55 Plus CNY 87 june july 20

Unique Destinations on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail

55 PLUS Issue 87 – June-July 2020

For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

The Irresistible Nancy Kelly Celebrated jazz singer continues to wow audiences in a career that spans several decades

Born to Run Maryann Roefaro: Age does not restrict long-distance running

free please share

Your Money How to Approach Market Volatility

Had a Stroke.

Back on Stage.

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.

F.

FACE DROOPING

A. S.

ARM WEAKNESS

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age.

Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices.

What to do: Time lost is brain lost. So it’s vital to know the signs of a stroke — F.A.S.T. Four words to live by: Call 911 and say, “Take me to Crouse.“ When it comes to stroke, every moment matters. As one of just 10 hospitals in New York State tohave earned Comprehensive Stroke Center status, and with the region’s newest ER and hybrid ORs, Crouse offers the most advanced technology for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment

Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.

T.

TIME TO CALL 911

WE WANT TO

SEE YOU HEALTHY Safety is part of our culture at St. Joseph’s Health. As the only hospital in Syracuse to receive a Leapfrog ‘A’ Grade for safety, we are driven to keep our community healthy and thriving in these—and all—challenging times. We are so grateful to our staff and community for working alongside us to prioritize the needs of those most directly affected by the recent crisis. And as we start to move forward, we’re standing strong in our commitment to provide a higher level of care to all who walk through our doors. In this period of recovery, we encourage everyone in the region to take care and trust St. Joseph’s Health to treat and advise you in any and all times of need.

A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE

|

higherlevelofcare.org

© 2020 St. Joseph’s Health. © 2020 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS SJH20016_COVID_See_You_Healthy_Print-Ad_55-Plus_7.25x10_No-Bleed_v01.indd 1

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CONTENTS

Unique Destinations on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail

55

June/July 2020

PLUS Issue 87 – June-July 2020

For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

The Irresistible Nancy Kelly

55 PLUS

Celebrated jazz singer continues to wow audiences in a career that spans several decades

www.cny55.com

Born to Run Maryann Roefaro: Age does not restrict long-distance running

free please share

Your Money How to Approach Market Volatility

14 Savvy Senior 6 Gardening 8 Financial Health 10 Dining Out 12 My Turn 16 Aging 26 Golden Years 37 Consumer’s Corner 41 Life After 55 42 Druger’s Zoo 44 LAST PAGE

Baldwinsville resident Barbara RaymondLaPrease, 62, loves woodworking. She is the secreatary of Woodworkers of Central New York 4

55 PLUS - June / July 2020

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22 14 RUNNING • Born to run: Age does not restrict long-distance running

18 VACATION • Summer of COVID-19. We present a few bets sure to cure cabin fever

20 VOLUNTEERS • About 800 volunteers (most over 55) help distribute food to the needy in CNY

22 CHURCHES • Faith during COVID-19 isolation

28 COVER • Celebrated jazz singer Nancy Kelly continues to wow public in a career that spans several decades

32 MUSIC • Owners of music shops say old, young still attracted to vinyl records

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44

34 DOWNSIZING • Many retirees choose to downsize as a way to save money — but they may be better off staying put, experts say

36 JOB • Wanted: Job coaches. How to help students get ahead

38 BOXING • Ray Rinaldi uses boxing as way to reach at-risk youth

46 VISITS • Exploring the Great Lakes Seaway Trail: The 518-mile trail offers unique historical places and diverse cultural heritage sites in addition to outstanding views and scenic vistas

WE CARE LIKE FAMILY

We are growing and have exciting career opportunities in the health care industry.

To join our talented, professional team, please visit one of our care facilities career pages for available positions.

Become a part of Our Family!

Life in balance.

A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life and personal relationships.

17 Sunrise Drive Oswego, NY 13126 315-342-4790 | www.MorningstarCares.com

Our Mission.

To provide people in our community with healthcare, customer services, support & employment to achieve their individual best quality of life.

Our Vision.

RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER

To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.

Our Team.

Registered Nurses Licensed Nurses Certified Nursing Assistants Physical Therapists Occupational Therapists Speech Therapists Social Workers Recreational Therapists Dietitians

Waterville

Nurse Aides Housekeeping Laundry Finance Maintenance Medical Records

220 Tower Street, Waterville, NY 13480 315-841-4156 | www.WatervilleCares.com

Assisted Living Community

132 Ellen Street, Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-0880 | www.TheGardensByMorningstar.com

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Manor

Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

100 St. Camillus Way, Fairport, NY 14450 585-377-4000 | www.AaronManor.com June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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savvy senior

By Jim Miller

T

Coronavirus Relief Helps Retirement Savers, Retirees

ucked into the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, that President Trump signed into law in late March were a series of changes that can help retirement savers in need of cash, as well as help preserve the retirement savings accounts of current retirees while the stock market is down. Here’s a rundown to how three provisions in the CARES Act might help you, or someone you know.

Hardship Withdrawals Normally, if you took money out of an employer-sponsored retirement plan or IRA before 59 ½, you’d be hit with taxes and a 10% tax penalty on that amount. But the CARES Act waives the early distribution penalty on up to $100,000 of such distributions in 2020 for what the law calls “affected individuals.” You are, however, still on the hook for income taxes on any amounts withdrawn, but the new law allows you to pay them over three years.

To qualify for this penalty-free hardship withdrawal, you must either have been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), have a spouse or dependent diagnosed with it or experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, laid off, having work hours reduced, being unable to work due to a lack of child care due to COVID-19, or closing or reducing hours of a business you owned or operated if you had COVID-19.

Bigger Loans The CARES Act will also allow you to take larger loans against the money you’ve saved in your 401(k) 6

55 PLUS - June / July 2020

or 403(b) during the six-month period after the law was implemented, which was March 27. IRAs do not allow loans.

Normally, you can borrow only up to $50,000 or 50% of your vested account balance, whichever is less.

The CARES Act will double that: up to $100,000 against the amount you’ve saved in your plan.

Borrowers typically have five years to repay a loan or the amount will be treated as a distribution and taxed. But you also need to know that if you leave or lose your job, you may be required to pay back the balance early, or owe taxes and, possibly, an early-withdrawal penalty.

This prevision also helps those with an existing 401(k) loan by allowing them to delay repayments that are due in 2020 for one year.

Suspended RMDs Starting in 2020, individuals who turn 72 are required to take annual mandatory distributions from their tax-deferred 401(k)s and IRAs. In prior years, this requirement kicked in after savers turned 70½ years of age.

This is known as the required minimum distribution or RMDs. The CARES Act suspends RMDs for 2020, including those for inherited IRAs, which means you can skip taking your required distributions this year if you wish.

The one-year waiver of RMDs will help retirees, who would otherwise have been forced to base their minimum withdrawals for 2020 on their account balances as of Dec. 31, 2019, when the stock market was near record levels. It will also give the market time to recover before resuming distributions in 2021.

55PLUS cny55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Writers

Deborah J. Sergeant Christopher Malon Mary Beth Roach Margaret McCormick

Columnists

Bruce Frassinelli Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, Marvin Druger Michele Reed, Sandra Scott Eva Briggs (M.D.), Randy L. Zeigler

Advertising

Amy Gagliano Cassandra Lawson

Office Manager Nancy Nitz

Design

Dylon Clew-Thomas

Cover Photo

John Herr, courtesy of Nancy Kelly 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.

Published at 185 E. Seneca St. PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126.

Subscription: $21 a year; $35 for two years © 2020 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Upstate New York.

