55 Plus of Rochester #77: September - October 2022

MONEY: HOW TO FIND YOUR FAMILY’S FORGOTTEN ASSETS

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Issue 77 – September / October 2022 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

roc55.com

Fall Foliage Fall foliage is coming to Western New York. Nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko suggests places in the region to visit during this time of the year. P. 40

INSIDE JOURNALIST SHARES PHOTOS OF HIS AFRICAN SAFARI • CANANDAIGUA LIBRARIAN: 48 YEARS ON THE JOB AND COUNTING • SQUARE DANCING IS KICKING UP ITS HEELS AGAIN

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55 PLUS | contents

MONEY: HOW TO FIND YOUR FAMILY’S FORGOTTEN ASSETS

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September/October 2022 Story ideas? Information about advertising? Email editor@roc55.com or call 585-421-8109.

Issue 77 – September / October 2022 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

roc55.com

Fall Foliage Fall foliage is coming to Western New York. Nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko suggests places in the region to visit during this time of the year. P. 40

To subscribe to the magazine, look for the coupon on page 65.

ON THE COVER

Letchworth State Park, Getty Images

INSIDE JOURNALIST SHARES PHOTOS OF HIS AFRICAN SAFARI • CANANDAIGUA LIBRARIAN: 48 YEARS ON THE JOB AND COUNTING • SQUARE DANCING IS KICKING UP ITS HEELS AGAIN

www.roc55.com

10 Savvy Senior 8 Dining Out 10 Financial Health 12 My Turn 36 Visits 62 Addyman’s Corner 64

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40 COVER

• Thinking about unretiring? Sam Campanella has some advice

• Best bets for local leaf peeping

18 SAVINGS

• Square dancing is kicking up its heels

• Cable TV: Cut the cord, cut the cost

20 MONEY

6

44 DANCING 48 DOWNSIZING

• Budgeting for and during retirement

• Moving services help people downsize and relocate

24 IMPACT

50 SAFARI

• Make a lasting impact

• Journalist shares experience of traveling through Africa

• Couple finds success running business

Mary Ferris, 71, a librarian in Canandaigua, has been on the job for 48 years. She talks about loving her work and the power of reading.

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14 RETIREMENT

26 SECOND ACT LAST PAGE

40

30 GARDENING • Meet the “geriatric gardner”

32 ADVENTURE • 80-year old in a wheelchair goes on a zipline ride to celebrate birthday

38 LEARNING • Organizations offer classes for boomers

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

56 MISSION • Sarah Jane Clifford: training kids in more than gymnastics

58 TECHNOLOGY • Daniel Teaches owner now over 55

60 HOBBIES • Memories and magic on wheels

savvy senior

By Jim Miller

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How to Find and Claim Your Family’s Forgotten Assets

orgotten or lost money is actually very common in the United States. According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, there are literally billions of dollars in unclaimed funds sitting in state treasuries and other agencies just waiting to be found.

These unclaimed funds are from accounts that are inactive or whose owners, or their heirs, cannot be located. Unclaimed funds can include things like lost or forgotten saving or checking accounts, stocks, utility security deposits, tax refunds, life insurance policy proceeds, uncashed dividend checks, matured savings bonds and much more.

This typically happens because of a change of address (the owner moved), a name change (the owner got married or divorced), or the owner dies, and the estate was unaware of the money or the heirs could not be located. By law, companies and financial institutions that can’t find the owner or their next of kin within two to five years must turn the property over to the state where it’s held indefinitely.

Where to Search

About 10% of all Americans have some unclaimed money out there waiting to be found, so it’s very possible your family or relatives had some too. To start your search, go to Unclaimed.org, which has links to all state programs that will let you do a state benefits search online for free. Or you can do a multi-state search in 39 states at MissingMoney.com.

Be sure to check every state in which your family lived, worked or did business. Also, make sure to check under their maiden names, and if they had a frequently misspelled name, search those misspellings too.

Using their first initial and their last 8

name is also encouraged to make sure everything comes up.

Every state can tell you immediately if your family has some unclaimed money, as well as how to go about collecting it.

Look Here Too In addition to state treasuries, here are some other resources that can help you look for unclaimed money that may have been overlooked.

• Forgotten retirement benefits: To search for lost or forgotten 401(k) funds members of your family may have left behind with an old employer, use the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits at UnclaimedRetirementBenefits.com. Or to search for lost pension benefits, use the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation trusteed plan search tool at PBGC.gov/ search-trusteed-plans.

• Lost life insurance: To track down a lost or forgotten life insurance policy, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an insurance regulatory support organization, offers a free policy locator service at https:// eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator.

• Unredeemed savings bonds: It’s very common for people to lose track of U.S. saving bonds because they are often given to children as gifts, then forgotten before the bonds reach maturity. To find out if your mom had any, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides an online search tool at TreasuryHunt.gov for finding matured, uncashed savings bonds over 30 years old and no longer earning interest.

• Federal tax refunds: Each year thousands of refund checks totaling millions of dollars are returned to the IRS by the post office. To look for lost Federal tax refund checks go to IRS. gov/refunds or call 800-829-1954.

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

roc55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Steve Yablonski

Writers & Contributors Deborah J. Sergeant, John Addyman Melody Burri, Vince Cariaga Kimberly Blaker, Lauri Van Hise Lynette Loomis, David Figura Mike Costanza Columnists Laurie Haelen Jim Miller, John Addyman Bruce Frassinelli, Christopher Malone, Sandra Scott Advertising Anne Westcott • 585-421-8109 anneIGHsales@gmail.com Linda Covington • 585-750-7051 lindalocalnews@gmail.com Office Manager Bernadette Driscoll Layout & Design Kris Adams Cover Photo Getty Images

55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester is published six times a year by Local News, Inc. at PO Box 525, Victor, NY 14564, which also publishes In Good Health — Rochester's Healthcare Newspaper.

Subscription: $21 a year; $35 for two years © 2022 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester.

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher.

How to Reach Us P.O. Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Phone: 585-421-8109 Fax: 585-421-8129 Email: editor@roc55.com Editor@cnyhealth.com

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The shareable Cali bites ($13) is a great starter.

Dining Out RESTAURANT GUIDE

SERVING UP LOCALS ONLY

By Christopher Malone

They serve coffee and cocktails.

And for third shifters, like myself, it validates having a morning or afternoon beverage as a treat.

Although I only imbibed water while eating breakfast for dinner, the thought of a nice bourbon drink crossed my mind.

The shareable cauliflower bites ($13) is a great starter. The bright small plate is presented with a smear of avocado sitting below a stretch of lightly fried cauliflower, pickled red efore the pandemic, one of the When at brunch, all seems right onions and banana peppers, basil and greatest trends — and let’s be with the world. You look to the group a dusting of parmesan cheese. The honest, it’s not really much of of friends or relatives you’re with and cauliflower, lightly fried, was delicious. a “trend” but you know how think of the great atmosphere, meal The singed cruciferous veggie never people get on social media and that you could probably do this seemed more appealing. and try to “influence” — was every morning for the rest of your life.

For burrito fans, Locals Only’s Sunday brunch.

Well, maybe. At least Sunday brunches take on the breakfast handheld ($16) is Restaurants jumped on this give you something to look forward to. not a small one. The small log consists (they ate it up) and Sunday brunches And then there’s Locals Only, of eggs, cheese and potatoes, plus seemed to get bigger and better located on Alexander Street in avocado and chipotle mayo to liven with more complex meals and craft Rochester. it up, all contained in a tight, slightly cocktails.

It’s the only building winking at seared wrap. Along with the spicy Mimosas, although still a favorite, people passing by. The restaurant is mayo, the dusting of pepper on the seemed to be playing second fiddle. open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Eatery on Alexander Street takes care of out-of-towners pretty well, too

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55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The sweet home avocado ($14) will get you singing; The morning

glory ($24) didn’t come out like the way as it looked. It was overwhelming, but for the better; Façade of Locals Only on Alexander Street, Rochester. It’s the only building winking at people passing by.

outside of the wrap adds to a slightly creeping kick. It’s not overwhelming, however.

Not only are the ingredients wrapped up snuggly, the seared outside really helps keep the food all together — literally. The burrito is easily cut and easily shared. If sharing isn’t your thing, expect to take home leftovers.

The sweet home avocado ($14) will get you singing. The open-faced sourdough toast is topped with an egg cooked to your preference. With the avocado as the food glue to hold it all together, my over-easy egg was joined by chickpeas. To top it all off: balsamic glaze and everything seasoning.

Aside from its look, the toast dish was nice and light. There was no shortage of flavor, especially with the balsamic drizzle. The chickpeas and the seasoning added crunch and heartiness. It disappeared off the plate faster than it came out.

This is a great spot to point out Locals Only’s online menu has photos

to go along with each item. It’s a great little touch, especially if you want to get an idea of what you’re ordering.

It’s a little spoilery, if you’re in to that sort of thing.

However, the morning glory ($24) didn’t come out the way it looked online. It was overwhelming, but for the better. The breakfast potatoes were seasoned very well and were crispy.

The three eggs — cooked as requested.

As for the brisket, I expected a few long cuts. Instead, it was a huge piece of beautifully savory meat. Served with au jus and scallions, the tender and fatty braised brisket was cooked to perfection, cutting so easily.

Before tip, the bill came to $71.60.

For those sitting at that Sunday brunch table saying you could do this and eat that every day, here’s your place. The bright restaurant is more than accommodating with food and service. The staff was especially friendly and upbeat, including Ian, who took care of me, and he was passionate not only about Locals

Locals Only 311 Alexander St. Rochester, NY 14604 585-537-7566 localsonly311.com facebook.com/localsonly311 instagram.com/localsonly311 Daily: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Only’s stake in the Rochester food scene but the industry as a whole.

Plus, Locals Only has a hip-hop brunch every Friday.

So, brunch lovers, if you’re looking for a satisfying place with quality food and fresh ingredients, swing into this place.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

11

financial health

By Laurie Haelen

Women: Moving Forward Financially After the Loss of a Spouse

T

he loss of a spouse can often be a devastating, life-changing event. Due to longer life expectancies, women are more likely to experience this than men.

Becoming a widow at any age can be one of the most difficult challenges a woman must face. Not only is there the emotional loss of a spouse, but also the task of handling everything — including all the finances — without the help of a spouse. Even if you’ve always handled your family’s finances, the number of financial and legal matters that have to be settled in the weeks and months following your loved one’s death can be overwhelming.

Before you start handling the financial end of things, though, make sure to consider your own needs. The period following the death of a spouse can be a blur of emotions, including shock, sadness, despair, anger, denial.

It’s important to allow yourself the freedom to feel however you want to feel.

Facing your loss can ultimately help you as you work to adapt to the new conditions of your life, so that in time you can create something new.

This period of adjustment, which can last for several years, is often a time of profound self-discovery for women, who may find themselves examining issues of identity, life meaning and aging. During this time, it’s important to surround yourself with people you trust — family, friends, support groups, professionals — who can offer support and advice that’s in your best interest.

There are several financial tasks that must be done in the weeks and months after a spouse’s death. If some matters are too overwhelming to tackle alone, don’t hesitate to ask family, friends or even your attorney for help.

12

LOCATE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS AND FINANCIAL RECORDS. In order to settle your spouse›s estate, you’ll need to locate a number of important documents.

These include your spouse's will and other estate planning documents (e.g., trust), insurance policies, bank and brokerage statements, stock and bond certificates, deeds, Social Security number, birth and marriage certificates and certified copies of the death certificate.

SET UP A COMMUNICATIONS TRACKING AND FILING SYSTEM. To help keep track of all the details, set up a system to record incoming and outgoing calls and mail. Make a list of the names and phone numbers of the people and organizations you’re dealing with and post it in a central location. Be sure to create a good filing system to help you keep track of the many documents you will accumulate in the process.

SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE TO SETTLE THE ESTATE AND FILE TAX RETURNS. Getting expert help from an attorney, accountant or financial and tax professional can be invaluable during this stressful time. Consider bringing a family member or friend with you to meetings so you will have an extra pair of eyes and ears to process information.

An attorney can help you review your spouse’s will and other estate planning documents and start estate settlement procedures. If you are

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

named executor in the will (or if you are appointed as the personal representative), you will be responsible for carrying out the terms of the will and settling the estate. You can also choose to delegate this responsibility, or pay an attorney to share the work to make it easier for you.

A tax professional can help you file certain federal and state tax returns that may be due. A financial professional can help you by conducting a comprehensive review of your financial situation and identifying any retirement and survivor benefits that may be available to you.

APPLY FOR BENEFITS. You’ll need to contact several institutions for information on how you can file for benefits.

• Life insurance: Life insurance benefits are not automatic; you have to file a claim for them. This should be one of the first things you do. Ask your insurance agent to begin filing a claim (if you don’t have an agent, contact the company directly).

Most claims take only a few days to process.

• Social Security Administration (SSA): Contact the SSA to see if you or your dependent children are eligible to file a claim for retirement, survivor or death benefits.

• Employers: Contact your spouse’s most recent and past employers to find out if you are eligible for any company benefits.

UPDATE ACCOUNT NAMES. You may need to contact financial institutions to change account names and/or update contact information.

