Honoring 90 years of Social Security – we earned it
Turn a lifetime of experience into the experience of a lifetime.
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Ninety years ago, our country made a promise — to provide hardworking Americans with a foundation for financial security in retirement. Since then, Social Security has become one of the most successful and popular programs in American history, helping generations of Americans stay out of poverty and live with dignity after a lifetime of work.
In 90 years, Social Security has never missed a payment.
Jennifer Benson
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Today, nearly 69 million older Americans receive Social Security benefits, and over 183 million workers are contributing to the system.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of Social Security. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on August 14, 1935. For nine decades, Social Security has provided peace of mind to families across the country and helped ensure dignity in retirement.
At AARP, we’re proud to honor this legacy while continuing our fight to protect and strengthen Social Security — not just for today’s older Americans, but for our children and grandchildren. We’ve been doing this work for over 60 years, and we’re not stopping now.
We’re working with leaders from both parties — including President Trump, and Republicans and Democrats in Congress — because protecting Social Security isn’t a partisan issue. It’s an American priority.
But Social Security faces a serious challenge. According to the Social Security Board of Trustees, the trust funds that help ensure full benefit payments are projected to run out by 2034 — one year earlier than previously expected. If Congress doesn’t act, beneficiaries could see a 19% cut in their payments, receiving only 81 cents for every dollar they’ve earned. This shift is largely due to demographic changes, economic trends, and recent legislation that increased benefits for certain retirees.
In January, Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act. That law repealed two policies that had been reducing benefits for 2.8 million people who receive pensions for jobs that exempted them from paying into Social Security during their careers (such as teachers, police officers and firefighters) but who also get Social Security benefits for other jobs where they did have paycheck deductions.
Under the Social Security Fairness Act, those affected got retroactive lump-sum repayments for the amount their benefits were reduced in 2024, plus an increase in their regular benefit going forward.
This 90th anniversary isn’t just a celebration — it’s a moment to reflect and look ahead. Social Security is still doing what it was built to do. Now it’s up to us to ensure it’s there for the next 90 years. AARP will never stop fighting to protect the Social Security we’ve earned.
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We hope you’ll join us. We have two events planned to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Social Security: one in Waltham, and the other in Gardner. You can find out more about the events at aarp.org/ma.
And a reminder, if you’re about to retire, AARP’s Social Security Resource Center has the answers to important questions, so you know how to access what you’ve earned. You can find that at aarp.org/socialsecurity.
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Jennifer Benson is the State Director for AARP Massachusetts. For more articles visit www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.
‘Dirty Water’ is more than a game-winning song
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
BOSTON – For a rock group who had never been to Boston at the time, the Standells captured the spirit of Bostonians with their song “Dirty Water.” Although written by their producer Ed Cobb, the “punk band of the 1960s” recorded the hit song in 1966 and it resonates to the point of being the anthem of several Boston sports teams.
“Dirty Water” is played after every Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox win with the Sox being the first to play it after home wins in 1997. The Celtics and Bruins soon followed suit. The song’s lyrics dive deeper than that of the Charles River’s once notoriously polluted waters. Nevertheless, it is celebrated.
Inspired by a mugging Ed Cobb wrote the song after his experience of being robbed by a mugger on a bridge over the Charles River. The song also makes reference to the infamous Boston Strangler and dorm curfews for college women at the time. Standells band members Dick Dodd, Larry Tamblyn (brother of actor Russ
Tamblyn), and Tony Valentino have claimed song composition copyright and arrangement contributions with Tamblyn having once stated Cobb’s version was a “standard blues song.”
“Dirty Water” reached No. 11 on the Billboard charts on June 11, 1966, No. 8 on the Cashbox charts on July 9, 1966, and No. 1 on the Record World charts. The song was on the WLS-FM Chicago playlist for 17 total weeks, tied only by The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” for most weeks on that playlist during the 1960s.
In 1997, two local music chain stores celebrated their joint 25th anniversary by assembling over 1500 guitarists, along with a few singers and drummers, to perform “Dirty Water” for over 76 minutes at the Hatch Shell adjacent to the Charles River. Given short notice, and at the invitation of the Red Sox, The Standells played “Dirty Water” before the second game of the 2004 World Series. They played at Fenway Park again in 2005 and 2006 and performed the national anthem at the first game of the 2007 American League Division Series at Fenway Park.
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The song “Dirty Water” by the 1960s band The Standells is a celebratory song for Boston sports teams, but it was inspired by a mugging on a bridge over the Charles River.
Debra
Woog is a selfproclaimed crisis navigation partner who helps people through life’s challenges.
By MAtt roBinson contriButing Writer
REGION – In case you haven’t noticed, life is hard. It can be especially hard for people who are older and who may not have the resources that they once did. From dealing with health issues to financial issues to family matters, the longer we live, the more challenges seem to add up.
Fortunately, there are people like Debra Woog on the case. Woog has worked with students and staff at MIT’s Sloan School of Management (where she garnered her own MBA after studying psychology at Wellesley College). She has trained as a mediator and ombudsman and studied with Brené Brown, a researcher of human connection.
Desire to help others
Behind all of her efforts has been a deep desire to help others. “I have a memory from high school of one of my friends disappearing and nobody knew where she was and I realized she was missing,” Woog recalled. “And I remember telling one of the teachers.”
This urge to act for the sake of another ended up saving this young friend’s life and encouraged Woog to continue to strive to support. This striving, in turn, led her to create an entirely new field — crisis naviga-
tion partnership.
“I must be a pioneer in this,” reasoned Woog, who registered the trademark for the term Crisis Navigation Partner and has led her firm Connect2 Corporation (https:// connecttwo.com) since 1999, “because it is a profession that I made up!”
When asked what prompted her to start not just a new company but an entirely new field, Woog cited an inner direction that she had often encouraged others to seek.
Inner calling
“I followed the process that I’ve used with hundreds of clients over the years to focus in on the values I most want to express in the world,” she explained.
She credits this desire to connect to her inner calling with starting Connect2.
“I just wasn’t getting out of bed every day really excited to work, the way I used to be in the past,” she recalled. “What was really driving me was helping people make changes…in their life and their work. And I realized I want to focus on those going forward.”
At first, Woog recalled, many friends and colleagues suggested that, as so many people refused to see themselves as being in crisis, there would not be much market for a self-proclaimed crisis navigation partner.
“I’ve always been interested in using my practical skills and my ability to relate to people emotionally to help them feel more effective,” says crisis navigation partner Debra Woog.
“I said, I think there are people who get me and what I’m about,” she smiled. “I was right!”
Woog was most proven correct when she put some of her organizational change work behind and focused more on working with individuals in crisis in the fall of 2019. “We all know what happened in the spring of 2020,” she said.
Soon, she was getting calls and emails from people whose lives had been turned upside down by the pandemic.
“I worked with a lot of individuals and organizations to help them learn to lead their way through at that time,” she explained. “And it’s just continued since then.”