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

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

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Bishop Harrison Apartments 300 Pond St, Syracuse, NY 13208 315-476-8630 BishopHarrison @christopher-community.org

Onondaga Blvd Apartments 4624 Onondaga Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13219 315-422-0347 OnondagaBlvd @christopher-community.org

St. Joseph Manor 900 Tyson Place, Syracuse, NY 13206 315-437-7441 StJosephManor @christopher-community.org

Bishop Ludden Apartments 817 Fay Rd, Syracuse, NY 13219 315-468-6043 BishopLudden @christopher-community.org

Pompei North Apartments 143 Mary St, Syracuse, NY 13208 315-472-2614 PompeiNorth @christopher-community.org

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June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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gardening

By Jim Sollecito

O

Friendship, Devotion, Perseverance and Understanding

K, suffice to say this is not a typical year. But the nurturing sun still rises and shines. Vital warm rains fall.

Plants reward us with lush growth. As Joni Mitchell suggested, we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Some events are beyond our control but there is a calm undercurrent every time we place a shovel in the soil and plant something. This has been my salvation no matter what was going on in the world or in my brain. The mere act of planting is an unsurpassed form of therapy.

I have learned a lot from time spent in parts of the world where there is no access to pesticides. I understand matching the plant to the location, planting it correctly, and then giving water when required. These three considerations really can almost guarantee success. I favor plants that don’t need to be sprayed. I don’t sell bagged lawn chemicals. We’ve all learned surprise lessons from moments when we had been otherwise thoroughly self-assured. Tipping back on my chair while in class was a favorite balancing act in junior high.

I thought it was cool. Once when I tipped back a bit too far Mr. Ridgeway and his board of education made certain I end that practice. Likewise, it might seem like a good idea to apply all kinds of lawn products and hope for success. But just paying a bit of attention to mowing and watering might be a lot less costly, and achieve better results.

That brings me to my point, which is to carefully select plants that will waste neither your money nor your time. There are wonderful choices that can easily brighten the outdoors and your inner self. Double up the return on that landscape investment. Particularly the view from indoors. Pay attention to windows facing a quiet part of your property.

And to the part of your home where you might be spending more time this

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55 PLUS - June / July 2020

year, the backyard.

The color white is magical in the dusky twilight; it tends to float. But most white flowers fade to brown: not so magical. So most of my designs will feature some variety of panicle hydrangea. The enchanted blossom transitions from chartreuse to white to shades of blush pink, rosé wine, fuchsia or pomegranate red. This flowering shrub tells an evolving color story as the seasons unfold. Starting now, months of exciting colors evolve from summer through autumn.

Panicle hydrangeas produce buckets of blooms. It’s very simple to quickly cut a few stems, share that bouquet and look like a hero, or at least a good friend. They adore our

soils, tolerate our winters, and once established thrive on neglect. They are devoted. The shrubs grow to a variety of ultimate sizes and shapes.

They’re hardy and easy to grow. They persevere. And they need no pesticides to do their thing. They are understanding. panicle hydrangeas symbolize many good things in life. We can help you find the panicle hydrangea to suit your space. So you can smile every time you look outdoors.

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 jim@sollecito.com.

Sollecito: “We can help you find the panicle hydrangea to suit your space. So you can smile every time you look outdoors.”

Social Security

Q&A Q: I went back to work after retiring, but now the company I work for is downsizing. I’ll be receiving unemployment benefits in a few weeks. Will this affect my retirement benefits?

A: When it comes to retirement benefits, Social Security does not count unemployment as earnings, so your retirement benefits will not be affected. However, any income you receive from Social Security may reduce your unemployment benefits.

Contact NYS unemployment office for information on how it applies the reduction to your unemployment compensation.

Q: I want to estimate my retirement benefit at several different ages. Is there a way to do that?

A: Use our Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator to get an instant, personalized retirement benefit estimate based on current law and your earnings record. The Retirement Estimator, which also is available in Spanish, lets you create additional “what if” retirement scenarios based on different income levels and “stop work” ages.

Q: I have been getting Social Security disability benefits for many years. I’m about to hit my full retirement age. What will happen to my disability benefits?

47

A: When you reach “full retirement age,” we will switch you from disability to retirement benefits. But you won’t even notice the change because your benefit amount will stay the same. It’s just that when you reach retirement age, we consider you to be a “retiree” and not a disability beneficiary. To learn more, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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financial health

By Randy L. Zeigler

Market Volatility: How to Approach it If you are concerned about the recent performance of the market and its impact on your retirement, you’re not alone

R

etirement is an important milestone that often comes after years (or decades) of careful planning. But even the most seasoned planners couldn’t have foreseen the severe market selloff that happened in March in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. The abrupt end to the 10-year bull market surprised investors of all ages who are now wondering how long it will take for their portfolios to recover.

Unlike younger workers with many years ahead of earning and saving, investors who are retired or nearing retirement have less time to wait out their losses. But there are still actions they can take to help secure

their finances, even during periods of uncertainty like we’re experiencing today.

If this situation applies to you, here are a few steps to consider in this new environment:

1.

If you are approaching retirement

Pick your retirement date.

If you haven’t already, take time now to decide the year and month when you (and potentially your spouse or partner) want to retire. Given the current environment, you may want to consider extending your time in the workforce — whether it’s continuing your current career or moving into a new full or parttime role. Either way, your answer can have a big impact on your investment decisions from this point forward.

2.

Ensure your investments are diversified.

Not all sectors of the economy are alike, and they react to news and events

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55 PLUS - June / July 2020

differently. For those nearing retirement, the recent spike in volatility is a reminder of how having a broadly diversified portfolio can help reduce your investing risk.

Instead of simply selling your stocks in attempt to cut your losses, review your portfolio to see if it is properly balanced between stocks, bonds and cash that align with your goals, time horizon and your ability to manage risk. While a diversified portfolio can’t guarantee profits or protect against all losses, it can greatly reduce the impact of volatility.

3.

Balance your need for protection with growth.

Protecting your portfolio from market downturns becomes more important as you approach the day when you start living off your savings. During this time, you may want to consider investing the money you plan to use for income in the first few years of retirement more conservatively in liquid vehicles that are easy to access. This can help give you peace of mind that you are prepared to handle upcoming expenses no matter what’s happening in the markets.

1.

If you are currently in retirement

Review your withdrawal strategy.

If the recent decrease in the value of your portfolio makes you nervous, revisit the amount of money you withdraw monthly to meet your expenses. As you review, the goal is to be assured that the amount you withdraw to meet the next year or two of expenses does not put your long-term financial security in jeopardy. If your base of assets is reduced, you may have to trim your withdrawal amount to assure you have a sustainable longterm income strategy.

2.

Don’t take unnecessary chances in your stock exposure.

For the long-term investor — which may include you as a retiree — volatility in equities can work in your favor. It’s possible that you will spend one to three decades in retirement, giving you time to withstand some market moves. At the same time, it’s important to preserve your base of savings and not be overexposed to stock risk. Now is a good time to review your exposure in the context of your full financial plan to evaluate if you are taking the right amount of risk. Additionally, focus your equity portfolio on higher quality stocks — primarily blue-chip companies that tend to demonstrate more stable performance. Stocks that pay competitive dividends may also be an effective choice to provide a source of reliable return on your investments.

If you are concerned about the recent performance of the markets and its impact on your retirement, consult with a qualified financial adviser to determine what steps may be right for you.

To do whatever you want takes careful planning.

Let Pathfinder Investment Services help guide you on your road to retirement.

RetiRement Asset AccumulAtion How to save money for use during retirement.

■ RetiRement income PlAnning Income strategies to maximize longevity of retirement nest egg.

■ Rolling oveR A RetiRement PlAn Discuss all of your various options for your retirement plan assets to make the correct decision.

■

Your Financial Consultant Randy L. Zeigler, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® is a private wealth adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Oswego. Zeigler offers feebased financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for over 30 years.

Contact him at 315-342-1227 or www.ameripriseadvisors.com/ randy.l.zeigler.

