tell the story. But like Hunter S. Thompson, Jr., I realized that in this case, I was too much part of the tale to stay out of it.

To be honest, I could have gone the Fear and Loathing at Scout Camp route, but my friends made me promise to leave the war stories out. That was okay, there were enough memories of life on Rhode Island Avenue in Fall River when the landmarks included the city dump and chicken farm and memories of the pristine Pine Grove and other camp sites.

As I pass the 55 year mark, it was good to be able to remember stuff. Seriously. Like many of us, there are moments when names and facts move across my brain at manual typewriter speed—and sometimes at Palmer Method script.

But more importantly, even though my kids and family have heard more than their share of “Glory Day” tales, I know that eventually, they won’t remember the details of our stories any better than we recall our parents’ “Techicolor” experiences set to a sound track of LPs. (Isn’t that Glenn Miller?)

Write it down — now Perhaps more than any season, the holidays bring more memories to mind than any other time during the year. Write those recollections down—and if you have any good recipes, share those too. Had a meaningful experience? Share that adventure, be it serving in the military, working in a non-traditional role, or traveling the old highways to places that don’t exist anymore.

For now, don’t focus on the book or printed word. Just tell your story. Type it into a Word file, record it, dictate it to somebody, or scribble the tale on paper. Later, you can recruit somebody to edit the material if you want to reach a wider audience. For now, just save it before you lose it.

Visit lulu.com and search for “noquochoke.” Some of the proceeds of any sales will go to the Dave Pereira Memorial Campership Fund and to the Cachalot Alumni Association.

VISIT FAIRHAVEN

Shop for unique gifts and home accessories.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.

See unique architecture or a seacoast fort.

Town of Fairhaven VISITORS CENTER

43 Center St., Fairhaven Mon. Tue. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

508-979-4085 C oastal M ags . com

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Shop the South Coast Local shops stock sugar plums and much more!

In the days of cell phones and emails, where it almost doesn’t matter if your loved one lives in Toledo or Tewksbury, it is easy to forget our roots and lose our sense of place. But New Englanders are a slow-moving breed.

We feel rooted to our hometowns in a way that Stacie Charbonneau outsiders sometimes envy. Our progress is slow, Hess conscious. We do not make foolhardy decisions.

Small towns shun fast food chains; we protest when developers conspire to throw up mini-malls in our quaint villages.

Since our current economy has many of us sticking close to our roots for the holidays, this is the season to think globally and shop locally. We can do the majority of our holiday shopping nearby, taking it easy on our wallets, reducing our carbon footprint, and also boosting our local economy.

A rt in New Bedford The holidays compel some of us to buy luxury items, such as jewelry and art—things we don’t buy during the rest of the year. A new gallery has opened up in downtown New Bedford called Navio.

Explore this showcase for gorgeous, one-of-a-kind pottery made entirely by local artists. Visit Navio at 65 Williams Street, just up from the Visitor’s Center and Whaling Museum, www.whalingmuseum.org After you have checked out Navio, walk across the street to the Arthur Moniz Gallery, www.arthurmonizgallery.com. This spot

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Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

offers more traditional art in the form of beautiful landscape paintings and prints of our region and beyond. Also visit the nearby Robert Duff Gallery www.robertduff.com For gifts of fine art featuring Oak Bluffs harbor, Ned’s Point Lighthouse, and New Bedford’s quaint streets, visit ArtWorks in New Bedford and Front Street Fine Arts in Marion. Both have gifts that are sure to tug at the heartstrings of any native New Englander. Both galleries and several more gift shops are located in the heart of the historic district downtown. You can also visit their websites at www.artworksforyou.org and www.frontstreetfinearts. com

S weets in Fall River If you are shopping for a history buff with a sweet tooth, or someone with fond, nostalgic feelings about growing up in Fall River, you should definitely check out the Fall River Historical Society.

Each year the museum hosts a Victorian Holiday Open House featuring a 14-foot Christmas tree in the Music Room decorated with mouth-blown glass ornaments and decorations typical of the Victorian Era. In addition, for one month only (mid- November through Christmas), the second floor of the Historical Society will be transformed into a fantasyland for candy lovers.

Curator Michael Martins re-creates the famous “Candy Box” from department store R.A. McWhirr’s. Anyone who grew up in Fall River will reminisce as they lick their “home-made oldfashioned style candy ribbons and candy canes” and even the

“sugarplums,” made just as they were one hundred years ago.

The Historical Society displays the original candy scale from the R.A. McWhirr’s store, along with the original ads, making a visit a lesson in history as well as gluttony!

In past years, the shop has sold out of sugar-free candies, so don’t delay your visit. Looking for a unique gift idea? Last year, many patrons sent candy boxes to friends and family who grew up in Fall River but now live elsewhere.

“Most people don’t even know what a sugar plum is,” Martins jokes. I pledge to find out this winter season. For hours and more information visit www.lizzieborden.org

Wine and Crafts in Westport Last but not least, what are the holidays without special, celebratory spirits from nearby vineyards and breweries? The Russell family of Westport has blessed this region with world-class wine and beer, made from fruit and grains grown lovingly on South Coast soil.

Even the mission statement of Buzzards Bay Brewing Company declares the importance to the owners: “grow(ing) in harmony with the South Coast by being a good neighbor, demonstrating stewardship of the land and producing the finest beers imaginable.”

For the holidays, home-grown hops create seasonal styles such as Oktoberfest for fall and cranberry lambic for Thanksgiving.

Like fine wine? Drink locally from the Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery. Hand-crafted wines such as Pineau di Pinot, a sumptuously delicious aperitif / dessert wine, Chardonnay, Rkatsiteli and Rielsing are available for purchase at the Company Store or at Massachusetts retailers.

For a special and romantic treat, visit the Westport Vineyards property, 417 Hixbridge Road, Westport. Websites for the companies are www.buzzardsbrew.com and www.westportrivers.com.

There’s a new option in Westport, as a fine art gallery opens at 770 Main Road on November 6. The Central Village Art Gallery (addition to Sticks, Stones & Stars Gallery, at 723 Main Road)

feature oils, watercolors, pastels, glass sculpture, and furniture by South Coast artists.

And don’t forget some of our long-time favorites, Partner’s Village Store, Country Woolens and Deni’s Closet. Visit them at their Westport locations along Main Road, and get local produce from Lees Market located in the center of the village.

Your Local Theatre Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is time. Buying concert or play tickets for your spouse, sibling or mom is a great way to ensure you’ll spend some time together this busy season.

Plus, there is no better way to support our local region than by attending a live music or theatrical event.

Need some ideas? The entertainment roster at the Zeiterion Theatre is improving every year. On December 1, Winona Judd’s Holiday Show is here! Later in the month, the U.S. Air Force will perform its holiday show (December 12th), and of course you can see Dickens’ quintessential holiday play, The Christmas Carol. Go to www.zeiterion.org for more information.

