55 Plus of Rochester, #38: March – April 2016

Writer: ‘Oh No, I Just Turned 65!’

free

55

Savvy Senior: Paying Income Tax on Social Security Benefits

PLUS

Issue 38 March / April 2016

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

The World of Armand and Bruce Owners of the House of Guitars share their incredible story

Q&A with County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo

Living very well We love it here! There is great food, transportation, snow shoveling and lawn mowing are done for us, and it’s great to have time to play euchre with friends, work on woodcarving projects, and enjoy live music.

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March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

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CONTENTS

55 PLUS

55 PLUS

March / April 2016

10 16 Savvy Senior 6 Financial Health 8 Dining Out 10 My Turn 14 Addyman’s Corner 42 Long-term Care 40 Visits 46

38

31 28 COVER

12 AGING

• House of Guitars: iconic in eyes of musicians, music lovers

• New challenges arise for those in twilight of careers, lives

16 TALENT

34 VOLUNTEERING

22 GOVERNMENT

36 LIFESTYLE

24 ROMANCE

38 SECOND ACT

• Women get together weekly in Chili to knit, crochet

• The multi-dimensional talent of James VanDemark

• More than 65 million adults in the U.S. have never been married.

• County Exec Cheryl Dinolfo talks about her priorities Last Page Q&A Dr. Walter Cooper, a pioneer for education who has a school named after him, talks about serving, volunteering.

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roc55.com

• Online dating: Great way to meet potential dates

26 PROFILE

• Donovan Schilling: Rochester’s ‘Walking Museum’

• Branding a second career: 55-plussers having fun

• Other stories in this issue: a couple devoted to volunteering, OASIS Rochester, Hidden Valley Animals

March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

5

savvy senior

By Jim Miller

W

Paying Income Tax on Social Security Benefits

hether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits.

To figure out if your benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to add up all of your “provisional income,” which includes wages, taxable and non-taxable interest, dividends, pensions and taxable retirement-plan distributions, self-employment, and other taxable income, plus half your annual Social Security benefits, minus certain deductions used in figuring your adjusted gross income.

How To Calculate

To help you with the calculations, get a copy of IRS Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits,” which provides detailed instructions and worksheets. You can download it at irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy.

After you do the calculations, the IRS says that if you’re single and your total income from all of the listed sources is: • Less than $25,000: Your Social Security will not be subject to federal income tax.

• Between $25,000 and $34,000: Up to 50 percent of your Social Security benefits will be taxed at your regular income tax rate.

• More than $34,000: Up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.

If you’re married and filing jointly and the total from all sources is: Less that $32,000: Your Social Security won’t be taxed.

• Between $32,000 and $44,000: Up to 50 percent of your Social Security 6

55 PLUS - March / April 2016

benefits will be taxed.

• More than $44,000: Up to 85 percent of your benefits will be taxed.

If you’re married and file a separate return, you probably will pay taxes on your benefits.

To limit potential taxes on your benefits, you’ll need to be cautious when taking distributions from retirement accounts or other sources. In addition to triggering ordinary income tax, a distribution that significantly raises your gross income can bump the proportion of your Social Security benefits subject to taxes.

How to File

If you find that part of your Social Security benefits will be taxable, you’ll need to file using Form 1040 or Form 1040A. You cannot use Form 1040EZ. You also need to know that if you do owe taxes, you’ll need to make quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS or you can choose to have it automatically withheld from your benefits.

To have it withheld, you’ll need to complete IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request (irs.gov/pub/ irs-pdf/fw4v.pdf), and file it with your local Social Security office. You can choose to have 7 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent or 25 percent of your total benefit payment withheld. If you subsequently decide you don’t want the taxes withheld, you can file another W-4V to stop the withholding.

State Taxation

In addition to the federal government, 13 states tax Social Security benefits to some extent too.

New York is not one of them For questions on taxable Social Security benefits call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040, or visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (see www. irs.gov/localcontacts) where you can get face-to-face help.

55PLUS roc55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Contributing Writers

Deborah J. Sergeant , Ernst Lamothe Jr., Deborah Blackwell, Jacob Pucci, Janice Park, Katie Tastrom-Fenton, Todd Etshman, Amy Cavalier, Lynette M. Loomis, Mike Costanza

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Susan Suben Jim Miller, Bruce Frassinelli John Addyman, Lian Gravelle

Advertising

Donna Kimbrell, Anne Westcott H. Mat Adams, Suzzanne Strocko

Office Manager Alice Davis

Layout and Design Eric J. Stevens

Cover Photo

Chuck Wainwright 55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–Rochester—Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper.

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March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

7

financial health

By Jim Terwilliger

Tax Law Changes Help Most Folks …

Including Retirees

M

y last column described recent changes that negatively impacted Social Security options for recent retirees or those planning to retire soon.

This time, there is much better news to report.

On Dec. 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act) and the omnibus fiscal year 2016 budget bill. This legislation addressed many individual and business tax provisions, which expired at the end of the 2014 tax year. Many of those provisions come up for renewal every year or two, leading to uncertainty for taxpayers and making meaningful tax planning difficult.

Retroactive to tax-year 2015, the act enhanced or made “permanent” a number of these provisions and further extended others temporarily. I use the term “permanent” somewhat tongue-in-cheek. As we all know, when it comes to tax laws, nothing is really permanent.

Below is a summary of some of the more popular personal tax provisions impacted by the legislation.

Qualified Charitable Distributions

IRAs are tax-efficient goldmines when it comes to charitable giving.

For nine years, Congress allowed taxpayers age 70-1/2 and older to transfer up to $100K annually directly from IRAs to charities. Such transfers, known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), are treated as non-taxable distributions.

Congress had been erratic in allowing QCDs, first in four consecutive two-year periods, then most recently in 2014. They are now allowed on an ongoing basis.

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There are several advantages to giving in this manner. Perhaps the greatest is that required minimum distributions (RMDs) may be used to fund these transfers. For folks who do not need their RMDs for household cash flow, such transfers allow both RMD and charitable interests to be satisfied simultaneously.

Since a QCD is not taxable, gifts made in this manner cannot also be listed as itemized deductions. No double dipping. But there are a number of advantages to minimizing adjusted gross income (AGI), which a QCD does quite nicely. An example is the multi-tiered schedule for Medicare Part B premiums, which increase dramatically at higher AGIs. Note that QCDs are not allowed for gifts to donor-advised funds.

Also, such transfers do not apply to employer retirement plans such as 401(k)s.

State and Local Sales Tax Deduction State and local sales taxes may now be claimed as federal itemized deductions on an ongoing basis in lieu of state and local income taxes.

This is particularly advantageous for retirees who pay no NYS income tax.

For example, Social Security benefits and government and NYS teachers’ pensions are tax-free in New York.

The same is true for the first $20,000 per taxpayer for IRA distributions and non-government employer pensions combined.

For folks who do not track their annual sales tax history, the IRS provides a simple table to estimate total sales tax based on AGI. For big-ticket purchases, such as an auto, the IRS allows taxpayers to add sales tax for such purchases to the table amount.

Conservation Easements Landowners who donate a conservation easement on real property can claim a federal income tax deduction equal to the difference in appraised property value before and after the easement. This provision was both enhanced and made permanent.

Enhancements include raising the maximum deduction in any one

year from 30 percent to 50 percent of AGI (100 percent for farmers) and increasing the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from six to 16 years. The latter benefits low-income taxpayers who may be land-rich but cash-poor.

Other Permanent Provisions Include: • Additional Child Tax Credit — maintains a portion of the credit that is refundable (allows for refund even if the total tax is zero). Limited by AGI. • American Opportunity Credit covering qualified college costs — maximum credit is $2,500/student per year for first four years of college.

Covers tuition costs plus materials and supplies including computers.

Forty percent of credit is refundable.

Limited by AGI. • Earned income credit — Refundable credit for low-income taxpayers who have earned income.

Credit increases with number of dependents.

• Teachers’ deduction — Educators will continue to be able to deduct up to $250 of unreimbursed qualified out-of-pocket expenses as an “abovethe-line” deduction. Includes professional development expenses. Will be indexed for inflation.

Extended Provisions Include: • Mortgage insurance premiums deduction — extended through 2016.

• College tuition and fees deduction — “above-the-line” deduction extended through 2016.

• Mortgage debt exclusion — exclusion from income for forgiveness of mortgage debt on principal residence extended through 2016.

There is something here for just about everyone who pays federal income taxes. To learn more about how these changes affect you, talk with your tax preparer and financial planner.

James Terwilliger, CFP, is senior vice president, financial planning manager, Wealth Strategies Group, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at 585419-0670 ext. 50630 or by email at jterwilliger@cnbank.com.

March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

9

DiningOut

Restaurant

Guide

By Jacob Pucci The meat of the 1 ¼-pound Maine lobster was so sweet that my dining companion remarked that it was almost like dessert.

Black & Blue:

A Treat Worth Savoring

W

hen a restaurant in a shopping plaza offers free valet parking, it’s usually a sign of something pretty special going on inside.

We arrived at Black & Blue Steak and Crab, located in a prime corner spot in the Pittsford Plaza, southeast of Rochester, a few minutes before our 8:15 p.m. reservation.

The décor, primarily neutral tan leather colors, walks the line between whimsical and bold. Large back-lit metal fish hang on the wavy walls, as if the catch of the day was still swim-

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ming at sea.

In the center of the room is a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar that reached the second floor, a reminder that the restaurant won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence three years in a row.

We were seated toward the rear, which was quieter and a bit more secluded. The restaurant can get a bit boisterous at times, particularly near the bar, but the roars were always quick to settle.

Dinner started with a shared plate of steak tartare ($14.50). The beef ten-

derloin was chopped and served raw with the traditional onion, garlic and capers, as well as a creamy horseradish sauce and a drizzle of truffle oil. The classic raw egg yolk on top was replaced with a panko-breaded soft-boiled egg, which added a nice textural contrast without losing any of the runny yolk. Just the egg alone would be a best seller.

We dipped into the seafood side of the menu for our next course. The line-caught black grouper ($32.95) is a large portion and perfectly seared to a golden brown. The fish is served with

a mix of roasted artichokes, sweet roasted cipollini onions, Kalamata olives and roasted cherry tomatoes you could pop in your mouth. In addition to the vegetables, the scallion pesto and black garlic vinaigrette that dressed the plate did well to cut the richness of the firm fish.

The fish was deeply browned, but still perfectly cooked. The restaurant boasts that the steaks are cooked in a 1700 degrees Fahrenheit oven and it’s clear that they give the fish some serious heat as well.

We also went for the baked lobster thermidor ($39.95), a classic French dish of lobster cooked in a wine or brandy cream sauce or custard before being stuffed back into the shell, topped with panko breadcrumbs and toasted until bubbly.

Black & Blue’s rendition includes shallots, tarragon and sherry and just a bit of mustard in a cream sauce. The meat of the 1 ¼-pound Maine lobster was so sweet that my dining companion remarked that it was almost like dessert. The challenge of lobster thermidor — between cooking the lobsters whole, heating the meat in the sauce and broiling the lobster until the top is browned — is to not overcook the meat.

But yet again, Black & Blue comes out unbruised. The dish was clean, rich and delicious.

Our stomachs were telling us to

quit, but when my dining companion caught eye of a peanut butter mousse trifle our waiter was bringing to another table, we decided to go for it.

The cheesecake-like mousse was so rich, you could stick your spoon in it and it’d stand upright.

It comes layered with crushed Oreos and topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Our sweet teeth are large, but we both agreed it was a dessert best served shared.

The proverbial cherry on top were the chocolate truffles presented with the check. The truffles were rich, but gave way at first bite and quickly melted in your mouth. Even after eating the peanut butter mousse, I ate my truffle so fast that I didn’t get any cocoa on my fingers.

The price may preclude it from becoming an every-night haunt, but Black & Blue Steak and Crab is a treat worth savoring.

Dinner started with a shared plate of steak tartare ($14.50). The beef tenderloin was chopped and served raw with the traditional onion, garlic and capers, as well as a creamy horseradish sauce and a drizzle of truffle oil.