Craig G. Fitzpatrick Financial Consultant Toll-free: 800-811-5620 x8088 Phone: 315-207-8088 Email: cfitzpatrick@ae.cadaretgrant.com NOT FDIC INSURED • MAY LOSE VALUE • NO BANK GUARANTEE Securities related products and services made available through Pathfinder Bank are offered through Cadaret, Grant, & Co., Inc., MEMBER FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products and services are offered through Finger Lakes Investments Corporation (FLIC). Cadaret, Grant, & Co. and FLIC are not affiliated with Pathfinder Bank it’s affiliates, divisions, or subsidiaries. OSJ office: FLIC 65-A Monroe Ave, Pittsford, NY 14534. (585) 389-0326. Pathfinder Investment Services, Cadaret, Grant & Co, Inc and Finger Lakes Investments Corp. are separate entities.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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DiningOut

By Christopher Malone

Restaurant

Guide

Eastwood Eats

L

Eating around Syracuse’s neighborhood

et’s begin this review with a joke, a Steven Wright one-liner: “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.”

As I am soon to be a resident of the city of Syracuse Eastwood neighborhood, it’s time to explore all there is to enjoy: The Palace Theatre, two used book stores, close proximity to Downtown, and a plethora of food within walking distance. (See what I did there?)

Instead of a typical review, I visited places within (rational) walking distances and ordered one item. Since I can’t review a restaurant experience, I tried several and supported as many places as I could. All places are open for takeaway but temporary hours will vary. sense. There was a good amount of meat on those bones and Chadwick’s skipped over battering the chicken.

Not bad for a Steelers bar.

the latest N.E. SNEEZ. There are usually eight varieties on tap and something for all tastes. Now, you may not be able to stick around and play pinball but take beer away in a pint-sized can ($5-$8), a 32 oz. growler ($7-$8), or a 64 oz. growler ($14-16). Prices may vary based on style of beer.

Chadwick’s Sports Bar & Grill 2529 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315-431-0530 Chicken wings were the food of choice. While on a run, I saw a piece of paper on Chadwick’s door offering 10 wings for $8. Below that read 10 wings and a can of beer for $10 — quite a deal. I ordered the medium hot wings and actually got a dozen.

(Had I known this, the tip would have been more.)

The medium sauce wasn’t as spicy but the wings were no-non12

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Eastwood Brewing Company 108 Walter Dr., Syracuse, NY 13206 facebook.com @ EastwoodBrewingCompany Eastwood is of my favorite local breweries. It’s a see-what-you-get establishment with very good beer. The C-4 IPA is a staple but I’m a fan of the New England style IPAs, including

Fifi’s Ice Cream & Sweets 3021 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315-913-3354 | fifisicecream.com Fifi’s serves Perry’s Ice Cream, a

Western New York company in Akron. How does Fifi’s utilize the notable state-based sweet treat — especially milk shakes?

For hard ice cream milkshakes, they’re $5.50 each; take off a buck for soft serve ice cream shakes. My fiancé and I opted for two to share: Peanut Butter S’mores (everything about a s’more but with peanut butter and no chocolate) and Let’s Dough Buffalo! (cookie dough ice cream with cookie swirls).

The s’mores shake was on the lighter side and not as thick as expected. The flavor was still oh-so-good.

Since the cookie dough ice cream has more goodies, the cookie swirls and bits of cookie dough, it was much thicker and delicious.

Goal Tenders Food & Beverage 2700 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315-396-0001 | goaltendersfoodandbeverage.business.site The small little eatery on James Street is a unique place. A clear conversation can be had with even standing at opposite doors. Goal Tenders has a convenient grab-and-go pickup window for their American fare — tenders to burgers and soda to milkshakes — comfort food. I opted for a chicken tender salad ($7). It’s not on the menu but they made it happen.

The salad is basic: iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chunky onion pieces, and cheddar cheese. It’s wimpy so some spinach was added at home. The chicken tenders, however, are great! The pieces of chicken were lightly breaded, not overly fried or greasy. The chicken was far from dry. For something quick and easy, it’s perfect. Knowing the number of restaurants that have vacated that location, I hope this stays.

Hieros 2812-14 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315-913-3335 | hieros.menu Not to be confused with the notable tyrants of the Sicilian city Syracuse, this sandwich and craft beer shop on James Street is making a statement. The roast beef and apple cheddar sandwich ($9.25) is served with those ingredients, fresh spinach, red onion, and a horseradish spread between the halves of a thick, toasted Italian baguette. It really is a mean sammy and all the flavors work so well together. The horseradish spread is mild but noticeable — it’s horseradish after all. This newer establishment lets their food do the talking, no lectern needed.

Sinbad Restaurant 2727 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315-565-5655 | sinbadsweets.net Last year, the Middle Eastern restaurant opened with much excitement. For those unfamiliar with ethnic food, this place should be tried.

The item I chose was the lamb shish kebab ($19.99). Have it cooked medium or well-done (if you want to destroy the quality and flavor of the meat). It comes served on yellow rice,

grilled tomato and onion, and pickled vegetables.

Sinbad’s lamb was super tender and cooking it over charcoal added a noticeable but not overwhelming smokiness. The same smokiness attached itself to the rice.

I also opted for the one slice of stretchy ice cream ($3.99). This refreshing dessert is light, airy, isn’t overly sweet like ice cream. It’s covered with pistachios, too, which significantly adds to the enjoyment.

So, yes, I opted for more than one item. I didn’t break my rule but stretched it.

A Taste of Philadelphia 2533 James St., Syracuse, NY 13206 315- 463-9422 |facebook. com/ /A-Taste-Of-Philadelphia-161741367186341 Philly cheesesteaks in Syracuse?

Yes, they exist and they taste so good.

The classic cheesesteak with mushrooms (two for $21.63), are worth it.

They’re filling but light at the same time. I could eat two in one sitting but did not. The second was saved for the following evening and it was equally as good. The wonderfully shaved steak, cheese, and diced mushrooms were stupendous. My taste buds were at ease because there was no trace of bright yellow-orange fake machine cheese.

The roll was also notable. It was moist and not heavy (hence my desire to eat two in one sitting).

That concludes the tour! There is so much more to enjoy, including The Foul Ball bar, Fish Cove in Shop City (which is also the best in my humble opinion), and Ponchito’s. Unfortunately, I have only so much space to work with. Happy eating, folks.

Please stay safe and healthy.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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55+ running Born to Run Age does not restrict long-distance running

By Maryann Roefaro

Maryann Roefaro at the Popular Brooklyn Half Marathon, 2019.

“Running USA stats reveal that road race participants over the age of 65 increased from 216,884 in 2013 to 434,640 in 2018.”

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W

hen you hear the words “Born to Run” perhaps you think of the song by Bruce Springsteen or the popular running book of that name written by Christopher McDougall in 1972.

Regardless of what you think of, it is true. We were all born to run, and if we love it and play our cards right, perhaps we can run for our entire lives.

Running USA stats reveal that road race participants over the age of 65 increased from 216,884 in 2013 to 434,640 in 2018. If you’re amazed with those numbers, how about this: Participation in the 55-to-64 age group increased from 650,652 to close to 1.1 million during the same time frame.

What really excites me is that women make up 59% of participants at road races.

The last time we communicated via 55 Plus magazine, I had just completed the 2016 New York City Marathon. I had raised $11,700 for our Central New York Hospice. Once again, I’m signed up to run the 2020 NYC Marathon. This time, the only way I could secure a bib was through New York Road Runners’ fundraising partners. Since St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is a charity dear to many, I selected them.

I fulfilled my financial commitment and to date, I have raised over $6,600 thanks to the love and generosity of many friends and colleagues.

I will be 61 when I run in November and I’m sure this marathon, like the five others I have ran, will lend it’s moments of euphoria, as well as those moments of significant challenge.

As with everyone, I learn a great deal about my running practice and I during those 26.2 miles. What is indescribable, however, is the feeling you get when you cross that finish line. Regardless of how long it takes — and I’ve had to learn a lot about acceptance in that area — it’s not about the time. It’s about the fact that I along with 49,999 others will have completed one of the greatest marathons in the world, just from taking that one step at a time.

