June FPA Eastern

fiftyplus

FREE | Published monthly

Eastern Edition | Vol. 45 | No. 6 | June 2019

Vocalist’s diverse repertoire ranges from classical to jazz

advocate

page

Leaving a legacy that matters

‘Mom, do you know my name?’

Writer shares the story of her mother’s dementia

PHOTO/ANDY WEIGL/WEIGL PHOTOGRAPHY

Working for the good of the planet and the next generation page 8

Wildlife conservationist and Southwick’s Zoo co-owner, Betsey Brewer Bethel, gets a special kiss from Molly, the giraffe she bottle-fed and raised from birth.

22

Composer, pianist shares love of music Doug Hammer produces his and other musicians’ albums 14

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Recharge your driving skills with AARP Driver Safety

By Mike Festa, State Director AARP Massachusetts

S

pring is upon us! The warmer weather means more cars, bikes and pedestrians on our roads and it’s a great time to recharge your driving skills. For more than 30 years, AARP has helped to keep millions of drivers safe, educated and confident while on the road with the AARP Smart Driver course, the nation’s largest classMike Festa room and online driver safety course. Based on the latest driver safety research and insights, the course is designed especially for drivers age 50 and older.

In fact, 97 percent of course participants say they’ve changed at least one driving behavior as a result of taking our course.

By taking the AARP Smart Driver Course, you’ll learn the current rules of the road, defen-

sive driving techniques and how to operate your vehicle more safely in today’s increasingly challenging driving environment. You’ll learn how to manage common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. You’ll hear about the safest ways to reduce driver distractions, deal with aggressive drivers, learn techniques for handling left turns, right-of-way, and navigating around rotaries, how to minimize blind spots, and proper use of the new technology found in newer cars.

In addition to learning safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of a crash, you will learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and other health-related issues affect driving ability, and how to adjust driving accordingly to allow for these changes. The course also helps participants determine when it may not be best to drive (e.g., late at night, inclement weather, etc.) and how to plan for a time when driving is no longer an option.

AARP Driver Safety’s offerings include a classroom course, administered by a nationwide network of more than 4,000 volunteers, and an

online course offered in both English and Spanish. The classroom course takes place at various host sites throughout the country, including libraries, hospitals, senior centers, churches, and recreational facilities.

AARP Driver Safety classroom course costs $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members.

The online course costs $19.95 for members and $24.95 for non-members. Although the program is geared toward drivers 50 and older, licensed drivers of all ages are welcome to participate. There are no official tests to pass in order to graduate from the program. To learn more about upcoming classes in Massachusetts, visit www.aarp. org/drive.

All components of the AARP Smart Driver classroom course have been translated and tested for Spanish and Chinese-speaking participants.

Smart DriverTEK​ , one of ADS’s newest offerings, helps drivers understand current and evolving vehicle safety technologies, including how to use them and how they might enhance their driving safety

and extend their safe driving years.

Also available are CarFit, an educational program designed to help older drivers find out how well their vehicles “fit” them, and We Need to Talk, an interactive online seminar that provides practical tips and advice on how to recognize when it’s time to limit or stop driving and how to discuss the topic with loved ones.​ Additionally, consider hosting a Smart Driver classroom course at your facility. Participation as a host brings community members to your location and offers a meaningful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of older adults. If you can provide a free room that holds up to 30 participants, and have a DVD player and television, you can be a Smart Driver course host!

For more information or to register for classes visit www.aarpdriversafety.org or call 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-2277669). Contact AARP Massachusetts at 1-866-448-3621 or email at ma@ aarp.org. You may also visit our website at www.aarp.org/ma. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

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Dementia prevention and physical activity

By Dr. Keith Darrow, PhD Hearing & Balance Centers of New England

P

revention is only available “treatment” for the mind robbing diseases of cognitive decline and dementia. Prevention of dementia is just as important as preventing other common chronic conditions that come with aging such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But how? Like these other chronic disDr. Keith Darrow eases, regular physical activity plays a key role in preventing the mind from deteriorating.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste; and abides faithfully by the rule of “use it or lose it”. Many studies have produced reliable data indicating that regular physical activity can help to decrease the risk of cognitive decline. Specifically,

aerobic exercise (exercise that increases your heart rate) in middle-aged or older adults have reported significant improvements in thinking and memory, and reduced rates of dementia.

One particular study looked at health behaviors of over 2,000 men in Wales, and followed them for 35 years. Of the five behaviors that were assessed (regular exercise, not smoking, moderate alcohol intake, healthy body weight and healthy diet), exercise had the greatest effect in terms of reducing dementia risk. Overall, people who followed four or five of the above behaviors were up to 60 percent less likely to develop dementia.

A recent literature review detailed that 26 out of 27 studies

noted a clear link between physical activity levels and cognitive performance in people over 60 years young, suggesting that exercise might be a truly effective way to reduce cognitive decline in later life.

Note – when referring to “aerobic exercise” it is intended to mean exercise for a sustained period of time, perhaps 20– 30 minutes, done several times a week and maintained for at least a year.

However, physical exercise does not just mean playing a sport or running. It can also mean a daily activity such as brisk walking, cleaning or gardening. One study found that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced by daily physical tasks such as cooking and washing up.

It is also not surprising that

people living with untreated hearing loss are less likely to be physically active – as the effects of social isolation begin to impact daily life.

Thus, the increased risk of developing dementia with untreated hearing loss, along with decreased levels of physical activity, are threatening the mental capabilities of all older adults in our communities.

Regular physical exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and can help to maintain wellbeing – both physically and mentally.

Physical activity creates valuable opportunities to socialize with others, and can help improve and maintain a person’s independence.

Engaging in physical activities can also improve self-esteem and mood, which in turn encourages more social engagement that may also contribute to wellbeing.

To learn more about reducing your risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia, read the full reports on www.

DrDarrowReports.com, call 508-7943542 or visit hearingandbalancene. com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www. fiftyplusadvocate.com.

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June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month Submitted by the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/ New Hampshire Chapter

J

une is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month and the Alzheimer’s Association® needs you to help raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Everyone who has a brain is at risk to develop Alzheimer’s, a disease that is often misunderstood.

Did you know: • More than 130,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s in Massachusetts and 340,000 family and friends are providing their care.

• Alzheimer’s is fatal. It kills more than breast and prostate cancers combined.

• Alzheimer’s is not normal aging. It is a progressive brain disease without any cure.

• Alzheimer’s is more than memory loss. It appears through a variety of signs and symptoms.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides care and support to all those facing Alzheimer’s disease and their families. Our 24/7 Helpline provides free support and guidance

Help the Alzheimer’s Association #ENDALZ this June!

Visit alz.org/ABAM

to find more opportunities to get involved. to individuals and families affected

by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

For information, resources and support, call our toll-free 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900, anytime, day or night.