When asked about the roots of her personal and professional passions, Woog noted that she has long been interested in psychology, entrepreneurship, and leadership. “And I’ve always been interested in using my practical skills and my ability to relate to people emotionally to help other people feel more effective,” she added.
Though most of her career had involved working with business leaders, Woog was able to look back before that to the efforts she had made on behalf of family and friends to realize a unique set of skills and desires that could allow her to serve and support people with the daily challenges they faced in business and in life.
Life’s inevitable challenges
“Leaders can be leaders of teams or organizations or community groups or families,” she observed. “It doesn’t really matter what they’re leading. But if they are going through one of life’s inevitable big challenges — whether that’s an illness or a divorce or a dispute — they can turn to Connect2 and we will support them with practical tools and emotional support.”
Though she has dealt with a wide range of issues with a wide range of personal and professional partners, Woog observes that one of the fastest-growing sectors of support seekers consists of those who are asking for help with managing care for someone they love who is involved in mental health or other medical treatment.
“They are not the person who is in treatment,” Woog noted, “but the person with the role of managing that person’s care, while at the same time try-
ing to work and lead a family and take care of themselves.”
She realizes that dealing with a diagnosis can be terribly challenging. But Woog suggests that it is often these “point people” who have to care for others while caring for themselves that can have the most challenges to face.
“I’m really most passionate about working with those point people,” she said.
Though mental health issues continue to grow and impact more people, Woog observes that traditional sources of care are not keeping pace. This may be why she recently expanded her company by personally training more navigation partners.
“It’s really hard for people to find the providers and the places that can help them,” she said. “And also it’s really hard for people to learn where to seek help and also where to set boundaries for themselves as the point people.”
As a result, she noted, these people end up needing more care than the people they have been charged with caring for.
“They need help trying to manage their way through it and take care of themselves,” Woog maintained, “because what we don’t need is point people needing to go into treatment facilities over the experience of trying to manage the care for their loved ones who were in the treatment facilities at the same time!”
Ability to relate
While she admitted that everyone has bad days, Woog is confident that, just as she predicted, there are enough people who are truly facing challenges they cannot surmount alone that partners like herself and her colleagues are necessary and often vital. She also points out that the fact that she and her colleagues have dealt with many of the same issues with which their clients come to them helps them connect and support as well.
“We have been through these things before personally and professionally,” she advised. “And if we can help you save time and save yourself pain by sharing the vetted resources that we have and the strategies that we have and the tools that we have so you can lead your way through to the best possible outcome faster and more effectively, then I encourage you to do that.”
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Waltham man chronicles his grandfather’s amazing life in new book
By MAtt roBinson contriButing Writer
WALTHAM – Despite what you may think of how they got there, each piece in a museum comes with its own story that is offered for each patron to ponder and learn from.
How much more intriguing, then, when the exhibition is of one’s own family?
In his new book, “Legacy of the Skies,” Waltham’s Doug Hall puts his practiced museum studies skills to work in discovering and sharing the amazing story of his grandfather, Col. James Goodwin Hall. In the process, he reveals the story of the man who helped create aerial reconnaissance (shooting the images of Omaha Beach that allowed the Allies to prepare for D-Day) and the Air Mail system, but also participated in the pre-Depression stock market and helped shape modern horse racing.
Researching the story
While the story seems almost too astounding to be real, Hall’s practiced investigative work reveals a man whose story needs to be told and, thanks to this book, is told very well indeed.
As the younger Hall was born after his grandfather’s passing, Doug had little to go on
other than snippets of stories from members of the interim generation.
“In many ways,” Hall explained, “this piqued my interest in finding a trail.” After requesting and receiving his grandfather’s full military record (which Hall describes as being “as thick as a Webster’s dictionary”) in 2018, Hall knew he had a story to tell.
“I wanted an opportunity to fully explore my grandfather’s incredibly eventful life story,” Hall reasoned. “I wanted to give him his due recognition in one fully-researched, verifiable, and also readable account, so it wasn’t just facts and figures. I also wanted to share with my family the account of his remarkable and accomplished life.”
Starting with genealogical research and leaning on the support of military librarians and other colleagues and friends, Hall quickly became engrossed in his familial history.
“To my enormous surprise and personal satisfaction,” Hall said, “I uncovered a remarkable paper trail of James Goodwin Hall, including adventures and accomplishments that spanned his military, civilian, and business life.”
In “Legacy,” Hall speaks to and about his grandfather through stories and images culled
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Waltham historian Doug Hall has written a book about the extraordinary life of his grandfather, military pilot James G. Hall.
from personal and military records,
a
known today.
A short but accomplished life “I was fascinated and amazed by the varied achievements and adventurous lifestyle he had led in 55 short years,” he says, recalling the “gold mine” of archived articles, book references, photographs, and even professional correspondence. “What I learned ultimately that it was his character and personality traits that led him to all these adventures. His military achievements and contributions speak to his personal character, communications skills, and integrity.”
In addition to flying in both World War I and World War II and helping launch both the U.S. Air Mail system and the Jet Age, the decorated Col. Hall was an early member of the New York Stock Exchange and helped establish the American Quarter Horse
as an official racing breed.
“In a word,” Hall said, “he lived a life in full!”
‘Dirty Water’ is more than a game-winning song
3
Fans share memories
A vintage video clip on YouTube of the Standells shows them performing the song.
@99jerseyboy comments:
“I’ll admit that even as a New York Yankee fan, when they play this song after a Red Sox win at the infamous and beautiful Fenway Park in Boston, it’s amazing enough to bring a tear to your eye because it’s great for the sport of baseball. And it’s always a great party in Beantown afterwards. Every city needs a song that defines it. This is Boston’s.”
Brian Garitty writes on Facebook:
“When I was stationed on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba from 198891, my captain would always pipe “Dirty Water” over the ship’s intercom system as we approached our home port on Com-
mercial Street. After 6 weeks at sea, I really learned to appreciate the lyrics.”
Artists who have covered the song include Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and even “Weird” Al Yankovic during his evening show at The Wilbur Theater in 2018. “Dirty Water” is also featured in the films “Celtic Pride” (1996), “The Secret Life of Girls” (1999), “Stateside” (2004), and “Fever Pitch” (2005).
When bandmember Tony Valentino first arrived in America from Italy, he could not speak a word of English. Original member Dick Dodd died in 2013. “Dirty Water” is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” Written by Larry Tamblyn, the Standells biography “From Squeaky Clean to Dirty Water” was published in 2022.
Doug Hall’s grandfather James G. Hall, front row center, became a pilot during World War I.
Col. James G. Hall took aerial reconnaissance photos of Omaha Beach that allowed the Allies to prepare for D-Day during World War II.
