Northeast Ohio Boomer & Beyond | May June 2021

Boomer Northeast Ohio

BETTER LIVING AFTER 50 NortheastOhioBoomer.com

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

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and Beyond MAY/JUNE 2021

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T UNI Y FO S

Advice: Give It or Zip It?

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NEO GRANDPARENT

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Get to Know Those in the Know

B e a c hwo o d

Together Again!

LAWN-CHAIR CONCERTS, SECOND MARRIAGES & MORE

INSIDE ON THE COVER Original watercolor image by artist Virginia Phillips of Seven Hills.

May/June

TOGETHER AGAIN! Lawn-Chair Concerts & More Summer events have returned with an eye on safety.

Find out what’s happening and where.

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18 & 61

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NEO GRANDPARENT

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Second Marriages

Social Media Influencers

Managing the Minefields

Follow the Leaders

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If You Ask Me… Advice About Advice

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Combining Households

Author Paula McLain

Yours, Mine & Ours

Close to Home

DEPA RTMENTS 8

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WORTH NOTING

FOOD

TECH TALK

AGE WISE

BRAIN GAMES

Keeping Ghoul, Baseball Crazies

Sweet Stuff: Fruit for Dessert

Just a Click; Accessibility for All

When Less Is More

There and Back (Last is First)

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Better Living After 50

Or How I Celebrated My Vaccination

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fter I got my COVID shots (Pfizer/no side effects/CVS), I boldly went where apparently every man — including the unvaccinated — has gone before: Las Vegas.

A non-gambler, I headed to Vegas to spend Vegas-quality time with several equally vaccinated family members. I took $20 to feed the slot machines. If I had lit it on fire with a match, the money would have lasted longer than it did during my minuteslong gambling junket.

The point here is not that I’m a lousy and, frankly, timid gambler. It’s that the vaccine has given me the freedom to GET OUT OF HERE and TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE. As someone who isn’t burdened by unpleasant drug side effects, antivax angst, or a general suspicion of Editor Marie Elium on the Vegas Strip. the medical community and people who are a lot smarter than me, getting the COVID vaccine was a no-brainer. I can hug my 87-year-old dad again, return to church, eat in a restaurant and, because I didn’t have a match handy, lose $20 in a Vegas slot machine rather than set it on fire. Isn’t science great?

WE’RE BACK We chose “Together Again” for this May/June issue long before we knew that places would start reopening. Call it wishful thinking. Call it luck. Whatever the reason, we happened to hit it right. This spring and summer, we’ve got concerts and live music returning to Northeast Ohio, programs are expanding at community centers and parks, and many families and friends are finally spending time with each other. I hope you’ll find things to do in our What’s Happening listings in the back of the magazine.

A few other highlights: please read our Beachwood Community Focus section to learn more about this popular eastside Cleveland suburb. And if you’re in the mood to remarry, we have experts who can walk you through the encore marriage minefield and offer spot-on tips for combining households Finally, I think you’ll enjoy our story about social media influencers, some of whom are right here in Northeast Ohio. You may have been following an influencer and didn’t even realize it. See what’s the big deal about someone else’s opinion.

Throughout the summer, we’re taking nominations for our Boomer Impact Awards: people in the region who make life better for people 50+. You can send your nominee names and contact information to editor@northeastohioboomer.com through Sept. 20. Watch our website, northeastohioboomer.com, for more details.

I hope you have a safe, CDC-compliant start to summer. Find something to celebrate — maybe something that doesn’t involve $20 and a slot machine.

M​arie Elium​

​marie@northeastohio​boomer.com Better Living After 50

and Beyond

VOL. 7 ISSUE 3

May/June 2021 Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond is a property of Mitchell Media LLC

PO Box 1088 Hudson, OH 44236 330-822-4011 NortheastOhioBoomer.com /NEOhio​Boomer

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PUBLISHER - Brad Mitchell brad@northeastohio​boomer.com 330-714-7712 EDITOR​- M​arie Elium​ ​marie@northeastohio​boomer.com COPY EDITOR/DIGITAL/ ASSISTANT EDITOR​ - Estelle Rodis-Brown estelle@northeastohio​boomer.com EDITORIAL SUGGESTIONS editor@​​northeastohio​boomer.com CALENDAR LISTING SUBMISSIONS calendar@​​northeastohio​boomer.com CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Beach, Margaret Briller, Linda Feagler, Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi, Kathryn Kilpatrick, Tim Lybarger, Dr. Steve Marsh, Traci McBride, Mike Olszewski, Tak Sato, John Selick, Karen Shadrach, Brian Sroub, Paris Wolfe ART DIRECTOR- Laura Chadwick laura@northeastohio​boomer​.com ADVERTISING SALES Chris Geer, 330-614-8471 chris@northeastohio​boomer.com Janyse Heidy, 330-671-3886 janyse@northeastohio​boomer.com Sherrie Kantarovich, 216-299-5455 sherriek@northeastohio​boomer.com Samantha Olp, 330-636-6127 sam@northeastohio​boomer.com Yvonne Pelino, 440-971-0595 yvonne@northeastohio​boomer.com Michelle Vacha, 440-463-0146 michelle@northeastohio​boomer.com OFFICE MANAGER Kathleen Mitchell, 440-533-1208 kathleen@northeastohio​boomer.com EVENT MANAGER​ Lilia Lipps tara@northeastohioboomer.com DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES info@northeastohio​boomer.com PUBLISHERS OF

PHOTOS: MARIE ELIUM

$20 in Vegas

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Boomer Northeast Ohio

EDITOR´S NOTE

Boomer Northeast Ohio

BOOMER EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

and Beyond

Mindi Axner Executive Director National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland

Coming in the

July/August Issue beginning July 15

Sharon Dundee Director of Marketing & Communications Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center

Your Best Life WINEMAKING BASICS, FAMILY VALUES, THERAPY DOGS

Dr. Ardeshir Z. Hashmi Cleveland Clinic Director Center for Geriatric Medicine Kathy M. Hirko Owner KAZ Company Kathryn Kilpatrick President Memory Fitness Matters, LLC Susan Lieberman Director of Marketing & Public Relations Montefiore and The Weils Kelsey Loushin President Eldercare Professionals of Ohio

COMMUNITY FOCUS: WESTLAKE

Stephanie Manning The American Heart Association, Cleveland

Bob Pontius Director of External Relations Danbury Senior Living

Laurie G. Steiner Partner Solomon, Steiner & Peck, Ltd.

Steven Marsh Dr. Steve Marsh, DDS

Leslie Royce Resnik President Royce Public Relations

Candyce Traci Vice President All Media Design Group

Beth Silver Director of Public Relations and Marketing Menorah Park

Nancy Udelson Project Manager Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Fatima Perkins Director of Community Outreach Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

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WORTH NOTING Compiled by Marie Elium

Lettuce Help You Find A FARMERS MARKET

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orry. We couldn’t help it. We’ve had that kind of year.

Bad puns aside, local farmers markets are ramping up (that’s the last one, honest!) and the usual masking, crowd limits, etc. again will be part of the season.

Turns out, the health rules were only slightly cumbersome to those of us who continued buying our produce at Northeast Ohio’s many farmers markets. See the latest days and hours for your favorite market at ams.usda.gov/local-fooddirectories/farmersmarkets.

There you’ll find all the markets near your hometown, the types of payments accepted, produce availability and links to each website.

If you’re not a big veggie/ fruit person, you may be surprised to see all the other products at farmers markets: locally made cheeses, pastas and soap, for example. Many also have food trucks and pre-packed dinners from market vendors.

Bon Appetit!

Tapped In A NEW SHOE MOVE

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Better Living After 50

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eading a book. Sipping coffee. Playing cards. Some activities are best done seated. Dancing typically isn’t one of them.

Enter Westlake’s Melissa Renner. The owner of Active for Life Fitness found that many of her older fitness clients and others with disabilities enjoyed tap dancing but were unable to participate because of limited mobility.

So she invented a shoe cover that’s easy to slip on over both regular and orthopedic shoes.

The best part? It’s got metal tap discs on the bottom that permit users to tap dance from the security of a chair.

Renner also invented a mitt with hand taps for people who are unable to use their legs or feet.

“I’ve witnessed seniors suffering with Alzheimer’s and dementia go from non-verbal and seemingly unaware of their surroundings to tap dancing while seated — all in one class. The stories and examples are moving. And after the isolation this population has endured due to COVID, I’d like to ... spotlight how significant dance is for the mind and soul,” Renner says.

You can find Renner’s products at activeforlifefitness.com

Scram, Scammers BBB’S ONLINE TRACKER

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lenty of scoundrels find ways to separate us from our money. That’s not news. But did you know the Better Business Bureau has an online tool we can use to report scams and to see which ones are surfacing in your neighborhood and beyond?

Check out BBB.org/ScamTracker, says Sue McConnell of BBB Serving Greater Cleveland. The easy-to-use site uses crowdsourcing to collect real-time information from victims of scams as well as from consumers

who have thwarted scams and displays it on a searchable “heat map” that indicates where the scam is happening.

You can search using keywords or scam type. You can even zoom in on a specific geographic area for localized information.

McConnell says to avoid scams by following these tips: Don’t believe everything you see.

Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts and other details.

Just because a website or email looks

official does not mean that it is. Caller ID is also easily faked.

Never share personally identifiable information with someone who calls, texts, emails or appears at your front door.

Resist the pressure to act immediately. Shady actors typically try to make you think something is scarce or a limited-time offer. They will also convince you not to discuss their offer with family or friends.

Use secure and traceable transactions. Do not pay by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card or other non-traditional payment methods.

Do not click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails.

Use extreme caution when dealing with anyone you’ve met online.

Scammers use dating websites, Craigslist, social media and many other sites to reach potential targets. They can quickly feel like a friend or even a romantic partner to appear trustworthy.

Be cautious about what you share on social media. Connect with people you already know. Check the privacy settings on all social media and online accounts. Change passwords to passphrases on a regular basis on all online accounts.

Report or research any suspicious activities to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker.

Free Tech Workshop TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP IN

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ur favorite tech expert and Boomer columnist Tak Sato is a founder of the nonprofit Center for Aging in the Digital World.

What’s that mean for you? He’s inviting everyone to the center’s (virtual and free) 5th Annual Living in the Digital World Senior Expo.

Sit back, relax and prepare to learn more about those smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices that should be making our lives easier but often don’t. The Expo starts at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 27.

The Grafton-Midview Library is a partner.

Learn more at empowerseniors.org and look for Tak’s column in every issue of Boomer and Beyond.

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WORTH NOTING

Hometown Hit

Keven Scarpino

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ike a lot of kids, Keven Scarpino was part of the first generation of television viewers, and early TV in Northeast Ohio was some of the best in the country.

Scarpino’s first autograph was from his hero, Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson, and Keven made up his mind that he wanted to be an entertainer, too. He developed a character, a horror host, who was quick to tell his audience just how bad his “dumpster-to-screen” films were but added his own comedy bits to keep people watching.

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KEEPS HIS GHOUL

The Son of Ghoul with his TV props.

“The Son of Ghoul” show premiered on Canton’s WOAC. Scarpino never thought it would last more than 13 weeks. That was on June 13, 1986,

and since that time, he’s never been off the air.

Scarpino later moved the show to Akron’s WAOH, and two years ago was picked up by WIVM-TV in Canton, where it’s seen across Northeast Ohio.

The secret to “The Son of Ghoul’s” staying power? “Truth is, I work cheap,” Scarpino says.

And he takes his career 13 weeks at a time.

The Son of Ghoul will be the featured guest at the huge Monster Bash convention and film festival at the Riverside Drive-In, Route 66 North, Vandergrift, PA on June 11-12.

— Mike Olszewski

PHOTO: KEVIN SCARPINO COLLECTION

LOCAL AUTHOR PENS BASEBALL BOOK

ome of the quirkiest personalities in Major League Baseball wore Cleveland Indians uniforms: Joe Charboneau, Francisco Lindor, Gaylord Perry, Jimmy Piersall and Satchel Paige, to name a few. They’re some of the more than 100 people featured in “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball” by Amherst resident Wayne Stewart.

The book includes captivating anecdotes about MLB players, some you’ve heard of, many you haven’t. Stewart is a sports historian and author of 35 books, including this one. Baseball fans and those who like chatty, interesting stories about larger-than-life figures will like digging into “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns.”

Fun fact: Stewart’s hometown produced two Hall of Famers and he was a teammate of Ken Griffey Sr. on his high school baseball team.

You can buy “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball” on Amazon and at select bookstores.

Impact Makers WHO ARE THEY & WHY? Do you know someone in Northeast Ohio who is making life better for people 50 and older?

Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond will announce its Boomer Impact Awards in our November/December issue. From housing to healthcare, employment, recreation and more, we want nominees for people who are creatively addressing the needs of older adults.

We’ll start taking nominations throughout the summer at northeastohioboomer.com.

We’ll announce details through our website and our Facebook page. Please start thinking now about who deserves to be recognized for making a positive impact in the lives of older adults.

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WORTH NOTING

Posterity Podcasts HISTORY WORTH REPEATING

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veryone’s got a story, especially older loved ones. Now there’s a way to keep those stories.

Hudson’s Brian Howie is founder of PodPopuli, a full-service retail podcast creator who recently launched Posterity Podcasts. The program allows senior citizens to share their favorite experiences, wisdom, and life lessons with family members and future generations.

Each eight-episode podcast series is a curated collection of chapters, providing a first-person narrative of their life story, personal history and fondest memories.

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Better Living After 50

PodPopuli producers create each series through a set of selected questions presented as casual conversations on-site in senior living communities, assisted living facilities, private homes or wherever an older adult wishes. The audio recordings are then edited into an engaging set of chapters, allowing the senior citizen and family members to select the content that is most meaningful and memorable, to be preserved and shared for generations to come.

Podpopuli.com

Bookshelf HOT SUMMER, HOT BOOKS

If your reading list is looking a bit thin these days — and really, whose isn’t after sticking around the house for a year? — you’ll like the following book suggestions.

They come from Mel Valva, reference associate at Brunswick Library. All debuting this summer, make room on your list for these seasonal hot picks.