EVALUATE SHORT-TERM EXPENSES. You may have immediate expenses to take care of, such as funeral costs or outstanding debts your spouse may have incurred. If you're waiting for insurance proceeds or estate settlement money, you can use credit cards for certain expenses or you can try to negotiate with creditors to allow you to postpone payment for 30 days or more, if necessary.

— Avoid hasty decisions. For discretionary financial decisions, go at your own pace, not someone else's. For example, don't commit to move from your current home until you can make a decision based on reason instead of emotion. Find out where you stand financially before you make any large purchases, sell property or loan money to others.

After the initial legal and financial matters related to your spouse’s death are taken care of, you’ll enter a transition phase when you’ll be adjusting to your new financial circumstances. As you navigate this terrain, you might find it helpful to work with a financial professional who can help you with the steps you need to take to ensure a smooth transition.

As you move forward with your life, remember that at times it may be two steps forward and one step back.

Take comfort in the fact that you are doing the best you can to make the best decisions — financial and otherwise — for yourself and your family.

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13

retirement Are You Thinking of Unretiring?

Here’s a bit of advice from someone who has done it Sam Campanella, 73, of Greece, is a certified business adviser for the state Small Business Development Center at the University at Brockport, with offices in Rochester. He recently unretired but is considering retiring again.

By John Addyman

M

any of us know the feeling.

It comes to you on your last day of work. You’re retiring and saying good-bye.

You’ve made some plans to be busy for the next few weeks, at least.

Home projects. Golfing. A quilt. Some travel. Visiting family. Attacking that pile of books in the corner of the bedroom. Binge-watching every Star Trek episode since “The Menagerie.”

Volunteering at church or in a civic organization. Running for public office.

But there’s a moment when an unsettled feeling rests on your shoulders that first night.

“After all those fun things I’ve been putting off—then what?” you ask yourself.

If you’re particularly restless, gifted, dedicated or competitive, your retirement may be rocky. The image in the mirror you check looks less and less like you every day.

“Now what? What’s next?” you wonder.

For many of us, the temptation to 14

go back to work eventually pops up.

Why not? You’re an accomplished person with senior-level skills in whatever it is that you did for so many years. You have great work habits. You have old-fashioned values that are disappearing today. You’re valuable.

And you’re also of a certain age.

If you weren’t in the job market after 50, you have no idea what the job market is like after 65.

But you may think you’re ready for the next adventure in life.

Maybe you are. But let’s get some perspective from a guy who knows a little about starting a business, no matter how old you are.

Sam Campanella, 73, of Greece, was retired. Then he got back to work.

Now he may retire again.

He is a certified business adviser for the state Small Business Development Center at the University at Brockport, with offices in Rochester. He helps people write business plans and gain experience and expertise.

A St. John Fisher grad, he worked in the electronics industry for 15 years right out of school.

“I worked my way up from

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

purchasing agent to senior vice president,” he said.

He then worked at a conveyor manufacturing company in Honeoye for a few years.

Meanwhile, he got some businesses of his own started on the side.

When he graduated from college in 1971, he owned an Italian deli.

“I had that a couple of years, but then I got really busy in my [day] job,” he said. “It was tough on my wife, who was pregnant with our third child.

So, I sold the business to the DiBella family.”

Then, he owned a chain of four women’ fitness centers for a few years, he added.

“I owned Snuggles Corner, a little bar parked on a corner right between Kodak and Rochester Products. It was a business bar. People would come in for lunch and after work for a beer and wings,” he said.

Campanella next bought Henner’s, the oldest liquor store in Rochester. It had opened right after prohibition. He had a space next door and turned that into Mail Stop. “We did everything the UPS Store does today, but it was my own concept. The liquor store did so well I eventually had to move it into the Mail Stop space,” he said.

He sold the liquor store to a partner and joined with another businessman to form Genesee Financial Corp. in 1998. They funded cash-starved businesses by taking over accounts receivables.

“I also had my notary license since my last year of college,” he explained.

In 1999, he had started working

with banks to notarize the paperwork for loan closings.

“People could now go online and apply for a mortgage or refinance their house. The bank didn’t have to be right in Rochester; it could be Wells Fargo in California. These banks needed someone in the local area to do closings. So, if you had a notary public license, you could notarize the mortgage and the note and all the documents that needed to be notarized,” he said. “They had a course online to become a notary signing agent. I took the course and started sending emails out to banks, saying, ‘Hey, I’m in the Monroe County area and able to do closings.’”

“I did that for 12 years. I had helped some of my accounts receivables clients by writing business plans for them. I discovered the SBDC and contacted them to refer a few clients there,” he said. “One day I saw in the newspaper that SBDC was looking for help. I had gotten my real estate license and was selling real estate. I said, ‘I’ve still got time on my hands,’ so I went to work for SBDC in 2009.”

In 2019, the SBDC staff was really stretched because of COVID-19.

“We were really busy trying to help all these people who were coming to us,” Campanella said. “Our clients were losing staff, losing money and we were just jamming them in, trying to help.”

The following spring, Campanella was seriously hurt in a car accident.

“I think I must have been knocked out for a few seconds because when I came to, my ears were ringing real loud, and it’s like, ‘Where am I?’ Then I realized I’d just gotten hit. They took me to the hospital. I had herniated four discs in my back.

“My brain got foggy for a while.

For the next three-four weeks I’m trying to work with clients and all the issues they’re having and things weren’t clicking. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time. I’m 70 years old, maybe it’s time to pack it all in.’ So, I gave my notice and I left on the Fourth of July 2020.”

WHAT RETIREMENT WAS LIKE

“ N o w re t i re d , I w a s d o i n g whatever: playing golf, working out at the gym quite a bit, exercising.

Fortunately, my son, Russell, is a chiropractor and I was at his office every week working on my back,”

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15

he said. “I’m still getting treated for Our big kitchen table became the that. The pain has subsided, but it’s puzzle headquarters. We now eat our something I’ll live with forever. dinners on TV trays. I helped with the “I retired because my brain didn’t puzzles,” he said. “I watch different feel like it was functioning well after news channels. I don’t like to watch a that accident. I just went home and lot of TV because you get hooked and chilled out in the summer, went in the become a couch potato. pool, played some golf, then winter “I didn’t really know how I’d feel came along and I said to myself, ‘What or what to expect in retirement. I had am I gonna do? I can’t just sit around.’” been a workaholic all my life. When I In December 2021, the SBDC director retired after 30 years in the office.

“At his retirement party, he asked me, ‘Hey Sam, are you interested in working anymore? We’re kind of shortstaffed. We lost a few people to COVID who didn’t come back,’ Campanella recalled. “I said, ‘I might consider it.’”

Two days later, the dean of the Brockport Business School called and asked Campanella to start right away — just before Christmas.

A year later, after working a shortened weekly schedule, Campanella isn’t sure if he’ll continue to work or not because he is going to be in Florida for four months every year with his second wife, Stella, who married him 27 years ago.

Sam Campanella and his wife, Stella, in Florida.

He can do the job remotely, but the SBDC will have to decide on that.

Meanwhile, he’s contemplated a wasn’t working in my own business, second retirement.

I was working in industry and I was What was it like when he retired usually in a management position the first time? working 40-60 hours a week. That was “I still got up and was having pretty much my life, other than going coffee by 7 a.m. I’m not much of a home and having fun with the kids. I breakfast person. I immediately get gave up golf and a lot of other activities online, check emails, check Facebook and hardly took vacations. to see what some of my old clients were “Having four kids and putting doing. I check Facebook to see what them through school, you don’t have family members are posting, to see the a chance to save the money you’d like kids and family members, parties they to save for retirement. That’s why were having, kids growing up.

I stayed longer working in the first “Then I would go and get an place: it was not only the love of work adjustment at the chiropractic office but to build up retirement funds as twice a week at my son’s office, which well.” is right in a fitness center. I could still work out. I did the exercises, did UNRETIRING weight-lifting and walking three days Thinking about unretiring? a week. If I wasn’t doing that, I was Campanella has some advice, based home doing house projects or reading on what he has done with clients. a book. But you get tired of reading “I’d sit down and talk with all day.” them,” he said. ”I’d hear what their Hobbies? background is about, what their life “Not really. Stella is into the interests are outside of work, their big 500- and 1,000-piece puzzles. hobbies, sports activities. Then I’d 16

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

ask, ‘What is it throughout your career where you always would say, ‘I wish I could try doing this and see if it that was something that could be created into a business?’

“If someone came in totally lost on what to do, I would consider referring them to a franchise company that offers multiple franchises and have them take a look at that. Even if they didn’t buy a franchise, it might give them an idea of something that might sound interesting.

You can start a franchise for as little as $5,000 or go up as high as $250,000, unless you go into something like a McDonald’s or Wendy’s, where you have to have $1 million of net worth.”

You’re talking a million just for the franchise. There are a lot of franchise opportunities for less than $50,000.

“I talk about family right up front with everybody,” he said. “I ask, ‘Do you realize how much time it takes to get a business started and keep it running? How does your spouse feel about this? Is he or she going to support it?’”

He also asks if the spouse will peacefully handle family responsibilities while you’re trying to start your business.

For senior citizens who visit the SBDC for advice, Campanella asks, “What’s your family situation now? Are you spending more time with your wife? Is she saying, ‘Get out of my hair and go do something?’

Or is she saying, ‘Let’s find something we can do together?’”

“Many times that guy coming in here who has worked in industry his whole life, who was a vice president of sales or manufacturing, now he just wants to do something simple, like a little print shop where he and his wife can both work there. There are all kinds of different things that are out there,” Campanella said. “I suggest you get family support and if at all possible, get them involved in the business. Beyond that, I think it’s a personal thing. We’re business advisers.”

Should SBDC decide to let Campanella go, Stella has already gotten a promise from Sam: “I crossed my heart and hoped to spit,” he said.

“I told my wife, ‘No more businesses.’”

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he exodus from cable toward streaming has reached its highest level.

With an average rate of $107 per month, the rates for cable and satellite TV are substantially higher than streaming platforms.

The a la carte nature of streaming appeals to many viewers. If you don’t care to watch sports, why pay for ESPN as part of a viewing package, for example?

For those who already pay for a high-speed internet connection, adding a couple streaming platforms provides a custom viewing experience more affordable.

Spectrum in Rochester charges $49.99 for an internet connection of up to 300 Mbps, which is fast enough for streaming programming. Viewers can watch live TV and stream new and favorite movies, documentaries, cartoons (for the grandkids, of course) and other new content.

Streaming platforms also allows viewers to watch on any device they want, download programs to watch later without a WiFi connection, and group watch with people elsewhere.

Streaming includes no-contract options, which is ideal for someone who wants to access viewing choices seasonally, such as more programming while “hibernating” during the winter but less during more active warmer months. Perhaps adding Disney+ would help during the summer while babysitting the grandchildren. Cable and satellite require contracts.

Streamed programs may or may not include advertising, but when they do, the ads are very short and infrequent. Some streaming platforms like Hulu + Live TV include broadcast television.

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

Streaming does bear a few disadvantages. During times of heavy internet use, views may experience occasional lag time. Internet outages also disrupt playback.

If you want to watch television via streaming, these options are much less expensive than cable or satellite: • YouTube TV: $64.99/month (100+ channels) • Hulu + Live TV: $69.99–$75.99/ month (70+ channels, also offers ondemand movies) • Philo: $25/month (63+ channels, also has on-demand movies) • fuboTV: $69.99–$74.99/month (111–166+ channels) • Sling TV: $35–$50/month (30– 50+ channels, also has on-demand movies) If movies and documentaries appeal to you, consider these ondemand providers, which work like a virtual video collection. Most of these allow a certain number of simultaneous streams, where members of your household can watch something different at the same time on their devices. Some of these services rotate what is available, so movies and programs come and go: • Netflix: $10 (6,000 titles, four simultaneous streams) • HBO Max: $10 (2,000+ titles, three simultaneous streams) • Amazon Prime Video: $9 (14,000 titles, three simultaneous streams) • Disney+: $8 (50+ titles, four simultaneous streams) • Hulu: $7 (10,000+ titles, six simultaneous streams) • Apple TV+: 5 (50 titles, six simultaneous streams) • FreeVee: $0 (9,000 titles, unlimited simultaneous streams, includes ads) Most platforms offer a free trial period to help you make up your mind.

« SOCIAL SECURITY «

Q: What is the average Social Security retirement payment that a person receives each month?

A: The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker in 2022 is $1,657. The average monthly Social Security benefit for a disabled worker in 2022 is $1,358. As a reminder, eligibility for retirement benefits still requires 40 credits (usually about 10 years of work).

Q: I am receiving Social Security retirement benefits and I recently went back to work. Do I have to pay Social Security (FICA) taxes on my income?

A: Yes. By law, your employer must withhold FICA taxes from your paycheck. Although you are retired, you do receive credit for those new earnings. Each year Social Security automatically credits the new earnings and, if your new earnings are higher than in any earlier year used to calculate your current benefit, your monthly benefit could increase.

Q: I'm retired and the only income I have is a monthly withdrawal from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Are the IRA withdrawals considered "earnings?" Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits?

A: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you're self-employed. Non-work income such as pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security benefits.

