Splashdown
Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams returns to Earth page 4
Family Caregiving
Get the family caregiving support you need, when you need it.
At AARP Family Caregiving, we’re here to help you get answers, connect with other family caregivers and find local resources close to home. So you can take care of what matters most.
To learn more, visit aarp.org/caregiving.
Supporting the Bay State’s
780,000
family caregivers
By Jennifer Benson AArP MAssAchusetts stAte Director
AARP Massachusetts is dedicated to supporting the state’s 780,000 family caregivers. This month, we’re offering an online series to help them. Family caregivers are the backbone of our broken healthcare system. Family caregivers help older loved ones live independently, at home, where they want to be. Every day, caregivers perform tasks such as managing medications, preparing meals, assisting with bathing and dressing, handling finances, and providing transportation. The unpaid labor of these caregivers amounts to 73 million hours annually, valued at $15 billion.
Jennifer Benson
Family caregivers face significant challenges as they balance the physical, emotional, financial, and time-consuming demands of caring for their older loved ones. Many caregivers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks required. The stress is compounded by the financial burden, with caregivers spending over $7,000 annually out of their own pockets on care-related costs.
This month, AARP Massachusetts is offering an online series to help support family caregivers. Each session provides practical tips and valuable insights to help caregivers navigate their journey more effectively. You can sign up for sessions at www.aarp.org/caregivingma. Don’t worry if you miss one of the sessions, you can watch a recording on our YouTube channel, youtube.com/@aarpmassachusetts.
Honoring Choices (Thursday, May 1 at Noon) Take charge of your health by creating a personal care plan, appointing a health care agent, and documenting your care instructions!
Making Cents of Caregiving (Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m.): Learn essential tips to manage caregiving costs and complexities, including creating a health care plan and budgeting.
Six Pillars of Brain Health (Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m.): Discover lifestyle habits that support brain health and enhance your well-being.
Downsizing and Decluttering (Thursday, May 15 at 6:00 p.m.): Get practical tips to make downsizing and decluttering easier and less daunting.
HomeFit (Thursday, May 22 at 6:00 p.m.): Explore smart home design changes for a safer, more comfortable living space.
Paid Family Caregiving Leave (Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m.): Understand how MA Paid Family Leave can reduce the financial strain of caregiving.
In addition to the online series, AARP Massachusetts provides access to a wealth of local resources including the Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support Program, which connects caregivers with specialists who can help build a support plan. There’s also information about obtaining legal assistance, exploring health care options, and programs that can provide financial support.
AARP Massachusetts is committed to advocating for family caregivers and ensuring they have the support they need. AARP is backing legislation at the State House. An Act Supporting Family Caregivers offers family caregivers a range of supports, including an income tax credit for caregiving expenses, respite care vouchers, unemployment insurance eligibility, and measures to combat workplace discrimination. It also establishes a permanent commission dedicated to family caregiving needs. Family caregivers need commonsense solutions that will save them time and money and provide them with more support. An Act Supporting Family Caregivers would do that.
Jennifer Benson is the State Director for AARP Massachusetts. For more articles visit www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.
Meet Walter Castagna —
By evAn WAlsh contriButing Writer
SHREWSBURY – In 1985, the charts were dominated by Whitney Houston, A-ha, and Madonna. It was the year Blockbuster opened, “New Coke” debuted, and the wreck of the Titanic was found. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev led the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., respectively, during the Cold War.
It was also the year Walter Castagna, a college student at Northeastern University, started working for the town of Shrewsbury. He started as a co-op student in ’85, was hired full-time on Sept. 28, 1987, and — 40 years and eight U.S. presidential administrations later — still works for the town today.
“Every year and decade that’s gone by, I enjoy dealing with new people, updating the stuff I do. A lot of stuff has happened in 40 years. They’re very helpful people in this place. They don’t just tuck you aside — Shrewsbury’s a great place to work,” said Castagna.
Raised in Holliston, Castagna was officially hired by Town Engineer Ed Holland out of college. That same year, he bought his house in Shrewsbury — he still lives there today — and got married. He works as a Junior Civil Engineer, keeping records of infrastructure, updating maps, and inspecting sites.
If there’s something that has required site plan approval, chances are Castagna’s been there.
“I just try to keep everybody in order. I’m like a ringmaster,” he said.
“I think the residents in this town want precise, good work done,” he added. “I feel that, when I’m out in the field on a job, I take all their comments and complaints very seriously. I just care for people’s opinions,
I
think the residents in this town want precise, good work done. I feel that, when I’m out in the field on a job, I take all their comments and complaints very seriously.
I
just care for people’s opinions, and I try to keep the town running smoothly.
Walter Castagna
and I try to keep the town running smoothly.”
While Castagna works hard for the town’s residents, he’s spent the last 40 years outside of Town Hall enjoying his family and dogs, fishing, kayaking, and doing other outdoor activities. He recently became a grandfather and enjoys traveling down to Alabama to visit family.
Walter Castagna is Shrewsbury’s longesttenured municipal employee. (Photo/Evan Walsh)
Splashdown Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams returns to Earth
Williams continues to be an inspiration young people, as well as women and older adults in STEM and space exploration. “I don’t feel like a hero— just another person involved in the space business,” she has said. “I’m hoping to encourage young folks to become explorers.”
Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams prepares a snack on the International Space Station, wearing a Falmouth, Massachusetts sweatshirt.
(Photo/Courtesy of NASA)
By Brett Peruzzi MAnAging eDitor
NEEDHAM – After 286 days in space, Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams is back on Earth. Williams, 59, splashed down in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule with her fellow astronauts off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida on March 18 after traveling down from the International Space Station, where she served as station commander.
Longer than expected space flight Williams was originally scheduled to be on an eight-day test flight last June of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Due to technical issues with the Starliner, her time in space ended up being more than nine months. Williams and fellow astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore remained aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
On March 31, Williams and Wilmore held a press conference at NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas. She
Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams just after leaving the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida on March 18. (Photo/Courtesy of NASA)
nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station for Needham native and astronaut Sunita Williams. (Photo/Courtesy of NASA)
Williams spent 195 days in space on her first mission, setting the record at that time for the longest time in space by a woman. She also racked up nearly 30 hours of spacewalks, and set another record on her next space flight for the most hours spent in spacewalks by a woman. On that mission she also became the second woman to command the International Space Station.
was asked if she knew how much interest there was on Earth in her mission. Williams expressed humility and said they tend to focus on their job and not so much what’s going on below them on Earth or how much attention the mission may be getting. She quipped, referring to being in orbit, “The world doesn’t revolve around us, but we revolve around the world!”