Legends of the North Cascades

By Jonathan Evison Expected Publication: June 8 A traumatized soldier takes his young daughter to live in a cave in the mountains. Their experiences are intertwined with that of a mother and son who also lived there — but thousands of years earlier. Their stories weave a mesmerizing survival tale and an ode to parental love that will leave readers spellbound.

Read this while you wait: “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Childhood on the Run

By Cheryl Diamond Expected Publication: June 15 By the time Cheryl Diamond was 9, she and her family had assumed six separate identities. A childhood spent on the run around the world was exciting, but as Cheryl grew older, she struggled to know who she truly was beneath a lifetime of secrets and lies. This candid and engaging memoir will have readers rooting for her.

Read this while you wait: “Grand: A Memoir” by Sara Schaefer

Island Queen

By Vanessa Riley Expected Publication: July 6 “Island Queen” is based on the exciting life of Dorothy Kirwin Thomas, a woman of color who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the West Indies. Born a slave, Dorothy — known as Doll — bought her freedom and cleverly leveraged her way to becoming an 18th-Century entrepreneur and luxury hotelier. Readers are transported to the lush and vivid worlds inhabited by a spectacular woman who could not — and would not — be defeated.

Read this while you wait: “The Girl with the Louding Voice” by Abi Dare

Project Hail Mary

By Andy Weir Expected Publication: May 4 Ryland Grace is humanity’s last chance to save itself in this science-based thriller by cinematic writer Weir.

He awakens alone on a spacecraft, millions of miles from Earth, to find his crewmates mysteriously dead and his memory gone. The only thing he remembers is that they have come to fight a threat to human extinction, and now he is alone — or is he? This space adventure is filled with suspense, discovery and impossible new worlds.

Read this while you wait: “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer

The Godmothers

By Camille Aubray- Expected Publication: June 15 Four vibrant women with checkered pasts marry into a prestigious Italian family and find themselves managing the family business when their husbands are forced to leave them during WWII. Their posh Greenwich Village lifestyles are now complicated by scandals and gangsters, and they must learn to work together to protect their loved ones as well as their own fates. This sumptuously entertaining family saga will make the perfect beach read.

Read this while you wait: “The Lost Vintage” by Ann Mah

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IN IT FOR LIFE

The Life You Lead The Power of Attitude

By Tim Lybarger

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ho do you see in the image – a young woman or an old woman?

Take a closer look. The single picture contains both images. And each image has the power to elicit startlingly different narratives in our imaginations.

What is it like to be old? Or young? To which do you choose to relate most? Why?

SO, HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT AGING? Sarah (not her real name) was in an assisted-living facility for rehab after getting a hip replaced. She’d been down this road before with the other hip a few years earlier, so she knew what to expect. On one of my visits to her, I noticed she seemed to avoid interaction with the other residents. Though many were obviously quite ill

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and confined to their beds, this was still something unusual for Sarah, the very social extrovert that she is. Asking about it, her answer was blunt, “These are just a bunch of old people waiting to die. That’s not who I am. I need to get out of here and get back on my treadmill.”

Though I was taken aback by her uncharacteristically cold demeanor, I couldn’t deny that her firm personal convictions had worked for her. Today, at 93, Sarah still lives independently, by herself. She gets up early every morning and drives her car to the local gym where she ‘gets back on her treadmill.’ She also reads several books a week to keep her mind sharp.

Yes, she faces limitations that force sacrifices, but she doesn’t succumb easily and she is determined to focus on what she can do — not what she can’t.

THE SOCIAL MIRROR AND OUR POWER OF CHOICE Over the past century, much of our society has evolved attitudes and language related

to aging that emphasize loss and decline rather than growth and possibility. That is tragic.

But it’s also not my problem.

What is my problem is the set of personal attitudes I develop about my own potential — despite my age — and the actions that I take to make the very most of each and every day of my life.

How do I look beyond the limitations to see the possibilities? Am I in it for life — all of it?

Now, those are great questions.

Stayed tuned for more to come. Meanwhile, let’s get back on our treadmills.

Tim Lybarger is founder and Director of Programming for Encore NEO, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to ‘helping inspired individuals craft meaningful careers and satisfying lifestyles for the second halves of their lives.’ You can find his blog, In It For Life: Maximizing Longevity, at northeastohioboomer.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLUSIONSINDEX.ORG

THE 100-YEAR LIFE Despite Covid-19 and the opioid crisis, the overall trend line is unmistakable. We are living longer. Almost all of us know of someone who has breached the century mark. Just this morning, I read in the news of Ann Douglas, widow of the actor Kirk Douglas, dying at age 102.

Kirk himself died in 2020 at the age of 103.

The number of centenarians in the U.S. grew from over 53,000 in 2010 to over 90,000 in 2020. By 2030, there will most likely be over 130,000 centenarians in the U.S.

FOOD

SWEET TOOTH Fruit for Dessert

By John Selick

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hen you hear the word dessert, what comes to mind? Something chocolate, perhaps? Or a rich and creamy cheesecake, or how about a luxurious tiramisu? Or does the word dessert immediately trigger you to think that’s the last thing you need and you refuse to think about it, not willing to fall prey to the temptation because you’re worried about the calories? Now that summer is here and the markets are starting to showcase fruit, you can enjoy a special, nearly guilt-free treat at home with a few ingredients that you already have on hand. Nature’s dessert can be refreshingly good for you.

LIKE WATERMELON SUGAR As the summer progresses, it will soon be watermelon season. Another treat served as-is, but even more special when turned into a dessert.

A family favorite at our house is to turn watermelon into popsicles. We run chunks of melon through the Vitamix and freeze them in ice cube trays.

It’s that easy. The kids will have the popsicles as is, but the adults use them as fancy ice cubes in their drinks.

When you’re at the market looking at watermelons, don’t overlook the local cantaloupes. A ripe cantaloupe is the king of all melons, with an exotic, vanilla-like fragrance. And even though melons are often reserved for fruit plates, they can be macerated as well with some sugar and fresh mint.

You may be compelled to pass on dessert in an attempt to shed some

winter weight, but don’t pass on the opportunity to indulge in the fruits of the season. Served simply, it’s the healthy dessert you crave.

BERRY GOOD There is nothing better than local strawberries in season. To me, they signify the start of summer. These berries are often smaller than the ones available year-round, but when you bite into them, they are more intensely flavorful.

When you bite into a typical strawberry, you’ll more than likely notice how white the interior is. You may not notice the lack of fragrance, and you may not even notice the lack of flavor because you’ve become used to it. But when you get a local strawberry in season, the color is deeper, and when you bite into it, the center is red all the way through. They are also more fragrant and can be a dessert on their own, just as they are. These strawberries are wonderful with ice cream, but tossing them with a little sugar and a dash of vanilla and allowing them to macerate (soften by soaking in a liquid) for an hour will create a syrupy

concoction that goes even better over ice cream. Other berries work equally as well, like blackberries and raspberries, especially when they’re in season.

Are you still thinking about cheesecake? Macerated berries are great with cheesecake, but this time of year you might want to opt for a no-bake recipe. Whip up two eightounce packages of softened cream cheese and a quarter cup of sugar until light and fluffy, then fold in one cup of whipped cream flavored with vanilla for a cream cheese mousse. It’s ready in five minutes and delivers the satisfying decadence of regular cheesecake.

These quick cheesecake knockoffs are great served in a wine glass.

Start with a layer of crushed graham crackers, followed by the mousse and then top with macerated berries. At the end of summer, try macerating fresh peaches.

John Selick is a Certified Executive Chef and President of the American Culinary Federation Cleveland Chapter.

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TECH TALK

Accessibility & Your Devices Help Them Help You

By Tak Sato

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enses such as vision and hearing may gradually, or even acutely, weaken as we age. Sometimes, we’re born with disabilities that rob us of these senses.

I recently had an acute onset of reduced hearing in my ear and am now hard-of-hearing or HoH. Even before I stepped into the doctor’s office for diagnosis and treatment — with the help of the HoH community and the ubergeeks from around the world as I researched on the internet — I had set up my smartphone, computers and tablet so I could communicate and remain connected. Anyone can benefit from these useful settings that are already built into your devices, just waiting to be discovered.

CHOICES Since the internet first became a household word in the late ’90s, accessibility means more than just the quality of easy access.

Whether you sport Apple’s iPhone/ iPad, or a smartphone/tablet based on Google’s Android operating system and sold by Google, Samsung, Motorola, LG and others, you might want to try out these helpful accessibility features.

After all, most of us paid good money for our devices, so we might as well make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

Of course, if manufacturers included manuals with their electronic gadgets like the good ol’ days, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place. Sure, you can download the manual or get help from a product website, but those seem like a catch-22 scenario waiting to happen.

Due to the abundance of device manufacturers and with each having a slightly different look, it’s not possible to describe every accessibility option.

Instead, see the accompanying story to get started in the right direction. Once you start exploring, you’ll quickly get the hang of it.

After you find the Settings app for your device, Accessibility will be a menu item within the scrollable list. Tapping on Accessibility from the settings menu should reveal other items, categorized by the challenges they aid (Vision, Hearing, Touch).

Many accessibility items operate like a toggle switch; tapping an item turns that feature On, tapping it again turns it Off or leads to another sub-menu which ultimately will lead to a toggle switch for that item. In other words, once you see something that may improve usability for you (such as enlarging the letters or icons on your screen), turn on the toggle switch, assess the result and turn it back off if it doesn’t help. Repeat the process with other accessibility items that catch your fancy. Unless you throw your device against the wall out of frustration, you won’t break the device just by toggling accessibility items; explore without fear and follow onscreen directions.

Using built-in accessibility features is part of digital literacy. To learn more about digital literacy, please join me from the comfort of your home on Thursday, May 27 starting at 9 a.m. for my organization’s 5th Annual Living in the Digital World Senior Expo, this year again a livestream webinar to keep you safe. You can find more information at empowerseniors.org. I hope to see you in the digital world.

Tak Sato is a founder of the Cleveland-area nonprofit, Center for Aging in the Digital World (empowerseniors.org), that teaches digital literacy to people 60+ through the free Discover Digital Literacy program.

TAK’S DAILY ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES Turning on Live Caption on my smartphone, an accessibility item exclusive to Google’s smartphones, provides closed caption for anything with audio (YouTube video, audio and video calls made over the internet using an app, and now transcribes cellular phone calls in real-time).

Recently, Google has enabled Live Caption for its Chrome web browser across the board on personal computers, smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks (Chromebook users need to wait a little while longer). I have tested this and it really works on anything that has audio playing within the

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Chrome browser, including audio and video calls made over the internet.

Google’s “Live Transcribe” app, also available for non-Google Android smartphones, transcribes in-person communication and also gives alerts for environmental noises (fire alarms, knocking, water running). Google currently doesn’t have this app for iPhone/iPad. One way to mimic its utility is by using the Notes app on iPhone/iPad. Tap on the microphone icon on the virtual keyboard so the app can transcribe what you and your companion say in real-time.

Concerts LAWN-CHAIR

Outdoor Music Returns (Mostly)

By Marie Elium

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ike a lot of things about this year, the outdoor concert landscape is a good news/notas-bad news situation.

Here’s what we mean: some of the mainstays are back, although in different formats and with limits on seating, spacing and the usual

The Cleveland Orchestra Blossom Music Center is the Orchestra’s summer home with 11 concerts (and counting) planned for the season that runs from the Fourth of July through Labor Day weekends.

Limited capacity, social distancing, masks are among the safety protocols. clevelandorchestra.com

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pandemic-driven precautions. Some are virtual while others are simply canceled.

Adding to the confusion, free, community concert schedules are updated nearly weekly as organizers negotiate staffing and safety demands.

Your best bet is to check with your favorite outdoor music venue as

Lakeview Park Summer Concert Series/Lorain County Metroparks This free concert series resumes from 6-8 p.m. every Thursday in July featuring country, rock, jazz, polka and other lively music.

The park is at 1800 West Erie Ave. in Lorain. loraincountymetroparks. com/whatshappening#summermusic

summer draws closer, keep an open mind about restrictions and lastminute changes, and remember that whatever happens, music-wise, is better than last summer’s shutdown.

We’ll provide concert updates at NortheastOhioBoomer.com. Here’s what we know as of press time:

Vermilion River Reservation Summer Concert Series/Lorain County Metroparks A wooded amphitheater is the setting for these Sunday summer evening concerts. Performances are weekly from 6:30-8 p.m., June 13-Aug. 22. No concert July 4.

The reservation is at 51211 North Ridge Rd., Vermilion.

LorainCountyMetroParks. com/whats-happening

LakewoodAlive’s 2021 Virtual Front Porch Concert Series Tune in to nine live musical performances hosted virtually via LakewoodAlive’s Facebook page at 7 p.m.

Fridays from June 4-July 30.

Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band, Apostle Jones, Diana Chittester and other favorites will keep the music flowing in Lakewood this summer. lakewoodAlive.org/ FrontPorchConcerts

Chagrin Falls Riverside Park July 4 Concert Join Stephen A. Eva and the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra for a free public band concert celebrating America’s birthday. You’ll hear patriotic music, movie favorites, and other popular music from 2-4 p.m. at Riverside Park, 34 E. Orange St., Chagrin Falls. thecfso.com Cleveland Opera Theater Ohio Regional Music Arts and Cultural Outreach (ORMACO) continues its summer concert series with Opera under the Stars as members of the Cleveland Opera Theater return for the

sixth season. Enjoy some of your favorite opera tunes, as well as lesserknown works, at this free concert, 7 p.m. Sat., June 19, Uptown Park, 217 E. Liberty St., Medina. ormaco.org/z-operaunder-the-stars-2021 The FEST 2021 Plans are underway for both a virtual and inperson Christian-oriented concert festival on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 28700 Euclid Ave., Wickliffe.

The lineup is still being determined.

Thefest.us Live at the Lake, Berea Friday nights at Coe Lake Park will be the place to

listen to free, live music.