Need even more help getting into the Christmas spirit? Fall River Little Theatre is presenting The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on December 4-7 and 11-14. Check out www.littletheatre.net for times and more information.

Fall River’s Narrows Center for the Arts has an array of worldclass musicians as well. This December, Holly Cole is scheduled to sing her sophisticated versions of old standards on December 5th.

Famed Celtic group, Coyote Run, is scheduled for the 12th. For more details about those and other shows, visit the Narrows website at www.ncfta.org for more information.

Happy Holidays!

Stacie Charbonneau Hess is a mother, a graduate student, and a freelance writer based in New Bedford, Massachsuetts, where she lives with her husband, three children, and too many pets to mention.

C oastal M ags . com

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Prime Season

The Helping Hips Spreading smiles & shimmies

Forget any preconceived notions about belly dancing being a little naughty. It’s a legitimate, ethnic dance form that keeps people Michael fit, entertains fans, and J. Vieira celebrates Middle Eastern culture.

Plus, thanks to “The Sunshine Sisters,” who are part of “ The Helping Hips,” the shimmies also benefit the community.

“The Sunshine Sisters grew from a desire to give something back to the community,” Jen Lanouette noted in the group’s newsletter.

It all started five years ago, when Aurel D’Agostino established a Middle Eastern dance studio in the town of Berkley. At the first recital of the Ancient Art Studios (AAS), one Azhar (intermediate) class performed. D’Agostino decided to build on this performance to organize an outreach effort.

“Since that first veil dance, dozens of students from AAS have performed for elders and throughout the area,” Jen continued.

They have also worked with South Coast residents who are challenged physically or mentally.

Last year, the group hosted their first annual charity gala and raised more than $7,000 for “We Love Children,” a nonprofit organization that assists families of children with serious illnesses. In addition to belly dance entertainment, it featured an elegant collection of hot and cold finger food, fun items to bid on, a raffle, and “living statues” of Demeter and Artemis.

This year, the gala benefited “The Family Coalition for Medically Involved Children.”

This Belly Dance Charity Gala featured Egyptian, Turkish and Fusion styles of belly dance along with hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, raffles and a silent auction.

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Uplifting spirits In addition to the annual gala, “The Helping Hips” also do good works on a regular basis. Throughout the Taunton-Fall RiverMiddleboro area, nursing home residents, council-on-aging members, and community organization participants are treated to an uplifting hour of music, dance, and education.

The show sometimes begins with Aurel’s mini-lesson (complete with jingly hip scarves loaned for the occasion), features performances by student dancers and Aurel, and ends with an invitation to join the dancers in a finale.

To fully appreciate the impact this has on these disadvantaged audience members, picture wheelchair-bound elders, shoulders draped in colorful scarves, smiling

and shaking their shoulders and hands to the music as the dancers move around the room to interact with them.

“People who may have little cause for rejoicing in their everyday lives benefit greatly from this joyful and stimulating experience. A group of elders can quickly be transformed into a happy, smiling, clapping audience once the dancers start their shimmies,” Jen said.

The dancers also point out that they have learned more than some dance moves.

“Sunshine Sisters learn that giving a lift to others is the best way to lift yourself,” Jen noted, “Instead of a humdrum Saturday afternoon, why not be part of a fun, friendly group that wears sparkly clothes and makes people smile?”

Before the show, Sunshine Sisters Aurel and Phyllis lead seniors in a mini-belly dance class at the Berkley Council on Aging.

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Their enthusiasm seems to be catching on. The studio now runs eight classes per week with approximately 100 students enrolled at any given time. In addition, Aurel runs and oversees every aspect of an online retail business.

Only $27.95 a month

Meaningful movement Aurel points out that she had grown up with classical dance training, but was drawn to belly dancing about 12 years ago.

“I was looking for movement that had more meaning,” she said, “It’s really rich.

It’s good for the mind.”

Most of her students tend to be more mature because, unlike your standard dance studio, the dancers learn about the cultures of the Middle East, master the different music, and study the origins of the dance which could involve rituals surrounding birthing, fertility, marriage, and other rites.

But it’s also a great way to stay fit. In fact, Aurel said, “You discover muscles that you never knew you had.”

“It’s really challenging,” she said, adding that it’s low impact and similar in ways to Tai Chi and other movement systems.

It’s also good for people who are heavy or who need to be careful with the impact of exercise on their joints. There’s no jumping or running around, but more of a focus on the muscles in your torso. Despite the limited range of movement, the dance raises heart rates and tones muscles.

“You could study this for a long time,” she said, pointing out that her oldest student was 91 and that another was 82. Several are in the 60-70 year old range.

“It’s not just for young girls,” Aurel noted, adding, “Generally, it’s the more mature women who really get it.”

The Helping Hips invites all belly dance enthusiasts and community-minded friends to join them in spreading smiles and shimmies.

For more information contact info@ thehelpinghips.org or call Ancient Art Studios at 508-822-6449. You can also visit www. ancientartstudios.com to learn of upcoming shows and classes, and www.danceaurel.com to view Aurel’s performance schedule.

Michael Vieira, Ph.D. is the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bristol Community College. Mike has written for several newspapers and magazines and is an editor of The South Coast Insider and South Coast Prime Times.

Assistance With Personal Care Daily Activities Medication Management Daily Mass Three Nutritious Meals Scheduled Transportation Weekly Housekeeping & Laundry

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Board Certified by the AAMA

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27

Good T imes

Nintendo Wii

F ighting exercise boredom Wii your way to fitness Robin L aCroix

Dan Logan

We wanted and needed more exercise; for whatever reason, we didn’t spent as much time riding the bike paths last summer and fall.

We walk the neighborhood almost daily, but that’s usually boring, and in the semi-rural area where we live, the narrow, winding main roads are a little too narrow and winding for walking and biking. And we don’t always have time to drive to a better spot to exercise, either. Dan was getting chubbier, and Robin didn’t want to make inroads into the chubby category.

We began paying more attention to television ads, internet reviews and friends’ reports and ultimately wound up with the Nintendo Wii. The Wii appeared to offer entertaining software-based exercise programs for adult users. Reportedly the Wii is the best-selling home game console, beating out Sony’s Play Station 3 and Micro-

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soft’s Xbox 360. Nintendo has sold more than 21 million of the units, according to USA Today, and over 1,500 Wii games are available.

As we saw it, the Wii meant exercise, but it offered more opportunities to pick an exercise that suits our mood of the moment.

Can’t handle the careful control demanded

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by yoga—then let’s box!

We found it easy to use. If you can use a computer and cell phone, you’ll quickly become comfortable with Wii. You can figure $300-500 to get started (the price of the console itself was cut to $199 in late September), with plenty of peripherals and software that can be added later. It’s cheaper than a good stationary bike or elliptical machine, and definitely more fun than either.

Wii Basics The basic Wii setup consists of computer/ console that holds a DVD, a motion sensor for the top of your TV, and a Wiimote hand controller. The basic package we got from BJ’s included the Wii Fit disk and five kidoriented game packages. The basic package may vary depending on where you buy it.