During the month of June, the Alzheimer’s Association asks you to learn more about Alzheimer’s, share

Enjoyisthe Sounds May Better of Summer...

Hearing Month!

June is a great time to get your hearing checked!

As more and more Americans are forced to face As more and more Americans are forced to face hearing health challenges, Audiology Affiliates would hearing health challenges, Audiology Affiliates like to help bring more awareness to the importance of would like to help bring more awareness to the hearing healthcare. importance of hearing healthcare.

48 MILLION PEOPLE in the U.S. report experiencing some degree of hearing loss.

ONLY 20% from hearing aids actually own them.

22 MILLION WORKERS are exposed to hazardous noise levels each year. but with a personalized, caring approach, Audiology If you suspect you or a loved one may have hearing loss, contact us today and schedule a complimentary hearing screening.

your story and take action. Looking for a way to get involved this June?

Here are some great opportunities: • Take action on June 18 at the Massachusetts State House for Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day. Enjoy breakfast, hear a legislative briefing and share your story with state legislators at

www.audiologyaffiliates.org

SCHEDULE A SCHEDULE COMPLIMENTARY COMPLIMENTARY HEARING SCREENING! HEARING Appointments Appointments available all through June at either any ofof our three May at our two locations: locations: MARLBOROUGH OFFICE 159 Union St, Ste 102 Marlborough, MA 01752 Inside Marlboro Hospital

FRAMINGHAM OFFICE 600 Worcester Road Lower Level #1 Framingham, MA 01752

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(508) 882-8081

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the largest mobilization of Alzheimer’s and dementia advocates in the commonwealth.

For details visit alzmassnh.org/ advocacy/massachusetts/ • Join thousands of participants from across the world and honor those facing the disease by participating in The Longest Day on June 21. June 21is the summer solstice, a perfect day to come together to fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through an activity of your choice. Find out more at alz. org/thelongestday.

• Volunteer or hit the road on a course of your choice from 2-miles to 100-miles at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Ride to End Alzheimer’s. The event is one of the few cycling events in the country dedicated to directly impact the pace and momentum behind our fight to end Alzheimer’s. Participants in the Ride to End Alzheimer’s and raise funds and awareness to advance critical research to bring us one step closer to a cure. Visit ridetoendalzheimers.org to find out more.

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + JUNE 2019 + fiftyplus advocate

‘Mom,

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Margaret Correa with her daughter Janice Elizabeth Berte in Boston, 1993

do you know my name?’

I

arrived she would be okay, and no news would have to be told to me as I entered into the nurses’ station.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Once there, the scatter of nurses walking around checking their patients, cleaning staff mopping floors and doctors’ were viewing their charts made my visit seem so normal. However, I knew that this condition was not normal by any means, and there was no cure for it.

As I approached the nurses’ station, I asked for my mother’s nurse and said my name. The nurse mentioned that my mother wasn’t eating, and the disease had caused her brain to lose the connection to eat.

The facility used CBD (Cannabidiol – it is the second most active ingredient of cannabis (medical marijuana), and is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant. These CBD drops were placed under her tongue to activate her appetite, but that didn’t work and I felt uncomfortable with that approach anyway.

In my mother’s warm and sterile room there was a scattering of stuffed animals, dolls and cards lying on the window pane. My mother is now at a point where she finds great comfort in holding and talking to a baby doll. This interaction between

PHOTO/ JANICE ELIZABETH BERTE

By Janice Elizabeth Berte Contributing Writer

t all started out so innocently when I visited my mother years ago, and I would notice that asking her basic questions was becoming increasingly difficult for her to answer. A few times I got scared, and decided that a doctor’s visit was in order. At the hospital, I dreaded the “D” word which came out of the doctor’s mouth – “She has the start of dementia.” Luckily for years, she didn’t have major issues until her seventies. We would go to the mall and she would get lost quite easily which resulted in me having to walk arm and arm with her.

Presently, she is in her mid-eighties living in an Alzheimer’s unit. This particular weekend when I visited her was one that lying in bed seemed a better choice than dealing with life’s realities. The rain was never ending yet I yearned to visit my mother, but felt deep pains in my heart knowing it was going to be a jarring visit. Normally, our get together would have been a typical one with flowers in tow and new pajamas, but her health has changed and it is now at a high level of this dreaded disease. I prayed before I left my house hoping that when I

the doll and my mother brings calmness and peace for her. At first, it was alarming to see my mother chatting to a doll, but this made perfect sense when the behavior was explained to me by her nurse.

As I carefully sat on my mom’s bed, I greeted her with a hello, and gently kissed her forehead. She didn’t respond, but looked at me with her sunken in eyes and frail body. I then asked her if she knew my name, and she shook her head, “No.” My heart was racing, and I suddenly cried so vehemently, and quietly she said, “Don’t cry.” I tried to wipe my tears immediately, but the tears kept flowing and flowing.

Once my crying jag was ending, my mother would talk about how she missed me and that I lived on Main Street. I do not live on Main Street, and I’m not sure she was

speaking about me, but the sentiment was beautiful just the same.

As the hours went by in the morning, I needed to finish my day with errands, but dreaded leaving the facility. All of the nurses and doctors said to me that my mother could pass this weekend or could go on for another year. The notion of not knowing her fate keeps me frantic every day, and fills me with great anxiety. Every phone call I receive is nerve racking and I loathe the sound of any phone ringing.

For now, I choose to look at this old picture of her and me going on a boat cruise in Boston. My mother loved the water, and she looked so beautiful and happy. I pray each and every day that God gives me the strength to look at her without crying, and cherish the little time we have together.

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Framingham woman brings history to life

By Brett Peruzzi Contributing Writer

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PHOTO/SUBMITTED

A

fter Framingham resident Libby Franck retired from a career as a children’s librarian, she decided to her time to bringing to life characters from history books.

“Storytelling was always part of my job,” she observed.

Franck is a professional storyteller – but also much more. She deeply researches her subjects and immerses herself in the role of the women throughout history that she portrays, from their clothes, to the way they move, to their accent and diction. Individual historical re-enactor might be a more accurate

term, rather than just storyteller, for what she does. With degrees in library science from Wellesley and Simmons colleges, she is very skilled at finding information in often obscure places.

“As I research, I look for stories and anecdotes which illuminate the characters - the stuff you will not find on Wikipedia,” she noted wryly. “For researching historical characters, I use three sources. Print materials, including books, articles, magazines, and newspapers, then secondly, places you can visit, sites where events took place, and finally, whenever possible, by interviewing people who knew them.”

Her mother, Elisabeth Hamilton Friermood, was a prolific author

val, the Three Apples Storytelling Festival, as well as libraries, clubs, senior centers and historical societies.

“We always leave space in our annual programming for one of Libby’s performances,” said Annie Murphy, executive director of the Framingham History Center. “She’s fantastic and we have been so lucky to have her incredible research skills and storytelling talent. People love her performances because she truly brings history to life.”

