South Coast Prime Times - May/June 2015

M AY/JUNE 2015 路 VOLUME 11 路 NUMBER 3

S WEE T

JOURNE Y TA S T Y

T UL IPS

A N T IQUING T IPS

S ER IOUSLY

SHR EDDING

MUSIC A L MON T E S F UNDING

YOUR F U T URE

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CONTENTS 10

IN EVERY ISSUE

4

From the publisher

26 Extra! Extra!

Local news and views

by Elizabeth Morse Read

PRIME LIVING

6

Step in the right direction

by Sean McCarthy

10 Seeking antiquing

by Jackie Sideli

14

12 Shredding your data anxieties

by Dan logan

14 Financial food for the soul

18

by Sherri Mahoney-Battles

PRIME SEASON

8

You can get there from here, but not easily

by Paul Mission and Lilia Cabral

16 To everything

there is a season

by Joyce Rowley

18 Growing your own

incredible edibles

by Elizabeth Morse Read

24

GOOD TIMES

22 I remember when

by Paul Letendre

24 Musical Montes march on

by Michael J. Vieira

32 Love at first sight

ON THE COVER:

The delicious cover photo comes courtesy of the annual SkillsUSA Cake Show fundraiser at Bristol Community College. Wherever the road may take you, there’s always a way to make it a sweet journey.

M AY/JUNE 2015 · VOLUME 11 · NUMBER 3

SWEET

JOURNEY TASTY TULIPS

by Paul Kandarian

ANTIQUING TIPS

SERIOUSLY

SHREDDING

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M AY /J UNE 2015

MUSICAL MONTES FUNDING

YOUR FUTURE

Preparation K(itchen) You have decided to remodel your kitchen. If the first thing you do is visit a showroom with the hundreds of cabinets styles, wood species, stain options, and hardware choices available, I can assure you that your eyes will glaze over, you will return home and decide maybe your orange sherbert Formica isn’t so bad.

NICK SOLLECITO DESIGNER AND OPERATIONS MGR, HOME GENIUS AT HORNER MILLWORK

How to prepare for a successful design consultation:  DO SOME RESEARCH Whether you collect ideas online or by looking through magazines, you’ll start to see a pattern of the styles you like, making it easier to narrow down your choices.

 HAVE A REALISITIC BUDGET Knowing what you have to spend helps prioritize your needs and wants.

 KNOW THE APPLIANCE SPEC Range hood or venting microwave?

Wall ovens or standard stove? The type, size and location of appliances

will help determine the layout of your cabinets.

 ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS Measure first, cut once? The same principle applies here - you’ll save time and money if your designer can plan an accurate layout of your space.

 PRIORITIZE YOUR OPTIONS Remember your realisitic budget?

Now you can decide which conveniences you want to add: pullout trash/recycling bins, rollout shelving, tray dividers, or even custom details that fit your lifestyle.

If you do your homework, your design consultation should be fun instead of overwhelming. When you’re ready, visit the experts at Horner Millwork for your FREE design consultation.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER May/June 2015 ■ Vol. 11 ■ No. 3 PUBLISHED BY

Coastal Communications Corp.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ljiljana Vasiljevic

SPRING IS IN FULL SWING, so this issue is all about getting out of the house and seeing what’s going on in the world.

EDITOR

Sebastian Clarkin

The sun’s shining and there’s a light breeze coming up from the south – it’s perfect time to take a walk! Whether you’re just going around the block or embarking upon a more serious excursion, Sean McCarthy has some good advice for you on page 6.

ONLINE EDITOR

Paul Letendre CONTRIBUTORS

Lilia Cabral, Paul Kandarian, Paul Letendre, Dan Logan, Sherri Mahoney-Battles, Sean McCarthy, Paul Mission, Elizabeth Morse Read, Joyce Rowley, Jackie Sideli and Michael J. Vieira South Coast Prime Times is published bi-monthly.

Copyright ©2015 Coastal Communications Corp.

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 ISSUE June 10, 2015

Just because this season is a celebration of things that are new, it doesn’t mean that you can’t appreciate some antiques! Jackie Sideli has some insider insight on page 10 for the next time you go browsing. It’s a fantastic reason to go for a drive.

There’s something wonderfully heartening about seeing the trees begin to bud. If you live in Fall River or New Bedford, then Joyce Rowley knows how you can see it happen right outside your front door. Turn to page 16 to learn how to make your world a little greener.

Speaking of going green, Elizabeth Morse Read has been spending some time in her garden. On page 18, you can read what she’s learned about munching on the plants that may already be growing in your backyard.

And finally, in the spirit of rebirth, Paul Kandarian’s short essay on page 32 is all about how he’s fallen madly, deeply, truly in love with the newest member of his family.

This issue is jam-packed with even more great articles that we can’t wait for you to discover. It’s a new world out there waiting for us – let’s go see it!

CIRCULATION 25,000

SUBSCRIPTIONS $14.95 per year

M AILING ADDRESS South Coast Prime Times P.O. Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

PHONE (508) 677-3000

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facebook.com/thesouthcoastinsider

PRIME LIVING

Step in the right direction Man has been walking for approximately six million years, and it’s taken about that long to realize how good it is.

Springtime’s arrival is an invitation to enjoy SEAN nature again. If you MCC ARTHY want to leisurely walk on a regular basis, that’s good. If you want to lace up your sneakers and try to set a new landspeed record, that’s maybe not so good.

The unanimous advice is “start slow and you’ll eventually see the benefits.”

Walking can provide you with rewards both physical and mental. With a new pair of sneakers, a windbreaker and an okay from your doctor, you’re good to go.

FOLLOWING FOOTSTEPS Walk in any format you like – solo, with a partner, or in a group.

Ed Talbot of Mattapoisett is 72 years old. He was a runner for 35 years until he needed open-heart surgery a year and a half ago. Today Talbot and his pacemaker walk five or six days a week, approximately four or five miles at a time.

On weekends he walks with his wife Pam. “Walking sets the tone for my day,” Talbot says. “I do some good thinking when I’m walking. When I’m alone it’s meditative, but when I’m with my wife

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it’s conversational. It’s satisfying when you’re done, you feel better. You’re in a better frame of mind and it lasts through the day.”

But not even this recent brutal winter could deter Talbot from his walking.

When the roadsides with buried in snow he would drive to the Dartmouth Mall and get his walking done there.

When the snow is gone, people can enjoy many of the scenic opportunities that the area provides. One of those locations is the Lloyd Center for the Environment in South Dartmouth. They have six walking trails, the longest of which is two miles.

Walkers can enjoy their coastal forest which is perched on an estuary where the river runs into the ocean along with a bevy of habitats – excellent accessibility to nature.

“You don’t need to be a seasoned hiker to enjoy nature,” says Erika Fernandes, Outreach Educator for the Lloyd Center.

To find more walking trails you can go online or call a Town Hall.

the benefits of walking.

“A brisk walk is good for your health,” he says. “It’ll reduce your blood pressure, you’ll think clearer, and it’ll relieve stress.”

Days-Merrill also has advice for how to get laced up right. “The shoes you should buy depends on your build,” he says.

“Your size and weight are factors as well as if you’re knock-kneed or bow-legged, and people’s arches vary. Make sure you feel comfortable in your sneakers.”

He suggests some South Coast sights such as Buttonwood Park, the Fairhaven bike trails, and the Cape Cod Canal.

“If you’re going to walk on a beach, try to do it when there’s wet sand,” he says.

“You’ll have to work harder in the dry soft sand.”

“If you’re going to start walking, do it on a regular basis,” says Dr. Robert Haslam, a professor in the Physical Education program at Bridgewater State University.

“You should start slow but you’ll eventually see progress. You’ll feel even better if you combine it with a good diet.”

It took six million years for humanity to fully realize the benefits of walking. Don’t wait that long to find out for yourself.

ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

S EAN M C C ARTHY has been a freelance

Paul Days-Merrill of Days Health & Sports in Fairhaven points out some of

journalist for 25 years.

M AY /J UNE 2015

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PRIME SEASON

You can get there from here,

BUT NOT EASILY

BY PAUL MISSION AND LILIA CABRAL

In a perfect world, a transportation system works seamlessly and offers everyone unlimited options to get where they need to go without delay or inconvenience and ideally, without an automobile.

Unfortunately, we do not exist in a perfect world and here in the South Coast, transportation relies heavily on the automobile. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, impacts from urban sprawl and increased development in rural towns in our region continue the dependence on the automobile as our primary means of travel.

The problem is that our transportation infrastructure is growing old. The recent breakdowns at the MBTA are blamed not only on the record snowfall, but also on trains that are 40 to 50 years old. To make matters worse, highway bridges built in

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the 1950s and 1960s were designed to last about 50 years. Guess what folks?

Like Baby Boomers, trains and bridges are nearing retirement.

A PROBLEM Our region, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the entire country are trying to solve this problem and many others as we journey into the future. With the high cost and diminishing supply of gasoline combined with the effects of climate change and its consequential impacts to infrastructure and the environment, the big question is, can we afford to continue to live in this way?