We added the Wii Balance Board, a white floor unit that resembles a scale; it handles the weighing, balance analysis and balance games, but it’s not required for many of the games.

We also added another Wiimote hand controller so we could play games against each other (up to four people can play most games). The total cost after we added our wish list items was about $700.

Fire up Wii Fit and in a few moments you’re weighing in and your balance is being evaluated.

In Wii Fit you create an onscreen character (avatar) that represents you. Dan’s avatar has dark sunglasses, short hair and a slight paunch, while Robin’s is a svelte cutie with straight hair and big, round glasses.

Using the avatar, Wii builds a database of information about your exercise history.

You can tell the program how much weight you want to lose, and how long you’re willing to take to make it happen, and it will chart your progress.

If you don’t want others to see your weight or workout information, you can set Wii to maintain your privacy.

Wii Fit has turned out to be our go-to program. We’re competitive, against each other and with ourselves. We weigh in on the Wii every day (tip: a firm exhale is worth half a pound), test our balance, and find out our Wii Fit Ages.

Wii weigh-in After we weigh-in we perform two balance tests of Wii’s choosing. Armed with the results from these tests, Wii comes up with our Wii Fit Ages. One day our Wii Fit Ages might have us several years older than our current chronological ages. Not to worry. Tomorrow our balance will probably improve and we’ll each shed 15 or 20 years of Wii Fit Age overnight.

A number of games in Fit are aimed at making you more aware of your balance and how to improve your balance. Seeing the struggles Dan’s parents have had with balance as they aged, we have made regular use the balance games Wii provides.

We’ve become aware that good balance is a moving target. For example, for a few days in a row you see steady improvement and you begin to think you’re becoming a mountain goat. Then you hit a bad patch, kind of like Big Papi flailing away at balls he would normally relocate to Lansdowne St. Then, inexplicably, things improve.

We’re also learning how difficult it can be to shift one’s balance. One Wii test consists of shifting your balance to destroy blocks, kind of like a balance-based pong game.

You can see the block sitting there, but there seems to be no way you quickly can make yourself lean in the right direction to vaporize it.

Once you get through the weighing and testing (or you can skip the weighing and testing), Wii Fit has a slew of exercise programs aimed at improving your balance, cardio fitness and strength.

If you’ve never tried yoga, this is a good introduction to what all the fuss is about.

It gives more insights into the value of balance and breathing, and how you’ve probably been screwing it up right along.

Challenging games Some of the fitness games are challenging enough to induce anxiety in competitiondriven souls. In the soccer game your job is score points by heading the soccer balls coming at you to your right, left or down the middle. The game challenges you to quickly change direction to get to the next ball.

That’s tough enough, but in the mix of balls flying at you is the occasional cleated shoe or pig’s bladder, which has to be dodged rather than hit or you lose points.

It’s amazing how the smack of digitized soccer cleats hitting your avatar’s head does a number on your focus.

The other balance games include slalom skiing and ski jumping, snowboard slalom, tightrope walking and a couple more. All are challenging. In most games you can choose from several skill levels, and new game variations are unlocked as you log more training time.

The physical motions required for each game pretty well mimic the real thing, and the realism seems to keep improving as new software and accessories are released.

You’ll find yourself puffing through some of the workouts, and each games works different sets of muscles. We’ve had sore muscles the next day if we’ve been too enthusiastic in trying a new game.

One of our original game purchases was a collection of programs called Wii Sports, which offers good cardio workouts, like tennis, boxing and a baseball home run derby. There’s also bowling and golf, which are a bit more sedate, but they get your competitive juices flowing.

We generally use Wii from a half hour to two hours a day. We often squeeze in a few holes of golf while dinner is cooking.

One sleepless night we found ourselves bowling at 3 a.m. Robin rolled a lame 99, Dan got some good laughs out of that, and then Robin rolled a 233, followed by a 255.

Enough said.

We’ve been adding new games more quickly than we can integrate them into our routine. Our favorite is Wii Sports Resort, an addictive collection of games set at

a tropical island resort. There’s wakeboarding (good for balance, because you don’t collect points from great aerials until you nail the landing), archery (nerve-wracking because of the accuracy required), table tennis (a workout), canoeing, swordplay, Frisbee and air combat.

Dan’s favorite in Wii Sports Resort is the mountain bike racing across hilly island courses. You use the Wii controller and the Nunchuk to pump with your hands, simulating the downward stroke of a pedal.

Sounds silly (and looks kind of silly when you’re hard at it), but it’s a serious workout.

You pump your way up steep hills, steer and brake like crazy to keep from crashing on the downhills, push hard everywhere to pass the 29 other riders. Your heart’s thumping, you’re breathing hard and you’re sweating. If you’ve ever used handheld weights on a brisk walk or run, you get the idea.

Wii Sports Resort also offers an oddly appealing bowling game using 100 pins instead of the usual 10—try making some of those splits!

Slower paced but as grinding as the real thing, Wii offers golf games in several of its packages. We also acquired Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, a pricier ($50), more stylish game that requires the MotionPlus peripheral for terrific realism. There’s a learning curve to Tiger Woods golf, but it’s the kind of game you can obsess over…like real golf.

The drawbacks to Wii? It can feel a little slow as it works through stock screens of information, but you develop a hair trigger in pushing the main control button. And as entertaining as it is, you might backburner Wii like you might an exercise bike if you’re not committed.

Wii pays off How has Wii paid off in fitness terms?

Robin uses it to maintain her weight. Dan lost 11 pounds in the first two months.

Wii’s database makes it easy to see the overall downward trend, adding incentive.

The fun/competition factor may be the best part of Wii for us. Despite our unceasing efforts to completely dominate each other in every sport, Robin and Dan win some and lose some—except in boxing, where Dan has yet to find a way to keep Robin from knocking him out in the early rounds.

Robin L aCroix and Dan Logan are freelance writers and photographers who partner in Tightrope Photography, a Rehoboth-based company specializing in family history

C oastal M ags . com

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Good T imes

Time for comfort food As we look forward to scraping, chopping, and shoveling Mother Nature’s winter Brian Lowney

gifts, there’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of hearty beef stew.

We can prepare ourselves for those difficult times when we sit by the window, cosy and watching the magic of ice crystals outside, content to recall and re-create the old time favorites that our mothers and grandmothers served on blustery days.

Winter is the season for stick-to-your ribs comfort food—the classic, simple dishes that everyone loves and the perfect luncheon or dinner entrée when temperatures dip into the single digits or the TV weatherman calls for a foot of snow.

“My favorite comfort food in the winter is mashed potatoes,” says Polly Ryan of Swansea, noting that she sometimes adds garlic or onion to the spuds. “I just love my mashed potatoes.”