The side effects of aging definitely do not go unnoticed but there is so much we can do to mitigate muscle loss, any reduction in the strength and fortitude of muscles, and connective tissue such as tendons and

ligaments. We can ensure continued flexibility by stretching, practicing yoga, and making sure we take time for recovery between runs.

It’s important to do weight bearing and body-weight exercises to revitalize the power in our muscles and keep us moving effortlessly while aging with grace. When we age, it’s important to add high-intensity workouts to our runs or exercise routines, as well as endurance exercises.

As the years pass, the amount of oxygen we have available for exercise drops, as does our maximum heart rate, but all the aforementioned physical and exercise efforts can help to keep the effects of aging at bay.

Science tells us that muscles and our aerobic systems can still respond to training and get stronger with age.

What a gift. Pepper this concept with motivation and a sincere commitment to self and there’s no stopping us, regardless of that number we call our age.

Natural gifts Humans were literally born to run and as it turns out, there are many animals that can run faster but none have the endurance of a human because of our gift of perspiration.

Animals have to rely on their respiratory system to regulate their body temperature — the panting pup with his tongue hanging — but we can cool our bodies through beautiful, glistening beads of sweat.

Humans, as well as animals that can run, are equipped with special running features such as the Achilles tendon, the arch of the foot that can spring back with each step because of the tendons in the soles, and special “anti-bobblehead” adaptations.

Although we were physically created to run, mentally, we are on our own. It has been said that running is 10% physical and 90% mental. So as with everything in life, it’s all about how we think. The good news is if we love to run, utilize proper form, warm up properly, and train and recover properly, is that we should be able to keep that flame burning for many years.

Being a senior ChiRunning certified instructor, I can honestly say that ChiRunning is a technique, when performed correctly, that ensures en-

Roefaro at NYC Marathon, 2016...

... and at Chicago Marathon, 2015.

ergy efficiency and injury prevention.

The basic tenets of the technique include using every body part as it was biomechanically intended, cooperating with the forces of nature such as gravity and forces created by the oncoming road, and maintaining proper postural and directional alignment.

Running for a cause can often provide the motivation that one needs to take that first step. To create a longterm relationship with running, it’s often best to have good health and well being become the by-products but not necessarily the motivators.

Falling in love with running and the feeling during and after a run can be the best guarantee for a long-lived running practice. Running for charity

can provide an extra boost of motivation.

The first recorded walk-a-thon was in 1953 in Puerto Rico. A solo event, Ramon Rivero covered 80 miles and raised $85,000 for cancer. In 1983, the first charity-driven race with 800 participants occurred in Dallas. That was also the first Race for the Cure to support breast cancer.

From 1984, marathons started naming official charities. Today, millions of dollars are raised for charitable organizations through racing events. In 2019, the Boston Marathon alone raised $20.3 million for a wide variety of charities and 75% of London marathoners ran for a cause.

Whatever your reason, if you’re committed to running, it’s possible to make it a life-long event. Fauja Singh, a British Sikh of Punjabi Indian descent, is the only known person in human history to have run a marathon after turning 101. He turns 109 in April and although he retired from running in 2012, he still holds all the age-related records from the 100 meters to the marathon for men over 100.

He still walks five miles per day.

Keep smiling and running friends, and hopefully we will see each other on the road for many years to come.

About Maryann Roefaro Maryann Roefaro is the CEO of Hematology-Oncology Associates and author of “Building the Team from the Inside Out”, “A Human’s Purpose by Millie the Dog” and “Snippets from the Inside-Out,

by Millie the Dog.” She has been a ChiRunning instructor for six years.

For more information, visit www.SoulRunner.us and www.

AHumansPurpose.com.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

15

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bfrassinelli@ptd.net

W

Another Pandemic for the Ages

e have not seen a pandemic of this scope in more than a century.

The 1918-19 influenza pandemic (known as the Spanish Flu) was until now the most severe in modern history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.

In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in the spring of 1918. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Back then, however, the U.S. population

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was just 103 million compared to today’s 330 million.

Although it was widely known as the “Spanish Flu,” it likely had its origins elsewhere. In its initial stages, western governments, including the United States, had an understanding with the news media to underplay the scope of the virus so as not to panic the population. In Spain, a neutral country that had no such agreement with its media outlets, the story was splashed across the front pages of its newspapers.

Both of my immigrant Italian parents were impacted by the 1918 pandemic. Before they met each other in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, my father,

Phillip, who later opened a grocery store in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania, became seriously ill when he contracted the flu while working in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. Although many of his infected co-workers later died, my father made a full recovery.

My mother, Frieda, grandmother and three uncles, who came to the United States from Italy in 1919 aboard the ship America, were quarantined at Ellis Island for a week after the ship docked, because hundreds of other passengers had contracted the flu and some died. Luckily, my mother and her family were not infected.

She said, however, that she and her family members were panicked by the concern over getting the flu.

Before their ship was scheduled to leave Genoa, Italy, sailors went on strike to protest the lack of protective gear, mitigation and safe distancing from thousands of immigrants who were fleeing to the New World.

When they arrived at Ellis Island, dead passengers were removed from the ship first, followed by those who were so weak that they could not walk and had to be removed by

stretchers or mask-wearing immigration officials.

My mother said that she and her family members were marked with an “I” (for influenza) and were quarantined for a week to check for symptoms.

Even if worst case scenarios are borne out with the COVID-19 pandemic, our deaths will not rival those of the previously worst known pandemic to mankind — the Black Death (bubonic plague) of the Middle Ages.

Remember, however, that health care experts are warning that cases and deaths will not come only during this first wave but will likely recur in subsequent waves this summer and fall and possibly into 2021 or later.

Our American hubris convinced us that a catastrophe of this scope and magnitude could never happen to us – not in 2020, not in the richest country in the world, not in a nation that is used to considering itself as No. 1.

Earlier in the year, we viewed with horror how the coronavirus had overwhelmed the northern part of Italy, including my father’s hometown, then spread to the rest of the country.

Italian epidemiologists warned us that we would soon see here what we were seeing then in Italy.

We scoffed at the notion. No way.

We had this under control. After all, President Trump assured us it was.

In February and into the first part of March, the president constantly downplayed the threat and contradicted his own health officials, asserting that the virus was “very much under control’’ and infections were “going very substantially down, not up.’’ On Feb. 26, he proclaimed that total cases will be “close to zero”.

Now, we know the reality of the situation. Each day, we get somber statistics about the numbers infected and how many died. It reminds us of the daily body count we received during the Vietnam War. Despite Trump’s comparing COVID-19 to the ordinary flu and saying for weeks that it would pass, he then claimed in April that he understood all along that it could be a killer of historic proportions. “I thought it could be,’’ he said. “I knew everything. I knew it could be horrible, and I knew it could be maybe good.’’

He implied that he misled us because he wanted to downplay the se-

‘Our American hubris convinced us that a catastrophe of this scope and magnitude could never happen to us – not in 2020, not in the r ichest country in the world, not in a nation that is used to considering itself as No. 1.’ riousness of the threat; he wanted to give us hope. “You know, I’m a cheerleader for the country,’’ he told us.

Most of us have seen the unsettling scenes of the bread lines of the Great Depression in the late 1920s and 1930s. We shook our heads and patted ourselves on the back saying we would never see scenes like that again. That was ancient history.

We have since seen the massive layoffs starting in early March lines of vehicles at food banks and other food-distribution sites as millions of jobless in New York state and millions more nationwide try to get the necessities of life.

Now, various states have begun to re-open gradually with the hope that it is not too much, too soon for fear that cases and deaths will spike once again.

Throughout history, the world has been horribly impacted by epidemics of staggering proportions.