Franck sometimes incorporates other artistic forms into her performances, both to enrich them and give herself and the audience a break from the narrative.

“Since asking an audience to listen to a complex historical story is daunting, I build in rest spaces where they don’t have to concentrate,” she explained. “Sometimes I ask singers to perform with me, giving the audience some breathing room, and to evoke the era. I also use poetry, but I don’t feel constrained to use the entire poem. Sometimes I break it up in bits, interspersed with commentary.”

To additionally recreate the era her performance is about, she also uses visuals like posters, a printed program with locales and time lines, as well as a slide show of photos, and video excerpts.

Franck related that she greatly enjoys watching the faces in the audience as she tells a story, as well as the process of discovering stories in the pages of history.

“Finding, developing, creating, and performing stories is very rewarding.”

Libby Franck

of historical novels for teenage girls, “So mucking about in history was part of my upbringing,” Franck said with a smile.

Franck has portrayed everyone from abolitionists and suffragists to convicts and writers. Many of the women figure prominently into the history of Framingham, formerly the state’s largest town, now a city, that has a history stretching back to the 1600s, and where she has lived for over 40 years. The Framingham History Center, which offers both exhibits and numerous programs yearround, is a venue that Franck has performed at often over the past 12 years.

“I am commissioned to create living history programs for this audience, centered around exhibits,” she explained.

Other venues she has performed at include Framingham’s Amazing Things Arts Center, Somerville’s StorySpace, Boston First Night, the New England Folk Festi-

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eth Lacey:

A Helping Heart

By Barbara Allen Contributing Writer

B

PHOTOS/SUBMITTED

eth Lacey has wanted to be “a helper” since she was a little girl, and recalled, as a child, dreaming of going to Africa to work with those in need. The only daughter (“in a family of engineers,” Lacey laughed), she knew, early on, that she would be a social worker.

Her journey of helpfulness took her, fresh out of college, to a position as a direct care counselor at Advocates, and the start of a thirty-three year commitment to that organization.

Advocates, a large, multi-faceted organization whose main office is based in Framingham, provides services to those struggling with addiction, intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities, mental health issues and other life challenges. Over the years, Lacey has worked in several different capacities: psychiatric emergency services, group home manager,

Beth Lacey

director of a supportive housing program, as well as division director in mental health and developmental services. She has been in her current role as Senior Vice President of Community Services for five years.

In her present position, she is responsible for all the programs at Ad-

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A lack of funding is another challenge that has a direct affect on both the clients of Advocates and the organization itself.

“The standard of living is high in Massachusetts,” Lacey said. “We’re not funded well and pay pretty poorly. We wish we could pay our direct care staff a living wage. We are in a real workforce crisis in Massachusetts; you can’t live on $13-$14 per hour in [in this state] We do a lot of advocacy to bring the issue before the legislature.”

The resultant staff turnover is “hard on everyone,” she observed, but especially for the Advocates’ clients, who have to re-establish trust with new staff members.

Challenges nonwithstanding, the organization strives to be true to its mission of helping others thrive, despite their life circumstances: trying new strategies and new approaches to improve the services they offer.

“We’re always trying to think about how we can do better,” said Lacey.

To learn more about Advocates, their mission and vision, as well as the services they offer and the individuals they serve, visit their website at https://www.advocates.org. To place a referral, go to https://www. advocates.org/make-referral and complete the form for referral.

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vocates, which includes everything from outpatient clinics and psychiatric emergency services to criminal justice services to residential, day habilitation and employment services for intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals to residential treatment for substance disorders, family support services and much more.

“It sounds difficult,” Lacey acknowledged, with a smile, “but I have a phenomenal team, and that makes all the difference. My job is to support them in their excellence.”

The individuals served by Advocates face many difficulties in their day-to-day life, but Lacey feels that battling the stigma against them is one of their biggest challenges, especially for those dealing with substance abuse or behavioral health disorders.

“The population of people with disabilities has a lot to offer society,” she noted. “Open the door; don’t be afraid.”

“Odd behavior,” Lacey added, “doesn’t mean ‘dangerous.’ Be welcoming to the people in your community; [they] are doing the best they can.”

“I feel really blessed to know the people that I’ve met,” she continued, “to have become part of their lives.

All these relationships are a gift to me. They’re my heroes.”

•7

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Leaving a legacy that matters Working for the good of the planet and the next generation

By Deborah Burke Henderson Contributing Writer

D

Southwick’s Zoo coowner Betsey Brewer Bethel enjoys walking the tranquil paths of the 35acre Deer Forest Park, petting and feeding the many Sika deer.

PHOTO/SANDY WEIGL/WEIGL PHOTOGRAPHY

riving through the quiet Blackstone Valley town of Mendon, there are the usual restaurants, convenience stores and various other places of business. But for many, especially families with young children, there is another reason to visit Mendon – Southwick’s Zoo. Home to more than 850 animals, including endangered species, the 200-acre Zoo is the largest zoological experience in New England, and the only one caring for white rhinoceros and chimpanzees.

Co-owner Betsey Brewer Bethel grew up on her grandfather Justin Southwick’s dairy farm in Mendon, which was a special place featuring an ever-increasing number of exotic birds and fancy poultry that gained popularity in the late 50s as Southwick’s Wild Animal Farm. It drew visitors from all over Blackstone Valley and beyond. Southwick grew to fame as one of the country’s leading authorities

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on migratory waterfowl such as ducks, geese and Trumpeter Swans.

Over the years new animals were introduced, and the wildlife park opened as Southwick’s Zoo in 1963, with naturalistic habitats, including the 35-acre deer forest and 50-acre elk preserve.

In her 20s, Brewer Bethel nurtured and cared for lion, tiger and cheetah cubs in the homestead’s basement, raised an abandoned kangaroo joey and bottle-fed a five-foot-tall, 80-pound preemie giraffe. On a personal tour with Brewer Bethel, it is apparent these Southwick’s Zoo | 9

Leaving a legacy that matters In 1963, Betsey’s grandfather, Justin Southwick, transformed his 200-acre dairy and vegetable farm into a wildlife park.

Southwick’s Zoo is home to 850 animals, including many endangered species from around the world.

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•9

A 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization

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Southwick’s Zoo | from page 8

same animals respond to her voice, so many years later.

Her passion for animals and wildlife conservation runs deep.

A graduate of Wheaton College with a bachelor’s in psychology and minors in biology and education, Brewer Bethel received her master’s degree in wildlife conservation from Vermont College of Norwich University in 1998.

Putting that training to work, Brewer Bethel now serves as co-owner, vice president of marketing and promotions and executive director of education, conservation and research at Southwick’s Zoo and is constantly enhancing programming in response to the changing ways we learn.

New England’s largest zoo Southwick’s Zoo is private and remains family-owned by the Brewer

Southwick’s Zoo is the only zoo in New England to house Chimpanzees, and their compound is a favorite viewing spot.