Needham roots
Williams grew up in Needham, attended Needham High School and later graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. She also earned a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. She trained as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy and flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean region, and later became a test pilot for experimental aircraft.
She rose to the rank of captain in the Navy, logging over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft. In 1998, she was chosen to be a NASA astronaut.
Career in space
After extensive training, Williams made her first space flight in 20062007, giving her nearly 20 years in
space travel in total at this point. She spent 195 days in space on her first mission, setting the record at that time for the longest time in space by a woman. She also racked up nearly 30 hours of spacewalks, and set another record on her next space flight for the most hours spent in spacewalks by a woman. On that mission she also became the second woman to command the International Space Station. Williams has been recognized with several awards, including the NASA Spaceflight Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Naval Service Medal.
Williams continues to be an inspiration young people, as well as women and older adults in STEM and space exploration. “I don’t feel like a hero — just another person involved in the space business,” she has said. “I’m hoping to encourage young folks to become explorers.”
She still maintains strong ties to Massachusetts, as her sister, Dina Pandya, lives in Falmouth and is employed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The town of Needham is justifiably proud of Williams, and a school in Needham was renamed Sunita L. Williams Elementary School in her honor.
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What was supposed to be eight-day test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft turned into a
Paradise Rock Club is one of Boston’s most storied music venues
By colin MccAnDless contriButing Writer
BOSTON – The legendary Paradise Rock Club in Boston is nearing its 50th birthday. A 999-person capacity venue located on 967 Commonwealth Ave. near multiple colleges and universities, it has hosted many famous bands and influential musicians from all rock genres and more, from around the world. It books national touring acts and popular local bands, and the names that have adorned its marquee over the decades comprise a Who’s Who list of renowned rockers.
Launched by BU graduate Don Law of the Don Law Company launched the Paradise Rock Club in 1977, originally called the Paradise Theater. According to Paradise Rock Club general manager Bill Guerra, Law, a Boston University graduate, noticed the need for music venues in the area and figured the local student population would flock to patronize the shows. His assumption proved correct.
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Law’s entertainment business is now known as Crossroads Presents, a locally owned and operated Boston-based concert promoter and joint venture with Live Nation that owns several Boston music venues in addition to the Paradise including MGM Music Hall Fenway, Brighton Music Hall, House of Blues Boston and Orpheum Theatre.
Throughout its history, the primary focus has been, as the name implies, rock, but the Paradise has offered a fairly eclectic mix of genres during that entire time, stated Guerra. That includes country, hip hop, punk, indie, alternative, grunge and even some jazz over the years, such as guitarist and composer Pat Metheny of the Pat Metheny Group.
Iconic bands
Even during its formative years, the Paradise brought in musicians and bands that would go on to become iconic names in the industry. Tom Petty, Aerosmith, The Cars, Meatloaf, Peter Gabriel, Blondie, Cheap Trick, AC/
The Paradise Rock Club in Boston has been featuring both up-and-coming and iconic musical acts for nearly half a century. (Photo/Courtesy of the Paradise Rock Club)
DC, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, James Taylor, The Police and the Talking Heads all played there in the 1970s. The club displays a photo of James Taylor performing on stage with Carly Simon that was taken during their April 18, 1978 concert. The 80s saw the piano man Billy Joel, Guns N’ Roses, INXS, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Duran Duran, Sinead O’Connor, Glenn Frey, The Pretenders and the Red Hot Chili Peppers grace its stage.
A photographer contributed a trove of pictures that are hanging on display in the club’s front lounge area which highlight some of the legendary artists who have played the Paradise. Additionally their “Wall of Fame” in the main entry hall to the club features an extensive list of the musical acts past and present who have graced its stage, from the Pixies and A Tribe Called Quest to Tom Waits and Dropkick Murphys.
Another claim to fame for the Paradise: U2 played one of their earliest United States gigs there in December 1980. “Don Law gave them an oppor-
The “Wall of Fame” located in the main entry hall of the Paradise Rock Club in Boston features the names of acts who have played the venue over the decades.
(Photo/Courtesy of the Paradise Rock Club)
tunity,” said Guerra. “They weren’t well known at the time.” U2 even signed a poster thanking Don for taking a chance on them. The front lounge photo collection features a picture of Bono singing on stage at the Paradise in the 1980s.
One fascinating historical tidbit: folk musician Livingston Taylor, the brother of James Taylor, headlined the first-ever show at Paradise in 1977. His manager at the time was none other than Don Law, according to Guerra.
Approaching 50 years of rock shows
A half-century is a long time for a music venue to continuously operate. So why has the Paradise survived the
test of time and kept going strong for nearly 50 years, when so many other clubs from that era or beyond (The Rat, The Channel, etc.) have closed down?
Guerra cited several potential reasons for the Paradise’s longevity. “It’s such a dicey business. There’s so many factors involved. You have a legendary status, and that certainly helps.”
Additionally, when it comes to concert spaces, size definitely matters. “It’s a perfect size for bands ready to take off and go to the next level,” he said.
Accommodating just shy of 1,000 people, the Paradise is designed “so wherever you are, you feel like you’re close to the stage,” Guerra explained, creating an interactive and intimate vibe for the audience. He added that
people can come “see really established bands and feel almost like they are part of the show.”
Guerra said the way they treat their musicians is another factor that has contributed to the venue’s long-term success. “We cultivate a very welcoming atmosphere for bands,” he asserted. “We try to treat everybody as the most important show we have.” This in turn leads bands to want to return to Paradise and play there again. “Some use the Paradise as a launching pad to success and go on to play larger venues like the House of Blues,” said Guerra.
Family vibe
It doesn’t hurt that over the years a number of their employees have been musicians, typically individuals who are no longer touring or performing regularly and work at the Paradise to stay connected to the music scene without having to endure the rigors of the road. They can relate to their fellow musicians and understand their needs.