As a French major, I was mesmerized by Albert Camus’s fictional novel “The Plague” (“La Peste” in French), which was mandatory reading for my three classmates and me in our French 10 college class.

When I recently re-read “The Plague,” which was set in the North African city of Oran, I wondered what it would have been like if such a catastrophic event were to have befallen my beloved adopted hometown of Oswego.

By some measures, we have been experiencing some of the unimaginable dislocations that the people of Oran faced in Camus’s 1947 novel.

“You must picture the consternation of our little town, hitherto so tranquil, and now, out of the blue, shaken to its core,” Camus wrote.

Camus’s novel makes clear that this can happen anywhere at any time. Despite the historical presence of periodic episodes of epidemics and pestilence, each takes us humans by surprise, Camus observed. During the plague, Camus wrote about the physical and psychological infection that overwhelms a community.

Plague is spread by infected fleas on rats. When infected rats began appearing and dying on the streets of Oran, residents found it a nuisance and blamed sanitation workers for not removing them fast enough.

They, as we today, did not accurately diagnose the signs of what was about to happen, so they went about their daily routines. “In this respect, our townsfolk were like everybody else, wrapped up in themselves,’’ the narrator in `The Plague’ said. “They disbelieved in pestilences.’’ It shows how easy it is to mistake an epidemic for an annoyance.

At first, officials urged the public not to be alarmed. Oran’s prefect even suggested that it was a false alarm (fake news?). They insisted that what was happening was not the plague but a “special type of fever.” As the number of deaths exploded, the city’s leaders were forced to act.

They closed the city gates and mandated quarantine for affected patients. “The first thing the plague brought was exile,’’ the narrator said.

Camus’s intent was to remind us that any contagion can overrun a society, from a virus such as COVID-19 to an ideology such as fascism or totalitarianism, which can impact the entire population.

His other key message is the sobering realization that becoming infected is indiscriminate. Contagion is not limited to any segment of the population; it can affect anyone at any time. You can’t buy your immunity.

Throughout the ominous warnings, however, Camus has an inspiring observation: “What’s true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps people to rise above themselves,” All of us want to know how long this will last. Camus had the unsettling answer: We can’t know. All we can know is that this disruption will not last forever. “ It will go unaccountably when it pleases. And one day, others will emerge.’’

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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55+ vacation The Summer of COVID-19 Parks, ice cream stands, pick-your-own: Safe bets sure to cure cabin fever

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

s New York state begins to gradually open up, you will still have plenty of things to do to keep busy and enjoy the good weather this summer.

Reopenings may vary upon location, so it’s wise to check the location’s social media page, which is likely much more up-to-date than the website, or call before heading out.

Also pay attention to county news for location-specific updates on what’s open and allowed and what’s not. n Go out for ice cream. Since walk-up ice cream stands work just like take-out, these businesses have remained open. Locations with features like miniature golf or play-

grounds may not have these aspects of the business open. n Visit a state park (https:// parks.ny.gov/parks) with a picnic, whether it’s a take-out meal or one you pack yourself. Afterwards, take a hike or enjoy any available amenities of the park, like in-line skating paths, walking/hiking trails, scenic views, disc golf and bird watching. The state website should offer the most upto-date information on what’s open.

Keep in mind it could vary by park. n Drive-ins are already open.

Plus, you can enjoy a flick under the stars at a much lower ticket price than indoor theaters. Try Finger Lakes Drive-in in Auburn (www.fin-

gerlakesdrivein.com, 315-370-7780), Midway Drive-in in Minetto (www. midwaydrivein.com, 315-343-0211), Black River Drive-in in Black River www.blackriverdrivein.com, 315-7738604) or Valley Brook Drive-In in Lyons Falls (315-349-6315). n Go to a you-pick farm. Many plan to proceed with their regular seasons of public harvest by spacing pickers apart as needed; however, as with ice cream stands, some aspects of the operations such as play areas may be limited. Check Pick Your Own (www.pickyourown.org) to find listings of farms. Enjoy the sunshine, fresh produce and good prices as you harvest part of your groceries. If

Watkins Glen State Park remains opens for visitation. The Finger Lakes park is one of the most visited in Upstate New York.

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At Your

e c i v r Se Sanitized. Secure. Trustworthy.

Drive-ins are opening before the regular movie theaters do. There are at least four drive-ins within driving distance. They represent a great option for entertainment. you’re not able to pick your own, at least shop the farm’s stand for fresh produce. Many farms operate stores, such as Ontario Orchards in Oswego (www.ontarioorchard.com, 315-3436328), Our Lady of Victory Farm in Victory (www.nygrassfedbeef.com, 315-498-5866 call first) and Beak & Skiff Orchards in Lafayette (www. beakandskiff.com, 315-696-6085) These stores feature an eclectic mix of produce, farmstead goods, lawn and garden supplies and gift items. n Take a driving tour. With gas prices at historic lows, it’s a great time to explore stately neighborhoods to admire the architecture and blooming gardens. Before you go, review the types of architecture styles common in American architecture, such as Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Cape Cod, and Queen Anne at a site like https://magazine.realtor/homeand-design/guide-residential-styles.

There you can find simple illustrations and detailed lists of features featured on each type. Like bird watching, it’s fun to identify different types (although you should probably leave the binoculars at home). n Go camping. If you haven’t been camping for years, maybe it’s time to dig out the gear (or get new or rental gear). Campsites should open before many other types of businesses. Or you could reach out to a friend with a rural property or campsite. n Break out the lawn games.

Ladder ball, cornhole, bocce ball, horseshoes, lawn darts and croquet: whatever lawn game you like, you don’t need a party to try your skill and get outside.

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19

55+ volunteers

Volunteers Keep Food Bank Going About 800 volunteers (most over 55) help the distribution of food to the needy in CNY

By Mary Beth Roach

J

oe Wrobel had been a donor to the Food Bank of Central New York for years, but once the 59-year-old Liverpool resident retired about two years ago, he decided to step up his commitment.

“In the past, I was always donating to the Food Bank because I really believe in their cause and what they’re doing, so it was one of the first organizations I thought of when I determined that I wanted to volunteer,” he said.

He usually works two or three times a week at the Food Bank’s headquarters and warehouse, off of state Route 690 in the town of Van Buren.

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Calling himself “The Meat Man,” he sorts frozen meat and boxes it up so it can be distributed to the emergency food network.

Wrobel is one of about 800 regular Food Bank volunteers They come several times a week and work in the warehouse, and about 90% of them are 55 years of age or better, according to Lynn Hy, chief development director for the nonprofit organization.

Others help to staff the mobile food pantry and perform clerical tasks.

Last year, Food Bank volunteers logged 6,358 hours, with 70% to 75% of that coming from those that are 55 plus, Hy estimated.

Joe Wrobel of Liverpool, one of 800 volunteers who have kept the Food Bank of Central New York active during the pandemic. “If you volunteer and do something for the community, helping others, you just get a great feeling,” he says, Probably now more than ever, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wrobel and his fellow volunteers are the vital links in the food supply chain, providing for local emergency food outlets, and the numbers underscore this. On its website, the Food Bank posted some statistics for March that show the far-reaching impact of the pandemic on the community.

These volunteers packed 9,000 food boxes in just that month. This equates to nearly 2 million pounds of food that were distributed, which is 500,000 pounds more than a typical month. It served 28,457 households, a 20% increase.

Once people become involved as volunteers, they become more aware of just how many people don’t have any means to get their next meal, and

Stoneleigh Apartments 400 Lamb Ave, Canastota • 697-2847

Where your neighbors are like family! the pandemic has brought that into sharper focus, Wrobel said.

Plenty for all “One thing I’ve always said as I’m going through the steps and the process as a food bank volunteer, is there’s more than enough food to feed the community,” he said. “Everybody who needs food, who’s hungry, there’s plenty of food. We just have to get people to realize that and to figure out where to actually go get it.”