Q: I served in the military, and I’ll receive a military pension when I retire. Will that affect my Social Security benefits?

A: You can get both Social Security retirement benefits and military retirement at the same time. Generally, we don’t reduce your Social Security benefits because of your military benefits.

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money

Budgeting for and During Retirement How to create an accurate budget that works — it’s more complicated than you may think

by Kimberly Blaker

W

ith the average life span in the U.S. Now 78.87 years, and many more Americans living to and surpassing the age of 100, budgeting in preparation for retirement and during retirement is crucial to making your savings last to carry you through.

Without a budget, even some of the savviest individuals live with ongoing financial struggles. When finances are tight, creating and using a budget is vital to both preventing financial difficulties and attaining financial security. It can make the difference in being able to save for vacations, a home, or retirement.

20

THE NEGATIVE SIDE - CALCULATE YOUR MONTHLY EXPENSES Budgeting consists of determining your income and expenses, making necessary adjustments to your cost of living, and following your budget religiously.

The first step in creating a budget is to determine y our mont hly income and expenses. One of the biggest problems in budgeting (aside from failing to follow it) is the failure to include all costs.

It’s an easy oversight with expenses you don’t incur on a regular schedule, such as vacations, gifts, auto maintenance,

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

clothing, and entertainment. Bills paid quarterly or annually, such as life and homeowners insurance or property taxes, are often forgotten as well.

Another error individuals make is the temptation to budget for the bestcase scenario with fluctuating bills such as gas and electricity.

So be sure to determine the average cost over 12 months, or else budget for the high side.

Finally, small dayto-day expenses are frequently overlooked.

Over a month, these add up to a heap of change. This includes eating out, buying a newspaper, pet expenses or

stopping for a pop o r c o ff e e . O t h e r overlooked costs include replacing a toaster, repairing the garbage disposal, and the countless other repairs and replacements over a year. Brainstorm and create categories for all these types of expenses to include in your budget.

Now determine your monthly expenditures for bills that fluctuate from month-to-month by adding up the previous year ’s bills. Add 5% to account for inflation. Then divide by 12 to get a monthly average.

For categories like gifts or clothing, calculate what you spend in a full year. When totaled up, this is often an eye-opener.

Under this category, include outerwear, footwear, underwear and socks, sportswear, summer clothing, work wardrobe, and casual wear. Add the total expense for the year. Then divide by 12 for your average monthly spending.

THE POSITIVE SIDE – DETERMINE YOUR MONTHLY INCOME Determining your monthly income is simple if you receive the same amount each month in social security or pension payments. If you still work, just multiply your weekly take-home pay by 4.3 weeks since there are nearly 4 1/2 weeks in a month.

If your income varies because of commissions, overtime or selfemployment, calculate your average weekly pay, then multiply it by 4.3.

THE BALANCING ACT To determine the difference between your monthly income and expenses, add up each column individually. Then subtract total expenses from total income.

Hopefully, you’re earning more than you’re spending. If so, you can create a savings plan for travel, make additional deposits to your IRA, or increase your emergency savings.

If you have a negative difference, you’ll need to cut costs. Place a checkmark next to each item you can’t

reduce. This might include mortgage or rent and fixed loan payments.

Next, from the items that don’t have a checkmark, determine which are unnecessary or don’t provide real value to your life, and begin cutting or reducing.

Other items you can reduce include dining out, entertainment, vacations, and gifts. You might also be able to reduce some of the essential categories, such as clothing, grocery, and miscellaneous expenses. First, determine how much you must spend to have your needs met.

Then continue cutting and reducing until your budget balances, or preferably, has a positive balance to cover savings, emergencies, and miscalculations.

Keep in mind when making reductions, you need a realistic, detailed plan you’re able to stick to. You might want to devise a plan to reduce several costs rather than completely eliminate a couple if it helps reduce your temptation to break the budget.

Or vice versa. Just be sure to think it through.

DON’T GET SIDETRACKED The final step in budgeting is to stick to it. That’s where it’s easy to go astray. To remain within your budget, track unfixed expenses such as vacations, entertainment, clothing, gifts, and miscellaneous. Buy a ledger, and label a separate page for each category. When you dine out, log the expense to ensure you don’t go over your allotment by month’s end.

Also, keep in mind, when extra cash is floating around, it’s tempting to assume the money’s available to spend. Remember, your budget is based on averages. This means the extra $100 or $1000 sitting in your bank account must be available to cover another expense down the road, such as property taxes or car repairs.

Attaining and maintaining financial security requires selfdiscipline to live within your means.

By setting up an accurate budget and sticking to it, you’ll not only avoid debt and financial hardship but the stress that usually accompanies it.

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impact

By Lauri Van Hise

Make a Lasting Difference

by Taking Charge of Change

O

ne of the pleasures of getting older is the confidence that comes with the knowledge and experience you’ve gained over your lifetime. You know what’s important and what you want, not only for yourself and your loved ones, but for your community — the place where you’ve lived, worked and perhaps raised a family.

Perhaps you’ve gotten involved with community organizations and nonprofits whose work is meaningful to you. Through that activity you’ve found a sense of purpose. Soon you come to realize how much more can be done.

Then things happen that bring more urgency to your desire to see more done — a pandemic, racial injustice, civic divisiveness and so much more. You want to take action but are unsure how best to do so. You want to make a difference, but you also want your time and money to be well invested. In the face of significant, community-wide challenges, you might reach a point where you think what difference can one make?

You may not be aware that there is a way to make a lasting difference and have ongoing impact on your community.

Rochester Area Community Foundation accepts financial gifts from individuals, families, businesses and other organizations to make grants to nonprofit organizations in the region.

In some cases, where the money is directed is determined by the donors; in other cases, those decisions are made by foundation staff and reviewed and approved by a local board of directors.

You don’t need to be an expert on all the issues the community faces. The foundation’s staff fills that role. They have real-time knowledge and understanding of the current challenges and issues our region is facing, as well as of the nonprofits, 24

coalitions, and groups in place to aid those who are adversely affected.

And here’s the lasting impact part — if you make a gift to a permanent fund (an “endowed” fund) at the foundation, it isn’t a one-time, spendit-all-now gift. Your contribution grows in value over time, even as the

'You may not be aware that there is a way to make a lasting difference and have ongoing impact on your community.' foundation uses a portion to make grants, year after year after year.

Giving to the Community Foundation isn’t meant to replace the engagement you have with your favorite nonprofits and community organizations. It can, however, extend your desire to have an impact on community issues that you know are important — and to do so in way that lasts well into the future.

So, how can you take charge of change and make that lasting difference in our region? These are some of the permanent funds at the Community Foundation that accept gifts from anyone interested in addressing urgent community needs in a variety of areas: • Catalysts for Change Fund: Addresses the highest priority issues in our region; • Arts and Culture Fund: Supports programs and initiatives that promote access to and the creation of all manner of arts and cultural endeavors;

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

• Civic Development and ProblemSolving Fund: For programs and initiatives that bring people with a vision for demonstrable improvement together to create positive community change; • Economic Self-Sufficiency Fund: Promotes equitable opportunities for individuals to achieve financial health; • Education Fund: S u p p o r t s initiatives that ensure equitable access to all forms of education and training; • Environment and Natural Resources Fund: Addresses the pursuit of inclusive solutions to environmental and natural resource challenges; • Historical Preservation Fund: Supports initiatives to preserve, protect, and promote the historical heritage of our region; • Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund: Addresses the need for remedies to systemic inequities and injustices t o w a rd s t h o s e w h o h a v e b e e n marginalized; • Successful Aging, Health, and WellBeing Fund: Supports programs that ensure that our region’s residents can enjoy good health and be able to age in place; and • Youth and Families Fund: For initiatives that improve the atmosphere for raising children and strengthening families.

If you want to specifically support the county where you live, we have an endowment fund for each of the eight counties we serve — Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates.

For more information on these and other opportunities the Community Foundation offers, please visit www. racf.org or call us at 585-271-4100.

Lauri Van Hise is senior director of the endowment initiative at Rochester Area Community Foundation.

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25

THIS PAGE: Stephanie and Don Mogavero held executive jobs that allowed them to travel extensively.

They returned to their hometown of Rochester and in 2014 started Sequels Home Furnishings, which now has facilities in Victor and Rochester.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Showroom of Sequels Home Furnishings.

26

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

second act Couple Finds Success With Sequels Home Furnishings Consignment stores in Rochester and Victor sell previously-owned furniture, decorative accessories and artisan hand-made crafts

By Lynette Loomis

W

hen you’ve lived in 15 different homes in eight different cities, you collect a lot of “everything.”

You might even end up with four storage facilities in three different states.

What do you do with it all when it’s well-made and still in great shape?

Stephanie and Don Mogavero found their own answer when they created Sequels Home Furnishings in 2014.

The play on words is apparent — giving gently used pieces a new life and a new home. But it’s also the home of new careers to the couple who has been married 51 years.

Stephanie was a 20-year corporate marketing executive at DuPont. Her final assignment was as marketing manager for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. She was stationed in Brussels, Belgium, working with kitchen and bath designers across Europe. Don was a University of Delaware communications professor and then spent over 25 years as an independent producer of creative corporate communication programs.

“We were so fortunate to have careers that allowed us to travel to and live in different countries. Each cultural experience enriched our lives.

I also think we are both ‘collectors’ by nature,” said Stephanie.

“Certainly, seeing how other countries reuse and pass down furnishings rather than discard them, really stimulated our interest in a ‘greener’ approach when returning to the states.

Our name and tag line are our

mission statement. It says it all. We want to give quality furnishings a sequel in a new home, providing a second life for lasting quality as an antidote to a throw-away approach to furnishing homes quickly and cheaply,” explained Don. The business has expanded to nearly 25,000 square feet in their locations in Victor and Winton Place in Rochester. This summer they were planning an expansion of an additional 8,500 square feet. They have grown from the largest furniture and accessory consignment store in Rochester, to the largest furniture consignment store in Central New York.

People are constantly asking the couple when they’re going to expand into different cities. They have looked

at locations in Buffalo, Syracuse and Richmond, Virginia.

“We’re trying hard to keep winter weather out of the decision! It’s great fun buying thousands of dollars of furniture every couple of weeks [at auction], as long as we’re able to sell it...eventually,” said Don. This writer likens going to Sequels to visiting an art gallery. There is so much to see that one must circle the store, then turn around to view it all from another perspective. You don’t want to miss anything. Like an art gallery, styles can range from classic to contemporary. Unlike an art gallery, these originals are priced at a fraction of original prices.

Sequels’ approach is to consign or purchase quality, brand name, gently

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

27

used furnishings. They review and assess furnishings people hope to consign and select the best available items. They also purchase furnishings at auction from major markets along the East Coast.

“We often have pieces from different furniture manufacturers and retail hubs that may be design prototypes, manufacturer overstock, discontinued styles or models,” explained Stephanie.

Currently, 60% of their inventory is consigned and 40% is from the other sources.

Sequels has its own in-store refresh and repair department where every piece is prepped and polished for its new home. All these processes enhance the quality of the piece. The couple relayed a frequently asked question: “Is this actually used furniture?”

The company also has its own delivery crew.

“Not only is this more convenient to the customer, but our staff is trained to be respectful of and careful with each piece,” Don said.

Stephanie describes their customers as wonderful, loyal customers who understand the value of buying quality home goods that will last a lifetime.

“It’s fun to see parents bringing their adult kids in hoping to furnish their first homes with lasting quality rather than short-lived expendables,” she added.

Some of the more unusual items found at Sequels include: • an Italian settee from the North 28

Sequels Home Furnishings carries a wide variety of items for sales. Currently, 60% of its inventory is consigned and 40% is from the other sources.

Carolina beach house of famed film producer Dino De Laurentiis.

• a writing desk from Suite 212 at The Breakers, the classic Palm Beach, Florida, hotel • a pair of custom, commissioned Italian Murano glass table lamps from the owner of the Boston Bruins professional hockey team • a gold leaf plaster carved mirror from Sweden that appeared in the 1982 movie “Fanny and Alexander” from famous director Ingmar Bergman.

(They carried the mirror themselves onboard a flight from Stockholm).

The entrepreneurial couple summarizes their journey—“As our corporate careers wound down, we asked each other ‘What do we do now?’

Recognizing that we each had skills and talents that could be maximized in another industry was exciting and a bit daunting. Combining a passion with a business is a very rewarding experience. To do it successfully makes it that much better and a lot more fun.”

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

MOGAVEROS MOTTO: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

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RECYCLING reinvents a piece of furniture, such as an old TV armoire, for example.

The new larger TVs don’t fit in them but retrofitting them with cubbies or drawers makes them ideal for storage cabinets and, in turn, keeps them out of landfills.

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29

gardening Duane Pancoast: A Gardener for All Seasons ‘The Geriatric Gardener’ author shares tips for green-thumbed seniors

By Melody Burri

I

f there’s one thing octogenarian Duane Pancoast loves, it’s gardening.

Thanks to his open mind and gift for creative problem-solving, it’s likely he’ll be able to pursue some form of his lifelong passion — and help other seniors do the same — for years to come.

“I just like to garden,” said Pancoast. “I like watching things grow. I’ve got a beautiful yard that we designed and planted, and I want to maintain it. It’s relaxing.”