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Ryan adds that she also enjoys a heaping dish of steaming American chop suey made with macaroni, ground sirloin, chopped green peppers, onions and stewed tomatoes. The professional house cleaner also enjoys preparing a beef roast with plenty of carrots and potatoes when temperatures dip below freezing.

“The smell of a pot roast cooking all day just reminds me of a safe, comfortable place,” she reveals. “There is nothing better than a simmering pot roast to make you feel at home.”

When Ryan has the sniffles or feels that a cold is coming on, she makes a great big pot of chicken soup. She adds whatever vegetables are available, so the soup is

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always different.

“It has to be homemade,” she notes emphatically. “It can’t be canned.”

Rhode Island-based cookbook authors and culinary experts Joe Zito and Linda Beaulieu have written a wonderful book, The TV Maitre D’ Cookbook (Zito-Beaulieu Press, $19.95) featuring recipes from some of Southern New England’s best restaurants. The book offers recipes for a variety of ethnic specialties, as well as for comfort foods that will certainly evoke cherished memories of mothers, grandmothers and favorite aunts busily working in bustling kitchens.

On the next page are two stews that will certainly win rave reviews from hungry family members and friends on wintry days.

Enjoy!

Brian J. Lowney is an award-winning reporter and freelance writer. He lives in Swansea.

Julie’s Guinness Beef Stew Adapted from Murphy’s Deli, Providence Ingredients for six servings: 2 cups all-purpose flour n Kosher salt, to taste n Ground black pepper, to taste n Granulated garlic, to taste n 3 pounds Black Angus top round, cut into 2-inch cubes n 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil n 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter n 2 medium-size Vidalia onions, chopped fine n 1 cup minced garlic in oil n 1 cup finely chopped scallions n 4 sprigs fresh thyme n 2 tablespoons tomato paste n 2 pints (4 cups) Guinness Stout Beer n 8 cups beef stock, store-bought or homemade n 4 cups pearl onions, frozen n 4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces n 4 medium-size carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces n 2 pounds red bliss potatoes, quartered n

the thicker and tastier it is. Remember, the salt, pepper and granulated garlic are “to taste.” You can always add it in, but you can’t take it out. We recommend going very easy on the seasoning, and add more if needed during the simmering process. This stew is perfect with buttermilk biscuits.

Recommended wine: Bookwalter Lot 21 Proprietary Blend

Island Creations

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Moroccan L amb Stew Adapted from 3 Steeple Street Restaurant, Providence

— CLASSES — One-on-One: $20/hour

Ingredients for six servings:

2 or more: $25 for two-hour classes $35 for three hour classes

2 pound leg of lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes

n

Salt and pepper, to taste

n

Check schedule on our website www.islandcreations-online.com

1/2 cup olive oil

n

1 large onion, chopped

n

2 large carrots, chopped

Call 508-997-9800

2 celery stalks, chopped

info@islandcreations-online.com

n n

1/3 cup red wine

n

1 cup beef broth

n

3 plum tomatoes, peeled, or 1 small can plum tomatoes

n

Directions: In a large deep bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic. Add the cubed beef to the bowl, and dredge the beef until it is all thoroughly covered with the flour. In a large pan over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, begin to add the pieces of dredged pieces in batches. Do not overload the pan. As the beef becomes golden brown on both sides, remove these pieces and continue to add all pieces until all the beef has been browned and removed to a separate plate.

Use a wooden spoon to loosen any beef bits that are attached to the bottom of the pan, and then add the chopped onions, minced garlic, scallions, thyme (removed from the sprig), more salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Stir constantly.

Once the onions appear “glazed” in color, add the tomato paste and mix well, then add the beer. When the beer begins to simmer, add the browned beef, beef stock, pearl onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, more salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Let the stew simmer for at least 2 hours.

Chef’s note: the longer it simmers on low,

1 teaspoon each: dried basil, dried oregano, coriander, paprika, cumin

n

1/2 teaspoon each: cardamom, curry powder

n

2 teaspoons turmeric

n

2 bay leaves

n

1 pound chickpeas

n

n Couscous, plain yogurt and fresh cilantro, as needed.

Directions: Season the lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot.

Quickly sear the lamb cubes. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook the onion until translucent. Add the red wine, beef broth, tomatoes, spices and herbs, Simmer for one hour, or until the lamb is tender.

Adjust the seasoning to taste. Add the chickpeas. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve over couscous. Garnish with yogurt and freshly chopped cilantro.

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Prime Wine

pop the

cork !

Add some sparkle to your celebration

One of the best ways to add sparkle to your holiday celebration is to do it with sparkling wine.

Champagne has been the classic way the make special events even more special for centuries. But with the advent of good quality American sparkling wines at reasonable prices, it is not a budget breaker to use these ‘sparklers’ instead of everyday wine.

Korbel is the top producer of American Champagne in the U.S. They produce a number of sparkling wines all for less than $15. Their most popular label is their Korbel Brut running about $14 at most local wine shops; but watch for specials as the holidays approach. This wine is clean and crisp with a smooth texture on the palette and has an elegant flavor and taste.

The term Brut is taken from the French Champagne categories and is supposed to mean that it is not at all sweet; that is fairly “dry” in wine speak. The terms “Dry” and “Extra Dry” which are also frequently used, believe it of not mean the wine is actually sweeter than the Brut wines of the same brand.

If you want a little more flavor as well as a pretty color in your sparkling wine, consider the Korbel Brut Rose, which also runs about $14 per bottle. (More on making pretty bubbly cocktails later.)

The French have convinced the European market that only sparkling wines made in

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the Champagne regions can use the term “Champagne” on the label if it is to be sold in the European market. However Korbel feels they have a right to use the term “American Champagne” on their label as they produce all their “sparkling wines” by the methode champenoise. This is the traditional French Champagne method developed centuries ago.

120 years of bubbles Korbel has been using this procedure for over 120 years. This process involves producing the actual “bubbles” by allowing the secondary and final fermentations to occur in the bottle. This process leaves the resulting fermentation gas, carbon dioxide, in the state of many, many very tiny bubbles, which in turn provide a soft creamy texture to the well-made sparkling wine.

Many other—and much less expensive —sparkling wines are made by processes similar to those used in making soda pop, which is essentially inducing the carbon dioxide gas into the beverage under pressure.

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Thus they have “clunky bubbles.”

Sparklers made this way are still be enjoyable, if the flavor and balance are in order and the wine is served well chilled.

They are also great for making sparkling cocktails.

If it’s the color you want for your holiday party, then seriously consider Beringer’s sparkling White Zinfandel priced at $10. It is a little sweeter than the Brut wines, has that nice touch of the Zinfandel berries, and goes great with turkey, ham and even spicy foods like chorizo, Buffalo wings and chili based foods.

Sparkling Spumonte At the bargain end is Ballatore, Grand Spumonte that can be found at just $7 a bottle. This bubbling wine is produced on the Italian style using a very flavorful grape called Muscato. Ballatore Grand Spumonte is known for its pleasant peach and apricot aroma as well as beautiful balance and complex flavors, followed by a clean aftertaste.