(Southwick) family. As a private operation, the Zoo does not receive federal, state or local funding of any kind; it depends solely on admissions proceeds from Zoo visitors and patrons.

“On average, most zoos in the country are situated on less than 50 acres of land,” Brewer Bethel noted, “but we devote 200 acres to our wildlife. We’re constantly seeking new ways to support this size zoo.”

Brewer Bethel, her three brothers and sister play integral roles in dayto-day operations – everything from veterinary services to grounds maintenance to finances, food and beverage – and her two grown sons also work as full-time employees, assisting with exhibit design and plant management.

EARTH limited celebrates 20th anniversary Combining her love of animals, life-long learning and education, Brewer Bethel created the nonprofit organization, EARTH Limited (Environmental Awareness of Resources & Threatened Habitats) in 1999.

As executive director of EARTH, she develops education, conservation and research programs at Southwick’s Zoo to inspire commitment to protect and conserve our planet and our future.

Programs offered by EARTH Limited include rhino encounters, wild adventure summer programming for youth, junior zookeeping and EARTH’s mobile outreach ZooMobile which brings an educator and live animal ambassadors to schools, libraries and other venues.

“Research shows that if you can get people closer to animals and they Southwick’s Zoo | 10

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Leaving a legacy that matters The white Bengal tiger has the black stripes typical of the Bengal tiger, but features a unique white or near-white coat.

Southwick’s Zoo | from page 9

can make an intimate attachment with the animal, they will definitely care more about wildlife,” Brewer Bethel said.

“We live on a small planet where everything is intertwined,” she added.

“We must live harmoniously with nature.”

Working locally and globally Brewer Bethel works locally and globally through EARTH to support wildlife conservation.

Over the last five years, EARTH has donated more than $82,000 to conservation initiatives in Blackstone Valley, Honduras, Costa Rica, Mozambique and South Africa.

To help visitors make a connection with an endangered species, EARTH hosts a rhino encounter for four participants (at least 12 years of age) to meet Thelma and Louise, the Zoo’s white rhinos, and feed and touch them in a protected space. A brief educational video, “I Am Not Medicine,” explores the rhino poaching dilemma – three rhino are killed on preserves every day.

“Funds raised through the encounter support anti-poaching and rhino conservation work happening in

South Africa through Project Rhino,” Brewer Bethel said, “and hopefully our visitors have a life-changing experience, better understanding the importance of wildlife conservation.”

Just last month, Brewer Bethel traveled to Iowa, representing EARTH Ltd. and Southwick’s Zoo, as partners in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project. Three cygnets (swan chicks) raised at the Zoo were shipped to Des Moines, Iowa, last fall to adjust to their new landscape and hone survival skills. These cygnets were

part of the largest release of Trumpeter Swans back into the wild, making an important contribution towards increasing native populations of these waterfowl in Iowa.

Brewer Bethel believes that every action creates another action and that everyone should work together for the good of the planet and the next generation. Her next goal is to build a conservation learning center at Southwick’s Zoo. She wants to leave a legacy that matters.

“I really love the Zoo,” she added.

“It’s a labor of love, but I cannot imag-

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Southwick’s Zoo is located at 2 Southwick St., Mendon, Mass., and open daily from April through October, with a special Winter Wonderland experience in late November. To plan your zoological adventure, visit www.southwickszoo.com.

To discover more about EARTH Limited and learn about membership benefits, visit www.earthltd.org.

Colorful and sometimes raucous, Jack and Jill are the resident Scarlet Macaws at Southwick’s Zoo.

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By the numbers...

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400,000 – Annual visitors to Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Mass.

82,000 – Dollars donated by EARTH Limited at Southwick’s Zoo

to local and global wildlife conservation initiatives.

4,000 – Weight in pounds of 10-year-old Thelma,

$0

a white rhinoceros.

850 – Number of animals living year-round at Southwick’s Zoo. 240 – Number of zookeepers and other staff during peak 200 – Total acreage of Southwick’s Zoo, whereas most zoos in the country house animals on less than 50 acres.

90 – Number of Silka Deer living in the Deer Forest park.

60 – Number of minutes for a ZooMobile outreach education 56 – Years in operation as New England’s largest zoo.

50 – “Jingles,” the chimpanzee, celebrates her 50th birthday

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with a special event Saturday, July 6.

20 – Number of years EARTH Limited (Environmental

Awareness of Resources & Threatened Habitats), founded by Betsey Brewer Bethel, has been inspiring commitment to protect and conserve our planet and our future. [Also, the average length of a giraffe’s lifespan in years.]

18 – The length of a giraffe’s tongue in inches.

7 – Number of vertebrae in a giraffe’s neck – the same number as humans, just larger bones.

2

– Number of White Rhino (Thelma and Louise) you can meet through a Rhino Encounter. Funds raised through this experience are donated to Project Rhino in South Africa to assist with anti-poaching and rhino conservation efforts.

(Rhinoceros have no natural predators, except man.)

1 – It takes a two-toed sloth, one of the slowest

moving animals in the world, one month to digest a single meal.

0 – As a private, family-owned zoo, South-

wick’s Zoo receives no federal, state or local funding, but depends entirely on Zoo admissions and the generosity of patrons.

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Has adoption touched your life?

By Jane Keller Gordon Assistant Editor

PHOTO/JANE KELLER GORDON

Newton - For Adam Pertman, nothing can compare to writing about adoption. Not the fall of the Berlin Wall, the O.J. Simpson trial, the Gulf War, or the Oklahoma City bombing; all events that he covered as an editor and senior writer at the Boston Globe.

Pertman found his passion – his life’s work – writing his Pulit-

zer Prize-nominated 1998 Boston Globe series, “Adoption Revolution”.

He peeled back the then-closed curtain on the stigma of adoption, the shame felt by birth mothers, biological fathers’ rights, lack on uniformity in state laws, trends towards open adoption, and the role of counselling, among other issues.

“I had a wonderful career at the Globe, but nothing hit a nerve for me like this before. We hadn’t paid attention and didn’t understand the

Adam Pertman

impact of the subject… there was a culture of secrets and shame. You don’t achieve good practice by covering up,” said Pertman.

For Pertman, it was deeply personal, as he and his wife, Judy, were unable to have children biologically.

The couple’s two sons, Zach, now 25, and Mason, now 22, were adopted as infants.

“Before then, I knew nothing about the subject…there was no adoption in my family that I’m aware of. I’m an immigrant kid. My parents and their four kids came over (from Poland) in 1958. There was no context for it at all,” said Pertman.

He made it his business to learn all that he could.

During his tenure at the Globe, Pertman took a leave and wrote“Adoption Nation,” his ground-breaking book published in 2000.

Adoption | 13

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www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + JUNE 2019 + fiftyplus advocate Adoption | from page 12

As he wrote the book he “estimated that 100 million people have a direct connection to adoption, not including foster families and families of origin,” he said. An updated edition of the book was published in 2011.