The first is during the city’s Grindstone Festival Sat., July 3. From then on, the concerts will be from 8-10 p.m. each Friday and feature food trucks, beer and wine sales. cityofberea.org/226/Liveat-the-lake BAYarts Summer Concert Series, Bay Village This free, popular Sunday concert series returns June 20-Aug. 15. Bring the kids, blankets, dogs and lawn chairs to the grassy area in front of Fuller House, Huntington Playhouse Drive, 7-9 p.m. bayarts.net Westlake 2021 Summer Concert Series The 2021 Summer Concert Series is every Sunday at 6:30 p.m., starting June 13 and running through Aug. 8 at the Westlake Recreation Center and featuring Northeast Ohio-based musical acts. Look for food trucks at each free performance. cityofwestlake.org Beachwood Summer Concerts The dates are June 15, 22, 29 and July 6, 13, 20, 27.

Details at beachwoodohio.com Chardon Concerts in the Park Free concerts every Friday from June 4-Aug.13, 7-9

p.m. on the Square in historic Chardon. Grab a chair and a blanket and enjoy the setting and the music as you ease into the weekend. chardonevents.com Mentor Tunes at the Lagoons Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve & Marina on Harbor Drive is the site for twice-monthly, free Saturday night concerts.

The dates are June 2 & 26, July 17 & 31 and Aug. 14 & 28 from 7-9 p.m. cityofmentor.com Party in the Park, Avon Lake The free concerts rotate among four locations: Bleser Road Park, Weiss Park, Miller Road Park Gazebo and Veteran’s Memorial Park Gazebo from June 13-Aug. 26 from 6-8 p.m. Specific days vary. avonlakeoh.myrec.com Not Happening Cleveland Metroparks has canceled its summer concert series Edgewater LIVE and Euclid Beach LIVE. Waiting to Hear WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays Wade Oval, 10820 East Boulevard, University Circle Universitycircle.org

Marie Elium’s first outdoor concert was John Denver performing at Blossom Music Center (on the lawn, of course) in 1973.

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Grand Northeast Ohio

Fun With the Grandkids

SATURDAYS

YAY! Saturdays. Make arts, action and adventure a part of your family’s weekend routine with YAY! Saturdays. Each YAY! features three zones with children’s activities that rotate each week so you can choose your own adventure. All activities are geared toward K-8 students and their families. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wade Oval, University Circle, universitycircle.org

5/22-23 Horsefest. Discover the magical beauty of horses. HorseFest showcases many different breeds, riding disciplines and uses for these versatile animals. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland, 440-2562122, lakemetroparks.com. FREE-$8

5/29 Journey into the Unknown: Amphibians.

Just like those TV shows about expeditions into the unknown, you’ll go on the hunt to explore Fry Family Park and all its beauty and hidden gems. Come learn what frogs are calling this month and how to identify them by sound and sight. 11 a.m.-noon. Fry Family Park, 2533 Farber St. SE, Magnolia, starkparks.com. FREE

5/30 The Spring Showdown. A lamb and commercial ewe show featuring young men and women ages 8-18 showing their lambs and commercial ewes. They will demonstrate their showing abilities and animal husbandry skills. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland, 440-256-2122, lakemetroparks.com. FREE-$8

6/3 Captain NEO’s Kids Club: Coral Reef Exploration. Get to know one of the most important habitats on earth. 4 p.m. Greater Cleveland Aquarium, 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com. FREE$19.95

6/10 & 6/24 Kids Fishing Derby. A new program to highlight fishing opportunities in Lorain County Metro Parks. Loads of prizes in different age categories. This program is for children ages 4-15 who must be accompanied by an adult. 9-11:30 a.m.

Carlisle Reservation, 12882 Diagonal Rd., Lagrange, loraincountymetroparks.com. $5

6/13

Supplement to

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

Block Party at Crocker Park. Check out 20 blocks of fun, including live music, Touch a Truck, safety education, police cars, K9 demo, arts and crafts, food trucks and much more. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Kick off the morning with Crocker Bark 5K and 1-mile Walk at 10 a.m. Westlake, crockerpark. com. FREE May/June 2021

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d n a r G

Local Waterfalls

Make a Splash with the Grandkids

By Karen Shadrach

Dramatic Brandywine Falls is one of 100 falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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L

ate spring is the ideal time to visit waterfalls.

May brings terrific weather for walking and hiking with an added bonus: spring rains and snowmelt that find their way to our local waterfalls.

It’s amazing how many waterfalls are located right here in Northeast Ohio. I was surprised to learn that there are about 100 waterfalls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). Most are located in the northern section of the park, but many do not have an established trail to follow. Other waterfalls can be seen throughout the Cleveland Metroparks Emerald Necklace.

SPILLS AND THRILLS You can make your waterfall adventure a one-waterfall destination, or take a half-day or more and travel to different trailheads to view several at a time. Pack a picnic or snack to enjoy along the trail. Dress for the weather, and always in layers for your hiking excursion. Wear appropriate footwear, especially if you want to take the kids to the bottom of the falls and walk along the creeks. Remember to bring along some water to stay hydrated (even if the weather is cooler).

Our favorite and most picturesque waterfall is Brandywine Falls in Sagamore Hills Township. These 65-foot falls are a part of CVNP, located between Akron and Cleveland.

Parking is easy to find and a boardwalk hike leads you to the falls and observation deck. Other trails lead up to these falls, but the best is the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge trail,

beginning near the Brandywine B&B, which lets you explore beyond the waterfall. This trail will take you past vernal pools that fill with water during the spring to attract breeding salamanders.

Blue Hen Falls and Buttermilk Falls are located closely together in Boston Township. The roundtrip hike to Blue Hen is an easy half-mile, beginning at the parking lot located at 2001 Boston Mills Road. The trail takes you down into the valley, where a bridge crosses over Spring Creek and leads to the 18-foot falls.

You can then continue downstream on the trail (less than a mile) which follows along Spring Creek to Buttermilk Falls. The trail is actually a worn path, but it is a nice hike that leads you to the beautiful 30-foot cascade falls. This hike will be a total of two miles in length, round trip.

Bridal Veil Falls are located in the Bedford Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks system.

These falls are easily reached via a boardwalk off Gorge Parkway in Walton Hills. It’s a very short quarter-mile walk to view the 45foot falls.

Great Falls of Tinkers Creek, with a height of 20 feet, is a part of the Bedford Reservation in Viaduct Park. The park can be found at the intersection of Taylor Road and Willis Street. The overlook at the park offers an amazing view. This is one waterfall that can be viewed without hiking. The remains of an old mill are near the waterfall and there is a small tunnel you can explore.

Cuyahoga County’s tallest waterfall is Mill Creek Falls, which stands at 48 feet. The falls are easily accessible from Warner Road in the Garfield Park Reservation. A small overlook at The Yard offers an awesome view of these falls. A twomile all-purpose trail loop begins off of the parking lot. This waterfall is actually man-made from a railroad company diverting the stream in 1905. The water flow gets thin in the summer, so you need to view this one in the spring.

In the Rocky River Reservation is the double-tiered, 15-foot cascade of Berea Falls. Park at the scenic overlook off Barrett Drive and then follow a short out and back dirt trail that begins at the right of the observation deck to the falls. Below the falls is a rugged and narrow gorge that is great for exploring. The view is great from the deck, but the best way to experience the falls is to head down the trail.

Enjoy the new change of seasons and take a late spring hiking destination to a waterfall with the grandkids

Karen Shadrach is a Northeast Ohio on-the-go, in-theknow grandmother of two sets of twins. Read her grandparenting blog at northeastohioboomer.com.

NORTHEAST OHIO PARENTS EVENT SERIES TUESDAYS FREE, family-friendly entertainment with interactive activities targeted for kids ages 2-9.

More at northeastohioparent.com/northeastohio-parent-2021-summer-events/

Crocker Kids 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Crocker Park, 189 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake May 18: Animal Fun with Jungle Terry June 15: Reading is Fun! June 20: CLE Concert Fun Aug 17: Splash Pad Party Sept 7: Friendship Fun Day

Pinecrest Play Days 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Park Avenue, Orange Village, June 8: Dress Up! Superhero/Princess Party July 13: Get Crafty!

August 10: Water Fun September 14: Kind is the New Cool!

Fun At First & Main 10 a.m.-noon, First and Main, Hudson May 25: Be you. Be kind!

June 22: Summer reading Run! July 27: Feel the Beat August 24: Under the Sea - Water Extravaganza

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d n a r G

l

If You As k Me…

ADVICE: ZIP IT OR GIVE IT?

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

“I

f you ask me, what that child needs is a good spanking!” said a well-meaning grandmother to her daughter as her toddler threw a tantrum in the grocery store.

Problem is, nobody asked for grandma’s two cents. And in the heat of the moment, that well-meaning advice was not only unwelcome and unhelpful, but also offensive, putting increased strain on an already-tense relationship.

“Remember, your advice is not the law.

You had your time on the field as a parent yourself.

Now, as a grandparent, this is your time to cheer from the sidelines.

Your job is to support, not to be the center of the action.”

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PROCEED WITH CAUTION...

“It’s definitely a big stressor for families when grandparents want to be involved, but not over-involved,” says Rick Maroon, a licensed counselor and director at The Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling at The University of Akron.

The clinic provides general counseling services to university students, faculty and staff, along with clients from the greater Akron community. Offering individual,

couples, family, and group counseling services addressing mental health concerns, the clinic serves 1,000 people annually.

Therapy includes communication and relationship enhancement, family development and parenting skills, personal understanding and growth, and stress management, among other services.

With a background in marriage and family therapy, ad hoc Professor

Maroon says that when in doubt, grandparents with good intentions should withhold their helpful advice until tempers have cooled, grandchildren are not within earshot, and they can ask their children (and/or in-laws) if they would like some help.

Before you find yourself tangled up in messy family relations, consider Maroon’s expert advice:

l 1.

DON’T ASSUME YOUR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY “Patterns of behavior and knowledge change from generation to generation,” Maroon reminds us. “Respect that your children are probably keeping up with the best practices of the day. Your children and their partners are different people than you are. There’s no one-size-fits-all model for parenting. Times are different now.

Methods are different now. Respect those differences.”

2.

DO ASK BEFORE YOU OFFER ADVICE Before you rush into the heat of the moment with either advice or action that was neither requested nor appreciated, Maroon advises waiting for a time when heads are calm and tempers are cool. Then bring up the incident(s) that trouble you and say to your son or daughter, “Would you mind if I shared some concerns with you?

I have noticed a pattern in little Johnny’s behavior. Can you use some help to keep things from escalating next time he doesn’t get what he wants?”

Maroon says that sometimes parents feel so frenzied, they might need help but don’t know where to start. If you ask them about it privately, in a non-threatening way, they will be more likely to respond favorably.

3.

DO BACK OFF AFTER YOU’VE SAID YOUR PIECE “After offering your two cents, step back and allow them to work it out,” Maroon says. “Remember, your advice is not the law. You had your time on the field as a parent yourself. Now, as a grandparent, this is your time to cheer from the sidelines.

Your job is to support, not to be the center of the action.”

YIKES!

I NEED HELP For more information about family relations or healthy coping mechanisms from generation to generation, contact The Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling at indfamclinic@ uakron.edu or 330-972-6822.

Further online resources are available at the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT) or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

As grandparents, we have the privilege of walking away from the situation while the parents must live with it. With this in mind, grandparents should take a breather and occupy themselves with other matters, leaving the problem in the parents’ hands, Maroon says.

4.

DON’T UNDERMINE PARENTS’ AUTHORITY Maybe you treated your own children to Happy Meals or other fast food when they were young, but junk food is forbidden in your grandchildren’s home. Do not go behind your children’s backs to treat your grandchildren to the forbidden fruit, Maroon warns.

“Do not undermine the parents’ authority,” he says. “If you sneak behind their backs and go against their rules, it becomes a dirty little secret and incites a problem, pitting parent against child” in each generation.

If you babysit your grandchild in your own home, house rules are on your turf, but you should always respect your children’s parenting priorities.

There are always exceptions and special cases. A growing number of grandparents are carrying an equal or greater responsibility for raising their grandchildren than their own parents do. In such cases, grandparents hold a weightier authority over their grandchildren’s behavior and development. Even so, Maroon advises that they not rely on standards and expectations from 30 years ago. Instead, get advice from family counseling and medical professionals for today’s best practices.

Estelle Rodis-Brown, a grandmother, has bitten her tongue so as not to offer unsolicited advice to her daughter and son-in-law.

She is Boomer’s digital/assistant editor. She can be reached at estelle@northeastohioboomer.com

May/June 2021

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SLOW AND STEADY SECOND MARRIAGE SUCCESS

By Margaret Briller

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Better Living After 50

W

ith a second marriage, it pays to take your time, especially for people 50 and older. That’s the takeaway from a local relationship coach who has seen the benefits and pitfalls of later-in-life remarriages.

You’ve done your due diligence about finding a second marriage partner and you’ve invested time meeting the potential new family members. But laying the groundwork for a successful second marriage is a complicated dance if you want to create a happy, healthy and long-lasting family unit.

It’s going to take all the relationship skills you have acquired during your first five decades to master the relationship skills needed to succeed in a new marriage and a new family configuration.

PLENTY OF CHALLENGES Kathy Dawson, a popular Northeast Ohio relationship coach, provides an alternative to conventional marriage counseling by helping married and engaged couples, as well as divorced and single people, improve their lives by improving their relationships.

Dawson recommends going slowly when considering a second marriage or a committed relationship, especially when folks are over 50.

“When marrying for a second time, take new relationships slow and steady,” Dawson says. “You don’t want to enter into a new family or friend circle like a bull in a china shop. Remember, these relationships are new to you but have been in your partner’s life for a long time. So honor whatever boundaries your mate has in place in these close connections.”

Another important consideration is making sure that spouse or partner becomes your number one priority. “People stay in or leave a marriage, basically because of how they feel about themselves in the company of the other person,” Dawson points out. “If a person no longer feels he or she matters — or is not a priority to the other person — that is a huge red flag. This is the

time to vocalize that you feel invisible in the relationship and the reasons for it.”

Before couples marry, they should have a realistic plan for dealing with elderly parents, adult children, friend groups, and how and where to spend their holidays. You don’t want the comment, “I didn’t know you felt that way” to surface later.

“If a couple is dealing with a situation they haven’t talked about before, they should express their concerns in a way that doesn’t sound accusatory,” Dawson explains. “They have to be good at validating each other’s feelings, especially if they don’t share those feelings.

When coming up with a solution, realize that no one person will get his or her way 100% of the time. Exercising their teamwork muscle in problem-solving is one of the best ways to strengthen a relationship. But they have to hear each other first.”