Ballatore Rosa, also labeled as a Red Spumonte, has a slightly different flavor due to the addition of some red grape wine and is very colorful when poured. Both of these Spumontes are sweet enough to enjoy with desserts, especially cake and cookies.

Spumonte is the traditional Italian name for sparkling wine as opposed to slightly sparkling Italian frizzante wines.

Muscato is the name that is used in Italy for a large family of grape varieties known for their very distinctive aromatic character.

Wines made in a dry style from these grapes often still seem a bit sweet due to this floral and fruity component, but they may be almost completely dry. The best know variety is the Muscato di Canelli which is the variety often used in California to make these spumonte style wines.

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Make your own cranberry bog If you want to do something creative with the beverages for your celebration, you can also make your own special sparkling wine cocktail. A favorite for the season is the Cranberry Bog, made by adding 1 ounce of cranberry juice in a champagne glass and topping it with 4 ounces of sparkling wine.

It is pretty when you pour the Cranberry juice into a tall Champagne flute first and watch the sparkling rose wine rise in the glass.

The Grand Cranberry Bog is made by adding a half-ounce or so of orange liquor like Grand Marnier. It is just as pretty and most enjoyable. Some folk add Cranberry wine instead of the cranberry juice. It assures that the delicate balance of the wine is retained. Excellent cranberry wines can be found at the Diamond Hill Winery in northeast Rhode Island and at the several Plymouth (Massachusetts) Cranberry wineries. By the way, Cranberry wine is an excellent accompaniment for your turkey dinner.

Sheryl Turgeon MPH, CHNC

Certified Health and Nutrition Counselor 508-689-4633

www.YourHealthPotential.com

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Champagne cocktails There are dozens of great “Champagne Cocktail” recipes. They can be found in most mixology books or on the web. Just Google “Champagne Cocktails” and select what appeals to you. Then just make and mix your own concoctions.

It is fun...

A lton L. Long is a freelance writer, educator and event producer specializing in wine, food and travel. He lives in Tiverton.

“One of the outstanding reasons to visit New England” Yankee Magazine (editor’s pick)

Swan Creek Soy Candles • Fall Merchandise Furniture • Lighting • Curtains • Prints • Pottery HOURS: Wed, Thu, Sat 10-5, Fri 10-6, Sun 12-5

157 Gardners Neck Rd • Swansea, MA

508-672-3900

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Good Times

Soup’s on!

Food for the soul

Not all of us are lucky enough to have a fireplace or woodstove, but everyone enjoys a cozy cup of cocoa while warming their toes in Eliz abeth Morse Read front of a fire. On snowy winter days, being housebound is an opportunity to turn off the outside world, relax and chat.

Sharing soup and breaking bread together is the surest way to bond and reconnect after months of hurried holiday craziness, takeout foods and microwave zapping. Turn winter’s “cabin fever” into an opportunity to indulge everyone’s need to bask in the glow of family connections.

Bring your family and friends together on a snowy afternoon over soup, pull out the old photo albums and tell them all funny stories about your great-aunt who made killer beef stew.

I have a photograph of my children (then 5, 4, and 2) happily filling my favorite cooking pot with rocks in our backyard.

“Uh, what’s up, guys?” I asked. “We’re making stone soup,” they answered, “just like in the story book!” (If you’ve never read this wonderful children’s tale about the communal attraction of comfort foods, especially in winter, then check it out in the library or on-line.)

Here are two sure-fire easy recipes to get your family back to the table and hearth (stones not required).

Elizabeth Morse Read is an award-winning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After twenty years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Chill-Chasing Chili

(aka Jewish Penicillin) 1 lb. Hamburger

n

On a cold, dreary day when you’ve all got the sniffles, nothing warms the heart and soul more than a bowl of soup with toast, crackers or croutons—it’ll cure whatever ails you.

(2) 32 oz. boxes chicken broth (try low-fat, low-sodium) n skinless, boned chicken meat (1 large breast or 3 thighs) n 1 large onion, coarsely chopped n 4-6 thinly-sliced garlic cloves n 1 c. sliced celery (with leaves) n 1/2 c. each shredded carrots, zucchini n 1 c. soup pasta (orzo, ditalini, fine egg noodles) n 1 TBS lemon juice n fresh black pepper n 2 eggs, beaten n 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese n

In a large covered cooking pot, add onion, garlic, half of the celery, lemon juice, pepper and chicken to half the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer 30-45 minutes until chicken is done and vegetables are clear. Turn off heat; remove chicken to plate, shred it with a fork and return to pot. Add the remaining broth, celery, carrots, zucchini and return to gentle boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, add pasta, cover and stir. Let sit for 15 minutes. Uncover, then stir soup vigorously, pouring beaten eggs mixed with cheese and pepper into center until evenly spread throughout broth.

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1/2 each chopped red and green peppers

n

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

n

4-6 cloves garlic, finely sliced

n

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

n

1 can chili beans

n

1 small can tomato sauce

n

1 large jar salsa

n

chili powder

n

1 pkg. shredded cheese

n

cooked rice

n

In a large covered frying pan, sauté hamburger, peppers, onions and garlic, sprinkle with chili powder to taster. Drain excess liquid, then add beans, tomato sauce and 1/2 of salsa. Cover and simmer at low 30-45 minutes, stirring often. Serve over cooked rice, sprinkle with cheese, serve with sides of crackers, jalapenos, picante sauce, more cheese and salsa.

If your family and gathered friends aren’t hovering already, herd everyone around the kitchen table and linger over second helpings. Make this a winter weekend ritual and keep the conversation—and traditions—going!

RESTAURANT GUIDE B (breakfast) A nthony’s 1st R estaurant: 1027 GAR Highway, Swansea, 508646-199. Also known as Anthony’s traditional brick oven pizza. Always great lunch specials. — L,D Boat House: 227 Schooner Drive, Tiverton. 401-624-6300. The cuisine boasts a menu of fresh seafood and local produce, taking its cue from the picturesque backdrop of the Sakonnet River. www.boathousetiverton.com — L,D,Sunday Brunch T he Bayside R estaurant: 1253 Horseneck Road, Westport, 508636-5882. Old favorites, daily specials and comfort food. Green, wireless and wicked good. www. thewestportbayside.com — B,L,D BeBop Burrito: 40 Market Street, Warren, 401-289-2740. Yummy Burritos, Tacos, Quesadillas, Vegetarian and Beef, Chicken and Pork, Eat In, Take Out, Delivery. www.bebopburrito.com — L,D C apital Grille: 1 Union Station, Providence, 401-521-5600.

Nationally renowned dry aged steaks and the freshest seafood will ignite your culinary imagination as well as award-winning wines to awaken your inner sommelier. www.thecapitalgrille.com — L,D Christie’s: 351 Thames Street and part of the Forty 1º North Resort property, Newport. 401-847-5400.