There are also important figures whose longtime dedication and commitment to fostering the club’s reputation spanned decades. The Paradise’s former production manager Billy “Bud” McCarthy worked there for 38 years before his recent retirement. “Bands knew who he was,” recounted Guerra. “He helped establish the positive image of the club.”
“It’s a combination of things. We’ve always tried to cultivate a welcoming, family vibe.” He said Paradise staff recognize that people are here to see a show and enjoy a band they love and “our job is to make sure they have a great experience.”
He credits Law, who is well-connected in the Boston area, with building the Paradise brand and molding it into the iconic place it is today. “Don Law did an amazing job,” said Guerra. “A lot of people loved him and loved working with him. Now being associated with Live Nation is a big help that put us on the map in a big way.”
U2 played one of its first U.S. shows at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, in December 1980.
From his early days as the all-night DJ at Boston’s radio station WBCN, to fronting the J. Geils Band as it rose from obscurity to fame, to being married to actress Faye Dunaway, Peter Wolf has led a colorful live full of amazing tales.
Former J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf paints a colorful life story in new memoir
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
BOSTON – Painter and former lead vocalist of The J. Geils Band, Peter Wolf, has poured his heart out in his new memoir, “Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses.” Described as a “a treasure trove of vignettes,” the book, released in March, details a life well lived and filled with amazing tales of the rock and roll world and beyond.
Art student and DJ origins
The 79-year-old was born to “fellow travelers” in the Bronx, New York and studied painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Tufts where his first roommate was the late film director David Lynch. During his time performing with the Boston rock band The Hallucinations, Wolf was asked to help establish radio station WBCN, where he created his Woofa Goofa (Mama Toofa) on-air personality.
In a 2021 interview with New Hampshire Public Radio’s (NHPR), Rick Ganley asked Wolf about his radio days at WBCN to which Wolf replied, “Yes, WBCN in Boston, and the fellow that started the station was an eccentric character, and he would drink at these bars until closing time. Come to my apartment to kind of pass out on my couch. He said, ‘Well, why don’t you get all these records, all these 45s, why don’t you maybe help me out?’
So, I became the all-night DJ: The Woofa Goofa...two for half a loaf of show mak-
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PHOTO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CATHARINE ANDERSON
Former lead vocalist of The J. Geils Band
Peter Wolf released a tell-all memoir in March.
ing your knees freeze, your bladder splatter. If it’s in you, it’s got to come out because that’s rock and roll…it’s all about doing the tuning and getting right through ‘em… and welcome the little late at night kid from Alabama doing it all head getting ready and do it to it. Give us a call. We’re going to have some fun until the Midnight Sun. And I did that every night. That’s nonstop for about a year and a half or so. By then, the Geils Band formed, and I just couldn’t do both.”
As the evening wore on, the other guests seemed to drift away until it was just Jack, Faye and me. They discuss Polanski and the best way to deal with his temperament. Jack invited Faye upstairs to work on the script, and Faye asked if I would mind waiting. I answered, ‘Of course not.’
Peter Wolf
Marriage to famous actress
“Waiting on the Moon” covers a range of Wolf’s remarkable experiences, including his marriage to Academy Award winner Faye Dunaway. The actress studied at Boston University and was a friend and mentee of playwright and Harvard professor Bill Alford.
Dunaway used to hang out with the band and even traveled with them. According to Wolf, one day they were walking on a beach, and she told him they should get married. The two married in 1974 despite a disastrous evening the year before.
In 1973, Dunaway was shooting director Roman Polanski’s 1974 classic “Chinatown” with costar Jack Nicholson. One night Nicholson invited Dunaway to his home to rehearse a scene from the movie. Dunaway, in turn, invited Wolf to accompany her.
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“As the evening wore on, the other guests seemed to drift away until it was just Jack, Faye and me,” Wolf writes. “They discuss Polanski and the best way to deal with his temperament. Jack invited Faye upstairs to work on the script, and Faye asked if I would mind waiting. I answered, ‘Of course not.’”
After a few hours passed, Wolf called out for Dunaway and got no response.
“I continued to wait in the living room,” Wolf continues. “Finally, as I saw the sun coming up, it occurred to me that what I thought might be happening was definitely happening. I call out her name again, louder and more forcefully, but still no response.”
Unfortunately, Wolf did not drive so he was stuck at Nicholson’s house. He ended up calling a taxi, and when the taxi arrived, he told the driver to wait for five minutes. “I opened the sliding glass doors,” he writes. “Then I picked up the coffee table laden with books...walked over to the pool, and released it all into the water, watching it sink and settle on the bottom.”
A colorful life indeed.
Don’t make a nursing home decision blindly. It’s important to View All Options business spotlight:
By evAn WAlsh contriButing Writer
REGION – It’s perhaps the biggest decision one can make: Is it time for a nursing home? And, if so, which one?
Damian Dell’Anno and the team at View All Options believe that this all-important decision shouldn’t be made in a vacuum. The focus of View All Options is to help folks do exactly that. The company helps people see their choices, arms them with information, makes data accessible so — when it finally comes time to make the choice — people are knowledgeable and informed.
“We’re trying to give residents or family members in that situation the power to have the ability to look at all their options. Sometimes in the nursing home selection process, some of the facilities that are shown to them could be shown in a biased manner, or groups could limit the exposure of
View All Options empowers people when selecting a nursing home by providing information that allows them to make an informed choice.
certain facilities. We wanted to show what all their potential options are.
Basically, we’re a virtual case manager at their fingertips, so they can get an in-depth look,” said Dell’Anno, who founded the company.
A former nursing home adminis-
trator, Dell’Anno knows the industry’s ugly side all too well. He saw people rushed out of the hospital, sometimes given only 48 hours to choose a facility they might stay at for the rest of their lives. At his facility, people would arrive not having any idea about their future home. There was no opportunity to glean any insight, no chance for on-site tours.
It never sat well with Dell’Anno. Around the same time, he was using the internet to shop for an apartment.
“And I thought it would be so beneficial if there was a platform, just like apartments.com, where people could go and look at facilities, filter them through based on insurance, the clinical capabilities, the amenities they’re looking for, distance from home, and put a list together to view all the options that were available to them,” said Dell’Anno. “That way, people aren’t relying on whatever list is being provided to them at the hospital.”
Basically, we’re a virtual case manager at their fingertips, so they can get an in-depth look.