Armed with a background in landscape architecture and radio and television, decades of experience with Ted Collins Tree & Landscape, Birchcrest Tree and Landscape, interaction with arborists and landscapers nationwide and more than 60 years in the public relations field, the 83-year-old Victor resident has now turned his attention to writing.

In 2017, he launched his semimonthly blog, “The Geriatric Gardener,” which many say is well on its way to becoming a go-to resource for senior gardeners.

“It’s just something I want to do, just for me,” said Pancoast. “I had to learn the hard way how to work around my limitations and am hoping to save others from having to learn the hard way, too.”

“I had to figure out for myself to go up to Home Depot and buy knee pads,” he added. “When I had to sit and kneel in order to get the job done, I had to find solutions. So I used a fivegallon bucket filled with tools, flipped it over so I could sit on it, and then threw the weeds in the bucket when I was finished.”

As fodder for his blog, Pancoast mixes his own experience of aging

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55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

with his landscape education, decades of experience doing marketing communications for landscaping clients, and what he’s learned through his more than 30-year membership in Garden Communicators International.

His easy, readable narrative includes specific tips for senior gardeners experiencing physical limitations, stamina shortages and sensitivity to extreme temperatures.

He offers specific ways they can adapt, rethink and manage tasks, make key decisions and find alternatives when outdoor gardening is no longer an option.

“I encourage senior gardeners to embrace imperfection,” said Pancoast.

“If you don’t get it done today, it’s going to be there tomorrow. It’s not going anywhere.”

In his long and rich life, Pancoast has overcome more than his share of physical obstacles: childhood polio, arthritis, knee and back problems as an adult. But it was a stroke in February 2020 that significantly limited his mobility and caused him to refocus his passion on growing plants indoors.

“When I couldn’t get up from my five-gallon bucket, that told me I’d better hire out my outdoor work and concentrate on my indoor garden,” he said. “There are a lot of landscapers, but not really many professional gardeners. Luckily, my lawn service does some weeding, light pruning and cleanup.”

And though others are now doing the heavy lifting, Pancoast continues to derive hours of joy watching his garden change with the seasons.

It’s a prolific and well thoughtout collection: Korean lilacs, Japanese red maple surrounded by boxwood, arborvitae, river birch, a white fringe tree, weeping mulberry, potentilla, various perennials and a clone ginkgo tree relocated from his former home.

When Pancoast is not soaking up the beauty of his gardens or tending his indoor menagerie of houseplants and air plants, he stays busy with speaking engagements for garden clubs, at garden shows and centers, and with book signings throughout Upstate and Western New York.

In 2020, Pancoast also published his first book, “The Geriatric Gardener: Adaptive Gardening Advice For Seniors,” which is a compilation of blog posts arranged by topic. Books are available to order at https://

DUANE'S KEY TO HEALTHY GARDENING: • Have a shady place where you can take frequent breaks • Keep a cooler of water nearby to moderate your body temperature and stay hydrated.

Loss of balance can often be brought on by dehydration.

• Use a five-gallon bucket to carry tools to your project, flip the bucket over to use as a stool while working, then flip it upright and fill with weeds to clean up.

• Start your gardening day with your most strenuous tasks, and then taper off.

• Pace yourself: work for a half-hour and then take a break whether you feel like you need it or not.

• When you go back to work, pick a different task and rotate throughout the day.

• Do some stretching before and after you start and end your work session.

• Dress comfortably and protect yourself against the ravages of the sun with sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat.

• Wear knee pads or use a kneeler or seat to minimize impact to your knees.

• Be sure you have your cell phone or medical alert device with you.

• Go to the hardware or garden store to try out various ergonomic tools before you buy them.

• Opt for tools with lighter fiberglass handles rather than those with heavy wooden handles.

• Look for pruning shears, loppers and hedge clippers that have geared or ratcheted pivot points.

They require much less hand and forearm strength to operate.

• Plan ahead now for the future by installing raised beds, ramps, slight inclines (five degrees or less), wide paths (at least four feet for one-way traffic, seven feet for two-way).

• Replace high maintenance, intrusive perennials with shrubs or dwarf conifers.

• Reduced lawn size; replace all or parts of labor- and resourceintensive lawns with low maintenance ground cover.

Pancoast’s “The Geriatric Gardener” blog can be found at https://thegeriatricgardener.wordpress.com.

thepancoastconcern.com/the_ geriatric_gardener.

“I write the blog to help prepare other aging gardeners as physical limitations begin crimping their style,” said Pancoast. “Senior gardeners shouldn’t toil in their garden, they should tend it.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: Duane Pancoast of Victor is an avid gardener. When he is not soaking up the beauty of his gardens or tending his indoor menagerie of houseplants and air plants, he stays busy with speaking engagements and writing books; THIS PAGE: Gardens at Pancoast’s home

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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adventure Bonnie Harris Checks Off a Bucket List Item To celebrate her 80th birthday, she took a zipline ride over a lake filled with alligators in Florida

By John Addyman

W

hy not?

Bonnie Harris decided she was going to take the plunge.

She was going to fulfill something she’d dreamed about since she was a kid; something that was now part of her bucket list.

Her daughter-in-law did the research and made all the arrangements.

Bonnie was going to go zip-lining.

She would be suspended on a wire and roll over a ravine and small lake, in Florida.

To make things more interesting, her daughter-in-law picked Gatorland as the site where the lake below the zip line was full of alligators looking for a snack from above.

“Growing up, I always wanted to go zip-lining,” said Bonnie. “But time went by. I graduated from college, got married, had a son, and so I put my zip-lining dream on the back burner.

I have multiple sclerosis and am now confined to a wheelchair. However, I never gave up hope that one day I would check this off my bucket list.

Little would I know that the year I turned 80 would be my year.”

Carefully strapped into a harness and frame made for the handicapped, Bonnie got sent off the parapet and zoomed down toward the water where, sure enough, there were reptilian eyes protruding from the water hoping for an accident and a happy brunch.

“It sure was incredible. I highly recommend that thrilling experience to anyone who has wanted to go ziplining,” she said.

Bonnie and her husband Howard live on a 25-acre portion of what was once a 100-acre hilltop farm in Springwater, with a view of Canadice Lake. On many mornings, they can watch the deer chase the turkeys, and

32

OPPOSITE PAGE AND ABOVE Ready to tempt gravity and alligators are Bonnie and Howard Harris of Springwater. Bonnie was fulfilling a bucket-list item to go zip-lining. Howard came along for the ride; INSET Bonnie Harris in her Springwater, Livingston County, kitchen. She wanted to go on a zipline ride since she was a kid.

vice versa, from their bedroom.

She taught in Greece and Spencerport elementary schools, walking away from the classroom when diabetes claimed her sight in one eye. Bonnie and Howard built the first portion of their house in 1997.

Soon after that, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the plans Howard had for the house had to be changed.

“The house wasn’t as functional for us now,” he explained.

So they made plans to change it.

“Handicapped houses are hard to find,” he said.

“And as soon as they’re on the market, they’re gone,” added Bonnie.

“The whole house is flat,” said

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

Howard. “We also have an oversized garage to accommodate getting her out of the car.”

“Our house just kind of grew,” Bonnie explained. It ended up being completed in three sections.

The couple moved in during February of 1999.

“And we had a 40-inch snowfall,” Howard said. “Nobody went anywhere.”

Howard was a computer tech for Honeywell in Rochester for 24 years, then worked at Wilmac as a technician.

He retired at 57 to take care of Bonnie.

They had met at a ski club. For both, this is their second marriage and it’s lasted 30 years.

“I’ve had a bucket list for a long

She’s off! Bonnie Harris takes off at the beginning of her zip-line journey.

time,” Bonnie said. “The doctor told me I couldn’t skydive and I should try some quiet stuff, like walks in the woods. We like to travel around here, but we’ve also been to the national parks in Utah, and we’ve been to Alaska, Hawaii and Ireland — I saw my grandmother’s house in Ireland.”

She said she loves to read, but can’t anymore. “I can’t write anymore, either. I find other ways to do things,” she said.

On the trip to Florida, the zip-line deal almost didn’t happen.

“I got the flu,” Bonnie explained.

“I spent the night in the hospital. I’m thinking, ‘We spent all this money, all this time,’ and I said to myself, ‘We are going on this zip-line.’”

The next day, Bonnie and Howard looked like they were going sky-diving with the harnesses and hardware Gatorland fitted on them.

“They strap you in like you are skydiving,” she said.

Bonnie went across the pond in a mummy-like position and she could see the eyes of the alligators poking out of the water. The arc of the trip carries zip-liners so close to the water that Gatorland has raised fencing in the middle to prevent gators from trying humpback whale vaults out of the water to snag a human snack as it glides by.

Howard and Bonnie crossed the water flawlessly, but Bonnie had the most fun.

And the adventure wasn’t done.

On the plane ride back to Rochester

Getting ready: Gatorland technicians get Bonnie Harris of Springwater ready for her zip-line ride over a body of water filled with alligators; Sailing through the “snack” zone: Bonnie Harris hits the lowest arc of her zip-line trip across a Florida body of water filled with indigenous creatures who are ready for an opportunistic snack

34

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

the next day, their plane pulled out of the gate, then pulled back in again, and police got on to remove some passengers.

“When we got to Rochester, sheriff’s deputies got on the plane and took off a couple more people,” Howard explained. “We had excitement the whole trip.”

The Harrises stay active. They’re in a hiking club.

“Howard was elected president of the club the day he was getting a colostomy,” Bonnie said. That’s what happens when you miss a meeting.”

“I was walking when we got here,” she said. When she couldn’t continue doing that, people in the club kept her involved by pushing her wheelchair part-way on the trails.

Bonnie said becoming 80 kind of snuck up on her.

“I don’t feel it,” she said. “60 maybe. My entire life has been about my age. I was 16 when I graduated from high school and 20 when I finished at Geneseo.”

“Do as much as you can for as long as you can. I never did as much travel until I met him,” she said, thumbing in Howard’s direction.

She has been a member of the Wayland Library Exercise Group that meets twice a week. The pandemic curtailed a lot of that.

Bonnie missed the social i n t e r a c t i o n . “ Yo u c o u l d l e a r n everything that was going on in the village,” she said. “I keep in touch with a lot of people from the ski club we belonged to.”

“Even though she couldn’t ski, we still did a lot of things with them, including a trip to the Adirondacks every year,” Howard said.

“I’m very active in a retired teachers’ group from Spencerport.

We meet every month, so you keep track of people and what’s going on” Bonnie said.

“Teaching was very good to me, very good.”

Decisions lie ahead for Bonnie and Howard. He’s the pragmatist.

“We’ve looked at assisted living arrangements,” he admitted. “One day we’re going to wake up and realize we can’t do this anymore.”

Bonnie is the optimist. “The question is, ‘What do I do for my next birthday?’ Parachuting? Hot-air balloon?’” she said.

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Email editor@roc55.com

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35

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bfrassinelli@ptd.net

My Country: Where Are We Heading?

O

n Independence Day weekend, I wanted to take stock of my relationship with the United States, the country into which I was born, raised and love dearly. I have been an eyewitness to history with the many changes — good and bad — that I have seen during my 83 years on this Earth.

As a son of Italian immigrant parents, I have never taken my citizenship for granted.

My mother, who was a citizen by the time I was born in 1939, explained to me time and time again what being an American had meant to her and how I have to do my part to become a productive and useful citizen.

For my father and her to have been able to successfully operate a corner grocery store at the same location in a small coalmining community in Northeastern Pennsylvania for nearly 35 years, including through the Great Depression, would have been unthinkable in their native Italy. Both of their parents came to “America” to find better opportunities for themselves but, especially for their children.

The road to success, however, was filled with potholes and obstacles.

Italian immigrants like my parents were confronted with unspeakable stereotypes and harsh treatment.

Many native-born Americans shunned them, associated them with

the Mafia or tried to make them out to be dim-witted jesters. The irony has not been lost on me that there are some immigrants today who face the same discrimination and who must undergo the same challenges my parents did more than a century ago.

and Eastern European countries and elsewhere in the world who settled throughout the United States and who had to fight for the grudging respect of the residents already living in their communities.

When looking at the contributions of a people, those with claims to infamy and fame constitute but a tiny fraction of the whole. The unsung, low-visible, nonnewsmaking men and women are the real heroes of the immigrant experience. It is they, who in quiet, low-key, yet effective ways, set the examples and taught their children to become productive citizens.

It was into this optimistic mindset that I was born, the idea that we live in the greatest country in the world and that any problems which emerge can be fixed by the resourcefulness, determination, unity and goodwill of the American people.

Today, however, there is an ill wind blowing in our country. Some of the characteristics that have been keystones of the American fabric are under assault, and many are pessimistic that this negativity won’t be reversed.

Polls of our people are showing a distrust about our ability to overcome our issues with each other. A substantial majority of Americans believe we are headed in the wrong direction.

When countries begin to fail,

‘Today, however, there is an ill wind blowing in our country.

Some of the characteristics that have been keystones of the American fabric are under assault, and many are pessimistic that this negativity won’t be reversed.’