Black & Blue Steak and Crab

Address: 3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Monday-Thursday: 4:30-10 p.m., Friday: 4:30-11 p.m., Saturday: 4-11 p.m.

Sunday: 4-9 p.m., Website: www.blackandbluesteakandcrab.com.

March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

11

55+

aging

Oh No, I’m 65 New challenges arise for those in twilight of careers, lives

By Janice Park

N

ext month is my birthday.

I will be 65. Not to be confused with 65 years old.

My mother, 95, is “years

old.”

At this milestone birthday, I

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will be officially labeled a “senior.”

Surprisingly, I find I am OK with that.

The dictionary defines senior as “a person older than another.”

Nothing in that definition implies old person. In fact, some studies show

60 is the new 40. Therefore, 65 is the new middle age, only with far different pressures, responsibilities and slightly higher maintenance.

Like many baby boomers, discovering a whole new me is exciting and energizing. Between volunteer projects and traveling, I am busier now than when working.

According to Michael Roizen (occasional guest on the Dr. Oz show and a former physician at SUNY Upstate Medical University), catering to the whims and desires of people in this new midlife has become a multimillion dollar industry.

I am fine with industries catering to me. While traveling, there are deals on hotels and tickets. My greens fees and gym memberships are discounted.

A “senior” discount at retailers and restaurants works for me too. Ten percent off at Ben & Jerry’s is 10 percent less calories, right?

However, to presume I am immune to the perils of aging is neither wise nor fair to my family. Learning from my parents, I have downsized and cleaned out stuff I didn’t remember I had. I purchased long-term care insurance, created a living will and have a health directive. My children should not be faced with those decisions.

I am lucky — my health is good. I try to eat the right things. (Potato chips are part of the four food groups, right?)

I belong to a gym and get regular exercise. Studies show as we age it is better to be a bit overweight. I like those studies.

Prepared for this next chapter of my life, I am set to enjoy all this middle age has to offer. Try new adventures.

Explore my hidden talents. I am good.

Except …

One in nine people (5.1 million) aged 65 and older is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Anyone with a brain, it says, is at risk. Women account for two-thirds of those cases and are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s than breast cancer.

The average Alzheimer’s patient, it reports, will survive four to eight years with the disease. Forty percent those years are spent in the most severe stages.

I am not good with those statistics.

I started out being excited about my birthday. I am 65, a woman, and although some may debate the fact, I do have a brain.

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are not part of my plan.

What are the arrangements if, or when, my ability to care for myself becomes impaired? Will I know when it is time to get help? Will I have enough money? How much money is enough?

Medicare, my supplement, and long-term care insurance may cover many costs. In 2015, Medicare and Medicaid paid out $153 billion for dementia and Alzheimer ’s-related health care. I will have expenses too — insurance premiums, co-pays, deductibles and services not covered by other sources.

The average annual per person out-of-pocket expenses for 2014 totaled $10,202.

Is there a family member, or someone, prepared to help? In 2014, 15.7 million family caregivers provided an estimated 17.9 billion of unpaid hours of service. This time is valued at $217.7 billion, or nearly eight times the total revenue for McDonalds for all of 2012.

The very basic of in-home care can start at $20 an hour. Continuing care communities, facilities that provide a continuum of care, usually require a one-time entrance fee. Fees can range from $60,000 to $120,000 and do not include monthly maintenance charges.

What about higher level care facilities, assisted living and/or nursing homes? The 2015 national average for these services range from $3,600 to $6,600 per month.

Yikes!

I have met some wonderful people while helping my mother navigate through the various levels of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

However, I find most do not have a specific plan for their own aging process. We discuss projects, investments, insurances and even aches and pains, but avoid constructive options concerning our potential dependence and eventual needs.

It seems when it comes to our own decline and mortality, avoidance and procrastination are common.

Comments such as “When I get …

put me in a boat and send me off” can defuse some uncomfortable tensions, but are not very productive.

On the more productive side, I have learned some things that should be done.

• Create and stick to the best financial/retirement plan possible.

Having good financial resources allows for choices.

• Stay active and involved, both physically and mentally. Preliminary results indicate mental and physical activity may result in continued brain development.

Designate one person or family member with power of attorney — not your lawyer, but someone who can deal with daily expenses and can sign checks and talk to doctors, bank and insurance companies.

• Tell your children where your important papers are — bank, insurance and medical records, passwords, etc.

Oftentimes telling only one person is not enough.

• Have a support system, people who will check on and advocate for you.

• Decide what your “end-oflife” wishes are. Not just your health directive, but the “what to do if … ” part. Discuss these with family and friends and write them down.

“End-of-life” discussions can be difficult and disturbing. Once decided though, they only need to be revisited upon traumatic events. Having these in place provide a plan for family and caregivers.

In addition to re-inventing myself and making both financial and personal arrangements, I have chosen to look at the upside of this. Yes, as I see it, there is an upside.

The proportion of the U.S. population 65 and older will continue to increase. By 2025, the number of people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to increase by 40 percent.

Projections are that approximately 44,000 additional hands-on personal care positions will be needed.

Additional long-term care facilities will also provide for additional construction and administrative jobs.

Therefore, as a member of the baby boomer generation, just by aging I can add job creation to my list of accomplishments.

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March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

13

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bruce@cny55.com

Having a Good Time at the Fair What to do in the dead of winter? Dream of summer days, the county fairs

I

don’t know about you, but when I am hunkered down in the dead of winter, like now, I like to think of warm, summertime memories.

I love fairs. For example, in all of the years my wife, Marie, and I lived in Oswego, I never once missed the New York State Fair in Syracuse.

I often think back to the county fair I attended annually as a boy in Pennsylvania — the sights, the smells, the sounds.

Going to the fair in my home county was an annual summer ritual for my friends and me. When I was younger, my parents and I would go, and we would explore the wonders of the many animal exhibits, the homemade desserts and other baked goodies that county residents concocted in an effort to win blue ribbons, stopped at many food stands, and, of course, I went on all the rides.

There was one section of the fairway, which always intrigued me but was off limits: the sideshow tent. Massive colorful and lurid illustrations of Dwarf Boy, Giganto, the world’s tallest man, and other freaks of nature hung outside the tent next to a lectern occupied by a fasttalking man in a striped suit with a bowler hat.

As I tried to pull my mother, who was holding on to me so I wouldn’t be kidnapped by some nefarious circus type, she countered each pull with a pull in the opposite direction.

“Come on, mom,” I begged, “let me see what’s going on.” Mom would have none of it. “That’s for adults, not for kids like you,” she told me.

I would fantasize for days after my fair visit about what might be inside that tent, and I was determined that one day I would see for myself.

When I was 13, my parents allowed me to go to the fair with an

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55 PLUS - March / April 2016

older neighbor friend and his parents.

When we got to the fair, my friend and I went off on our own, promising to meet his parents at a pre-determined location in an hour.

My friend, Jerry, wasted no time in heading toward the sideshow tent.

I couldn’t contain my excitement. Even though he was a few years older than I, he was not of age to get into the tent — the age limit was 21, although I don’t know how carefully the barker and his ticket-taker checked ages.

We edged into the crowd of mostly men who were gathered around the lectern where the barker was urging prospective customers to spend 50 cents to see the bizarre attractions inside the tent.

“Marvel t o t h e f i re eating human t o r c h , ” the barker screamed into his megaphone. “ W a t c h A m a z o perform feats that men of science say is impossible for a human.

And, yes, of course,” he said in a somewhat hushed tone, “we have Stella, who will wow you with her, um, charms.

Stella, come out here, and

show these good people some of your charms.”

My mouth dropped when Stella emerged from the tent. She was dressed in a full-length gown, which showed ample amounts of cleavage and brought gasps from several of the men in the audience.

“Stella hootchies, she kootchies, and she does a whole lot more inside this tent,” the barker said winking and smiling in a less-than-gentlemanly way.

At that moment, the barker spotted me. “Hey, kid, this is not for you,” he shouted as everyone turned to look at me. “If I let you in to see Stella,

you’d have to go home to change your underwear.” The crowd roared with laughter, as I turned beet red, then quickly walked away in mortified embarrassment.

Jerry caught up with me. “Hey, where are you going?” he asked. I shrugged my shoulders still feeling like a dope. “We’re going in there to see Stella,” he whispered. “And how do you figure we’re going to do that?”

I asked.

Jerry explained that he found an opening in the tent that he has been exploiting for two years.

He led me to the back of the huge tent, where there was little activity.

There was a small, almost unnoticeable flap where apparently performers could come and go without being seen by the audience. We got inside without incident and worked our way ever so slowly to the side of the stage where Stella would be performing.

The place was packed with only men. Jerry told me to hide my face with my jacket. The men were fixated on the stage where Stella appeared in the same gown, and they were oblivious to our presence. Bump-and-grind music sent Stella into her routine as she blew kisses to some of the old geezers up front. A minute or so later, she shed her gown for just a bra and panties. I gulped. She continued to dance to the suggestive music, then came off the stage to give the men a better look at her “charms.” “Yeh, baby,” some of the men yelled, pretending to grope at her.

A minute or so later, she returned to the stage, reached behind her, unhooked her bra, and her ample breasts spilled out, sending the men into a frenzy as they hooted and hollered their approval. Then, in a split-second, she was gone. Just like that, the show was over.

My head was spinning. It was the first time I had ever seen female breasts in person, and while I didn’t have to go home to change my underwear, it was pretty darn close.

“Come on,” said Jerry, breaking my reverie. We’ve got to get out of here, and in a flash, we were through the flap, then slowed down and nonchalantly joined the big crowd on the midway.

When we met up with Jerry’s parents, his mother asked me whether I had a good time. Jerry elbowed me.

“Yeh,” I said with a mischievous smile, “I had a real good time.”

MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE...

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March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

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talent

VanDemark enjoys working on his boxing skills at Roc Boxing & Fitness in Rochester with daughter Paige VanDemark, of Fairport. The two enjoy the sport to stay in shape and train with Coach Dominic Arioli, owner of Roc Boxing & Fitness.

VanDemark is a professional bass player and finds the skills of boxing similar to the skills of playing an instrument.

Renaissance Man The multi-dimensional talent of James VanDemark: filmmaker, performing musician, university professor — and an amateur boxer!

By Deborah Blackwell

H

e’s been called A Renaissance man, and Rochester’s own James VanDemark definitely fits the bill. Documentary filmmaker, boxer, and let’s not forget renowned double bassist — that is just the start of this sexagenarian’s resume.

It was a privilege to catch up with VanDemark, 63, whose itinerary keeps him on his toes. But he manages it with gusto and grace, much like the deep, steady sound of his double bass, the largest instrument of the violin family.

It’s hard to know where to 16

55 PLUS - March / April 2016

begin when describing VanDemark, his multi-dimensional talent — much like his schedule — stretches far and wide.

“I live a contradictory sense of being a performing musician, a university professor and an amateur boxer, while having a whole filmmaking thing going on in L.A.,” said VanDemark, who lives in Fairport with his wife Amy and a rescued greyhound named Ace. Although VanDemark has called Rochester his home for most of his life, he grew up in Owatonna, Minn.

Youngest of five children, VanDe-

mark originally hoped to follow in the footsteps of his father and play ice hockey. But discovering a missing vertebrae at 14, that dream was lost, only to open another door, one that would eventually change his life, and the lives of many others.

With the dream of hockey behind him, VanDemark picked up the bass and joined the high school orchestra after being inspired by the conductor and music program. His natural talent was so apparent, within 18 months he made his solo debut with the Minnesota Orchestra, and before he finished high school, VanDemark

James VanDemark, 63, of Fairport began playing the double bass at age 14 in his hometown of Owatonna, Minn., which launched a prominent career as an acclaimed musician.

VanDemark plays around the world in various venues both as a soloist and with numerous orchestras, and teaches at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester.

March / April 2016 - 55 PLUS

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was recruited to a chamber music orchestra in the community of Hammond, located in Ontario, Canada.

