55plus 48 dec13 jan14 by 55 Plus: For Active Adults in Central New York

Savvy Senior: Get Paid for Being a Family Caregiver Study: Rate of Divorce Among 50+ Has Doubled

Local Retirees Enjoy Playing Santa Rod Wood: 50 Years of Broadcasting

55 PLUS Issue 48 December 2013 / January 2014

For Active Adults in Central New York

BRUCE COVILLE

Author of ‘My Teacher is an Alien’ gets ready to write four more books — on top of the 103 he has written. Find out what keeps this former Wetzel Road Elementary School teacher going.

Stop Missing Out on Life’s Precious Moments “

My kids would say, ‘mom you can’t hear us.’ I would have to sit at the edge of my seat in staff meetings, as I couldn’t hear the softspoken speakers. Finally, I went to EarQ. I learned that I had mild hearing loss. I still thought I was too young to need hearing aids, they would cost too much, and I would not be able to wear my hair the way I’d like. Tammy Wood said two things that changed my mind, and my ‘quality’ of life: ‘Why don’t you test them out for a week?’ and ‘You’d be making an investment in your future.’ EarQ did a great job explaining my hearing loss, the product, adjusting the levels, answering any questions I’ve had, and have provided wonderful customer service.” - Sandy J

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Smart Giving Thinks Local

Steve Jacobs, a consultant and former local business owner, stands with his wife Elaine, Past President of the Board, Susan G. Komen for the Cure CNY, in front of the Guardian Angel Society mural.

Running a business in Central New York was very rewarding, and has inspired us to give back to the community that supported us. Our success gave us the means to open a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation, which offers a simple, flexible and cost-effective vehicle for managing our charitable giving. We closed our private foundation in favor of a donor-advised fund because of the low fees and ease of management. It is comforting to know that we can count on the Community Foundation as stewards of our permanent fund, faithfully executing our charitable wishes even after we are gone. We have been blessed with success, thanks to the support of our community over the years. We give locally as a way to show our appreciation, and invite others to join us in giving back through the Community Foundation. It truly is Where the Smart Money Gives.

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55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014 Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 422-9538

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55 PLUS

December 2013 / January 2014

34 38

Savvy Senior 6 12 ADVOCACY Financial Health 8 • 88-year-old works to keep Gardening 10 Golden Years Aging My Turn Visits

retirees in Central New York

Rod Wood celebrates 50 years of broadcasting.

22 FINANCES

• Investing in today’s economy

24 14 COVER 30 HO! HO! HO! • Bruce Coville has written 103 32 • Retirees enjoy playing Santa Claus books, and he’s not done yet 34 16 36 TRENDS WRITING • Downtown Writers Center • Remember the silver tsunami? 44 What happened to it?

Consumers Corner 46 18 DIVORCES Druger’s Zoo 48 • Rate of divorce among 50 Q&A

CONTENTS

12 14

50+ has doubled

20 GENERATIONS

• Mother-daughter pen book of recipes

fosters area scribes

38 PROFILE

• Varsity referee has enjoyed a career spanning more than half a century

41 VOLUNTEERING

• Making a difference by building homes for the poor

December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

savvy senior By Jim Miller

Get Paid for Being a Family Caregiver

ay you spend a great deal of time taking care of you mom. To get paid as a family caregiver, there are various government programs, tax breaks and family payment options that may be able to help you, depending on your mom’s ﬁnancial situation. Here’s where to look for help.

$20,795 to be eligible. Her assets must also be less than $80,000 excluding her home and car. To learn more see va.gov/geriatrics, or contact the VA ofﬁce, or your local veterans service organization. For contact information, call 800-8271000.

State Aid

Uncle Sam may also be able to help if you pay at least half of your mom’s yearly expenses, and her annual income was below $3,900 in 2013 (not counting Social Security). If so, you can claim her as a dependent on your taxes, and reduce your taxable income by $3,900. See IRS Publication 501 (www. irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf) or call the IRS help-line at 800-829-1040 for information. If you can’t claim your mom as a dependent, you may still be able to get a tax break if you’re paying at least half her living expenses including her medical and long-term care costs, and they exceed 10 percent (or 7.5 percent if you’re 65 or over) of your adjusted gross income. You can include your own medical expenses in calculating the total. See the IRS publication 502 (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf) for details.

If your mom is low-income and eligible for Medicaid, you may be able to get paid a small amount by the state. In 15 states, Medicaid offers a Cash & Counseling program (see cashandcounseling.org) that provides an allowance that can be used for various services, including paying family members for care. Many other states have similar programs for low-income seniors, even if the person receiving care doesn’t quite qualify for Medicaid. To ﬁnd out about these options contact your local Medicaid ofﬁce.

Veterans Aid In some communities across the U.S., including New York, veterans who are at risk of nursing home placement can enroll in the VeteranDirected Home and Community Based Services program, that allows veterans to manage their own care, including hiring and paying their own caregivers. Also available to wartime veterans and their spouses, is a beneﬁt called Aid and Attendance that helps pay for in-home care, as well as assisted living and nursing home care. This beneﬁt can also be used to pay family caregivers. To be eligible your mom must need assistance with daily living activities like bathing, dressing or going to the bathroom. And, her income must be under $13,362 as a surviving spouse — minus medical and long-term care expenses. If your mom is a single veteran, her income must be below 6

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

Tax Breaks

Family Payments If your mom doesn’t ﬁnancially qualify for the government aid or the tax breaks, can she afford to pay you herself or do you have any siblings that would be willing to chip in? After all, if your mom had to pay for home care services, the costs would be anywhere between $12 and $25 per hour. If she agrees to pay you, it’s best that you or an attorney draft a short written contract detailing your work and payment arrangements so every one involved knows what to expect. A contract will also help avoid potential problems should your mom ever need to apply for Medicaid for nursing home care.

55PLUS Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Writers

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Laura Thompson, Aaron Giffod Avery Galek, Sandra Scott Mary Beth Roach,Patricia J. Malin

Columnists

Eva Briggs, M.D., Bruce Frassinelli Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, David J. Zumpano Marvin Druger

Advertising

Jasmine Maldonado Marsha Preston Jim Maxwell

Ofﬁce Manager

Laura J. Beckwith

Layout and Design Chris Crocker

Cover Photo

Chuck Wainwright 55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper.

Health in good

CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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How to Reach Us P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-1182 Fax: 315-342-7776 Email: editor@CNY55.com Editor@cnyhealth.com

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December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

financial health

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55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

Are You the Spouse or the Caregiver?

wenty years ago, my grandmother developed dementia. My single aunt lived with her and therefore took care of her. As Grandma’s dementia progressed, her care became more and more burdensome. I recommended to my mom and her other two siblings that they consider putting Grandma in a nursing home. They rebelled. My mom, her sister and brother, who did not care for Grandma, had particularly strong feelings about ensuring that Grandma did not go into a nursing home. My aunt , who lived and cared for Grandma, felt a tremendous amount of guilt to even consider it an option. The reality was, Grandma needed help and it wasn’t fair that my aunt tended to all her needs, cleaning her, helping her up into bed, in the bathroom, feeding her, etc., while my mother and her other two siblings got to enjoy Grandma “all prettied up” when there were family functions. So, my question is this: Was my aunt the daughter of my grandmother or her caregiver? And that is my question to many elderly clients who ﬁnd themselves in a similar situation. Unfortunately, in too many cases, the well spouse’s role of caregiver supersedes the role of spouse, which is not healthy for either one. Fortunately, unlike 20 years ago, there are many more options today. Specifically, there are communitybased programs, including Medicaid, which will help pay for caregivers to come into the home to provide assistance. While initially frowned upon by many people, (much like my mom and her siblings back in the day) the reality is, counting on an outside caregiver means a much better result for everyone. It is important the well spouse maintains the spousal relationship, not the relationship of a

primary caregiver, who often has to treat the ailing spouse like a child. In addition, these community Medicaid benefits and other related programs can assist the ailing spouse with daily functions like making meals, cleaning the house, helping get dressed, and toileting, etc. Just relieving oneself of these burdens for a portion of the day will greatly enhance the quality of life not only for the well spouse, but also for the ailing spouse, as it provides an opportunity to have a spousal relationship to the greatest extent possible, thereby often slowing the deterioration of the ailing spouse. In addition to Medicaid, there is a wonderful benefit that includes caregiving services. Aid and Attendance provides up to $2,054 per month to veterans and their spouses, for service stemming from World War II, the Korean war or Vietnam. Simple planning will make most veterans eligible and, with counseling and planning, we can typically get any veteran qualified within 30 days. The same is true for the community Medicaid benefit. The challenge is, most people try and go at it alone and are quickly denied because they don’t know the rules. If you have a loved one who is beginning to ail, the sooner you get assistance in the home you will ensure for a slowed progression for the ailment and a prolonged marital or parent child relationship. You don’t have to go at this alone; there are multiple solutions to get help in the home. The trick is to start early and with benefits that can grow and progress as the need increases. David J. Zumpano is an attorney and a certified public accountant (CPA). He operates Estate Planning Law Center. He can be reached at 793-3622.

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December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

Gardening

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We bring people and nature together

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55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

Regrowth season just around the corner

ell, this fall growing season was one to remember. Many of you grabbed the opportunity to install new plants and achieve thriving landscape color. If you didn’t, you haven’t missed your chance. Next year will bring new opportunities. A quick 2013 recap: spring arrived as usual in April. May was pretty normal. In June it rained just twice: the first time for 10 days, the second for 20. When the skies cleared, many raced to camps for those 10 precious weekends we call summer. The summer was pretty good. Summer’s end was fair at best, culminating with our local commencement ceremony known as The New York State Fair. But the fall planting season was spectacular indeed with wonderful weather and great growing conditions. Foliage turns color every autumn with full leaf drop usually occurring by Oct. 18. This year it was past that, extending the fall leaf-peeping season at least 10 full days. It’s a lovely time for reflection. I’m sure I’m not the only one among us who lost some good friends this year. When they die, part of us dies along with them. That’s the sad part. The beautiful part is that the memories are there any time we want them. We can edit them as we see fit. So we can keep the sunshine and delete the rain. Trees and shrubs die, too. This provides a chance to replace with something new, perhaps an upgrade with an interesting new feature. You can grab the opportunity or let it pass. I say go for it. Failure is not nearly as frightening as regret. As we age, we might choose to pay others to perform some of the tasks we did ourselves when we were younger. Forget the neighborhood kid, who’s

probably too busy and might not have the skill to rake leaves, clean gutters, shovel snow or walk and chew gum at the same time. I have doubts about the future of manual labor and wonder if it will be limited to the few, the proud, the Marines. So we pace our activities. We take the full hour to watch “60 Minutes.” We have learned what we can do and what we can’t. Sometimes that lesson is Advil-inducing, but we get there. And usually when we find a competent and handy person to handle outdoor chores, it’s important to plan ahead and get on the schedule. Because others have also found their skills to be beneficial and you’ll be competing for their time. Syracuse is really a small town. Word gets around. Get your work locked in as soon as you can. After living in the same house for 32 years my wife and I decided to finally redo our already fully landscaped backyard. It seems that things couldn’t even be called “vintage” any more. They were just plain old. And, yes, it did take some time to coordinate the various tradespeople, wait for materials and sequence the work. In the end, the planning and effort were well worth it. We regained our positive view. So what will 2014 hold for you? Proper planning prevents pretty poor performance. This is the time to start some serious discussions at your house. Consider the exciting opportunities that await you when The Great White melts and regrowth begins. Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in NYS. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 468-1142 or at jim@sollecito.com.