Damian Dell’Anno
View All Options is in the business of educating people. But really, it’s empowering people.
Every facility listed on View All Options has at least eight professional photos that give a true-to-life idea of the amenities, rooms, lobby, activity area, the patio, and much more. Listings are in-depth, insightful, and, most importantly, searchable. What are your available options? What are the best facilities located close to your home? Where will you thrive?
View All Option has all those answers, and plenty more.
“Nobody wants to go to a nursing home. No one wants to put a loved one in a nursing home, and the whole process as a whole can be very hectic and daunting. Having the ability and confidence to look at information and make a selection helps make the process a little easier, and it’s a less traumatic experience,” said Dell’Anno.
“With us, people have a dependable, in-depth understanding of their options. They have the power to make that decision.”
For more information, visit https://www.viewalloptions.com.
Let’s play ball: Hudson actor rounds the bases in new film
By sArAh freeDMAn contriButing Writer
HUDSON – Hudson actor Russ Gannon is swinging for the fences in his latest role in Carson Lund’s film “Eephus.”
The independent movie, which was filmed in Douglas, Mass., is set in the early 1990s and takes place in the span of one last baseball game between two amateur teams, Adler’s Paint and the Riverdogs, before the field is torn down to make way for a new middle school. It premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 9, 2024, and was released in the United States on March 14 in select theaters.
Produced by Music Box Films, the film is about more than baseball — it’s “really about the end of something,” according to Gannon. It’s about the “third space” that people have outside of work and home; the film is an homage to a simpler time.
He added, “This is sort of their home away from home. It’s where they can just be who they are.”
The movie is named for the eephus, an off-speed pitch meant to trick the batter. Although it is thrown overhand, it is similar to a slow-pitch softball delivery and has a high arc. It has been used by players such as Boston Red Sox pitchers Luis Tiant and Bill Lee, who also stars in “Eephus.”
Gannon, who has worked both in radio as an FM DJ at 92.5 the River, began his career as an extra in “The Game Plan,” which starred Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and has since acted at the Wilbur Theater in the Whitey-Bulger-based play “Hunting Whitey” and as a stand-in for Clancy Brown in “Dexter: New Blood.”
He plays Bill Belinda, a family-oriented man who plays for the Riverdogs.
Gannon said, “My character … is one of the few characters that is portrayed as a family man. I liked the idea that there were scenes in which the character interacts with his on-screen family and shows what is truly important to him.”
Gannon grew up playing Little League in Needham and later in a softball league, so he had baseball experience. In fact, he described himself as a good player who had to lower his playing ability and said his character was “the only player on the field whose family comes to the game.”
The baseball abilities on set ranged from beginner to pretty good,
and the actors practiced the fundamentals. Said Gannon: “Of course, since most of us haven’t played in years, we all wound up with various bruises and lumps. When you see us hobbling around the bases in the film, that wasn’t acting.”
The film was shot for 30 days in October 2022 at Soldiers Field in Douglas, which itself is a part of history as the Red Sox and New York Yankees played a 1946 scrimmage game to celebrate the town of Douglas’ 200th anniversary.
Gannon said, “The experience was incredible. When you spend that much time on the field with that many people, you start to develop a camaraderie with the other actors. Every day, we would throw the ball around, start conversations and start ribbing the other players.”
The film also stars WRKO Red Sox Announcer Joe Castiglione and Lee, who earned the moniker “Spaceman” in his career. He said Lee is “a very funny guy,” and Castiglione is someone he knew from working as a board operator in 1990 at WRKO.
After Lee suffered from a cardiac episode mid-game in August 2022, the film crew was worried he may not be able to do the film. However, he not only was able to film, but played catch, signed some baseball cards, and shared stories about past players.
Of the release, Gannon said,
Left: Russ Gannon and Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione on the set. (Photos/Courtesy Russ Gannon)
“We’re so excited for people to finally get a chance to see this film. We think it has legs.”
To watch a trailer and see show-
times, visit www.eephusfilm.com. Check out the film on Instagram (@ eephusfilm) and Facebook (www. facebook.com/musicboxfilms).
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Above: From left to right: Director Carson Lund, Russ Gannon and writer Michael Basta on the set of “Eephus.”
‘Lady of the Dunes’ mystery ends with a new documentary
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
PROVINCETOWN – One of the most heartbreaking mysteries for the state of Massachusetts has been solved. More than 50 years ago, a set of female remains were found on a beach blanket on Race Point Beach in Provincetown on July 26, 1974. Dubbed the “Lady of the Dunes,” many hoped the body gave answer to whereabouts of missing loved one, including the family of jail escapee Rory Gene Kesinger.
New documentary about the crime
Not only was the body publicly identified on Halloween in 2022 as 37-year-old Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee but there is a son, Richard Hanchett, who she gave up for adoption that has since learned of her tragic demise. Now, there is also a new three-hour documentary, “Lady of the Dunes” which aired for the first time last November on the Oxygen True Crime Network.
The documentary provides new case details and interviews including clips following Hanchett as he traveled to Tennessee and Massachusetts
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from his home state of Michigan. Also featured in the docuseries is a deep dive into the killer’s violent past, his criminal connections and multiple marriages.
As for the person responsible for Terry’s murder, the FBI determined in 2023 that it was none other than Terry’s husband Gary Rockwell Muldavin, who, as fate would have it, died in 2002. Terry died from a crushing blow to the head and her hands were removed, hindering fingerprint identification.
Initially, Muldavin told Terry’s family that his wife sold all her belongings and left him without saying where she was going but his behavior made them suspicious. Muldavin’s name first appeared in the news in 1960 after his wife and stepdaughter disappeared and pieces of human flesh were found in a septic tank at his home. However, DNA evidence was not available at the time, so the case was dropped even though Muldavin was suspected of killing them.
DNA test led to mother’s family
The 66-year-old Hanchett, who lives in Waterford, Michigan, discovered his mother’s name in 2018 after
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• Beautiful landscaped grounds with gazebo
A new documentary of the 50-year-old mystery surrounding the identity of a woman’s body found in the sand dunes of Provincetown debuted last November. (Photo/Courtesy of the Oxygen True Crime Network)
taking a DNA test that led him to Terry’s family in Marion County, Tennessee. Hanchett read an Ancestry. com family tree created by a woman who matched his DNA profile as a first cousin.