Serving up an Asian/Latin-inspired menu of big and small plates, salads and sandwiches. Good food and conversation with a 20-seat communal table. www.christiesofnewport.com — L,D Colonel Blackinton Inn: 203 North Main Street, Attleboro, 508-222-6022. Charming dining of fresh seafood and prime cuts of Black Angus. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Inn features a 32 Oz. Prime Rib and a 2-3 pound baked stuffed lobster. www.colblackintoninn.com — L,D Coastal Roasters: 1791 Main Road, Tiverton, 401-624-2343.

Producers of fresh roasted coffee, fresh baked local breads, muffins and pastries, organic whole leaf teas, gizmos and gadgets for the coffee gourmet. www.coastalroasters.com Crowther’s R estaurant: 90 Pottersville Road, Little Compton, 401-635-8367. American & European Cuisine. Big city pub meets coastal New England. www. crowthersrestaurant.com — L,D E leven Forty Nine: 1149 Division Street, Warwick, 401-884-1149.

And Eleven Forty Nine East: 965 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, 508336-1149 Creative menu, and impeccable service, exciting entertainment. www.elevenfortynine. com — L,D

L (lunch) D (dinner)

Fall R iver Country Club: 4232 North Main Street, Fall River, 508672-0280. Banquet facility offers the finest service and great food.

Beautiful, secluded grounds overlooking the Taunton River. www. fallrivercc.com Green Valley Country Club: 371 Union Street, Portsmouth, 401847-9099. Banquet room with 225 person capacity. Perfect for weddings. www.greenvalleyccofri.com Hoy T in R estaurant: 630 GAR Highway, Route 6, Swansea, 508 675-2200. This Swansea restaurant serves American and Chinese cuisine. Exotic cocktails await you.

Always win at Hoy Tin! — L,D Kent’s R estaurant: 1675 GAR Highway, Route 6, Swansea, 508 672-9293. Specializing in Steaks and Seafood. Their extensive menu also consists of baked stuffed chicken breast and pork chops. It is a great place to relax and unwind among family and friends.www. kentsrestaurant.com — L,D L epage’s Seafood & Grille: Route 6, Fall River/Westport Line, 508-677-2180. Specialty seafood dishes daily, steaks and pasta.

Home and office catering. Private room available for meetings or parties. www.lepagesseafood.com — L,D M arc A nthony’s Pizzeria: 190 Onset Avenue, Onset Beach, Wareham, 508-295-5956. This isn’t your average pizzeria. Choose a pizza with over 30 toppings. Beer and wine for dine in customers.

Delivery. — L,D M arguerite’s: 778 Main Road, Westport, 508-636-3040.

Specialties include burgers, daily seafood offerings, liver with onions and chicken pie. Delicious homemade desserts. www.margueritesrestaurant.com — B,L,D T he L obster Pot: 119-121 Hope Street, Bristol, 401-253-9100.

Waterfront dining. Finest seafood specializing in lobster. For casual dining, special occasions and private functions from 15-150. www. lobsterpotri.com — L,D New Boston Bakery: 279 New Boston Road, Fall River, 508-6720207, Homemade soups, muffins, cookies, pies, pastries, gourmet coffee & sandwiches. — L Organically Good: 267 Thames Street, Bristol, 401-253-0300.

Meals, produce and 100% organic market items. Enjoy casual prepared meals and market items available daily. Creative catering and flexible prices. www.organicallygoodri.com — B,L Partners Village S tore: 865 Main Rd., Westport, 508-636-2572.

Homemade goodness and generous portions. www.partnersvillagestore. com — B,L

Quito’s R estaurant & Bar: 411 Thames Street, Bristol, 401 2534500. Simple, fresh and flavorful seafood and steaks. www.quitosrestaurant.com — L,D R edlefsen’s Rotisserie & Grille: 444 Thames Street, Bristol, 401-254-1188. Casual patio, comfortable bar and romantic dining room serving traditional German and Alsatian-inspired food all year long. www.redlefsens.com — L,D Rogers Family R estaurant: 1229 Wilbur Avenue, Somerset, 508 678-0201 Celebrating 50 years in business. Casual family dining, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy their quiet neighborhood pub. Catering and private parties available. B,L,D T he R hino Bar and Grille: 337 Thames Street, Newport, 401 846070. Large selection of delicious Pub food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Stop by for dancing in the Mamba room next time you are in Newport. www.therhinobar.com — L (weekdays only) D Sagres: 181 Columbia Street, Fall River, 508-675-7018. Finest Portuguese dining since 1976.

Soups, appetizers, fish, seafood, pork, beef and chicken entrees.

Portuguese music Friday and Saturday nights. — L,D Seraphim T ea and More: 193 Central Avenue, Seekonk, 508-915-4832. Wine, beer, tea room, gift shop and gallery in a lovely teahouse setting. www.seraphimteaandmore.com — B,L Simply Simons R estaurant & Pub: 481 Wilbur Avenue, Swansea, 508 675-5531 Simons offers a hearty breakfast as well as a full lunch and dinner menu. Over a dozen appetizers await you, including the best Calamari around!

Catering for special occasions is available. B,L,D T.A. R estaurant: 408 South Main Street, Fall River, 508673-5890. Portuguese and American menu. Great selection of Portuguese wines and Port. — L,D T ito’s C antina: 651 West Main Road, Middletown, 401-849-4222.

A taste of old Mexico. — L,D Ugly A merican R eal Burgers, Dogs and F ries: 240 New Boston Road, Fall River, 508-672-4427.

The burger enthusiasts burger.

The “Cheese” as seen on Phantom Gourmet. Hand cut fries and sweet potatoe fries. www.uglyamericanburger.com — L,D Virginia’s: 140 Charlotte White Road (Drift Road Side), Westport.

508-636-0550. If you are looking for a light and hearty breakfast, lunch or diner specials, soups or home style meal and dessert, this Westport restaurant is a satisfying spot. — B,L,D

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Prime L iving

Fall

JACKIE SIDELI

Fall is an excellent time to go and search for antiques. The weather is cool, and there are lots of outdoor shows to pick from in an easy drive from the South Coast area.

For some of these events, a longer drive might be necessary, but it will be worth it.

There never has been a better time to buy antiques. Every time I go to a show or auction, there is so much fine quality 19thCentury furniture for sale—it is priced right. Really good quality paintings are a good buy right now, as is painted country furniture , popular in New England in the 19th-Century. If you are furnishing a house, or have a yen to start a collection, now is the time.

Follow your heart Pay attention to whatever speaks to you.

About twenty years ago , I started to collect vintage photography. This collection has grown into a nice side business, with some of the photos, signed by known photographers, worth hundreds of dollars.

A few years ago, an antiques dealer

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named Jeff Bridgman—his business appropriately enough is “Jeff Bridgman American Antiques”—decided to focus on American Flags as his specialty. The photo above is from his inventory.