DeLaney

& O’Connor

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55+

advocacy

Keeping Retirees in Central New York 88-year-old Chuckie Holstein is behind an effort to keep retirees in Central New York By Aaron Gifford

sually, those who worry the most about the future of baby boomers are the children and grandchildren of baby boomers. But In Central New York, one of the proudest advocates for members of that generation is old enough to be their mother. Charlotte “Chuckie” Holstein, 88, has dedicated her life to making Central New York a fine place to live, work and raise a family. Now, she’s working to keep more Central New Yorkers here for their remaining years. “The boomers are quite different from other generations, including my own,” said the Syracuse resident and co-founder of the FOCUS Greater Syracuse citizen-driven organization. “They are more educated, worldlier. But the retirees are moving away. We lose taxpayers, we lose property owners, and we lose philanthropy. How do we keep the retiring boomers here in the community?” To answer that question, FOCUS Greater Syracuse has outlined a new initiative, “Aging Baby Boomers: Economic, Political and Community Implications for Onondaga County.” The next step is to obtain seed money for additional research. Then it’s a matter of better understanding the interests of CNY boomers and what should and could be done to keep them here. It’s also important to ﬁnd out where Central New Yorkers are going if in fact they are leaving here for good, Holstein explained. According to the FOCUS Greater Syracuse website, there are 128,633 12

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) in Onondaga County alone, or 27.5 percent of the county’s population. Moreover, the total number of residents born before 1964, which includes those who are older than the boomers, is 194,211, or 42.5 percent of the county’s population. Previous research has indicated that a significant chunk of local boomers desire to continue working — some because they aren’t financially secure enough for retirement yet and others because they aren’t psychologically ready to quit working yet. But it’s important to find out if this group is taking jobs away from young people. It is also key to find out if a significant number of them are willing to work part-time or on a consultant or freelance basis, Holstein explained. She believes many baby boomers would be interested in opening small businesses if there were initiatives for them to follow through with it. She also knows that many Central New Yorkers who are relatively new to retirement a re i n t e re s t e d i n furthering their education and

taking college or even graduate degree courses. Holstein as a few ideas. Chief among them, she said, is to work with area SUNY schools to build housing for older adults on or near their campuses. In turn, those residents would enroll in courses, use the athletic facilities and bring revenue to those schools. The traditional students and faculty, meanwhile, would beneﬁt immensely from the intergenerational interaction. “I call it ‘mental gymnastics’ when you have so many generations in the classes,” Holstein said. “That’s one component of this.” Holstein acknowledges that hundreds of Central New York retirees a r e

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structure and functions of local government and how they can work with local leaders to bring change and improve the community. Holstein’s leadership is not restricted to the local area or even nationally. As an honorary vice president of the American Jewish Community, she participated in interreligious missions in Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Israel. In 1985, she traveled to Kenya to deliver a paper on the topic of elderly women during a United Nations Conference for Women. A decade later, she represented the American Jewish Committee at a U.N. World Conference in China. She has also led delegations in South America, and met with Pope John Paul at his home in the Vatican. Maple trees have been planted in Holstein’s honor in downtown Syracuse, and the administration building at Loretto is named after her. Holstein still goes to work at her ofﬁce in downtown Syracuse just about every day. She enjoys gardening and exercising with the help of a personal trainer. She has always loved to read and recently bought a Kindle. Now, she says, “I’m reading more books than I ever read in my life.” Holstein’s husband, Alex, also continues to work and volunteer with a variety of organizations, including Manlius Pebble Hill School. Each night at dinner, Chuckie and Alex talk about their day, just as they did 50 years ago. “We review what we did and inspire each other,” Holstein said. Holstein has no plans to retire to a warmer place and believes that her group will succeed at keeping boomers in Central New York through their twilight years as well. The key to making your community better, she says, is citizen engagement. If people feel a stronger sense of ownership in the place they live, work and volunteer, maybe they’ll be less likely to leave. “It’s an easy sell and a form of volunteerism without having to make a major commitment. It enables people to work more closely with the government the business community and the non-proﬁts,” she said. “We keep track of their 2 cents and make sure those 2 cents get to the right resources. It’s nice to know your opinions count.”

P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126

snowbirds who spend six months or more in Florida or Arizona to enjoy the sunshine and avoid New York state income taxes. She is more worried about people who leave permanently for reasons other than the weather. “What can we do to make the Central New York region a place where people say, ‘I want to grow old here,’?” Holstein, the youngest of six children, is the daughter of Russian Jews who immigrated to the United States to escape Stalin’s murderous regime. At a young age, she was taught to appreciate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “We are so fortunate to live in a free country,” she said. “I always thought it was important to give back.” She grew up in Rochester and later married Alex Holstein, whose family was well-known for their philanthropy in the Syracuse area. Holstein enjoyed the chance to volunteer with many different organizations playing many different roles. “I was a stay-at-home mom who didn’t stay at home,” she said. Holstein served on a citizen’s group for education and once marched onto the steps of City Hall with one child in a stroller, one in her arms and one in a backpack. Her volunteer work later branched out to Meals on Wheels, the Syracuse Commission for Women, the Syracuse Ofﬁce for the Aging and Loretto. She also championed the effort to open a nursery school in the Pioneer Homes public housing project. Holstein and Judith Mower founded FOCUS Greater Syracuse in 1998. With the help of 200 trained volunteers, they conducted “visioning sessions” at schools, places of worship, homes and other places throughout the community where people gather, according to the FOCUS website. The mission was to get as much public input as possible to improve the region. All told, more than 4,000 people participated over 124 sessions, generating 15,500 ideas. Another group of volunteers then analyzed those ideas and identiﬁed 87 common goals. FOCUS has offered a variety of public outreach programs in the past 15 years. Among its most successful is the “citizens academy” class, which has graduated 300 people since 2004. As part of the free program, participants are taught about the organizational

December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

55+

ho! ho! ho!

Santa Bob Has Come To Town Bob McDonald, 66, a retired state employee, has played Santa for nearly 25 years, five at Destiny USA By Mary Beth Roach

he morning of Nov. 8 brought Syracuse’s ﬁrst snowfall and, appropriately enough, many television accounts of Santa’s seasonal debut at Destiny USA later that day. And as promised, late that afternoon, Santa was escorted through the hallways of the mall on his way to his green plush throne in Destiny’s Canyon area, waving to the wide-eyed young children and smiling parents. As he took his seat, the older kids on the walkways overhead in the Canyon could be heard whispering to each other, “There’s Santa!” ‘Tis the beginning of another holiday season, but Santa Bob is more than ready. Despite the long hours — he estimated about 150 hours altogether — he never loses his holiday spirit. “The minute I sit in that chair, I’m in the right frame of mind,” he said. It’s all in the demeanor, Santa 14

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

Bob said: how he talks to the kids and outstretches his arms to welcome them, for example. Bob McDonald, 66, a retired state employee, has been Santa Bob for nearly 25 years, and he has been at Destiny for about ﬁve years. He grew up in Syracuse and lives in the same neighborhood where he was raised. “He is everything you envisioned Santa to be when you were a child,” said Rose Hapanowich, director of marketing at Destiny. “He is enthusiastic and full of energy and truly loves the children. From the white beard and rosy cheeks to his signature high ﬁve. Kids are enchanted by him and many families will only bring their children when they know he is scheduled to be there. Bob is the “real deal,’” Hapanowich added. Hapanowich said she and her team prefer natural-bearded Santas, who are full of enthusiasm, who love the kids and can handle the pace

of a busy environment. They are hire Santas through Noerr Programs Corporation, a Denver, Colo., company that even has a “Santa University.” Santa candidates go through an intense four-day training during which the participants work on a service project with Save The Children, and then receive instruction on a range of topics, including, among other things, how to answer those tough questions from children, how to pose with pets and children, and how to bleach their beards, according to Ruth Rosenquist, spokesperson for Noerr. Santa Bob joked that his beard, which is also the “real deal,” needs less whitening than when he started about a quarter-century ago. The whiskers don’t need the touch-ups as frequently as before, he admitted with a chuckle (or was it a ho-ho-ho?) ‘ Tw a s s o m e w e e k s b e f o r e Christmas about 25 years ago, when McDonald took his little grandson to

a local shopping mall to see Santa. He was very disappointed that Jolly Old St. Nick was, well, not so jolly. He took his concern to the management and told them that he’d be back next year as their Santa. McDonald kept to his promise and returned the following year as one of that mall’s Santas. Over the near quarter-century that he’s portrayed Santa, he has

seen several generations of some families come to visit. Santa Bob is so convincing that children who had come to see him when they were young are now bringing their own children. It has become a family tradition for many to make the annual trek to visit with Santa Bob each year, Hapanowich noted. “At times it is hard to say who is

enjoying things more — Bob or the kids!” she added. The kids’ lists can be extensive and sophisticated these days, Santa Bob said, but sometimes their requests are heartbreaking in their simplicity. But whereas the kids’ wish lists can be long, Santa Bob’s is short. “Santa has everything he needs,” he said.

Retired Onondaga County Sheriff Still Active as Santa 68-year-old Santa Dan has played the role for the last 10 years

an Case, also known as Santa Dan, if you will, shares Destiny USA’s Santa Bob’s enthusiasm for this time of year, and while both may be full of ho-ho-hos, they both take their roles seriously, appreciating what this holiday icon means to youngsters Case related a story about a little local girl who, several years ago, had been hurt a few weeks before Christmas. According to a local newspaper account at the time, ﬁrst responders handled the call, but they couldn’t forget the youngster, and they wanted to do something special for her that holiday season. So, on Christmas Eve, they returned to the home of that little girl and her family, bringing with them a special guest. That guest, donned in a red suit and beard, was Case — and he can still recall how wide-eyed the little girl was when he appeared and how she greeted him with open arms. “Santa Claus is universal,” Case said. The kids ﬁgure “‘his guy I can trust.’” The 68-year-old retired Onondaga County sheriff has been playing Santa Claus for about 10 years for nursery schools in the Baldwinsville area, for the Syracuse Parks Department’s Festival of Lights and Breakfast with Santa events, and for the Christmas Party sponsored by the local chapter

of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-Catholic fraternal group of which he’s a member. While AOH members bring their own families to the holiday gathering, they are encouraged to bring a child who may be less fortunate. The highlight of some children’s Christmas, Case said, might be a visit with Santa. He admitted that he has left an event, not with a twinkle in his eye, but with tears rolling down those rosy cheeks. “Some of their requests are heart-wrenching,” he said. Today’s current events often color the conversations the children have with Santa, he noted. More and more requests are family-oriented, he explained, asking for Dad to ﬁnd work; or requesting something not for themselves but for a sibling. The military f a m i l i e s a re t h e toughest, Case has found, as the youngsters ask Santa to bring a parent home from war. Or perhaps a parent or brother or sister has died, he added, and they want them to come back. “Santa is the ﬁxall,” he said, so the

kids expect him to do the impossible. Case explained that he will discuss with the children that while he may not be able to honor all their requests, he will explain to them that their loved one wants them to be happy, so he asks what Santa might be able to do to make them happy.

December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

55+

trends

Bye-bye, Boomers Seventy-seven million no more? What happened to the hype about the so-called silver tsunami? By Laura Thompson

aby boomers have ruled the world through strength in numbers, solidarity on social issues, and general willingness to stand up and be counted. As we as a cohort age, the media as well as government have gone into frenzies, predicting everything from dire shortages in the Social Security program to a “silver tsunami” in the healthcare fields. Hospitals have been built, nursing home beds have been added, based upon the projected needs of 77 million to 78 million senior citizens. But as I read the nightly obituaries in the local paper, I am startled into noticing that baby boomers, who enjoyed an early life survival rate unknown to previous generations, seem to be dying off early. I first noted this among my friends and while reading my local obituaries. Some evenings the local paper teemed with obituaries of those aged 40–60. Personally, I have buried 10 friends in the last five years. The oldest one, and one of the more recent deaths, was 67. The youngest person was 46. The median age was 53 years. Eight of these deaths were due to some type of cancer. One was caused by a genetic and inherited heart condition. One was a suicide, and the cause of death of another is unknown, because he died in a foreign country with lax medical reporting. These are the deaths I know of, among 16

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the people from all my pasts that I still stay in contact with. It was always assumed that the boomers, like the generations before them, would enjoy a longer life than their parents. Statistics, however, do not bear that out. Data from the most recent census of 2010 indicates a death rate among the 45–54year-old age group as just under 200,000 annually. For the 55– 64-year-old cohort, it tops 300,000 annually. As for those aged 65–74, it runs at nearly 425,000 each year. That’s a big chunk of the b o o m e r population, each and e v e r y year. And I strongly suspect our numbers

have dropped by several million in the past decade, because the data above adds up to 925,000 deaths in the cohort, annually. So what’s with the boomer death rates? Some say we have been our own worst enemies, and our bad habits and behaviors are catching up to us. We smoked, we drank, we used illicit drugs. We engaged in hasty sex with strangers. We neglected our health and, as we aged, we lodged our increasingly hefty backsides into comfortable lowmovement ofﬁce jobs. We played at the gym for a while, but as we grew gray we gave that up in favor of pizza, a DVD, and a cold beer. We’re fat now, obese even, and diabetes is epidemic among us. I accept some of that as true. But I remain doubtful that we are causing our own cancer. Four of my friends did not smoke nor drink. Of the

remaining four, one was an alcoholic. The others smoked lightly, drank socially. Nine of the deceased were at appropriate body weight, or less. The habits that kill us were not especially present in these friends, with one or two exceptions. The Big C is hitting my cohort hard. While media and doctors love to pounce on bad personal habits as the cause behind this, the truth may be something else. Some researchers are pointing to above ground testing of nuclear weaponry, speciﬁcally the 100 bombs detonated in the skies over Nevada in the 1950s and 1960s. The radioactive fallout included strontium90 and iodine-129 as well as other known carcinogenics, and science now knows these materials drifted across the country, affecting children nationwide. Livestock, such as the cows that fed the American milk habit, were also affected. Municipal water supplies were similarly contaminated, although no one was testing for that at that time. I have always said that cancer comes to my generation not only because we are those sloppy, careless baby boomers we are made out to be, but because our government and its close friend Big Business were careless and sloppy themselves. They wanted to create new weapons and chemicals, and put them to use in our environment, food supply, air and water, without first measuring the impact of these weapons and chemicals on humans. And now we are witnessing the result of that in the escalating cancer rates. And then there’s the opt out factor. Suicides cause more deaths than automobile accidents, perhaps for the ﬁrst time in history. The suicide rates for men in their 50s have increased by 50 percent. There is wide speculation for the reasons behind this, such as the poor economy, lack of employment, age-related health issues, and easy access to pain killers. The generation that tuned in, turned on, and dropped out is dropping out in a more permanent manner when faced with aging. We are leaving, one way or another. And long before we expected to. L o o k a ro u n d . N o t i c e y o u r friends. Spend time with them today. Tomorrow, they may have left you. It’s hard to be the last man — or woman — standing.