The two exchanged emails and according to Hanchett, in an interview on Masslive.com, “The next thing she said was, ‘Oh my God. My aunt Ruth is
Redeem the dream
By MAriAnne lyons Delorey, Ph.D.
May is Older Americans Month. This month, we celebrate our older adults and the paths they have traveled.
Unfortunately, just as we celebrate our country’s older members, our current administration is systematically destroying the safety net that our older citizens have enjoyed and have come to rely on. At the pace they are working, it is a matter of time before our safety net is completely unraveled. Our older adults need to flip this to prevent it from happening.
Already, the administration has slashed the workforce of several federal agencies, among them HUD, the Department of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services (HHS, which oversees Medicare, Medicaid, and the Administration for Community Living (which helps fund senior centers and Meals on Wheels).
These staffing cuts are just the start. If you have not read Project 2025, please do so. The overall strategy of this administration is to first disrupt the government by getting rid of civil servants and replacing as many positions as possible with political appointees. They then intend to reduce the federal workforce.
In most cases, the next step in the Project 2025 playbook is to slash funding, privatize programs, push programs to the states, and otherwise minimize the role of the federal government.
Having read through the salient parts of Project 2025, here is what they suggest for the major programs
our seniors rely on:
your mom and we’ve been looking for you forever.” He and his cousin, who created her Ancestry account to find him in 2006, became friends immediately. Despite having this newfound
Social Security – Overall, conservatives do not like this program. They feel like the government has no role in social insurance and their preference is to give the program to states to administer or privatize.
Medicaid – The good news is that conservatives do not focus on this program as a primary payer for nursing home care in Project 2025. They would definitely prefer to see it state regulated and privatized, however. They perceive this will help offer more choice to those who use Medicaid as an insurer.
The big threat to Medicaid, however, is the overall cost of the program. One of the authors outright stated it is a “Cumbersome, complicated, unaffordable burden.” Others noted that the combined cost of Medicare and Medicaid due to Obamacare, is almost exactly the same cost as the national debt, clearly drawing a line between the two despite the fact that Medicare is funded out of a different bucket.
Project 2025 further suggests strengthening asset testing and adding work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Medicare – The priorities for Medicare closely mirror those for Medicaid. Their primary goal is to increase and encourage Medicare Advantage plans as they are the first step in privatization of this program.
They believe that introducing choice lowers costs. They also want to remove price controls (base payment on health status of patient rather than where they receive service and allowing physician-owned hospitals more latitude).
HHS – As of this writing (early April), significant numbers of staff at HHS got layoff notices and many were turned away when they showed up for work.
knowledge, the family had yet to learn that Terry was the victim of a frustrating cold case.
A struggling 21-year-old single mother in 1958, Ruth Marie Terry gave her son up for adoption to friends living in Michigan. The Terry family knew she had married a “wealthy antiquity dealer” named Guy Muldavin in 1974 and once came for a visit to “show him off.” Hanchett recalled his aunt Carol not liking the man, sensing something was wrong with him. Hanchett started having recurring nightmares of a man violently beating a woman in October 2022 and then he got the call from the FBI a few days later on Halloween.
Believing the people of Provincetown would continue to visit Terry’s grave along with leaving objects in tribute, Richard Hanchett and members of the Terry family decided it was time for his mother to finally be laid to rest. They returned some of her remains for burial in Marion County but left the rest in Provincetown with the people who cared all these years. His book, “Through His Eyes: the Lady of the Dunes, Ruth Marie Terry’s Story,” will be released next year.
HHS houses many important programs, for this column I am focusing on The Administration for Community Living, or ACL, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
The ACL coordinates federal policy on aging and disability. The agency funds programs that run senior centers and distribute food through the Meals on Wheels program.
The ACL also administers the Older Americans Act which provides funding to states for Area Agencies on Aging.
Department of Agriculture – SNAP benefits are handled under this department. Among other objectives, the administration will re-implement work requirements for beneficiaries.
Project 2025 is clear that their first goal is to reset the government. Making these huge staffing changes intentionally throws the agencies into turmoil so that they will not be able to respond to the needs of the users — our seniors, our residents, our clients, our family members. I encourage you all to “Flip the Script” on Project 2025.
When former President Obama was inaugurated, Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights pioneer who believed his efforts helped redeem the soul of his country, asked him to sign a picture of them together. He signed the photo, “Because of you, John. – Barak Obama.” Who will be the next to rise to the challenge of helping to save our safety net?
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
For decades Provincetown has had a grave honoring the memory of the woman whose body was found in the town’s Race Point sand dunes in 1974. (Photo/findagrave.com)
The “Lady of the Dunes” body was publicly identified on Halloween in 2022 as 37-year-old Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee.
These small packages
By JAnice linDsAy contriButing Writer
Good things come in small packages, the saying goes. Good things also come in big packages. But it’s the arrival of tiny packages that I celebrate in May. Those tiny, jeweled packages are hummingbirds, little miracles.
For me, summer starts when the first traveling hummer returns to my yard from Mexico or South America, usually the first week in May. Summer ends when the last one departs, around mid-September.
We had lived in our new home for only a few months, and I hadn’t given a thought to hummers, when, in early May 2004, an out-of-state friend visited and brought a blooming fuchsia plant, burgundy and pink splendor, saying, “This will attract the hummingbirds.” I doubted. The spring had been cold. I saw not a single wildflower, nothing in the neighborhood for hummers. When she left, I put the plant on the deck outside the kitchen sliding glass door. Within 15 minutes, a ruby-throated hummingbird busied itself among the blossoms.
I bought a feeder, made some nectar, and the hummers have been my guests ever since.
The ruby-throat — a flash of metallic green, the male with a red ascot - is the only hummingbird who normally summers in New England. It’s a bright tiny marvel. It weighs about as much as a nickel. It can fly up to 60 miles an hour, able to fly vertically and backwards and hover. Its wings beat up to 80 times a second, creating the hum; its teeny heart beats 1,200 times a minute. In late summer, on the way to its winter hangout, it flies non-stop 500 miles over the Gulf of Mexico.
In the spring, hummers are likely to return to the place where they fledged. And they remember the feeders.
I usually start with one feeder. Then, if I have more than one pair of hummers, I hang another feeder nearby. Early one May, I had hung one feeder. I saw a hummer hovering at the very spot where the second feeder had been the year before.