Over the last fifteen years, the cost to repair bridges and roads has quadrupled.

Asphalt, the key ingredient for road repairs, went from an average cost of $150 a ton to as much as $500 per ton in a fiveyear period. You might ask why and the answer is simple – oil.

When the cost of oil increases, so does the price of asphalt (a petroleum-based product) and so does the price of the gas

M AY /J UNE 2015

needed to haul that asphalt. The bottom line of this viscous cycle is this: paving one mile of road cost $1 million in 2004, but today it costs $3 million. However, the revenue to pay for these improvements, the gasoline tax, has remained unchanged since 1993.

As we heard in November, no one wants an increase in the gas tax because many feel that we are taxed too much already.

How can we maintain these roads with no additional revenue, inflationary costs, and everyone screaming, “cut government spending!” However, the same people are screaming, “Why aren’t you fixing my street?”

A SOLUTION So what can we do? We need to re-think how we can fix transportation. We need to question accepted wisdom and find new ways to get from point A to point B. Gone are the good old days when gas was cheap and plentiful. We cannot remain idle and hope these problems go away.

These are the issues to be addressed in 2015 Regional Transportation Plan from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). The purpose of the plan is to provide a comprehensive, long-term analysis of existing and future needs of

the transportation system in our region.

The plan will address every aspect of transportation in our region, including bridges, roads, and rail, as well as public transportation including trains and buses. It will examine the needs of freight movement with seaports, airports, and trucking facilities. It will assess safety and congestion issues that impact our daily commute. The plan will also address future transportation needs from potential growth in population, housing, jobs, land use, and the overall economic vitality of the region.

The plan is still a work in progress.

SRPEDD has met and continues to meet with the elected officials in each community to discuss transportation needs and concerns.

However, these conversations are not limited to the politicians. In fact, we are looking for feedback from the public to make this a better document. We invite everyone to visit www.srpedd.org to learn more about the plan and participate in our Transportation Survey. The survey allows you to provide your thoughts and comments on transportation issues.

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

We need a more sustainable transportation system. We need to maintain our current infrastructure and figure out how to reduce maintenance costs. This includes more fuel-efficient vehicles, and reliable public transportation with reasonable connections providing the option of choice. We need development to be concentrated in areas accessible to multiple forms of transportation including bicycling and walking.

Sound difficult? It is. Sound expensive?

Maybe. Can we ignore it? No! If the trend continues (and it will), with the ever-increasing costs of fuel, we will ultimately be forced to change our unsustainable ways. Personally, we’d like to choose to do the right thing before we are forced to. How about you?

PAUL M ISSION, Transportation Planning Manager, SRPEDD L ILIA C ABR AL, Senior Transportation Planner, SRPEDD

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PRIME LIVING

CATHRINEHOLM ENAMELWARE

SEEKING

ANTIQUING

BY JACKIE SIDELI

It is that time of year again – time to head out to shop for antiques and fine art. Of course, it is always fun to shop online. Still, there is nothing quite like the thrill of finding the “thing” in person.

paintings. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, then closeby is the New Bedford Antiques Center at Wamsutta on Coggeshall Street, and New Bedford Antiques at the Cove.

One of my favorite stops is the Acushnet Antiques Center, where I recently found a great selection mid-century enamelware, primarily produced in the mid 1960’s in Norway and Denmark. I bought several unused blue enamel casseroles made in Norway about 1960, and a collection of Dansk tablespoons, with multi colored handles.

At one point in my collecting/dealing career, I had about 40 pieces of enamelware called Cathrineholm, produced in Norway and designed by Grete Kittelsen, in my collection. The internet helped with that, and I sold most of them abroad to customers in Norway and Denmark. Many of my repeat custom-

If you love the hunt as much as I do, then you must go to the Brimfield show in May. The dates for this world-famous outdoor antiques market are May 12-17, July 14-19, and September 8-13.

I’m partial to the May show. I always attend with a shopping cart with wheels, so I can carry my purchases and my supply of water and lunch (although there are

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ers are from the US and we have become friends.

On the way out of the “mall,” I was drawn to a pair of vintage cowboy boots for a woman, with pony hide tops. They didn’t fit me, so instead they went onto my Ebay store. The Acushnet center had plenty of mid-century, but they also had some very nice American antiques and

M AY /J UNE 2015

BRIMMING WITH OPPORTUNITY

THE DEALERS ARE READY TO DO BUSINESS AND THERE IS LOTS TO PICK FROM

lots of places to grab a good bite in the area.)

The dealers are ready to do business and there is lots to pick from. One year I went to the show and only bought baskets.

Painted Shaker baskets, apple baskets from Maine, Nantucket baskets... it was wonderful.

Another year, I bought painted country furniture. In another incarnation, I bought wonderful designer mid-century furniture, curved plywood leading the way. It was very stylish, and it still is.

The internet has, of course, changed the antiques shopping experience, but there is nothing quite like driving up to the town of Brimfield during the show and seeing approximately 10,000 dealers set up. Even after all this time it is a heart pounding experience.

CAPE COLLECTIONS Collectors are still eager to collect American Marine paintings, and every summer on the Cape, Eldted’s Auction in East Dennis, MA, has lots to choose from.

A three-generation firm, they always have a big sale in August, with fabulous decoys and great American paintings, including some by the Cape’s own Ralph Cahoon.

Cahoon made his name by painting Cape Cod scenes with mermaids, sailors, and fanciful scenes involving familiar Cape Cod locales.

If you are heading out to the Cape, be sure to check out the Cahoon Museum. It is a treat- and, as the name suggests, you will see a great many painting by all the great Cape artists. Right now the museum is in a temporary location, at 30 Bates Road, Mashpee Commons, in North Mashpee.

And even if you’re not in the mood to travel that far, there’s lots to do for antiques and collectible enthusiasts in our immediate area. There is a wonderful small antiques show in July at the Tiverton Four Corners, and an even smaller show in Little Compton at the Wilbur School.

Have fun and keep your eyes open! You never know what’s out there waiting for you.

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PRIME LIVING

SHREDDING YOUR DATA ANXIETIES DAN L OGAN

I’ve been an avid paper shredder owner for years. Most of my outgoing paper gets recycled, but anything with my name or other remotely personal information on it goes into the shredder.

I have no numbers to back this up, but I’m convinced there are others besides myself who are plagued by what I just now termed “data anxiety,” the fear that there are legions of faceless un-shredders working 24/7 reassembling my bank statements, credit card bills, and anything with my social security number on it. The Iranians did it in Argo, didn’t they?

As an omnivorous reader and longtime writer, paper in many forms serves as my decorating material of choice. Seasoned by my streaks of paranoia and packrat-itis, my collection of paper requires constant pruning, with occasional bursts of effort worthy of General Sherman.

Ten or twenty sheets a day might be average for me. It’s a bigger job when I decide to clean out some files. The most daunting task entails getting rid of all that backup documentation for several years

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of old tax filings – probably the cause of the demise of more American paper shredders than anything else.

We have a very personal relationship with our shredders. You might be an unconcerned shredder for whom any kind of shred is good enough, or really paranoid and want everything returned to dust. Either way, this article is for you.

SHREDDER SELECTION Speed and capacity are important considerations. I now own a brawny small office model that will quickly chew through 16 sheets at a time for 20 minutes at a stretch before it requires a cool down – shredders seem to expire through sheer overuse, when someone’s urge to shred radically exceeds his or her shredder’s stamina.

Determining the number of sheets that you need for the shredder to chew

M AY /J UNE 2015

up at one time demands more of a psychological self-evaluation than a cold, rational calculation. Too many of us can’t resist cramming in a couple of extra sheets, thereby wasting time instead of saving it when we have to perform emergency surgery on the paper jam.

Know yourself.

One must also consider the size of the bin that holds the shredded paper – my 87-year-old mother likes her devices compact and as invisible as possible. Her shredder is a tiny one the size of a gallon milk jug. When the going gets tough she hands me a garbage bag full of old checks.

I’d have a shredder the size of a dumpster in my office if I could.

Finally there’s the price. The bigger, meaner and more unstoppable the shredder, the more it’s going to cost.

THE BEST BREEDS There are several categories of shredders including strip-cut shredders, cross-cut shredders and micro-cut shredders.

Strip-cut shredders simply cut the document straight across the way it is fed in. The cut strips may also be kind of wide, meaning the information on each strip is easier to read and would be

significantly easier to piece together. The wastebasket-sized shredders for as little as $25 are often strip-cut shredders.

Cross-cut shredders are typically bigger, more powerful, and slightly more secure because they slice and dice the paper into smaller pieces.

My Fellowes Powershred 79ci is a cross-cut shredder (about $210 at Staples).

It weighs 30 pounds. I love it for its 6-gallon bin, its ability to ingest paper, credit cards, DVDs, staples, and paperclips with equanimity, as well as its plethora of safety devices so I don’t somehow manage to chop my fingers off in my eagerness.