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55+

divorce

More Divorces Among 55-plus Crowd Divorce rate among adults 50 and older doubled, according to a study By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ean Holm, group leader at the Divorce Care ministry at Syracuse Vineyard Church, has noticed a shift in age of the program’s participants. “We’re seeing nearly double in the past two decades among those over 50,” Holm said. “The rates among other ages are going down.” The trend stands among the general population. A study by the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio found that between 1990 and 2009, the divorce rate among adults 50 and older doubled. About one in four divorces in 2009 were among the same age group. Holm, 50, lives in Baldwinsville and manages the Brownell Center in Syracuse. She offered a couple ideas as to why this generation of retirees is splitting up more than previous generations. “If you want to compare to the 1950s, women stayed home,” Holm said. “Now women are out working and they aren’t relying on their husband’s support so they can be ﬁnancially all right if they divorce.” Culturally, divorce has become more commonplace and accepted. Born into the post-World War II to early ‘60s era, boomers represent a generation that always bucked 18

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societal norms. Lifelong marriage is yet another area in which boomers forge their own path. “It’s usually something that’s not happening suddenly,” Holm said. “It’s something they’ve been thinking about for a while, a process. Usually it’s been going on for years and years and years.” At midlife, many changes take place in one’s life. The children are grown and gone. The career is winding down. Physical limitations associated with older age may begin to subtley manifest. But one also realizes that life can only last so much longer and if the home life isn’t what they want, some boomers desire to change things, even if it means divorce. Some people call it “growing apart” when formerly-shared interests fade. Every generation has faced these challenges; however, boomers’ response to these challenges is where they differ from their parents, the Silent Generation. “Marriage is something that needs to be worked on from day one,” Holm said. “Sometimes we set marriage aside to work on career and kids but we fail to work on the relationship.” Five years ago, Holm divorced after 27 years of marriage. “I felt like the worst Christian in the world,” she said. “It was horrible. It

tore me apart. Marriage was supposed to be forever.” She said that eventually, through counseling, she realized that things would be OK. Diane Knowlton is another boomer brought up that way. The first in her family to be divorced, she never anticipated that her marriage would end prematurely. “Circumstances changed and I thought, ‘I don’t want to live this way the rest of my life,’” she recalled. “I knew I could survive not being married.” By then, her son was grown. She doesn’t think she delayed divorce to spare her son, but said, “when your child is older, you don’t have to worry. They have their life and they can be happy that you’re happy. They can still have a relationship with their father and mother.” Since she had been working as a secretary in the Onondaga Community College physical science department, she did not fear loss of lifestyle and income, unlike most women her age a generation ago. Remarrying baby boomers face different issues than younger people. Though boomers may not be blending families like the “Brady Bunch” since their children are grown, their families may face ﬁnancial quandaries in the future. “It’s something you have to work out when you both have families,” said Larry Perkins, of Liverpool, who is dating Felice Clark, a boomer from North Syracuse. “Some families get along and some don’t,” he added. “If you die, you might want that equity of your wealth divided fairly. They would have to hash that out and decide what is fair. It would all depend on the individual’s circumstances. Things are different that way when you’re 55 than in your 20s. If they grow up in the same household, that makes all the difference in the world.”

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generations

Three generations: Muriel Emery and her daughter, Katie Emery Deckert, co-authors of “Confections of a Caterer” cookbook, appeared at a recent book-signing at Dunham Library in Whitesboro with Greg Emery and 5-month-old Juliann Deckert.

Cupful of Stories, Spoonfuls of Humor Rome women whip up ‘comforting’ cookbook By Patricia J. Malin

o you remember grandma’s extraordinary homemade chicken soup? How about mom’s authentic apple pie? With old man winter settling in now, your taste buds are surely crying out for such comforting food. “Comfort food” refers generally to favorite meals and old-fashioned recipes you recall fondly from your childhood, made at home with soul20

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warming ingredients, probably with a dash of salt, whole eggs and heaping tablespoons of farm-fresh cream and butter. Those were the halcyon days before you grew up and began tracking your calories, cholesterol or weight; the days before mass-produced junk food, genetically modiﬁed organisms, gluten-free diets and endless TV or online commercials for fat reduction “remedies.”

Comfort food is a catchall term favored by epicurean authorities for generations, although Wikipedia states the term didn’t come into prominent use until the 1970s. Decades before that, Muriel Emery, 55, of Rome was cooking for her own family and preparing dinners for others under the name Comfort Food Catering. She and her daughter, Katie Emery Deckert, 23, of Binghamton, have now released a not-so-ordinary

cookbook called “Confections of a Caterer” that highlights three generations of family recipes. As Deckert, the co-author, writes in the introduction, “It’s the smell of chocolate chip cookies wafting through the kitchen ... ” that harkens back to her childhood and sparked her passion for cooking. “The book is straightforward and meant to be easy for the new cook to follow and succeed with, while unique enough to interest the long-time cook,” she noted. Emery’s grandparents and parents, also of Rome, used to do some catering from home. Though she doesn’t have any formal training, Emery has carried on the family tradition for 30 years. “My grandmother, Maude Hossfert, worked as a cook in the 1920s or earlier,” she said. She dedicated the book to her late mother, Nettie Meyer, whose cookie recipes open the book. “My father, Laurance Meyer, used to make wedding cakes,” Emery said. “When I was growing up, he was always willing to give me advice and asked me to taste test.” The 69 recipes in the book seem fairly standard. There are hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, soups, chowders, relishes, salads, entrees (e.g. “best guess ribs,” chicken riggies, lasagna, enchiladas) and mouth-watering desserts, such as Muriel’s famous apple crisp. Emery, though, has provided tips and pitfalls to avoid what she says will help even a novice put together meals with the aplomb of a chef. It’s the comical adventures and selfdescribed “nightmares” which Muriel and her husband, Greg, and their children encountered in the catering business that make “Confections of a Caterer” an entertaining yet heartwarming read. Imagine the eccentric Food Network show “Hell’s Kitchen” meets Laurel and Hardy. The book is divided into chapters with intriguing titles like “Runaway Chicken,” “The Rolls That Won’t Rise,” “Whoopie Explosion,” or “If I Tell You, I’ll Have to Kill You.” The runaway chicken episode is a true story. Husband Greg, 59, was born in Ohio, but raised in Westernville,

outside Rome. He and Muriel met on the job at Revere Copper and Brass. Later, Greg was working for a car dealer in Rome when he accepted a transfer to Wasilla, Ala. Muriel packed up her pots and pans, along with their three children — Katie was born later in Alaska — and moved her catering business north of the border. One

afternoon, a few days after Christmas, she was c a t e r i n g a w e d d i n g re c e p t i o n . Chicken salad was on the menu, but inexplicably, someone forgot to provide the chicken. A phone call resulted in a raw chicken being delivered to the kitchen. Emery had the “stove blazing,” and rapidly cooked the chicken. Pressed for time, she decided to set the chicken, safely encased in a pot, in the snow outside the kitchen door to cool down before she could de-bone it. In the meantime, she prepared the rest of the meal. She then sent little Katie, who was about 6 years old, to retrieve the food from outdoors. Katie rushed around (like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off), but could ﬁnd neither

pot nor poultry. Her mother ordered Katie to “crawl under the truck” that was parked nearby. On the other side of the truck, she spied the pot with the chicken still tucked inside, careening downhill toward a riverbank. “The pot was still hot when we put it outside,” Emery recalled, laughing. “It started melting the snow and sliding down the hill. At ﬁrst, no one could get to the pot because everyone was sinking into ﬁve feet of snow.” Eventually it was corralled. “The chicken was saved and the salad was made, and no one in the wedding party knew about the runaway chicken,” she writes in the book. The Emerys lived in Alaska for 10 years and returned to Rome in 2003. Deckert graduated from Rome Free Academy and earned a degree in writing from Baptist Bible College in Pennsylvania. She is married to Bill Deckert, pastor at Freedom Fellowship Church, and they live in Deposit. Prior to going to Binghamton, Bill worked as an assistant at Grace Bible Church in Fayetteville. Katie, an aspiring author of children’s books, is now busy raising their 5-month-old baby, Julliann. She still uses the cooking skills her mother taught her for ministry in the church. She helps her husband prepare meals, sometimes for as many as 250 people, at the church in inner city Binghamton. The Emery clan also includes son Gregory, 40, of Wasilla, Ala; Catrina Dibble, 35, of Clinton; and Ross Emery, 32, of Rome. “Together, we have eight children and my parents are very proud grandparents, which is discussed throughout the book,” Deckert added. The book is available in bookstores nationwide, from Tate Publishing at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com. For more information on ordering the book, go to www. comfortfoodcatering.net, or “like us” on Facebook. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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finances

Investing in Today’s Economy New fed chairman, debt ceiling, Obamacare, low interest rates have all helped impact the way many invest, experts say By Aaron Gifford

C age.

entral New York financial professionals say these are interesting times for folks near or beyond the retirement

Recent events like the passing of Obamacare, the government shut down, the appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman and continued low-interest rates have affected investments and retirement planning to some degree, though Central New York’s own economic trends have played a key role as well. Randy Zeigler, a ﬁnancial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services in Oswego, serves clients who are mostly over the age of 55, and more than 100 of them are over 70. He stressed that despite local and national economic trends, the universal concern among retirees is still having the ability to sustain their lifestyle over the remainder of their lifetime. “The same concern five years ago as it is now,” he said. Zeigler expects to eventually se e mo re p e o p l e working past the age of 65, but for the time being he serves Zeigler a large percentage of clients who have a pension and can retire in their late 50s. That list includes teachers and long-time employees of Entergy, Constellation Energy and 22

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various other companies. Some of them are retiring sooner than they had originally planned. “I think one of the trends is there’s a growing frustration of big corporate America,” Zeigler said. “They [workers] are constantly pressured to do more with less, and they are frustrated with working in that environment. In essence, it’s [early retirement] a vote for a more reasonable lifestyle and less stress. It wasn’t their original plan, but they decided that it’s more important to be healthy.” Premiums for health insurance, meanwhile, have increased signiﬁcantly, throwing another monkey wrench into retirement plans. The low interest-rates have fueled the continued southward migration. Central New York retirees sell their houses here but often still need to obtain a mortgage a s p ro p e r t i e s a re generally more expensive i n t h e Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. “ T h e houses here are worth less, but down there you pay less in utilities a n d property taxes,” Zeigler

said. “You are paying more up front, but you are saving over time.” The low-interest rates have also prompted many investors to cash in their certificates of deposit, which pays less than 1 percent interest, for corporate bonds, which are generating 2 – 2.5 percent, in pursuit of higher dividend yields. The return on the bonds can be unsustainable, of course, and ﬂuctuate from quarter to quarter. Zeigler advises those who are stretching for higher yield dividends to be “reasonably cautious” and consider consulting with a ﬁnancial planner. “We’re nice people,” he said. D a n i e l P l u ff , a s e n i o r v i c e president at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and host of

the WRVO show “Financial Planning,” said there are many issues currently impacting the financial markets, and each has a different effect. While the government shut down did cause some added volatility, it did not prompt advisers to make any significant changes to portfolios. “There was a general feeling [that] government leaders would eventually have to reach some type of compromise, although the process went on for quite some time,” Pluff said. “Unfortunately, we may face this issue again, but it’s too early to make any predictions on the outcome.” The bigger concern was the possibility of not raising the debt ceiling. Analysts believe that had that not been approved, Pluff said, financial markets and the overall economy would have suffered. And as far as the ending term of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, the transition to a new Pluff chairman has been uneventful thus far, Pluff said. “Wall Street will certainly be watching for any indication of change in the fed’s policy,” he said, “but we have not seen signs of concern to this point.” Like Ziegler, Pluff noted that the decision between CDs and bonds is a major topic of discussion these days. While the continued low rates have benefited both the overall economy and investors who owned stocks and bonds, Pluff says, savers have been penalized as rates on money markets and certificates of deposit hit record lows. Should interest rates begin to rise, Pluff explained, savers could benefit with higher yields on money markets and CDs. While that would be welcomed news for those holding bank instruments, investors holding bonds or bond funds could experience losses. Rising rates can cause bond prices to fall and the potential declines can be significant depending upon how fast rates increase, or how long the bonds that are in maturity are held by investors. “This is important, as the bond market hasn’t experienced a loss

in nearly two decades,” he said. “Many bond investors have become comfortable with their ﬁxed income holdings and a loss could come as quite a surprise. So, what should investors do?” First, Pluff advises, an investor might want to hold if they are relying on the income received from a bond portfolio. But it is important to prepare oneself for possible declines in value should rates move. It is also wise to have a current portfolio evaluated to determine the potential impact of rising rates. “This is the equivalent of a ‘stress

test’ for your investment account,” Pluff said. However, Pluff added, in making adjustments to a portfolio it is also wise to consider moving to some shorterterm bonds. While that reduced income in most cases, it also reduces the losses bonds could experience when interest rates rise. “It’s often a question of maintaining your current income and level of risk or reducing your income in an attempt to reduce principal risk,” Pluff said. “Now is a particularly good time to consider these options as rates have not yet moved higher.”