36

When I sum up my parents’ incredible success in the face of these significant obstacles, I am left in awe, but they are just two of many others who persevered, flourished and attained their goal of giving their children a crack at a better life. It wasn’t just Italian immigrants either. There were thousands of others from Central

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

according to Michael J. Mazarr, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corp., it’s a “negative-feedback loop, a poisonous synergy.” The energy that could reverse this decline becomes sapped by misinformation and distrust. Some get so angry, they conspire to burn down the house in a desire to exact revenge and start over. We saw that on Jan. 6, 2021, and we are learning about how close we came to full-scale insurrection.

The disclosures by the Jan. 6 committee hearings are having slow but growing Republican willingness t o c h a l l e n g e f o r m e r P re s i d e n t Donald Trump, which is a promising sign. Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on abortion, gun laws and the environment are dividing our country even further. While most of the protests, on both sides, have been largely peaceful, some have not been, and this concerns me.

The United States into which I was born was wary of foreign entanglements as World War II loomed.

With the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Japanese forced our hand, and we became part of a global conflict.

Regardless of where Americans had come from, they embraced the concept that this is our country now, and we must come together to defend it to ensure that this noble republic would not fail. All of us are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the famous words incorporated into the Declaration of Independence.

That’s the thing: When families or communities are affected by adversity, we Americans rush to their aid and comfort. We saw it most recently after the shooting tragedies in Highland Park, Illinois; Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. Why can’t we exhibit this spirit of togetherness in other facets of our lives?

The civility of political discourse, once a hallmark of the American experience, has eroded significantly.

We need to get back to the days when we can discuss differing political views in an atmosphere of mutual respect and a willingness to open our minds to varying points of view to make us better and more enlightened citizens.

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37

learning

Fun, Socialization, Learning Various organizations in the Rochester area offer classes for boomers

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

RESOURCES

G

oing back to school as an adult just for the fun of it can offer many benefits.

“It offers socialization,” said Noel Yarze, senior clinical instructor with URMC. “As people get older, they’re retiring and their children are grown and their social circle changes. Classes are a new way of meeting people.”

She added that the fact that you learn new things can also help maintain cognitive function, as it activates neural connections and stimulates the brain.

“You’re actively engaged instead of watching TV,” she said.

If the class is physical, such as waltzing, tai chi or golf, it benefits aspects of physical health such as strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. However, even getting in the car, driving to an art class, standing for 38

• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute www.rit.edu/gcr/osher • Oasis Rochester https://rochester.oasisnet.org • Cornell Cooperative Extension http://monroe.cce.cornell.edu

• The Hochstein School https://hochstein.org/Adults • The Rochester Brainery https://rochesterbrainery.com • Flower City Arts Center https://flowercityarts.org/classes

• Studio 34 Creative Arts Center www.studio34artists.com/category/classes 45 minutes and driving home is more active than sitting home alone all day.

“The good thing is that for almost any type of enrichment, there’s some benefit, whether physical or cognitive,” Yarze said. “Someone may not be interested in something learningoriented like a history class. They may want a tennis or dance class. Either would have benefits, but different benefits.”

In addition to increased longevity,

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

cognition and health, Jane Eggleston, chairwoman of programming at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, said that participating in classes can help develop friendships and ideas.

“Osher members tend to be curious and open to new ideas and ‘adventures,’” she said. “They are not people who choose to sit home and watch TV after they retire. These classes offer an opportunity to delve more deeply into a subject which you

may be interested in, or a subject you know little about.”

Whether volunteering to lead a class or participating as a student, people at Osher learn more about the topic at hand than they had before, which benefits them mentally.

Osher provides 40 to 60 courses per term, covering topics like history, science, literature, philosophy, personal growth, ethics, music and musicians (classical, opera, jazz, even banjoplaying), art, artists, and galleries, writing, foreign language and current events.

They run from one session of 90 minutes to 12 weeks at up to two hours per week.

Oasis Rochester provides dozens of in-person and remote classes targeting older adults on numerous topics, including fitness, arts, history and technology. Most are an hour long and can last one to 47 sessions, each meeting twice a week to weekly.

In addition to Osher and Oasis, look for enrichment opportunities at local schools. Many schools allow the public to audit classes for free with permission, meaning that they will not take tests or earn credits but can enjoy the knowledge shared. Some provide fee-based enrichment classes targeting older adults.

Cornell Cooperative Extension provides numerous community classes. Although not geared toward a specific age group, they tend to attract adults older than 50 who have the time to join them. Their topics skew towards home-based concepts, such as gardening, nutrition, health and environmental concerns.

Some organization have begun offering enrichment classes —not just educating people who want to make a living at their subject, such as Studio 34 Creative Arts Center (www. studio34artists.com/category/classes) and The Hochstein School (https:// hochstein.org/Adults).

The Rochester Brainery (https:// rochesterbrainery.com) provides space for organizations providing classes ranging from improv comedy to jewelry making to blacksmithing.

Their site also features classes at the off-site venues of partnering organizations. Flower City Arts Center (https://flowercityarts.org/classes) offers classes for all ages but provides some for grown-ups only in numerous media in visual arts.

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39

cover

Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg, near Ithaca. Getty Images 40

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

Best

Bets

for LOCAL LEAF PEEPING

Fall foliage is coming to Western New York.

Nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko suggests places in the region to visit

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

s t h e t e m p e r a t u re d i p s overnight and the sunlight mellows, plan to take a leaf peeping trip. But don’t plan concretely.

“I get more messages from people on my page in September and October as to when I should go to the Finger Lakes for foliage,” said local nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko. “It’s tough to say. Leaf peeping calendars are pretty accurate, but sometimes they say it’s almost peak and it’s not.”

He has observed trees transform in 24 hours from barely tinted to peak. Or windy and rainy weather can obliterate a colorful tree’s leaves in mere hours. While just a seasonal disappointment to most, as a nature photographer, Kucko wants to leverage every opportunity he can to capture peak fall color.

“My big concern is fall is fleeting,” Kucko said. “Fall is special. With the great trees and landscape in this area, it’s a prime region. At Letchworth one time, 24 hours later, it was completely different. Dull fall colors to majestic fall color in a day. That’s how quickly

it emerges and just as fast it’s gone.”

He said that in addition to weather fluctuations, microclimates, such at Watkins Glen, can make timing a leaf peeping trip tricky.

“I can remember two years ago, by Canaseraga, they had spectacular color in the hills and five miles away, there was not much at all,” Kucko offered as another example. “You can see that with the emergence of fall color or lack thereof.”

Higher elevation may mean cooler weather and sooner transformations.

In Rochester, he likes to photograph Mount Hope Cemetery.

“It is one of the fines places for foliage in America, I’ll argue,” Kucko said. “There are so many trees that have been around for generations.

They tend to pop around the end of October and even November if it’s been a calm fall. It’s fall’s last surge and it’s spectacular. They have so many glorious trees of various kinds.”

He also likes Maplewood Park, as its trees along the Genesee River boast many reds and yellows each fall.

“The further south you go from the Thruway, you’re gaining elevation,” Kucko said “The color turns earlier in the Southern Corridor.”

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

41

Local nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko.

FALL FOLIAGE RESOURCES

42

The New York state’s foliage map at www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report offers a video depicting average times for before-peak, peak and post-peak color. Local reports can offer more detailed and timely estimates.

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

R e g i o n a l l y, K u c k o l i k e s Hammondsport, Keuka Lake and the Ithaca area, which tends to peak in late September to early October.

“Two years ago in Newfield, just six miles outside of Ithaca, the color was stunning,” he said. “They have the oldest covered bridge still in use in New York. I saw color I’d never seen before.”

The aforementioned Watkins Glen in Watkins Glen offers fall color in late October, as does Letchworth State Park in Castile. Letchworth is regarded as the “Grand Canyon of the East” and boasts a large variety of tress to provide a palette of fall colors.

“I really like Trumansburg and Taughannock Falls State Park,” Kucko

One of the waterfalls in Watkins Glen. Getty Images; INSET PHOTO: Photographer John Kucko looking for the best angle to photograph some of waterfalls in Watkins Glen.

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said. “Hemlock Lake is very good with color, as is Canadice Lake. There’s also Stonybrook by Dansville, and the Springwater area near Canadice Lake. You have rolling hills, some elevation. You may have a 48-hour window where the color is fantastic and it’s gone.”

Not all regions linger until October before showing their true colors.

“The Adirondacks go early,” Kucko said. “The elevation is higher with colder weather. Sunny days and frigid overnights expedite the color.”

As for planning a leaf peeping trip, whether hiking trails, biking paths, lake cruising, hot air ballooning, riding a train or bus or driving, “the key is flexibility,” Kucko warned.

Serving You Better Together SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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THIS PAGE: This couple is round dancing. Brenda Bixby and Alan Butenof twirl gracefully on the floor.

OPOSSITE PAGE: Debbie and Jeff Blood of Greece are the co-presidents of the Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers.

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55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

dancing Square Dancing is Kicking up its Heels Again

By John Addyman

I

t was the first thing that struck you.

People started arriving just a few minutes before the event started on a Saturday afternoon in July. They were dressed casually and comfortably because of the heat. Ducking into the shade of the pavilion of the party house, they signed in.

And every one of them was smiling.

No shy smiles. No perfunctory smiles.

No prim polite smiles. But big smiles.

Grateful smiles. Ready-to-have-fun smiles.

What was being served here, anyway?

Then the music started. In seconds, the pavilion transformed into a dance hall at 1 p.m. On a day too hot and humid to cut your grass, people were dancing — square dancing.

The Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers organized the event at Barnard Restaurant & Party House in Greece.

Co-presidents Debbie and Jeff Blood live right down the road and were playing hosts.

A photographer was trying to get a shot of the two. They smiled and walked away.

“We have to dance,” Debbie explained.

The Bloods have accounting backgrounds. Jeff worked at Park Ridge Hospital for 23 years, and then became a consultant for Coordinated Care Services. Debbie worked in public accounting, then for General Railway Signal, for five years and finally at Wegmans for 34 years — in accounting, management, and as an auditor.

“I loved being an auditor,” she said. “Our last 10 years Jeff and I had great jobs and we could travel together and still work because we could work remotely.”

The Bloods have a son and daughter and five grandchildren. And like thoughtful parents, their house has

obvious set-aside areas for their young visiting grandkids.

“With square dancing, we were both working in accounting when we got married, and we were working more than six days a week in tax season, we’d be working on weekends, but we always saved Tuesday night as date night and we’d go dancing with our friends,” Debbie added.

In America, square dancing got its start in the 1700s, died out in the 1800s, and got kick-started again after World War II. But after the pandemic put a dent in membership and activities, square dancing (where eight people dance together in a “square”) and round dancing (for couples) are just coming back, slowly.

“COVID really hit us hard,” Debbie said. “We lost a lot of people who moved to be with family, with their parents or kids or someone else.”

“We had 20 clubs in the federation back in 2019,” Jeff added.

There are 14 clubs now, with two more expected to become live again this fall. The federation has member

clubs from Buffalo to the other side of Syracuse, from the Rochester area south to Bath and Ithaca.

“Square-dancing clubs can range from 15 members to 120, but all those people may not be actively dancing. Copy Cats is the largest club and it originated at Xerox,” Debbie explained.

“Copy Cats has 120 members but they’re down to 70-80 now,” Jeff said.

“It’ll come back. Our members are not spring chickens; they’re in their 60s, 70s and 80s. People age out. You simply can’t dance like you used to.

Family activities arise that they enjoy as much as dancing, and after COVID, some people just haven’t come back to dancing.”

And that might explain the big smiles on the folks who gathered this hot afternoon. They represented many clubs and they came ready to dance.

Ron Brown has “called” square dancing for decades, providing the directions and pacing for a square dance “tip” that normally lasts about 15 minutes. He points out that dancing is low-impact exercise, a social

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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CLOCKWISE: Cuer Chuck Meyer provides the directions for round-dancing couples who may do a variety of dances in their time on the floor; Square dancing in Greece on a warm July day in the shade of a pavilion. (Debbie Blood Photo); Hand In hand, Jan and Paul Weitz enjoy the square dance directions given by caller Ron Brown; Square dance callers Ron Brown and Dave Eno shared the duties, and even sang some duets, in leading the square dance in July; Twirling partners are, from left, Nancy Platt and Walter Meisenzahl, and George Stahl and Brenda Bixby.

experience and a mental exercise—the three things that keep all of us moving ahead in life. And yes, square dancing is unabashedly fun.

In an article he wrote on the benefits of square dancing, Brown described how the movement strengthens muscle and bone, exercises the heart and challenges the mind.

“Square dancing provides an opportunity to develop strong social ties, which can contribute to selfesteem and a positive outlook,” he added.

“After COVID, the clubs went back to dancing very gradually,” Debbie said. “We dance in schools, in churches and sometimes in community centers.” And because COVID was an issue that hung in the air, clubs that had live dancing had to comport with the rules of each facility — some rules that are still in practice.

Debbie said the Copy Cats dancers “had to disinfect all the chairs before we left and sanitize the bathrooms.”

At a live dance, everyone uses hand sanitizer after each tip.

Many clubs resorted to dancing on 46

Zoom, and some still have that option out of fear of a resurgent COVID. “You can’t social-distance in square dancing,” Jeff pointed out.