Dirty Water | from page
The Standells’ most recent lineup is (L-R) Larry Tamblyn, Mark Adrian, John Fleck and Greg Burnham (Photo/Wikimedia Commons)
Enjoy fun summer adventures in Marshfield
By sAnDi BArrett
contriButing Writer
MARSHFIELD – When you are considering a spot for a little slice of summer that isn’t too far away from the Boston area and doesn’t have the crowds and traffic of Cape Cod, the South Shore town of Marshfield is
a fun getaway. The villages of Brant Rock, Ocean Bluff, Fieldston, and Rexhame are all part of the coastal area in the town. Long, family-friendly beaches, cozy vacation rentals, and delicious seafood eateries dominate the landscape. There is not a single high-rise hotel, just lots of day-trippers and weekly vacationers looking
for a place to spend quality time with their kids and grandkids.
Brant Rock
Brant Rock Beach offers beach goers some sand, a few rocks, and a jetty. Seasonal lifeguard stations and public restrooms can be found along the narrow beach. Along the beach adjacent Brant Rock Esplanade, you will find a mix of sit-down restaurants and grab-and-go eateries.
high above the shore as a curious backdrop to your beach day.
Rexhame Beach
Another great local beach is Rexhame Beach. It is a long, mostly sandy beach with swaths of rocky spots in the mix. This beautiful beach is perfect for family gatherings and lazy summer days soaking up the sun. You have to navigate over the dune to reach the water, but there are long mobi-mats making the trek mostly accessible.
Marshfield beaches allow leashed pets on the town beaches year-round. Bring your four legged fur baby along for a day of fun in the surf.
Audubon sanctuary
Mass Audubon’s Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary is a wonderful spot for a stroll through the wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands. Amateur birder watchers and seasoned birders will find a plethora of birds frequenting the sanctuary. A few of the trails are gravel; most have mowed grass, a little uneven, but wide and stroller-friendly.
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An interesting structure is Brant Rock Tower. It is the only landmark you will need. The eight-story fire control tower was built in 1943 during the WWII era. These type of towers were part of Boston’s defenses, designed to direct artillery fire against enemy ships. The towers were strategically triangulated along the coast to maximize target seeking strategy. Today, the concrete monolith stands
Download the Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell Lab and identify birds by their song or through a photograph. It is a wonderful way to engage with nature while walking the sanctuary. If you need a break from the beach, Green Harbor Golf Club is a great way to stretch your legs (it is a walking-only course) and practice your swing. The course’s 18 holes are forgiving enough for newbie hackers while offering challenges for seasoned duffers. It is a perfect vacation golf course to enjoy a low-pressure round of golf.
Brant Rock Beach is a good place for an ocean dip, with food options available on the nearby Brant Rock Esplanade. (Photo/Sandi Barrett)
Roht Marine in Marshfield offers dining with a view, as well as boat rentals and charters. (Photo/Olivia Sinnott)
Marshfield | 12
Talk radio fans have fond memories of Larry Glick
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
BOSTON – WBZ and WHDH talk radio host Larry Glick had a large following for a long time and for good reason. Glick began his radio career in Florida in 1953, was hired by WBZ in 1967 after leaving WMEX (“the ever-new WeeMex, Home of Modern Radio”) and his long-running broadcast covered 38 states. A master of wittiness and storytelling, Glick’s cast of characters included “Champagne Lady,” “Charlie DiGiovanni the Cab Driver” and he reported the news as “Streeter Glick,” a takeoff on WBZ newsman Streeter Stuart.
Friendly conversations
Known for his friendly conversations, callers would ask, “Is this Larry?” to which he would reply, “Let me check.” Fans of Glick recalled some special moments on Facebook.
Rich Labbe added:
“Great radio program. One night he tried to call Fidel Castro, so funny! How about ‘Grace, Queen of the Cockamamies,’” she was a regular caller. Larry’s birthday is coming soon, May
16, Happy Birthday Larry, I miss your radio talk show.”
Joe Leahy wrote:
“I loved Larry’s radio show; he also was a hypnotist. In the summer of ‘68, he was MC’ing a female impersonator show at the Showboat in Hull outside Paragon Park. Great guy, down to earth, and a great entertainer.”
Kevin Spencer shared:
“He was a pilot, and I was an air traffic controller. On several occasions I had the opportunity to work his flight. Incredibly, this radio personality would experience
“mike fright” when talking to the tower. We all happened to notice this trait that he had and one day he paid a visit to the tower, at which time he both apologized and, openly, admitted his problem. We talked to him about this issue, and we succeeded in settling him down. I think that, at some point, he thought that controllers were somewhat like fire-breathing dragons!!”
Nightclub hypnotist
As one person commented, Larry Glick was indeed a hypnotist who practiced the art of hypnosis in nightclubs. He also operated a hypnotism school in Newton as well as Larry Glick’s Better Life Institute health and profit centers. Glick’s programs dealt with smoking addiction, weight imbalance and stress-related issues. He was a pilot and founding partner in a commercial hypnotherapy business located in Brookline.
In 1991, he told The Boston Globe, “I like people better at night. During the day, they’re in a more business frame of mind. At night they might be the same callers, but they’re more relaxed and less stressed. They might have their feet up, with a drink next to them while they’re listening to the radio.”
A long career
Before his move to WHDH, night owls enjoyed listening to Glick for over 20 years at WBZ. So much so that The Tweets recorded an “Ode to Larry Glick” song. Faithful fans, Glicknics, wore maroon-colored T-shirts from “Glick University.” In 2008, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Dedham and ended his radio career at WHDH in 1992. Glick retired to Florida 16 years after he worked as a “Goodwill Ambassador” at Legal Sea Foods in Boca Raton.
On the eve of his surgery at Boca Raton Community Hospital, Tali Israel stated that her father seemed 20 years younger, was making jokes and full of spirit and energy. According to Israel, he said, “I really have a good feeling about it.” She recalled his last words being, “Hey, I’m going into surgery looking good.”
Larry Glick died on March 26, 2009, following complications during a 10-hour open-heart surgery at the age of 87. In honor of his former colleague, former WBZ morning news anchor Gary LaPierre said to The Boston Globe, “His radio show just made him a legend in New England, no question about it.”
Night owls enjoyed listening to Larry Glick’s radio talk show for over 20 years at Boston station WBZ.
By MichAel PernA Jr contriButing Writer
WORCESTER – Shortly after returning from the California Gold Rush, where he had gone to hopefully become a rich gold miner, J. J. Coburn decided to start a new business venture. It was something unlike anything the city of Worcester had ever seen before. He decided to develop the area near the shores of Lake Quinsigamond, close by what was then a dirt causeway that crossed the lake — now the site of the Burns Bridge (Route 9).
Began as a hotel
As part of his plan, he had a hotel built in the late 1860s on what had originally been an island, but at the time it was connected to the causeway. The hotel, known as the Island House, was a large, three-story building, with a cupola on top. It stood on top of a small knoll (which still exists) and had a driveway that allowed horses and wagons to drive off the causeway and circle the hotel.