I also appreciate its “Jam-Proof System” that does seem to minimize the worst, most time-consuming jams that I cause by trying to cram too much paper, glue-y envelopes, or plastic wrapping down its throat. The control panel on my shredder lights up like Times Square on a wet evening if it doesn’t like what it’s being fed. Fortunately there are buttons for reversing direction and trying again that help get past simple jams.

Micro-cut shredders reduce documents to something more akin to confetti than paper strips, making them the most secure models, but also the most expensive.

The next step up from my Powershred 79ci would be a micro-cut shredder for another $50. As I researched this article I beat myself up for not going for a microcut, but that was a couple of years ago and I’m pretty sure the price was yet another $50 higher. I was pleased to discover that my paranoia has limits.

A CUT ABOVE Shredders need love, too. I’m on my third or fourth shredder. I simply wore out the cheaper models in a year or two, mainly by working them too hard for too long.

Shredding is tough work, even for a powerful electric motor driving steel teeth. A shredder can only munch for so long without a break to cool down before the electric motor is affected.

Shredder maintenance will, naturally, extend the life of your shredder.

Shredder blades need lubrication to help reduce friction. Shredder oil is available for about $10 for 12 or 14 ounces.

For greater convenience you get can lubricated sheets that you simply send through the regular grind process. Staples Shredder Lubricant Sheets cost $8-10 for 12 sheets, which is more expensive but also more convenient than shredder oil.

These sheets are supposed to be used after every 30 minutes of shredding (yikes).

However, they also help reduce shredder dust.

If you don’t want to buy a shredder, you still have ways to get the job done without subjecting yourself to death by a thousand paper cuts. Your local office supply and mailing stores might offer shredding services where you pay by the pound to get the job done.

The shredded paper is recyclable, but I prefer to mix my shreds in with the coffee grounds, banana peels, soup slop, used paper towels, and any other yuckies headed for the dump.

If nothing else, my paranoia helps the planet.

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DAN L OGAN is a freelance writer and photographer from Fairhaven, MA. E-mail him at dlogan@thegrid.net.

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SHERRI M AHONEYBATTLES

She hated her boss, the type of work that she did, the people she worked with, and she obtained no personal satisfaction from the duties she performed.

She said that she had always known you weren’t supposed to enjoy what you did for work. It was after all, just a job – the thing that you did that allowed you to pay the bills. It was disheartening to think that this poor woman obtained no pleasure from her work.

Years ago, I started an accounting practice. A niche that feeds both my soul and my wallet.

Most clients are wonderful to work with and appreciative of the services provided.

I enjoy listening to their stories and following their lives through the years preparing their tax returns.

As a young girl, I scooped up every wounded bird and sick puppy. As a young

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woman my caretaking skills morphed into a beacon for fatally broken men. If a man was a broken wreck of an alcoholic, I was the girl who could fix him.

Therapy worked wonders, and I accepted my inability to fix these broken men and decided on another path. I turned my knack for fixing problems into a paycheck.

VOCATION VACATION Bring on the non-filers, the tax debt, the wreck of a taxpayer, and I can find solutions. The fact that I can take a tax return or a tax problem, something that causes so much anxiety for someone, and alleviate that anguish feeds my soul.

Twenty-eight years into my career I am happily fixing things for people, taking care of tax problems, and earning a living.

It was a wonderful solution to my own dysfunction that could have resulted in a life of heartache.

Sometimes the work we do can provide

the financial resources to do the things we feel passionate about.

One client was a software developer. She does really well financially, and enjoys her work, but was unfulfilled. She saved up enough money from her job to start a small bakery. She loves baking, but knows that a bakery can’t support her and her family financially. She spends every spare minute in her bakery, and hopes to retire early from her software job and run the bakery full-time.

Another client is a pharmacist who owns a seasonal bait and tackle shop. Working as a pharmacist allows him to run a small

of her dream. It was heartbreaking to watch as her business spiraled downward, destroying her and those around her financially.

She believed that if she felt passionately enough about her dream it would sustain her financially. Her dream ended badly and abruptly when the state department of revenue shut her down for non-payment of sales tax collected.

I’m not suggesting that we should give up or set aside our dreams, but our jobs and career choices should be ones that can provide the things we need. It may be true that money can’t buy happiness, but

If your work isn’t your passion, then let it pay for the things that you are passionate about business that he feels passionate about.

One client is a nurse, but grows and sells medicinal herbs as a side business. She hopes that someday her side business will allow her to leave her nursing job.

One man struggled for years as an artist working with metals before finding a career working with wrought iron that allows him to pay his bills and still work on his art.

My oldest daughter loves animals. She teaches horseback lessons, provides animal care, and trailers horses. She probably couldn’t sustain herself financial doing these things, but she has a job working in my tax office that allows her to do these things that she is passionate about.

If your work isn’t your passion, then let it pay for the things that you are passionate about.

H AVING AND EATING YOUR CAKE? Sometimes clients struggle to pursue a business or career that they feel passionate about but that doesn’t sustain them.

One woman had a whole foods store she loved, and she drained every ounce of equity out of her home and borrowed money from every bank or relative that would lend her a dime. She started avoiding people and creditors that she owed money to, and what started as a dream ended as a nightmare, causing her nothing but stress and worry.

She kept at it for years, digging herself into a deeper hole, unwilling to let go

it can buy financial comfort.

Financial stress comes with a hefty emotional price tag, and it can destroy our marriages, relationships and health.

The trick lies in finding the balance; work that supports us financially and feeds our soul.

Life is too short to be spent without any passion, and I am fortunate to get up every morning and look forward to my day’s work. I enjoy a career that financially rewards me with the ability to pursue other passions like piano lessons and gardening in the summer months when my workload is a bit lighter.

This year, plans for a lavender field are in place, and who knows? Maybe someday the lavender profits will help subsidize my retirement.

Some days I struggle with finding the right balance; the workload is too heavy, the clients too demanding and there are no hours left at the end of the work day to do the gardening that I look forward to all day.

Sacrifices and adjustments need to be made. Some work feeds the checkbooks while other work feeds the soul. The struggle lies in finding the balance.

S HERRI M AHONEY-BAT TLES is an Enrolled Agent who specializes in income tax preparation for small businesses and individuals. Visit her website at www.taxingmatters. com, send an email to Sherilyn@taxingmatters.com

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PRIME SEASON

TREES PLANTED ALONG SIXTH STREET IN NEW BEDFORD

To everything there is a season:

Time to plant!

BY JOYCE ROWLEY

“There’s still a lot of people who don’t appreciate all of the benefits that trees bring,” said Mary Ann Wordell, founder of Fall River Street Tree Planting Program, Inc., a volunteer-run non-profit organization.

“There’s their beauty, their shade, and all of the economic benefits.”

After retiring from nursing, Wordell began the non-profit company 19 years ago when she approached then-mayor Edward Lambert to address the lack of street trees in the City. He was receptive to the idea of a public-private partnership, she said, and the tree planting program took root, educating the public about the value trees add to the community.

Since then, Wordell estimates she has planted 2,000 trees, and keeps a database

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of the locations and dates of plantings.

She also became a state-certified tree steward, and with a core of five volunteer forestry stewards, has helped replant Fall River’s streets. Last year, her efforts were rewarded when the city tree farm on Bay Street was named in her honor.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Wordell and her stewards volunteered 756 hours of planting service just last year.

PLANT A TREE OR TWO… THOUSAND The Fall River Street Tree Program has

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two components: individual street tree plantings at requests of property owners, and neighborhood plantings where Wordell works with entire blocks of neighbors to green up their streets. Valentine Street and Madison Street are two of several areas that show her program’s results.

Single tree plantings cost $100, which the planting program matches, and purchases the tree. If a group of neighbors get together and ask for street trees, the price per tree drops to $50, and Wordell’s group covers the balance.

In both cases, the city removes the sidewalk and notifies Digsafe to identify any buried utilities in the vicinity. Volunteer tree stewards bring the tree to the site and plant it – no small task for a six-foot-tall tree. Mulching, watering and care for the tree is taken over by the property owner.

Wordell credits Jane DiBiasio, Fall River’s grant writer, with securing funds for buying trees and also for maintaining the City’s “Tree City USA” status for the past ten years.

“We’re really thrilled we’ll be getting our Growth Award for the fourth year this June,” said DiBiasio. Growth awards are given to Tree City communities who have continued to add to their tree programs each year. At a minimum, Tree City communities must have a tree board, a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per city resident, and have an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. In 2014, Fall River spent $434,532 on its tree program, roughly $4.79 per tree.

This year’s Growth award is based in part on securing outside funding of the state “Greening Gateway Cities” grant to plant 5,000 trees over a two-year period.

Fall River, Chelsea, and Holyoke share the $5 million Department of Energy grant that helps recreate urban forest to reduce energy consumption and fuel costs.

The state estimates a 10% reduction in energy costs of shaded homes in the summer. Long-term, that will amount to a $230 cost savings per year per home.

“It’s a wonderful program,” says Wordell. “Residents and business owners have the opportunity to get free trees put on the street and on private property as part of the program.”

Last year, the City planted 150 trees under the program, mainly in the Maplewood and Sandy Beach neighborhoods.