“I moved to Canada when I was 17 and played principal bass with this really superb chamber orchestra,” said VanDemark. “I was there for three years then decided it was time to go back to school and finish my degree.”

The day VanDemark graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1976, he was named to the faculty at the Eastman School of Music, the youngest professor ever named to a major music school at the age of 23. To this day, VanDemark’s reputation as a notable music professor draws students to the Eastman.

“I don’t think people are aware of the amazing level of artistry professor VanDemark has reached, who he has played for, who he has recorded things with, how sought out he is — he is the authority in all of his settings,” said Spencer Phillips, doctoral candidate at the Eastman School of Music. “He’s like the north star, you can guide your ship by him. When he gives you the nod, the approval, you know you are OK. He’s the reason I’m at Eastman.”

VanDemark has performed with numerous orchestras around the world, from the New York Philharmonic to the Netherlands Radio Symphony and, of course, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. His versatility has won acclaim playing and collaborating with musical greats such as Andre Watts, including an appearance on Lincoln Center’s Great Performer Series.

He is the recipient of commissioned works by three Pulitzer Prize winners. He serves as chairman of music festivals, both nationally and internationally. He even consulted on the movie score for the 1995 Disney film “Pocahontas.” VanDemark received a call from Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive officer of Dreamworks Animation after a National Public Radio story about his cultural collaborative work with Native American performers in the musical Circle of Faith.

“My informal consultation on the Disney animation project prompted me to think about other things I might do,” said VanDemark. “I got interested in developing material for producers and 18

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James VanDemark learned to box in his 50s to stay in shape. He became so passionate about it when he recognized the parallels between music and boxing, that he started a program for Eastman School of Music students to help them not only stay in shape, but also to work on reflexes and timing outside of the practice rooms. directors in L.A. and New York.”

VanDemark is currently working on two documentaries in Los Angeles, producing one on American entertainer Diahann Caroll, and another on American fashion designer Bob Mackie; both are intended for mass-market release.

“I am excited about this endeavor because they both continue to reinvent themselves. It’s very much about what they are doing now,” said VanDemark.

Glenn Berenbeim, VanDemark’s producing partner and an acclaimed television writer, refers to VanDe-

mark as a fellow re-inventor who not only thinks, but lives outside the box.

“James is not only a maestro of many things, but his talent to orchestrate collaborations is mesmerizing,” said Berenbeim. “He has a willingness to combine ingredients that don’t seem to go together, and a willingness to defy the good taste of convention in order to help you become the individual that you know really you are.”

When VanDemark is not producing documentaries on the West Coast, teaching aspiring bassists or traveling around the world

playing in chamber orchestra concerts, he is working on his one-two combos, hooks, and swings at Roc Boxing & Fitness with owner and Coach Dominic Arioli. Boxing was an avocation that came around by accident, VanDemark said.

Looking for a good way to stay in shape in his 50s, he went to Roc Boxing on the recommendation of a friend, and he was not only surprised at the stamina and endurance it requires, but also the strong parallel between music and boxing.

“When I met Coach Dom and did the first couple of classes I was hooked. It didn’t mean I was very good,” said VanDemark. “But I realized, here’s something that combines discipline, athletic activity, as well as a lot of continuing developing reflexes and timing, all which is so critical to playing an instrument.”

Despite VanDemark’s small stature of 5 feet 7 inches and 129 pounds, he was so hooked on boxing that in 2010 he established a voluntary program at Roc Boxing & Fitness

VanDemark has performed with numerous orchestras around the world, from the New York Philharmonic to the Netherlands Radio Symphony and, of course, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. for Eastman students, to help them practice physical fitness, coordination,and rhythm, all which enhance playing their instruments, according to VanDemark. He said they do not hit each other, they punch mitts and heavy bags, and occasionally spar.

“James and the students at the Eastman are like a breath of fresh air. When I work with the students they catch on quickly, they relate the punches to a beat,” said coach Arioli. “We’ve been doing this for six years. I do a class just for the music students and we do drills,

shadow boxing, it’s a lot of fun.”

Fun is a word familiar to VanDemark, who in addition to boxing at least four times a week, also rides a Triumph Daytona 675R motorcycle as often as he can.

“Motorcycle riding for me in the summer is transportation, but I confess I really love it. One time I was a co-owner of a motorcycle racing team in Rochester, that was insane,” said VanDemark.

When doesn’t VanDemark have fun?

He isn’t sure, he said, because he loves spending as much time as possible with his wife and their two grown daughters, one of whom resides in Los Angeles. The family remains tight knit despite locations and busy schedules. So is there anything this Renaissance man can’t do?

“Amy and I love to entertain.

She’s a wonderful cook, I make a half-way decent martini, but I’m a terrible cook. My job is to clean by command, before and after. I know where to draw the line.”

James VanDemark and wife Amy Blum VanDemark of Fairport enjoy a horseback trail riding tour on a recent vacation to the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. VanDemark is no stranger to adventure, he travels around the world playing the double bass with various orchestras, is an amateur boxer at Roc Boxing & Fitness, and is a documentary filmmaker in Los Angeles.

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any entrepreneurial and family business owners postpone the decision to sell their company for as long as possible for fear that after the company is sold, the company will move out of the neighborhood, their employees will lose their jobs, and the community will speak of the company and them with disdain. An employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, offers an attractive mechanism for selling your business while protecting your legacy long after you have left the company.

An ESOP company will likely stay in the community where it was created. An ESOP-owned company means the company’s employees, not a faceless, finance-driven investment banker own the company. The founder can transition day-to-day management, on his own timeframe, to a trusted executive team. The succession team may include his own children, instead of an executive in a foreign country. The company can maintains its historic name but, most importantly, its headquarters need not move out of the town, the state or the nation.

Employees can remain employed at an ESOP company.

The employees not only keep their jobs, they

receive additional employer contributions to a qualified retirement plan.

The ownership culture created by an ESOP leads to additional motivation and engagement on the part of the employees. Many business owners find their company thrives rather than simply survives after a sale to an ESOP because of increased engagement on the part of the new employee owners.

An ESOP is not the right exit strategy for all business owners. But owners who worry about how their transition will affect their employees, the future of the company and their own reputation in the community, will wish to explore the ESOP option as they make the decision to exit their businesses.

It’s never too early to begin thinking about exit and succession planning. You need to consider all of your options to provide for your family, protect your legacy and reward your loyal employees as you develop the exit and succession plan that is best for you.

Lian Gravelle, Esq., is a compliance counselor with ESOP Plus in Rochester. To contact her, send an email to lgravelle@ esopplus.com.

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21

55+

government Q&A with the new County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo talks about her priorities when it comes to the 55plus population

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

With almost 16 percent of the total population of Monroe County, the number of people 65 years or older is projected to grow dramatically in the future, which will require extra services and programs. Newly elected Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo talks about some of the most important things she wants to accomplish when it comes to the 55-plus population.

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What are some of the specific initiatives you are looking to accomplish this year when it comes to seniors?

At Monroe County’s Office for the Aging, we are enhancing some of our existing services with additional funding provided by the New York State Office for the Aging and New York State Department of Health.

These services will provide costeffective community -based services and supports. Specific services and supports include caregiver assistance for at-risk older adults, allowing them to remain independent and safe in their own homes. Additional enhancements will be made to the information and assistance program known as NY Connects, respite services, social adult day services and transportation for older adults.

We are teaming up with Lifespan and the Alzheimer's Association to improve the Alzheimer's core services so that we are meeting the growing needs of individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's

disease and other forms of dementia.

What programs do you currently have that you think are working well for seniors in Monroe County?

Monroe County’s Office for the Aging programming is an example of the great work they do every day.

Whether through programs that run through Monroe County or those we do in partnership with local service providers to reach to our seniors, we have had great success. The Office for the Aging is responsible for planning, coordinating, funding and advocating for programs and services meeting the needs of local seniors. In Monroe County there are many highly successful and helpful programs provided through these partnerships. The Monroe County senior nutrition program is just one example. This program is offered at 21 area senior centers and is a healthy meal, health promotion with activities. This program provides socialization to reduce isolation while allowing seniors to remain independent in the community.

Another program is the NY Connects Information and Assistance Program which is run through Lifespan.

This program provides counseling, information and assistance on inhome and long-term care services.

What do you think are some of the overall challenges affecting the senior population in our area?

We address three big challenges that are affecting our senior population in Monroe County: transportation, home support and nutrition. Transportation — or the lack of transportation — for our seniors is an issue that can lead to isolation and numerous other problems. Through a contract with Medical Motor Service and Catholic Family Center TRAC we are able to provide transportation to and from senior centers, shopping locations and medical appointments. We also provide

a mobility specialist for persons age 60-plus throughout Monroe County to help them coordinate any needed transportation.

Home support is a multifaceted issue; it includes seniors’ ability to continue to care for and the ability to afford their homes. Through our Office for the Aging, we offer many programs to assist seniors with these issues like the Expanded In-home Services for The Elderly Program and Support to Aging Residents, both provided through the Catholic Family Center and Respite Services for the Elderly at Lifespan.

These programs combined provide case management, development of a care plan, authorization of in-home services, housekeeping, light chore service, and many other home support services.

Nutrition is incredibly important for obvious reasons; seniors especially have been identified as a population who face many challenges in this regard. Our office supports numerous programs that provide full meals either to senior’s homes or at their local senior centers, coupons for produce at local farmers

markets, monthly nutrition education information and one-on-one counseling with one of our registered dietitians available to all eligible participants at no cost to the seniors.

As you well know, baby boomers are the fastest growing sector of Monroe County’s population and their well-being will be key to having a strong community. Are there any health-related initiatives that are part of your agenda?

While the baby boomer generation is an ever-growing portion of our senior population, we have been and will continue to offer health-related programs to all of our seniors. For example, through Monroe County’s partnership with Lifespan we offer evidence-based programs such as Matter of Balance which is a falls prevention program or a Geriatric Addictions Program, depression screenings and many other intervention programs. In addition, our Office of the Aging partners with community based services help to improve the health and wellness of older adults and

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their informal family caregivers.

Why do you believe Monroe County caters well to the older population?

Monroe County has a longstanding commitment and dedication to assisting our local seniors.

The combination of our Office for the Aging and local nonprofit agencies ensures the availability of services that address the full spectrum of issues facing seniors, from health care and transportation to public safety and economic security. These partnerships are fundamental to meeting the needs of our growing senior population and I am committed to continue our great work together.

Rising health insurance premiums have been a large issue nationwide. What are some of your thoughts on the issue?

Affordable health insurance and access to healthcare is key to keeping our older adults thriving and independent in the community.

If they do not have access to these continued on page 49

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55+ romance Online Dating: Great Way to Meet Potential Dates

By Katie Tastrom-Fenton

L

ove and companionship can be a very rewarding part of life, but it can be a challenge to meet potential partners at any age. For 55-plus people, online dating is increasingly becoming a common way for finding romance.

AARP reports this group is the fastest growing demographic of online dating service users.

Online dating can be daunting for people of any age, but it can be a safe and rewarding way to expand your network of potential dates.

I spoke with Karen, a 65-year-old woman who has been online dating on and off for almost f i v e

years.

Karen, who asked that her real name not be included in the story, said she began online dating because she wasn’t meeting anyone that she was interested in at church or during her usual activities.

“As a senior, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of time to waste. I wanted to 24

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meet an intelligent fit man who wants a forever partner,” she said.

Older adults have an advantage over their younger counterparts, according to a recent story the New York Times. While younger people are looking for someone to marry or start a family with, people over 55 are often finished with all that and are looking for companionship. Therefore seniors have a more relaxed approach and are more likely to focus on things like shared interests, making the whole ex-

perience less loaded and fraught with disappointment.

Overall, Karen reported that her experiences meeting some potential matches have been mixed.

She said she’s made some friends and had one eight-month relationship “I am more likely to call a man

on his poor behavior and my friends love to hear some of my latest dating stories,” she says.

Since people over 55 are using these online sites more, many senior-specific sites have sprung up to meet their needs.