Pertman returned to the Globe as a children’s and family reporter.

During that time, he found himself pulled towards the issue of adoption.

His expertise was sought by numerous reporters and researchers, and he appeared on Oprah, The View, and many other television shows.

“I was a legit adoption expert, and that put me in an awkward position. I quit my job at the Globe without a safety net,” said Pertman.

He devoted himself to improving policy and practices relating to adoption.

The next phase Pertman is now the CEO and president of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP), which he founded in 2014. Prior to that, for over a decade, he was the executive director of a thinktank, the Donaldson Adoption Institute.

“We created a unique research policy and practice model, and a unique way of packaging in ways that was informed by my journalism,” he said of his work at Donaldson. “We did papers on birth mothers and how to mitigate their pain, on open adoptions, on gay and lesbian adoptions, and on access to birth certificates...our research changed the way adoption is done.”

At the NCAP, Pertman is focused on permanency as well as adoption.

“Every child needs permanency, in their original family if possible, in

foster care, if necessary, for a time, and in a new family if that’s needed,” he said. “Our mission is to do better for these kids.”

According to Pertman, the number of adoptions has remained steady, but the breakdown by type has changed. He estimated there are now 120,000 adoptions annually, including 14,000 voluntary domestic infants, 5,000 international older children, 60,000 from foster care, and 41,000 by stepparents and other relatives. This represents a significant drop in infant and international adoptions, and an increase in foster care adoptions.

“Kids coming from foster care have been removed from their families due to abuse and neglect. This is not a voluntary situation. Many of these children have special needs and have suffered from early childhood trauma. We need to establish

• 13

a new system that provides support and counseling for these adoptees and their families,” Pertman said.

Adoption evolution Surrogacy, DNA testing, and the internet has created a new world.

“The same mistakes are being made,” Pertman noted. “Adoption is the prism through which people can understand how families are changing.”

As for his family, Pertman said that his mother’s first comment to him when he told her of Zach’s adoption was, “All right, now you can worry for the rest of your life.”

And his father asked, “You’re not going to tell him, are you?”

As would be expected, Pertman and his wife did tell their children that they were adopted -“On the way home in the car.”

For more information visit www.nationalcenteronadoptionandpermanency.net and on Facebook.

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Pianist, composer produces his and other musicians’ albums

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Culture Editor

PHOTOS/EMMANUELLE LE GAL

Lynn – Pianist and composer Doug Hammer of Lynn has been assisting other musicians produce their albums at his recording studio and music production company since 1992. He released the first of 12 albums featuring his own music in 2007 and has another underway.

Additionally, he’s performing national tours.

“I love working with diverse artists in different genres and helping them realize their musical visions,” he said. “I put my own music on the back burner for a long time while building up my studio and production company. I still love the studio work, but now I’m more focused on my own music.”

Growing up in Illinois, a preschool Hammer appreciated his dad’s extensive record collection consisting of classical, big band and Broadway songs. He plunked out tunes on the family’s Wurlitzer spinet piano before formally taking lessons beginning at age 6. As an elementary school student he could play songs by ear and then started composing originals as a young teen

in a pop-rock band.

“I was really keyed into music – pun intended,” he noted.

After graduating from high school in 1985, Hammer moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. Off-campus activities included solo performances at piano bars and restaurants in and around Faneuil Hall.

While he studied composition and arranging, his original songs were recorded in Berklee studios by students majoring in “Celtique” album by Doug Hammer music production and Cover design/Emmanuelle Le Gal engineering. Hammer tiful record.” gained studio production experience As a 1989 along the way.

Berklee graduate, “A lot goes into production Hammer opened to make a larger-than-life sound,” his first recording he said. “I mostly enjoy the creative studio in 1992 in aspect – the right brain part of comSomerville’s Porter posing and working on music. The Square neighborleft brain part is learning how to get hood. Now locatgreat sounds recorded, and then the ed in Lynn and editing and mixing to create a beauknown as Dreamworld Productions and Design, the expanded business is a joint venture with his wife Emmanuelle Le Gal, a graphic designer Doug Hammer and fine artist. She designs his album covers.

While composing his debut album “Solace” released in 2007, Hammer wrote a few songs that he decided to save for future projects.

He initially recognized a similar theme of travelling shared in these songs such as one titled “Country Road.”

He included “Country Road” in his third album titled “Travels,”

adventurous energetic

named the 2011 Album of the Year

by Whisperings Solo Piano Radio (solopianoradio.com). The album is described by Enlightened Piano Radio (enlightenedpiano.com) as “a true work of art” and “creative masterpiece.”

“Once I got working on the ‘Travels’ album, I realized that it was actually more about my own life – where I came from, where I was, and where I was potentially headed,” Hammer explained. “The album became more about time and less about places.”

For his most recently-released album “Celtique” in 2018, he drew inspiration from his wife’s homeland Brittany, the Celtic region of France. It debuted at number four on Amazon’s New Age chart.

According to Kathy Parsons of Mainly Piano (mainl y piano. com), “’Celtique’ ranges from quiet and serene to majestic to highly energetic… it is always beautiful and very expressive.”

Hammer is currently working on a new project that he says is unlike his previous albums – or albums of any other pianist. He expects it will be released this year.

“I’ve yet to see another album like this from all the pianists out there,” he said. “I have many album ideas and really want to ramp up my releases of new music.”

For more information about Doug Hammer, visit doughammer. net; for Dreamworld Productions and Design, visit dreamworldpd. com.

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• 15

LEGO users group celebrates 10 years at Wenham Museum

By Janice Elizabeth Berte Contributing Writer

M

e!

ic serv

A creative LEGOs display

“For this particular display at the museum, it is quite novel,” Comeau said. “The quarry, which is only a portion of the total display, is a robotic earth-moving piece of equipment that will move ‘gravel’ through a closed-loop system. It’s all LEGO, right down to the Mindstorms intelligent bricks that we are using to program it all. This alone will have

taken a couple hundred hours to design, build, program and test. Whoever is working on the display will work collaboratively with the other members, and the designer will arrange most things, and get feedback on iterations of the design.”

There are usually 8 to 10 members that actually work on the museum display because of time and

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ost people remember with much fondness the brightly colored plastic LEGO kits that they received when they were kids. The anticipation of creating a display that would entertain all of your family and friends left you exhilarated for hours. These kits kept you out of trouble, and showed how imaginative you were. This kind of innovation still goes on in the New England LEGO Users Group.

NELUG formed in 1999 and is comprised of 60 members ranging in age from 18 to 60 from throughout New England. The group has been providing displays for 10 years to the Wenham Museum.

This year’s display features trains, with other items such as skyscrapers, a castle, a carnival, and an enchanted forest.

Joe Comeau, a NELUG member, has participated in these grand events because of his love for creativity and providing enjoyment to the visitors. NELUG has such originality that a staff member from the Wenham Museum asked if the group would provide displays every year.

proximity issues.