His next step was to put steamboats in service on the lake, mostly travelling from the causeway south to various stops.
tourist destination was Lincoln Park itself, located on the Worcester side of the lake, just south of the causeway. Lincoln Park was one of the earliest amusement parks in the entire New England area. As such, it was not as full of amusement park rides as we might imagine today. There were picnic grounds, pathways, a roller skating rink, a dance hall, and a number of games of chance, in addition to an open-air theater.
of the first amusement parks in the region
The final touch in creating what would become a popular late 19th century
People from Worcester would visit the park by taking what was known as “The Dummy” — the Worcester and Shrewsbury Railroad — a narrow-gauge line that ran from downtown Worcester to its terminus right at Lincoln Park. It should be noted that, despite its name, the little train never actually travelled into Shrewsbury itself, despite several attempts to extend the line to what was then basically a little village around what is now the center of the town.
One particular booth at the park was remembered in a 1990 memoir written by the late John Cummings,
One
Worcester’s Lincoln Park was one of the region’s first amusement parks when it opened in the late 1800s.
who had grown up close to the lake. In later years he attended college in Michigan where he later became the director of the Clarke Memorial Library at the University of Michigan. He passed away in Michigan in 2010 at the age of 95.
The particular booth Mr. Cumming mentioned was run by who was described as “a Chinese man,” who would tell people’s fortunes. Sometimes, young “park urchins” would disturb the booth’s operations, resulting in the man chasing them through the park, yelling at them in Chinese.
Other games included a rifle-range type operation, a booth where people would try to knock over bowling pins by throwing balls at them, where they would then win a stuffed animal prize. A number of stands located close by the park sold food. Some restaurants later sprang up along Lake Avenue. A few lasted until fairly recent times, and may still be remembered by some older residents, such as Corey’s Hot Dog stand and the O Sole Mio restaurant.
One popular feature of the park was a carousel, which featured handcarved horses. It sat close to a bowling alley. Later, a hotel was built on the corner of Lake Avenue and Route 9, known as the Lincoln Park Hotel.
Decline after competition arrives
By 1905, the great White City Amusement Park was built right across the lake in Shrewsbury. The two parks would be in constant competition for many years, but the more modern White City, with its more up-to-date rides and attractions hastened the decline of old Lincoln Park.
By the 1950s, about all that remained was the hotel, with the park and all of its various features having closed. The hotel itself lasted into the 1960s — it participated in what was known locally as “Opening Day” of the fishing season, by holding a fishing derby. This author won first prize in the under-12 age group in 1962’s derby. The prizes, with a 16-inch trout
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Lincoln Park was one of the earliest amusement parks in the entire New England area. As such, it was not as full of amusement park rides as we might imagine today.
being caught, included a fly-fishing rod (long forgotten about) and a twofoot-high trophy (still on display).
The hotel itself burned down in a huge fire in the early 1970s.
Today, the site of the once hugely popular park is home to a high-rise senior housing apartment tower owned by the city of Worcester, a far cry from the “glory days” of old Lincoln Park.
Lincoln Park in Worcester’s original attractions included a roller skating rink and a dance hall.
Revere Beach has evolved but still endures
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
REVERE – There is much more to Revere Beach than having the distinct honor of being America’s first public ocean beach. Due to its accessibility and attractions, it was a favorite destination for families from the late 19th to mid-20th century. Visitors were especially drawn to the annual Carnival Week which featured band concerts, fireworks, carousels, the Hippodrome and even an artificial volcano in 1906.
A certain allure
In addition to that, the Boulevard Theatre, and the funhouse at Bluebeard’s Place had a certain allure as well as the dances held the Frolic, the Ocean Pier Ballroom, the Oceanview Ballroom and the Wonderland Ballroom. It was Revere Beach where the Hurley family made their mark as pioneers in the concession and amusement park business. In the late 1890s, Frederick Hurley opened an ice cream stand followed by Hurley’s arcade and several rides which grew in popularity. Hurley’s Studios offered visitors the chance to take a picture in Fred Hur-
ley’s car, which was one of the first cars in Revere.
Those like Richard Cohen who spent time at what is affectionately known as “the Coney Island of Mas-
Summer at Heywood Wakefield Commons means barbecues, blossoms and fun in the sun!
Life is uncommonly good at our
Assisted Living Residence in historic downtown Gardner!
We offer worry-free living at affordable rates in private apartments with services available such as:
•Daily social activities & programs
•Three chef-prepared meals daily
•Assistance with personal care needs
• Medication reminders
•Laundry & housekeeping services
•Safety checks
•Dedicated, caring staff 24/7
For more information or to schedule a tour, call Kristy Livingston at (978) 632-8292 or email info@hwcommons.com .
sachusetts, the playground of New England,” had this to say on Facebook about a member of the Hurley family. “As I mentioned some time ago, Miss Hurley was my favorite teacher (2nd
After the devastation of the Blizzard of ’78, parts of the Revere Beach area began to be redeveloped in the 1980s with high-rise condominiums and apartment buildings, which continues today. (Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)
grade). I remember when the Hurleys live down the end of my street (No. Shore Rd).”
Responding to a vintage YouTube clip featuring Revere Beach, Howard-
Enjoy fun summer adventures
Dining options
Mae’s Sandwich Shop assembles delicious sandwiches made with fresh and healthy ingredients. Additionally, they offer yummy pastries and fun snacks to round out your beach picnic basket. Add a few to your beach cooler to keep the hangries at bay.
If a sit-down lunch is more to your liking, go to Liv Creative Cuisine downtown for outdoor seating with artisan dishes that are a feast for your eyes and satisfy your appetite. Start with an upscale version of a classic charcuterie board then move on to an iconic fish and chips or a fun spaghetti squash skillet. Wash it all down with a specialty cocktail for the win.
Enjoy the quintessential seafood dinner on the harbor at Roht Marine. At Erich’s Clam Shack you can enjoy all the fried seafood goodies. If
you want a more land-focused plate, there are great pizza options for your dining pleasure. Grab a cocktail from the Boat House Bar and enjoy an adult beverage while watching the boats coming and going.
Roht Marine services include boat rentals and luxury boat charters. Come for the view and a meal and stay for a few days at the River Inn where you can immerse yourself in the joys of marina life.
Across the beautiful town of Marshfield you will find family friendly beaches, eateries, and activities for the entire family to enjoy. It is a wonderful spot for a multi-gen, skip-gen, or family reunion vacation. Just a short drive from many points in eastern Massachusetts, Marshfield is a casual beach destination you will return to again and again. And there’s no backed-up bridge to cross to get there.
Marshfield | from page 8
Liv Creative Cuisine in downtown Marshfield offers artisanal dishes and outdoor seating.