Working to make that second marriage or relationship more successful than the first isn’t luck, because history tends to repeat itself. According to Dawson, each partner played a part in the breakdown of the previous marriage. “You take yourself with you to every relationship. So own

Love & Divorce, American Style Successful second marriages face relatively tough odds for couples over 50. The divorce rate has nearly doubled since the 1990s among those in second marriages.

For every 1,000 married people 50 and older, 10 divorced, up from five in 1990. For those 65 and older, the divorce rate has tripled. These statistics come from figures gathered by Pew Research Center from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.

up to what part you played in the marriage’s demise and work to change whatever you may have done to contribute to it.”

If you really want to start on solid ground, a third party listening in may be the best solution. Dawson recommends a qualified relationship therapist and coach to offer the “big picture” view.

“Make that call before you’ve been on a merry-go-round of arguments, silent treatment or avoidance (long before) you already have one foot out of the relationship,” Dawson says. “A third-party observer can help you and your mate get back on track. It’s also not a bad idea to see a relationship specialist either before you get married or at the beginning of the marriage.

Prevention is a good thing.”

Margaret Briller is a freelance writer in Northeast Ohio.

May/June 2021

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Yours, Mine & Ours

From Two Hom es to On e Love Nest

By Traci McBride

Sold!

Our area, and nearly the rest of the country, is in a seller’s market with listings often receiving multiple offers. Still, don’t assume that decluttering, repairing and updating aren’t necessary. Today’s buyers want a turnkey, easy, move-in home. If your house needs major updates, the offers will reflect that.

Professional stagers are worth their weight in gold. When selling, less is more. Show off the best assets with only necessary furniture; remove the rest. Experts will advise on what current colors and changes will maximize more significant offers.

Don’t underestimate the curb appeal. Both a real estate agent and stager will advise you on what to do.

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Better Living After 50

Local Pros Say “Consider having zones where each of you can express your creativity, display your collections and enjoy your style of decorating. Compromise is the name of the game in relationships and when editing stuff.”

— Professional Organizer Lynne Poulton of Wholly-Organized.com • R eframe questions when communicating with your new-to-be spouse.

• Use “I” statements vs. “You” statements to avoid accusations • A void interrupting your partner; their voice needs to be heard (use a talking stick if it’s difficult) • C reate a perimeter of time when discussing heavier topics; one hour should suffice.

• Respect your partner when they are unable to give answers. If one requires a break, then agree to a 20-30 minute breather.

• Attend premarital counseling — Lana Amawi, MSSA Clinical Therapist & Educator lanaamawicoaching.com

W

e all know someone who’s taken a second (or third) trip down the aisle or through a courthouse door to marry later in life. It’s a big step — and an exciting one, too — but it’s very different from marrying for the first time at a younger age.

After decades of a prior marriage or living alone, over-50 couples bring together homes filled with belongings and all the memories attached to them. Combining two households into one is a substantial and complicated exercise that cements the union, both emotionally and tangibly.

LOTS OF STUFF To avoid spoiling this lifechanging occasion with awkward situations, here are tools to use so you can cruise through the new waters and enjoy the process while strengthening your communication style together.

The first decision to navigate is where to live.

Mine, yours or ours?

Is it best to sell both homes and purchase one together? Of course, the financials need a deep dive, and having a financial planner involved is a vital piece to the puzzle.

Be transparent about your feelings. For example, if you don’t want to move into your new spouse’s home because they raised their kids with a different spouse and making changes to that home could trigger hard feelings, share that.

START HERE Letting Go is Worth It: (do this solo in the first round) Your primary goals: Identify Duplicates | Deal with Clutter | Compromise | Decide Together STEP 1: Begin doing this independently in each home.

Be laser-focused on all items you’ve accumulated over the decades — dishware, clothing, collectibles.

Consider how much you use or need. Create labeled boxes: Use Daily| Never | Duplicate | Holiday Use | Sentimental STEP 2: Review the large items in each home: Beds, dressers, tables, couches.

Consider condition, style, size and floor plan. Place stickers on these items using a color code: Sell | Donate | Offer to Family | Keep Now to Review Together| Non-Negotiable

STEP 3: Use your smartphone to organize all the colors, furniture fabrics, curtains, etc., to see how existing items might work together.

STEP 4: Choose new things together.

STEP 5: Get rid of things.

Garage sales are not for the faint of heart so consider the time and effort. If you choose to go this route, make a pact that anything not sold goes immediately to your local charity.

TIP: Avoid renting a storage unit. Only rent for a short period of time if absolutely necessary.

SELL, CONSIGN OR DONATE? Facebook Marketplace works when selling directly from your house, so you don’t need to move items.

If this all sounds too daunting, you can hire a support service that handles everything for you.

These two local businesses offer downsizing, moving, estate cleanouts and more: • TransitionalDesign.net • VNTGhome.com Many professional organizers offer unique services that can take all the burden off your shoulders. They have resources to help you. Find them at NAPO-Ohio.com.

Donate (many will pick up furniture) • Volunteers of America VOAohin.org • AMVETS.org • Habitat.org • Feelgreatdonate.org Consign • ItsSoYouBoutique.com – Willoughby • ChelseasConsignments.com – Westlake

Northeast Ohio Life Stylist Traci McBride of TeeMcBee Style Consulting teaches style in closets and now with Zhooshing SPACES in homes.

Personalized for you at every life stage, you can love where you live. Zspaces.teemcbee.com

May/June 2021

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Combining Styles Make a floor plan with a reusable home planner (amazon.com) This tool can answer so many questions.

Knowing how much space you have for furniture will help you make decisions to let stuff go. Seeing the floor plan will clarify what furniture will work best.

Do this step together when you are both relaxed. Make this fun; dreaming and visualizing your home together is an exciting time in your relationship. You may decide to purchase new items that work better for both of you in styles and colors that best reflect your new journey together.

It is after this exercise that the tweaking of style will begin to emerge.

You’re creating an aesthetic that is cohesive and expresses your new life together. Your agreed-upon color palette will support your new home’s mood and how you both feel in it. It’s important that your home represents both of you to make it a comforting and comfortable haven.

• Consider function (first), form, and formality • Paint open spaces in one neutral color so spaces flow • 80/20 Rule: 80% of room design to one style (furniture/ tables) and 20% is more of background style (art/ accessories/drapes) when merging different styles.

• Update and restyle with DIY projects you accomplish together.

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Stop in to see our beautiful new model home.

HOMESITES SELLING FAST!

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS When Being a Follower is a Good Thing

By Paris Wolfe

I

n the old days — like 15 years ago — mainstream celebrities appeared in television commercials endorsing beer and insurance. They used their fame to “influence” viewers to buy these brands.

Today, social media celebrities do the same thing on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and more. They develop followings from hundreds to millions. They share information about food, travel, fashion, arts, crafts, product trials, opinions and outright product endorsements. These folks are called “influencers” because their followers are “influenced” by what they’re reading or viewing.

We’ve compiled a list of influencers — local and national — to check out for ideas, inspiration or just plain fun. Or maybe you want to start your own list of relevant social media influencers on your life. Who’s your favorite influencer?

Email me at pariswolfe@yahoo.com. We’ll compile them for future publication.

FOOD & WINE NEO Foodies FACEBOOK Founded by Kay Ryan-Dale and a friend, Northeast Ohio Food Lovers or NEO Foodies is a private, moderated group for people with a serious appreciation and enjoyment of fine cuisine, the culinary arts, artisan-made foods, coffees, wines, brews, spirits and cocktails. The conversation among 13,100 members, including a few food celebrities, is often about local farmers, artisans, makers and purveyors of fine foods, as well as independent markets and restaurants. It is not about chains and junk food. “Our mission from the start has been to build a thriving, vibrant community of genuine foodies in Northeast Ohio,” says Ryan-Dale.

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INTERIORS Ohio Wine Producers YOUTUBE (youtube.com/user/ ohiowineproducers/playlists) Explore Ohio wines with expert Lauren Fiala who holds the esteemed Level 4 certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. In a series of 11 videos — and counting — she takes just four to eight minutes to explain how to taste like a pro, plus wine and cheese pairings, varietal nuances and more.

FASHION BADDIEWINKLE INSTAGRAM (instagram.com/baddiewinkle) If you’re a Boomer or older, you must join the almost four million people who follow Helen Ruth “Baddiewinkle” Van Winkle. A cultural icon at 92, she combines fashion and aging in performance art. She’s both outrageous and inspiring.

Style at a Certain Age YOUTUBE (youtube.com/c/BethDjalali) Beth Djalali started her multiplatform social media presence with WHEN. Today she has 125,000 followers on her YouTube Channel. Djalali says, “Once we hit the age of 50, things begin to change with our hair, skin and bodies. So, it’s up to us to keep fit, both mentally and physically. Aging gracefully isn’t about looking younger; it’s about looking our best.” She has 270 videos on her YouTube channel, including the recent “Shopping on a Budget” and “Style Rules Over-50 Women Should Break.”

Reflections Interior Design INSTAGRAM (instagram.com/ reflectionsinteriordesign) Reflections is an NEO interior design firm with more than 11,000 people following thrice-weekly posts.

Principal Marissa Matiyasic and her all-woman team share their design work to inspire IG followers to see possibilities outside the box and, perhaps, use materials in nontraditional ways.

Corey Damen Jenkins INSTAGRAM (instagram.com/ coreydamenjenkins) A native of Detroit, now a citizen of the world, Jenkins integrates drama and tradition in his international design work. If his 63,500 followers don’t get enough of him on IG, they can pick up his first coffee table book, ”Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms” that was released in March 2021.

TRAVEL Backroad Planet BLOG (backroadplanet.com) Howard Blount of Central Florida launched Backroad Planet social media platforms as a hobby in October 2013 so he could combine his loves of travel and writing. He has more than 100,000 followers. When the teacher retired in 2015, the blog became a vocation. In it, he details scenic routes, historical sites, and local flavor as the best ways to take road trips across America.

Travel Inspired Living INSTAGRAM/ BLOG (instagram.com/ TravelInspiredLiving) An Ohio-based travel influencer with 16,100 IG followers, Tonya Prater has been sharing her adventures for several years. Her frequent Instagram posts link to her blog for more travel details. While the blog is a bit cluttered with advertising, those who persist will gain information about Ohio’s plentiful adventure opportunities. That’s especially welcome in pandemic times when travel can be so limited.

CLEVELAND Destination Cleveland TWITTER (@theCle) This official tourism Twitter feed of Cleveland is a great source for information about events, activities and happenings in and around the city. The feed, which reaches 90,100 followers, is updated daily bringing NE Ohio Boomers and others information on things to do when hosting family and friends from out of town.

Black Girl in the CLE BLOG (.blackgirlincle.com) Begun in 2016 to help AfricanAmerican women rediscover Cleveland by informing them of events that were happening locally but not marketed to Black people, the blog is joined by other social media, including a podcast. The goal is to show off things that make Cleveland a beautiful place.

Paris Wolfe blogs about food and travel at pariswolfe1. com/paris-wolfeon-travel-and-food/ .

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Paula McLain

THE CLEVELAND AUTHOR’S NEXT CHAPTER

By Linda Feagler Photo by Melanie Acevedo

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Better Living After 50

In her previous novels, Paula McLain described real women who lived life to the fullest. Her wildly successful “T he Paris Wife,” a book club favorite, focused on Ernest Hemingway’s first spouse, Hadley Richardson, and the bohemian existence the pair embraced.

“Circling the Sun” was based on the exploits of aviatrix Beryl Markham.

“Love and Ruin” centered on the tempestuous relationship Hemingway had with his third wife, war correspondent Martha Gellhorn.

McLain’s latest book, “When the Stars Go Dark,” represents a new chapter for the Cleveland author. It’s a thriller based on experiences from her childhood. Protagonist Anna Hart is a detective on the run from a tragedy that’s turned her world upside down. Anna returns to Mendocino, California, where she spent her teen years, and it doesn’t take long for her to be drawn into the search for Cameron Curtis, a girl who’s been reported missing.

Like Cameron and Anna, McLain was once in foster care. The author vividly recalls the abuse and upheaval she and her two sisters experienced after being abandoned by their parents.

“The uncertainty [was unbearable] as we waited to learn what our fate would be — going from a grandmother to an aunt to another aunt to a foster home, then with family and then back to the foster home and then to another foster home,” McLain recalls.

“I can’t explain what it feels like to be passed around that way. And although none of it is in your control, you feel you are to blame. I know now, as an adult, that my sisters felt exactly the same way. But of course, it was just that the grownups in charge weren’t capable. The abuse,

though, very much felt like a war. It was fight or die.”

We caught up with the busy author and talked about the inspiration for her books.

In your 2003 memoir, “Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses,” you poignantly describe how your clothes would be tossed into garbage bags to be handed to your next set of temporary parents.

What led you to return to the subject of foster care?

When I aged out of the [foster care] system, I tried to put as much distance between myself and those years as possible, imagining that, if I didn’t think about them, they wouldn’t touch me. But now, of course, I know as an adult that the only way to let anything go is to let it in — to actually accept it and tolerate those things about yourself you can’t change. And then, try as much as possible to forgive.

Did the foster care experience shape you as a writer?

It’s given me more sensitivity to the stories of others — the contours of being human and how life shapes us.

The idea for your last book, “Love and Ruin,” was the result of a dream you had about fishing with Hemingway and Gellhorn. What sparked the plot for “When the Stars Go Dark?”

I was walking my goldendoodle, Piper, at Shaker Lakes. Suddenly, I had an idea for a character: I pictured this troubled missingpersons detective running from a

damaging past, and that it was only by getting involved with saving someone else that she could save herself. I’ve long been drawn to stories about wounded healers. I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, ‘Hurt people hurt people. Healed people heal people.’

That’s what this book is about.

Your last three books — all historical fiction — were all bestsellers. Why was the time right for you to choose a new genre?

I didn’t choose it, exactly — it came along, hijacked me and scared me.

I wasn’t sure I was ready for what required a whole new set of tools.

But once I started writing, I realized I had an opportunity to create an entirely imaginary character.

It gave me the creative freedom that’s important to me. I believe that, if we’re going to continue to grow, there has to be a level of risk.