Before You Hire a Financial Planner

he decision of who to hire to help you make financial decisions can also be a tricky task these days. On the AARP website, financial planner Allan Roth (also writes for CBS MoneyWatch.com) outlines 10 ways to get the best money advice: • Before meeting with a financial planner, check their credentials online and see if they have CPF or CFA (chartered financial analyst) designations. • Visit the FINRA.org or SEC. gov websites to see if any regulatory actions have been taken against the financial planner you plan to do business with. It is also important to check with your state’s securities department (access on NASAA.org) for complaints on the adviser. • Don’t hand over any money at the first meeting. It’s a bad sign if the planner pressures you to buy something right away. • F o r a n y re c o m m e n d e d investment, always ask if there’s a penalty for getting your money back, how much it is and how long the penalty period spans. Penalties are the best indicator that the planner is getting a big commission. • All advice from the planner

should be in writing. That should include the cost, and the commission of that paid to the planner should be less than 1 percent annually. • The best way to make sure you completely understand any recommended investment is to clearly explain it to someone you trust. If they get it, you get it. • Ask yourself how the planner and the issuer of the product can make money and still have it be good for you. • Ask the planner whether any certificates of deposit or money market accounts backed by the U.S. government are paying more than your bonds. Compare what they say to what is published on Bankrate.com or DepositAccounts. com. • Beware of products that promise “high returns risk-free.” Ask yourself is something looks or sounds too good to be true. Be wary of signing anything that says you acknowledge reading hundreds of pages and understanding what you read. • And don’t put too much faith in references. “Even the worst planners,” Roth writes, “can ﬁnd three people who like them.” December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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cover

103 Books and Counting Local children’s author Bruce Coville — who’s published 103 books with approximately 18 million copies in print — expresses himself through words, theater By Mary Beth Roach No one acts in isolation And no act leaves the world the same. Words and gestures ripple outward, What shores they reach we cannot name.

hese are the opening lines of a poem titled “Ripples,” written by Syracuse writer Bruce Coville. But it just as easily could have been written about him. This prolific children’s author, 63, has published 103 books with approximately 18 million copies in print. While he has written in numerous genres and for many age groups, most of his work is fantasy for the 8- to 12year-old age group. He has created an audio book company and written and produced four musicals. He travels extensively to teach, does speaking engagements and visits schools. He has inspired and entertained several generations of young readers all over the world. He has received numerous awards and honors and was recently named “Best Local Author” by readers of The Syracuse New Times. He has earned legions of fans across all demographics. His longevity, the sheer volume of his work, and the impression he has made on his fans were reasons cited by Michelle Parker-Rock for writing 24

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her book “Bruce Coville, An Author Kids Love.” It is one of a series of nine biographies that she has done on contemporary award-winning children’s and young adult book writers. His fans will soon have a few more Coville books to enjoy. He contracted last spring for four more books. He’s working on revisions for the still-untitled sequel to his “Goblins in the Castle,” and he is ﬁnishing another in the Amber Brown series with Elizabeth Levy. The Amber Brown books were the creation of Paula Danzinger. When she passed away in 2004, Levy and Coville, who had been friends of Danzinger, were asked to continue this popular series. His latest book, “Always October,” was released over the summer of 2012, and he just received the audio version, ironically enough, this past October, which also happens to be his favorite month. Coville’s success has been many years in the making. He was born in Syracuse in 1950 and was raised in Phoenix in southern Oswego County, around the corner from his grandfather’s farm. Nearby was his Uncle Ray’s general store, with its collection of comic books.

When a new shipment came in each month, the young Coville would purchase more than two dozen. He would write fan letters to Marvel and the comics’ author, Stan Lee, which were published on the letters pages of the books. He has joked that these were his ﬁrst words to be printed in a national publication.

Major inﬂuences He credits his father, Arthur James Coville, for introducing him to what he has called “the wonders found in longer books” when he read to him “Tom Swift in the City of Gold.” He credits his sixth-grade teacher, Florence Crandall — or Mrs. Crandall, as he calls her — for helping to make him a writer. He had not done well with writing assignments during the school year, but the ﬁnal one was different. Students were allowed to write whatever they chose. He recalls that he wrote about a lion and a lamb that lived on a special farm where the animals were trained to be in movies. He realized then how much he enjoyed writing. A couple of years later, he d i s c o v e re d a u t h o r E d g a r R i c e Burroughs, well known for creating “Tarzan of the Apes.” But it was Burroughs’s stories about John Carter of Mars that

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cover

suggest that Coville was ahead of his time in dealing with this topic, he respectfully dismisses that notion. “I don’t write a book to send a message,” he said. “If you’re telling a story and you’re any kind of human being, then what you believe comes through in how you handle the situations and how the characters act. It’s not setting out to send a moral message. It’s being a moral person that forms the story.” “I taught. I was in school. I was a kid. Bullying is universal. We should have been talking about it a lot more than we have been. In kids’ books, you know if you write about being bullied, the child reader will understand it because it happens to virtually everybody, even the bullies,” he said. His work at his grandfather ’s cemetery also played a role in one of his stories. While digging graves, he could let his imagination wander, which led to the development of a few story ideas. He recounts his experiences as a gravedigger figured into the pivotal scene in “The Ghost Wore Gray” as Author Bruce Coville is flanked by Michael A. Maroun Elementary School characters Nina Tanleven and Chris second-graders Caitlin Dean (left) and Savannah Felix during a visit organized Gurley dig up an old grave. as part of the district’s character education initiative. Over the years, his writing has become more complex and longer, he captured Coville’s imagination. Like book, but they were not able to get it quipped, and he works to keep them a the character of Carter, he imagined published. They attempted another reasonable length for his readers. himself traveling to Mars. But alas, collaboration in the mid-1970s, and After 35 years and more than such journeys were not to be, so Coville this time, they found great success. 100 books, Coville admitted that he instead strived to create tales that Husband-wife team struggles to keep his stories fresh and would carry readers away in the same to avoid repeating himself. He has no In 1978, their first children’s book, secret formula or process. way he had been transported. He went on to attend Duke “The Foolish Giant,” was published, “I am a plot writer. I start with University and Harpur College in and over the following 35 years, the the basic concept and spin out from Binghamton before settling in at SUNY couple has collaborated on more than that,” he said. “There’s not a single Oswego, where he earned a degree in two dozen books. Her illustrating way I do it. You’d think I’d know what elementary education. He would go on style, Coville said, matches perfectly I’m doing after 103 books, but it’s like to teach second grade and later fourth with the kind of writing he does. starting fresh every time.” Kathy illustrated his “Aliens grade at Wetzel Road Elementary in The creative process Liverpool from the mid-1970s to the Ate My Homework,” and the main character, Rod Allbright, bears a strong If he faces writer’s block, which early 1980s. resemblance to Coville as a young boy. rarely happens, Coville said it means Prior to teaching, he had also Some the book’s characters and some one of two things. “I’m scaring myself worked as a camp counselor, a toy maker, a gravedigger and an assembly of the story’s settings were influenced thinking I can’t do it or I haven’t done by his life in Upstate New York. Rod’s my basic work. I haven’t gotten to line worker. In 1969, he married Katherine back yard is the landscape where he know my characters well enough. The creation is an ongoing process,” Dietz, a gifted illustrator who he had grew up. Part of the “Aliens” story centers he noted. known since high school, and they Coville never lacks for ideas. have three children, Orion, Cara, and around Rod’s encounters with bully Billy Becker. Bullying is a hot-button “If you’re alive to the world, you Adam. issue today, but the book was published can take any issue of the daily paper Prior to getting married, he and Kathy had worked together on a in the early 1990s. While this might and find something you can write a 26

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55+ story about. I tear stuff out of papers,” he said. “I write down notes. Ideas don’t come when you want them. Ideas come when they feel like it. Most people simply throw their ideas away. If you get a great idea and think, ‘That’s a cool idea, I’ll write about it someday’, and you don’t write it down. Someday comes, and the idea is gone.” From one of the cabinets of his desk, he pulled out his “ideas file,” in which he shoves notes and newspaper clippings. As he leafed through the contents of the thick folder, one news item reignited his imagination. It was about a young boy who was attracting a lot of attention from people in his country of Cambodia because they believed he might be the former son of a dragon since his best friend is a python. “The real world is full of stories. There’s all sorts of stuff that happens that you can’t put in a book because people would say, ‘Yeah, right. That’s not possible,’” he said. “Fiction is held to a much higher standard of reality than reality is.” Another folder is one he calls “To Look at on Bad Days,” with stories about readers who have been inspired by Coville’s writings. There are letters from children who express gratitude to Coville, saying his books helped them get through difficult childhoods. Some stories may not be in the file, but they also tell of the impact that he has made. In an interview earlier this spring, when asked which were his favorite books, Coville told of a young girl from Florida whose life could very well have been saved by his book “Sarah’s Unicorn.” There had been a carjacking in Florida, Coville said. A mother was on her way to drop her 8-yearold daughter and 6-year-old son at school. They realized that they had left something back in the house, so they returned home, and the mother ran into the house. While she was inside, a guy ran across the lawn, jumped into the car and started to drive off. The little girl took out a library book and started beating the guy over the head with it. The guy got so upset that he stopped and let the kids out. That book was

“Sarah’s Unicorn.”

Taking on Shakespeare Another endeavor Coville took on in the mid-1990s that seemed to combine his expertise in children’s books and his love of theater was the retelling of some of William Shakespeare’s classics. It was an effort to make them more accessible to young people and to encourage them to see the plays. An editor he knew had expressed an interest in doing picture books based on the works of Shakespeare, and after finally selling the idea to her publisher, she contacted Coville to take on the project. He has done “The Tempest,” “Macbeth,” “Romeo & Juliet,” “The Winter’s Tale,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Hamlet.” For an author who has filled pages with so many colorful characters— dragons, space brats, aliens, magicians, and unicorns, for example—it seems only natural that the author would have an action figure of himself. Tony Sansevero, a friend and illustrator who did drawings for Coville’s “Sixth Grade Alien” series,

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created the doll for Coville’s 50th birthday. “It’s one of a kind for a one-of-akind guy,” he said. The gift drew about 10 minutes of laughter from Coville, Sansevero said. “He has the most interesting laugh,” Sansevero said. “He is completely unafraid to burst out in joy.” In 2002, Coville founded Full Cast Audio, which features recordings of unabridged children’s novels using full casts rather than a single reader. “ O n e re a s o n I s t a r t e d F u l l Cast Audio was that I had really accomplished what I had set out to do as a writer. I had established a successful career. I was making my living at it, which is a rare thing. I know I am very lucky, very blessed to be able to do that,” Coville said. “I sold millions of books, had wonderful response from kids all over the world. I did feel the need to do something new —that was Full Cast Audio.” Coville had been a fan of the audio form years before starting his company. When his daughter, Cara, was 14

First- and second-graders at Michael A. Maroun Elementary School follow author Bruce Coville’s instructions to “stand up, stretch and be giants,” during a visit to the district in October. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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years old, the two embarked on a crosscountry adventure. The plan, he said, was to get in the car, drive west until they got to the ocean, turn around and then drive back. They decided to go to the library and get some audio books to help pass the long hours of driving. “We’d get very involved with the story. When we stopped for lunch or for the

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night, we’d talk about them. I fell in love with the form.” Sometime later, while at a trade show, he saw a booth featuring recorded books, and he suggested that they have his books on audio. Soon afterward, he partnered with Tim Ditlow, of Listening Library, and they began recording books with a

full cast.

The evolution of audio Random House Audio eventually acquired the company, and Coville went on to create Full Cast Audio. His “Always October” is one of most recent titles featured. While an artistic success, Coville said, it hasn’t been a financial triumph, and he is in the process of slowing the operation down. While he may not be in front of a class on a daily basis, as he was during his days at Wetzel Road, Coville travels extensively to visit schools and his young fans. He has visited American schools all over the world. He taught a twoweek summer seminar last summer on writing fantasy for children for the California State University Summer Arts Program in Monterey. Students ranged in age from 19 to 65, but despite the age range, the students bonded almost immediately over their love of fantasy writing. The younger writers in this genre were the first and only Harry Potter generation, he said. “By that I mean they grew up reading Harry Potter in a way nobody ever can again. They started reading it when they were kids. And they had to wait year after year after year for each new book. In each book, Harry was a year older and they were a year older. And now when a kid starts, he or she can blaze through because the books are all available. But they literally grew up with Harry Potter, and their relationship with that series is very, very intense,” he said. Based on what he has seen of the up-and-coming writers in this genre, Coville is optimistic. The future is bright for this genre, although no one can predict its cycles. Now it’s popular, and while that popularity may fluctuate, it will always be there, he said. “Fantasy has always been a core aspect of children’s literature. Look back at the classic titles — ‘Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Wind in the Willow,’ ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Peter Pan.’ It’s all fantasy,” he said. The experience was “a nice circle,” he said. In 1975 and 1977, he took twoweek summer seminars at Syracuse

55+ University. The one in 1977 was on writing fantasy for kids, and that’s when he developed “The Monster’s Ring.” Regardless of the genre one is interested in writing, Coville advises to become educated about the profession. For those who want to write for children, he suggests joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Age doesn’t play any factor. It doesn’t matter “if you’re old, young, white, pink, blue or green, male or female,” he said. “All they want is a good book.” He points to his wife, now in her early 60s, to underscore his statements. She is working on the revisions on her first book, “Golden,” which she recently sold and is due to be published in 2015. While he has a contract for more books, Coville also hopes to do more performing. When doing school presentations, he often acts out the first two chapters of his “The Monster’s Ring” for younger students. The performance, he said, is “very theatrical, very kinetic.” His goal would be to master an entire book as an evening’s performance. He has three in mind: “The Monster’s Ring,” an evening of myths or an evening of Shakespeare retellings. No doubt, his words and works — whether in books, on audio or on stage, whether teaching or meeting with other authors in his two writing groups — will continue to shape the art of writing. Just as the opening lines of “Ripples” seem to fit the author, so do the closing lines. And what you’ve done lived on, survived. On and out the circle widens, Past all hope of comprehending. The slightest touch can change the world Healing, helping, lifting, mending. Actions last for generations Our father’s mothers mold our hearts. We in turn shape all that follows; Each time we act, a ripple starts.