(Photo/Sandi Barrett)
Koore8863 wrote, “Some memories of Revere Beach. Several times every summer, dad drove our whole family in our non-air-conditioned brown station wagon to the ‘rides’ at Revere Beach. It was a short trip to the storied amusement park by the sea, and once we found a parking spot, we made our way excitedly to the action along the long boulevard, spending time
twirling on the Flying Horses, defying gravity on the Round Up, and strolling the wide lit up sidewalks. People from all walks of life slowly passed us by as we all melded into a moving web of humanity enjoying a summer evening…”
Built in 1925 by Harry Travers, the world-famous Cyclone Roller Coaster operated there for nearly 50 years. The all-wood coaster was described as the
inoperable. Approximately 100 people lost their lives in Massachusetts. Hard-hit Revere Beach did not escape the storm’s wrath, including the Arcade Bazaar which was located across from Hurley’s Kiddie Land.
Beginning in the late 19th century, Revere Beach and its attractions became a popular destination for people in the Boston area.
(Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)
world’s fastest and largest coaster, with 3,600 feet of track.
Blizzard of ’78 damage and a new era
Unfortunately, as most natives know the devastating Blizzard of 1978 swept through coastal New England with a particular vengeance, hammering homes and rendering some vehicles
When I am an old woman
By MAriAnne lyons Delorey, Ph.D.
There is a poem named “Warning” by Jenny Joseph that talks about how the writer will live her life when she is old. She talks about “wearing purple with a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.” The poet describes an older age filled with eccentricities that are surprising for an older person because she feels the need to “make up for the sobriety of her youth.”
I genuinely love and relate to this poem. I like the portrait painted of an older woman who creates her world without a care for what people think of her. When I was younger, I wanted to be that kind of old woman. Many years later, however, I have a new role model. When I am an old woman, I have decided I will be a Betty.
Betty just passed away after 41 years of service
to Colony. She was sharp and present and humble and organized. For 41 years, she kept Colony grounded by keeping track of our records and helping us rethink our future based on our past. This link to the past was not an anchor with Betty but a way to keep us connected to our mission and to the people we served.
At 81, her coworkers wondered regularly when she would retire. I pondered that myself. I asked her to give us notice, but she did not have a chance. She died suddenly and I feel like I have lost my right arm. When I went through her things, I found the poem “Everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten” among her things. I will tell you now, there should be a poem called, “Everything I need to know I learned from Betty.” She taught me:
• Consider your past – where have you been and how did it bring you to where you are today? Are those same data points helpful now or do you need to adjust your sails?
• Stay engaged and relevant – Betty stayed on top of changes in the industry and still had much to contribute. Her age did not slow her down.
• Care for others – Betty was in a caregiving profession, for sure, but she also extended a great
Gone are Boulevard eateries like Mary Ahearn’s or Kohn’s frozen custard stand, Barney Sheff’s Delicatessen, and Joe and Nemo’s hot dog stand. Still standing like a phoenix risen from the ashes as a reminder of the past is the first Kelly’s Roast Beef, which opened in 1951.
In the blizzard’s aftermath, Revere Beach’s scenery changed. Highrise apartments and condominiums have taken the place of former businesses. Tourists still come to visit Revere’s three-mile stretch of shoreline where outdoor enthusiasts gravitate to the area’s athletic fields, a designated bandstand for live performances that take place throughout the summer and the boardwalk which is lined with ice cream stands and fun shops.
The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival is an annual three-day festival that has been held every summer since 2004, offering thousands of dollars in prize money available for contest winners. The festival attracts over a million visitors anxious to see the sand sculptures on display and features the work of artists from all over the world.
amount of care to her family. She juggled work and caregiving responsibilities flawlessly by always setting one group up for success when she had to tend to someone else.
• Find meaning – Betty stayed at Colony until she died because she found work meaningful. She worked hard to make life better for those she served, and we will forever be grateful.
• Incubate – Betty was a thoughtful person and whenever I got hot under my collar, she would suggest we think on things. She would say, “Let’s incubate.” She knew I needed time and was gracious enough to suggest that to me in a way that offered me a chance to save face.
I will forever be in Betty’s debt as an example of successful aging. While I love the idea of wearing a red hat, I also love the idea of continuing to contribute like Betty did. Maybe we should strive to do both.
Marianne Lyons Delorey, Ph.D. is the executive director of Colony Retirement Homes. She can be reached at 508-755-0444 or mdelorey@colonyretirement.com and www.colonyretirementhomes.com
Little part, big difference?
By JAnice linDsAy contriButing Writer
When the world’s problems seem huge and immovable, I wonder, “What can one little person do?”
Then I remember: Radon machine.
Like many houses, mine sits near granite, which can contain trace amounts of uranium and radium. When those elements decay, they release radon gas, a radioactive substance that could cause lung cancer if inhaled over a long period of time so you probably don’t want much of it in your house. It can arrive in water from a well or soil under the house.
A few years ago, I had my well water tested. Radon. I invested in a remediation system, which treats the water before it gets into my water lines and thus into my air when I turn a faucet on.
The imposing machine in my cellar is a tank about four feet tall, and almost that much square. Pipes enter and exit, some with little valves and a couple with smaller tanks hanging from them. The tank’s top sports a little tank and a control box and valves and dials and levers and wires and pipes and gizmos that I don’t
know the names of.
The machine cycles on and off. When it’s on, it roars like an 18-wheeler, only more ragged.
You get used to house noises, so you don’t really notice them until a sound that doesn’t seem normal seeps into your brain.
My brain noticed something wrong with the radon machine at 10 p.m. the night before Thanksgiving. It cycled on but not off. On, and on, and on it ran. This was not right. I assumed that no radon expert would welcome my call late on the night before a holiday. I was On My Own.
I already knew how to bypass the system in case something goes wrong. You turn two big levers that are so red that you can’t miss them. Bypass successful, water running to the house, but not through the treatment system.
Now I searched the manual for “How To Turn The Roaring Monster Off.” I assumed a complicated series of buttons or levers must be pushed or pulled in the correct order. I found lots of words that looked like English but whose meanings were a mystery, but nothing that said, “To Turn Off.” (Owner’s manuals are designed to show the owner that you’re not equipped to handle this and you’d better pay an expert to do it.)
Finally, I wrote the model number on a piece of paper, took it to my computer, and asked Google how
to turn this model off.
The complicated turn-off steps for this machine were as follows: Unplug it.
Even I could do that.
After the holiday weekend, I called the radon people and learned what might have gone wrong, some of it involving replacement parts to the tune of a couple of thousand dollars.
The technician who came showed me the defective element, a stuck valve, about two inches long, cost: $25.
That tiny part brought down that whole big roaring behemoth.
Never underestimate the power of a tiny part! In the overall scheme of world affairs, most of us are tiny parts.
Could these tiny parts make a difference? Maybe? I remember Little Valve.
I also remember a song I learned as a child in vacation Bible school. “Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do, do not wait to shed your light afar. To the many duties ever near you now be true. Brighten the corner where you are.”