A REAL PROBLEM FOR URBAN TREES tree in front of their property. Perks visits the site, makes a recommendation on location given the light, space and other factors. He then works with the property owner on selecting a species suitable for the location.

The street tree list includes hearty urban species like cultivated honey locust, red maple, Japanese zelkova and London plane trees. But Perks is adding hawthorn trees and Hophorn beams, species that aren’t as common as they once were.

“A strong ecology is one of diversity,” Perks said. Most of the trees planted are cultivated to eliminate thorns or to otherwise tolerate urban conditions.

Once a tree is selected, city crews plant, mulch, and stake the tree. The city waters and fertilizes the tree on a rotating basis.

The property owner is encouraged to keep the tree watered and mulched, and to notify the city arborist if the tree needs special care.

“We’re creating a culture of taking ownership of trees,” says Perks. “A great community will take care of its great trees.”

Also, the area at the base of the tree needs to be kept friable. Compacted soil doesn’t absorb water well, so planting perennials around the base helps keep the surface soil breathing and drinking.

Perks also cautioned against pruning or trimming tree branches until the summer. In the spring and fall, trees are transferring carbohydrates through their systems and open cuts will be more likely to become infected with fungi and bacterial infections. It is better to wait until the tree has leafed out mid-summer and is strong enough to ward off infections or until the dead of winter when energy has been locked away and the tree is dormant.

For more information on the Adopt-ATree program in New Bedford, call DPI at 508-979-1550 and ask to adopt a tree.

To sign up for free trees under the Greening Gateway Cities grant, contact the Fall River Street Tree Planting Program at 508-679-8887.

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COMBAT THE ICY CONDITIONS CREATED

It’s happening every day at the Y — people of all ages are getting healthier and living better through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Join us.

PERKS SAID THE SALT NEEDED TO

Each day at the Y, people of all ages are coming together to get and stay active. Seniors are engaging in social activities and meeting others who share common interests and passions.

They’re participating in group exercise and aquatics classes and learning about proper nutrition. And they’re working side-by-side with our Wellness Coaches to develop more active, productive lives.

This winter left behind more than memories of unrelenting snowstorms.

Perks said the salt needed to combat the icy conditions created a real problem for urban trees.

“Salt doesn’t hurt per se, but it will draw water out of the roots by osmosis,” Perks said. “We won’t see salt damage until June and July.”

Urban trees are much like a potted plant, with only a small surface exposed to take in water and air. Surface water is quickly carried over concrete and asphalt to storm drains and pipes so that the tree gets less water through groundwater than in a natural setting. This means that salt can accumulate rather than flush away from tree roots.

During dry periods, salt that hasn’t been flushed out of the soil will bind the water and keep it from the roots. Perks recommends making sure street trees are kept heavily watered throughout the coming summer.

Come see all the great changes made at the Fall River YMCA. We will give you a complimentary pass to try us .

TIPS FOR TREE CARE

Senior Membership Advantages

URBAN TREE COVER While Fall River uses a consulting arborist/forestry steward, New Bedford hired full-time arborist Chance Perks to restart the City’s tree planting program last year.

A loss in staffing led to loss of the City’s Tree City USA certification, which they hope to regain while re-establishing their tree program.

Perks hit the ground running. In 2014, his forestry division in the Department of Infrastructure planted 500 trees in the city. Focusing on the downtown area and radiating outwards like the roots of a tree, the city has planted trees on William, Purchase, Middle, and Sixth streets, and along Acushnet Avenue.

“We’re focusing on the main thoroughfares,” said Perks. “The goal is to plant 500 trees per year for four years.”

New Bedford has an “Adopt-a-Tree” program much like Fall River’s. For a taxdeductible $200, residents and business owners can request the city plant a street

FITNESS FUN & FRIENDS

REBUILDING NEW BEDFORD’S

J OYCE ROWLEY is a freelance writer and regular contributor to “The South Coast Insider” and “South Coast Prime Times”.

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PRIME SEASON

Growing your own incredible edibles ELIZ ABETH MORSE READ

If you’ve ever envied how someone’s beautiful spring garden looked good enough to eat, you were having an inspired thought. Many flowers (and even a few weeds) are indeed quite tasty and nutritious. So learn more and add some color and flavor to your warmer-weather meals.

PLEASE DON’T EAT

THE DAISIES Some flowers, like foxglove and crocus, are poisonous, so make sure you know exactly which plants are non-toxic [see sidebar]. You can create a rainbow of subtle flavors and textures with edible spring blossoms – which are all full of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.

Pansies and violets have a grassy wintergreen taste, and are often candied to sprinkle over desserts.

Purple chive blossoms have a slight onion flavor, and white chive blossoms have a more garlicky flavor.

Marigold petals (aka poor man’s saffron) have a citrus-y kick, and are often used as a garnish in soups and rice dishes.

Nasturtium packs a pepper-y punch, and is high in Vitamins A, C, and D. Carnation (dianthus) petals have a mild clove/nutmeg flavor. Make sure to cut off the white ends of the blossoms.

Day lily blossoms have a melon-y flavor – but not all lilies are edible, so be sure you grow the edible species.

Some petunia blossoms are edible – but some aren’t, so be careful. The edible ones are sometimes used as a wrap, much like squash blossoms.

Rose petals have a light, fruity flavor. Like pansies, they’re often candied or sprinkled over desserts.

TAKE A WALK

ON THE WILD SIDE You don’t have to go foraging

in the forest for wild mushrooms to find free plant food.

If you have a quiet corner in your backyard that hasn’t been exposed to pesticides, foot-traffic, or road trash, you might just find three highly nutritious spring veggies: dandelions, clover, and fiddlehead ferns.

Dandelion may be considered an annoying weed, but the leaves and the yellow blossoms are both tasty and healthful – full of potassium, antioxidants, and Vitamins A and C. Cut the leaves off before the flower appears for tender, salad-worthy greens.

The slightly bitter taste complements sweeter early lettuces or baby spinach. If you cut the leaves after the plant has flowered, they’ll be tougher, but perfect for steaming or

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Incredible edibles do’s and don’ts…

Before you go tiptoeing through the tulips in search of edible plants, consult with a knowledgeable nursery owner or herbalist.

• Make sure the edible flowers have been organically-grown – you don’t want to be eating anything that might have been tainted with chemicals or roadside trash.

• If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, don’t experiment with edible plants.

• Add edible flowers to your diet slowly and sparingly to prevent gastric distress.

• Certain parts of a flowering plant may

stir-frying. And you can add the young flower heads for a honey-like flavor to salads (or you could make dandelion wine.)

Purple clover blossoms have a sweet licorice-y flavor when they’re young and tender.

Avoid eating white clover blossoms – they can cause major gastric distress.

Fiddleheads are fleeting, available only in early May. They’re basically curled-up baby ferns, shaped like the scrolled top of a violin. They taste like asparagus, and are full of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and potassium. Steam or boil them thoroughly, then add them to a stir-fry, atop a salad, or as a crunchy snack.

E ASILY EDIBLE HERBS Basil is a fast-growing annual herb and a no-brainer to grow in a sunny, sheltered spot (it doesn’t like wind). As you’re interested in producing a lot of tasty leaves, you need to pinch off the flowering tips

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be quite tasty and nutritious, but other parts of the same plant could be toxic (especially berries).

• Snip off the white end of a petal where you’ve plucked it (e.g. marigolds, lilies and roses); they taste bitter.

• Some plant blossoms are edible, but different species of that plant can be poisonous (e.g., lilies, petunias), so make sure you’re growing the edible variety.

• Some flowering plants are best eaten raw when they first bloom, while others are best eaten cooked when they’re more mature.

• And, if you have any known allergies to pollen and grasses, proceed with great caution before eating edible flowers.

to encourage bushy growth.

But those pinched-off flower tips are quite edible, and can be used for salads or cooking while you wait for the leaves to mature.

Like many other herb plants, basil comes in different “flavors” (species) – one might taste more “lemon-y” than another – but a fresh basil leaf is the sweet taste of sunshine (many gardeners swear that their backyard tomatoes taste better when basil is planted nearby.) Pick the leaves fresh for whatever you’re cooking today – they wilt and get nasty, otherwise.

Sprinkle them whole on a platter of raw veggies. Slice them raw for salads or rice, or add them to a spaghetti sauce or minestrone. Learn how to make your own pesto sauce or Caprese salad.

Chop and freeze basil leaves in ice-cube trays for future use. Before the first frost, cut down your basil plants and hang them upside-down to dry in a cool dark place for a

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few months. Crumble the remaining leaves and store them in air-tight jars, and you’ll have enough basil to last you until next year’s crop.

Chives are a perennial herb, and once you’ve eaten those spring blossoms, you’re left with the spiky, aromatic chive “leaves.” Not only are they edible, but they’re essential to anyone who cooks. The chives with purple blossoms taste strongly of leeks or onion.

Those with white blossoms have a more garlicky flavor.

Because chives grow best from seed, you can plan ahead where they’ll grow year after year – they make excellent perennial border plants for walkways. They’ll also full of chlorophyll, and therefore make a handy breathfreshener before you ring that doorbell…

Chopped chives are used in just about anything – salads, rice, soups, stir-fry, omelets.

