Workshop materials and stipends for the performers and administrator also are in the budget. The Arts to Elders program is funded by the Port Townsend Arts Commission and other grants. For 2016, the Port Townsend Arts Commission has awarded $2,500 to Arts to Elders; last year it gave two grants totaling $800. Rodney Schmidt of Port Townsend matched the aforementioned $2,500, giving Arts to Elders a total of $5,000 for this year. Harvey Putterman is the energetic 80-year-old director of Arts to Elders and has been a Northwind Arts Center volunteer since 2001. “Our concerts are held at Seaport Landing, the largest of the residential communities in Port Townsend, once a month on the second Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. “There are five other residential communities whom we serve — Life Care Center, Discovery View, San Juan Commons, San Juan Villa and Victoria Place,” Putterman said. “The goal of the guest artist is to bring participatory forms of entertainment and performing arts appreciation to residents who will bring their own unique perspective to finding joy in a collaborative and creative process. All our residential communities are notified and invited to attend. We generally have 70 to 80 people in the audience.” Putterman explained his responsibility as director is to find guest artists who are proficient in their area of expertise, have the ability to motivate the group of elders and are “caring and disarming” individuals. “Since the elders seem to enjoy music as their first priority, we generally find artists who are superb entertainers. My job is to find the guest artists, do the publicity and deliver posters to each retirement venue. “Since I was president of the Youth Music Fund for nine years, a 501(c)(3) group who offered scholarships to deserving young musicians, and have been director of Arts to Elders for seven years, I have been fortunate in knowing people in the entertainment field and have had
SUBMITTED PHOTO A mixed crowd enjoys the Al Harris Trio, which performs pieces from the Great American Songbook, including tunes from Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rogers, George Gershwin, Harold Arlen and others.
no trouble in hiring them for this worthwhile gig. “Having been a chairman of an English department in Connecticut, I always have loved the arts and relished being involved,” Putterman said. THINGS ARE JUST GETTING STARTED “Each performance is quite a lively event and now we’re doing so many dramatic readings, it’s gotten a lot more exciting,” D’Alessandro said. “Key City Public Theatre and the Port Townsend School of the Arts collaborate with us.” Through the end of the year, upcoming programs are an a cappella women’s choir in July; a contemporary vocalist in August; a mezzo-soprano in October; a threepiece acoustic ladies’ band in November and a dramatic reading of “The Christmas Carol” in December. “Arts to Elders is a bright spot in the schedule of care center residents,” said D’Alessandro. “A lot of these facilities have different activities but they can’t bring in the kind of talent we do. It’s personal to be able to use this art center to be a catalyst in helping the elder community thrive with arts in their later years.” 2014 Award: Excellence in Integrative Medicine
Jonathan Collin, md
NIH Trial Gives Surprising Boost to Chelation Therapy
Port Townsend & Kirkland Offices
(360) 385-4555
www.drjonathancollin.com | www.townsendletter.com
661614695
SUBMITTED PHOTO Al Harris, leader of the Al Harris Trio, plays a hot clarinet during the recent May 10 Arts to Elders event. Lifelong Journey • JUNE 2016
Forbes (Nov. 4, 2012) A large NIH-sponsored trial has turned up substantial evidence in support of chelation therapy for patients with coronary artery disease. Known as TACT (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy), headed by Gervasio Lamas, MD, the study was sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Chelation therapy with EDTA, known to remove heavy metals from the blood, has been used to treat coronary artery disease since the 1950’s. TACT was a double blind study of chelation in stable patients with a history of myocardial infarct. The primary endpoint of the trial--the composite of death, heart attack, stroke, bypass surgery, stent procedure, and hospitalization for angina--was significantly lower in the chelation group. Chelation Therapy is an important therapeutic support for patients having coronary and cardiovascular disease. Call for a consultation to discuss the option of having chelation therapy.
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