Brighten your own little corner. Sometimes that’s all we can do. It might make a difference. Right, Little Valve?
Contact jlindsay@tidewater.net
SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Rare Thomas Jefferson election artifact from 1800 was found by boys in Pittsfield
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
PITTSFIELD – As time goes by and decades pass, American elections get more and more contentious. Politics can be brutal, a real blood sport. With no biting campaign buttons or attack television ads, just how intense was the rivalry between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson during the 1800 presidential election? Very intense, and their friendship made it even more complicated.
A stunning find
In the summer of 1958, two brothers, 14-year-old Craig and 11-year-old Richard Wade were walking along a Pittsfield railroad ditch and found something that caught their eye. It was a linen banner bearing a portrait of the United State’s third president, Thomas Jefferson which was carried by an eagle. Streaming from the eagle’s mouth is a ribbon proclaiming: “T. Jefferson President of the United States. John Adams is No More.” Indeed taunting.
Craig Wade simply tacked the banner up on his bedroom wall and the family did not realize how important this relic was until the brothers took turns bringing it to school for show-and tell, prompting teachers to recommend it be brought to the attention of a local museum. In 1959, the boys’ mother, Mrs. James “Shirley C.” Wade sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institute offering to sell the banner, knowing that such a find would be difficult to put a price tag on.
That same year, Mrs. Wade told the Mansfield News and Times, “I don’t know whether I should sell it to the museum or keep it. And if I should sell it, should I get $100 for it, or $500, or $1000? What’s it worth?” Other institutions allegedly offered
to purchase it but after much back and forth, a deal was finally made with the Smithsonian and the Wades received $2,000 (over $17,000 in today’s dollars) in 1961.
Complicated relationship
Several institutions, including the Massachusetts Historical Society, agreed the banner was authentic.
Bethanee Bemis, a museum specialist with the Division of Political History at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., said it was “one of most important political banners in the country.”
The relationship between the two former presidents was a complicated one. Federalist John Adams favored a strong central government while his Republican opponent Thomas Jefferson believed that the Federalists had betrayed the Revolution of 1776 and were slipping back into a monarchy.
Jefferson’s Democratic Republicans relentlessly pressured Adams during this period, particularly over the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1799.
This banner celebrating the 1800 election of President Thomas Jefferson was found alongside railroad tracks in Pittsfield by brothers Craig and Richard Wade in 1958. (Photo/ Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of American History)
The campaign itself was every bit as ruthless as any contest seen in recent years with mudslinging rhetoric. Historians often referred to the Adams and Jefferson campaign as an example of how low campaign contests could get. Even Alexander Hamilton printed a devastating attack on Adams, the head of his own party, in
“fifty-four pages of unremitting vilification.”
Republicans threatened civil war if the Federalists denied Jefferson the presidency. Finally, a secret deal that changed one vote gave Jefferson the White House. In an act that really angered Jefferson, Adams appointed several of Jefferson’s political opponents to high office just before leaving the office. Devastated, Adams left Washington before dawn on Inauguration Day, too embittered to even shake Jefferson’s hand.
The two men were at their lowest point during Jefferson’s two-term presidency. In 1812, Dr. Benjamin Rush convinced them to begin writing to each other again and this led to a rekindling of their friendship. They wrote about the death of loves, their advancing years and the Revolution they fought for. Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would die only five hours apart on July 4, 1826.
As for how such an important part of history ended up near some railroad tracks in Pittsfield, no one seems to know.
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
BOSTON – “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) has a large cache of fictional characters that will forever leave an indelible mark for legions of fans. From Eddie Murphy’s Velvet Jones to The Delicious Dish hosts (Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon) to Dana Carvey’s judgmental Church Lady and beyond, dozens of characters served as cornerstones for every era of fans of the TV show, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
Lexington underachievers
One pair of popular misfits is “The Boston Teens,” who made their debut in 1999 and have appeared in at least 14 sketches. Jimmy Fallon played the part of Pat “Sully” Sullivan and Rachel Dratch was cast as Denise “Zazu” McDenna, two underachieving Lexington High School sweethearts. At the time, Fallon had been in his second season as a cast member and Dratch had just joined the featured cast three weeks earlier.
Dratch, a native of Lexington, developed her character (initially named Heather) alongside fellow SNL alum Tina Fey during their time at The Second City improvisational comedy
Lexington native Rachel
and Jimmy Fallon played “The Boston Teens” on NBC’s television show “Saturday Night Live.” (Photo/NBC)
troupe. In the sketches, the Boston Red Sox-loving couple are seen romping around town as their never-seen friend Tommy filmed home video footage of them. Denise and Sully, who usually wore a Boston Red Sox jersey, often invoked the name of former shortstop Nomar Garciaparra as a catchphrase. In 2000, Garciaparra made a cameo appearance as the date of Sully’s older sister Bernadette (Kate Hudson).
Burlington Mall sketch
In their first sketch, viewers see the couple at the Burlington Mall being filmed for a school video project by Tommy. After being introduced by her boyfriend, Denise barks, “I swear to God, Sully, if you don’t get that Burger King breath out of my face, I’m gonna get wicked pissed off!”
VirginiaVarble7818 added:
“I love these two characters so much! They’re hilarious!”
“SO Good! They could’ve easily made a low budget SNL movie out of these characters! I think they’re so good in these roles!”
As for the teens deserving their own movie, one writer at “Complex” could not agree more, citing in a 2015 article that “everyone can relate to the gross public displays of affection of young love.”
The teens wander into a Hickory Farms store where they encounter an assistant manager played by that episode’s host and musical guest, Garth Brooks. He conducts an on-the-spot job interview with Denise, who spills shameful details of her criminal past before being exposed for sneaking alcohol into the store. When it comes to fan favorite episodes, there are plenty to choose from. For example, there is Britney Spears’ appearance as a butter churner at the Colonial Museum and another sketch involving Sully, Denise and her pyromaniac brother Danny (Justin Timberlake) having dinner at Anthony’s Pier 4.
A few fans took to YouTube to comment about their feelings for these teens known for their thick Boston accents, temperament and sloppy kisses.
Flala2261 wrote:
Characters return as adults Since leaving SNL, Dratch and Fallon had returned to the show twice (2011 and 2017) to play adult versions of their now married characters who had at least five children after dropping out of school. In one sketch, the couple is seen taking their daughter little Denise (Kate McKinnon) on a tour of Harvard.
Whenever celebrity Bay State natives like Conan O’Brien, Matt Damon or Ben Affleck (who played Sully and Denise’s pal Donny Bartalotti) hosted or appeared on SNL, The Boston Teens made sure to make an appearance as well. In a 2015 Glamour magazine interview, Dratch shared, “I was the envy of so many girls because I got to make out with Jimmy Fallon. But really, it was more like mauling someone.” As for her frequently worn blue and gold varsity jacket, she added that “it was still in storage at SNL, because you never know when you’re going to come back.”