They add an onion/garlic zing, whether raw or lightly cooked.

Clip them back before the

first frost, then freeze them for future use, just like basil leaves.

Okay, okay, so your greataunt always smelled of lavender powder. But have you ever tasted lavender? If you’ve never experienced southern French cooking or baking, then you probably haven’t experienced the incredible floral flavor of lavender.

Experiment with using the herbs de Provence mix the next time you make chicken soup, or by adding lavender flowers to plain ol’ butter cookies.

Lavender, like chives, is a sun-loving trainable perennial plant, but it is best grown from starter plants (as opposed to seed), which will slowly naturalize and thicken over the years. The flowers are not only incredibly fragrant and edible, but they also repel deer and noxious insects. The dried flowers can be used for scenting candles, sachets, soaps, or scattered in closets and cabinets to repel insects.

What fresher taste can you think of than “minty”? The perennial mint plant comes in many varieties and flavors (some taste like chocolate!), but keep in mind that they all spread rapidly and can become invasive, so consider planting them in pots or a window-box rather than in your garden. Like basil, mint has a flowering top which can be pinched off and eaten.

The fresh leaves can be used in beverages, jellies, many Greek, Middle Eastern, and Asian recipes, and frozen or dried for future use.

E LIZABETH M ORSE R EAD is an award-winning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 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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GOOD TIMES

I’m Popeye the sailor man I’m strong to the fin-ich Cause I eat my spin-ach I’m Popeye the sailor man

‘

‘

I’m Popeye the sailor man

I REMEMBER WHEN

Fifty or so years ago many of us baby boomers heard this ditty countless times.

It’s stayed with us – it’s imprinted deep down PAUL in the archives of our LETENDRE memory banks. No, we probably can’t remember the title of the song we heard twenty minutes ago, or the name of the movie that we saw yesterday, or even the title of the book that we are currently engulfed in. From what I’ve been reading, that’s pretty normal, even if I can’t remember where I read it.

Popular culture and mores have changed mightily since we were kids watching Saturday morning cartoons. On this journey from the 1950’s to 2015, if we didn’t have our head up and eyes open, we missed something. We’ve lived through an era of rapid and constant change. Yes, we’ve all missed more than a few things.

H ARRY POTTER AND THE THREE STOOGES I recently read in a book titled Harry

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Potter and the Millennials: Research Methods and the Politics of the Muggle Generation (2013) that the Millennials (those born from 1982-2002) who are fans of the Potter books or films, “tend to be more accepting of those who are different … to be more supportive of equality” (17). The author, Anthony Gierzynski writes, “Being a fan of the series is associated with warmer feeling towards out-groups… lower predisposition to authoritarianism” (75).

We who were born in the late 40’s and early 50’s were the first TV generation.

You might say we were televisionsocialized. Those of us in that early group of boomers – we were weaned not on Harry Potter but on shows and cartoons like Popeye, Howdy Doody, Lassie, and The Mickey Mouse Club. For many of us, these shows were our early mentors.

Could those values that we now hold dear have been embossed onto our young, impressionable souls, not by the classic books or religion, but by The Three Stooges?

According to Gierzynski, “In the process of reading, watching, or playing, we all become part of the world we involved

M AY /J UNE 2015

ourselves in and it becomes part of us” (84). Can any of that stuff still be lingering in the archives of our aging minds?

CULTURAL GAP If the Millennials who grew up reading and watching Harry Potter are generally “more supportive of equality” than previous generations, and if, as Gierzynski writes, stories cause us to “potentially expose ourselves to other perspectives that we internalize” (82), then considering the fodder that we were fed in our youth, it only makes sense that, as a group, we’ll be less supportive of equality.

In those olden days, generalizing and stereotyping were considered harmless – societal roles were much more defined and limited by race and gender.

Consider how we viewed women. On those early TV shows, the successful women earned their stripes via marriage.

They wore aprons and attended to the guys. Think of Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Ozzie and Harriet.

The best a woman could do would be to marry a well-heeled man.

And what was the portrayal of diversity

in the America of the 50’s? In those television 50’s, black people, like women, also “had their place.” In those early television years there was the Amos and Andy Show – the black characters on this show were harsh stereotypes who were usually seeking ways to “beat the system.”

“How Our Brains Make Memories” in The Smithsonian Magazine: “Most people have so-called flashbulb memories of where they were and what they were doing when something momentous happened… But as clear and detailed as these memories feel, psychologists find

Somewhere in our deepest innards is the feeling that we were confortable, that things were okay The Chinese on television all cleaned clothes. Hispanics were housekeepers or gardeners. Italians were gangsters or made pizza.

Somewhere in these sixty-somethingyear-old minds of ours, many of these deeply-ingrained images linger. Yes, over the years many have been expelled, but these are no more totally eradicated than the jingle from Popeye the Sailor Man.

they are surprisingly inaccurate.”

Some of the values that we hold sacred might be sentimentalized early media flashbulb memories; restructured by our minds to represent values. We cling to them because they remind us of a “better” time. But, as Nader notes, “It may be impossible for humans or any other animal to bring a memory to mind without altering it in some way.”

‘But as clear and detailed as memories feel, psychologists find they are surprisingly inaccurate’ Somewhere in our deepest innards is the feeling that we were comfortable, things were okay. For many of us, TV represented the norm. But just because something was “normal” doesn’t mean that it was okay.

TRADITIONAL VALUES? What we now call “traditional values” are often a longing for those values of the 50’s. The term often gets tossed around.

Most of us would say that traditional values combine honesty, hard work, and respect for the law. But when we reminisce and get nostalgic, it’s easy to put Father Knows Best, The Three Stooges, and “traditional values” in the same basket. Memories of those shows can trigger comfortable feelings of past events. We can get lulled into nesting some genuinely admirable principles with the less commendable aspects of those years.

Karim Nader, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, was quoted in a May 2010 article by Greg Miller titled

So no, many of those snapshot memories don’t reflect traditional values any more than the show Modern Family reflects universal contemporary values.

Like Popeye’s jingle, some things stick with us. Experiences, feelings, ideas have all been internalized, altered, and refiled: these fashion our values. Some of these values are absolute – etched in stone.

Others are just fashioned from fancy – seasonal.

We’re more like Popeye than Harry, and that wasn’t entirely up to us. But from time to time it does us well to re-examine these things. In some ways, the way we were is the way we are. Or think we are.

PAUL LETENDRE has spent most of his life working for broadline food service distributors in the U.S. and Canada. He also writes an industry blog, “Restaurant Stuff,” at www. la10duh.com and is regular contributor to ‘South Coast Prime Times” and “The South Coast Insider”.

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GOOD TIMES

DAVID MONTE AND TOBY MONTE STAND IN FRONT OF A PORTRAIT OF THE ‘M AESTRO’ A NTONIO PACHECO DA SILVA

IRENE MONTE, PLAYING ORGAN AT SANTO CHRISTO CHURCH

MUSICAL MONTES MARCH ON When the “Maestro” Antonio Pacheco da Silva, founded the Acoreana Band in 1913, little did he know that he was setting the tone for a legacy that would continue for more than 100 years.

MICHAEL J. VIEIRA

Not only is the band still performing at church feasts and other events as the St. Cecilia Band, but his great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren are still making music. Six of da Silva’s sons played in the Acoreana Band, but his granddaughter Irene was the one who kept the beat alive across the generations.

The daughter of Manuel Pacheco Silva (the family dropped the “da”) was born in New Bedford and moved to Fall River with her family when she was four. They settled in the South End of the city on Friendship Street, where the Maestro and several of his children also made their homes.

“She was part of a musical household,” said her son, Tobias “Toby” Silva Monte, who continues the “family business,” along with his brother Michael and

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several of their children, who are professional musicians, directors, and music teachers.

A LIFETIME OF MUSIC When Irene Silva walked into the Dwelly School, she couldn’t speak English – but she learned and eventually taught her parents the language. She also realized that she loved music and taught herself how to play piano and to read music.

After she graduated from B.M.C. Durfee High School, she went on to receive a degree in music education from Boston University in 1948 and began her career in Swansea Public Schools as supervisor of music.

She married Tobias Monte in 1950 and their reception was at the Acoreana Band Club on the corner of Williams Street and Broadway, which has since burned down.

After nine and half years, Irene had to resign her teaching job because she was

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pregnant.

Her son suggests that her choice to teach and raise a family came at a cost. “She had the voice to pursue an operatic career,” Toby said.

But although she gave up the stage, Irene wasn’t just singing in the shower.

Although a parishioner at Our Lady of the Angels Church, she started playing at Santo Christo Church, both in Fall River, at 15 years old.

“She played there for 60 years,” Toby noted. “Isn’t that amazing?”

Not only did she lead the music for thousands of Sunday Masses, weddings, and funerals – in both English and Portuguese – she also wrote her own songs and acclamations. Her son Toby still uses them from time to time.

“Just last week we played her ‘Lamb of God,’” he said.