When designing their pieces for the museum, the group sticks to footprints that are 18 feet by 18 feet which is usually small for other group displays, and they don’t keep track of all of the pieces they use.

“We do something different every time and it is all fueled by our own imagination, so keeping track of the number of elements isn’t something we typically do,” Comeau explained.

The new idea or design is usually created by one member who will meld everything together, but other members will commit to contributing and giving feedback so it all blends nicely. What makes the displays unique is the fact that there are different members who will create different sizes, layouts and themes so it keeps everyone on their toes, and makes for an interesting exhibit for the visitors.

After the exhibit is over at the museum, it goes into the club’s books, and the members will review how their display worked, or didn’t work. They then can expand on next years’ creation from that data.

For more information, visit www.nelug.org.

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Moving into a long term care facility Part one of this series appeared in the April issue of the Fifty Plus Advocate.

Part two appeared in the May issue of the Fifty Plus Advocate.

By Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM

M

ost of us dread the thought of permanently moving a loved one into a skilled nursing facility (SNF), and this sentiment doesn’t change for those who are fortunate enough to have a selection of stellar facilities to choose from.

As caregivers, even though we are fully aware of our individual limitations, it means giving up a certain amount of direct oversight and control. We also know deep down that this move is an admission that our loved one has passed a certain point in their health where returning home or resuming even a few aspects of self-care is no longer a possibility. This transition is a direct dose of reality for everyone involved.

Caregiving Tips

Favorite Things

• Your loved one should be able to look around their room and say, “These are a few of my favorite things.” It’s crucial to bring items that hold personal significance, promote happy reminiscing and stimulate the senses in some way.

• Family pictures are important and can be posted on a bulletin board, stored in a scrapbook or photo album, uploaded to a digital picture frame, or displayed as a collage on the wall. It can

Your loved one should be able to look around their room and say, “These are a few of my favorite things.” It’s crucial to bring items that hold personal significance, promote happy reminiscing and stimulate the senses in some way. also be helpful to stick a small label under each photo or on the back to explain the name and relationship to your loved one of those pictured. This enables them to share their photographs without having the pressure of remembering names, faces and relations all at once.

• Another sentimental item to bring could be their favorite artwork or posters. Keep in mind that wall space in SNF rooms is limited, and the facility may have rules about what hardware is allowed for hanging frames and other wall decor. If nails are not allowed, poster tack or Command Strips may be helpful alternatives. Posters can be placed in inexpensive poster frames to make them look more polished, and the artwork can be changed out periodically at little expense.

Numerous vendors sell affordable prints of famous works of art, nature scenes, military memorabilia, old movie posters and much more. The options are endless!

• A CD player and CDs or a MP3 player loaded with favorite music can also be a small but meaningful addition to a loved one’s

room. Just as with the television, headphones of some kind are probably a wise investment for considerate listening.

• Other types of treasured items might include favorite snacks or treats (as appropriate to their current dietary needs), scented lotions, a stuffed animal or doll, sports memorabilia or team colors, a couple of favorite books, or small items from a personal collection.

• It is important to note that most facilities prohibit breakable items like china and glass, electric blankets, scented plug-ins, and, of course, any sort of open flame (candles), and weapons.

• All items must be clearly marked

• This is a challenging time for both you and your loved one, and a room in a SNF is never going to be comparable to their long-time home. Treat this move as an opportunity to create a new home for them: a comfortable, safe environment filled with happy memories and fun activities. This is a place where your loved one can thrive and receive the higher level of care they need.

Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM CADDCT is the owner of Dodge Park Rest Home and The Adult Day Club at Dodge Park located at 101 Randolph Road in Worcester.

He is a graduate of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners program, and well known speaker covering Alzheimer’s and Dementia training topics.

The programs at Dodge Park Rest Home specialized in providing care for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The facility is holding a free monthly support group meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for spouses and children of individuals with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease. He can be reached at 508-853-8180 or by e-mail at m.shalev@dodgepark.com or view more information online at www.dodgepark.com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

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Clothing and other items can easily be mixed up in the laundry. If the facility caters to residents with dementia or memory issues, belongings can be accidentally or intentionally stolen and end up in the wrong rooms. Use permanent marker on clothing and fabrics, and either purchase or make labels with your loved one’s name and room number so that all other items can be quickly and easily labeled. You can also iron or sew on decorative patches to identify clothing without them appearing like labels. Don’t forget to tag items like glasses, hearing aids, denture cases, personal care items, and durable medical equipment like walkers and furniture.

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The grace of forgetting

By Marianne Delorey, Ph.D. “To be able to forget means sanity.”

~ Jack London

P

eople who have lived a long time are survivors. They are already ahead of the game when it comes to dealing with hardship as it is impossible to live so many years without encountering adversity.

However, life can be cruel and our later years have some nasty tricks.

Of all the indignities that longevity has to offer, memory loss can be the most unsettling. It is hard to imagine not being able to rely on your own brain to solve daily problems, recall words, or even recognize the faces of loved ones. But life is what you make of it, and I have always believed that every

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Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche blessing is a curse and every curse can be a blessing.

I am sure most people have a hard time imaging memory loss as a blessing, but I have seen this first hand several times in the elders I have worked with.

Consider Jean. Jean is very agitated and is searching in her purse for something, but cannot recall what. Her disease has taken so much of her brain that most sentences are very garbled. But because she is so forgetful, she is also highly distractible. She is offered a comb from her purse, which she uses. This act offers her a physical sensation that grounds her and gives her something to do, which calms her down.

Consider Lou. Lou was so mad at his neighbor last night because in the middle of the night, the upstairs neighbor dropped something heavy.

Lou woke with a start and had a

hard time falling back to sleep. Now he is cranky and tired and remembers enough to be mad at his neighbor, but not much more than that.

Another neighbor mentions that someone went out in the ambulance last night and Lou connects the dots and assumed that was what woke him up. Now, instead of being mad, he is sorry to hear about his neighbor’s fall.

Consider Evan. Evan’s psychiatric meds sometimes fall out of whack and he needs them adjusted, but explaining that to him when his brain is not working correctly is almost impossible. It is only when he forgets bigger picture items (like where he lives) that his family is able to convince him that getting in the car might lead to a fun adventure and that going to the doctor was his idea.

Consider Estelle. Estelle had a

• 17

falling out with her sister 30 years ago and they had barely spoken since. They end up in the same nursing home (the family wanted the convenience) and although Estelle does not recognize her sister, they begin again and reestablish a relationship, and then a good friendship.

They play cards every day and the sister and she chat amiably. While the falling out cannot be erased, they can part this life as friends and the families can mend.

It is the forgetful among us that teach the most about love and forgiveness. We all have something to learn from these people. Life is short.

Enjoy the ones you love. Hold them near to your heart and forget all the stupid little things that don’t matter anyway. Losing your memory may make life a lot more difficult but it makes love a lot easier.