The ruby-throats look so sweet and nice. But they are not. They are territorial and scrappy and generally inconsiderate of each others’ needs, spending much time and energy arguing about whose turn it is at the feeder.
The adult males are especially combative, protecting a food source (my feeder), sometimes from their own mate and offspring. But the females can be scrappy, too. When a hummer spots an interloper,
both defender and interloper chatter and swoop and feint until one leaves. Very occasionally, I’ve seen two females feeding together, or two youngsters feeding together whom I assume are siblings.
I’ve seen photos of feeders with eight or more hummers dining peacefully. Those are not ruby-throats.
One summer I had a male I called Attila the Humm. The original Attila, the Hun, was known in fifth-century Rome as “the scourge of God,” as he tried, some say brutally, to claim most of Europe. Attila the Humm tried to claim our two feeders. One feeder hung from a crook on the kitchen deck, the other on the balcony outside the living room, about 30 feet away. For hours, Attila perched atop the deck crook, scanning the horizon for hungry hummers. When he spied one, he took off after it. Aerial acrobatics ensued. The other eventually gave up. Attila returned, triumphant, to his perch. Even Attila, though, occasionally had business elsewhere, when the others could dine in peace.
Who knows what adventures this summer’s hummers will bring? I know only that they will remind me, once again, of nature’s miracles that surround us, and that sometimes they come in very small packages.
Contact jlindsay@tidewater.net
SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Revere legend Kelly’s Roast Beef plans expansion
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
REVERE – Founded in 1951 by Frank McCarthy and Ray Carey as a hot dog stand, Kelly’s Roast Beef is an iconic staple that opened its doors at America’s first public beach — Revere Beach.
At the time, the two friends also worked at the Paul Roger House, which was owned by Carey’s family, where Carey was a manager and McCarthy was the chef. One day, a previously booked wedding at the Paul Roger House got cancelled and left the pair stuck with an abundance of roast beef. On a whim, they took the beef over to the hot dog stand and served it over grilled hamburger rolls. What they expected to last until the end of the day sold out within an hour.
Recent sale of brand
Since that time, business has soared for the Massachusetts minichain, with over ten locations throughout the U.S., including in Florida and New Hampshire. Recent news of Kelly’s brand and the four flagship locations being sold to AAM15 Management, a Burlington-based private equity firm, has some people speculating about the company’s plans to expand locations with skepticism.
Nevertheless, CEO of AAM15 David Masse said in a statement: “Growing up in this region, Kelly’s was always a part of my life. It’s more than just a restaurant — it’s a symbol of community and tradition. We’re proud to take on the responsibility of continuing Kelly’s legacy and ensuring it thrives for generations to come.” The Logan International Airport and seven Florida locations are not part of the sale and AAM15 already owned Kelly’s locations in Dedham, Worcester, and Salem, New Hampshire prior to the recent sale.
Kelly’s lasting power of over 70 years is largely due to their signature
roast beef sandwiches but they are known for their seafood offerings as well. Other mouthwatering favorites include homemade clam chowder, friend whole belly clams and frappes, otherwise known as milkshakes to outsiders.
Fans all over
Over time, fans have taken to social media and other websites to express their feelings. Cindy Webster wrote on Facebook, “Hi Kelly’s! Waiting for our Charleston SC location!!!! Grew up in Oak Island, Revere, just down the hill.”
Candace M. of Cape Coral, Florida had this to say on Yelp, “First time here, heard about the Boston chain opening in Ft Myers. I had the original roast beef sandwich, a small one which is pretty big; I got it the Three Way which is BBQ sauce, mayo & American cheese. I thought it was really good, a
crumbled bacon on them, they were excellent! Hub got a Diet Coke which he’s a freak about it being good or bad and he said it was really good. I’d come back again.”
Simple approach with wide influence
The restaurant developed a practice of using family-owned Massachusetts business Piantedosi Baking Company for their rolls and 25-day aged beef knuckles, an expensive regional standout that many competitors shied away from. The beef is seasoned with only salt and pepper, roasted at a low temperature for three to four hours and rested for another hour before being served and flavored with James River barbecue sauce. During peak seasons, a busy location could sell as much as 20,000 roast beef sandwiches per month.
lot of beef on it. Hub got the steak and cheese; he liked it but said it was a little dry; needed some kind of sauce on it. We also got cheese fries which have
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Fast food sandwich chain Arby’s cites Kelly’s Roast Beef as an inspiration in the book “Arby’s Great Taste Endures: 35 Years of Success.” The two founders, who claimed to have invented the modern roast beef sandwich, named the well-known restaurant after their friend, Thomas Kelly.
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Kelly’s Roast Beef, founded at Revere Beach in 1951, now has ten locations throughout the U.S., and was recently acquired by a private equity firm with plans for more expansion.
Prince Pizza preserves a part of legendary Route 1 in Saugus
By MAtt roBinson contriButing Writer
SAUGUS – The giant sausage and orange dinosaur is gone and the Hilltop Steakhouse cows have moved on to greener fiberglass pastures. But while we wait for the Forbidden City of Kowloon to be turned into a comedy hall of fame, one thing remains the same on Route 1 Saugus — the leaning tower of Pisa that marks the legendary Prince Pizza restaurant.
Neapolitan family roots
When Oreste and Rosalia Castraberti moved from Naples, Italy, to Massachusetts in 1920, little did they know that they would be the creators of a family food empire that has lasted and served generations.
Had it not been for their son Arthur, the story might have been drastically different. Fortunately, the family knew when to stir the pot and when to let it simmer.
Arthur was born in 1924 in Somerville. After getting bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biochemistry at UMass
and serving in the Army during World War II, Arthur worked for the Canada Dry Corporation and Prince Macaroni Manufacturing Company, the latter of which was owned by Joseph Pellegrino and based in Lowell.
“Country Living in the City”
While at Prince, Arthur had his father hired to work alongside him, travelling throughout the region selling boxes of pasta to grocery stores.
By 1959, the Pellegrino family had opened five restaurants, in Lowell, Quincy, Yarmouth, Boston, and Saugus. But only a few years later, they decided to focus on manufacturing and chose to sell all of the restaurants. It was in 1961 that Arthur was offered what was then a not-so-successful pizza stand in Saugus. Arthur ended up buying the place outright.