Creativity has no limit — but we often limit ourselves.

What do you hope readers take away from the story?

The positive message that anyone can heal, and that we are more than the sum of our experiences, more than what happens to us.

There is something original in us — a soul that can’t be ruined. If we work through the things that have happened — and decide how we’re going to live — we have the chance to change the footprint we have in the world and find our purpose. If just one person reads this book, recognizes her own story and feels less alone, then it will have been worth the writing.

For more information, visit paulamclain.com.

Linda Feagler is a Northeast Ohio freelance writer.

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AGE WISE

The Silver Lining of Aging Less is More

“L

et food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” said Hippocrates.

Centuries later, William Osler, another legendary physician, thought differently: “The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals.”

Perhaps this paradigm shift in medicine explains the current norm to reach for medications first. Our pill-taking culture may additionally have been influenced by new cures, medical training, patient preference and society’s quest for “quick fixes” or a combination of all these things.

PREVENTION FIRST While medications have been the panacea for many illnesses, the adage, “prevention is better than cure” has endured over time, ringing truer as our bodies age. Increased sensitivity to medication side effects or progressive medication ineffectiveness are reflections of normal age-related physiological changes. Our ability to break down medications in the liver and clear them via our kidneys is altered over time.

The travesty is that these changes are not common knowledge, not just for us as patients but more alarmingly, for most physicians. Traditional instruction in medical training has been to cure

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By Dr. Ardeshir Z. Hashmi

through pills. When medications are not eliciting the expected response, the tendency is to prescribe more medications in the face of increased complexity. The option of healing by “deprescribing” potentially harmful medication remains a path less taken, remaining the province of either the seasoned geriatrician clinician or one who thinks out of the box.

Non-medication means of healing have evoked an interesting response from allopathic medicine. Labeled “alternative medicine,” these therapies are disdainfully ignored. Sometimes this is well founded when evidence is limited, raising concern for unknown harms. However, there has been increasing evidence for safe nonmedication modes of treatment that can supplement medications. An example is psychotherapy paired with antidepressants; the combination is superior to using either by itself.

Many older adults are excluded from medication clinical trials. After exclusions, most remaining eligible participants are often only on the one medication of interest to researchers (and in many cases the funders of the trial). This results in an artificial environment, far removed from the

more typical real-life experience of being on multiple medications with high interaction potential.

The tide is turning. Advances in the field of medicine have seen the advent of pharmacogenomics; the ability to predict which medications an individual will likely respond to and which will cause adverse effects, all based on personalized DNA from a simple cheek swab.

In addition to this move towards tailored, precision medicine, there is a resurgence of interest in food as medicine and the maxims of primum non nocere or “first do no harm” in medical training. Music therapy, culinary medicine, and art in medicine are flourishing as educational and clinical offerings. A holistic view is key when balancing medication and non-medication therapies to enable us to live longer and healthier. And prevention-better-than-cure remains the beacon of hope, with vaccines heralding, we pray, the end of a long, hard pandemic winter.

Dr. Ardeshir Z. Hashmi is the Endowed Chair for Geriatric Innovation and Director of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

LEGAL

Settling an Estate Congratulations! You’re an Executor AND a Guardian

W

hen you first took on the role of executor, you were probably more focused on the honor than on the responsibilities, being recognized as the go-to person in the family making things right. You were the one to resolve difficult issues in the past, but you should know that being an executor is different, especially when there is a surviving spouse.

Settling an estate necessarily means stepping into many subcultures — legal, medical, even flea markets. Each of these groups has their own set of players following their own rules.

COMMON CHALLENGES A few years back, I took on the roles of executor for my father’s estate and guardian for my mother who suffered from dementia and Parkinson’s disease. This is what kept me up at night during the subsequent two years: Finding suitable living arrangements for mom. When there is a surviving spouse, this is often a very urgent need; one of the first issues to be addressed.

Poor records, fraudulent creditors. It is the rare estate where every financial obligation is disclosed and documented completely. It will take detective work to figure out where all the assets and liabilities are.

Creditors know that and may claim the estate owes more money than it actually does.

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Scattered and/or hidden financial assets. Over the decades, an elderly parent may have squirreled away assets that are hard to find.

Technology laggards – attorneys, courts, medical, insurance companies and banks often refuse to use email or text.

Many of the people you will be dealing with refuse to use communication methods that have been standard practice since 1995 for the rest of us. Possibly they want the plausible deniability that electronic records eliminate. Many will claim company policy. They usually will accept a fax, which means you’ll have to take your documents to your local Staples store since many homes don’t even have phone lines anymore to connect to a fax machine.

Working for free. At some point, it will occur to you that this 40+ hour per week job you’re doing is being done without compensation and is limiting your ability to earn a living wage.

Managing three+ families. You may have difficulty managing your parent’s life, paying attention to your kids, and keeping your own life on track.

Elders frequently require aggressive health care. Managing care for an older loved one can be a challenge. They often see, and need transportation to, several medical appointments a month.

The courts. Many, if not most court procedures are set up to stop

By Brian Sroub

criminals from stealing from the estate in some way or another, and their procedures assume you are one of the bad guys. It can be insulting; don’t let it get under your skin.

Managing estate money… often frozen at time of death. One way the law attempts to prevent theft is to freeze the deceased’s bank assets at time of death if proper arrangements weren’t made beforehand. You then have to get the assets unfrozen.

There are attorneys who will do that for you, usually without asking for money up front for their services, but not always. Meanwhile, the creditor calls and letters will keep coming in.

Family infighting. Many people are surprised how much peace Dad had kept in the family, but now that the patriarch is gone, decorum can crumble. Estimates are, because of estate issues, about half of all families have significant family fights, often leading to estrangement.

Unrealistic valuation of assets.

What the public will pay for a used household item is often well below what the individual values it at.

These mismatches may be caused Brian Sroub owns the Aurora-based Operation Relo which develops and executes elderhood plans for legal, medical, financial, relocation, real estate and other senior move and downsizing issues. 877-678 – RELO (7356), RELIEF@OperationRelo.com and operationrelo.com.

by sentimental reasons, technology advances, or lack of understanding of the market. It costs money to sell used possessions, and often those costs exceed the market value of the items.

Out-of-town siblings. The process is more challenging when parts of the immediate family live far away from the parent’s home. The cost of settling estates may now include airline tickets, hotels and time off from work.

These are some of the larger issues that are so common when settling an estate. The best advice? Get help; don’t try to shoulder it all by yourself.

Sponsored Content

ANSELMO & COMPANY Medicaid and Eldercare Presented by Matt Snyder of Anselmo & Company Q: What is the average cost of nursing home care in the Cleveland area?

A: The average annual cost is about $96,000.

Q: As a single person, how much of my assets am I allowed to keep before being eligible for Medicaid?

A: A single person must spend down to $2,000 worth of assets.

Q: How much may a couple keep if one spouse needs care?

A: The community spouse is allowed to keep the lesser of half of the couple’s countable assets or a maximum of $130,380. The institutionalized spouse still must spend the other half down to $2,000.

Q: Could we lose our home if we have a long-term care crisis?

A: Possibly. Medicaid can place a lien on your home for up to the value of care it has paid on your behalf when you pass away.

Call today to learn about asset preservation strategies at 216-485-1040.

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THE BASH IS BACK

Boomer h s a B ´ JOIN US FOR

West

THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021 4 - 7 PM

Market Square at Crocker Park in Westlake Proper CDC safety precautions will be in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening.

Presented by

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

40 Better Living After 50

Silver Sponsors

WE ARE THRILLED TO BE BACK FOR OUR 6TH BOOMER BASH EVENT The night will include a mix of • Entertainment • Education • Raffle/Giveaways • Complimentary Small Bites • Happy-Hour Priced Drinks • Hawaiian Photo Spot Fun • And Much More

It is truly A Celebration of Life after 50!

Come Dressed in Hawaiian Attire!

Hawaiian Island Entertainment Will Be Onsit e For Hula Dancing, Music, Games + All-Around Fun

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Fairhill Partners. Fairhill Partners connects people to opportunities for lifelong learning, intergenerational relationships and successful aging throughout Northeast Ohio.

TICKETS ONLY $10 EACH Tickets can be purchased at boomerbashwest2021.eventbrite.com or call 440-971-0595

Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities are available now.

Contact Brad Mitchell at 330.822.4011 or your sales consultant for more information.

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CAREGIVER CORNER

W

e can count on two things in life: change and aging.

No matter how we fight, resist, deny or ignore, change and aging remain constant.

As we age, we also experience more and more loss. How we view, accept and adapt to the changes and losses may be the collective secret to aging the best we can, given each of our unique circumstances.

EXPECTATIONS We typically experience several physical changes as we grow older: • Vision and hearing loss •R educed muscle mass, strength and flexibility •W e get shorter, our bones shrink in size and density •O ur hair, nails and skin become dry, brittle and wrinkled Aging occurs in all the body’s cells, tissues and organs, affecting the functioning of all body systems.

Our bodies aren’t the only part of our lives affected, of course. We face medical diagnoses, health issues with family and friends, deaths of loved ones and growing anxiety about health and financial stability.

It’s a lot to manage.

Change is a constant, ongoing process in our lives. If we work on how we think about change, we are more likely to accept it and be more willing to adapt to it.

Learning to accept and adapt to change allows us to be more in control of our choices and potential outcomes. Often, older

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Change & Loss

Inevitable, Uncomfortable & Manageable

By Jennifer Beach

adults who resist change — for example, those who should downsize or make other significant lifestyle decisions due to health or finances — end up feeling out of control when change is forced upon them without their input.

Embracing change and taking an active part in the decision-making process can widen our choices, or at least make us feel more in control of our future. Otherwise, we may end up angry or blame others for decisions that we refused to make or accept.

There are no guarantees, but we know that as we age, change and loss will be a part of our lives. Keep in mind that everything and everyone changes. The faster we get used to the idea that everything is unstable and is constantly changing, the easier we will adapt to new challenges in our lives.

Change is good for us.

Research supports that doing and trying new things is good for our cognitive function and overall health and wellbeing.

With that in mind, make it a priority to embrace change and enjoy it. If we can accept change and loss now, we will be more likely to accept and adapt to the changes and losses we experience as we get older. Learning to go with the flow, be flexible, and accept change may increase our changes of aging well.

Jennifer Beach is an advanced Aging Life Care Professional. She established Advocate for Elders (advocate4elders. com) in Rocky River. She works with and advocates for older adults and their families.

ENCORE CLEVELAND PARTICIPANTS IN ACTION JOE FERRITTO As a volunteer at Fairhill Partners, Joe is involved with several programs. He’s been leading in-person (pre-pandemic) and virtual workshops because it helps others successfully age.

CATALINA WAGERS Catalina is a current member of Cleveland Leadership Center’s Legacy Leaders, a program for retired leaders in the Cleveland area. Catalina joined the Programs Committee at Esperanza because their mission is to empower Hispanic students through a holistic system of mentoring, guidance, and support for the entire family unit.

SHIRLEY HEMMINGER Making sure visitors are properly screened and greeted with a friendly smile (under the mask), Shirley has continued to volunteer during the pandemic at McGregor. She also took on receptionist duties and enjoys the interactions with everyone there.

TO LEARN MORE email: encore@greaterclevelandvolunteers.org

4415 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200 • Cleveland, Ohio 44103-3758

216-391-9032 • greaterclevelandvolunteers.org/encore

Volunteer

With youth With adults With nonprofit agencies

Are you looking for • Personal growth?

• Ways to give back to your community and make a difference?

• New experiences?

Give back and also receive compensation A Salary A Stipend

Encore Cleveland connects people who are in or nearing retirement from their primary careers with volunteer and employment opportunities through local nonprofit organizations.

Join the Encore Cleveland movement and put your experience to work for the greater good!

Start your own business

4415 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200 Cleveland, Ohio 44103-3758 TO LEARN MORE

email: encore@greaterclevelandvolunteers.org

phone: 216-391-9032 greaterclevelandvolunteers.org/encore

Apply your specialized skills, knowledge and/or experience to an Encore career

HEALTH

Dentistry’s Important Role

By Dr. Steven Marsh

W

hen businesses, including dental offices, had to shut down in 2020 due to Covid19, many wondered how they would — or even could — continue to see customers and clients.

For nearly two months, patients were seen for emergency care, as well as via FaceTime and other digital means. In May of ’20, dental offices were allowed to reopen, under strict CDC guidelines, including new PPE gear for the dental team and “social distancing” for the patients. Nearly one year later, these protocols have become standard in most places, and patients have continued to be seen for both emergency and routine care, with many expressing thanks and admiration for the way the profession has handled their offices, teams and patients during this difficult time.

In addition to routine care, including hygiene appointments and exams, there has been an increase in restorative work. Many patients attributed the increase in crowns and bridges due to stress, resulting in chipped and fractured teeth. Fortunately, with the durability of both composite bonding and porcelain crowns and bridges — including zirconium — many teeth that might have been lost in the past could

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be saved. When teeth were extracted, the use of bone grafts and implants enabled patients to replace the missing teeth in a fairly easy manner.

Cosmetic dentistry — somewhat surprisingly — also grew during this time and should continue to increase as offices and patients feel increasingly comfortable. Many people found themselves using Zoom for conferences and daily working from home, not to mention social “gatherings” on the internet. They got to have a close look at the faces and smiles of their counterparts, as well as their own appearance, from the neck up! Some also had more time in their schedules and disposable income that might have

been spent on meals and travel to invest in themselves and their health, and that importantly included their teeth. Whether through whitening, bonding or veneers and crowns, many made the effort to improve their smiles.

Nearly a year later, with the help of the vaccine and other safety measures, we’re seeing each other in person, and once again we want to look our best — and that’s not limited to our hair and clothes. As many discovered during this difficult period, it’s important to look and feel our best, and our teeth are of primary importance. Whether in nutrition or as a part of our greeting when we’re together with family, friends or business associates, our dental health and smile play important roles in our lives.

Dr.‌ ‌Steve‌ ‌Marsh‌ ‌specializes in cosmetic‌ ‌dental‌ ‌procedures‌ ‌and‌ also does ‌general‌ ‌dentistry.‌ ‌Visit‌ ‌ClevelandSmiles‌.com ‌to‌ ‌learn‌ ‌more.