From his antiques store in York, PA Jeff has turned his passion into a national sensation, with images of his wonderful and very desirable old flags in magazines, newspaper reports, and of course, in private collections.

About thirty five years ago a pair of young antiques dealers were searching around this part of New England, where so much great stuff is found. These youngsters wandered into a now deceased antique dealers shop in Dartmouth, MA. There standing in the gallery was a stunning Liberty Weathervane, made of copper , and

Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

Jeff Bridgman Antiques

treasures a season for antiques holding a flag. The couple bought the vane, for $3,500, which at that time was a great deal of money, and immediately sold it to a pair of older collectors for a handsome profit.

This event kicked off a lifetime of chasing after wonderful American Iconic Folk Artand the pair pursue it to this day, following their hearts and enjoying every moment.

There are many levels of collecting, and all of them are fun. If you have a limited budget, seek what ‘speaks’ to you, and go from there. Look on the internet—check out Ebay—that is really fun—and maybe you can turn your favorite finds into a business.

Whatever you do, start now to enrich your life with a hobby that will guarantee you will never be bored. I can vouch for that.

Check out the antiques shows listed here, and if something seems like a long ride, remember that nothing beats a long ride on a leaf-peeping day in the fall.

Jackie Sideli has been producing antiques shows for 35 years. She is a writer, dealer and collector, and resides on Cape Cod.

Upcoming Antique Shows October 23-25: New Hampshire Coin and Currency Expo. Radisson Hotel.

Center of New Hampshire. 700 Elm Street., Manchester. Fri. 10am-7pm, Sat. 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-4pm. For information, EBW promotions call 976-658-0160 or visit www.nhcoinexpo.com October 29: ‘Pete’s Pick’ Outdoor Show. 10 a.m.-Noon. Windsong Antiques, Harwich Port. For more information call 508-432-17997 or visit www.windsongantques.com Through October 25: SoWa Antiques Market, New and exciting weekly antiques market in the European tradition. 540 Harrison Ave, Boston/South End. Open 10am-4pm. For more information call 781862-4039 or visit www.sowaantiques.com October 30-November 1: Folk Art Festival of New England. Royal Plaza Trade Center,Marlborough. For more information call Joel Hertz at 717-677-0706 or visit www.folkartfestivalofnewengland.com

We make custom sizes for your Antique Pieces.

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October -A pril: Open Every Sunday through April 2009. Then reopens October 2009. Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, NH. 8:30am-Noon. For information callJack Donigian at 781-329-1192 or visit website www.MilfordAntiqueShow.com November 20, 21: Eldred’s Annual American/Nautical Auction. Eldred’s Auction House Route 6A, Dennis, Cape Cod. For more information visit www.ccada.com November 27, 28: 32st Annual Holiday Antiques Indoor Show. Church of the Holy Spirit, Route 28 Orleans, Cape Cod. Hours: Fri. 10am-4pm, Sat. 10am-3pm. For more information visit www.ccada.com January 16-17: Greater Boston Antiques Festival. Shriner’s Auditorium, Wilmington, MA. For more information visit www. neantiqueshows.com

Armand’s Carpet & Linoleum

Unique gifts for you and your friends 782 Main Road Westport, MA

508-636-0888

(next to Marguerites’ Restaurant) Hours: Mon. & Tue. 10am-6pm Wed.-Sat. 10am-8pm

Specializing in Residential and Commercial • Hardwood Featuring Mohawk • Laminate Color Center Flooring • Carpeting Mention ad • Vinyl and get free gift with purchase!

• Ceramic tile • Natural stones • Area rugs

1535B South Main St. Fall River, MA 508-679-2745 www.armandscarpets.com

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A dvertisers

Happenings

Albanese Monuments.......................................... 13 Alden Nursing Care and Rehab.Center............ 19 Armand’s Carpet & Linoleum ............................37 Blithewold...............................................................33 Buttonwood Park Zoo............................................9 Center for Vascular Diseases............................... 20 Clifton Rehabilitative Nursing Center......... cover Cottrell Bros.......................................................... 20 Dartmouth Medical Equpiment.........................39 Diocesan Health Facilities...................................17 Ecin Bedding & Futon Factory.............................37 EldersFirst............................................................... 15 ENOS Home Oxygen & Medical Supply.............4 Equity Real Estate............................................ cover Eye Health Vision Centers.............................. cover Fairhaven Visitors Center.................................... 23 Fall River Historical Society................................ 23 GM Refrigeration.................................................. 40 Hathaway Family Funeral Homes..................... 13 Home Helpers........................................................31 Island Creations.....................................................31 J&J Diamond Jewelers..................................... cover Kindred Healthcare-Swansea........................ cover Landmark............................................................... 27 LaPointe Insurance Agency ..................................9 Lees Market....................................................... cover Little Theatre of Fall River....................................18 Mayflower Mobility..............................................35 Naturopathic & Alternative Health................... 27 Newport Hospital..................................................21 Next Monitoring/Electrician.............................. 27 Northeast Medical...................................................4 Paul V. Sebra.............................................................5 Pioneer Basement............................................ cover Premier Home Healthcare of MA................. cover Royal Caribbean International..................... cover RDA Insurance.........................................................4 Sagres Restaurant...................................................33 Saint Anne’s Hospital..............................................1 Southcoast Health System....................... cover, 17 Standard Pharmacy.................................................5 Sticks Stones Stars Gallery...................................37 Sunrise Assisted Living........................................ 15 Tender Hearts Home Health Care .................... 27 The Capital Grille ........................................... cover The Salvation Army...............................................21 Travel’n On..............................................................33 Trinity Repertory Company................................21 Trump Network............................................... cover Valcourt Chiropractic............................................33 Visiting Nurse Association, Inc...........................17 Waring-Sullivan Affiliated Family Funeral & Cremation Services............................................... 20 Whaler’s Cove Assisted Living...............................5 Willow Tree Country Shoppe..............................33 Your Health Potential...........................................33

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Fairies & Fantasies: Christmas at Blithewold

Starting with the magnificent 18 foot “tree of fantasy” soaring to the ceiling and twinkling with thousands of lights, Fairy Tales and Fantasies bring Christmas magic to Blithewold in Bristol. The tree’s ornaments reflect the tales and themes that decorate each room.

Alice in Wonderland’s “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” is the setting in the dining room where the blues and whites of the family’s Delft collection inspire the decorations for this fanciful tea. Other rooms reflect much loved stories of childhood, and will dazzle and delight young and old.

“Afternoon Tea” will be served in the Dining Room every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 2 & 3 pm. Tickets will be an additional $10 with admission to the mansion on a first-come basis.

Live musical performances take place each week from Thursday through Saturday at 6:30 pm. Christmas at Blithewold is open from November 25-January 3, Sunday through Wednesday, 10am-5pm and Thursday though Saturday, 1pm -8pm For more information, contact 401-253-2707 or visit www.blithewold.org

Narrows celebrates anniversary

The Narrows Center for the Arts is probably one of the best music venues in the region.