Ourtime.com, for example, is a site for people 50 and over. The AARP also has its own dating site (http:// dating.aarp.org). General dating sites like match.com and eharmony.com will also have a large number of senior members, with match.com saying that almost a third of its members are over 50.

If your faith is important to you, Christianmingle.

com o r Jdate. com may be good places to start. Those who enjoy the rural life have their own site at farmersonly.

com.

Most dating sites have an area of “success stories” where you can read about users that have successfully met a long-term partner on the site.

I met my own husband of four

years online, though I was in my 20s at the time. I know many people of all ages who have met their partners online. However most of us have also had mixed experiences like Karen did before she found the right match.

In my experience, online dating takes some weeding through and making sure you have your guard up at first as some people take advantage of the anonymity that online can offer.

For example, Karen tells a story of how she once went out with a man who said he was separated.

“I asked how long he was separated for,” she says, “and he told me that he moved into the basement two weeks ago and he wasn’t sure if his wife even knew they were separated!”

Needless to say she ended that date quickly.

Online dating has become extremely common and acceptable and there is no need to be embarrassed about looking for love on the Internet.

However, it is important to use basic safety measures like only meeting in

public places, providing your own transportation, and not giving out any of your personal information.

Some places in Rochester that make great places to meet up for the first time are coffee shops around Park Avenue, such as Magnolia’s Deli & Café. Further south, the Cole & Parks in Victor can also be a great place to set up a first meeting. Coffee shops are good because if it doesn’t go well you can end the date without having to wait until the meal is over or the check comes, like in a restaurant.

Many dating sites will also have an area with tips for dating safely. The safe dating tips on ourtime.com also notes that staying sober is important and stresses never send money to anyone for any reason. Trust your intuition if you feel like something is off or unsafe in any way. Karen agrees with this and adds, “Remember the person is trying to show you his best side at the beginning. If he doesn’t love his mother or seems to get angry a lot, run.”

Top 5 Online Dating Services in 2016 Here are the top online dating sites for active adults as ranked by www.consumer-rankings.com.

• www.zoosk.com

• www.eharmony.com

Zoosk is tops in the industry in how they match compatible mature singles and in the attractiveness of their members.

Mature singles seeking a deeper connection based on more than music preference should give eHarmony a try. Millions of people of all ages have used eHarmony’s compatibility matching system to find compatible long-term relationships.

• www.ourtime.com OurTime caters to mature users over the age of 50, simplifying the online dating process to help its members succeed in finding true companionship.

• www.match.com An online dating heavyweight since 1995, Match gets high marks for the giant size of their membership base (and the options it offers mature singles everywhere in the US and Canada). With in-person mixers, a time-proven matching algorithm, and a six-month guarantee, Match is a premier option to meet other mature singles.

• dating.elitesingles.com EliteSingles is an ideal option for mature, sophisticated daters looking for something a little more serious at this point in their lives. Its thorough personality test is designed to only connect members with the best possible matches, understanding that senior daters are more confident about what they want. Thankfully, the website is also a breeze to work around, overruling the myth that online dating is just for kids.

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profile

Schilling relaxes at his Fairport home going through some of his books.

Rochester’s ‘Walking Museum’ Donovan Schilling, 82, has been collecting Rochester memorabilia since he was a little boy. Now he writes books about local history (18 so far), gives presentations and works on a historical exhibit project

By Todd Etshman

W

e’re going to a birthday party,” Rochester history author, Donovan Schilling, told a Penfield Recreation Department’s adult education audience in January.

The ‘party’ was Rochester’s 100th birthday party in August and September of 1934. An estimated 100,000 came downtown on Aug. 12 to watch The Pathways to Progress pageant parade of colorful floats depicting the city’s century of progress.

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Meticulously constructed facades of notable downtown buildings were on display and numerous events held in what today is Edgerton Park.

Centennial planners used a similar celebration in Chicago as a guide.

“Everyone wore a hat, Panama hats in particular,” Schilling noted. Numerous shows and events including alligator wrestling and diving horses took place in what the Democrat and Chronicle called the “Biggest Show in the History of the Town.”

In the midst of the great depression, it was a great thing for the city of Rochester, Schilling explained as he displayed slides of the centennial event that is also the subject of one of his 18 books, titled “A Century on Parade.”

The presentation is one of many the Fairport native gives around town. History is mixed with a dose of humor in Schilling’s writing and presentations. “You have to have a name like Donovan to be a writer,” he says

of the books that he strives to make interesting despite the fact they’re written, “without any sex in it.”

Schilling’s historical books tell Rochester’s history through vintage images obtained from his decades of research, but in 2010, Schilling wrote a historical fiction book about the Erie Canal called “A Towpath Tale.” He used one of his ancestors who actually worked on the canal as a teenaged hoggee driving horses and mules along the Erie’s dusty and muddy towpath in 1884 as the book’s principal character, Joshua Ford.

“If you’re going to write a book like this you have to have enough characters to have a dialogue,” he explained, “and I wanted to write it so the young and old could enjoy and understand the making of Governor DeWitt Clinton’s Grand Erie Canal.”

It seems there aren’t many aspects of local history Schilling hasn’t covered, but he sees no end in sight.

He’s considering a history of Rochester firefighters for his next book. His wife, Yolanda, serves as his long time proofreader. His prodigious body of work would not be possible without her support says the author, who is more comfortable talking about historical events such as the downtown flour mill explosion from petroleum solvent in December 1884 or the Rochester to Batavia world train speed record set in 1893, than he is about himself.

In addition to his books, Schilling has created exhibits of products made in the Rochester area through the years, made of wood and metal. Examples of his exhibits can be seen at the New York Museum of Transportation in Rush. Working on the exhibits in his basement helped the career educator unwind from the pressures of his job before he retired in 1991.

“He has an excellent collection of memorabilia,” says town of Penfield recreation supervisor, Pamela Gerace-Mount. Gerace-Mount found Schilling when she was looking for people in the community with historical knowledge to share with patrons in a lifelong learning program she initiated in 2010. “He’s a walking museum. He’s been collecting since he was a little boy,” she said of the former middle school principal and teacher, now 82. “It’s invaluable what he’s been able to give our community and preserve for generations to come,”

Donovan Schilling during a presentation in January at Penfield Recreation Department. His focus was what the Democrat and Chronicle called at the time, “Biggest Show in the History of the Town,” Rochester’s 100th birthday party. An estimated 100,000 came downtown on Aug. 12 1934 to watch The Pathways to Progress pageant parade of colorful floats depicting the city’s century of progress.

she said. “Nobody knows as much about Rochester history as he does.”

“If I want a thread of local history, he’s one of the main sources for it,” says Penfield Recreation Department special programmer, Nelson Carman.

“Popular history is what I would call it.”

Schilling uses the example of Tarzan swinging from one vine to the next to describe the historical research he loves to do. Like Tarzan, he says, you must keep reaching for another vine to move forward. “You must always have something to look forward to in life even if it’s just the little things. You have to do something every day.”

For Schilling, who has also been a High Falls tour guide in the cradle of Rochester’s old flour industry (Browns Race) and Rochester Museum & Science Center teacher, it’s a never-ending forest of historical exploration to swing through.

How will Rochester residents of the future depict the current times we live in? Schilling says there will always be people like him to look back at the good, the bad and the ugly such as the “not too well thought out” Rochester ferry.

Irondequoit resident Donald Messina met Schilling at the Rochester Historical Society and wants to

make Rochester’s history and Schilling’s work available to city and Convention Center visitors and residents at a downtown attraction inside the Sibley Building. “We’re working on having a café, historical exhibit, information center on the first floor of the Sibley Building,” Messina explained of the project he hopes City Hall will approve.

Messina, an amateur architect, has gone so far as to have Irondequoit High School engineering students draw up plans for the space that would include Schilling’s voice giving historical narrative to slides and exhibits in what Messina calls a lunch time atmosphere.

Messina says it’s a political thing he wants to see the Winn Corporation, the Sibley Building developer, incorporate as part of the development plan. “I don’t want his resources to be wasted,” Messina explained. “You want to get people downtown and this is a great place and a great way to do it,” he says. Messina said the next step in the plan is to get a cost estimate from an engineering firm and to include Robert Duffy and the Rochester Business Alliance in the proposal.

Until then, Schilling will keep busy doing what he’s always done: finding and sharing Rochester’s past with its residents today.

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cover

Electric Vibe

House of Guitars in Rochester iconic in eyes of musicians, music lovers

By Amy Cavalier

W

elcome to Armand and Bruce Schaubroeck’s empire, legacy and opus, the great House of Gui-

tars.

Located in the old Grange Hall in Irondequoit and often billed as the largest guitar store in the world, it is literally packed to the rafters with over 10,000 new, used and vintage guitars ranging in price from $60 to $50,000. It also features amplifiers, drum equipment and other instruments along with a collection of vinyl records, cassette tapes, compact discs, videos and T-shirts.

Round it off with rock memorabilia including everything from a pair of Elvis’ leather pants and John Lennon’s military jacket to a Les Paul signed by Jimmy Page and a fiddle autographed by Charlie Daniels, and you’ve got a regular tourist attraction.

Over the past 50 years, brothers Armand, 72, and Bruce, 68, have gone from barely turning a profit to earning national notoriety. In July 1988, an Australian band set the record for “loudest pop group” at the House of Guitars, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 1994, the store was featured on the big screen when one of the characters in the movie PCU wore a House of Guitars shirt throughout the film.

In 2014, The Music Trades listed the House of Guitars among the top-200 largest music stores in America. That same year, HOG, as it’s also known,

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was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

Over the past 50 years, thousands of musicians have graced the stage, autographed a wall or merchandise in the store, hosted a music clinic or purchased instruments from the House of Guitars in Rochester.

Doris Schaubroeck’s House of Guitars Long before the House of Guitars earned celebrity status and put Rochester on the musical map, it all began in their mother’s basement in Irondequoit.

Armand, Bruce and their brother Blaine and sister Beryl were raised by their mother Doris who worked in a factory to support the family. Their father, a World War II veteran, was hospitalized in the Canandaigua veteran’s center for most of their childhood.

Doris scraped together enough money to buy Armand an electric guitar, Blaine an accordion and Bruce a snare drum. Beryl got dance lessons.

“Blaine got gypped,” said Bruce.

At 17, Armand was sent to Elmira Correctional Facility for over a year, plus another 18 months of probation, for his role in a school burglary.

By 1964, the year the Beatles came to America, he had turned his act around and was working at Skip’s Meat Market by day and selling guitars and art supplies out of his mother’s basement by night.

Bruce, meanwhile, was holding down three paper routes, putting all the earnings toward the business.

“That was my share of the startup money in the humble beginnings,” he said. “I wouldn’t spend anything; girlfriends and things like that, forget it. I didn’t have time.”

While their teenage friends were hanging out in their mother’s basement, banging away on electric guitars and drums, Armand was upstairs meeting with musical equipment salesmen from Chicago and Boston.

“Riding on the coattails of the British invasion, we were selling a lot of guitars every night,” said Armand.

The Schaubroeck brothers’ small basement start-up was nothing like their competitors — music stores where instruments were kept under lock and key in glass cases and teenagers were not allowed in unless accompanied by an adult.

“The other music stores at the time didn’t have anything for under $300,” Armand said. “We had guitars for $30, $50 and $60. We bought lower-priced brands that were popping up all over the place and we had kids saving money and trading up all the time.”

Armand and Bruce were catering to the growing wave of young aspiring rock ‘n’ roll musicians and electric guitars were about to explode.

Armand recalls traveling to Syracuse on Trailway buses with a pocketful of cash for a shot at purchasing some

Brothers Armand (left) and Bruce Schaubroeck.

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of the 20 or so Höefner 500/1 violin basses made popular by Paul McCartney being brought into the United States from Germany.

“I’d buy 12 or 13 of them and bring them back on the bus,” he said.

“I would stand from Syracuse to Rochester with a rope around me and all the boxes in the middle aisle. The bus driver would be grumbling that he should charge me more.”

The Schaubroeck brothers were also the first to distribute Vox amps in the U.S., made popular by The Rolling Stones. Things were progressing well when the proverbial record scratched.