Marianne 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. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate. com.

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money matters

Reverse mortgages and healthcare

By Alain Valles, CRMP, CSA, MS, MBA Nonprofit Charitable Managing Director Information you can trust As Managing Director of the nonprofit charitable mortgage company, Helping Hands Community Partners, our mission is to educate people about the pros and cons of reverse mor tgages and, when appropriate, to arrange financing or help with other housing options.

Reverse Mortgage

What is a reverse mortgage?

A reverse mortgage, also known as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), is a Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD) government insured loan that allows eligible older homeowners to access the equity in their homes by receiving lump sum cash, a monthly check, and/or a line of credit. The key advantage of a reverse mortgage is you do not have make any monthly interest payments on the money you borrow. You are though, always obligated to pay your property insurance, real estate taxes, and abide by other loan guidelines.

Are reverse mortgages expensive?

The only correct answer is it depends on your situation. A reverse mortgage typically will have greater closing costs than a conventional loan.

But when used appropriately, a reverse mortgage has more benefits. When compared to the costs of moving, a reverse mortgage is usually significantly less expensive than paying a real estate agent’s commission, moving costs, fixing your home to sell, and of course the emotional cost of downsizing and leaving your memories behind.

How much money is available to me?

A quick phone call or email will get you specific scenarios. The only

initial information we need is: • Estimated home value • Current mortgage balance, if any • Date of birth • Ability and willingness to pay property expenses

When and how is a reverse mortgage paid back?

The primary events when a reverse mortgage is required to be paid back include: • If you move and sell your home • The last remaining homeowner passes away • The home is no longer the primary residence • The property falls into significant disrepair • The real estate taxes or property insurance are no longer being paid Reverse mortgages are typically paid back by selling the home. Family members have the option to keep the home but would need to pay off the reverse mortgage. There are several unique situations that I am happy to explain to you.

How may I use the money?

After paying off any prior mort-

gage on the home, you have no restriction on how you use the money.

With that said, we always encourage people to be cautious how you spend your money as the purpose of a reverse mortgage is to augment your retirement plans and give you the opportunity to age in place and enjoy your quality of life. The most common uses of a reverse mortgage include: • Increase monthly cash flow • Pay off an existing mortgage or equity line • Complete home repairs or improvements • Pay real estate taxes • Healthcare expenses • Not burdening other family members • Purchasing other property • Legal expenses including divorce • Having cash reserves for unexpected life events • Improving one’s quality of life • Gaining financial peace of mind What do I do next? Take action!

If you or a friend have questions about reverse mortgages, just give me a call or email and I’ll be happy to ex-

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Reverse mortgage page 21

“HART-HEALTHY VERSE” (answers on page 19)

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viewpoint

• 19

Don’t listen. It’s a tradition.

By Janice Lindsay

T

his is the season when schools and college all over America invite wise and/or famous persons to address graduating classes, so that these mature persons may impart life wisdom they were forced to gain all by themselves because, during their own graduation ceremonies, they weren’t listening to the wise and/ or famous persons addressing them.

It’s a graduation tradition. Graduating persons have other things on their minds than advice from wise and/or famous persons.

At my college graduation, our speaker was Senator Edward M. Kennedy. I don’t know what he said.

Inklings

Answers to Super Crossword (puzzle on page 18)

to others as well): “It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble. It’s the things we know that just ain’t so.” We all know stuff that ain’t so. But now we can Google it.

Vincent Van Gogh: “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.” I’ve found, in my writing career, that a project that seems a little scary is often just the one I should tackle in order to keep learning. This does not extend, however, as in Vincent’s case, to learning how to cut off my own ear. There are limits.

Finally, a quote from humorist Dave Barry. “Your modern teenager is not about to listen to advice from an old person, defined as a person who remembers when there was no Velcro.”

I well remember when there was no Velcro. I do not expect to be asked for advice, even if I were considered to be a wise and/or famous person.

Your modern teenager is not about to listen to advice from an old person, defined as a person who remembers when there was no Velcro. Dave Barry I wasn’t listening. I was too busy thinking about my new boyfriend, sitting a few rows in front of me.

Eventually, I married my boyfriend, so he turned out to be much more significant to me personally than the senator ever was.

It is so hard to know, at any given moment, what you should pay attention to.

I have not been invited to speak at a single graduation. I say this without bitterness. I am so low on the list of wise and/or famous persons, by the time anybody gets to my name, there are no schools or colleges left that need speakers.

But I do collect advisory sayings from people wiser and more famous than me, so that if I ever did get invited to speak, I would have some wisdom to share – not that anybody would be listening, but at least I could inspire and amuse myself.

Since you’re reading this and not currently attending a graduation (or perhaps you are attending one and have mentally checked out), I share these sayings with you.

Aristotle. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

We can be open-minded and examine a new idea, whether or not it seems agreeable to us at first glance.

On the other hand, as one of my professors used to say, “Don’t be so

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Arab proverb: “While the word is yet unspoken, you are master of it; when once it is spoken, it is master of you.” We can all remember a time (times?) when we exercised our right to free speech, only to wish that we hadn’t been so free with our speech.

Or, as my wise husband used to say, “Never pass up a chance to shut up.”

Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor was ridiculed all her life, but she kept on keeping on and became a great lady. Her advice is easier to appreciate than to follow.

Mark Twain (maybe; attributed

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Reflections from an actor, director, casting agent and caregiver Kevin Fennessy in his 2017 IRNE Awardnominated performance as William Carney in “A Man of No Importance” presented

by Bad Habit Productions at Boston Center for the Arts

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Culture Editor Boston/Cambridge – Prepared with vast experience as an actor and theater director, Kevin Fennessy of Cambridge became even more entrenched in the Boston entertainment scene by working as a film and television casting agent. Along the way, he has also fulfilled the role of family caregiver.

After graduating from Cambridge High and Latin School in 1971, he studied acting and theater directing at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Upon returning to Boston in 1976, he immediately got hired by Obie Award-winner Maxine Klein to perform a one-year tour of political plays presented by the nowclosed Little Flags Company.

“We traveled from Boston to Oregon and back in a school bus, packed with all of the costumes and sets,” he relayed. “It was a great experience, but not what I wanted to be doing.”

Soon afterward, Fennessy performed at many Boston regional theaters. He got his Equity union card when Lyric Stage Company of Boston hired him for “Juno and Paycock” in its 1980-1981 season.

PHOTO/EARL CHRISTIE

“I was always rehearsing a show while doing another show,” he noted.

He also explored directing opportunities. As his favorite directing gig, he cites the musical-comedy “Boy

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Triangle Theater Company’s 1982 “Boy Meets Boy” castmates hold director Kevin Fennessy

Meets Boy” staged by Triangle Theater Company in 1982. The company produced gay and lesbian themed shows from 1980 to 1996. “’Boy Meets Boy’ was ahead of its time,” Fennessy declared. “It’s a 1930’s-style musical with gay characters who are out and accepted.