Maybe its Eighth Anniversary will get the locals to appreciate it.

Headlining their anniversary celebration is Susan Tedeschi. The $75 ticket price is higher than most concerts at the listening club. Also featured in the months ahead are comedy nights each Friday, Dave Mason, Sarah Borges, Hot Tuna, and Johnny Winters. Prices range from $15-$40 depending on the artist.

Who knew a mill town could bring in such talent! Check out the shows, the art exhibits, and the resident artists. Visit www.ncfta.org for more information.

Christmas Carols & More Give the gift of culture

While theatres in New Bedford, Providence, Boston, and many other communities will continue to offer traditional holiday fare like A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker, they, along with other art galleries and venues, contribute to South Coast culture in many other ways.

Take a quick visit to the websites of the Zeiterion (www.zeiterion.org), Trinity Rep (www. trinityrep.com) and Providence Performing Arts Center (www.ppacri.org) for their holiday

Fall 2009 / W in ter 2010

fare—but don’t forget tickets to the symphony, special events, and other concerts make great holiday gift.

And don’t forget some of the smaller venues like the Perishable Theatre in Providence (www.perishable.org), currently looking for entries for its International Women’s Playwriting Festival, the Second Story Theatre (www.2ndstorytheatre.com) in Warren, RI and New Bedford’s own Your Theatre, www.yourtheatre.org.

For something a little different, check out the special holiday edition of Forever Plaid presents Plaid Tidings. The Firebarn is the intimate location for this festive musical. See it December 3-6, and 10-13. Check out www.littletheatre.net for times and other information. The Little Theatre season runs from October to May.

The ALL NEW Dartmouth Medical Equipment!

Dartmouth Medical Equipment is under new management and we are pleased to announce we have moved to a brand new location!

Our new location features a larger, improved showroom to better service you with all of your home medical needs.

Visit locally

For a weekly taste of New Bedford, AHA! Night is a great way to sample the culture of the city. Visit www.ahanewbedford.org for more information.

Buttonwood Park Zoo is your nature connection! Visit one of the finest small zoos in the United States and encounter animals from both at home and around the world. For schedule of events visit www.bpzoo.org Looking to take a big trip to Rhode Island? You can get the scoop on what to see by visiting www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-see/performing-arts/

Newport off season

Home Medical Equipment and Supplies:

• Oxygen • CPAP • Lift Chairs

Now that the crowds are gone, Newport is a great place to visit. On a nice Sunday, do what folks have been doing since the invention of the automobile: Go for a ride.

Take a leisurely drive to the city by the sea. Skip the shops for now, and head for the Cliff Walk. Stroll along the eastern shore of Newport on the world famous public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with the architectural history of Newport’s gilded age. To learn more visit www.cliffwalk.com Thirsty? The Coastal Wine Trail winds through the heart of the Southeastern New England Wine Growing Appellation. These eight wineries can be visited in two to three days, but close for the season on December 31. For more visit www.coastalwinetrail.com From November 20-January 3, it’s Christmas at the Newport Mansions: The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House. Open Daily and decorated for the holidays. For reservation call 401-847-0478 or visit www.newportmansions.org For something different, discover Newport Baroque. Under the direction of Paul Cienniwa, the group presents the music of the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments.

Visit www.newportbaroque.org for more information and a schedule of upcoming performances.

• Ramps • Compression Stockings • Lymphedema Pumps • Nebulizers • And Much More!

19 Old Westport Road North Dartmouth, MA

(508)997-1241

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Outside staterooms starting from:

†Royal Caribbean International® reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per guest per day on all guests if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeds $65.00 per barrel.

Please Call Your Professional Travel Agent: ANGELA GRANDCHAMP Middletown Cruise & Travel 980 E. Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI 02871 Phone: 401-293-5070 • Fax: 401-293-5072 *Prices are per person, cruise only and in US Dollars. Goverment taxes and fees are additional. All itineraries and prices are subject to change without notice.

09016268 • 10/07/2009

CertainCoast restrictions apply.Time:Layout ©2009 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registry: Bahamas.

South Prime 1 10/2/09 10:07 AM The Page 1

Since 1992

The area’s agency of choice for Live-In & Hourly Home Health Aides is helping you stay safe and independent at home.

Now when you arrange for our home care services, you may be eligible for a FREE Philips Lifeline Medical Alert Service. So, should you ever need it, help can be on its way at the push of a button. We also provide complete criminal background and reference checks along with on-going training for our caregivers.

Contact us today for complete details or for a free consultation.

508-679-8796

www.premierhomehealthcare.com

Hourly & Live-in Aides • Homemaker & Companion Services • Respite Care • Nursing Assessments T O A DV E R T I SE I N S OU T H C OA S T PR I M E T I M E S C A L L 50 8 - 677-30 0 0

c South

oast Cen ter for Cancer Car e THERESE MULVEY, MD Physician-in-Chief/ Medical Oncologist

TODD F. ROBERTS, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

MARK SHPARBER, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

Our focus:

YOU

HERBERT HANSEN, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

HARRY W. MATELSKI, MD Medical Oncologist/ Hematologist

TERESA BOYLE, MD Radiation Oncologist

You’ll have a whole team of cancer specialists focused on YOU. No matter how much experience a doctor

Our physicians and other specialists sit

And our new state-of-the-art radiation

might have, no single physician has all the

down together and use their combined

facility in Fall River makes it more convenient

answers. So our new cancer program puts

knowledge, experience and unique

than ever to get the high-quality cancer

a whole team of experts in medical and

perspectives to develop the best treatment

treatment you need — just minutes away,

radiation oncology to work on every case.

plan for each individual patient.

at Southcoast Hospitals.

Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

Charlton Memorial Hospital, Mitchell Building 363 Highland Avenue, Fall River Southcoast Medical 480 Hawthorn Street, North Dartmouth www.southcoast.org/cancercare/

1-877-822-2732

Clifton

HEALTHCARE CAMPUS

WILBUR AVENUE, SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS

CLIFTON REHABILITATIVE NURSING CENTER TEL: 508-675-7589

CLIFTON ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY TEL: 508-324-0200

CLIFTON OUTPATIENT REHABILITATION CLINIC TEL: 508-675-0329

Celebrating Over 50 Years of Dedication to Excellence CLIFTON HEALTHCARE CAMPUS Located on 19 acres overlooking scenic Mount Hope Bay, The Clifton Healthcare Campus has been specially designed to…….anticipate health changes that may occur over time…….innovatively pre-plan in one location the coordination and delivery of exceptional medical and rehabilitative services that may be required in the recovery process…….and provide a clinically coordinated treatment program that maximizes independence and often hastens your return home.

CORPORATE VS. FAMILY There is a corporate model of healthcare and there is the more traditional family model of care.

“Clifton” is a fourth generation local family organization that, since 1954, has been providing the highest quality of healthcare services to your community which is also our community.

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