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Former Students: Being A Teacher Makes a Difference Coville, who taught at Wetzel Road Elementary in Liverpool, knows how to relate to his audiences, say former students

im O’Mara is a former student and a ﬁrst- and second-grade teacher in the Rush-Henrietta School District, outside Rochester. She had not realized Coville’s impact on her until one of her students asked her if he had inspired her to become a teacher. “He really knows and relates to his audience, probably because of the years he spent being such an effective teacher,” O’Mara said. “His books make kids go home and ask their parents to read his books to them.” When O’Mara reads Coville’s books to her students, “the kids always end up crowded around my feet by the end of the chapter, begging for more,” she said. Through his books, she added, they learn the power of details and the art of suspense. “He is that teacher that sticks out in my mind for going above and beyond,” O’Mara noted. “He made me realize how much fun teaching can be when you use creativity and imagination.” His unassuming nature and natural curiosity are two traits that have contributed to the writer’s enduring popularity, according to Tony Sansevero, a friend and illustrator who did drawings for Coville’s “Sixth Grade Alien” series. “He enjoys making people laugh and think, and when visiting

with kids, he never talks down to them and considers everything they have to say important,” Sansevero said. During his years as a teacher, Coville was able to bring his love of theater not only into the classroom but onto the stage as well. He would dress up in various costumes for his students, O’Mara recalled, her favorite being Igor, which Coville later turned into a character in a book. He dresses up in her classroom for her students because she remembered how much she enjoyed it as a child. While working at Wetzel Road Elementary, he worked with a group of teachers and students to produce “Alice in Wonderland” as a spring project, writing the lyrics for the closing number and directing the play. But it didn’t stop there. Together with Angela Peterson, they went on to adapt his “The Dragonslayers” novel into a musical with 80 student actors and 12 original songs. Debuting in 1980, the play would go on to be staged by the Syracuse Children’s Theatre, among other companies. He has also done “Out of the Blue,” which he turned into a book titled “The World’s Worst Fairy Godmother.” He also did the children’s play “It’s Midnight, Do You Know Where Your Toys Are?” and “Faculty Room,” a one-act play about teaching. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

golden years By Harold Miller Email: hal@cny55.com

The Maestro

World renowned artist comes to CNY to share his art

ilvano ‘Nano’ Campeggi presents a striking visage. His features belie his 90 years, with a smooth complexion and flowing mane that men half his age would die for. Nano, nicknamed by his mother because he was a tiny baby, is a humble man but he is a giant in the world of art. Nano graduated from the Florentine Art Academy in 1944. After the war there was little work to be found in his hometown of Florence, Italy, but he managed to get a job with the American Red Cross painting portraits of wounded American soldiers recovering before their journey home. His talent came to the attention of studio heads at Cinetta Studios in Rome (the Italian equivalent of Hollywood) and he was commissioned to create movie posters for international film hits like “Black Eagle.” His works came to the attention of MGM studios in Hollywood and they hired him to paint the movie poster for “Gone with the Wind.” His career literally took off with after that. Nano brought the burgeoning American cinema to life after WW II working for major American studios like Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Rank Films, Columbia, Paramount, and Fox. He produced more than 3,000 movie posters for some of the most famous movies of all time, including “West Side Story,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Casablanca,” “Gigi,” “An American in Paris,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “The Godfather” — to name only a few. This remarkable man also transformed actors and actresses such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner into household names. His images have become classic works of art, such as Marilyn Monroe’s stylized face, which inspired Andy Warhol to create his own Marilyn 10 years later. James Dean’s red visage on the movie poster for “Giant” also created a theme for other iconic images. Last January, the historic Uffizi Gallery in Florence requested that Nano’s self-portrait be placed alongside those of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci in the famous Vasari Corridor, thus assuring his position as the greatest living artist. Recently, Nano was invited to visit the United States once again and show some of his posters — some featuring Marilyn Monroe — at the 2013 International Film Festival at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse. One of the people responsible for bringing him here was his good friend Ada Merlini, who has a residence in Florence as does Nano. The Merlinis commute back and forth from Auburn to Florence but they spend most of their time on 30

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

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The author, in a sketch by Nano. this side of the Atlantic. Ada has been a loyal fan of Nano for many years. She and husband Neri opened their home to Nano and his wife Elana for the duration of their trip. There, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing him for this column. We sat at the Merlini’s dining room table, with Ada interpreting. I asked him who of the many Hollywood stars, was his favorite. He answered without hesitation that Marilyn Monroe enchanted him. Marilyn was late for their first appointment to do her portrait and a bit ﬂustered, but the moment Nano looked into her sad eyes he could glimpse her soul — which is what he strives to do with all of his models. She literally took his breath away, and though she was a newcomer to the silver screen at that time he correctly predicted the explosion of her success. Consequently, Nano did many sketches and portraits of Marilyn, including the iconic sketch of only her eyes and glimmering red lips. It remains the favorite of all his works. I asked him the secret for a long, exciting and productive life. He said, “I try not to think of my age, and I do one day at a time.” Nano has never been swept up in his prominence nor his stature among artists. He climbed the ladder of success, from a poor refuge — after a war that ravaged his country — to the heights of the rich and famous. The maestro is thankful for his good fortune, and has no plans to retire from a life he loves to live.

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Me and My Macular Hole

here I was, packing to leave for California and meet everyone for a wonderful family event, when I felt something just wasn’t right with my eye. It had been bothering me for a while, but as I wasn’t in town to do anything about it, I assumed it was just irritated again and sort of ignored it. Then, realizing that I would be across the country for 10 days and it was still feeling funny, I imposed on the ophthalmologist’s office for an immediate appointment. An hour after leaving that ofﬁce, I was at a vitreous surgeon being diagnosed with a macular hole and

told that I needed a Vitrectomy. Yes, I could fly the next day, but was told to not delay surgery when I returned. I’m always so careful about choosing doctors and here I was preparing to be operated on by someone I’d never heard of and had no time to research. He turned out to be wonderful. I spent the rest of that day on the computer reading about macular holes and becoming absolutely petrified. Would I have been better off not reading anything about it? Looking back at this point, two weeks post-op, I don’t think so. What I found on the Web were definitely the worst possible scenarios that people posted about

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their own experiences, but on the other hand I picked up some useful tips that helped me get through the recovery. I had other commitments and until a couple of days prior couldn’t focus on the surgery or, more importantly, of making the necessary preparations for the recovery period that required keeping the head face down almost around the clock. The online recommendations that made sense to me were having lots of audio books available, renting the Vitrectomy equipment (essentially a seated massage chair with moveable parts that could be used in other places around the house), choosing

Older people are more likely to develop macular holes, which form in the inner back portion of the eye (retina) in the macula, where ﬁne focusing occurs. comfortable clothing to be kept at a low level for the days I couldn’t lift my head and pre-preparing meals. I cooked and froze three meatloaves, two chicken dishes and cut up fruit and vegetables to make smoothies. In between I left time to panic and worry.

No one can go through these things alone. Even though I have adult children, they would have had to disrupt their work and family lives to take care of me, and though I’m sure at some point that will have to happen, I was very lucky because I had a good friend who volunteered to stay with me for the recovery period. I’m not someone who can sit still for more than ﬁve minutes under normal conditions and after this type of surgery you need to almost constantly be looking at your feet. It became a “Whack-A-Mole” game, where my head kept coming up and I needed to be clubbed back down into position, well, at least reminded.

What I learned. One: Take information that you ﬁnd on the Internet about your situation with a grain of salt since the comments may not be relevant to your circumstances. Not only is each person’s health situation unique, but the medical ﬁeld is continually making

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progress, and postings that are even only a year old may be out of date. Two: Write down your questions for the doctor or nurse and if you don’t have another appointment before the operation, call them on the phone. I had about 10 questions that I hadn’t thought to ask at the appointment, ranging from “what vitamins should I stop taking” to “how do I take the required drops if I can’t put my head back?” Three: Audio books were deﬁnitely an important part of surviving the recovery days. I downloaded books on my iPad from the local library and played others on a CD player. They provided the needed distraction that kept me sane.

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55+

writing

Power of the Pen Downtown Writers Center fosters Syracuse-area scribes By Mary Beth Roach

eter McShane is a retired businessman and a Vietnam veteran. He’s written numerous columns for a local business journal, but he had never considered himself a storyteller. Norm Cohen retired from Morrisville State College, having taught computer science and math. He had some exposure to the arts over the years and was interested in writing poetry. Ermine Cunningham had been an educator for about 25 years with the Syracuse City School District, but she

had always loved writing humor. McShane, Cohen, and Cunningham have traveled different roads in their professional lives, but in retirement they have all arrived at the same address—340 Montgomery St., Syracuse—in order to pursue their interest in writing. The building at that address is the YMCA and home of the Downtown Writers Center, formed in early 2001 as part of the Y’s national program called “The Writer’s Voice.” Over the past decade, it has become one of the nation’s leading programs, a c c o rd i n g t o Phil Memmer, DWC director. T h e program offers approximately 60 creative w r i t i n g workshops a year and hosts 20-25 authors for free lectures, said Georgia Popoff, local poet and workshops coordinator for the DWC. T h e majority of students are 50 and older, Memmer said. Everyone says they want to write a book Peter McShane reviews a portion of his manuscript with Ivy s o m e d a y Kleinbart of the Syracuse Veterans’ Writing Group prior to a when they get reading McShane was giving at the Cazenovia Counterpoint around to it, he explained. Festival.

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

Now is the time They’ve now reached the time in their lives where the kids are out of the house, they’ve retired, and they’ve got time on their hands, he said. Sometimes, life changes have pushed them into writing, he added. “I think sometimes when people have challenges in their lives, there are a number of places they turn, and if they are feeling the need to express themselves, writing is a very popular way to do that,” Memmer said. “I know from many of our students, they first got the idea to write because there was something they needed to get off their chest. It’s what gets them started, but what keeps them writing is the craft of it. I think that’s another reason why we see a lot of older students,” he said. Honing that craft is what the DWC strives to do. Classes are offered in poetry, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, songwriting, dramatic writing and screenwriting. There are various levels, including beginner, intermediate and a pro class for experienced writers. The program runs separate sessions in the winter, spring and fall, with a summer session that is a bit shorter in duration. Class sizes are small, from six to 12 students. Cohen is beginning his fourth year of study and hasn’t missed a semester yet. His wife learned of the program while visiting the Downtown Arts & Crafts Festival several years ago, and thought it might be of interest to Cohen. “I wasn’t very familiar with poetry,” he said. “My idea of poetry was Robert Frost in high school. I haven’t kept up to date and I thought this would be a good opportunity to learn more,” Cohen said. “I wanted

to be a producer, not just a consumer. I didn’t just want to read poems; I wanted to write them. I wanted to make a contribution.” He appreciates the quality of instruction at the DWC and the exposure to a range of poets and their work. It’s rich enough and deep enough to hold his interest, he said. “I just enjoy writing and if I hear from one person that they thought I wrote a good poem that’s ﬁne for me,” Cohen said. While he said getting published is a bonus, his work is due to appear in an upcoming issue of the literary publication “Comstock Review.”