“You’re constantly touching hands, shaking hands, and going around in circles. There was a big fear of COVID in square dancing. But, it never happened. We recognized the issue and took extra precautions. We danced whole dances with masks on.

If someone told us the next day that a dancer had tested positive, we would follow protocols and skip the next dance.

“There was never an outbreak because we were so precautious,” he stressed.

“Last year, the federation was critical in helping provide the clubs with guidelines to return safely to dancing,” Debbie said.

Two member club presidents worked to establish protocols that were shared with everyone.

Getting started The Bloods were married in 1978 and each has an accounting

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background.

“I started with a CPA firm where the husband was a CPA and the wife had her own finance company. Jeff and I were getting married and studying for the CPA exam and all that. They said when things calm down, ‘You’ve got to try square dancing and they wouldn’t leave us alone. I said to Jeff, ‘We’ve got to go square dancing.’ We did, and we fell in love with it. We danced for 15 years, and then with two kids and our jobs, we took a break.

“We got back to it in 2016 at the annual Snowflake Dance with the Copy Cats. We walked in and we knew the caller, Ron Brown. We didn’t dance.

We were petrified to dance and we just watched. They said to us after, ‘Why don’t you join our class?’ The class had started in September and we’d be joining it in January, so we joined and graduated with the class in May, and have been dancing ever since.”

You don’t just walk into a square dance and start high-struttin’.

There’s a language to learn and moves to master—about 60 of them— and it takes a while.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into a do-si-do, there are several open houses coming up: • At the Cloverleaf Squares, First Baptist Church in Chili, Sep. 18 at 5 p.m.

• At the Copy Cats, Scribner Road School in Penfield, Sep. 20 at 7 p.m.

• At the Cayuga Cut-Ups, Weedsport Methodist Church in Weedsport, Oct 2, 9 and 16, 2 p.m.

• At the Batavia Silver Stars, VA Medical Center in Batavia, Sep. 19 at 7 p.m.

• At the Dalton Gang, New Hope Fellowship Church in Castile, Sep. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Program for Seniors who want to learn square dancing at the Happy Squares, Spiegel Community Center, Pittsford, Friday afternoons at 2 p.m.

“We invite people to come in and try square dancing,” Debbie said.

“And you will be dancing before you leave that night. It will be basic calls.

And if you ever want to try it, it’s a lot of fun.”

If you have fun at an open house, which is pretty much a foregone conclusion, it’s time to sign up for lessons. You have to know what you’re doing at a square dance. Otherwise, collisions and lost partners will ensue.

Lessons start at a local club in the fall and finish in the spring. Meanwhile, you’re dancing a little more each time.

As a graduate with new-found square-dancing skills, you can go just about anywhere they’re taking allemande lefts. The Bloods dropped in on a square dance on a trip to Arizona and were welcomed there.

Jeff explained that you won’t have trouble understanding the caller even if you’re out of the country and run into a square dance.

“Square dancing is worldwide.

The calls are always in English. They decided many years ago to do it in English all over the world,” he said.

“So, no matter where you are in the world, you hear the same calls, because it isn’t language-driven. One time we were dancing at this one club and the people were from Germany.

Wonderful dancers. Afterwards we couldn’t understand a word they said because they were German, but they were wonderful dancers because they followed the words.”

“People who travel the country can log onto the website, wheresthedance. com, and find thousands of dances locally and around the world. It will tell you square dances within 20 miles of where you are and you can dance where you want to dance,” he added.

More than fun We all face stresses in our lives.

Square dancing is a means to getting away from it all.

Jeff explained how that works: “When Debbie and I are dancing, we know that we’re not going to be talking about work; you focus on the dancing and enjoying the camaraderie of the people you’re with and at the end of the evening you say to yourself, ‘We just had a whole evening of no issue from work or complaining about this or that.’ 44 years married and I tell Debbie I love her more today than I did yesterday.”

“At a national convention, you might be dancing in a room with 50 people, but you wouldn’t know they weren’t members of your own club because they’re just so friendly. It’s just amazing,” he said. I’m usually a kind of quiet person, but in square dancing you get to know everyone.

When you graduate from a class in square dancing, you have 30 or 40 new friends. And friends are not easy to come by. You just have this wonderful relationship with people. It’s just a wonderful social atmosphere.”

You can do a lot of research on square (and round) dancing by checking out the federation’s Facebook page, “Square Dancing Rochester” or by going on the website www. squaredancingrochester.org where you’ll find a listing of all the clubs in the federation, schedules and locations of dances, a newsletter, even video dance lessons. If you’re interested in learning a lot more before you go to your first dance, you can spend hours on that website.

Debbie urges people to come out to dance, especially women.

“Right now, we’re short on women in square dancing,” she said. “In the last three months, Jeff has sat out as I danced with other men because we want them to dance.”

There’s no dress requirement.

People can wear jeans and polo shirts and shorts—anything.

“We enjoy this so much,” Debbie said. “It’s something you wish more people would try.”

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downsizing Moving Services Help People Downsize and Relocate

By Jim Miller

T

he process of downsizing and moving to a new home is a big job for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for people who are moving from a long-time residence filled with decade’s worth of stuff and a lifetime of memories. Fortunately, there’s a specialized service available today that can help make the move a lot easier.

Senior Move Manager To help you get packed up and moved into your new home, you should consider hiring a “senior move manager.” These are trained organizers (they are not moving companies) who assist older people with the challenges of relocating and can minimize the stress of this major transition by doing most of the work for you.

A senior move manager can help you or your parents pare down belongings, decide what to take and what to dispose of, recommend charities for donations and help sell unwanted items. They can even create a customized floor plan of a new home so you can visualize where your belongings will fit.

Senior move managers can also get estimates from moving companies, oversee the movers, arrange the move date, supervise the packing and unpacking and help set up a new home, have the house cleaned and just about anything you need related to the move.

If you want to do some of the work yourself, you can pick and choose only the services you want. For example, you may only want a move manager’s help with downsizing and

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selling excess furniture and unwanted belongings but plan on doing the actual packing and moving yourself.

The cost of working with a senior move manager will vary depending on where you live, the services you want and size of the move, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $60 and $125 per hour or more, not including the cost of movers.

How to Find One To locate a senior move manager in Western New York area, visit the National Association of Senior Move Managers website at NASMM.org or call 877-606-2766. The NASMM is a trade association with an accreditation program that requires its members to abide by a strict code of ethics that ensures integrity. They currently have around 1,000 members across the U.S. You can also search at Caring

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

Transitions (CaringTransitions.com), which is the largest senior relocation and transition services franchised company in the U.S. They currently have nearly 200 franchises throughout the country.

But, before you hire one, be sure you ask for references from previous clients and check them, and check with the Better Business Bureau too. Also find out how many moves they have actually managed and get a written list of services and fees. And make sure they’re insured and bonded.

If you can’t find a senior move manager in your area, another option is to hire a certified professional organizer who specializes in downsizing and relocating. To find one, check the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, which has a searchable database on its website at NAPO.net.

DONATING ITEMS TO CHARITY IS A WIN-WIN

By Linda Covington A great option to consider for larger household items (furniture, for example) and more valuable objects (vintage glassware, art, lamps and rugs) is to donate them to a resale shop that uses the proceeds to fund local nonprofit organizations.

This option provides the donator a tax deduction and it helps local nonprofit organizations.

Here are four options of places that can benefit from your donation:

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Proceeds provide consistent, year-round income for Advent House, allowing Advent House to remain a comfort care home for its residents and their families and friends. www.sweetcharityfairport.com • A Second Thought Resale Shop in East Rochester. Proceeds support local programs and an international ministries program at Heritage Christian Services, which is made possible by volunteers who deliver wheelchairs, companionship and healthcare to families in Central America. www.asecondthought.org • The Tool Thrift Shop in Fairport collects donated tools and resells them for very affordable prices. All proceeds are used to support services provided by Senior Options for Independence www.toolthriftshop.org

• Resettling new home • Downsizing • Online estate sales/auctions • Floor Planning • Move coordination • Comprehensive cleanouts • Selling your home

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Spacious one bedroom apartments with on-site parking & laundry. This property is for persons 62+ or disabled regardless of age. Income eligibility requirements. www.belmontmgmt.com This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or the letter to us by mail at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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A

PICTURE-PERFECT PHOTO SAFARI

Have a dream trip on your bucket list? Do it now.

The no-go years could come around sooner than you think.

PHOTOS AND STORY BY DAVID FIGURA

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55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

A saddle-billed stork looks for food at a watering hole at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

I

recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to South Africa, which included six memorable days of photo safaris.

I almost didn’t go.

The trip initially had the makings of a girls’ getaway. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting, Liz Vinson, my niece, and her mother, Susan Downs Kost, (my wife’s sister) had planned the venture to celebrate Liz’s 40th birthday. But then the pandemic hit. The trip was canceled and rescheduled three times, due to surges of COVID-19 variants in this country and South Africa.

My wife, Laura, and our good friend, Nancy Neiley, committed to the trip. I was asked early on, but hesitated, focusing on the fact that I would be the lone guy with four women.

But my stance changed prior to retiring last fall. I knew Laura would come back with all sorts of memories and experiences with no interest in going back.

Why was I being such a poop? I knew I’d regret not seizing the day.

“I’m in,” I said.

In preparation, I borrowed a 35mm, digital camera and zoom lens from my daughter, Katie, and started practicing using it. As a preventive measure, I, along with everyone else, had to get a typhoid shot, a prescription for malaria pills and a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

We departed May 10 from JFK Airport in New York City, flying to Heathrow Airport in London and from there to Cape Town. We stayed nearly three days in Cape Town.

Highlights of our stay there included sampling the city’s excellent cuisine and wine; connecting with an old newspaper buddy and his wife whom I haven’t seen in 34 years; SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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THIS PAGE A zebra looks back before

taking off; A white rhinoceros mother and its calf awaken after they were found snoozing on the road at Kruger National Park. The male rhino was feeding a short distance away.; A pair of male impalas lock horns in a battle for dominance in a field at Kruger National Park.

OPPOSITE PAGE A leopard lazily perches on a tree branch during mid-morning; A baby African elephant clings close to its mother in a herd of half dozen adult elephants at Kruger National Park.

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going up to the top of Table Mountain that overlooks the city and spending a day traveling down to the Cape of Good Hope (the southwestern end of South Africa, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean). We stopped at Boulders Beach, where there was a massive colony of breeding African penguins.

From Cape Town we flew north to Kruger National Park, where we were picked up at a small airport and driven to Hamiltons Tented Camp.

We stayed in luxurious, glampinglike tent structures connected to the main lodge by a wooden walkway, which was some eight-10 feet off the ground.

Our sleeping quarters were spacious, with teak floorboards, king-

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sized beds with mosquito nets on all sides, outdoor showers and a deck with a superb view of a river bed.

The weather was comfortably warm during the day and cool at night.

It was the beginning of the dry winter season and relatively bugless.

After three days at Hamiltons, we traveled about two hours to Jock Safari Lodge, also in Kruger, where the accommodations, food and wildlife sighting opportunities continued to be amazing.

The photo safari routines were similar at both camps.

We got up early every morning before sunrise and departed before 6 a.m. We had trained rangers as our guides, driving in a vehicle with partially open sides and large seats that

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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LEFT Laura Downs and David Figura get ready to go out on a photo safari at Jock Safari Lodge at Kruger National Park.

ABOVE A pair of giraffes get up close and

personal, probably part of a mating ritual at Kruger National Park.

afforded good views of wildlife from all angles. The morning outings lasted more than three hours each day. We were back to the main lodge by 9-9:30 a.m. for breakfast.

We went out again each afternoon, driving around for another three hours. Each afternoon outing ended with 30-45 minutes of driving in the dark. The guide drove with one hand on the steering wheel, with the other holding a high-intensity light and flashing it about—constantly searching for the glowing eyes of animals.

I took more than 1,000 photos. We saw lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape buffalo. Add to that, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, baboons, hyenas, jackals, water bucks, kudus, African crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, countless exotic-looking birds and various smaller mammals.

During our first morning outing, we came across a pair of lions just off the road, lounging in a field. We encountered them the next day at the tail end of our afternoon outing, driving off road in the darkness and getting some 10-15 yards away from them and their three cubs.

We also had a cool white rhino sighting. The female rhino and its baby were snoozing in the middle of the road, while the father was hanging out nearby. One thing that stuck with 54

me was that the animals had been dehorned, meaning park rangers had tranquilized them at one point and taken off their horns. We were told it was a preventive measure to discourage poachers, which we were told is a big problem at Kruger.

Elephants are huge, majestic beasts. Up close, they make you feel small and vulnerable. One young bull came up within 10-15 feet and did a mock charge, a moment of concern for everyone in our vehicle—except the guide.

Seeing giraffes feeding on leaves on tree tops and galloping away made me think of the dinosaurs running across fields in a Jurassic Park movie.

I also spotted a pair mating, which was something you don’t see every day.

We had two exciting leopard encounters. In one instance, the huge cat walked within 10 feet of our vehicle. In the other, the leopard was perched on a branch high up in a tree, guarding the carcass of an impala it had killed and dragged up there.