The Food Bank has put safety measures in place to safeguard its volunteers. The organization was able to secure a large warehouse space in East Syracuse with a conveyer belt that allows the volunteers to keep 6 feet from each other in respect for social distancing rules. They pack their portion of the boxes and move them down the belt to the next station.

There are two shifts Mondays through Thursdays and one shift on Friday mornings, with 10 volunteers per shift.

The Food Bank staff is aware that

Packing food at Food Bank’s warehouse in East Syracuse.

Volunteers packed 9,000 food boxes in just one month, March.

Inviting one bedroom apartments close to essential services and stores, as well as emergency and health services for Seniors (over 62) or receiving SS with a permanent mobility impairment within income guidelines

this large segment of its volunteer base is also the same age group that is considered to be more vulnerable to COVID-19. They have contacted the volunteers to explain the safety measures they have put in place, but also to reassure them that if they are hesitant about coming in at this time, then they should stay at home. With many opting to stay home and with the need so great, Hy said, the Food Bank has needed to bring in new volunteers.

Want to Volunteer?

For those interested in joining the Food Bank of Central New York’s volunteer team, visit www.foodbankcny. org and click on the “Get Involved” box and work through the application. Or call Matt Monaco, the community engagement coordinator, at 315-437-1899, ext. 223.

Online @ www.cny55.com June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

21

55+ churches

Deacon Don Harter, pastor Monte Smith and deacon James Jace of North Syracuse Christian Church perform at religious ceremony.

Faith During COVID-19 Isolation Believers have found creative ways to connect, minister and express their faith while still maintaining a safe distance

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S

ocial isolation has extended to all areas of life, including to congregations. Believers have found creative ways to connect, minister and express their faith while still maintaining a safe distance.

“During this period, it’s helpful,” said Jodi Ann Mullen, Ph.D., a licensed mental health counselor and a professor at SUNY Oswego in the counseling and

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psychological services department.

“It’s not just connecting to the others but to the community. That may be the more important connection. And knowing we’re all connected by our faith. That is especially important right now — to feel connected to others, community and faith. There’s a lot of ambiguity to what our lives will be post-pandemic. It’s grounding. If that’s

part of your routine to always attend at this place of worship with these people, it makes you feel grounded despite what has change. There are some things that stay constant.”

At Bible Baptist Church in Oswego, Pastor Steve Sallis has been sharing sermons through Zoom. “The good thing about Zoom is that someone without a smartphone or internet can call in and listen,” he said. “Those who can get on enjoy seeing and hearing each other. It’s like the fellowship before a service. It’s a good substitute for being there in person. When I start preaching, I mute everybody. After the sermon, I unmute it and we can have visiting time again. It’s amazing how long everyone stays on.”

Sallis had been serving as interim pastor for a few months before becoming pastor in late March. He’s actually never led a service at his church in person; however, through Zoom he has been able to lead his congregation of about 35 each week.

The experience has prompted him to want to revamp the church’s social media and website and perhaps continue to stream services once the current crisis ends.

Other than a few minor technical problems, it’s gone smoothly, he said.

In addition, the pastor and his leadership team of five have been calling members of the church to check in on them.

“Some of them are older folks who aren’t getting out,” he said.

The church normally holds communion the first Sunday of the month. On March 29, Pastor Sallis told the congregation to have some juice and a cracker available for the April 5 service.

“Just like I do in church, we talked about Jesus laying down his life for us,” he said. “And then we took the bread and ate it and drank the juice.”

Some of the church’s members set up a means of giving offerings to the church online.

“Giving is part of worship and time of giving our offering at our church is a special time,” Pastor Sallis said.

At North Syracuse Christian Church, a drive-through communion has helped congregants feel more connected. The church typically offers communion weekly.

“If we don’t, we feel something’s missing,” said Thea Smith, the wife of

Below: Rosemary Wiedenbeck.

Right: Joe Wiedenbeck in the living room of his home on Oneida Lake.

When my late wife Rosemary and I moved to Oswego County 45 years ago from Buffalo, we were fortunate that the community was so good to us. They supported our business which allowed it to grow and expand to other areas in Central New York.

Our daughter Sue and I chose to set up the Joseph and Rosemary Wiedenbeck Family Fund at the Community Foundation. Our donor-advised fund makes our giving seamless and supports areas such as healthcare, animal rescue, education and the arts with a focus on Oswego County.

GIVING TO PAY IT FORWARD: JOE WIEDENBECK

When I am gone, Sue will continue facilitating our giving to the causes that have been most important to us. The Central New York community has provided Read more of Joe’s story at a wonderful life for our family and it has been a CNYCF.org/Wiedenbeck pleasure to do our part to pay that forward.

315.422.9538 | C N YC F. O R G June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

23

the pastor, Monte Smith.

To remain in compliance with social distancing rules and to keep participants safe, the church received approval from law enforcement to offer ministries via drive-through.

Communion is administered through pre-packaged, sealed communion sets of grape juice and bread to anyone in the community between 10:30 and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Participants may drive in, pick up their communion sets and either leave or partake in the church parking lot. The church groups them by number so each carload can take as many as their family needs from gloved and masked workers.

Bible Baptist also makes sure that those who can’t get out to the church have a couple of months’ supply so they can have communion at home to commemorate Jesus’ broken body and shed blood.

“A deacon and elder is there,” Smith said. “We write down prayer requests. With masks on and gloves on, they drive up and we ask if there’s anything they need.”

The church also posts sermons on the church website and streams them to Facebook. The technical aspects have been new and challenging for the Smiths.

“He just had his 63rd birthday and I’ve had my 62nd,” Thea Smith said.

“We don’t get the digital stuff.”

Pastor Smith has been preaching from his office via a donated iPad. One sermon received more than 800 hits.

Normally, about 110 attend the church.

“He was shocked that so many listened,” Thea Smith said. “I hope we’ll continue doing this. There are a lot of people who appreciate what he says and how he says it. If he puts ‘A Moment with Monte’ out there every week, there’s a following.”

The Smiths have also extended their youth ministry to the digital world through texting, Facebook and phone calls, as well as mailing things to the teens to keep them focused. Pastor Smith offers counseling online for those in need of his help. The church’s food pantry has also gone into drivethrough mode by handing out boxes of food pre-packaged by the Food Bank of Central New York and pre-made meals donated by Wegmans.

“No one is allowed out of their cars,” Thea Smith said. “They open their trunk, and gloved, masked volunteers put the food in. Jennifer 24

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Thea Smith and her husband, pastor Monte Smith, during a drive-through communion at North Syracuse Christian Church. “If we don’t [offer it], we feel something’s missing,” Thea Smith said.

Hokanson and Randi Jace have been so good at keeping it all organized.”

Some live meetings have been canceled or moved to Zoom; however, the church family showed their love for their pastor by organizing a drivethrough surprise birthday party. A parade of 50 cars drove through the church parking lot decorated with balloons with congregants shooting silly string, honking their horns and holding signs.

“They pulled in back of the church and circled up like wagons in the Old West,” Thea Smith said. “They were all 6 feet apart. They brought gifts they put on a table. They just threw love at him. They had him hit a birthday cake pinata full of candy and carpentry things he likes, like electrical tape and glue. It was a fun thing. He was just dumbfounded because it’s hard to pull off a surprise.”

Thea Smith believes that despite isolation, it’s important to carry on with what’s important.

“Things have changed but they haven’t stopped,” she said. “The building is just a tool. We are the church.”

Todd Caputo, a Christian who goes to Missio Church in Syracuse, felt bad about having no place to attend Easter services. He said that

a week beforehand, he saw posts on Facebook about churches hosting drive-in services at their churches.

Caputo is CEO and president of Sun Auto Group.