NOT JUST A CHURCH LADY Although many know her voice from the choir lofts, even more probably know her as a mentor and music teacher. In 1963, Irene returned to teaching – first in Fall River’s elementary schools but later at the high school.

She directed the Serenaders and worked with the orchestra. Irene provided the musical direction not for just high school productions but was Musical Director for the Little Theatre of Fall River for 23 years.

For decades, she provided the soundtrack for many South Coast events.

Irene served as musical director for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Theater Company, the Sacred Hearts Academy Glee Club, and other regional groups.

“She was always singing, always playing, always teaching,” Toby said in a Herald News article. “Every day of her life was filled with music.” In the same piece, an Arts Unlimited representative was quoted as saying: “She is also a sweet and modest woman, yet a precise musician and an inspiring and devoted teacher.”

When Irene received an award from Arts Unlimited in 1997, she pointed out that a lot of her students have continued to sing and/or to play music. They are still out there today.

Among those are Susan Mello who is an opera singer in New York, and Sam Belanger who is in theater in the same city – and “many, many others,” Toby said.

In addition to her work in the schools and in the community, Irene gave private voice lessons at her home. Little did she know she was also teaching her son.

“I would go there and take notes,” Toby said, and then he would use her techniques in his classroom. When he first started, he asked his mother to come into his class to help him teach his elementary school music students. “The singing got better,” he said, because of her techniques.

Although Irene retired in 1989 after 26 years in Fall River schools, she continued to play the organ until about 2004 at Good Shepherd Church, which was created when Our Lady of the Angels and Blessed Sacrament churches merged with the former St. Patrick’s Church in Fall River.

In about 2004, Irene became ill and, during her rehabilitation, her husband Tobias died. He had not only been principal of Fall River’s Doran School for 31 years but also served as the family’s “facilitator.”

“He was the one who drove us everywhere,” Toby said, recalling that his father would patiently wait and chat with people who came and went during the

rehearsals and shows.

In 2007, Irene Monte passed away, but the music didn’t stop. Unlike her father, who stopped playing trombone when his father, the Maestro died, the Monte musical legacy continues.

KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE Both of Irene’s sons, Toby and Michael and two of their sons play in the St. Cecilia Band. Toby and Michael are also members of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Toby founded the Concordia Brass Quintet and Michael has a trio, the Allegro Chamber Players. They both also teach in Fall River and Somerset public schools, respectively, and at UMass - Dartmouth.

Toby continues to play organ and direct the choir at St. John of God Church in Somerset. Many Sundays, not only he, but also his brother Michael, their wives, and several of their children can be found in the choir. Toby has been playing there since 1977, when his mother called to tell him the church needed an organist.

“I said, ‘I don’t play organ.’ She said, ‘You’ll learn,’” Toby recalled.

The music continues with the next generation. Both of Michael’s children play instruments: daughter Megan plays violin and son Michael is a percussionist and engineering major. Toby’s son Daniel is a percussionist and music major at Ithaca University, son Tobias is majoring in science but still plays with the UMass Wind Ensemble, and his daughter was involved in music but is now a pediatrician.

Son David plays French horn, teaches music at Spencer Borden Elementary School in Fall River and is in the American Band. He also continues the tradition of performing in musical productions.

“It’s really cool to be part of that tradition, that heritage, that legacy,” Toby said, “We’re definitely perpetuating it.”

David also is carrying on another tradition – he sports a handlebar mustache, just like the Maestro.

“He’s channeling his great, great grandfather,” Toby said, smiling the smile that only a proud dad can muster.

SPRING IS HERE AND SO ARE WE! Come see what’s new for the 2015 season

– Opening: Sunday, May 3 –

201 HORSENECK RD • SO. DARTMOUTH, MA

(508) 636 -7700

M ICHAEL V IEIR A , PH.D. has written for several newspapers and magazines including “The South Coast Insider” and “South Coast Prime Times”.

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E XTRA! E XTRA!

IN BRIEF… ELIZ ABETH MORSE READ

Okay – it’s time to exhale, stow the snow shovels, and relax! Tiptoe through the tulips, celebrate Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, plant your garden, and plan your summer vacations, camps, and day-trips. The groundhog may have predicted the weather correctly (for a change), but now it’s time to come out and rediscover the South Coast.

REGIONAL NOTES

At the eleventh hour, the City of New Bedford signed a Host Community Agreement with developer KG Urban Enterprises/Foxwoods to pursue a state gaming license to build a $650M resort casino on the waterfront.

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Boating season is back! Head for the Race Village at Newport’s Fort Adams State Park May 5-17 to enjoy the festivities during the Volvo Ocean Race’s only North American stopover! (Free parking for Volvo owners.) For more info and a schedule of events, visit www.

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volvooceanracenewport.com.

Baseball lovers on the South Coast, rejoice! The PawSox, the Red Sox’s Triple A franchise, may be moving to a new stadium in Providence off Rt. 195.

Let the summer festivals begin!! Don’t

miss the 9th Annual “Taste of Southcoast Festival” May 17 under the tents on Pier 3 in New Bedford. Great food and music, plus free parking. For more info, visit www.downtownnb.org or call 508-9902777.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, your electricity and gas bills now come from Eversource Energy, the result of a merger of NSTAR, Northeast Utilities and several other public utilities companies.

Kick off warmer weather at the 21st annual Garden & Herb Festival at Tiverton Four Corners on May 23.

For upcoming events, go to www. tivertonfourcorners.com.

Celebrate Memorial Day weekend at Battleship Cove in Fall River – free admission for military members and veterans. For a schedule of the ceremonies, visit www.battleshipcove.org.

RadioShack declared bankruptcy in February, so their stores in Fall River, Fairhaven, North Dartmouth, Swansea, and New Bedford have closed their doors for good.

The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum will host a free tour of the Allen Haskell Park in New Bedford on May 11. For details, visit www. rjdmuseum.org or call 508-997-1401.

Camp Angel Wings, the free two-day bereavement camp for children 6-12, sponsored by the Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association, will be held July 11 & 12 at Camp Welch in Assonet. Early registration is encouraged, and volunteer counselors are needed – go to www. southcoast.org/campangelwings or call 508-973-3227.

STAY TUNED…

Taunton’s Myles Standish Industrial Park.

Uh oh… The cataclysmic winter weather exposed serious problems in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in metropolitan Boston, and this could possibly derail the final completion phase of the South Coast Rail project.

More uh oh… the demise of Cape Wind’s contracts with National Grid and Eversource (formerly NSTAR) has led to Cape Wind canceling its lease agreement with the new Marine Commerce Terminal in New Bedford.

After winter delays, the new Walmart Superstore in West Wareham is finally slated to open in July.

If all goes according to plan, the Coastal Compassion medical marijuana facility in Fairhaven will open by the end of this year.

State lawmakers Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) and Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) have proposed two separate bills in Boston to help jump-start the offshore wind-energy industry off the South Coast.

BOOMS AND BUSTS…

The venerable Reed & Barton silversmith company in Taunton has filed for bankruptcy, after almost 200 years in business.

The “Escape the Cape” triathalon will return to Onset on June 13 (rain date June 14). Organizers will be contributing $1,000 to the town’s Community Events Committee.

Blount Fine Foods will be expanding its Fall River facilities this summer and hiring more staff.

State legislators and school districts throughout southern New England are re-evaluating traditional school calendars and considering new ones that would allow for both a week off in February, and then another week off in April.

Southcoast Health has closed its blood banks and ended the blood donation programs at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

There is finally serious movement on replacing the oh-so-quaint New Bedford/ Fairhaven Bridge. It was built during the whaling era and has since become the Route 6 black-hole for vehicular traffic, tourism, and maritime commerce.

Wal-Mart, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and other major retailers have raised starting wages to at least $9/hour, starting in June, with more to come in 2016.

Phew! The deal is back on track for Amazon.com to build a distribution facility in Fall River/Freetown.

The Boston Globe may be moving its printing and distribution operations to the former Boston Apparel building in

The AAA branch in Somerset will now process Registry of Motor Vehicles transactions. For details, visit www. massdot.com.

The City of New Bedford received a $1.2 million energy incentive payment from NSTAR to replace thousands of street and traffic lights with more cost-effective LED lights.

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGEB Green-tech company HTP Inc., manufacturers of high-efficiency heating products, is moving from Freetown to the New Bedford Business Park.

SOUTH COAST NEWSMAKERS

UMass Dartmouth PhD student Amir Zonouz won the first international Siemens Mobility IDEA award for his design of a smart-parking drone application.

Fourteen-year-old pianist Sebastian Bottone of Portsmouth recently made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City as one of the regional winners of the Crescendo International Competition.

Philanthropist-alum Dr. Irwin Jacobs gave New Bedford High School more than $300,000 to purchase tablets/ laptops for math students.

Chelsea Aguilar and Adam Turcotte of Durfee High School in Fall River were chosen to sing at the All-State Chorus’ Music Festival at Boston’s Symphony Hall in March.

UMass Dartmouth professor Vanni Bucci received a $465,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop treatment programs for intestinal diseases.