We got back home May 22. The trip, among the most expensive we’ve ever taken, ended too soon. It was fun, exciting and well worth it.

The photo safaris at Kruger cost us nearly $5,000 each. There are a wide variety of prices for such excursions, from self-directed to guided outings.

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

It all depends on the number of days in the park, the use of a guide game-viewing vehicles, over-night accommodations, etc.

The best way to manage all of these moving parts is to get your airline tickets, book a tour and decide exactly what you want. A three-day, basic photo safari package could cost about $400 USD, while a full-blown safari with all the perks, can cost up to $7,900 USD, according to tourradar. com.

Go-go Years A good friend once told me that retirement often begins with the “gogo” years, which then transition into the “slow-go” years and finish with the “no-go” years.

Have a dream trip on your bucket list?

Don’t wait. Do it now — particularly if you’re financially and physically able.

Not to decide is to decide. The nogo years could come around sooner than you think. ❖ David Figura is a retired outdoors writer for The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and NYup.com, He is working on his second book, “Nobody Likes A Whiny Man,” about guys handling life in their 60s and 70s. His first book, “So What Are the Guys Doing?” covered how men deal with middle age.

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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mission Sarah Jane Clifford Training thousands of kids in more than gymnastics

By Lynette M Loomis

S

arah Jane Clifford began her gymnastics career at age 3 when she was enrolled in acrobatics and ballet. Now 66, she has realized her lifelong dream—owning her own training center.

But it didn’t happen overnight.

Her journey was more circuitous.

She began to help coach at 12 and went on to college at 15. Originally, she wanted to be a gym teacher.

“But at 4 feet 11 inches [tall], I was getting killed by the other kids,” she said. (She's 5-foot 3 today.) “I changed to counseling but still had to take anatomy, biology, kinesiology and neurology. With that background, I could coach and when I received my certification, I also could judge gymnastics’ competitions.”

In 1994, Clifford took out a $1.2 million loan as well as smaller Small Business Administration loans. She said the timing was perfect because as a woman-owned business, lenders were looking for entrepreneurs with a solid business plan. She had been in a stable relationship for eight years with her now husband, Timothy.

“I would not agree to marry as it could put him at financial risk. I wanted the business to be stable,” she said.

Most business owners will tell you they don’t seem to have 10 spare minutes a day. From designing Gymnastics Training Center in Penfield to overseeing the building construction and making sure everything was up to code, it was a full-time job. But that was on top of coaching at another facility.

“It is not like once you get a building and some students you are done with the work. To remain a judge, I must recertify every four years. That requires learning new judging criteria, flying somewhere and spending four days in a hotel. We are shown actual competitions on video and

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THIS PAGE: Sarah Jane Clifford; interior of Gymnastics Training Center in Penfield; with Timothy Shriver, an advocate for people with disabilities who has been the president of Special Olympics since 1999. OPPOSITE PAGE: During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo; serving as a judge at USA Special Olympics Games in Seattle in 2018. Photos provided

asked to judge them. If we don’t pass, we can no longer judge gymnastics competitions,” she explained.

Kids can start gymnastics as soon as they can walk. The lessons have to do with having fun while learning to take turns, share, care about each other and follow directions as well as flexibility, stretching and skill progression. The foam pit is always a favorite of the class activity for kids.

Dance and gymnastics programs also are available to women and men.

Mature adults enjoy Gymnastics Training Center. One of the dance class members is 69 and another is a gymnast who still works out in the

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

adult class at age 63. Even people who leave gymnastics still use flexibility, courage and the confidence they learned in gymnastics in other sports.

For example, her daughter, Candice, played softball, basketball and tennis, and her other daughter, Emily, was into field hockey and swimming.

“Both my daughter and my grandchildren live in Arizona so like a lot of grandparents, we do a lot of Facetime to stay connected,” said Clifford.

She stays active when not at the center. She loves horse jumping. She used to jump as high as 6 feet and now continues this sport at heights

between 3 and 4 feet. She has 1,000 or so books all related to her field, with her favorite being “Bio Mechanical Analysis of Women’s Gymnastics” by Gerald S. George. Her philosophy is that she should learn something every day from either reading, watching CNN or podcasts.

Another activity that takes up time is her involvement on many boards.

They include current positions in the International Association for Child Development Programs for which she is a board member and industry ambassador. She also is recording secretary and board member of the

New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Global Sport Rules Committee and Sport Resource Team member for Special Olympics International.

There are many more committees and boards in her career.

“I like to keep things moving. We are all busy people and need to stick to the agenda to the work done to support worthy causes,” she explained.

Numerous awards are part of her resume.

“Each time I am recognized I feel proud of all the kids my staff has helped along the way. We are a true

team,” she said.

Pre-COVID-19, there were between 1,500 and 2,000 students enrolled each year at Gymnastics Training Center.

Post-COVID-19, numbers are between 1,000 and 1,500 annually with 27 staff members, most of whom are part-time.

“I have been doing this for so long that we have the children of the children in classes. I love it when a child or an adult comes up to me and says I taught them or their kids and how much they learned from it or how much fun they had. That’s what it’s about for me,” she said.

Clifford is a strong believer in giving back.

“It’s about love, kindness and identifying talent,” she said. “You want each student to feel good about their achievement, not just the victories.”

For any person that is important, but it has special meaning for people who are training for the Special Olympics. This summer she was plannng to take one male and one female to Orlando, Florida, to the USA Special Olympics.

“I am not sure who is more excited, the students or me. But everyone at Gymnastics Training Center is immensely proud of them,” she said.

“I‘ve been given the gift to love what I do and do what I love. I am grateful.”

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technology Closer to a Peer: ‘Daniel Teaches’ Owner Now 55+ Daniel Jones’ job is to help baby boomers understand and use technology. “Technology is hard for most people to understand in general, but my students are learning something for the very first time,” he says.

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

D

aniel Jones, owner of Daniel Teaches, has reached age 56.

Eleven years ago, when he launched his senior tech teaching gig, his senior students often called him “that nice young man who helps older folks with their computers.”

Now that he has a few gray hairs on his head and beard, he’s not described as a “young man” as much anymore, but closer to a peer with his clients.

“I think my age definitely helps,” Jones said. “It helps in being more relatable with my demographic. The gray in my hair and beard helps.”

Previously an art director, Jones was going through a few major life changes 12 years ago. He moved to the Rochester area, went through a divorce and felt burned out in the advertising and design world. He had always wanted to work with older adults in some capacity.

After completing a 33-week certificate course in gerontology at St. John Fisher College, he realized what he could do: teach technology to older adults.

Although not an information technology expert by training, Jones realized that he knew more about technology than most 70-year-olds.

He also possesses a large measure of patience. Both the know-how and

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patience would be necessary to teach tech to his clients.

He began teaching in a pilot program at the Maplewood YMCA’s Lily Café. For six months, he charged nothing to see if it would benefit clients.

The classes took off and he began teaching at Fairport Baptist Homes and elsewhere, including giving private lessons.

He now offers 30 different seminars which he constantly updates with new content. Jones won’t fix clients’ technology, but he finds that oftentimes a “broken” iPhone has an unwanted setting or a user problem.

“Technology is hard for most people to understand in general, but my students are learning something for the very first time,” he said. “If you were teaching me to crochet a blanket, I wouldn’t get it the first time.

It would take several times with lots of repetition. You have to be patient with yourself.”

Some functions or tasks on technology devices have several ways they can be done. However, if Jones teaches one way—usually the simplest—family members may have their own favorite way and wonder why their loved one learned the “wrong” way.

Another challenge is the generational nuances surrounding learning. Some of his clients attended school in an era when mistakes or learning more slowly was met with harsh criticism or punishment. He has learned to reassure clients that they may ask the same question as many times as they would like and he will

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

not become upset. That part of his job is often the hardest for family members who show their parent one or two times, then become aggravated and do the task themselves instead of guiding their parent into the right way to do it.

Not initially understanding an aspect of technology has nothing to do with intelligence. Jones said that some male clients were business leaders, but always had secretaries to handle their technology needs. Now that they are retired, they want to learn how to use technology for themselves. Some female clients relied on their husbands for handling things like online bill paying and other technology uses.

However, when their husbands pass away, they need to learn how.

“Yesterday, I met with a woman who just turned 80,” Jones said. “For her birthday, her brother got her a gift certificate for my services. She has a flip phone deliberately. She said, ‘I don’t want to be connected all the time. I don’t want to text. I don’t need to text.’ But her brother wants her to learn these things.”

He explained that sometimes, people benefit themselves when the older adult in their lives learns technology.

“It was eye-opening to her,” Jones said.

When he began Daniel Teaches, most students needed to learn how to use the internet and email. Most lacked basic computer skills. Now, most need help in learning smartphone use and apps so they can keep up with their children and grandchildren. Others need help in learning how to use their smart TVs and streaming services. It may seem like Jones will work himself out of a job, but so far, he still has plenty of clients.

“Hopefully, as long as I stay relevant, I don’t see myself ever being able to retire,” Jones said. “I’m hoping I’m teaching when I’m 75 and maybe I’ll be even more relatable. But I’ve got to keep up with everything.”

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

59

hobbies Jeff Caffrey, a 72-year-old Webster resident, proudly presents his 1951 Studebaker Champion Deluxe.

“I fell in love with this car when I was 5 years old,” he says.

Memories and Magic on Wheels

By Mike Costanza

J

im Caffrey first caught sight of a 1951 Studebaker Champion Deluxe when he was just a child.

“I fell in love with this car when I was 5 years old,” the 72-yearold Webster resident said.

Decades later, Caffrey came to own that model of Studebaker. On July 15, he and at least 400 other classic car owners displayed their prized machines at Damascus Shrine Cruise Night.

The weekly event is held each Friday at the Damascus Shrine Center in Webster through Sept. 9, weather permitting. Profits from the events go to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The same night that Caffrey drove his black beauty to the Damascus Shrine Center, Fred Witt appeared with his lovingly preserved 1959 Ford 60

Fairlane 500 Galaxie. It, too, came with memories.

“When I came back from overseas, I bought one like this brand-new,” the 87-year-old retired Xerox engineer said. “I met my wife, we dated. We went on our honeymoon in it, and like a fool I sold it after we were married a couple years.”

Witt spent the next 50 years looking for another Ford of that model and year. About eight years ago, he found one in a national classic car catalogue that was for sale in South Carolina.

Witt only had to view pictures of the car and talk to the owner to make up his mind.

“I bought it the next day,” the Webster resident said.

Witt has done a lot of work on the car’s engine and transmission, but the rest of the Ford is much as it was when it came off the assembly line. Painted

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

black with red trim, it was an eyecatching sight at Cruise Night.

“When you see something like this, what can you do but fall in love with it?” he said.

Witt’s Galaxie 500 beat nearly 130 other entries in the 2017 BayTowne Car Show to take Best of Show. The annual event is held in Webster.

In addition to showing his Ford, Witt enjoys tooling around town in it with his wife, Janet. The pair will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in October.

Dave Bertch has long enjoyed working on cars.

“I’ve worked as a mechanic all my life,” the 66-year-old Webster resident said. “I do [auto part] fabrication now, and [parts] restorations.”

He can also make a car from scratch. One of Bertch’s creations, a hotrod version of a Ford Model T, seemed to crouch on four wheels at the Damascus Shrine Center, ready to pounce. He fabricated almost every part of the car, including its frame, grill, swooping exhaust pipes, windshield, steering wheel and upholstery.

“The engine block and the basic

Dave Bertch in his made-from-scratch hotrod version of a Ford Model T. “The engine block and the basic body I did not make,” he says. “It’s a fiberglass body I purchased from California.”

body I did not make,” he said. “It’s a fiberglass body I purchased from California.

Caffrey was introduced to his special kind of car as a child living in Charlotte. When his family’s 1955 Pontiac station wagon wouldn’t start in cold weather, the Methodist minister living next door used his 1951 Studebaker Champion Deluxe to jump-start the car. Caffrey was fascinated by the Studebaker’s bulletnosed front end.

“It was designed…to look like a rocket ship,” Caffrey said. “They only did this design for two years because Studebaker was afraid they went too over-the-top weird.”

Caffrey grew up, and acquired a job doing repairs and restorations for the Ethan Allen furniture chain. He retired from that job after 30 years, but never forgot the unique car that his family’s neighbor drove.

“I told myself I would get my bullet-nosed Studebaker when I was 50 years old,” he said.

In 2000, just two months from his 51st birthday, Caffrey bought the kind of car he fondly remembered.

C a ff re y h e l p e d re b u i l d t h e Studebaker’s engine and had most of its chrome-plated parts replated, leaving the car in excellent condition.

Even the little radiators that are used to warm the seats in winter work.

“It takes hot water from the cooling

Fred Witt next to his 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie at the Damascus Shrine Center in Webster in July.

system, runs it underneath the floor to these radiators,” he said. “It works great.”

When not enjoying his Studebaker, Caffrey likes to spend time behind the wheel of his other vintage car, a 1958 Nash Metropolitan.

“I always have a major smile on my face when piloting one of these rolling, rare, vintage wheeled sculptures!” he said. “What could be better that that!”