“Mom would come out of work, she’d be totally exhausted mentally and physically, and she’d see teenage kids all over her house and salesmen in three-piece suits with suitcases out; these sharks taking money from her babies,” said Bruce. “She hit a breaking point and threw everybody out.”

Finding a home By 1965, Armand’s probation was up. He and Bruce established their first House of Guitars location at Clinton Avenue and Norton Street in a house with a big display window in it. Unable to afford the insurance, they would sleep in the store in the early years so no one would break in.

“I had a big piece of cardboard labeled ‘Bruce’s Posturepedic. Don’t touch!’” said Bruce.

“We kind of slept behind the amps,” said Armand.

The two brothers also saved money by relying on public transportation, cabs and walking. Armand has still not gotten a license. Bruce started driving in his 50s.

“When the store started, it takes full force,” he said. “You’ve got no life. You’ve got to have 100,000 percent just to make it work.”

In 1966, the store moved to a new location across from St. Michael’s Church and the Hochstein School of Music, and in 1967, they relocated to Charlotte. Next door, they operated a coffee house called Black Candle and later Studio 9, where they recorded famous musicians such as Jerry Porter and Son House.

“Up until then, it just seemed like 30

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we were living for free,” said Armand.

“In Charlotte, it seemed like we were starting to make some money.”

In 1968, the brothers opened a second location at 695 Titus Ave. and hired their first employee. The Charlotte store closed in 1969 while another opened in Henrietta for a short time. The HOG landed in its current location in 1972, expanding over the years through the addition of three adjacent buildings. Initially, it wasn’t an easy sell, though.

“We won on an appeal,” Bruce recalls. “We had money on it since 1970.

We occupied it in 1972. The Irondequoit town officials were nervous of us because we were young and we attracted hippies. A lot of the things they were worried about weren’t true.”

Cooler than Hollywood The House of Guitars began attracting famous musicians from the start, quickly earning a reputation as a venue that drew big audiences willing to spend money.

“The wall of autographs is getting so thick with signatures, it’s hard to find room to write,” said Armand.

“Over the years, we’ve become really good friends with a lot of the bands.”

The Schaubroeck’s have shot television commercials with Ozzy Osbourne and the Ramones and Aerosmith once did a photo shoot for a magazine in the House of Guitars over a three-day period. The store was open, but the staff was told not to tell anyone, even customers in the store.

“We kept our word,” recalls Bruce. “If people asked, we’d say ‘you’ll have to ask him’.”

In November, the HOG hosted a free drum clinic featuring Lauren Hill’s drummer James ‘Biscuit’ Rouse and its 19th annual drum clinic featured Shawn Drover from Megadeth, plus a drum contest for area youth.

In December, Rochester-native Lou Graham did a book signing and free performance. The HOG also hosts free concerts outdoors on the I-Square Stage during the summer.

“We try to do stuff all the time to excite the marketplace and keep

it fun and keep everyone involved, so anytime you walk in here, we always have something going on,” said Bruce.

Another draw is the collection of rare vintage guitars, many of which are not actually for sale.

“They’re irreplaceable,” said Armand. “Once something is no longer made, it just continues to climb in value. We’ve had Japanese companies in here wanting to buy every rare guitar.

They would have bought them. They weren’t concerned with the price. We just had to say no.”

The House of Guitars caters to musicians of all levels, from those just starting off to those already established. The store features a music school, a recording studio and record label, as well as a stage located in the center of the guitar department which hosts live, free shows almost every weekend featuring both national touring acts and local bands alike.

“Most of the people at House of Guitars either want to make it in a band or become a recording engineer or DJ or something to do with music,” said Armand. “They’re the ones we usually hire because to them it’s not so much work.”

Tommy Brunett, a Rochester musician who has played with the likes of The Marshall Tucker Band, the Lumineers, ZZ Top and Modern English, said Armand and Bruce are supportive of the area music scene, providing equipment for bands at benefits and festivals.

“They make things as affordable as they can for musicians,” said Brunett, who has worked at the House of Guitars and recorded on Armand’s record label Mirror Records.

An artist himself, Armand also played in a few bands and produced a few records in his youth. In the 1960s, he befriended American pop artist Andy Warhol who agreed to listen to some of Armand’s band’s recordings.

Warhol made efforts to produce an off-Broadway play about Armand’s prison experience and later a movie, but everyone in the band worked at the store and could not devote time to Warhol’s project.

In 1972, Armand joined with his

“It’s been a lot of work, but we know nothing but hard work,” says Bruce, left, with his brother Armand.

brothers Bruce on drums and Blaine on bass for a three-record vinyl album: “A Lot of People Would Like to See Armand Schaubroeck … Dead.”

“Musicians mean a lot to us because they’re a lot like artists,” said Armand. “They’re going to do their music anyway, even if they don’t make it and they hold two day jobs to raise a family, but their heart is into music and they’ll never stop. That’s why people should be kind to them.

It’s an up-and-down world.”

Family legacy A typical day at the House of Guitars is a monthlong, Bruce said.

“Any plans you have, forget them,” said Armand in all seriousness. “It’s hard to plan. The shows or spontaneous people take you over.

We have to like what we’re doing or we’d be miserable.”

There seems to be absolutely no logical rhyme or reason to the House of Guitars maze-like layout, but ask an employee and he or she will more than likely be able to find what you’re looking for. Bruce’s son Michael Schaubroeck, 28, said he thinks the store’s haphazard inventory system is part of what appeals to musicians.

“Creating music is kind of a

messy process so when people come in I think they feel at home,” said Michael. “It’s not spiffy. It’s grounded.

It’s real. It’s rock ‘n’ roll.”

Armand and Bruce estimate they have about 30 to 40 employees, counting family members. Among them is their youngest sister Beryl.

“I remember delivering meals to my brothers with my mother because they couldn’t leave the store because they were working every minute,” said Beryl. “I remember putting fliers on cars, whatever I could do to help.”

Beryl started working part-time at the HOG in 1975 to save money for her college tuition. Now a retired schoolteacher and assistant principal, she still works part-time behind the register or processing invoices.

Whereas once she used to work at the store to spend time with her brothers, now it’s to spend time with her nieces and nephews.

Armand and his wife Linda have four children and Bruce and his significant other Cindy have five children, many of whom who work at the store.

Armand’s son Aric now films the commercials and helps maintain the House of Guitars’ website and social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram along with Bruce’s son Mi-

chael.

“It’s impressive that the store’s reputation spread as much as it did simply through word of mouth,” Michael said. “Now it’s easy to get the word out with the Internet. Uncle Armand and my dad did it the oldfashioned way and that’s pretty remarkable.”

The first five years of business were extremely risky, admits Bruce, spending and buying more than they could afford, and knowing family members thought they were wasting their money.

“Fifty years of doing all these hours, meeting people, being successful, making this empire out of nothing, without grants or contributions, no rich daddies, it’s been a good one,” said Bruce. “It’s been a lot of work, but we know nothing but hard work.”

Doris did get to see her son’s dream become successful. She died shortly after the House of Guitars landed back home in Irondequoit.

Armand and Bruce say there are no plans to retire, but if and when they do, they’ll most certainly write a book.

“But the story ain’t over yet,” said Bruce.

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House of Guitars Mecca for Musicians Famed music shop in Rochester known for its wacky marketing tactics

By Amy Cavalier

C

leveland has the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Memphis has Beale Street and Rochester has got the House of Guitars,” said Bruce Pilato, president of Pilato Entertainment Marketing and Media.

It’s not unusual for bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers to roll in while on tour and purchase a $20,000 guitar or to receive an unannounced visit from Sheryl Crow looking for a deal on a Buck

Owens Gibson guitar, he said.

“It’s like a retail museum of music,” said Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielson of the House of Guitars in People Magazine in 1997.

“For a long time, they were rock ‘n’ roll’s best-kept secret but now they’re nationally known,” said Pilato, who’s brought bands such as Metallica and Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones to the HOG. “They’ve had practically every rock star in the world in there.

To this day, there are still musicians who book tours so they can come to the House of Guitars.”

Thousands of musicians, famous or on their way to being famous, from all ends of the globe have graced the stage, autographed a wall or merchandise in the store, hosted a music clinic, visited instore to promote an album or tour, or purchased instruments from the House of Guitars.

Those artists include Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Matthew Sweet, Aerosmith, Jon Bon Jovi, The Ramones, Mötley Crüe, Billy Cobham, Louie Belson, Robert Cray, Joe Walsh, Matt Sorum, Shawn Drover, James Rouse, Buddy Guy and Jimmy Page.

Before Pilato founded his own company managing and promoting bands and artists such as ASIA, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Lou Gramm and the Sex Pistols, he got his start working at the House of Guitars at the age of 16.

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“It was the coolest place on the planet, the kind of people that came through,” Pilato said. “One time I spent three hours helping Billy Joel test out keyboards. Peter Frampton would be there wanting to try out a vintage Les Paul and they’d ask me to take him upstairs and help him. And you’d get paid for it!”

Avant-garde approach to marketing The House of Guitars created a reputation for featuring an offbeat style of marketing that was creating local hype with eccentric and bizarre television commercials.

“They had two kinds of commercials — the ones you loved or the ones you could absolutely not stand, but no matter what the case was, you talked about it, you discussed it, and you wanted to know what it was all about,” said Pilato.

A friend from England who worked for Kodak would come with a 16-mm camera and after a 12-hour workday, the cameras would start rolling. What they captured was wacky, fast and

strangely catchy. The local television stations weren’t too sure what to make of the House of Guitar ads.

Station managers would send the ad reps back to the store to question them about the commercials.

“They thought everything meant something,” said co-found-

er Armand Schaubroeck. “Every word of the song playing in the background. They were over-thinking it. It was just a little chaotic.

We weren’t professionals.”

Commercials featured unique characters such as a gorilla, the Easter Bunny and Mr. Tomato, intended to soften the House of Guitars “hard” image.

“We’d have a bubble machine going and he’d come out in a white suit with a red hat with a feather in it, wearing a tie that said cute tomato or a red bow-tie,” recalled Armand.

“He was kind of like our Winnie the Pooh. He softened our image.”

The House of Guitars unusual antics and avant-garde cinematography captured the national spotlight and was featured on a 1980s HBO special on the history of advertising and innovative advertisers.

“They were doing stuff in the 1960s and 1970s that people didn’t start doing until the 1990s in terms of marketing,” said Pilato. “They were on top of the video aspect of marketing before MTV.

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volunteering

The Chain Gang: Group of women with various ages and background crocheting and knitting at the Chili Senior Center Center. The items they produce are donated to several organizations in the Rochester area, including Open Door Mission, Focus Pregnancy Center, Golisano Children’s Hospital, St. John’s Nursing Home and Hillside Children’s Center.

The Chain Gang Women get together weekly in Chili to knit, crochet their way into the hearts of many

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

E

very Wednesday afternoon, come blue skies or gray, a group of diverse women meet with one common goal: using their talent in knitting and crocheting to provide a need for the community.

Known as the Chain Gang, the group of talented hardworking women knit and crochet items with love for various groups such as the Open Door Mission, Focus Pregnancy Center, Golisano Children’s Hospital, St. John’s Nursing Home, Hillside Children’s Center, and the Lollypop Farm along with battered women organiza34

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tions and numerous city schools.

Founded by Virginia Whiteman in 2004, they have made baby blankets, hats, bibs, sweaters, chemo caps, Christmas ornaments, pet blankets and even Teddy bears. The Chain Gang is a group of women — spanning five decades in age — that has made the Chili Senior Center its home.

“Having a warm, supportive, caring place to come to makes such a huge difference in the lives of many people,” said Mary Ann Sears, director of the programs for the aging for

the Chili Senior Center. “People need to know they matter and are important, and senior centers are such a crucial part of senior living.”

While there is no official membership, the group has formed an incredible bond. You don’t have to know how to knit or crochet because your fellow member has no problem teaching you. Not everyone is from Chili and the group changes as people move in and out of the area. The fellowship is evident as you see people working and chatting throughout the afternoon.