Barrington High School’s Jazz Band won first place at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival in Boston.

Congratulations to the boys’ basketball Bulldogs of Old Rochester Regional High School, who won the Division 3 title at the DCU Center in Worcester, bringing home the school’s first state title.

“THAT’S A BUMMER, DUDE…”

During the second official blizzard of recent months (Valentine’s Day weekend), Acushnet got dumped with a record 22 inches of snow, the highest accumulation anywhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut during that storm.

Did you hear about the guy in New Bedford who tried tossing his trash bags from a second floor window aiming for a passing garbage truck, but instead fell out of the window and got run over by the truck? (I’m not making this up…)

WHEN THE KIDS ARE HOME

Take the little ones to a free (and wet) “Itty Bitty Bay Explorers” event on April 22 at Little Harbor Beach in Wareham, sponsored by the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Wareham Land Trust. For more

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info, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org.

The Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth will have an “April Vacation Week Adventure” for kids 5-10 on April 21-24. Call 508-990-0505 or visit www.lloydcenter.org. Plan ahead for some canoeing or kayaking there, too!

There’s always something to see or do at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro. Plan ahead for Summer Zoocademy for Kids, starting in June. Call 774-203-1840 or go to www.capronparkzoo.com.

Check out what’s going on at the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River.

For more info, go to www.cmgfr.org or call 508-672-0033.

Head for the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford! There’s something for all ages – try “Toddler Tales” every Thursday morning, free with admission. Stories, snacks and activities. For details, call 508991-6178 or visit www.bpzoo.org.

Find out what’s happening at the Marion Natural History Museum. For info, go to www.marionmuseum.org or call 508-758-9089.

Don’t forget to check out the Children’s Museum in Easton! For info, call 508-230-3789 or visit www. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

When kids K-4 are on school vacation (April 20-24), send them to Camp Sequoia at Blithewold in Bristol. Go to www.blithewold.org or call 401-253-2707.

FUN FOR THE FAMILY

Enjoy FREE family fun and entertainment at AHA! Nights in New Bedford. The May 14 theme is “We Art New Bedford” -- the June 11 theme is “Latitude and Longitude.” Go to www. ahanewbedford.org or call 508-9968253.

Find out what’s happening at your local Y! Sports, camps, health programs, activities for all ages – go to www. ymcasouthcoast.org.

Take the kids to the Roger Williams Park Zoo! Ride a camel, feed the seals, visit the Bronx Zoo May 9. Don’t forget that Zoo Camp! starts June 15. For info, go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

While you’re there, stop by the Children’s Museum in Providence. Learn more at www.childrenmuseum.org.

Get reacquainted with the great outdoors at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth. Try your hand at some canoeing or kayaking! Call

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508-990-0505 or visit www.lloydcenter. org.

Check out AHA! Fall River’s event “Every House Has a Story” at the Lafayette Durfee House on May 21.

For more info, visit AHAFallRiver on Facebook or email dendenllc@comcast. net.

See the largest collection of Titanic memorabilia in the US, including the one-ton model used in the 1953 movie, at the Fall River Marine Museum in Battleship Cove. For more info, call 508674-3533 or visit www.marinemuseumfr. org.

There’s always something going on in Fairhaven! Enjoy the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on May 3, sponsored by the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and the Fairhaven Colonial Club.

For a schedule of events, go to www. wmfriendshiphouse.org or call 508-9951219.

Tour Fairhaven’s historic Riverside Cemetery on May 17, visit the Fort Phoenix Historical Encampment May 2324, and plan ahead for the Homecoming Fair June 28. For details, call 508-9794085 or go to www.farihaventours.com.

Experience pre-Industrial Age life at the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, rated the “Best Living-History” farm in Rhode Island by Yankee Magazine. To learn more, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.

If you’re a boat-lover, don’t miss the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, home to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame.

Learn more at www.herreshoff.org.

Take a drive to Middleboro and visit the Robbins Museum of Archeology – call 508-947-9005 or go to www. massarcheology.org – then stop by the Soule Homestead – call 508-947-6744 or go to www.soulehomestead.org.

Go on a Seal Watch or Nature Cruise throughout April from Long Wharf in Newport. For more info, call 401-3246060 or go to www.savebay.org.

DAY TRIPPIN’

If you’re 50 or older, check out the trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program. On May 21, there’s the Frankie Valli Tribute at Foxwoods, and the Lobster Roll Cruise and Woods Hole Aquarium trip on May 27. Take a multiday trip to Washington DC May 15-19.

Plan ahead for the Boston Harbor Cruise and Quincy Market on June 22. For

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC Mark your calendars for the “Student Jazz in the Garden” free evening concerts, starting May 19, at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum in New Bedford. For info and schedule, call 508997-1401 or visit www.rjdmuseum.org.

“Music of the 1940s” will be the theme of the 13th Annual Benefit Concert performed by the Tri-County Symphonic Band on June 7, under the tent at Tabor Academy in Marion. For details, visit www.tricountysymphonicband.org.

“Kashmir,” the #1 Led Zepplin tribute band, will perform a free concert on May 16 at the Newport Grand Event Center.

For more info, call 401-849-5000 or go to www.newportgrand.com.

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River has a fabulous line-up – there’s Aztec Two Step April 18, Shelby Lynne May 8, David Wax Museum May 14, The

Garcia Project May 16, The Schemers May 30, Ronnie Earl June 16 – and much, much more! For a complete schedule, visit www.narrowscenter.com or call 508-3241926.

If you’re a fan of Americana and roots music, check out the monthly Salon Concerts at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. The Rolling Roots Tour starts May 1. For details, go to www. wamsuttaconcerts.com.

It’s all happenin’ at the Z! Head for the Zeiterion in New Bedford for the International Portuguese Music Awards 2015 on April 25, Isabella Rossellini Presents Green Porno May 2, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s “Enchanted Places” May 9, Grace Morrison May 21, Black Violin May 29, and Dark Star Orchestra June 3 – and much more! Go to www.zeiterion.org or

call 508-999-6276.

Head for the Providence Performing Arts Center for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons April 19, Dirty Dancing April 2126 – and much more! Call 401-421-2787 or go to www.ppacri.org.

The Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton will present Magnolia Cajun Band May 5, and contra dancing on the third Wednesday of every month.

Plan ahead for Folk Festival 2015 at Sandywoods, May 23-24. For a complete schedule, go to www.sandywoodsmusic. com or call 401-241-7349.

Head for Common Fence Music in Portsmouth for some down-home entertainment. Check out Common Fence Music’s “Roots Caboose,” with The Gnomes April 18, Jon Brooks May 2, The Baker’s Dozen May 9! Call 401-683-5085 or visit www.commonfencemusic.org.

BLACK VIOLIN AT THE ZEITERION

SHELBY LYNNE AT THE N ARROWS

K ASHMIR AT NEWPORT GRAND

details, call 508-991-6171.

by the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society and the Fairhaven Colonial Club.

For a schedule of events, go to www. wmfriendshiphouse.org or call 508-9951219.

www.fortadams.org.

Take a ride to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Harvard Art Museums on April 16 on a tour organized by the Friends of the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum in New Bedford. For info and reservations, call 508-997-1401 or visit www.rjdmuseum. org.

The Marion Council on Aging will sponsor a trip to the JFK Memorial in Hyannis April 20, Wrentham Mall on May 18, and the Sandwich Glass Museum on June 15. Call 508-748-3570.

The Fairhaven Senior Center will host a 7-day trip to Savannah, Jekyl Island, and Beaufort April 19-25. Call 508-9794029.

FOOD, FEASTS AND FESTIVALS

Enjoy the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairhaven on May 3, sponsored

Fall River’s Little Theatre will host its annual all-you-can-eat Clamboil April 25 in Rehoboth. For details, visit www. littletheatre.net or call 508-675-1852.

Plan ahead for the Dartmouth Lions Club’s “Blind Wine Tasting” at Running Brook Vineyard on June 27. For more info, call 774-929-7352.

Somerset will be celebrating its 225th birthday this year, so be ready for a schedule of special events.

Watch this space! There’ll be a full schedule of festivals, concerts and special events on the Newport waterfront starting in May. Plan ahead by visiting www.newportwaterfrontevents.com and

SIGHTS TO BEHOLD

Check out the free exhibit of Depression-era WPA paintings at the Cherry & Webb Gallery in downtown Fall River, sponsored by the Greater Fall River Art Association. For more information, go to www.greaterfallriverartassoc.org.

See the world’s largest collection of scrimshaw May 15-17, during the 17th Scrimshaw Weekend at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford. For more info, go to www.whalingmuseum.org.

G ARDENS OF DELIGHT

Plan ahead for the free tour of the Allen Haskell Park in New Bedford, sponsored by the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, on May 11.

For details, visit www.rjdmuseum.org or call 508-997-1401.

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A FLEA IN HER E AR TRINITY REP

KINKY BOOTS PROVIDENCE PERFORMING A RTS CENTER

Tiptoe through “Fairy Garden Week” April 18-26 at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence. Go to www.providenceri.com or call 401-7859450 for more information.