Caffrey also enjoys restoring or fixing antique clocks, music boxes and spring-driven phonographs.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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visits

By Sandra Scott

EXPLORING YATES COUNTY WINE ALONG THE FINGER LAKES

➼ YATES COUNTY IS LOCATED IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION of New York, midway between Pennsylvania and Lake Ontario. It borders on three of the Finger Lakes: Seneca, Keuka and Canandaigua. The county seat, Penn Yan, gets its name from a compromise by early settlers who arrived from Pennsylvania and the New England area: “Penn” for Pennsylvania and “Yan” for Yankees.

The county is host to a large agricultural base that also includes a thriving Mennonite and Amish population. Some of the various types of agriculture include dairy and crop farms, grape vineyards and apple orchards.

Yates County hosts a variety of events from yoga on the lake, live music at a variety of venues, arts festivals, along with Cruising Night and a block party.

1. HISTORY The best place to learn about the area is at the Yates County History Center in Penn Yan. The center is comprised of three buildings, including the Oliver House, home to

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three generations of local doctors, and the Carriage House, where visitors can find information about Jemima Wilkinson, founder of the Public Universal Friend religious group.

Learn about the Underground Railroad

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

in the Underwood Museum. There are seasonal guided walking tours. In Dresden, learn about Robert Ingersoll, an influential orator and free thinker who was ahead of his time.

2. DRIVE ABOUT Yates County is the perfect place for a scenic drive-about. The rolling hills are dotted with vineyards.

There are many scenic lookouts with views of the lakes. Take notice of the variety of architecture. There are nine cobblestone houses, some of which are on the National Historic Register, along with several saltbox houses.

There are wonderful examples of Greek Revival, Federal, Gothic, and Italianate styles of architecture.

3. TRAILS There are many trails to walk but the most popular is the Keuka Lake outlet trail where one can hike, bike, horseback ride, snowmobile or crosscountry ski. Follow the trail from Penn Yan to Dresden and enjoy the scenery and waterfalls. Among the other trails in the area bird watchers will want to hike one of the trails at TownsendGrady Wildlife Preserve.

4. WINE TIME Yates County claims to be the largest grower of wine grapes outside of California with over 5,000 acres of vineyards. There are more than 30 wineries. The county is part of two wine trails: the Keuka Lake Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

There is a winery for every oenophile.

Besides wine tasting and sales, some wineries offer tours and have onsite cafes. Some are open year-round.

5. CRAFT BEVERAGES There is more than wine to enjoy in Yates County. There are several craft beer breweries. Some are licensed New York state farm breweries, meaning that the beer must be made primarily from locally grown farm products.

Each brewery has its own distinctive flavor. Several offer cider, too. The Lyon Smith Brewery creates beer in the English tradition. Check out its unique gaming tables. There are several distilleries, including O’Begley Distillery, featuring Irish-style pot whiskey.

6. CULINARY There are several great restaurants in downtown Penn Yan plus most of the wineries and breweries have small cafes. If it is sweets you are looking for, you are sure to find in it at the Keuka Candy Emporium, an old fashioned candy store with all the old favorites sweets, including a soda bar and old fashioned ice cream counter.

The Spotted Duck is a local favorite for duck egg custard that visitors can enjoy while watching the ducks.

Seneca Farms is another local favorite offering ice cream and chicken. The most unique culinary experience is the “Not your typical Upstate Mennonite and Amish Tour” that includes a home cooked meal with a Mennonite family.

7. ARTS The Yates County Art Center has a storefront on Main Street in Penn Yan. Artwork is on display but it also includes the Flick Gallery; Rosenfeld Studio where they hold workshops; and Sunny Point on Keuka Lake where most of the seasonal workshops are held. Sunny Point includes housing for visiting instructors and artist residencies. Also on Main Street in Penn Yan is Starving Artist Woodwork, offering many items crafted from recycled materials. The nearby Potters Gallery features the works of over two dozen potters using a variety of methods.

8. WATER AND RAIL TIMES There are several parks and some, like Keuka State Park, have a beach.

Kayaks and boat rentals are available at several locations. Keuka Lake is known for lake trout and bass fishing.

There are also bike rentals. For a unique dry land adventure check out Rail Riders. Learn about the history of the area while peddling the five miles of rails through the countryside.

9. THE WINDMILL The Windmill Farm and Craft Market hosts over 175 vendors. There is truly something for everyone including great food, fresh produce,

FROM LEFT Kayaks and boat rentals are available at several locations along Keuka Lake. Visitors also have many options to taste local wine —photo shows a glass of wine at Fox-Run Vineyard.

Many trails are avaialable.

OPPOSITE PAGE A relaxing view from a beach along Keuka State Park.

flowers, custom cabinetry, furniture, fashion, local wineries, artistry, gifts, micro brews, entertainment, and so much more. The Windmill offers many on site dining options from full-service restaurants to unending snack options.

With six wineries, a brewery and a distillery, The Windmill is a one-stop destination for tastings. Admission is free and there is plenty of parking.

10. THE UNIQUE The World’s Largest Pancake Griddle hangs on the outside wall of the Birkett Mills buckwheat mill.

On Sept. 27, 1987 it cooked a two-ton pancake. The batter was poured into it by a sterilized cement mixer and flipped with the help of a construction crane. It was topped with 15 gallons of syrup and 68 pounds of butter. Truly a hidden gem, Garrett Memorial Chapel on Bluff Point, is on the National Historic Register. The Norman Gothic church is nestled in the woods overlooking Keuka Lake.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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addyman’s corner

By John Addyman Email: john.addyman@yahoo.com

They Say Knee-Replacement Surgery Is Something to Remember: Don’t Believe Them

W

hen I was a little boy, my mom would take me into Scranton, Pennsylvania, to see dear old Dr. Davis, whose job was to give me an allergy shot in my bottom.

“I have a needle for that,” he told my mom.

And he did. Problem was, my job was to do everything to escape that needle, which included climbing Dr. Davis’s bookshelf and desk.

Since those early days, I’ve had a simple system for judging good days versus bad days.

A day with no needles is a good day.

But show me a needle — bad day.

It’s been a long time since I was a little boy, but needles are still around.

This I found out in spades last winter when I got my knee replaced. Well, it didn’t actually get replaced, it was more modified and hot-rodded with new parts.

And it was an experience.

My editor thought so, anyway.

“Do a story on getting your knee replaced!” he told me, much too enthusiastically.

“Take a long walk off a short pier,” I responded, enthusiastically.

But after months of incubating, here goes…

This story started in 1992 when I blew out my right ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in a corporate volleyball game. The Pennsylvania doctor who did the eventual surgery was a great guy. He told me the knee would be fine until I got arthritis in it, whenever that was.

As it happened, that was last year.

My New York doctor told me I had hit the daily double: “Do you want to do both knees or just the one?” he

64

asked.

When he could see the stunned look on my face, he told me my right knee was “bone on bone” and the left knee was getting there fast. We decided on replacing the right knee. I figured the left knee would hang on for a while.

I was wrong. When the time came to set a date for the surgery, my left knee was killing me.

The doctor was unphased.

“I have a needle for that,” he said.

And he did. Two needles actually, one for each knee, and a very nice physician’s assistant who held my hand so my face did not hit the floor while another physician’s assistant gave me the shots.

The cortisone shots lasted for a while, but then the doctor said, “Let’s get this done and stop fooling around with the shots.”

But I had to get cleared for the surgery, so I called my cardiologist, who had to sign off on everything. He

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

said we could do an echocardiogram, which involves a treadmill. I told him the surgery was on my knee.

“No problem,” he said.

“I have a needle for that.”

And he did. I was given a nuclear stress test, which involved injecting radioactive dye into me. It was no fun. Later that night, I found myself checking to see if my chest was glowing.

I thought I was finished with the cardiologist but no, after I passed the nuclear thing, I needed an angiogram, which meant a trip to the hospital.

“Will you do the test?” I asked him.

“No, my colleague in Rochester does.”

“He has a needle for that.”

And indeed he did. He put that sucker in my arm and things went hot and cold in seconds, but then the rest was a piece of cake. “No blockage,” he told me.

Now I was ready for the big day.

New knee, here I come.

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But first we had to do lab tests.

The phlebotomist asked me what I was having done.

“New knee,” I told her.

“I have a needle for that,” she said.

And she did. And she took a generous number of samples.

The big day came, and here I was, back at my hometown hospital.

“We have to get you hooked up for IVs,” the nurses said.

“Let me guess,” I started to say…

“No need,” they responded, “we have needles for that.”

And they did. There I was with things sticking in both arms with tubes dangling down. I had tape over the needle ports, but I was really pretty comfortable. The women were quick and expert.

Now it was time to meet the anesthesiologist. She was very nice.

She recommended I get a “block” to make thing go easier.

“I have a needle for that,” she said.

And I thought to myself, “I bet you do, and I bet it’s a foot long.”

“I want to be out completely,” I told her. “Put some juice in the IV bag and let me fly to La-La land. No block.”

That’s all I remember.

Apparently, I agreed to the block and to sweeten the deal the anesthesiologist primed me with something that helped me to relax — and forget — everything. She gave me a little squirt of Kickapoo Joy Juice in the IV and the world was a different place. I don’t remember the block. I don’t remember the surgery.

I don’t remember being in the postop recovery room. I don’t remember talking to my doctor after the surgery.

I don’t remember being taken to my hospital room. I don’t remember if my wife was with me or not when I got to the room.

That night, the anesthesiologist came to visit me and I thanked her for sparing me from a lot of anxiety and pain. The following morning, a physician’s assistant visited before the crack of dawn and changed my dressing, gave me instructions, and a doctor in the practice spent time with me answering a lot of questions and putting me at ease.

And this month, I meet with the doctor to choose the date for the next knee surgery.

I bet he has some needles for that.

ACTIVE SU

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last page

By Melody Burris

Mary Ferris, 71

Children’s Services Librarian Mary Ferris has been on the job for 48 years. She talks about longevity, loving your work and the power of reading Q: What do you most enjoy about your work as Wood Library’s Children’s Services librarian?

“I started working at Wood Library on February 1, 1974, so I’ve been here 48 years. It was my first job out of grad school, and I guess it was a good fit. I feel so fortunate to have found something that I truly love doing, and look forward to going to work every day. In part because a public library is never the same two days in a row — whoever comes in the door defines what might happen that day.

“As the first children’s librarian at Wood, I was lucky enough to be able to create and define what the job would be. All five directors I’ve worked with have been so supportive of anything I wanted to try, and that’s allowed me to personally challenge myself to explore all kinds of ways to engage with children and families.”

Q: Not many people stick with a job or career for the long haul. How does it feel to be serving the children of the children you once taught?

“One amazing outcome of the pandemic and having to close the library was it forced us to find new ways to connect with library patrons.

We all had to translate our programs to a virtual platform, so I learned how to use my phone to record, edit, and post my story programs on social media.

“Imagine my surprise and joy to get feedback from storytime ‘graduates’ near and far who were tuning into the library’s YouTube channel to watch Mrs. Ferris with their children! When you work with children, you never know what sort of impact you may have had. So, to hear from these parents how viewing these videos brought back such wonderful memories for them is something truly special for me.”

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something that is enjoyable by reading to your child and talking about what you read. My father worked at the local newspaper and brought us each our own copy to read — ownership is important. Have books in your home — either ones that you own or ones that you borrow from the library.”

Q: When you’re not at work, what kind of books do you like to read and who are some of your favorite authors?

“Would it surprise you if I said I mostly read children’s fiction books?

They have the best stories without any unnecessary drama.

I devoured the Harry Potter series when it came out and still like to reread them. My favorite authors are Kate DiCamillo, Sharon Creech, Angie Sage, Katherine Applegate, Gordon Korman, and A n d re w C l e m e n t s .

And if I have to ‘grow up’ my reading selection, give me a Janet Evanovich novel for a fast, fun read!”

Q: Any plans to retire, and if so, what would Mary Ferris lives in Farmington with her husband of you like to have more almost 40 years, Kim, who is the retired owner of A Patch time to do? of Country Gift Shop. Their son, Matt, lives in Denver.

“I’ve warned the And Mary’s 99-year-old mother lives in Canandaigua. library director that it’s coming sooner than later, but I don’t have Q: Why do you believe reading is a date set in my mind. I still love such an important part of childhood what I’m doing and I want to enjoy the wonderful new additions to our learning and development?

“Reading is an essential skill for children’s area. I think it’s really anything else you do in life. Think important to have plans for what you about it — what doesn’t involve want to do before you actually retire, reading? And being able to read gives a and I’m still working on that. I know child the independence to explore their my husband is itching to do some world. So that’s why it’s important to traveling and I’m looking forward help each and every child find their to that. I also need to find a way to own way to make those squiggles on channel my crafting creativity, not for a piece of paper — or computer screen profit, but just for personal satisfaction.

— become images and ideas and have Q: What’s one core value that continues meaning.” to shape your life and career?

“Find joy in what you’re doing.”

Q: What can parents do to build better reading habits for themselves Q: What’s one thing that gives you hope and their families?

“Lead by example. If a child sees about the children of today as they a parent reading, they’re more likely become the leaders of tomorrow?

“Remember to always be kind.” to do it too. Show that reading is

55 PLUS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022

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