“I felt like the Holy Spirit was telling me to do this at the dealership,” Caputo said. “If God didn’t connect me to more people, like at the radio station at CNY Central, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Hosted as a Christian prayer service, the Easter celebration included Roger Burdick, also a Christian and area car dealer, who prayed, as well as Mike Mayve, an elder and pastor at Renovation Church in North Syracuse, who offered a message. Renovation also offers streamed services.

More than 100 cars parked at the car lot for the service. Christian radio station WMHR broadcast it to its listeners and so attendees could hear the service from their vehicles and CNY Central broadcast the service.

“I think it was nice that people were able to get out of their house,” Caputo said. “Even if they can’t be next to each other in pews, they could be next to each other in cars. Times are tough and I wanted people to have the opportunity to pray and have hope in Jesus Christ.”

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25

aging

By Marilyn L. Pinsky

W

Are You a Hot, Medium or Low Person?

hen turning on the heating mask I recently used on my eyes, instead of turning it to low or medium, I automatically turned it to high, which led in 30 seconds to burning eyelids.

It occurred to me that I live life with things turned to high. I like my food hot and spicy, I automatically turn the stove burners to high (as you might remember from my “How to Clean Burned Pans” article) and I always put the hair dryer on the hot setting, which probably explains my split ends, accompanied by a slight smell of burning hair.

I think there is a connection between doing things fast and having the attention span of a gnat. It probably also correlates, for better or worse, with things like taking chances and making quick decisions.

Whenever I would leave to go out of town for meetings, my husband, Philip, would say, “keep your wits about you.” I was never sure exactly what he meant but it did serve to make me more thoughtful. After a few mishaps, I started to write myself notes of where in the parking garage I left the car, and where in my pocketbook, or suitcase, I put the car keys. The official definition of “keep your wits about you” is, “to remain calm and rational.” I can see now that he was dealing with someone who did things so fast that sometimes I needed to be told “to slow it down,” to at least fake being calm and rational.

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As I’ve gotten older I have continued to take Philip’s advice to “keep my wits about me,” by focusing on being more intentional in my movements. For instance, I walk looking down at the sidewalk so as not to trip, I don’t drive as fast as I used to, especially at night, and I check air and train schedules 10 times to make sure I have the times and departure gates right.

Recently, just in case I needed to be reminded to focus, my mind and my body chose to disconnect for a moment. My mind was thinking about something I needed to do two days away and my body was responding to the gym instructor to move from one position to another. My body ended up like a pretzel and my ankle was the piece on the bottom. The result was a badly bruised ankle and a few days of hobbling around, but it could have been worse and it was an important reminder to slow down and stay focused on one thing at a time.

So back to being a hot, medium or low person. I’m thinking maybe I should learn to become a “mediumh i g h p e r s o n . ” I f i g u re I c a n ’ t immediately go to a medium, but a

medium-high seems doable.

Would it result in less burnt pans, or eyelids? Or would I start to obsess over minor decisions — like saving what amounts to two bites of food from last night’s dinner versus throwing out perfectly good food? Or how many carbohydrates are in a martini vs. red wine? Oh right, I do that now anyway.

I have to start observing some low and medium people to see how they operate. Are they more or less emotional than I am in their decision making? Do they ever wonder how that piece of chocolate with the truffle center happened to end up in their mouths without their even realizing it? Do they give more thought to absolutely everything in their lives and therefore make better decisions on what to cook for dinner so everything is ready at the right time? Are they the ones in the grocery store tasting a grape before buying the whole bag?

Do they ever order the wrong size toothbrush head replacement for their electric toothbrush? (Don’t ask, but I’ll tell you this, you can’t send it back once you’ve opened the package.)

As I’m writing this during the COVID-19 scare, the decision to tone it down has become a necessity. I have had to force myself to become slower and more thoughtful in doing everyday things, like not automatically shaking hands and being careful to wash my hands after touching doorknobs. Will this new medium-high me carry through beyond this period?

S t a y tuned.

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55+

cover

Jazzing Up the Music Scene Celebrated jazz singer Nancy Kelly continues to wow public in a career that spans several decades

By Margaret McCormick

C

lub owners usually reach out to Nancy Kelly about potential bookings. But in November, the singer contacted the owners of The 443 Social Club and Lounge in Syracuse about doing a regular monthly gig there.

The 443 is an eclectic space with a small stage, careful attention to sound and lights, comfortable seating, a bar and food — everything a performer and her fans could want. On the evening of Jan. 29, dozens of guests paid $12 at the door and packed in to see Kelly, one of Central New York’s most high-profile and enduring jazz artists.

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The singer, attired in flowing black pants, animal print jacket and ballet flats, took the stage with drummer Jimmy Johns and keyboardist Rick Montalbano. For some in attendance, it was like traveling back to the dark, smoky clubs where Kelly established a following in Central New York more than 30 years ago. For others, it was their first time seeing the celebrated singer of jazz, swing and scat. All were treated to a two-hour set of jazz standards, heartfelt ballads and vocal improvisation, up close and personal.

“It was an amazing night. She’s amazing,’’ said Jamie Ann Owens, 40, who grew up in a family of jazz lovers

and has been seeing artists like Kelly and Ronnie Leigh since she was a kid.

She attended the concert with her mother and a couple of friends.

“What a night… Sometimes, pure magic happens in this room,’’ Julie Briggs Leone, co-owner of The 443, said after the show. Kelly was equally enthusiastic. “Everything was right about this,’’ she posted on Facebook.

“Everything.’’

Kelly has performed all over the country and the world, so that is no small praise. Before the coronavirus pandemic put live music in clubs on pause, she was scheduled to travel to Denver, Los Angeles and Miami, as

Nancy Kelly in January performing at The 443 Social Club and Lounge in Syracuse. Photo by Margaret McCormick.

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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Nancy Kelly performing at LeMoyne College in 2015.

Photo by Chuck Wianwright.

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well as perform at The 443 and at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, as part of CNY Jazz Arts Foundation’s Jazz at the Cavalier series. When the outbreak hit, all engagements were canceled until further notice. Kelly has been working from her home in Fair Haven, on Lake Ontario, and taking time for some much-needed self-care, which includes giving her vocal cords a break.

“Quite frankly, I’m really enjoying being home and not driving 400 miles a week,’’ Kelly said in March. She answered questions for this story by email. “I teach. Work on new tunes.

Relax. Cook. Catch up on things that needed attention in my home. I’m more rested than I’ve been in a very long time. I’m really kinda diggin’ it.

We will pick up with local and national gigs when the threat has passed.’’

K e l l y, w h o w i l l t u r n 7 0 i n October, grew up in the Rochester area. Music came to her naturally and she started piano lessons at the age of 4, later adding instruction in clarinet, drama and dance. After high school, she enrolled at the Eastman School of Music, where she studied voice. By 16, she formed a combo and performed at clubs around Rochester.

In the early 1970s, she joined a rock band as lead singer. She liked it but felt a powerful pull to jazz.

“I was drawn to the freedom and ability to be very creative,’’ Kelly says today. “I love the rhythms of swing and the fast pace of be-bop and the space of deep ballads. The harmonic structure is more sophisticated than pop or rock. In that respect, I enjoy the intellectual side of it. It’s a very democratic kind of music. Everyone gets in on the conversation. I love the freedom of knowing what I’m doing and sometimes not and getting lost in the creative process. I love seeing the guys smile when I do something hip.

I love its deep American history. Jazz is America’s gift to the world.’’

Kelly appeared on the Syracuse music scene in the mid-1980s, drawing crowds to restaurants and small clubs like Farone’s Café, Phoebe’s Garden Café, Soo-Lin and, perhaps most memorably, Sakura, a Japanese restaurant on West Fayette Street that also served up jazz.

Briggs Leone of The 443 Social Club and Lounge remembers those days well and says Kelly was her first real introduction to jazz. “She expanded my musical horizons in

the best possible way and soon I was adding CDs from Dianne Reeves, Billie Holiday, Stanley Jordan, Miles Davis and John Coltrane to sit alongside the rock and hair metal albums I listened to in high school.’’