May 3, “Old Jews Telling Jokes” through May 10, and “Melancholy Play” May 28June 28. Call 401-351-4243 or visit www. trinityrep.com.

Don’t miss “Daffodil Days” at Blithewold Gardens in Bristol through April 26. And mark your calendars for “Dahlia Days” starting May 8. Go to www.blithewold.org or call 401-253-2707.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

CLASSICAL ACTS

Listen to J. S. Bach’s “Soli Deo Gloria” on May 16 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, performed by the Rhode Island Civic Choral and Orchestra.

For more info, visit www.ricco.org or call 401-521-5670.

The Lions Club of Dartmouth will present the fundraiser comedy show “Laugh Your @@@ Off” on April 17 at White’s of Westport. For info, call 774929-7352.

Concerts at the Point in Westport will present Ryu Goto April 19, and The Claremont Trio May 31. For more info, call 508-636-0698 or visit www. concertsatthepoint.org.

Head for the Providence Performing Arts Center for Pink Martini at the VETS May 5, Legends of Boston Comedy at the VETS June 6, “Kinky Boots” June 9-14 – and much more! Call 401-421-2787 or go to www.ppacri.org.

Head for Memorial Hall in Plymouth on May 2 to listen to Hollywoods’ great movie music, performed by the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra. For info, call 508-746-8008 or go to www. plymouthphil.org.

Head for 2nd Story Theatre in Warren!

“And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little” plays through May 17, “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” plays May 1-31. For details, call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

On May 16 and 17, listen to a performance of Cherubini’s Requiem by the Greater Tiverton Community Chorus and the Southcoast Community Chorus, with full orchestra, at the Good Shepherd parish in Fall River. For details, visit www.gtcchorus.org.

Enjoy a performance of “When the Cat’s Away” through May 3 at the Newport Playhouse. “Cheaters” will be performed May 7 through June 14. Go to www. newportplayhouse.com or call 401-8487529.

New Bedford’s Your Theatre will perform “Fuddy Meers” May 14-24. For more info, go to www.yourtheatre.org or call 508-993-0772.

Treat your friends to a performance at Trinity Rep! “A Flea in Her Ear” will be performed through April 26. “Look Back in Anger” plays through May 2, “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant” through

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Listen to the RI Philharmonic’s “Classical 8: Carmina Burana” at the VETS on May 9. Go to www.riphil.org or call 401-248-7000.

The Zefira Trio will perform on April 25 in the “Arts in the Village” series at Goff Memorial Hall in Rehoboth. Call 508252-3031 or visit www.carpentermuseum. org.

CLIMATE CHANGERS

The Meals on Wheels program in Wareham is in desperate need of drivers.

If you’ve got a few hours to spare, call

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MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE 2ND STORY THEATRE

508-291-3100 x 6514.

If you live on the South Coast and you’d like to experience raising a few chickens in your backyard this summer, check out www.rhentaflock.com.

The pantry at A Helping Paw animal shelter in Wareham offers free pet food to pet-owners in need. Donations gladly accepted. Call 508-291-7297.

Learn from the masters how to build or repair a stone wall on May 30 at Prescott Farm in Middletown. For info, go to www.newportrestoration.org or call 401846-4152 x 122.

If you’re interested in keeping up on South Coast environmental news, check out www.ecori.org.

Meet old friends on Saturdays at the Oxford Book Haven and Café at the Church of the Good Shepherd in North Fairhaven. Fresh soups and desserts, used books on sale, board games, and WiFi. To learn more, visit www. goodshepherdfairhaven.com or call 508992-2281.

Global Education Team teachers and students from the Wareham Public Schools are hoping to raise enough money to attend a Global Student Summit in Sweden in April 2016. Any and all contributions to support their dream can be sent to their scholarship account at www.gofundme.com/k8xtok.

Find out what’s happening at your local Y! Sports, camps, health programs, activities for all ages – go to www. ymcasouthcoast.org.

“My Brother’s Keeper” of Easton and Dartmouth is looking for volunteers and gently-used residential furniture for families in need. Free pick-up.

Call 774-305-4577 or visit www.

MyBrothersKeeper.org.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dodging the ‘Death Tax’

BY MICHELLE D. BENESKI

Did you know that Massachusetts has an Estate Tax? When you, die Massachusetts taxes the property you own at your death.

The state grants you an exemption for the first one million of property.

If you die owning property valued at more than $1 million, then you owe the state tax. The initial amount of the tax is about $33,000 on the first million, then the tax phases in to a rate of about 10 percent.

For example, if you have an estate valued at $1.6 million, your tax would be approximately $60,000.

The Federal Government also imposes an estate tax at your death.

The federal exemption is $5.43 million in 2015.

Many married couples leave all their property to the surviving spouse, but fail to utilize the first spouse to die’s estate tax exemption. At the second death, the surviving spouse owns all of the property and if that amount is above $1 million, then the Massachusetts estate tax is due. It is possible, through very traditional estate planning, to plan so that a married couple can shelter up to $2 million in assets from Massachusetts estate tax and thus avoid up to $100,000 in taxes.

If you are married with a net worth above $1 million and have failed to plan, then you are voluntarily paying the tax!

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Power ON

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4525 Acushnet Ave. New Bedford, MA 02745 TheOaksMa.com

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Joint Commission accredited

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55601

M ICHELLE D. B ENESKI is an

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GOOD TIMES

Love at first sight The eyes, it is said, are the windows to the soul.

And the eyes of little Michael Everett Taylor, big and bright and beautifully blue, have PAUL K ANDARIAN the soulful power to drink me right in and win every bit of my being.

Michael is my grandson, born January twenty-eighth, my first grandchild. Far from making me feel as old as the word ‘grandfather’ might engender, the little bug of a boy makes me feel as young as I have ever felt.

It doesn’t seem possible to have a grandchild, and I’m sure that’s what every new grandparent must say. My daughter, Jessica, gave me, and the world, this gift, the best she could have ever given.

The second I walked into the hospital room and saw him, swaddled up to the neck, resting on my daughter’s knees, I was hooked. After I managed to clear my own wet eyes enough to focus, I was drawn to his. Every grandparent, every parent, thinks their new grandson and son is the most beautiful ever conceived. I feel no differently.

From the very beginning, his eyes are what you cannot help but notice, what people comment on, so big and clear, darting around the room, trying to make sense of this new world he finds himself in.

They are the eyes of his mother, eyes I clearly recall seeing her for the first time twenty-eight years ago.

It’s funny, being a grandparent, a new one, a job that comes with a whole new set of responsibilities. Gone is the pressure of providing, of daily care, of changing diapers, of getting up in the middle

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of the night to tend to them, feed them, comfort them.

Now it’s all gravy. Now I go, drink in Michael’s eyes, and play. Face to face, making the dumbest sounds you can imagine to him, waiting for the inevitable giggle, laugh, burp, groan, grimace that all babies do in their infant ritual of discovery, their cute faces going cuter still with every fidgety moment.

I kiss him, hold him, let him spit up on me and marvel in his snoozing warmth as he snuggles to my chest. And I love him in a way I didn’t think possible, since the birth of my own children.

And as my parents did for their grandchildren, I will do for mine, and always wishing it could be more Jess and James, the boy’s father, live more than an hour away from me, and may move even farther away, meaning I’ll just have to drive that much more to see them. Doesn’t bother me a bit.

Kids change your life. The instant my daughter was born, my life was upside down in the happiest of ways. For years, without children, it felt like I was on the outside looking in. The moment Jess was born, and she blinked those big eyes of hers at me, I knew I was in the inside looking out. I was where I needed to be.

That was reinforced two years later when my son, Paul, came along.

It’s much the same with grandchildren.

The love is familiar, yet different, powerful but somewhat detached. They are not

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yours to care for, that job belongs to your children, the new parents.

The power of such a small form of life is pretty amazing. My son, a big lug at sixfoot-three and two hundred-plus pounds, goes soft as butter left in the sun the second he gets his nephew in his arms.

He will be Michael’s godfather, and already Paul and I are tormenting Jess with thoughts of getting him to play hockey, finding skates small enough to fit him, teaching him the sport we share and love, even at the risk of getting teeth knocked out he’s yet to grow.

And that’s another beauty of being a new grandparent. Watching them grow.

You do so praying the job you’ve done with your own children will help them lay a solid foundation for their own.

And as my parents did for their grandchildren, I will do for mine, and always wishing it could be more. My late father always lamented the fact he couldn’t do more. If he could, he would have bought them new cars, found them better homes, given financially anything he could, regretting he had little himself.

I find myself feeling the same. I have little to give, wishing it were more, regretting choices I’ve made in my life that have left me with scant resources to share with my children, my grandchildren.

But my father and mother spared nothing when it came to love. They were rich in that, and gave at every turn.

And so it is with being a new grandfather. Love? I’ve got that in spades.

And every bit of it is going to the little boy with the big blue eyes.

PAUL KANDARIAN is a lifelong area resident and has been a professional writer since 1982, as columnist, contributor in national magazines, websites and other publications.

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