Team spirit Aside from writing, Cohen enjoys the camaraderie he has found at the DWC. “I’m a member of a community, and not just an individual trying to write poems,” he said. While publication is not a particular goal for Cunningham, 62, she said the DWC offered her the opportunity to ﬁll a void she felt upon retirement and the support she was looking for in order to pursue her love of writing humor. “You’re not only learning the skills of writing, but you also have the support from your classmates,” she said. After having worked for years as a teacher of English as a second language and helping refugee families, she admitted having a difﬁcult time with the transition once she stopped working. “When you retire, it’s kind of strange because all of a sudden, it’s over,” she said. “I wanted to continue to learn and I wanted to continue to give to people. So how do I do that?” She had been a fan of former newspaper columnist Jeff Kramer. She contacted him and asked to meet him. He was the one who suggested she check out the DWC. She shares her humor and insights on her blog— “Odds and Ends byErmigal” (http:// ermigal.wordpress.com). A “mother lode” of the material comes from her 97-year-old mama, she said, asking to be forgiven for the pun. Recently, Cunningham has become part of the newly formed Friends of the Downtown Writers Center. One of its objectives is to aid the Young

Authors Academy, the DWC’s teen writing program. Being part of a writing community has also enabled McShane to craft the book he is penning on his experiences in Vietnam. “The thing t h a t I re a l i z e d early on is that while writing is a solitary pursuit, you can’t do it by yourself,” he said. Georgia Popoff, local poet and workshops coordinator “You need to have other people read for the Downtown Writers Center, shares a laugh at the your material and DWC with Norm Cohen. react to it. Because McShane has been working on ultimately, who are you writing this material for? You’re writing it for an his manuscript for about eight years audience. If the audience doesn’t get now. He has written 50 chapters, or the paragraph or the scene, you want 121,000 words. He’s already cut a lot of to know about that before you’ve got material out and is continuing to make some revisions. this thing you think is ready.” He is going to be working with Reunion sparks desire an editor to tweak it, and then seek A reunion of Special Forces medic an agent and a publisher. He does classmates that he attended in 2005 not have a timeline in mind for its made him realize, he said, “that our completion. story is an important one to tell because “The way I look at it now, this book it’s not just the experience we had in may not be ready to be published in Vietnam, it’s how that experience a year, maybe two before I’m really affected our lives afterward.” satisfied with the work product,” he As a long-time member of the Y, he said. learned about the DWC and he began To enable their students to reach taking courses in 2006 to learn how to the point where they are satisfied with tell stories. When he started, he knew their work and are ready to be sent to he wanted to write a book, and through publishers is an objective of the DWC, the workshops and classes he’s taken, said Popoff. he’s learned how to create scenes, write To that end, she said the center dialogue, and create settings. is aimed at providing students “a The last two years, McShane said stronger track to run on toward that he has been focused on veterans issues, professional stance.” and in 2011, he became a member of Whether the goal is to publish the Syracuse Veterans Writing Group, a book or simply to write for one’s based out of Syracuse University. own pleasure, some may experience “I’ve learned there are a lot of trepidation in starting a new chapter other vets out there who haven’t come in their lives, Cunningham noted. to grips with what happened to them “You have to fight that feeling while they were in the service. Some that ‘I don’t have time to do what I of them haven’t been able to figure want to do.’ It’s never too late to learn out how that has impacted their lives something or start something new,” since,” he said. she said. Of the younger veterans returning One doesn’t need to be a member from Iraq and Afghanistan, McShane of the YMCA to join the center. For said, “Despite the fact that we’re more information on the DWC, visit different age groups, there’s a common www.syracuse.ymca.org/dwc.html. denominator there with the military.” December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bruce@cny55.com

Being Punctual: She is from Venus; I Am from Mars

hen it comes to being on time, my wife’s motto seems to be “no worries and no hurries.” On the other hand, being a journalist all of my adult life, I have been chained to deadlines. I set my wristwatch to U.S. Naval Observatory Time. It is accurate to the second. On this issue, there is no getting away from it: She is from Venus; I am from Mars. Or is it the other way around? In the nearly 22 years since we have been married, I have tempered my frustrations with little tricks that

have prevented full-scale war between us. Like many of the idiosyncrasies we bring to the table, Marie was a pro in hiding this flaw (my word, not hers) until after we were married, Or maybe I was flying so high that I just didn’t notice it. The first time it became an issue was in 1992, about four months into our marriage, when we were to meet another couple for dinner. As the newly named publisher of The (Oswego) Palladium-Times, I wanted to be punctual since both the husband and

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wife with whom we were dining were among the community’s elite power brokers, and I wanted us to make a good ﬁrst impression. I went to the car in our garage, and I sat, and I sat, and I sat. More than 10 minutes passed, but Marie, who I thought was seconds behind me, did not appear. We had about a 15-minute trip to the restaurant, and it was now 10 minutes before our agreed upon meeting time. I got out of the car, returned to the house and found Marie cleaning off the kitchen counter. With angry looks of

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disapproval, I told her she should get her priorities straight. She explained to me that her priorities were “perfectly straight” and that “something sticky” on the counter needed to be dealt with before leaving the house, regardless of the social consequences. T h e re w e re s e v e r a l s i m i l a r encounters in the coming months, and, typically, these episodes would degenerate into recriminations with each of us ending up giving the other the silent treatment. In some cases, it would ruin the social occasion for both of us. I wanted to get at the reason for this constant tardiness, but Marie didn’t see it as a big deal. We were late for other events aside from social functions, including Sunday morning Mass, funerals, weddings and appointments. Each would be preceded by my waiting in the car, doing a slow burn, then exploding when she finally showed up — no apology, completely oblivious to the time and my growing agitation. I learned after the ﬁrst eight months of our marriage that I was not going to change her, because, incredibly (my word, not hers), she didn’t think there

was a problem. I would need a strategy that would accommodate this ﬂaw (my word, not hers) and, in the process, preserve my sanity. I developed the “We’ll Get There When We Get There” battle plan. I would get ready but not leave the house until she opened the door and went into the garage toward the car. I had the key and when she left, I would lock the door, thus preventing her from remembering something she had not done and re-entering. While waiting for her ultimate exit, I would read a book or the newspaper, watch TV or do something else to kill time. Marie invariably found little undone chores around the house that could not possibly wait until our return. It worked, and I have continued with this strategy for more than 20 years. We continue to be late for just about everything, but I don’t care, or at least I pretend I don’t. When I have a function or appointment which involves just me, I am always punctual. Yes, I still set my wristwatch to U.S. Naval Observatory Time. Marie is not alone in this “disease” (my word, not hers). Writing in her

Your Home Field

Advantage.

book, “Time Management from the Inside Out,” Julie Morgenstern says a person’s lateness is “technical,” a function of underestimating how long things take, and not psychological as in “I’ll show you who’s queen.” Morgenstern advises the chronically late to resist the temptation to cram in “just one more thing” by viewing time as we view space. We need to look at an hour as a container into which we can cram just so many activities. She also suggests that for a week we track how long it takes to do tasks associated with getting ready — bladder maintenance, showering, dressing, putting on perfume, etc. — then add 20 percent to this amount of time as a cushion. Writing in her nationally syndicated column, advice goddess Amy Alkon says chronic inconsideration, even when it isn’t intentional, chips away at a relationship. Alkon says we punctualists should explain that if there is “one more thing” she should squeeze in, perhaps it could be the thought of how we feel sitting alone in that car waiting…waiting… waiting.

Convenient … comfortable … In Oswego County

Craig G. Fitzpatrick, Financial Consultant Athletics have always played an important role in my life. As a three-sport athlete in high school, and running back in college, sports provided me with an early understanding of leadership, management and teamwork. As a lifelong resident of Fulton, New York, my home field has always been the Central New York community. And today, as a financial consultant at Pathfinder Investment Services, I am proud to combine the qualities I learned on the field, with my years of investment experience, to provide this community with investment strategies and a new game plan. Stop in and learn more about your home field advantage today…Investment solutions from a teammate you already know.

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www.christopher-community.org December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

profile Basketball Never Gets Old For Vince Medicis

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Varsity referee has enjoyed a career spanning more than half a century By Aaron Gifford

ince Medicis is energized by the same triggers all season long: classmates and families filling the bleachers. The shoot-around, the anticipation and pre-game jitters for the players, coaches and fans. The tip-off, the ﬁrst basket, the noise. The pageantry of high school hoops on a Friday night. This referee’s experience dates back half a century. He’s getting older, but the game never gets old for him. The rookie refs say Medicis runs like a deer for a guy that “must be pushing 60.” But in fact, he just turned 80 Nov. 21. “I enjoy a close game. I think that’s why I stick with it,” he said in a recent interview. “It keeps you on your toes.” Medicis grew up on the lower east side of Syracuse and graduated from Syracuse Central High School. He participated in several leagues growing up, and though they were recreational in nature the competition was still heated at times. There was no 38

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three-point arc back then, and a player who was fouled had a choice between taking the inbound pass instead of shooting free throws. “It opened the game up to different strategies,” Medicis recalled. “Things could get quite interesting near the end of the game.” He served in the Army after high school. While stationed in Germany, Medicis loved to watch the GIs compete in the Commander’s Trophy basketball tournament, an event so anticipated that even the generals showed up with their wives. Complaints about poor officiating one game prompted Medicis to try his hand at refereeing. The following season, the Army sent him to basketball school. He passed the test and joined the ranks of the International Association of Approved Basketball officials. Upon returning home, Medicis enrolled in an accounting program at Le Moyne College and was forced to put his officiating career on hold. He started a family and got into coaching

instead. In 1971, a colleague convinced him to dust off his whistle and see if his striped shirt still fit. It did. Medicis completed the required tests for calling recreation and scholastic-level games and was soon back in action officiating youth leagues and junior varsity games. He then earned separate credentials for officiating men’s and women’s games — something that still sets him from his colleagues — and stepped on the varsity court at the start of the 1976-1977 season. Medicis worked as a contract auditor for the Department of Defense. After retirement, he wanted to spend the colder months in Florida. So he obtained more credentials. “I went to see the [game] assigner. He says, ‘Vince, how would you like it if our southern boys went up north and tried to get games.’ I said, ‘if they’re good enough, sure.’” And with that, Medicis was immediately assigned nine varsity games. While the extra money from officiating comes in handy for a retiree,

Medicis cautions, “If you’re in it for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reason and shouldn’t be in it at all.” Medicis said the quality of play between the Florida teams he’s seen is comparable to Central New York’s. Here, he has called games that featured Breanna Stewart, a Cicero-North Syracuse grad who stars at UConn and led the under-19 USA women’s squad to a World Championship this year. Down south, he officiated games played by Amar Stoudemire, now of the New York Knicks. “Breanna, she had all the talent and the personality, too. Stoudemire is a super nice kid and super talented, too. And neither of them ever gave us [referees] any problems.” As Medicis recalls some of the more interesting games he’s called over the years, he often pauses and asks, “got time for a story?” Listen to them, and it’s clear that his sense of humor can be credited to his basketball longevity. Hostile crowds are not the worst part of officiating, Medicis said. He gets more annoyed by quiet crowds or games that are not well attended. He gets even more annoyed by subpar facilities. It bothers him that some kids have better courts and nicer locker rooms than other kids. Got time for another story? he asks, and reveals another special moment in his career. He recalls a player from a Syracuse city school. She was very talented but had an attitude problem. He talked to her after the game, advising her to keep a cooler head and not waste her ability getting upset over minor things. She went onto earn All-City honors and a basketball scholarship to Syracuse University. Every time Medicis refs at that high school, she’s in the stands with her young son and greets her old role model with a hug after the game. “That’s probably another thing that makes me stick with it,” he said. The game and especially the players have changed so much in the past five decades, Medicis said. While today’s hoopsters are often criticized for ignoring fundamental principles like aiming for the backboard with every shot (as opposed to the more flashy “nothing but net”), basketball enthusiasts must acknowledge that the game is faster and the players are bigger, stronger and more athletic than ever before. But while the ball handling

and technical skills keep getting better, it also makes the referee’s job more challenging. “Palming is not allowed, but the dribbling is so fast and the kids are bigger, more muscular. It’s very difﬁcult to see around and in between these kids,” Medicis said. Additional training and game experience help officials keep up with the changing game, but the most effective tool, Medicis believes, has been the use of a third referee. In New York State Section 3 that system is typically reserved for the playoffs, but in Florida three referees are used often during the regular season. Medicis says he stays in shape mostly by just calling a lot of games, including recreation and travel basketball games in the spring, summer and fall. His schedule varies between two and six games a week.

He has sustained only two injuries: slipping on a wet court in the winter and catching a player ’s foot in the ribs after a miscalculated rebound. Both times, he returned back to action and never missed any minutes. R e m a r k a b l y, Medicis has never ejected a coach. “There are times when coaches try to call time out and I can’t hear it,” he said. “I’ve been called names I can’t repeat. I’ve had to tell coaches, I’ve made a mistake. I’m sorry. They have more respect for you if you present yourself like that, instead of being

defensive.” Medicis is not a big fan of certain “fashion trends” that influence the players. Even the short shorts, the thick knee pads and the striped tube socks pulled too high from his early days were better than today’s low-rider look, he explained. “Kids wearing their shorts down — they got half of their underpants showing,” he said. “The coaches don’t seem to get on the ball with that. I tell the kids, you can’t play unless you pick up your pants. That’s not refereeing. You’re being a parent some times. That’s not something I want to do on the basketball court.” Medicis says without the support of his family — children Joe, Laurie, Linda and Tom, and especially his wife Ellen — he would not have enjoyed such a fulfilling career on the court. Whether it was having dinner earlier or working together to make sure everyone got to where they needed to go, the family made it possible for Vince Medicis to get to the gym on time without other distractions. Tom Medicis is also a referee, and father and son have had

Vince Medicis in one of his many games.

December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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the privilege of officiating a few games together. “I had thought about quitting. She [wife Ellen] never thought about talking me into quitting. She says, ‘what does the doctor say? The doctor says, do you love the game?’ I said yes. So they have cleared me to keep on going,” Medicis said. Tom Sprague, a Section 3 referee and game scheduler who has worked with Medicis for 37 years now, said in many ways Vince Medicis is an unsung hero. He has a solid reputation as a varsity referee among the coaches, even though most recognize him but don’t remember the names of any officials. And as a coach he built up a youth basketball program in the Liverpool that has served hundreds or even thousands of kids over the years. “He’s never looking for recognition,” Sprague said. “With him, it’s always about the kids and never about Vince. I’ve often put him with the younger officials because he’s such a great guy to learn from. He’s done it all and he’s seen it all. He’s a very special individual.”

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volunteering

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity working on a new home in Rochester.