Our cast had a great synergy. Lifelong relationships came from that show.”

After living in New York City while working in films and commercials from 1987 to 1994, Fennessy moved back to Boston for a directing job. He helmed Frank Galati’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” kicking off the 20th-anniversary season of the now-closed Open Door Theatre in Jamaica Plain.

An intensive search for the show’s cast led to a job for Fennessy at CP Casting.

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

“Casting director Carolyn Pickman let me use her files to cast this 32-member cast,” he said. “At one point she asked, ‘What do you want to do – work here?’ That’s how I got into casting.”

Fennessy founded Raven Theatricals in 1994 and directed its shows through 1998. He received the 1995 Boston Magazine Award for Best Theatrical Director, and the 1997 Elliot Norton Award as producer for Outstanding Fringe Theater Production.

In 1998, he opened Kevin Fennessy Casting. His business provided casting services including background, day-players and voice-overs for studio features, independent films, and national and regional commercials.

“It was a time when movies would shoot a few weeks here on location Reflections | page 21

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• 21

Reflections from an actor, director, casting agent and caregiver

Reflections | from page 20

and my office was constantly busy,” he explained. “Right after 9/11, all location filming stopped while the world tried to figure out what happened.”

In February 2002, a fire destroyed Fennessy’s office building. Four months later, he suffered a heart attack.

“I was in post-traumatic shock

from the fire,” he said. “Over the next couple of years, I freelanced with some other casting companies, but always knew at some point I’d go back to acting.”

Beginning in 2005, he took time off from work while he and his brother cared for their parents.

Their father passed away in 2008 and mother in 2011.

PHOTO/DAVID COSTA

PHOTO/PAUL CANTILLON

(l to r) Kevin Fennessy with “Translations” castmates Sarah Elizabeth, Greg Maraio and Margaret Clark, presented in 2014 by Bad Habit Productions at Boston Center for the Arts

Our cast had a great synergy. Lifelong relationships came from that show.

Kevin Fennessy

Kevin Fennessy

“The need for family was there and it’s the right thing to do,” Fennessy said.

He returned to acting on stages beginning in 2011 in “Uncle Vanya” at Apollinaire Theatre Company in Chelsea. Among his subsequent performance venues were American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, and Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University.

Independent Reviewers of New England nominated him for the 2014 Best Actor — Small Theater, in

Reverse mortgages and healthcare

“Almost Blue” with Theatre On Fire at Charlestown Working Theatre; and the 2017 Best Supporting Musical Actor — Midsize and Fringe, in “A Man of No Importance” with Bad Habit Productions at Boston Center for the Arts.

Fennessy’s life partner for 40 years, Michael Pavelecky suffered diabetic foot ulcers and required a leg amputation surgery in January 2018, followed by stays at rehabilitation facilities. A small group of family and friends attended their wedding at a nursing home in April 2018.

“We still hope to have a big party in the future,” Fennessy shared.

Walk-In Urgent Care

Reverse mortgage Continued from page 18

plain all the details and send you the free “How to Use Your Home to Stay at Home” 36-page book. This is the official reverse mortgage consumer booklet approved by the HUD and published by the National Council on Aging. I look forward to speaking with you. It’s a good life.

Alain Valles is a Managing Director of Helping Hands Community Partners, Inc. and was the first designated Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional in New England.

He obtained a Master of Science from the M.I.T. Center for Real Estate, an MBA from the Wharton School, and graduated summa cum laude from UMass Amherst. Valles can be reached directly at 781-724-6221 or by email at av@hhcp.org. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

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Vocalist’s diverse repertoire ranges from classical to jazz

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Culture Editor Paxton – Vocalist Jean Mancini Gough of Paxton has developed an extensive musical repertoire ranging from classical to jazz.

Along the way, she has shared her love of music as a teacher with students of all ages. Her earliest musical influence was a musician uncle.

“I sang jazz in my teens with my uncle,” she noted. “I went through high school really loving and being involved with music, but frankly didn’t think I’d continue to study music. I worked for a few years and then got more serious about music by taking vocal and piano lessons.”

At age 22, she began studying at Anna Maria College in Paxton and received a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and music education. Soon afterward, she started teaching voice while still studying privately with Ruth Cooper, a former music professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“She let me go and watch her working with college students,”

Jean Mancini Gough

Mancini Gough relayed. “It was very beneficial to me as a voice teacher with my own students.

She really was a mentor to me.”

From 1994 to now, Mancini Gough has worked as a soprano soloist and section lead with the First Unitarian Festival Choir in Worcester. Under the direction of Will Sherwood, she has performed a range of genres including classical, folk, gospel, jazz,

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• 23

Vocalist’s diverse repertoire ranges from classical to jazz It’s delightful that I’m able to sing these two genres. I go back and forth from the very strict classical genre to something that comes from deep inside of me when I sing jazz.

Jean Mancini Gough

Vocalist | from page 22

new age and sacred.

In addition to singing at church services, the choir has performed concerts with other organizations including WPI Orchestra and Brass, and Worcester Youth Symphony.

“It’s a great opportunity to work with other singers and professional musicians of very high quality,” she said. “I enjoy the diversity of the

repertoire that we perform — that’s probably why I’ve stayed there for so many years. We do classical such as Beethoven and Brahms, and we also do more contemporary sacred works by John Rutter.”

While in her early-40s, Mancini Gough earned a master’s degree in music education from UMass Amherst. From 1998 to now she has worked as a classroom music teacher with the Wachusett school district. She currently teaches kindergarten through grade two in Rutland.

In several recent years she has also taught voice privately with the

Wachusett Artist-In-Residence Program, sponsored by Wachusett Regional High School Music Department and TEMPO (To Encourage Music Performance Opportunities). Her lessons cover vocal technique, repertoire, musicianship and sight-reading.

“The beauty of the program is that it’s for anybody in the community that wants to take music lessons,” she explained. “Although I work with all different ages, I tend to have quite a few of the kids who are in honor classes at Wachusett High. They need to audition and be a certain level to get into those programs.”

While teaching, Mancini Gough

presented a number of concerts as a classical soprano throughout New England, Philadelphia and New York City. Subsequently, her studies continued with a focus on jazz. She attended summer workshops at the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro and classes at Berklee School of Music in Boston.

“It’s delightful that I’m able to sing these two genres,” she said. “I go back and forth from the very strict classical genre to something that comes from deep inside of me when I sing jazz.”

Since to 2004 she has been performing with varied combinations of instrumentalists known as Jean Mancini Gough Jazz Group or Jazzin’ About Town.

“It’s a lot of fun to be in that groove when performing with instrumentalists that I’ve known and played with for a long time,” she said. “It helps me feel really comfortable sharing my interpretation of a song with an audience of people that I don’t necessarily know.”

Visit jeanmancinigough.com and facebook.com/Jean.Mancini.

Gough.Singer.

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