Interestingly, both Rachel Dratch and Jimmy Fallon, after more than 25 years of playing teen characters, are now 59 and 50 years old, respectively.
Dratch
Worcester remembers Beach Boy Brian Wilson
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
WORCESTER – For some, the recent death of Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson brought back forgotten memories of the band’s wild 1960s concert days in Worcester. There was also a reminder of song collaborations with former Worcester Five Cents Savings Bank teller Gary Lee Usher. The musician and co-founder of the 1960s famed California band died nine days shy of 83 on June 11, 2025, and received an outpouring of tributes and stories following the announcement of his death.
Fans stormed stage
One such story began on October 30, 1964, after a Beach Boys show to a soldout crowd of 3,500 was abruptly called off after an estimated 500 youngsters stormed the stage of the Worcester Memorial Auditorium. They managed to perform for a total of 14 minutes, playing three songs: “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Shut Down,” and “409,” the latter which was co-written by Gary Usher.
Reportedly, the audience consisted of mostly screaming (some fainting) girls from ages 9 to 19. According to a Worcester Telegram article written by Jack Tubert in 1964, “After only two bars of “Fun, Fun, Fun,” two girls seated in the $3.50 front-row seats (about $36 each in today’s dollars) started the rush to the stage, followed by six, eight and finally a wave of girls.”
The article further states, “Hundreds of youngsters without tickets to the Worcester debut of America’s No.
1 recording group appeared to be responsible for most of the trouble and for what officials termed ‘the most damage done at the Auditorium in 31 years.’”
Eleven off-duty cops and three Youth Aid Division officers ended the ruckus as 23-year-old bandmate Mike Love made his way to a young blind girl for a five-minute chat. Some vividly recalled their albeit short-lived experience on Facebook.
Jean Morton Johnson wrote: “I was there. You too, Kathy.”
Kathy Bombard McCormick replied: “And my uncle took my cousin and I backstage and Denny Wilson kissed us.”
The Beach Boys returned to the auditorium four months later to an enthusiastic yet more controlled crowd. The Telegram reported, “There were screams, screams and more screams, supplied mostly by adoring and excited young females, but there was no repetition of last October’s near riot. The closest thing to an incident came after the show was over, as the five singers clad in short-sleeved shirts and tight chino pants, sprinted through a side exit to escape the crowd. A swarm of frantic teenagers tried to follow their idols, but a police line, bulwarked by two long aisle-blocking tables held firm and the crisis passed.”
Massachusetts native wrote hit song
Prior to both concerts, Brian Wilson teamed up with Gary Lee Usher to
Massachusetts and worked as a bank teller for six months. He then moved to the West Coast where he played in several bands before becoming a major figure in the 1960s California rock music scene, publishing over 150 songs, about a hundred of which were subsequently recorded and released.
After the recent death of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Worcester fans recalled the band’s raucous 1960s concerts in the city.
write the hot-rod classic “409.” Although he was born in Los Angeles, Usher attended grade school in Grafton and graduated from Westborough High School in 1957. After military service in Korea, he returned to
While the Beach Boys were more about sun, fun, and girls, it was Usher who was more in tune with the car culture which many of the band’s songs are centered around. He and Brian Wilson also collaborated on early classics like “Lonely Sea,” and “In My Room.”
In Mike Love’s 2016 memoir “Good Vibrations,” he wrote about Usher’s immense talent, how he helped Brian transform his feelings of melancholy and despair into stirring ballads and of his love for the 409 Chevrolet. He added that Brian Wilson recorded the sound of the car’s powerful engine as Usher peeled out down the street in his Chevy and used it to lead off the track.
Gary Lee Usher died of lung cancer in 1990 at the age of 51 in Los Angeles.
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Sponsored by Chief Joseph Robert J. Terkanian, P.O. Box 808 • Northborough,
Southbridge’s Optical Heritage Museum
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
SOUTHBRIDGE – What do Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Princess Diana and notorious murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb all have in common? The Optical Heritage Museum located in the town of Southbridge. The museum is nestled behind the Flatiron Building and houses over 3,000 frames, measuring equipment and ophthalmic items, including eyewear previously worn by celebrities.
Origins
In 1869, a Rhode Island jewelry apprentice founded the American Optical (AO) company in Southbridge. By 1892, it was the largest optical company in the world. Since that time and having produced so many optical products, Southbridge earned the unofficial title of “Eye of the Commonwealth.” Even though AO would eventually relocate to Illinois, the ties with the museum would remain undeniable.
American Optical had been making sunglasses for the U.S. military since 1935 and in 2023, teamed up with Huckberry to produce replicas of the aviator sunglasses worn on the moon by the 1969 Apollo 11 crew (Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins).
After visiting the original AO site in Southbridge in 1958, President John F. Kennedy liked what he saw. He was so impressed with their
stylish “Executive Bifocals” that he ordered three pairs, which the Optical Heritage Museum now displays. Sadly, the bifocals ordered arrived at the White House on the day Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963.
Also on display at the museum are Princess Diana’s AO industrial safety goggles which she wore while touring various plants like the new Sony plant that had opened in Wales in 1982 and a factory in Ipswich in 1990.
Solving cold cases
One of the most fascinating aspects of the museum’s history is how employees were able to assist in cold cases. In 2008, Dick Whitney, a former employee for AO and now curator and current operator of the Optical Heritage Museum, received a phone call from police in California. They had discovered a shallow grave containing a headless body alongside a pair of AO glasses.
Whitney’s first instinct was to call a family friend and the company’s for-
mer plant manager, Bob Haynes, and describe the situation. Upon a cursory look at photos from the coroner, Haynes believed the frame might be the company’s ‘Stadium’ frame. Whitney forwarded the information to the coroner while Haynes continued his search.
A few days later, Whitney received another email from Haynes identifying the frames as the “Clic.” Armed with this new information along with scans of the catalogue that Haynes had provided, Whitney informed the Marin County Coroner that the frames were likely the “Clic” women’s frame. His response was:
“This makes more sense, as we found some female clothes in the grave — no skull or teeth. Any time frame on when these were in production for the Clic? Incredible work!”
Whitney provided the timeframe and shortly after that, he received a new email from the coroner:
“Mr. Whitney,
WE have an ID in this case… our ‘Jane Doe’ went missing in May of 1964 — matching the timeline you’ve been able to provide.
Thanks so much for your all your help!”