In Their Habitat Making a difference by building homes for the poor By Lou Sorendo

ay it forward. This is what a group of 55-plussers is doing in Syracuse. Though retired, they are volunteering their time and energy to support Syracuse Habitat for Humanity. In the past 25 years, Syracuse Habitat has built or renovated almost 60 nonprofit houses that have been sold to selected families through interest-free mortgages. Most recently, the organization has focused on eliminating substandard housing in the Near Westside of Syracuse and to restore quality of life. Syracuse Habitat for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit ecumenical

agency whose mission is to eliminate substandard housing in the world. Leo Corbin began volunteering at Syracuse Habitat in 2008. He retired from Bristol-Myers Squibb after 34 years, the last six as a group leader in production. He cuts lumber, builds walls, puts in windows, hangs doors and sheetrock, places shingles on roofs, paints and landscapes. He volunteers four hours a day for two days a week. He said he enjoys the feeling of helping disadvantaged families with limited resources. Corbin said his most signiﬁcant accomplishment occurred two years ago when he was involved in the construction of two houses for disabled

veterans. He said one resident is conﬁned to a wheelchair, and the house was built to accommodate him. Included are ramps and a walk-in bathtub. “Of all the houses, those two seems to be the most rewarding,” he said. “I enjoy helping people that get lost in the shufﬂe.” West Fayette, Geddes and West Onondaga streets form the boundaries for Syracuse’s Near Westside. Corbin lives on the southwest side of the city, by Bellevue Country Club. Corbin said he has seen the Near Westside of the city deteriorate through his years of living there. “When they told me most of their building is on the lower west side, I told myself I got to do this,” Corbin December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

said. “When I first moved here, the lower west side was pretty stable.” Wi t h S y r a c u s e H a b i t a t ’ s involvement, Corbin has seen the area become more stabilized as potential residents are being placed on waiting lists. “Just seeing that area come back makes me feel good,” he said. Corbin said he gets his gratification from the people he works with. “I get a lot of pleasure out of working with them,” he said. “They are dedicated and we work off each other.” Corbin said the homes—which are normally three-bedroom ranchstyle homes—are valued at about $70,000. Those approved take on a mortgage with zero percent interest for 30 years. “I lived in Syracuse all my life and don’t want to see the city go down the tubes,” he noted. Corbin, 67, is originally from Syracuse’s north side. After graduating from Central Tech, he went into the United States Coast Guard before being hired by Bristol-Myers Squibb. At Central Tech, he learned the finer points of carpentry.

A member of Most Holy Rosary Church in Syracuse, Corbin has been married for 41 years and has a married son and three grandchildren. In his leisure time, he enjoys golf, bowling and yard work.

Behind the scenes JoAnn Grower joined the ranks of Syracuse Habitat just a week after retiring from her job as a teacher in July of 2008. Grower, 60, is a native and resident of Syracuse. For the next five years, she has devoted her time to mostly administrative office-related tasks. She answers phones, files, stuffs envelops for mailings, does computer work and attends to a library section at the office. “I attend to any of the little tasks that come up,” she said. She’s worked on various projects and has helped prepare for different events, such as the upcoming “Mr. Habitat” annual fundraising auction competition. Grower also helps with the annual Syracuse Habitat golf outing fundraiser and picnic, and has manned a booth for

Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, 308 Otisco St., Syracuse, features a workshop used for construction purposes. Habitat shares the space with Salt Works, which offers job skills training programs. 42

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Habitat at the New York State Fair as well as the Syracuse Flower & Garden Show. Once following a deconstruction project involving the 48-lane bowling facility in the OnCenter after the USBC Women’s Championship in 2011, Grower jumped in to extract nails from 2-by-4s. “It seemed easy but it wasn’t as easy as I thought. It took a little bit to get the swing of it,” she said. Grower said she enjoys a sense of accomplishment each week she volunteers. She normally checks in every Wednesday morning. Whether it is a duty that takes only 10 minutes to do or an involved project that takes weeks to complete, she leaves with a sense that she accomplished something that needed to be done. “I feel like I have my hands into a lot of things and I know when I leave I’ve saved a lot of work for somebody,” she noted. Grower worked as a resource teacher for Fowler High School’s special education department for 30 years. She was driven to Habitat for Humanity out of a need to continue dealing with the same families in what she characterized as a poor, needy neighborhood on the west side of Syracuse. “I just felt like my mission was still working with people from that area,” she said. “I still felt like I was connecting even if not directly with the families I worked with.” Grower retired at 55. “When I retired, it almost felt like I was jumping off a cliff and I needed to grab onto something,” she said. “It was like, ‘What now?’” Another motivating factor for Grower to get involved is that the former president of the local chapter was also an ofﬁcer at Temple Adath where she belongs. “Mitch Katz was always encouraging people to help at Habitat,” she said. “I know it is more of a Christian organization,” Grower said. “But I wanted to put some of the Jewish touch to it and show that we are all connected and can work together.” Besides the people she works with, Grower enjoys knowing that she has accomplished “something that has such a good purpose.” Although she is primarily

Nick Cestaro

Leo Corbin

behind the scenes, she has attended groundbreaking events and house dedications. “I realize that something I did behind the scenes helped this, whether it was sending out letters for fundraising or just organizing a mailing list to use for fundraising,” she said. She graduated from Nottingham High School and earned a bachelor’s and master ’s degree in special education at Buffalo State. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Grower is on the board of directors at Temple Adath and president of its 55-plus group, Hazak, which is a Hebrew word meaning strength. She also volunteers in the temple ofﬁce and is a member of its choir.

The heavy lifting Nick Cestaro volunteers for Syracuse Habitat from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. three days a week. He retired about nine years ago and has been with Syracuse Habitat for the past 7 and a half years. Cestaro was a teacher for 34 years, with 30 of those being spent with the East Syracuse-Minoa School District. “Most of the tasks I do are labor related,” Cestaro said. He does tasks that include pouring concrete foundations, rooﬁng, siding, interior painting and landscaping.

JoAnn Grower

“I usually do the heavy labor stuff,” Cestaro said. “Anything that requires a lot of time and energy, I tend to take those tasks on.” Cestaro is quite ﬁtness oriented. He runs and does weight training. Cestaro said he has helped to renovate and build over 20 houses in the west side area of Syracuse. He also helped to build two houses for Habitat for Humanity International in El Salvador earlier this year. “That’s a totally different kind of building because we did not have electricity or mechanical tools. It was all by hand,” he said. Cestaro experienced a similar trip several years ago. “We had such a great experience that we went back again this year,” he said. Cestaro described the living conditions in El Salvador as decrepit with “overwhelming” poverty. After retiring, Cestaro delved into various volunteer opportunities, such as participating in literacy programs in local schools. “I really wanted to get away from that because I did it for so many years,” he said. “Habitat offered me the opportunity to work with my hands and be with an older group of people.” Cestaro interacts with many d i ff e re n t g ro u p s f ro m v a r i o u s companies and corporations. For two years now, a group of college-aged people from New York City come to

Syracuse to lend a hand, he noted. C e s t a ro t e a c h e s them organizational skills along with what is necessary to refurbish homes. “A lot of them were also victims of Super Storm Sandy, so they relate what is going on down there to what we are doing up here,” he said. Cestaro, 64, was born in Manila, Philippines on an Air Force base. His dad was in the Air Force. He considers his hometown as being Brooklyn. The Fayetteville resident earned a bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate degree from SUNY Cortland. Ironically, Cestaro had no home building or refurbishing skills when he first started with Syracuse Habitat. “With the first group I worked with for many years, they would allow me to try anything and support and go along with me,” he said. “If I made a mistake, it was corrected and was no big deal. I learned through them.” “It was ‘learn as you go.’ That’s why the experience was so good. I got to work with a group of retirees who helped me right along the way,” he added. He and his wife B.J. have children and grandchildren. Syracuse Habitat homes are sold to partner families at no profit and are financed with no interest loans for 30 years. To ensure commitment, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity requires homeowners to invest 300 volunteer “sweat equity hours” in labor, as well as provide a $500 down payment. Houses are sold at zero percent interest. The first mortgage payment begins to build equity and credit for families who would not otherwise qualify for a mortgage due to income level, according to Syracuse Habitat’s website. Homeowners are made up of 97 percent minorities, 80 percent of homeowners are single mothers and 90 percent of its homeowner applicants are women. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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visits

10 Things to do in Ottawa

View of Ottawa from Peace Tower with the Library dome in foreground.

By Sandra Scott

ttawa, Canada’s vibrant capital, is a world-class city closer to our area than New York City. It has the look of a European city where the Gothic Revival Parliament building and the colorful changing of the guard brings London to mind. Ottawa was picked as the capital because it was nearly midpoint between Toronto and Quebec City and its location in what was then the back country made it more defensible should their neighbors to the south decide to attack. In addition, it offered easy access to major waterways. Here are 10 places you must visit if you travel to Ottawa. Parliament Hill: The current building was built in the 1920s after a devastating ﬁre destroyed the original building. Only the library was saved due the metal doors. During the summer the colorful changing of the guard takes place each morning,

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and in the evening there is an aweinspiring Mosaika sound and light show. During the day there are carillon concerts and tours of the building. Do not miss the view from the 302-foot Peace Tower. Pick up the “Discover the Hill” book, for a self-guided tour of the grounds. The best part — everything is free. Rideau Canal: The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened in 1832 connecting Ottawa and Kingston with the St. Lawrence River. It was constructed because of the military threat posed by the United States. Lieutenant Colonel John By supervised the construction that — like the Erie Canal — brought workers from around the world. Between Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel there is a ﬂight of eight locks, the largest set of locks in the Rideau system. Rideau still has hand-operated locks which raise

boats from the Ottawa River 79 feet to the canal. Next to the locks is Bytown Museum housed in Ottawa’s oldest stone building. Paul’s Boat Tours offers a variety of tours on the canal. Tours: The best way to get acquainted with a new location is to take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour. There are two tour companies, Lady Dive and Gray Line, but they offer the same tour, with Lady Dive offering an amphibious tour. Once around on the bilingual fun, historical, educational tour takes about 75 minutes. The tour stops at the museums, ByWard Market and other places of interest. A two-day ticket is best in order to spend time at the places of interest. Museums: The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada’s largest and most popular museum chronicling a thousand years of Canadian history. Not to miss is the First Peoples Hall that highlights

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the culture of Canada’s aborigines with the Grand Hall featuring the world’s largest collection of totem poles. The Canada Aviation Museum has a collection that focuses on the development of the flying machine along with its use in peace and war. Other popular museums deal with nature, science, and currency. Art: The National Gallery of Canada has a comprehensive collection of Canadian art including Inuit art. Do not miss the amazing reconstruction of the Rideau Chapel in one of the galleries. The museum saved the beautiful 1887 chapel of the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart from destruction. While walking about take time to check out the historic bronze statues. Sit on the piano bench next to Oscar Peterson’s statue outside the National Arts Center and listen to the music. There is fascinating art and architecture everywhere — keep your eyes open. Gardens: There are several historic destinations with pretty gardens but the most unique has to be the Mackenzie King Estate that features heritage gardens, walking trails, and the cottage of Canada’s 10th prime minister. A unique aspect is the picturesque ruins Mackenzie rescued from destruction by placing them throughout the property. Rideau Hall, the ofﬁcial residence of Canada’s Governor General, is surrounded by a wonderful heritage garden including an Inuit stone marker and commemorative trees. ByWard Market: There is always something happening in ByWard. It was established in 1826 by John

Colorful changing of the guard in Ottawa brings London to mind

The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened in 1832 connecting Ottawa and Kingston with the St. Lawrence River.

By the father of the Rideau Canal, making it Canada’s oldest and largest public markets. It is the place to shop, eat and more. There is something in every price category. Make sure you try Ottawa’s favorite treat — beaver tails, whole-wheat pastries drizzled with butter and topped with apples, cinnamon, bananas, M&Ms or any of their many choices. Biking and more: Miles of pathways link historical sites, parks, and gardens, including trails along the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River. From May to October on Sunday Bikedays some streets are closed to motor trafﬁc. Gatineau Park offers great mountain biking and hiking. Don’t have a bike? No worries.

There are a plethora of places to rent them. During the winter the Ottawa Skateway offers over four miles of skating on the frozen Rideau Canal. Festivals: Ottawa has a festival for every season starting with their Spring Tulip Festival that celebrates the return of spring; to Canada Day, the largest Canadian birthday celebration; to their threeweek fun-ﬁlled Winterlude. There are also events that feature food, balloons, music and fund-raising races. Unique: Don’t miss Remic Rapids balanced rock sculptures but don’t touch. John Ceprano’s sculptures line the river and seem to defy gravity. There are accommodations to suit every taste. Spend the night in a jail. The historic Carleton County Gaol is now a hostel located within walking distance to Parliament Hill and other sites. If staying in a goal is not to your liking then you can stay at the Fairmont Chateau Laurie, fondly referred to by locals as “The Castle.” For lovers of the paranormal there are several haunted walks where visitors can learn about the city’s ghosts, goblins and other unsavory citizens.

If you go: Americans must have a valid U.S. passport when returning to the United States by air and if returning from by land or sea Americans must have a passport card, NEXUS card or an enhanced driver’s license. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

consumers corner By Eva Briggs, M.D.