Boomer Northeast Ohio

UNITY F O

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and Beyond

B e a c hwo o d

LIVE, THRIVE, PLAY

Pet-Friendly Beachwood LUCKY DOGS Photo by BThomasHart Photography

One way to judge a community is how it treats its children, older adults and pets.

Beachwood hits the mark on all three.

With just more than a half acre of paw-friendly synthetic turf, Barkwood dog park is open to city residents from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily and located at City Park East on Richmond Road between Shaker Boulevard eastbound and westbound. The park is divided into two sections for small and big dogs.

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Distinct from the Start

HISTORY A misnamed sense of place The city of Beachwood is a bustling suburb of Cleveland, located in Cuyahoga County. But this is a fairly recent development. The 5.34-square-mile area which eventually became Beachwood was carved from the Connecticut Western Reserve and was originally a part of Warrensville Township. In 1915, Beachwood seceded from the township after the council voted to close a Beachwood-area school. On June 26, 1915, Beachwood was incorporated into an independent village and didn’t attain full city status until 1960.

But what’s in a name? Where’s the beach? Where are the woods?

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Better Living After 50

Beachwood was actually (mis) named for the numerous beech trees that grew throughout the village. Upon incorporation, the city’s name was appropriately spelled,“Beechwood.”

However, as the story goes, an early village hall clerk misspelled the name on some official documents, cementing the current spelling of “Beachwood.”

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History Beachwood is located 10 miles east of Cleveland, bounded

by South Euclid and Lyndhurst on the north, Shaker Heights and University Heights on the west, Highland Hills on the south, and Pepper Pike on the east.

Putting First Responders First Police and firefighters serve their communities, but in Beachwood, it’s the first responders who are on the receiving end.

Beachwood 100 members raise money to support the community’s first responders and support staff. Two years ago, it donated $25,000 to buy workout equipment for a new fire station. Each year, it gives $2,500 scholarships to local high school students. In the past, the organization has covered uninsured expenses for a police officer whose wife was undergoing medical treatments out of state, says Beachwood 100 vice president Marc Soroca.

The private nonprofit raises $5,000-$6,000 annually from individuals and corporations. Last year, Beachwood 100 partnered with the city to help the police and fire departments with Covid-19related expenses through its Flags for First Responders program.

“We meet the needs for funding that they don’t normally get,” Soroca says.

The group is led by Ivor Kiwi. To learn more about Beachwood 100, go to beachwood100.org, check out its Facebook page, or call 216-338-4628.

POPULATION On the rise again According to the “Encyclopedia of Cleveland History,” in 1915, the new village of Beechwood boasted 151 residents. Beachwood grew substantially after World War II into a residential community, with its population rising from 372 in 1940 to 9,631 in 1970. However, its population growth slowed dramatically after 1970, eventually rising to 12,186 in 2000.

Beachwood’s population declined again after 2000, mirroring a pattern in many Cuyahoga County suburbs. It fell from 12,186 to 11,953 in the decade ending in 2010. Its 2018 population was estimated at 11,658.

PHOTO: MARC GOLUB

Beachwood

BEACHWOOD 100

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At Home in Beachwood What’s There Not to Like?

I

t all comes down to snow.

And in Northeast Ohio, that’s no small thing.

Marc Soroka likes living in Beachwood. He likes the highly rated schools — he and his wife, Julie, have lived there for 13 years and have kids at both the high school and middle schools.

Soroka likes the fact that the community meets the needs of both the young and the old. Julie grew up in Beachwood and her parents live less than a half-mile from their home. With senior residences such as those at Menorah Park and others within the city limits or close by, there are plenty of places and ways to grow old here, with lots of support. The city’s popular Community Center offers programs and classes for people of all ages.

But when asked what he likes best about Beachwood, his answer is quick and clear: snow removal.

“I’m from Toronto and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Marc says. “The second the snowflakes come down, the plows are out. The streets are so

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clear, you could eat off them. And they do the sidewalks, too. We have a big orthodox Jewish population and in order for them to walk during the Sabbath, they need clear sidewalks.”

“We have hospitals, retail, services and restaurants, probably 40-50 within one or two miles of us. We use the dog park and the pool. Everything is just convenient. It’s hard not to like this community. You can really say it’s like a Norman Rockwell-type of community,” he says.

“Six of my friends are going to have to carry me out of Beachwood.”

Sharon Friedman is a broker associate for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and has a lot of clients who want to move to Beachwood.

She says many of the homes are in older, established neighborhoods with prices ranging from the low $200,000+ up to $2 million. Some streets have lots that are so valuable that buyers are tearing down houses and building larger ones on the property.

The city also has diverse housing

options with apartments ranging from $1,500 or so up to $4,000 per month.

The community also has townhomes, condos and senior living facilities that can meet the needs of many people.

With two exits from Interstate 271 (Cedar Road and Chagrin Boulevard), and proximity to retail areas such as Beachwood Place, La Place at Beachwood Place, Pinecrest to the east, and Legacy Village, the city and its neighbors draw shoppers from throughout the region.

Recreational opportunities abound.

The Jewish Community Center, open to all denominations, has vibrant programming and classes. Friedman calls Beachwood Family Aquatic Center “The Six Flags” of the area with its top-notch amenities.

The area also is home to Greater Cleveland’s strong Jewish community and supports numerous other denominations represented within its borders.

“It’s almost a perfect place to be born and to go through all the stages of life,” Friedman says.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF BEACHWOOD

The city partnered with The Cleveland Orchestra last year to offer outdoor concerts. Many of their musicians live in Beachwood.

Growing Up

Beachwood Community Garden

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT MORRISON_DISCOVERY PHOTO

M

ay is Go Time for gardeners. But when a backyard isn’t big enough, sunny enough or just … enough, then growers find space and camaraderie at a community garden.

Beachwood’s 64 garden spaces open later this month at the city’s Community Center. The 8-foot-by-8-foot Douglas fir wooden boxes have a mix of topsoil and humus. Gardeners provide seeds, plants, utensils and labor. But as any gardener knows, the results far outweigh the sweat equity. The garden is administered through Beachwood’s Community Services Department.

The gardens are one of the city’s most popular perks. The area is fenced in to protect from interlopers, it’s in full sun, and there’s plenty of water.

After all, what more could a Beachwood gardener want?

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JUST THE FACTS

DYNAMIC & DIVERSE 12,000 people call Beachwood home.

More than 18 percent of them are foreign-born, four times the state average.

BUSY About 100,000 people work, shop and visit Beachwood daily.

TAX-FRIENDLY Beachwood has among the fifth-lowest property tax rates of the 73 taxing districts in Cuyahoga County, according to a review by Cleveland.com.

SPLASH!

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Better Living After 50

Beachwood’s $5 million Family Aquatic Center attracts 50,000 annually.

THEY LIKE IT 99% of Beachwood residents think the municipal services are good or excellent, according to a survey conducted by the city in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.

Sponsored Content

THE RESIDENCES OF MENORAH PARK A Thriving Community at Home and Beyond

PHOTO COURTESY OF MENORAH PARK

C

Presented by Menorah Park

ommunities are defined by the people who live there. Nowhere is this truer than at The Residences of Menorah Park.

The communities are bustling with an ever-growing assortment of activities and opportunities, all driven by the interests and passions of the people who call The Residences home.

A product of the community and a vital component of it as well, The Residences of Menorah Park provide a familiar landing place where experience and age are celebrated.

Each week brings an expanded array of programs and experiences, speakers and services for residents and the community beyond. The residences under the Menorah Park

umbrella are not the one-size-fits-all variety. Instead, the Menorah Park team responds to the needs of the people who make their homes there.

Tie dying lessons? Sure. Outdoor entertainment. Why not? A trip to the art museum. Guest lecturers.

Book and Gardening clubs.

The resident-driven activities are creative and fun with opportunities re-opening safely according to CDC guidelines.

Menorah Park’s services include home health care, an adult day program to provide extra support for caregivers and social experiences for the people they love, an aquatic and therapy center with occupational, speech and physical therapies, including a pain management program with experts who help clients live the lives they deserve.

Schedule a tour, talk to a friendly and knowledgeable team member, and come home to Menorah Park. Call 216-360-8202 or visit MenorahPark.org.

Age isn't chronological. It's Personal.

At Menorah Park, we think the age on your driver's license is only a small part of who .l"\.you are.It doesn't tell the whole story.We believe you're never too old to be young.

That's why we're here: to help keep you dreaming, learning, living.To help you keep being you.

Menorah Park is dedicated to offering a wide variety of programs and support to meet each individual's needs ...from therapy and brain health, to residential care and more.

Join our community today!

Explore our many residential options for a place that's pe1jectly you.

MenorahPark.org • 216-360-8202 Locations in Beachwood and Chagrin Falls

MENORAH PARK EXCELLENCE IN CARING®

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Featured Listings

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APEX DERMATOLOGY MAYFIELD HEIGHTS At Apex Dermatology, our mission is to transform lives through healthy skin. Apex offers same-day appointments, providing quick access to expert dermatology care.

We specialize in skin cancer diagnoses and treatment, including Mohs skin cancer surgery, general dermatology for adults and children, and aesthetic and cosmetic dermatology.

Our providers at Apex Dermatology in Mayfield Heights include Dr. Gregory Delost, Dr. Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga, Tayler Yoder, NP and Kaylee O’Donnell, RN, Aesthetic Nurse. Schedule your same-day appointment at apexskin.com or 833-279SKIN (7546).

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES PROFESSIONAL REALTY Serving the eastern suburbs as a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty, Sharon Friedman caters to clients from first-time buyers to seniors. Her 40-year-plus career gives her an expert’s insight into the neighborhoods and market. “I pride myself on knowing the area intimately,” she says. “My clients have brought me to where I am today, and I am very grateful for that.” sfriedman@bhhspro.com, 216-338-3233 or sharonfriedmanhomes.com BUY RITE Buy Rite is a Beachwood-based, family-ownedand-operated business, one of the few remaining locally-owned office supply companies in the area.

Founded here in Cleveland over 30 years ago, we still operate with the same customer-focused approach. We are a

source for all of your needs in office supplies, school supplies and now PPE supplies. Buy Rite helps everyone, from individuals working at home, to schools re-opening, offices getting back to their workplace, or personal PPE needs.

Contact Michelle Ryb at Buy Rite, 23715 Mercantile Road Beachwood, buyriteoffice.com, supplylady56@aol. com, 216-292-7112.

CITY OF BEACHWOOD Located along Interstate 271, Beachwood is home to nearly 12,000 residents and all major local hospitals. Consistently rated in the top five of Cleveland Magazine’s annual “Rating the Suburbs/Best Places to Live” feature, Beachwood is renowned for its excellent city services, healthcare access, recreation facilities, highly rated schools, shopping and dining, and low property taxes. Senior services include exercise and enrichment classes, free van service, and more. For more about living in Beachwood, visit BeachwoodOhio.com.

CLEVELAND HEARING & SPEECH CENTER Founded in 1921, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (CHSC) is the nation’s oldest freestanding speech center and Northeast Ohio’s only non-profit organization dedicated solely to serving those with special communication needs. CHSC consistently serves over 10,000 children and adults each year in four service areas: Speech-Language and Learning, Audiology, Language Interpreting, and services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

CHSC offers screenings, evaluations and therapy for children and adults, with offices in University Circle, Broadview Heights, Westlake and Lyndhurst.

CHSC celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021 with renewed commitment to our vision: a community where everyone communicates effectively. chsc.org INSIGHT CLINICAL TRIALS

Insight Clinic Trials, a leading independent research institute in Beachwood, is evaluating several potential new medication treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Participants with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s or memory loss, or those exhibiting difficult behavior may qualify.

Compensation and transportation provided.

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If you, or someone you know, has memory problems, or has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and is interested in learning more, please call 216526-1843 or visit insightclinicaltrials.com.

MENORAH PARK Menorah Park focuses on helping individuals live better and empowered through a variety of resources, services and residential choices. Our core values guide our mission to consistently serve our community with excellence and compassion, and inspire each person through opportunities. We believe the age on your driver’s license is a fraction of who you are. It doesn’t tell the whole story.

We’re here to help you keep dreaming, learning and living as you age: to help you keep being you. MenorahPark.org.

MICHAEL UNGAR At Home Senior Fitness, LLC At Home Senior Fitness is the solution for older adults seeking to improve strength, mobility, stamina and balance. Work out safely outside the gym with virtual training and group classes. Training at home is also available (restrictions apply). See real results!

Michael Ungar is an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer with a specialization in Functional Aging. He brings years of experience with older adults in the fitness industry to create a fitness program just for you, serving Beachwood, Pepper Pike, the Heights and online.

ACE-Certified Personal Trainer, FAI - Functional Aging Specialist, rabbi: Athomeseniorfitness.net, michael@ athomeseniorfitness.net 614-579-1336

MIKA’S Mika’s provides women with the attention and compassion necessary to meet their unique needs in a comfortable, positive environment. The team offers reasonable prices for an extensive variety of services that include hair cuts, styling and coloring, Brazillian blowouts, waxing, microblading for eyebrows, wig sales and styling, hair accessories and makeup. Beachwood resident and owner Michele Kaminsky is president of the National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland and a true believer in giving back to the community.

Follow Mika on Facebook and Instagram. Mikaswigboutiquecle.com 216-382-2954

This year, we want you to celebrate those who have survived, inspire those who have been diagnosed, support our participants, and connect your customers with The Gathering Place.

Help us get to our goal! Register, start a team or make a donation today at racefortheplace.org.

REGEN ORTHOPEDICS Regen Orthopedics advanced treatments can relieve arthritis pain. This non-surgical treatment activates your body’s own platelets or stem cells to heal injuries and ease pain. Patients have been able to avoid surgery, pain meds or steroid treatments. Schedule a consultation with nationally renowned, Harvardtrained Orthopedic Surgeon, Reuben Gobezie, MD, to review your condition and learn more. Call 844-786-2355, or visit regenorthopedics.com.

THE GATHERING PLACE Celebrate Cancer Survivors with Us! Each year, on National Cancer Survivors Day, the community comes together to recognize and celebrate cancer survivors with The Gathering Place during their Race for the Place.