Early struggles
“I had never been in the kitchen of a restaurant prior to buying one,” Castraberti recalled years later in a history of the business the family compiled. “I walked in. There were two employees. The waitress was in the corner reading a book. The cook was flat on his back asleep. I introduced myself as the new owner, then I fired them.”
When the disgruntled former staff asked Arthur how he would run the place without them, he replied, “I hope a great deal better!”
As he was also employed at the time as a teacher, Arthur would rush to the restaurant every day after school and stay there until closing. Despite his dedication, the pizza and pasta restaurant floundered.
“It was a terrible time,” Arthur admitted. “I had three kids and a house with a mortgage. And I didn’t have enough sales to draw a salary. That was my incentive.”
Unwilling to give up, Arthur stayed up nights at the restaurant for five years, during which he did what he could to spiff up the venue and the menu.
“I wanted to create a family place,” the family-minded man said.
Turning the business around
By offering free meals to elderly customers on the anniversaries of Arthur’s parents’ birth and making their place a fun and safe place for kids and families to come, Arthur and his family began to turn the restaurant around.
“The Little League teams began to think of the Prince Spaghetti House as their second home,” Arthur remembered. “And now those Little League kids come back with their own teams and families!”
In 2002, Arthur’s son Steven and daughter-in-law Trish took over and expanded it into what is now one of the largest independent owned pizzerias in America. Despite the changes and growth, and Arthur’s passing in 2011, the family traditions remain.
“Many of our recipes are original Castraberti family recipes from Italy,” Trish maintained. “Since the beginning, we have had essentially the same meatballs, dough and sauce.”
Growth through innovation
In addition to honoring the family traditions, the family also does what it can to pay tribute to their neighbors on Route 1 and recently released a meatball eggroll to salute the Wong family, owners of the Kownloon Chinese restaurant across the street.
They have also expanded their reach by selling “Take ‘n Bake” pizza products at stores throughout the area and by expanding their takeout and catering business.
Another neighbor with whom they have partnered is Mike Clarke, brother of legendary comic Lenny Clarke. In an effort to support the many great comedians who make Boston home and make people around the world laugh, Clarke opened up Giggles Comedy Club in the Prince building in 1989.
“Mike was looking to start his own comedy club,” Trish explained, noting how the addition has helped keep Prince’s 700 seats filled almost every night there is a show. “This business was created on a handshake by Mike and Steven with a plan and good intentions. Thirty-five years later, we believe it was one of the best business decisions we’ve made!”
With help from their daughter Lily (who recently graduated from college and helps with the restaurant’s social media and analytics), the Castraberti family looks forward to even more growth and success.
“We are proud of every one of our
Prince Pizza on Route 1 in Saugus has been a familiar landmark and dining destination for over 60 years.
By raising dogs, Northborough couple helps those in need
By evAn WAlsh contriButing Writer
NORTHBOROUGH – First, there was Toby. Then Hank, then Hamlet.
Then came Bruno and Bailey, Bunky and Ringo, and Ramsey and Raja. Dyson and Issy were after that, followed by Putter, Otto, and Adam. Domenick “The Chatty” — who practically knew how to speak — is next in line, with Charley, Kramer, Beau, and Jack O. rounding out the bunch.
Those 19 names belong to 19 service dogs, each of which spent their formative years in the household of longtime Northborough residents Paul and Karla Reuter. For the last two decades, the Reuter family has been raising puppies for the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs. Over a one- to two-year period, the Reuters prepare puppies for a life of service and companionship.
“I always wanted to get a dog, and [Karla] didn’t want to get a dog; she had put down five dogs in her life,” said Paul. “When we saw [the program], we thought it was perfect. We’d get a dog, have it for a year-and-a-half, everybody would get their dog fix, and we’d be done.”
“It didn’t quite work out that way,” he said laughing.
Nowadays, the Reuters have shaped their life around raising these canines. A room off their kitchen was once a closet — now it’s the “dog room.” Furniture around the house has little “chew marks,” evidence of puppies that went through the teething
“Our house does look like it has had 20 dogs in it,” Paul joked. But it hasn’t stopped the Reuters. It’s a roughly year-and-a-half-long stay in Northborough for the puppies. The family doesn’t bring the dogs into the public until they’re about three months old. From there, the Reuters bring the dogs around town in an effort to get them adjusted. The dogs must be well-behaved and understand 40
Pizza | from page 16
most loyal staff members,” Trish said, thanking the nearly 80 people who keep the tower leaning and the delicious food and great fun coming (over 20 of whom have been with the family for more than 10 years). “Without these people, we would not be who we are.”
Trish also noted that there have been multiple offers to purchase the restaurant from her family, but she said, “It’s just too much a part of our lives!”
This seems to be the case for many people in the area as well,
“We love when we host [multiple] generations of families together at the same table and talk with them about when then came for dinner here back in the 1960s,” said Trish. “Steven knows them all by name — that matters!”
So even if you miss the mini-golf and live jazz that used to bring people to Route 1, Prince Pizza is still there to fill your belly with pasta, pizza, and laughter.
verbal commands, which they’ll use one day to help their handler navigate the world.
Right now, Jack O. — a 4-month-old puppy born in October and named after a jack-o’-lantern — is the Reuters’ latest friend. Karla handles all the inside training, while Paul focuses on the outdoor environment. Training the dogs isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
After training is complete, the Reuters are invited to attend “Celebration Sunday,” where they can see their one-time puppy — now all grown up and well-behaved — and its handler. In training the dog, the Reuters gave someone another set of eyes and ears, making that person’s life significantly easier.
“When you meet somebody that you’ve given a dog to, it’s very impactful on your life because you know they can now ride a bus, they can go wherever they want. If they go somewhere, the dog will find a chair for them. It gives them so much more independence,” said Karla.
And, yes, it’s hard to give the dogs away. But there’s also an element of pride.
“You’re saying goodbye to a young, healthy dog who is going to do something awesome. Sometimes we’re sent Christmas cards with the dog’s picture,” said Paul. “We’re an ambassador for the organization as well, and we really have to make sure that these dogs are well-trained.”
For more information on the Guide Dog Foundation, visit https://www.guidedog.org/. For more information on America’s VetDogs, visit https://www. vetdogs.org/.