Understanding Medication Errors and Ways to Reduce Them

n the ideal world, there wouldn’t be any medication errors. We’re not there yet, so this article explores ways that medication errors can happen and ways to reduce your risk. Two important basics are: know what medicines you re taking and what allergies you have. We live in a world where there are so many available prescription and over-thecounter drugs that no one short of a savant could possibly commit them all to memory. You can’t expect to tell a health care provider that you take a little white pill for your heart and expect him to ﬁgure out what you’re taking. You need to prepare a list of everything you are taking, and keep it in your wallet. Everything means not just prescriptions that you take by mouth, but also inhalers, topical medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements. Your list needs the name of the medicine, the strength, and how often you take it. Include all medicines from all prescribers. Bring it with you to every doctor visit. If there is any concern or confusion or you need help to prepare your list, bring all your medicines in their labeled bottles with you. Include allergies on your medicine list. Write down the name of the medicine or substance that you reacted to. Telling a doctor that you are allergic to “all cillins” or “all mycins” is not as helpful as knowing the speciﬁc drug you reacted to. It’s also important to specify the reaction. If the reaction was some minor stomach upset, you may be able to tolerate related drugs. On the other hand, if you developed true anaphylaxis (symptoms like hives, wheezing, mouth swelling), you should avoid related drugs. A big source of medicine errors occurs when a patient is discharged 46

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after a hospitalization. The hospital gives each patient a “medication reconciliation” list showing discharge medicines. If you are savvy and have your medicine list as described above, you can compare the new list with your old list. Theoretically the medication reconciliation list is supposed to do just that, but it’s best to be proactive and double check on your own. Pay close attention to the following items: Are there any medicines that you were taking before the hospitalization that are not shown on the new list? Ask why. It may be that you are supposed to discontinue the medicine. It may be that the medicine was stopped during the hospitalization and you are to resume it, but someone forgot to put it on your new list. Perhaps the medicine is on the list but under a new name, for example the generic name, but its written as the brand name on your original list. Or perhaps a similar medicine has been substituted. If that is the case, was the substitution made for a therapeutic reason? What about new medicines shown on the list? Ask what the medicine is for. And as in the previous paragraph, find out if the “new” medicine is actually another name for a previous drug, or a formulary substitution. Also carefully check the dosages of your medicines to be sure that there are no changes. Again, ask whether any changes are intended. Unfortunately many medication e r ro r s a re h a rd e r f o r p a t i e n t s themselves to control. For example, some medicines are prescribed together because one drug counteracts the effect of another. For example, Lasix (furosemide) often lowers potassium and may be prescribed with a potassium supplement. If the Lasix is discontinued, a prescriber may forget to discontinue the potassium.

Dosing errors are another common source of errors. A few drugs have doses that vary as much as 10-fold. In such cases a patient could inadvertently receive either 10 times or one-tenth the required dose. Here is where doctors need to be vigilant. It’s imperative to use correct conventions for prescription writing. For example, the abbreviation “U” for units is out. It can be mistaken for a 0 and lead to an unintentional 10fold dose increase. Another common source of medication errors is distraction of nurses who are preparing medications for administration. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality lists seven ways that hospitals can reduce these errors. 1 — A focused protocol and checklist for preparing medicines. 2 — A clearly marked “Quiet/No Interruption” zone for retrieving and preparing medicines 3 — Education of staff and physicians not to interrupt staff who are preparing medications. 4 — Wear a special vest or sash (such as bright red) to signal that medicines are being prepared, do not interrupt. 5 — Use quiet zone signs on medication room doors and above medication dispensing devices. 6 — Nurse education about no conversation during medication preparation unless it is relevant to the task. 7 — Patient education and orientation about the meaning of the vest and the process. Does this actually work? A study found that use of the protocol plus vest reduced medication errors by a whopping 87 percent. I don’t know whether any, or all, of the hospitals in Central New York have considered this protocol but they certainly should.

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Live Home. Live Well. December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

druger’s zoo By Marvin Druger

Fear of Flying … and the two ways I help alleviate that fear

veryone is afraid of something. Just looking at a 747 jet plane provokes wonder and fear. How can this huge piece of machinery rise into the air and undergo controlled flight? How can it store enough fuel to fly non-stop across continents and oceans? How can the plane land smoothly without crashing? My fear of flying in airplanes developed from a variety of memorable incidents: My wife, Pat, my then 16-monthold daughter, Lauren, and I were flying from Los Angeles to JFK Airport in New York. I was sitting near the window (I always sit in a window seat so that I can watch the wing and make sure it doesn’t fall off in flight). Pat was in the center seat with Lauren in her lap face-up. A stranger was in the aisle seat next to Pat. The flight attendants were serving coffee and drinks. Suddenly, the plane had a precipitous drop in altitude. The flight attendants screamed as they were thrown up toward the ceiling of the plane. Lauren’s eyes popped open in terror. Pat instinctively grabbed the arm of the stranger sitting next to her in the aisle seat. (I never forgave her for that). I calmly thought, “This is the end, and it’s a long way to the ground.” Then the plane shuddered and flattened out and continued to fly onward. That scare sensitized me to flying on airplanes, and I was fearful about flying from then on. From my window seat, I usually vicariously guide the plane to a soft landing. I listen for the loud sound of the landing gear being lowered. I watch the ground approaching and make sure that the plane stays above the trees and houses as it flies onto the runway. I make sure that the wheels hit the ground properly, that the engines are reversed and the brakes are applied 48

55 PLUS - December 2013 / January 2014

to slow the plane. I’m relieved as the plane taxis to the gate. On one occasion, I was sitting at my window seat on a flight and I noticed that a rivet was missing on the wing. The passenger next to me verified my observation. When the plane landed, I said to the pilot who was at the door, “Did you know that there’s a rivet missing on the wing.” He replied, “Yes, We know about it. It’s well within limits.” My thought was that I’m paying a lot to fly safely on this plane, and I want all the rivets to be there. I wondered what was outside limits? Two rivets missing? Another time, Pat and I were flying from Chicago to Syracuse after attending our grandson’s graduation from the University of Chicago. The plane was given clearance to take off, and it raced down the runway, gathering speed. Just before lift-off, the pilot put on the brakes. The plane shuddered and came to an abrupt halt. The take-off had been aborted. The pilot announced, “Sorry for the inconvenience, but an emergency light went on in the cockpit. We’re returning to the gate to have it checked out.” We were delayed several hours, while the defect in the pressurizing system was repaired. Instead of arriving in Syracuse at the scheduled time of 4 p.m., we arrived at 10:30 p.m. We were nervous on the way home and everyone thanked the pilot as we left the plane in Syracuse. I then realized that the pilots must be trained to handle emergencies calmly. In my fantasy, I envisioned the pilot calmly announcing, “Sorry for the inconvenience, but the engine is broken, and the flaps and brakes don’t work. We’re returning to the gate to see if we can get things fixed. Then we’ll

give it another try.” It did take a while for me to appreciate how well the pilots are trained. Many years ago, I interviewed a pilot for my radio show on WAERFM 88.3 in Syracuse (Druger’s Zoo). I said, “Planes sometimes encounter severe thunderstorms and have to fly near them. When this happens, aren’t you scared?” His reassuring reply was, “No, we’re not scared; we’re prepared.” Adding to fear of flying are the conditions on the plane. You are squashed into a small seat with little room to move. The bathrooms are not conducive to discharging body wastes. The flight attendant provides a scary speech about safety. “In the event of a water landing…etc.” Free food on flights used to calm my mind. Now, there is only a free soft drink or coffee. No wonder that I became nervous about flying. Even the food at the airports is mediocre and expensive. Pat and I were at the Chicago airport waiting for our plane to leave for Syracuse. We were hungry, and I suggested that we grab a hamburger at McDonald’s. Pat said she wanted a ham and cheese sandwich instead. So, I dashed off to buy my

inexpensive meal at McDonald’s while Pat bought a sandwich from a food stall in the corridor. When I returned, Pat was almost finished eating her sandwich. I asked her how much her sandwich cost. “$12.50,” she replied. “Wow,” I said. That’s outrageously expensive!” Her response was, “Do you want me to throw it up?” I didn’t respond. Airlines seem to be using smaller planes for flights. I requested a window seat on a flight and was told, “On this plane, every seat is an aisle and a window seat.” Smaller planes somehow added to my concerns. Over the years, I have largely overcome my fear of flying. I like smooth flying, but the bumps no longer scare me. This is largely because a friend of mine said, “It’s like a boat riding on waves on water, but the waves are in the air. Also, the planes are constructed to tolerate severe weather conditions and chances weather conditions are severe enough to break them apart is very slight.” I also remind myself that many more people are killed in automobile accidents than in plane crashes. Finally, as an older person, I tell myself, “At my age, I’ll take my chances. What the hell.” There are at least two important ways to help alleviate fears. First, do the things that you are afraid of. In most instances, the consequences are not as bad as you may have imagined. So, I might board a plane with trepidation but, after it lands, I rejoice at having flown safely once again. Second, laughter helps conquer fear. Once, Pat and I were being bused from the terminal to the plane. We sat in the last seats in the back of the bus, next to a young man who seemed to be a student. When the bus arrived at the plane, I jumped up to get off. “Why don’t you let that young man go first,” Pat scolded. The young man said, “Yes, you’re not going anywhere without me.” He got off the bus, climbed the steps of the plane, and entered the cockpit. He was the pilot. We had a good laugh about such a young-looking pilot, but we arrived safely, and I had another positive boost of attitude about flying. My latest fear is that I’ll lose my sense of humor. Then I’m doomed. So, I’ll try to keep laughing as long as I can.

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Why leave their care to anyone but you and Hospice? December 2013 / January 2014 - 55 PLUS

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By Molly Martindale

Rod Wood, 72 NewsChannel 9 WSYR anchor recognized for 50 years in broadcasting Q. You just celebrated your 50th year working in broadcasting. What have been some of the most memorable moments for you? A. Some big moments during my time in broadcasting were the JFK assassination, the Martin Luther King assassination, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and 9/11. Locally, the opening of the Carousel Mall and Carrier Dome were very exciting. I was also elected to the New York State Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame in 2011 along with fellow anchor Carrie Lazarus.

73. I think that it keeps me young working with young people.

Q. Can you name a few interviews that stick out in your mind? A. I’ve interviewed Joe Biden back in the early ‘80s when he was a ﬁrst-term senator. I interviewed Nancy Reagan, and I interviewed Coretta King very brieﬂy. I also met Bob Hope and interviewed him as well.

Q. What skill set do you believe you possess that makes you a good broadcaster? A. When I was a child, I was in the Syracuse University drama department, children’s theatre, which is nonexistent now. That really gave me a basis in terms of how to project and talk to an audience. Occasionally, we would do TV or radio shows and I got my start with that when I was about 9 years old. I also did summer stock at Fayetteville Playhouse which is not here anymore either. I worked with actors who came to town to appear in summer playhouses. When I ﬁrst started in radio, I thought that maybe I could get a job as a disc jockey. But when I tried to get a job, the program director told me that I didn’t have teenage appeal because my voice was too maturesounding and that I should consider doing news. Which I did and then 50 years later, here I am still doing it.

Q. Have you worked with any big names in broadcasting? A. I’ve worked with a lot of famous broadcasters. When I was at channel 5 back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I worked with Al Roker when he was about 19 years old. I also used to read the police blotter with Steve Croft from “60 Minutes” when he worked with channel 3 and I worked with channel 5. I also know Mike Tirico of ESPN and ABC and we were pretty good friends when he was here. I also met Walter Cronkite, Frank Reynolds, Brian Williams and Regis Philbin. Q. What do you enjoy the most about your profession? A. Working with a lot of people who are about a third my age. Most people around me are in their mid20s and here I am at 72, going on 50

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Q. Have you had to adjust to the technological changes that have occurred in the broadcasting industry? A. I certainly have. When I started in this business in the early ‘60s, we had black and white ﬁlm. We had slides and we didn’t have electronic graphics. We also had menu boards to superimpose the names of political leaders or whoever was being interviewed on the screen.

Q. Who or what were some of your greatest inﬂuences on your career? A. I think Walter Cronkite was always a huge inﬂuence, but so were a lot of people that I met on the way. I worked at three different radio

stations and two TV stations, and I also served in the U.S. Army in the military police corps. Being in France during the Berlin Wall crisis in 1962 and in Miami during the Cuban missile crisis of 1963 also inﬂuenced my interest in broadcasting. Q. Have you thought about retirement and how you plan on spending it? A. I get asked that every day of my life, sometimes many times a day. My friend Don Alhart, who is the anchor at WHAM 13 in Rochester, has been there for a long time and he’s about a year younger than I am. I always ask him when he’s going to retire and he just recently signed a multi-year contract. He says, “I’m going to retire when they carry me out of here.” So, I’m leaning both ways and I’m not sure when I’m going to retire. I’m getting closer but I’m not there yet. When I do retire, I plan on spending more time on motorcycles. Perhaps do a little traveling for a change and visit family that I haven’t seen in a long time. I also have nieces and nephews in California that I’ve never met and I’d really like to get out there to see them. Q. What kind of legacy would you like to leave on the broadcasting industry in Central New York? A. I would like upcoming journalists to remember one thing: The public has the right to know, and as a journalist they should be prepared to inform them on any given topic.

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