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MATURE LIVING

SHOWCASE

Our Mature Living Showcase is your go-to guide for businesses and services that specialize in older adults.

Here you'll find advertisers who can help you and your loved ones age successfully in Northeast Ohio.

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Better Living After 50

Sponsored Content

YOUR OHIO CONNECTION TO A SUNNIER LIFE Presented by Florida Connection Homes

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ave you been dreaming about living the vacation lifestyle in sunny Florida? Thinking about retiring to warmer weather, investing in a vacation home, or joining the ranks of the snowbirds? If you’re ready to make your dream reality, Ron Bolden is ready to make it happen.

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Sponsored Content

INVESTING IN THE POTENTIAL OF LONGEVITY - Planning for Your Future Presented by Lee Ann O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer, The McGregor Foundation

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e all know that money provides freedom. Aging Four Freedoms are the Freedom to Choose, to Earn, to Learn and the most important, the freedom to Pursue Happiness.

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Women continue to seek a wider range of lifestyle options to maintain quality of life. The same applies as women seek resources for their families and loved ones.

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Four in 10 retirees believe they will run out of retirement savings if they live past the age of 90, while nearly half of single women retirees are fearful of the same outcome.

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One in three women retirees reported the cost of covering their basic needs was higher than they anticipated, versus only one in five men, according to the report.

On average, single women spend a higher percentage of their income on basic and health care costs in retirement than men, while spending less on discretionary activities than single men.

One Bright Spot… Women are more likely than men to participate in their workplace savings plan. After years of having less access to retirement plans, women have caught up! Women who are saving might be saving more.

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Sponsored Content

OHIO SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL Presented by Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol

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hio Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) provides information and counseling related to Medicare fraud, errors and abuse. Learn how to protect your medical and personal identity. SMP provides virtual presentations to groups of all sizes.

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6/16 & 6/30 Drawing Outdoors Bring your drawing pad and pencils for an outdoor lesson in drawing. Beginners are welcome. 9-11 a.m. F. A. Seiberling Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Rd., Akron, 330-865-8065, summitmetroparks. org. FREE

WHAT’S

Happening CLASSES TUESDAYS Writing Love: Special Topics in Creative Writing.

Explore ways to write about one of our favorite connectors: Love. From the romantic to the familial, the sublime to the absurd,

whether it is unrequited or returned, love for people, places, things and ideas motivates us and provides rich fodder for creative work. 7/138/17.10-11:30 a.m. Online class. Siegal Lifelong Learning, case.edu/ lifelonglearning. $99-119

TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS Indoor Pickleball. Come in and try out this exciting activity which looks like tennis, feels like volleyball and is a great way to stay in shape and be with friends. 1-3 p.m. Westlake Recreation Center, 28955 Hilliard Blvd., Westlake, cityofwestlake.org/recreation. $3/ pop in per day.

7/9 Rock Painting on the Lawn Let’s have a crafty morning and paint some creative designs on rocks. All supplies provided.

10-11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Mentor Public Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., 440-255-8811, mentorpl.org. FREE

WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS Senior Exercise. Enjoy a light workout to music. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Lyndhurst Community Center, 1341 Parkview Dr., communitypartnershiponaging. org. FREE

Submit an event listing to Calendar@NortheastOhioBoomer.com or go to NortheastOhioBoomer.com May/June 2021

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WHAT´S HAPPENING SUNDAYS Hustle for Couples.

Dance class held weekly for couples/partners. 1:45 p.m. La Danse Cleveland, 23366 Commerce Park, Suite 111, Beachwood, ladansecleveland.com. $20

refreshments. 9:30 a.m.

4th Saturday of the month.

Twcnpc.com. $5/annually SUNDAYS Second Sunday Poets.

Calling all poets! Join in for a poetry open mic every second Sunday of the month via Zoom. Open to all poets, 18 and over. The group will follow a round-robin format, with a featured reader to begin. 3-4:30 p.m. Cuyahoga CountyPublic Library, cuyahogalibrary.org. FREE

5/28 Date Night Cooking Class. Who makes the most enticing, innovative steakhouse fare in town?

You do! Learn how to get the perfect sear on steak, sub in kale for a fresh spin on creamed greens and bake popovers that will make any dinner roll jealous. 4-6:30 p.m. Sur la Table, Eton Chagrin Blvd., 28819 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, surlatable. com. $79 per seat.

MUSIC & THEATRE TUESDAYS

l

6/19 Adult Archery Camp. Bring up to five friends for an afternoon of archery. Learn how to shoot a bow and arrow and end your group’s lesson with a series of challenges and competition. 1-3 p.m.

The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 S. Park Blvd., 216-231-5935, shakerlakes. org. $200/group of 6

ParkFit Mall Walkers Club. An opportunity for community residents to improve their health by walking for exercise in a safe, interesting and climate-controlled facility.

9-10 a.m. daily, 10-11 a.m Sundays. SouthPark Center, 500 SouthPark Center, Strongsville, 440-816-4037, swgeneral.com/communityservices/walking-club/

Introduction to Glassblowing. Focusing on comprehension of the basics of hot glassworking techniques. 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Ohio City Glass, 3821 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, djmglass. com. $120

CLUBS MONDAYS Socrates Cafe. A monthly virtual gathering of adults engaging in conversation, exploring current events, thoughtful ideas and reasoned debates. 10:3011:30 a.m. Akron Public Library, akronlibrary.org.

FREE WEDNESDAYS Lake Erie Wheelers: Weekly Ride. Cleveland’s westside cycling club is for everyone.

Not only will you be making friends with a great group of cycling enthusiasts, but you’ll have the opportunity to attend annual parties and gatherings. 6:30 p.m.

Berea Library Commons, lakeeriewheelers.org. FREE

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CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN

ONGOING Return of the Butterflies & Hershey Children’s Garden Return of the Butterflies has more than 600 newly emerged butterflies in the Costa Rica biome, creating an experience like never before. Continue your celebration of spring in the Hershey Children’s Garden with a new moth scavenger hunt, as well as a free take-home activity packet that includes tips on how to find moths at home, seeds to plant for native pollinators, and more. 11030 East Blvd., 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org. FREE-$15

THURSDAYS Social Distancing Book Club. You can read and talk about any book that you would like. Introverts Welcome. No registration required, just show up!

Meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in a Facebook post.

Barberton Public Library, barberton.lib.oh.us. FREE Film Club. Do you consider yourself a bit of a movie buff or simply a film lover?

Join on the last Thursday of the month to discuss a film currently being offered on the library’s streaming services, Kanopy or Hoopla.

7-8 p.m. Rocky River Public Library, rrpl.org. FREE

Twinsburg Garden Club. Open to anyone in Twinsburg and surrounding communities who enjoys gardening and nature and has an interest in expanding their knowledge. Monthly meetings feature topics on perennials, vegetables, landscaping, protecting the environment and more. Meetings held virtually on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., twinsburg-garden-club.com SATURDAYS The Wilderness Center Nature Photo Club. Guests are welcome or you can join these monthly meetings.

Includes a feature program for each month and

Mentor Rocks. Get ready to Rock! Hear live music June through August at the Mentor Civic Amphitheater.

7 p.m. 8600 Munson Rd., Mentor, mentorrocks.info WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY Featured Musicians at the Still House. Enjoy live music five nights a week, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday 7-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8-11 p.m. Gervasi Vineyard, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, gervasivineyard.com. FREE 6/4-6 Ordinary Days: Theatre in the Park. The story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs.

Through a score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life.

Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Lakeview Park, 1800 West Erie Ave., Lorain, loraincountymetroparks. com/theatre. FREE

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WHAT´S HAPPENING 6/7-24 My Fair Lady. Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” MY FAIR LADY tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” State Theatre at Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-2416000, playhousesquare.org. $65-$110 6/10 Sinatra Brunch. Come enjoy a morning of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ favorites performed

by Michael Sonata, one of Cleveland’s favorite crooners. Enjoy a little brunch or a delicious Bloody Mary while you’re at it. Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., Cleveland, 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. $20 6/11-13 Modern Warrior LIVE. A theatrical performance about one veteran’s experience when returning to civilian life and his recovery from trauma. The Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, fineartsassociation.org. $15

JOIN US FOR THE PARTY!: JUNE 3 Boomer Bash The Bash is back! Our signature event for Boomers and seniors returns to Market Square at Crocker Park with a Hawaiian theme, vendor tables, education, networking, food sampling, and tons of fun.

NortheastOhioBoomer.com Cleveland Opera Theater. Ohio Regional Music Arts and Cultural Outreach (ORMACO) continues its summer concert series with Opera under the Stars as members of the Cleveland Opera Theater return for the sixth season with favorite opera tunes and lesser-known works.

7 p.m. Uptown Park, 217 E. Liberty St., Medina, ormaco.org/z-opera-under-thestars-2021. FREE 6/27 Clint Black. It is one of the most storied careers in modern music. Clint Black surged to superstardom as part of the fabled Class of ‘89, reaching #1 with five consecutive singles from his triple platinum debut, “Killin’ Time.” 8 p.m.

Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, 330-535-3179, akroncivic.com. $40-$113

7/4 July 4th Concert. Join Stephen A. Eva and the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra for a public band concert celebrating America’s birthday. You’ll hear patriotic music, movie favorites and other popular music. 2-4 p.m. Riverside Park, 34 E. Orange St., Chagrin Falls, thecfso. com. FREE 7/8 Sunset Concert. Enjoy the sounds of live music as the sun sets over Lake Erie.

Sit on the grassy amphitheater or bring a blanket or chair. 6-8 p.m. Lakeview Park West End Amphitheater/Beach, 1800 W. Erie Ave., Lorain, 440-245-1193, loraincountymetroparks.com. FREE 7/11 Mozart in the Meadows. Highlighting the evening is Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40,” sometimes called his “Great G Minor.” It is arguably his most popular symphony, striking for its originality and shadowy intensity — influencing generations of musicians to follow. 7 p.m. Blossom Music Center, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

ONGOING AT TR ACTIONS AKRON ZOO OPENING 5/29 Wild Asia. See the newest habitat area, the Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia.

Visit Sumatran tigers, red pandas and white-cheeked gibbons in addition to the more than 250 other species who call the Akron Zoo home. 505 Euclid Ave., Akron, 330-375-2550, akronzoo. org. $11-13 AKRON ART MUSEUM THROUGH 9/19 Totally Rad: Bold Color in the 1980s.

Built out of the Akron Art Museum’s permanent collection, “Totally Rad” offers a dazzling dive into the vibrancy of the ‘80s. The decade’s rowdy culture has often been considered excessive, tasteless and even embarrassing, but the artists who participated in it would surely disagree. 1 S. High St., 330-3769185, akronartmuseum.org. FREE

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AKRON FOSSILS & SCIENCE CENTER ONGOING New Creation Education Museum.

Dedicated to comparing and contrasting scientific models like intelligent design and evolution on the origin of the universe, and catastrophism and uniformitarianism models on the geologic record. 2080 S. Cleveland-Massillon Rd., Copley, 330-665-3466, akronfossils.com. $8 BEECH CREEK BOTANICAL GARDEN AND NATURE PRESERVE THROUGH 6/6 Art in Bloom. Immerse yourself in color and fragrance, featuring unique outdoor artwork intermixed with thousands of beautiful spring flowers. Explore the gardens and trails, and create an art project at this fantastic event for the whole family. 11929 Beech St. NE, Alliance, beechcreekgardens.org. $6

Wildlife Rescue: Miracles in Conservation. In this traveling exhibition, you’ll explore the innovative ways wildlife rescuers capture, raise and release endangered species back to the wild, and care for animals after natural disasters. 1 Wade Oval Dr., cmnh.org. FREE-$17 GREATER CLEVELAND AQUARIUM ONGOING Shark Gallery & Sea Tube. With 230,000 gallons of water, this impressive space features three species of sharks, stingrays, eels and many other species of fish. Walk through the 175-foot underwater sea tube. 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, 216-8628803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com. $19.95 HOLDEN ARBORETUM ONGOING Murch Canopy Walk and Kalberer

Emergent Tower. The Canopy Walk invites guests on a 500-foot-long elevated walkway that’s 65 feet above the forest floor. The Emergent Tower is 120 feet (approximately 12 stories) tall and provides a breathtaking view of the surrounding area, all the way to Lake Erie. 9500 Sperry Rd., Kirtland, 440946-4400, holdenarb.org. $9 MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE ONGOING An American Story. Visitors to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage step into a world filled with inspiring and moving stories of Jewish immigrants, perhaps even their own ancestors and modern-day heroes. State-ofthe-art computer interactives, film, special effects, individual stories and oral histories. 2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood, 216-593-0575, maltzmuseum.org. FREE-$10

CLEVELAND HISTORY CENTER ONGOING Cleveland Starts Here. A place for Northeast Ohioans to locate their own stories and place themselves in the rich story of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. A place for schoolchildren to experience, firsthand, the history of Cleveland and the region. 10825 East Blvd., 216-721-5722, wrhs.org. $10-12 THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART OPENS 5/15 Art of the Islamic World. Artwork from the Islamic world is as diverse and vibrant as the people who produced it. The objects presented in this gallery were created during the eighth through 19th centuries, a period of great cultural and geographic expansion. 11150 East Blvd., clevelandart.org. FREE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ONGOING

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WHAT´S HAPPENING ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME ONGOING Class of 2020 Inductees.

Explore artifacts, instruments and a collaborative installation featuring items from each of the 2020 inductees, including Doobie Brothers, Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G. and more. 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, 216-781-7625, rockhall.com. $18-28

STAN HYWET HALL & GARDENS ONGOING Restoration: If This Hall Could Talk. Celebrate the extensive restoration projects completed throughout the estate since 2015. Funded by the 2nd Century Campaign, these restoration projects are finally complete after six years of tireless and dedicated work.

714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330863-5533, stanhywet.org. $5-12

OUT DOORS TUESDAYS Geauga Walkers. Join other active seniors on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month for hikes in Geauga County and the surrounding area. Hikes are typically 1 to 1.5 miles.

1-2:30 p.m. 440-279-2137, geaugaparkdistrict.org.