Multiple generations of the Castraberti family have owned and worked at Prince Pizza—the late Arthur, the original owner, is flanked by his grandson Andrew, on the left, and the current owner, his son Steven, on the right. (Photos/Submitted)
Prince
Paul and Karla Reuter (Photo/Evan Walsh) phase.
Milton Bradley’s Twister game was once thought too risqué
By shAron oliver contriButing Writer
SPRINGFIELD – There was a time when Milton Bradley, the Springfield-based game company, worried that the physically challenging game Twister would be too inappropriate for kids because of the required close contact of its players.
Originally marketed mostly to kids and teens, 1966 promotional materials featured cartoonish adult men in suits and ties. The women wore sweaters buttoned up to their necks while placing their hands and feet on brightly colored circles. Hardly practical attire for a group of males and females who will likely end up on the floor, limbs wrapped around each other like a heap of twisted pretzels. Still, overdressed cartoon figures did not scream “sex!” either.
A risk not worth taking
As development executive Mel Taft pushed Twister into the market, others felt the risk was not worth it. In an interview for his book “The Playmakers,” which is about the history of toys, author Tim Walsh said in Smithsonian Magazine that Taft caught quite a bit of flak from people internally at Milton Bradley. Furthermore, internal criticism revolved around Twister being a floor game instead of the normal tabletop games the manufacturer was known for. There were real concerns that “the game that ties you up in knots” would be perceived as too sexual.
Those fears grew in 1966 when department stores across the nation
When Milton Bradley, the Springfieldbased game company introduced Twister in 1966, it was deemed too risqué and Sears department stores refused to sell it.
expressed skepticism and Sears department stores refused to stock the game because their representative said the game was “too risqué.” Walsh explained, “If Sears said we’re not buying this, it could be the death of a game because they had such a monopoly.”
Minnesota design firm Reynolds Guyer House of Design owner and author of the book “Right Brain Red” wrote in his book, “They warned Mel that the idea of being that close to someone ––especially someone of the opposite sex –– was socially unacceptable. The rule we were breaking almost broke the deal. Thankfully, Mel Taft was a rule breaker too.” After hearing the news, Reyn Guyer wrote that “Twister was dead.”
One of the game’s co-creators, Neil Rabens, who still could not believe the success of the game spoke to
Twister sales exploded in 1966 when late-night TV host Johnny Carson played it with actress Eva Gabor on “The Tonight Show.”
KARE in 2016 and shared how he and his co-creator, Charlie “Chuck” Foley, who passed away in 2015, had different ideas for the game. Rabens stated, “I initially came up with the hand and foot thing.” Rabens envisioned players twisting separately in a game they first called “Pretzel.” Foley suggested rearranging the dots to tie players together.
Johnny Carson to the rescue
Despite innocent intentions, the game was viewed as scandalous when it was released in the 60s and was even called sex in a box. Then thanks to a pitch from a Milton Bradley salesperson, in steps an unlikely savior of the controversial game — the King of Late Night — Johnny Carson. On May 3, 1966, Carson played a game of Twister with actress Eva Gabor on “The Tonight Show.”
Mel Taft told The Guardian, “Someone brought out the mat, and Eva, God bless her, said, ‘What’s this, Johnny?’ When he saw she was interested, he made her get down on all fours and climbed on top of her. The camera was on both of them and her dress, very low-cut to begin with, dropped even lower. The audience went absolutely bananas.”
Sales explode
After that, the tide for Twister shifted almost overnight. Stores sold out quickly, including Sears, and by 1967, Twister had sold more than three million copies.
Games magazine included Twister in their “Top 100 Games of 1980,” praising it as being “nearly as wellknown as Spin the Bottle, and ten times more enjoyable” and suggesting it is best played on a soft surface with people you’d like to know better.
The Milton Bradley company is credited by many for launching the board game industry. It entered millions of American households with the success of games like The Game of Life, Candyland, Operation, and Battleship. But it wasn’t until Twister’s introduction in the mid-1960s that the normally staid company became the target of moralists concerned that a simple game would lead to inappropriate sexual behavior.
But as the tidal wave of cultural change and loosening of sexual taboos crested later in the decade, Twister’s perceived threat receded dramatically. The game has been played by an estimated 65 million people around the world.
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For Luanne Crosby — music is the key to happiness, togetherness
By lAney hAlsey contriButing Writer
WESTBOROUGH – Luanne Crosby’s musical journey began with her first talent show at age 5, leading her to travel the world with her numerous bands and write nearly 300 original songs. Through her craft, she has been able to express herself and connect with audiences.
With her ukulele in hand, Crosby can often be found at the Westborough Library sharing her passion for music with the community through her series “Songs and Their Stories –The Library Sessions.”
“It just dawned on me,” Crosby said. “I know so many songs from all these different eras, so I contacted the library and I said what if I did [the sessions]…and I love to tell stories behind the songs.”
Growing up, Crosby’s parents immersed her in the world of music, and she has maintained her interest by incorporating songwriting into both her professional and retired life. She also started to fill an important
niche, performing at assisted living and memory-care facilities.
“When you play music for people, they might not remember their husband or wife’s name, but when you start playing a song they knew when
Westborough local Luanne Crosby performs songs that span decades and genres for the community on the third Wednesday of every month at the Westborough Library. (Photo/ Courtesy Luanne Crosby)
the importance of this connection and hopes that people from Westborough benefit from her performances.
“I like to share my music, I like to do the research and I like telling the stories,” Crosby said. “I don’t do it anymore for the money.”
Crosby believes that the stories she’s gathered through all of the songs make the experience more enriching, and she uses them as another way to connect with her audience. Perhaps nothing is more representative of Crosby’s character than her ability to improve people’s lives.
She makes magic happen — even during flight delays.
they were in their twenties, they know all the words, even if they can’t talk,” Crosby said.
Now, she makes weekly visits to a sick friend and plays all of the songs he knows and loves. Crosby recognizes
“I would serenade the gate for an hour or more, and I’d read the crowd and I’d see one age group and I could go from Jason Mraz to Bing Crosby depending on who was there,” Crosby said. “I’d have people come up to me and go, ‘This was the best delayed flight I have ever had! This was so awesome.’ I guess I like making people happy.”
Learn more about Luanne Crosby and her music at luannecrosby.com.
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