“It’s just a beautiful group of women of various areas that want to do everything they can to make a difference in our area,” said Lori Ahearn, who has been part of the group for many years.

They rely solely on donations of yarn and supplies for all the work that is done. The group also performs a weekly “Show and Tell,” a highlight as onlookers get to see the many beautiful pieces of handmade work.

Some of these items are dropped off to the group, but most are done on site as they gather.

Whether it is making washcloths for the Volunteers of America-Upstate New York or just a few items for the Chili Public Library, they have seen the impact of their work.

“When I retired, I wanted to do something that made a difference,” said Linda Jones. “It only takes a little time to give back and we should all be thankful about how much has been given to us in life.”

Benefits abound For Sue O’Connor, it has been both a rewarding and learning experience to be part of such a dedicated group of women.

“I mostly do crochet and a little knitting with the help of the other ladies who are teaching me how to do

simple projects,” she said. “They are always willing to help each other out in any way, and who doesn’t want to be part of a group like that?”

Doreen Young was new to the area. When her daughter saw an advertisement for the group, she decided to check into it. She is so thankful she did.

“It just makes me so happy when we can give little kids something special, especially those who are not feeling well,” said Young, whose specialty is making Teddy bears. “The kids seem to really enjoy the bears.”

With the cold and brutal winters of Upstate New York, Connie Hicks understands the necessity to dress as warmly as possible. She knows not everyone is fortunate to have a warm home and thermostat to go back to.

“I love knitting scarves for the Open Door Mission,” added Hicks.

“There are people who are in need, and if we can provide just a little comfort, then we have done our jobs.”

Jean Buske enjoys making blankets for Lollipop Farms and making cute hats for cats. When talking about her experience, she is sometimes amazed at the impact of the group.

“You realize that your little enjoyable hobby does make so much of a difference. We have people thanking us all the time for the hard work we do,” said Buske.

Virginia Whiteman founded the Chain Gang in 2004. It is a group of women that has made the Chili Senior Center its home. Some of the items they make are baby blankets, hats, bibs, sweaters, chemo caps, Christmas ornaments, pet blankets and even Teddy bears.

Doreen Young holding a teddy bear she just made. “It just makes me so happy when we can give little kids something special, especially those who are not feeling well,” said Young, whose specialty is making Teddy bears.

Then there is always someone in any group that is there for comic relief and to keep the mood light and playful. Enter Ona Doyle.

“I tell stories and keep the troops entertained,” said Doyle. “It is easy because we are a fun group and just support each other in our time of need.”

Daisy Morris-Gardner has been with the group for the past few years working with them on different projects. “It’s a great combination of giving back and just being social,” she added.

In the end, these women with their conversation and hands working overtime provide a wonderful service to all.

“They come together once a week to socialize, share their stories, learn new skills, get help, but most of all to give back to the community,” added Spears. “They are a true inspiration to one another and are very patient with anyone that wants to learn, or may need a refresher lesson. It’s a true morale booster for all of them.”

If you have any clean yarn, any color or ply, would you consider donating it to the Chain Gang? Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays at the center, 3235 Chili Ave. They also are always looking for new members of the Chain Gang.

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lifestyle

Never Married

More than 65 million adults in the U.S. have never been married. We caught up with two local singles who talk about their lives

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

M

ost people by age 55 have been married —and some more than once. Whether still married, divorced or remarried, most have walked the aisle. The US Census Bureau states that as of 2012, 112 million unmarried adults live in the US. Of those, 60 percent have never been married.

Those who have chosen to walk life's path single sometimes feel misunderstood.

Stephanie, a 55-plusser from Baldwinsville who has never married, feels self-conscious about her marital status at times when among women who are married and have children.

Merlyn Hann, 77 36

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She said some of these women seem "afraid of me because I might be after their husband and they are skeptical of me because I don't have children."

She said she didn't wish to share other details of her life. She asked her last name not be used in the story.

Merlyn Hann, 77, of Rochester, has also never wed. Despite not driving anymore, Hann stays active at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Rochester, Lifespan ("I go there almost every day for lunch," he said.) and OASIS of Rochester.

Perhaps his age shields him from nosey questions about married status, since many men his age are widow-

ers. But Hann said he recalls only a few people asking about his single status when he was younger.

"When I worked, and we'd get together afterwards sometimes, people would ask, like at the holiday time parties," Hann said.

After earning a two-year degree in general business at Alfred State, Hann worked in Rochester at a few different jobs for several years until he settled into a long-term career. He worked in accounting with Security Trust, which became Bank of America, until his retirement in 2002.

When his single status came up, he told coworkers, "It's just the way things worked out."

Hann said that he went out with girls when he was younger, and "got along with the females pretty good, but I never got far along enough to marry someone. It didn't transpire into a marriage proposal."

Flying solo through life means no clipped wings for Hann. He savors his independence, feeling free to do what he wants, when he wants.

Though he lives alone, he's not lonesome. Staying involved at his church, Lifespan and OASIS keep him occupied, he said.

At Lifespan, he plays the dulcimer and hand chimes with bands and practices weekly for the groups' concerts. He also attends concerts at the Eastman School of Music and works on projects at home such as crossword puzzles.

At OASIS of Rochester, he sings in the mixed chorus, among other activities.

He also enjoys spending time with his family, including his sisters, who did marry, and nieces and nephews who have families of their own.

"If you're not married, try to find something you enjoy doing and I sort of did that," he said. "I've had people ask why I am [single], and I say, 'It's just one of those things and how it worked out.' That's the way it is and I go with it."

He doesn't see any disadvantages to his single life.

"I don't look at it as having negatives," he said. "I look on the positive side of things and that's just my attitude about life."

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3 — Enter your “Re-entry Number” and Social Security number. You will be able to continue completing your application.

Q: What is full retirement age?

A: Full retirement age is the age at which a person may first become entitled to full or unreduced retirement benefits. Your full retirement age depends on your date of birth.

For people born before 1938, it’s 65.

For those born after 1959, it’s 67. If your birthday falls between 1938 and 1959, your full retirement age is between 65 and 67. (The age for Medicare eligibility is 65, regardless of when you were born.) For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/retire/retirechart. html.

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second act

From left, John Brown, Mat Adams and Fred Kopp, all over 55, launched Kopp & Brown, LLC in early 2016. They agree that it’s not about age; it’s about keeping up with and embracing change in the world of brand strategy and communication.

Branding a Second Career 55-plussers making money, having fun

By Lynette M. Loomis

B

eing successful in the advertising, brand strategy, marketing and communications business isn’t about age.

It’s about a fundamental mindset, anticipating and adapting to technological and social trends and maintaining one’s passion for the business. So for the hundreds of clients and colleagues who have known

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John Brown, a writer and producer, and Fred Kopp, an advertising and marketing strategist and art director, it comes as no surprise that these seasoned professionals created a new agency in 2016 — Kopp & Brown, LLC (www.koppbrown.com).

They invited Mat Adams, a marketing communications expert, to join them as president.

“Actually, it’s most accurate to call us a branding agency, for we use much more than advertising to promote and grow our clients’ brands,” Kopp said. “Today’s technologies have surpassed the limitations of television, radio and print.”

“We’re senior citizens now,” says Brown, “but all along we’ve ridden the waves of new-age communications. In fact, we’ve been computer, Internet, and social media centric for decades.”

Kopp and Brown met more than 20 years ago, when Kopp was adver-

tising director for Wegmans, where he planned and managed customer communications, and Brown was creative director for Jay Advertising.

Some 30 years ago, Adams and Brown worked together at Blair/ BBDO Advertising in Rochester. “We each had the option to retire from the business, or to give it one more go,” says Adams, who was CEO of the Adams Colway agency in Rochester for years. “We have a philosophy that has charged our work ethic since the beginning — make money and have fun. In fact, we believe doing one without the other is unacceptable.”

“We love the business,” Kopp says. “There’s really nothing more exciting than helping make a client more successful. We get a rush out of creating the message to inspire people — the design, the music, the cinematography, and then seeing it all come together.

“Fred calls it a rush,” Brown quips. “Mat calls it exciting. I call it intoxicating.”

“Though communicating has taken new forms in the past decade, there are fundamentals we must never let die, though some have largely ignored them, added Brown.

“The most important thing we inject into our work is emotion, that is, the fact that people buy products and ideas with their hearts as much as they do with their minds.

What you think about a brand is one thing. How you feel about the brand is quite another,” he added.

Relating to customers BBDO in New York, an agency that changed advertising with landmark brands such as Pepsi and General Electric, trained Adams and Brown.

Both have since handled accounts such as Xerox, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Preferred Care, Bausch & Lomb, United Way and Wegmans.

Kopp explains, “The bottom line is, the three of us alone have more than a century of great communications experience.”

Adams said communicating a brand to a 55-plus aged audience takes experience to relate to them.

“Conversely, communicating to an 18-plus aged audience may require a youthful emphasis, yet the fundamentals of emotion still

apply, and in fact, can make a huge difference,” he said.

Kopp & Brown are discussing business with several notable new clients. Others they have been working with most recently include Steiner Cutting Tools, C&S Companies, Your Care Medical Supply, Children Awaiting Parents, and Hart Hearing/ Game Plan Marketing.

Brown said this agency is important to them on many levels.

“The stimulation to our minds in working in this industry helps us continue to grow and we all know that this is an important part of successful aging. When you own your own business, the hours you put in are, for the most part, a pleasure,” Brown said. “We are doing this because we want to. Our families are grown, our personal finances are stable so it’s not about having to work because we can’t afford not to. Do we work 60 hours a week?

If we are on a deadline, of course.

Anything can happen Kopp adds, “Working in the business for so many decades we are more likely to work strategically. We all can delineate what’s critical and what’s not. At one point in my early career I would stress out when something would fall through the cracks.

For example, when at Wegmans, I conceived the development of a very high-end, decadent food calendar as a holiday gift to customers. A lot of work went into its design. But, once printed and delivered to the stores, a concerned store manager called to inform me that the word “Calendar” was misspelled (as “Calender”) on the cover … the cover!

“While a lot of folks worked on it and proofed it, it got by all of us.

Fortunately we were able to go back to press and get corrected calendars to the stores just in time. And because I oversaw the project, I was the butt of jokes for a while. The lesson is that anything can happen at any time to throw a wrench into the works.”

Kopp said he got into the hab-

Promotional poster to promote new ad agency in Rochester, Kopp & Brown, LLC. it of double and triple checking.

“If that were to happen today, and things can go amuck in any business, I would take a deep breath and then quickly work through an immediate resolution,” he said.

Adams adds, “Being in the business these many years we all have war stories and how we survived them. In 1991 we had a client who was in the electric and gas business.

An ice storm struck and the lights went out all over town. Needless to say many customers were unhappy.

“The utility needed, along with turning the power on, to communicate with their customers. Because we really knew their business and strategies, we were able to give them literally overnight 19 ideas to explain the problem and what was being done to fix it. The ideas worked and public favorability remained high.”

“Bottom line? We love the field we’re in, we respect each other, we enjoy working with our clients and younger colleagues and yes, we are making money and having fun,” added Brown.

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giving

Early days in his volunteer career, Len Franklin spent a week helping build an elementary school in Kenya. “Practically everything was first-class manual labor, hauling cement blocks by hand,” the 85-year-old grandfather says.

A Special Kind of Giving Husband-and-wife team volunteers for nonprofits around the area

By Mike Costanza

F

or Lynn MacConnell and Len Franklin, volunteering is its own reward.

“It’s a way of giving back,” MacConnell says.

Down through the years, the husband-and-wife team has helped Rochester-area nonprofits raise money, comfort the dying and even travel overseas to lend a hand at an African

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school. The two began volunteering together even before they married.

MacConnell and Franklin began spending time together back in 2005, while recovering from the deaths of their spouses. Though she was raised as a Methodist and he as a Roman Catholic, the two found they shared a deep faith. In addition, their life experiences had given them a desire

to help those who have not shared the advantages that they’ve enjoyed.