Years earlier, AO glasses played a role in assisting with the investigation into the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks of Chicago in 1921 at the hands of University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Along with young Franks’ Optical Heritage Museum | 19
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The Optical Heritage Museum is located in the town of Southbridge, where the American Optical Company, which became the largest optical product manufacturer in the world, was founded in 1869. (Photo/Courtesy of the Optical Heritage Museum)
Andy Vallario’s advertising jingles became part of the soundtrack of a generation
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
REGION – Several things can shape or define a person’s memory of their youth, including television and radio commercials. For example, many New Englanders likely remember the catchy 1-800-54-GIANT tune which accompanied the ad for Giant Glass, the company that rescued motorists stuck on the roadside with a smashed windshield. Boston Magazine once described it as “the most recognizable jingle in the history of New England media.” It was also a recurring theme in Steve King’s psychological horror novel, “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon,” about a child lost in the Maine woods who relies on the jingle for comfort.
Another one is for East West Mortgage Company where 2Good2BeTrue45 recalled on YouTube, “I can never get this jingle out of my head lol” and ExactSpace added, “This song has been stuck in my head for 15 years.”
A prolific songsmith
These are all thanks to prolific songsmith Andy Vallario, who was responsible for these and many other New England ads. There are dozens of jingles sure to bring smiles to faces, memories of a simpler time and a sudden urge to sing or whistle their favorite tune.
During the popularity of “1-800 numbers,” Vallario left his job as a teacher to start his own music jingle company, Handy Productions, which he named after blues icon W.C. Handy. Although the first Dial-A-Mattress television commercial premiered in 1979, the name changed to 1-800-Mattress to match Vallario’s new jingle.
Vallario drew inspiration for the Giant Glass jingle from the 1962 song “Land of a Thousand Dances” which was popularized by R&B singer Wilson Pickett. According to Vallario, he would work out the melody on a guitar and Giant Glass owner Dennis Drinkwater
Optical Heritage Museum | from page 18 body being found were a pair of glasses fitted with an unusual hinge. At the time, there were only three people in the city who owned a pair, one of them being Nathan Leopold.
A trip to the Optical Heritage Museum is well worth the visit, from its display of the first driving glasses produced before the windshield was even invented to its “murder corner.”
More information about planning a visit is available at https://www.opticalheritagemuseum.com.
would yell out “Call Giant Glass!” However, after the company was acquired by national glass-repair chain Safelite in 2012, the jingle was replaced with “Safelite repair, Safelite replace.”
Vallario’s career in writing jingles began with Greater Boston clients but he also produced music for national and regional advertisers like Burger King, Goodyear, Honda, McDonald’s and Toyota. He now runs Media Results, a music studio/advertising agency located in Wilmington. Vallario once told a radio talk show host, “My jingles pay my bills.” Using a line from Paul McCartney he added, “I tell my wife, I’m going to the studio to write a swimming pool.”
Other famous local jingles
Of course, there are more jingles written by others that can stir up pleasant emotions. Who can forget the legendary Wolfman Jack singing Dave Dinger Ford of Braintree’s praises? Eckmanutube commented on YouTube:
“Years ago, I spoke with Dave Dinger when I called his dealership specifically looking for a copy of the famous jingle. I was hoping I could get a copy on tape or CD. Dave told me that unfortunately he didn’t have a copy, nor did the radio station, but that they were in the process of updating it or creating a new one. Follow up with the radio station yielded no fruit, but I am so thrilled and grateful to you, Wolfman Jack, for posting this here for the many thousands of us who grew up with this!”
Wachusett Mountain’s “Wa, Wa
Wachusett” jingle was seemingly inspired after someone drove past a Wachusett billboard just as the 1962 rock ‘n’ roll hit “The Wah-Watusi” aired over the radio. Carolyn Crowley Stimpson is a member of the Crowley family who has run the Wachusett ski resort since 1969 and is the vice president of resort services at the mountain. She initially felt the tune would not work. But after
hearing it a third time at a family meeting and feeling they all would need lobotomies afterwards, the family could not get the jingle out of their heads and agreed this was it.
Listen to some of the legendary jingles created by Andy Vallario’s company Media Results: https://www.mediaresults.com/ our-work
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Andy Vallario is the local guy behind many advertising jingles that are instantly recognizable to many people in Massachusetts and beyond. (Photo/Wikimedia Commons)
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
SCITUATE – Millions of people likely do not know that the South Shore seacoast town of Scituate once had a thriving industry in harvesting seaweed or how much we rely on this marine plant and algae, for that matter. More specifically, Scituate became well known for its abundance of a red algae species called Irish moss.
Something familiar
Sometime around 1847, an Irish immigrant fisherman named Daniel Ward set sail off the coast of Boston and spotted something he was familiar with from his native homeland of Ireland. He immediately knew he had struck gold. Back home, the Irish harvested this moss particularly for food support since it played a crucial role in helping families survive hardships like the Great Irish Potato Famine.
Seizing upon what he saw as a new opportunity, Ward abandoned fishing to start an old entrepreneurial endeavor in a new land at a time when Scituate was unpopulated by the Irish. Ward and his friend, Miles O’Brian, began building the Irish mossing industry. Not long afterwards, as word started to spread, Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine from 1845 to 1849 moved to Scituate to be a part of this growing industry. With so many Irish immigrants flocking to Scituate and knowing the importance of practicing their faith, Ward even opened his home to the public and hosted Catholic Mass.
The picturesque seaside town of Scituate on the South Shore was the center of the Irish moss industry in the United States for more than a century. (Photo/Wikimedia Commons)
During that time, mossers dried their harvests on the beaches with the help of wives and children. This new occupation also paved the way for another job opportunity during harsh winters when and if shipwrecked sailors needed rescue. In 1871, the U.S. Lifesaving Service was formed, giving mossers freedom to join the Lifesaving Service as rescuing surfmen during mossing downtime season. Known as the “Irish Mossing Queen,” a sprite nine-year-old Mim Flynn from Scituate gained national recognition and was covered by newspapers as far as Canada for hauling moss on her dory to earn money during the Great Depression.
Industry boom and bust During World War II, the mossing industry boomed and by 1949, there were five American companies producing purified Irish moss extractive including the Krim-Ko Corporation in New Bedford. In the 1960s, Lucien Rousseau was the town’s last Irish Moss King. By 1997, the mossing industry ended abruptly but there was a combination of factors as to why, including foreign competition and people unwilling to do it. These days, seafront properties take up possible drying space.
Irish moss is also a thickener and stabilizer used in milk-based products such as ice cream and yogurt, soups, sauces, smoothies, along with some processed foods. Seaweed can also be found in some toothpastes, moisturizers and yogurts. Combined with ascorbic acid, Irish moss helps form the preservative film found over frozen foods and traditional medicine uses it for respiratory ailments like coughs and bronchitis. Other medical and health use include digestive aid, energy boost and skin soothing for burns and rashes.
Irish moss will forever be remembered for drawing folk from the Land of Saints and Scholars to Scituate. According to the 2010 census, the coastal town had the highest number of people claiming Irish ancestry than any other town in the U.S, earning it the nickname “Irish Riviera.” To learn more, visit the Scituate Maritime Irish Mossing Museum which is devoted to the area’s history of its salt-crusted Golden Age. It is worth a visit.