FREE Hiking Seniority. Folks aged 55 and older meet year-round every Tuesday at nearby parks for nature appreciation, exercise and camaraderie. 10 a.m.noon. 440-256-1404, lakemetroparks.com. FREE SUNDAYS 5/22 Mountain Biking for Beginners. New to mountain biking? Then this program is for you. Join us at the Hampton Hills Mountain Bike Area for a small (socially distanced) group ride along the

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Beginner Trail. 10:30-11:30 a.m. 2092 Theiss Rd., Akron, summitmetroparks. org. FREE 5/28 Fit Friday. Escape everyday pressures, technology, and to-do lists during this biweekly hiking series. Hiking with a group is a great way to indulge in the physical and mental health benefits of being active in nature.

So lace up your shoes for a challenging 1.5-2 mile hike.

9-10 a.m. Fry Family Park, 233 Farber St. SE, Magnolia, starkparks.com. FREE 5/31 Hike the Hollow. The Stark Parks history programmer will share some history about the property, along with answering questions while we enjoy a leisurepaced hike around Quail Hollow Park. 11 a.m.-noon.

Quail Hollow Park, 13480 Congress Lake Ave., Hartville, starkparks.com.

FREE

6/5-6 Railroads in the Park. For train enthusiasts, enjoy and view many different scales and types of operating train displays and exhibits throughout the park. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland, 440256-2122, lakemetroparks.com.

FREE-$8 6/10 Partial Solar Eclipse. The eclipse will already be half-over by the time the sun rises, and will be finished by 6:45 a.m. Meet at an off-site location with sun-viewing safety gear to welcome the rising sun.

Participants will receive location details after registration. 5:45-6:45 a.m. geaugaparkdistrict.org. FREE 6/20 Father’s Day Car Show. The 63rd annual Classic, Antique & Collector Car Show at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is presented with the Ohio Region Classic Car Club of America.

View 400 classic, antique and collector cars manufactured from 1915-1996. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330-863-5533, stanhywet. org. $5-11

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WHAT´S HAPPENING 6/26 Summit Lake Kayak. Paddle in the heart of Akron to learn what historical treasures helped build this community. Led by a certified instructor. Fee includes loan of kayak, paddle and floatation device. 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. 390 W. Crosier St., summitmetroparks.org. $15

7/31 Catfish with Cops. The purpose of Catfish with Cops is to promote good community policing by allowing police officers and community locals to gather together and enjoy the sport of fishing. 5-10 p.m. Walborn Reservoir, 11324 Price St., NE, Alliance, starkparks.com. $5

SPECIAL EVENTS 5/27-31 Memorial Day at Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market. Visit more than 1,000 indoor and outdoor vendors. Hartville Marketplace and Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. NW, Hartville, hartvillemarketplace.com 5/28-30 2021 Tremont Drive-Thru Greek Fest. You don’t have to be Greek to enjoy our festival, but you need an appetite for delicious Greek food, pastries, beer and wine. Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 2187 W. 14th St., tremontgreekfest.com 5/28-31 Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off & Beer Fest. It’s Rib Heaven with 10 rib teams competing, a picnic style atmosphere for the entire family, kids activity area for the little ones while the big kids can enjoy a wide variety of craft beers, musical entertainment, and more. Cuyahoga County

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WHAT´S HAPPENING Fairgrounds,164 Eastland Road, Berea, 440-234-5181, berearib.com. FREE admission on opening day from noon-5 p.m, then $5 after.

5/29-31 Free Passenger Fare to Active Military and American Veterans. Receive free passenger fare aboard Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay or Middle Bass Island.

Millerferry.com 5/31 City of Green Memorial Day Parade, Ceremony & Car Show. Pancake Breakfast 7-11 a.m. at fire station #1, 4200 Massillon Rd. Parade steps off at 10 a.m. from Green High School, 1474 Boettler Rd. Ceremony is at noon at Green Veterans Memorial Park, 1900 Steese Rd. Picnic and Car Show begins at 12:30 p.m. at the John Torok Community Center, 4224 Massillon Road. cityofgreen.org 6/1 Pet Supply Drive. Help animals in local shelters waiting for their forever homes.

All of the Lorain Public Library System

branches will collect donations through the month of June. Drop off new cat and dog toys, blankets, all kinds of cat and dog food, kitty litter or even cleaning supplies.

Lorainpubliclibrary.org 6/3 Boomer Bash. The Bash is back!

Our signature event for Boomers and seniors returns to Market Square at Crocker Park with a Hawaiian theme, vendor tables, education, networking, food sampling and tons of fun.

NortheastOhioBoomer.com 6/4-5 Cleveland Ballet at Stan Hywet: Alice. Enjoy the whimsical delight and wonder of this classic story, reimagined as a ballet, and adapted by world-renowned choreographer, Margo Sappington. Set in a spirited circus ring, watch as the characters twirl through the air in spectacular costumes. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330-8635533, stanhywet.org. $25-50.

6/11 Cocktails on the Rails: Heaven Hill Distillery. Learn about the brand history of Heaven Hill distillery, what makes a bourbon versus a whiskey and the cocktail applications while on this Cocktails on Ales excursion.

6:30 p.m. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, 7900 Old Rockside Rd., Independence, cvsr.org. $280/group of four, $420/group of six.

6/12 Brew at the Zoo. Enjoy a beer or glass of wine while exploring the zoo after hours. Tickets include eight sample tastings and admission to the zoo after hours. 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Akron Zoo, 505 Euclid Ave., Akron, 330-375-2550, akronzoo.org. $16-33 6/19 Medina County Pizza Palooza.

A unique partnership where attendees can enjoy samples of the region’s best pies and vote for their favorite, while learning all about the amazing non-profit and social work being done in Medina County.

Main Street Medina, 39 Public Sq., mainstreetmedina.com. $8

TALKS TUESDAYS Virtual Second Wednesdays with Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

Join on Zoom the second Wednesday of each month to hear an overview of the programs and services available and discover how you can get involved. Benrose.org. FREE 5/29 Garden Talks. The wildlife is blooming at Carlisle Visitor Center and there is lots to discover.

A naturalist will share what’s happening in the garden as well as pollinator gardening tips and

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tricks. 1-3 p.m. Carlisle Reservation, 12882 Diagonal Rd., Lagrange, loraincountymetroparks. com. FREE 6/17 Good Gardens: Preserving Your Harvest.

Learn some of the different methods for enjoying your garden veggies all winter long from the staff at Let’s Get Growing. 6-7 p.m.

Goodyear Heights Metro Park, 2077 Newton St., Akron, summitmetroparks. org. FREE 6/19 Eating for a Healthy Brain. Tamara L. Gutierrez, M.D., Family Medicine and Functional Medicine, will discuss our eating habits and how these habits impact our lives and health in this Zoom presentation.

11 a.m.-noon. Rocky River Public Library, rrpl.org.

FREE

6/22 NuFit: Nutrition and Fitness Education: Sensational Salads. This monthly seminar provides information about the latest topics in nutrition and fitness from a registered dietitian and fitness expert.

Each quarter includes three nutrition sessions and one fitness session.

Presentations held virtually.

6-7 p.m. Cleveland Clinic Akron General, 330-6658022, vandevj@ccf.org FREE 6/29 Dementia Conversations, Driving, Doctor Visits, Legal & Financial Planning Webinar. This program provides tips for breaking the ice with your family so you can address some of the most common issues that are difficult to discuss.

9-10 a.m. Alzheimer’s Association, action.alz.org.

FREE

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• Go to NortheastOhioBoomer.com/Insider • Provide email address, delivery address and other info • Join Now. Open to the first 500 respondents.

Best of all - it’s FREE!

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• FREE home delivery of the magazine for the next issue • FREE Boomer Bash Tickets • Enter in the drawing to receive a gift card from The Woodhouse Spa Members must provide a valid email to participate in the Boomer Insider Club. Members will receive the July/August issue in the mail. Members must reconfirm membership with each issue for future home delivery of the magazine. Offer valid for Northeast Ohio residents only. Maximum of one mailed copy per household.

May/June 2021

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Brain Games There and Back Again What’s Last is First

By Kathryn Kilpatrick

If you’re looking for something to do that’s both pandemic-friendly and fun, try these brainteaser memory triggers. Read each word from the last letter to the first letter. After you have finished, how many of the ideas can you recall?

Take it to the next level and spell the key word backwards.

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Sponsored By

EXAMPLE: retaw lotsip thgif ANSWER:

water pistol

fight

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. etik gniylf

11. thgilhsalf gat ni draykcab

2. roodtuo sremraf tekram

12. yrreb gnikcip

3. nolemretaw dees gnittips tsetnoc

13. yalp hctocspoh

4. retaw noollab thgif

14. yalp hctac ro eebsirf

5. doohrobhgien regnevacs tunh

15. hctac seilferif

6. eci maerc laicos

16. wolb selbbub

7. edamemoh edanomel dnats

17. yalp skcaj

8. pmac tuo ni eht draykcab

18. ekam ruoy nwo selcispop

9. klawedis klahc tra yrellag

19. nalp otohp regnevacs tnuh

10. elohrnoc emag ssorca yawevird

20. yalp teuqocr

BONUS: How many words can you think of using the letters from RECONNECT? Here is a sentence using a few of them.

A_ his

a

r_c_ _t

abili _ y

t_

c_n_ _ _t r _ _ _ nn _ _ t

_h_ wi _ h

his

t _n_r

had

a

c_ _c_ _n

abou _

fri _ _ d.

ANSWER: At a recent concert the tenor had a concern about his ability to reconnect with his friend.

BACK IN THE GROOVE

“I am happy to report my inner child is still ageless.”

With a Tune-Up After the many months of social distancing and recreating our daily routines, all of us are eager to resume some semblance of normalcy while taking the necessary precautions. Does your memory need a tune-up? Review the building blocks for maximizing your memory in this seven-day plan and notice which area could use some attention.

Monday: Create a positive mindset.

Attitude matters. Find things that lift your spirits. Use positive words.

Friday: Socialize and stay connected with others. While we are eager to do this, reach out to someone who may need some encouragement to reengage within their comfort zone.

Saturday: Incorporate new ways to challenge your brain.

Sunday: Create a better balance in your life. Find activities that help you relax while using some effective stress-reducing strategies.

— James Broughton

Tuesday: Improve your ability to pay attention. Be in the present moment.

Multitasking is not your friend!

It takes longer and you are likely to make more mistakes.

Wednesday: Upgrade your lifestyle choices. Diet, sleep, exercise and stress management are a few of the important areas to consider. Better choices can improve your focus and are essential to brain health.

Thursday: Develop effective memory props. Maybe some you have used for a while need to be updated.

“Happiness is meeting an old friend after a long time and feeling like nothing has changed.”

— CHRIS DAR Puzzles and tips are from “Walking the Path to Memory Fitness — One Week at a Time” by Northeast Ohio-based memory expert Kathryn Kilpatrick. For more details visit BLOGS AND PRODUCTS at connectionsincommunication.com.

ANSWERS: 1. kite flying, 2. outdoor farmers market, 3. watermelon seed spitting contest , 4. water balloon fight, 5. neighborhood scavenger hunt, 6. ice cream social , 7. homemade lemonade stand, 8. camp out in the backyard, 9. sidewalk chalk art gallery, 10. ornhole game across driveway, 11. flashlight tag in backyard, 12. berry picking , 13. play hopscotch, 14. play catch or frisbee, 15. catch fireflies, 16. blow bubbles, 17. play jacks, 18. make your own popsicles, 19. plan photo scavenger hunt, 20. play croquet May/June 2021

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73

M BOCO ULTURE

P OP ES CHRONICL

A Carousel of Color…

AND IN 3D, TOO!

By Mike Olszewski

I

love photos. They tell wonderful stories and can take us back in time, but it’s one of the reasons I tend to shy away from Facebook. Why do people post pictures of food? Why should anyone care that you’re having garlic mashed potatoes? Your lunch isn’t telling me a story.

I grew up around cameras. My father was a part-time photographer and he had real cameras. One was The Speed Graphic, that big press camera that took two hands to snap a shot with a red-hot bulb for a flash.

Granted, the picture resolution you get on today’s cell phones is far superior, but the renowned old camera guys like Weegee would have a mental and physical breakdown if they saw what people are shooting today.

VIEW-MASTER MEMORIES Not long ago, my bride and I were walking through an antique store.

It’s one of those places where they have so many cool things and you hope they don’t know what everything is worth, but you look at the price and they obviously do.

That’s where I saw them. Remember

BOOM TRIVIA

View-Masters? They looked like binoculars and had discs with 3D photos. Wow! This store had a set with the old ABC-TV series, “The Time Tunnel” and yeah, it was a little rich for my blood.

We all grew up with Disney. Sunday nights were “The Wonderful World of Color,” often showing scenes of a dream world called Disneyland, a place you were unlikely to visit because California was a longdistance vacation for those of us in Northeast Ohio.

The park has changed a lot since that time but fortunately, an author named David Bossert joined up with photographer Ted Kierscey to produce “3D Disneyland” (The Old Mill Press). It shows the evolution of the park and comes with 3D glasses. I picked up a copy and tracked down Bossert to ask how it all came together.

Bossert worked for Disney on big projects like “Beauty and the Beast” and others, but the book was not a

Disney assignment. Instead, it’s the work of a well-informed fan covering the first 25 years of the park. He calls it a great piece of history, “because so many people today never knew what the park was like in the 1950s.”

It traces the evolution of an ongoing project that Disney thought would be ever-changing and never be finished.

There’s a single photo per page, and it’s like taking a walking tour through Disneyland in its initial historic first stages, right from the front gate and down Main Street.

Bosser says that Tomorrowland saw the most dramatic changes over the years. “Walt used to joke it was ‘Yesterdayland’ because by the time they put something innovative or new in there it was already outdated.”

It’s a fun book. One suggestion: Get a copy but don’t lend it out because it won’t come back.

Mike Olszewski is a veteran award-winning radio, TV and print journalist, and college instructor. Contact him at janmike1978@gmail.com.

Last issue, I asked you to name the band that thrilled its Quicken Loans Arena audience in 2019 with the Cleveland favorite, “My Town.” I tricked you with this one. It’s a Michael Stanley song that was done by Metallica. They also surprised the crowd with a bit of the James Gang’s “Funk 49.”

HOW ABOUT A DISNEY QUESTION? Name the former Clevelander who provided the voice of Prince Charming in the film “Cinderella.” I’ll have the answer next issue.

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