Franklin is a retired real estate agent who saw the effects of poverty while managing properties in Rochester’s poorer neighborhoods.

“I gained a great deal of knowledge and education from underprivileged — from those people who were within the poverty line,” he explains.

MacConnell spent time with those who are less privileged while working in Rochester as a teacher and a psychiatric nurse. After retiring, she decided to combine her love of travel with a desire to help those in need. Back in 2005, she put the idea to Franklin.

“I said, ‘When I travel, I want it to be a part of giving back,’” the 75-yearold step-grandmother says. “He said, ‘Would you like someone that you know to go with you?’ How’s that for a proposal.”

The following year, the pair headed off to East Africa to volunteer for the nonprofit Hope Unites. For a week, they gave their time and energy to a Kenyan elementary school.

Franklin helped erect a new school building on the compound.

“Practically everything was firstclass manual labor, hauling cement blocks by hand,” the 85-year-old grandfather says.

MacConnell worked with widows who had lost their husbands to AIDS, and their children.

“We played games with the kids, kind of heard their stories, [and] very much heard the stories of the widows,” she says.

The couple married a few months after returning to the US. Since then, the Webster residents have given of themselves to a host of local nonprofits, especially CDS Monarch, Inc. MacConnell and Franklin have a special connection to the non-profit — her stepson lives in one of the agency’s homes.

CDS Monarch serves developmentally disabled adults, veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries, and senior citizens.

For the past four years, the couple has helped make Teeing off for Abilities, the nonprofit’s annual fundrais-

er, a success.

“It’s our annual golf tournament, which is our largest fundraiser,” says Taryn Mullen, executive director of The Wolf Foundation, Inc., CDS Monarch’s fundraising arm. “They’ve been involved tremendously.”

MacConnell is co-chairwoman of the committee that organizes Teeing off for Abilities, and her husband is a member. They spend months before the tournament soliciting the materials it needs, from food for the golfers to goods for its silent auction. Then, they help take everything from CDS Monarch’s Webster campus to the Monroe Golf Club, where the event is held.

“Three days prior to the actual tournament we were running back and forth to Monroe all of the time \with all of the equipment, signage and all of that stuff that had to go over — truckloads and vanloads,” Franklin says.

On the day of the fundraiser, the couple helps set it up, greets golfers, runs the silent auction and takes on other duties. Their efforts and those of the other volunteers helped CDS Monarch raise about $120,000 at last July’s tournament. MacConnell’s dedication to the agency has earned her a seat on The Wolf Foundation’s board.

Franklin and MacConnell have touched people’s lives in a more personal way, as well.

Each Wednesday evening, the pair spends four hours volunteering for the Webster Comfort Care Home.

The two-bed hospice gives those who have no more than three months to live the chance to spend that time as comfortably as possible.

“It’s a place where you help people live fully until they die,” MacConnell explains.

As the only staff on duty during those hours, MacConnell and Franklin give their charges emotional support, care for their physical needs and provide the medications they need.

When residents’ family members are in need of comforting, they know where to turn.

“They have a very kind of grandparently way of comforting the residents’ family members,” says Mary Beth Buckley, the hospice’s volunteer coordinator. “They’re just kind and compassionate people.”

Len Franklin is a retired real estate agent who saw the effects of poverty while managing properties in Rochester’s poorer neighborhoods. He now volunteers for several organizations in the area.

While some might find such work grim, MacConnell and Franklin enjoy helping others in this way.

“You’re doing something that you know is making their lives more comfortable,” Franklin says. “You could see in their face[s] that they appreciate what you’re doing.”

MacConnell and Franklin have

also set out to use their energy and skills to benefit those in the early years of their lives. They have applied to volunteer for The Center for Youth, a nonprofit that provides comprehensive programs and services for the area’s kids, and had hoped to make a difference in that organization as

Lynn MacConnell is a former teacher and psychiatric nurse in Rochester. Along with husband Len Franklin, she spends a great deal of time helping others.

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addyman’s corner

By John Addyman

Having the Grandkids for the Weekend

I

’m walking through the sunroom in the front of our house, picking things up after the grandkids left. We had three of them in our house over the weekend. Our home goes from tranquil to chaotic in five minutes as their energy bursts in the door and fills every room.

Granddaughter Lucie loves to sleep in the “princess” double bed upstairs, the one with the frilly pillows and its own set of quilts. Downstairs, Jaden and Jeremy sleep on the twin beds, each with a different kind of quilt.

What the kids left behind this weekend was a Star Wars project that kept them gloriously busy and enthralled from morning until bedtime. We went hunting at the dollar stores Friday night and Saturday morning for materials to make lightsabers — colored transparent plastic gift wrap did the trick.

The thing that impressed me about my grandson Jaden is that when we didn’t find what we were looking for in his favorite dollar store (Real Deals in Lyons), he went looking for the manager to get some help — and she led him to the gift wrap. As soon as he found that, Lucie and her brother, Jeremy, also needed their own supply.

Next, the kids worked on assembling their own lightsabers — all day. They used Scotch tape, construction paper, paper-towel tubes and toilet-paper tubes.

They found things to use as costumes. And they made masks.

Finally, Lucie allowed the guys to fix up her hair so she looked like the young star of the new Star Wars, Rey. I do not know how this happened, actually, but when it was all done, she looked great.

The guys must have been channel42

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ing their aunt Mary Kate, who’s an aesthetician, and Lucie must have mirrored the patience of her grandmothers, who are saints.

What struck me is that the kids — ages 7, 9 and 10 — did all of this without any help from my wife or me other than telling them where they could find what they were looking for. They were self-directed in every way, working cooperatively (for the most part) to get their ensembles together.

I remember being a kid and playing with the guys across the street and down the street, and we got into some interesting games, but I don’t remember spending all day making a costume — and then helping a sister or cousin with her hair so she could look the part, too, in an elaborate game. And if I did, I’d never admit it.

So how did my grandkids do all this? And with so little adult help?

Technology.

When they had a question about how to do something, they’d often ask my wife or me, but most of the time, they turned on the computer downstairs and looked something up. They printed photos of the characters. They made prints of the mask that the bad guy, Kylo Ren, wears in the movie and reconstructed it themselves.

They went on YouTube for a video on how to build a lightsaber. And they constructed their own story, using the costumes to make

it more vivid.

In my youth, such a project would have taken me a week. And because research was involved, it would have meant trips to the library.

Jaden loves the library.

That’s where he goes to play Minecraft. That’s where they have LEGO night and tech night. That’s where they have school-vacation activities and art classes. The library!

Oh yes, they also have books in there.

I went to the library as a volunteer summer aide when I was in seventh grade. I learned the Dewey Decimal System so I could put books away. It was a really boring job. In the summertime, the librarian was adding new books, taking out old ones, and hosting summer programs.

It was a busy place many days… but not Minecraft or LEGO busy.

If it wasn’t a book or a magazine, our librarian wasn’t interested in it.

And she was a woman who went through life so slowly you could watch dust settle on her shoulders.

As clever as my three grandkids are, it was Jeremy, the youngest, who really floored us.

He won

a blue ribbon at his school’s ”Invention Convention.” His idea?

Boot warmers. He thought it through, and found materials (rice, I think) that he could put in socks, placed the socks in the microwave to heat everything up, then stuck the boot-warmers into his boots. The boots were nice and toasty when he was all done. He wrote everything up for his project, provided photos and descriptions, and put together a presentation. And he won!

As a grandparent, I’m really proud of all my grandkids (I have two more in Denver I want to know a lot better), but all of this early talent and brainpower have me a little worried. I started thinking over what my dear wife and I might be looking forward to in a couple of years…

“Dad,” my daughter Amy will text, “thanks for taking the kids for the weekend. Lucie is working on a lab about protein synthesis in garden slugs and Jeremy has an assignment in quantum physics…something about a Higg’s boson’s particle, I think. He may be setting a collider up in your back yard. And Lucie has to go out at 4:30 a.m. to collect slugs.”

Right after that, the phone will ring and my daughter Elisabeth will be on the other end. “Dad,” she’ll say, “thanks for taking Jaden this weekend. He’s developing a 3-D website for the football team.

He’ll have his processor and three or four monitors. You upgraded the electricity in the house, right?”

My wife is looking at me as I put down the phone. I think my head is going to explode.

“Wait for it…” she cautions.

Not 10 seconds pass…

The phone rings again. It’s my third daughter, Mary Kate, in Denver.

“Dad,” she says, “I just put Abby and Josie on the plane. They’ll be there about midnight. When you pick them up at the airport, make sure you bring some food for the wombats they’re raising for their school project. You have some trees and bushes you can uproot, right? And remember they’re on a vegan, gluten-free diet.”

I look at my wife.

“What are we going to do if we have great-grandchildren?” I ask.

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learning

Tai chi is a popular class at OASIS, an educational, social, and wellness resource for adults over age 50. Instructor Diane Machiavelli (center, front,) enjoys helping participants learn the easy and beneficial movements of this relaxing exercise.

Oasis Still One of Rochester ‘Best Kept Secrets’ Nonprofit offers educational, wellness and social program for adults over the age of 50

By Deborah Blackwell

N

early 30 years after its inception in Rochester, OASIS — a flourishing educational, wellness and social program for adults over the age of 50 — not only continues to enrich the lives of its members through its offerings, but is growing.

Serving more than 10,000 people in the Finger Lakes region alone, the organization’s mission is to offer stimulating classes and opportunities in a social environment to help mature adults stay active and engaged in their community.

“OASIS has been around for a long time, but is still one of Rochester’s best kept secrets,” said Ann Cunningham, director. “We’re trying

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to change that by going beyond the recreation center concept. This is where people come together to keep their minds and bodies active.”

OASIS offers more than 400 classes each year in everything from current events, history and politics to exercise, tap dance, meditation, chorus, cooking, computers, art, crafts, foreign language and much more.

“We are committed to lifelong learning, not just on site in classrooms, but out in the community,” said Cunningham. “We do tours of historical sites and local area markets. We have a potluck movie every other week at The Little Theatre. We offer discounted tickets several times a year for the Rochester Philhar-

monic Orchestra. We have wonderful opportunities for our members proving such rich traditions.”

OASIS, a national organization that formed in 1982 in St. Louis, has won many awards and recognition from the AARP, the U.S. Administration on Aging, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its outstanding contributions enhancing the quality of life of senior citizens.

Locally, it is partnered with Lifetime Care, a company providing home and hospice care to both adults and children who face illness, injury or death in the greater Rochester area.

"I think of OASIS as a 'commu-

niversity.' It's such a rich resource for those of us who want to keep learning and loving life,” said Theo Munson, community bereavement services specialist at Lifetime Care.

“Lifetime Care salutes the totality of good health. It's not just about physical well-being, but also social, emotional, spiritual, and financial.

These aspects cannot be separated."

There are dozens of local teachers, staff members and volunteers dedicated to OASIS’ three-fold approach to promote healthy living, lifelong learning, and social engagement. They enjoy the connections that come from being part of OASIS, according to Cunningham.

“We try to meet our members where they are,” said Cunningham.

“We have a lot of members who are going through difficult circumstances and we keep tabs on each other. I love that about being here.”

The support-based nonprofit organization not only offers classes and events for its members, but also supports other local nonprofits.

Located in the former Sears building on Monroe Avenue, OASIS adopted 18 children from East House, its neighboring nonprofit, and members created an angel tree, purchased items for the children for Christmas, and provided mittens and scarves, many of which were made by OASIS members taking a crochet class there.

Cunningham, who was appointed director in July of last year, credits former director Priscilla Minster, who through 25 years of service helped take OASIS from a small program

Ann Cunningham, director of OASIS, a national nonprofit educational organization for adults with a branch in Rochester, was appointed to her position in July of 2015, and enjoys her role helping support the mission statement of OASIS: to promote healthy aging through a three-fold approach of lifelong learning, healthy living, and social engagement.

to the expansive organization it is today, serving a four-county area.

“I loved coming to work each day knowing that OASIS was so important to the lives of thousands of people,” said Minster, of Rochester. “Members would stop in my office every day and tell me how OASIS had changed their lives. I also worked every day with the world’s best volunteers. They have a marvelous work ethic and dedication to the program and each other.”

Nearly 100 volunteers share time

at OASIS, answering telephones, helping with registrations, doing mailings, and also teaching classes.

“We have a lot of retired teachers who come to us and say they have an idea about a particular class and would like to teach it. People come and they want to share their love of learning,” said Cunningham.

Classes hold from five to 60 people depending on the type of class, and when popular, some classes even have waiting lists.

Membership at OASIS is free, but the cost of classes runs from $5 to $60. Scholarships are offered on a case-by-case basis so no one is left out of any available opportunity, according to Cunningham.

Iris Auerbacher, 82, of Henrietta started taking courses when her husband was a teacher at OASIS, and sometimes needed two registration forms to hold all of her selections. She loves that members come from different backgrounds, each having so much to contribute.

Candace Nelson, 69, of Rochester is both a member and a volunteer, who said that OASIS considerably changed her life. She said her favorite thing about the classes is that they are not only affordable, but they appeal to people with a wide variety of education, experience and interests.

“I was inspired to be a volunteer when a staff member said hello to me by name,” she said. “I love the opportunity to see people as they come and go to class, lots of times in earnest conversation, so often laughing and every single one of them are there because they want to be.”

Cunningham prior to her role as director of OASIS was an audiologist and since her youth was drawn to serving the community. She is excited to expand OASIS by establishing new partnerships in the area and looking at the needs of the community, who else they can serve, and how OASIS can meet their needs.

OASIS Rochester

Adult coloring is becoming a popular pastime for both fun and relaxation, and participants in color time class at OASIS in Rochester enjoy the social and artistic aspects of this creative hobby.

259 Monroe Ave. Rochester, NY14607 585-730-8800 Hours: Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. except holidays

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visits

Visitor at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure in Varysburg — half way between Buffalo and Rochester — have the opportunity to get close to animals

Hidden Valley Offers Animal Fun Great place to take grandkids, family

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

f your grandchildren love animals but have grown tired of zoo trips, shake things up with a trip to Hidden Valley Animal Adventure (http:// hiddenvalleyadventure.com).

Based in Varysburg, about halfway between Buffalo and Rochester, the 6o-plus acre park allows visitors to get up close to animals.

It features an hour-long, guided

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Wild Game Safari. Guests ride an open-sided trolley through the park where they can see more than 400 animals of 30 species, such as camels, zebra, wildebeest, llama, emu, bison, ostrich, and more without a fence between them. As visitors hold out their cups of feed at the various stopping points along the tour, the animals often approach for a taste — and maybe a gentle pat.

The trolley ride is available from May through October, or until snow flies; during the winter, the tour switches to horse-drawn sleighs.

Park admission includes unlimited access to the Small Animal Adventure, a walk-in area where visitors can feed and pet smaller animals. This part of the park offers smaller children a chance to pet creatures closer to their size.

"It's truly a unique experience," said Mike Powers, market-

ing director for Hidden Valley.

"There's nothing like it in the area at all. For grandparents to share the experience with their grandkids, you can't put a price on that."

Powers feels that the fun isn't just for the children.

"There's no age limit on wonder," he said. "All generations can find it here."

The park sells animal feed at the gift shop, though one cup of grain is included in the admission price. (Tip: save your grain because the kids will probably need a refill halfway through the tour.)

The trolley is accessible to wheelchairs and takes visitors through the entire safari tour; however, the small animal portion of the park is not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers.

The park doesn't allow outside food, so plan ahead to purchase lunch or dinner. Hidden Valley offers two dining opportunities, the Trailside Grill, which offers snacks and light lunches, and The Lodge at Hidden Valley, open for dinner and sometimes longer hours on weekends. Reservations are recommended for dining at The Lodge, a rustic timber frame building accented by cobblestones.

If you want to stay overnight and make your adventure a getaway, Lodge rooms start at $120 with a free continental breakfast. Nearby attractions include Charcoal Corral (ar-

Visitors feeding the elks at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure. cade, ice cream parlor, and miniature golf), Darien Lake Amusement Park, Genesee Country Village, Letchworth State Park, Palm Island Indoor Water Park, and Yogi Bear’s Water Zone.

Check the website for events at The Lodge, such as Maple Weekend 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 19-20 and April 2-3. The event includes an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast hosted by Boxler Maple Farm and the New York State Maple Produc-

ers Association. Reservations are recommended (585-535-4100).

Check the website for meal/ adventure packages, group, event, and educational rates, and season passes, which include a few other discounts. The general admission for safari tours seniors is $17.25; adults are $18.75; children are $14.75.

The safari tour depends upon the weather, so call ahead to confirm hours before making your plans.

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long-term care

By Susan Suben

LTC Planning: What Are You Waiting For?

M

any of you have probably delayed planning for long-term care (LTC).

Maybe you never experienced an LTC situation or don’t understand the actual risk of needing care. If you knew what the future held, the decision to plan would be an easy one.

Statistically, one out of every two women and one out of every three men will need LTC. Approximately 85 percent of nursing home residents are women. Every 60 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Will you need LTC? The risk is real.

LTC is generally for chronic non-rehabilitative conditions that require assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) such as bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, continence and eating as well as supervision for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. These services are not covered by traditional health insurance. Services can be provided at home, adult day care, assisted living and nursing homes.

In Rochester, average costs are $12,000/month for nursing home care; $5,000/month for assisted living; $25/hour for a home health aide; and $80/day for adult day care.

What is your LTC plan if and when your health changes due to an injury, illness or the normal aging process?

There are many options to consider: give your assets away, pay outof-pocket, rely on family or government programs, create an irrevocable Medicaid trust, reposition your assets or LTC insurance.

Strategy and its ramifications You can simply gift your assets 48

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away. But you lose control over them and the income they generate. What if you need more money to live on?

What happens to your assets if the person you gave them to gets divorced or is sued? If your intention is to be able to apply for Medicaid, there is a five-year look-back period that needs to be satisfied.

You can self-insure. But there could be tax consequences if you need to liquidate assets. Also, what happens to the standard of living of the well spouse or to your legacy?

Family members will hopefully want to help care for you. But caregiving can be emotionally, physically and financially draining, especially if the caregiver is still working.

Government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, do provide LTC but there are restrictions. Medicare pays for skilled/rehabilitative services only after a three-day hospital stay for up to 100 days in a nursing home. Home care is limited and ends once your condition is no longer improving. Medicare does not pay for custodial care associated with ADL, supervision for dementia care or assisted living.

Medicaid requires specific income and resource levels, which could mean spending down your assets. Applying to Medicaid requires five years of documentation. It was designed to pay for nursing home care. It typically does not pay for assisted living, and home care requires stricter asset and income levels.

An irrevocable Medicaid trust allows you to shelter non-qualified assets. This excludes pensions, IRAs and 401Ks. Non-qualified assets will be safe from a Medicaid spend-down if you satisfy the 5 year look-back period. However, you will be relinquishing control over them.

You can reposition your assets by placing them into a hybrid life insurance policy. A hybrid is a universal or whole life policy that has an LTC insurance rider. The death benefit can be leveraged to increase payouts for LTC. There are no wasted premiums.

The policy can be used as a living benefit for LTC or a death benefit as a legacy to your family. There is generally a one- time premium payment that usually comes with a money back guarantee. If you currently have a life insurance policy, investigate exchanging it, tax-free, for a hybrid.

Lastly, consider LTC insurance. It has received negative publicity lately due to premium increases caused by low interest rates, and it can be complicated shifting through the many companies and policies. But if you work with a qualified objective adviser, selecting the best coverage for your needs does become easier.

The main decision regarding the insurance is whether or not to purchase a traditional or partnership plan. The partnership plan allows individuals to protect all or part of their assets while still being able to apply for Medicaid if their LTC needs exceed the period covered by their policy.

Other considerations: How much of the risk can you assume? What amount of inflation protection is needed?

Claims history shows that most policyholders stay at home. You can easily design a policy with a daily benefit geared toward home care.

This approach can keep the premium affordable.

Planning for LTC is a necessity that should not be postponed. Being healthy will likely help you live longer. The longer you live, the more likely you will need LTC. Evaluate your financial situation, have a conversation with your family, review your options and then put your plan into effect.

Susan Suben, MS, CSA, is president of Long Term Care Associates, Inc. and Elder Care Planning, and a consultant for Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. She can be reached at 800-422-2655 or by email at susansuben@31greenbush.com.

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New county executive: ‘I remain committed to addressing the needs of our seniors’ continued from page 23 things their health declines and can often prematurely lead to higher cost institutional care and unnecessary visits to the emergency room. Monroe County offers a Health Insurance Information and Counseling Program through our partnership with Lifespan with the intention helping our seniors and their families keep up with current health care information.

Anything else you to add overall on senior issues?

I have been a part of planning, identifying needs, and developing innovative and strategic plans to help meet our older adult’s needs in Monroe County for years in my capacity as a member of the Council for Elders. I remain committed to addressing the needs of our seniors in my new role as county executive.

The council is an agency that

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo during a recent event. advocates for older adult services and services for caregivers; they are an integral part to improving the health and wellness of older adults in our community. I am proud of

my past work and I look forward to this new opportunity to continue to provide quality services and support for a generation who has given our community so much.

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last

page

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

Walter Cooper, 87 Penfield resident has been a pioneer for education in the Monroe County area. He has been awarded designations, had a school named after him and received an award last year from Lifespan for his life of educational service Q: How did you feel when you received the Hero Award?

A: I felt pleased that I have lived this long to be awarded. It was a nice recognition that I had done enough in the world of public service to be awarded. It is something that I continue to plan to do as long as I am breathing, walking and alive.

Q: Why do you believe public service is important?

A: I’ve always thought public service was very fundamental to the future of any community. When you are involved in public service, you are not only serving the young, but you are setting an example for them.

If we are going to be a more human and sensitive country, it has to be le d by people who understand the honorable work of helping each other. I believe in the Frederick Douglass philosophy that it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men and women. That is my guiding principle is that you have to invest in the future of our community. Institutions and organizations have to be constantly fed and resourced with strong people.

Q: Where did you develop that passion of public service?

A: I credit my humble family.

My parents had five girls and two boys and we were always taught that service is the main function of human existence. I can remember that living during the Great Depression years, even though we were poor ourselves, we always shared 50

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what we had with others. I transferred that desire to my two sons because I do believe each succeeding generation should do more than the previous one. To me, that is how you create a stronger community.

Q: What are your thoughts about having a school named after you?

A: It was definitely an honor. Education is another guiding principle in my life. It is the key to so many opportunities. In life, you want as many doors open to you as possible. You don’t want to do anything to limit your chances to succeed. If my legacy in this world is about education then I have done my job. It’s something that I see as a foundation of life.

Q: Explain your Dr. Cooper’s Summer School for Parents initiative A: There have been several studies including the Coleman study that looked at public education and concluded that the family is the primary determinate in the educational achievement of a child. Children do mimic parents’ behaviors. We ran a program for the first time last summer with 13 parents. We helped parents through the essential knowledge of what their child was going to be learning. We make sure to give each family a variety of books not only for the youngsters but for the adults and they are to keep track of the books they read. I believe the family component is so essential. I see the dissolution of the family as a major cause of poverty and the decline in academic achievement in our city.

Q: What do you think is lacking in families now?

A: Even though I grew up poor, we always had reading material at home whether it was newspapers or magazines. My mother was an avid reader and she instilled in us those habits.

I think there are not enough initiatives and programs that are helping kids either discover and continue to push them in the world of reading. There are enough studies that say if a child is not reading at grade level by the third grade, then the possibility of that kid graduating from high school is negligible.

Books will set you free or more accurately reading books will set you free. I was able to create micro libraries at the homes of city school children to help them become more proficient in reading by third grade.

Q: What advice do you have for the younger generation?

A: I just want this generation to understand the world is more about than just yourself. You have to have a guiding light when you are interested in making the world a better place. You have to find the time to volunteer and care about the environment around you.

Life is bigger than just yourself.

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