Around the same time, Kelly began her recording career. Her first album, “Live Jazz,’’ was released in 1988 on Amherst Records. It reached No. 11 on the Billboard charts. Her sixth (and latest) CD, “Remembering Mark Murphy,’’ is a tribute to the late, Syracuse-born jazz singer, who grew up in Fulton and spent summers in Fair Haven with his family. He recorded more than 40 albums and was known for his innovative vocal improvisations.

Kelly has called Murphy her favorite singer and credits him with sharing with her what it means to sing “from inside the song.’’

Kelly has received numerous accolades and awards. She was twice named “Best Female Jazz Vocalist” in the Down Beat magazine reader’s poll. She is a three-time Syracuse Area Music Awards winner and was inducted into the SAMMY Hall of Fame in 2006. She is scheduled to be inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame later this year.

In addition to performing, Kelly serves as a teacher and mentor to both up-and-coming and experienced

W

Follow Nancy Kelly For more information on Nancy Kelly and her performance schedule, follow Nancy Kelly Music on Facebook www.facebook. com/NancyKellyJazz/and visit her website, www.nancykelly.com. performers, working with them on repertoire, song delivery, audience interaction and more. She has a studio at SubCat Studios in Syracuse, travels to Rochester to teach several days a week and works with aspiring singers as part of CNYJAF’s Nancy Kelly Vocal Jazz Jams and Stars of Tomorrow Cabarets. Others might be new to Zoom, but Kelly has been using the online app to teach students from a distance for years.

With her spikey platinum blonde hair, stylish eyeglasses and signature red lipstick, Kelly commands attention in a room and on stage. She is relaxed and conversational, chatting back and forth with her accompanists, the sound engineer and the audience.

In concert, she leans into her vocals, perches on a stool from time to time and uses a reader attached to a microphone stand to assist with song lyrics. “The older I get,’’ she tells the audience, “the more I can’t remember all the lyrics.’’

“She sounds great,’’ Jamie Ann Owens said after seeing Kelly at The 443 Social Club. “I think her voice has become more seasoned.’’

In her leisure time, Kelly enjoys cooking healthy meals with a minimum of meat and lots of vegetables, which she enjoys with wine. She’s an avid walker and works in a weight routine when she can. “I am not a sedentary person and never will be,’’ she says.

“As long as I can keep moving, I will.’’

Kelly considers Fair Haven a sanctuary and loves living there, although it has been a challenge at times to manage the touring and performance side of her career from outside of a major metropolitan area.

Her sister, Lynne, and brother, Gene, live nearby, and she sees them often.

Kelly was married briefly many years ago. Her daughter and son-in-law, Kellie and Greg, live in Rochester.

Thirteen-year-old grandson Graham is “a piano virtuoso’’ and attends The School of the Arts.

“They are all my world,’’ Kelly says. “We all love music.’’

Kelly says she has no plans to retire and looks forward to touring again when it is safe to do so.

“I was planning a European tour when the pandemic struck,’’ Kelly says. “Hopefully we will pick that back up.’’

A Music Venue for the Times

hat does a jazz singer who usually has a full calendar of live gigs do for fun during the coronavirus shutdown?

She brings jazz to an audience via webcasting.

On May 6, Nancy Kelly performed as part of a “Zoom Cocktail Hour” on the teleconference and distance education platform. The hour-long event, hosted by entrepreneur and former Constellation Brands executive Howie Jacobson, also featured Rochester-based pianist and music educator Andy Calabrese.

Calabrese opened the show, playing piano from his home, before

introducing Kelly, live from her home.

She sat down in her sunny music room and sang to three piano tracks Calabrese recorded earlier in the week.

She kicked off her set with “Summer Wind,’’ noting she and fellow Fair Haven residents can’t wait for the season that gets everyone outside.

Next was Mark Murphy’s “Sunday in New York,’’ featured on Kelly’s latest album, “Remembering Mark Murphy.’’

New York on Sunday, Big City taking a nap!

Slow down, it’s Sunday!

Life’s a ball, let it fall in your lap!

If you’ve got troubles, Just take them out for a walk.

They’ll burst like bubbles In the fun of a Sunday In New York!

She closed her set with “God Bless the Child,’’ a song written and originally performed by the legendary Billie Holiday.

Kelly told the audience that her thoughts these days often turn to New York City, where she once lived and has performed often, now ravaged by coronavirus. “I hope to get back there when this is over,’’ she said.

By Margaret McCormick

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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55+ music

Vinyl Still Going Strong Owners of local music shops say old, young music lovers still attracted to vinyl records

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

L

P and 45 enthusiasts have enjoyed the revival of records for the past decade — and it doesn’t look like the trend is ready to dwindle anytime soon.

Despite the convenience and ubiquity of streaming music, to some people nothing beats records for listening to their favorite music.

“It’s something to hold onto,” said Tom Little, owner of Syracuse Vintage Vinyl. “People like the music to begin with, but it’s something of substance in

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your hand. Everyone’s saying how it’s ‘coming back’ but it never really went away at all. There’s more people into now than 15 years ago, but the guys in my age bracket, the mid-50s, have continually been into it or were into in the day, got rid of them for CDs and now they’re buying records.”

Little has sold records for 10 years.

For the first eight years, it was at flea markets and on eBay. For the past two years, he has sold from his store at 205 W. Manlius St. in E. Syracuse.

Dan Bogel of Walworth The Record Stereo Console Restoration. He says growth in the popularity of records has also spurred a growth in record consoles.

It all began when he quit drinking 11 years ago. He picked up the hobby of buying records as a positive pastime.

His collection grew rapidly and he realized he needed to start selling a few records. Before he knew it, he was buying records so he could resell them to other enthusiasts.

Little said that the classic rock of the 1960s through the 1980s sells well, mostly to men aged 35 through 60.

“That demographic represents 70% of my sales of vinyl,” Little said. “The kids are getting into it, teens, 20-somethings and millennials.

They share the same enthusiasm for downloads and streaming. They’re not as hardcore as the older guys.

The older generation wants original pressings. The younger generation usually doesn’t care.”

Many music companies have been appealing to younger people by reissuing rock that was popular in the ‘90s and after that had never been issued on records before. Since all retro things are cool, it makes sense that records are popular with younger people.

“I have thousands of records at the store,” Little said. “I can’t really say I have a favorite as I like all kinds of stuff.”

Kathy Dunn, owner of Music and More Records in New Hartford, said she has sold vinyl all along.

“The trend has increased because of selling to the younger generation,” she said. “Overall, I’ve always sold vinyl to all ages. I have an 8-year-old who spends his weekly allowance, up to ones who are 70 years old. It’s a great industry that I don’t see ever ending.”

She sells more older country music, blues and jazz to the 55-plus crowd. The albums’ artwork and posters appeal to record buyers of all ages coming to her store.

“When I went shopping in my younger days, whenever I bought records, I judged them on the artwork,” Dunn said. “If it looked like something I liked, I would buy.”

Dunn said that new record pressings often come with a download code and possible a CD edition. But she prefers the vintage sound and likes 80s hair metal.

“A lot of newer albums are digital and sound like a CD anyway,” Dunn said. “A lot of my store is vintage vinyl as I love all the analog sound and the sizzling bacon and pops. The re-issues are digital and sound perfect. That

perfect sound appeals to the younger generation. It serves the purpose.”

The quality of records has also varied depending upon the decade.

Dunn said that pre-80s records were “extremely good” pressings, but by the 80s, the focus shifted to CDs, and records were thin and low-quality “Today’s standard is 180- or 200gram vinyl,” Dunn said. “It’s really nice stuff.”

The growth in the popularity of records has also spurred a growth in record consoles. Dan Bogel of Walworth, Wayne County, stumbled upon the console repair business. The 56-year-old works as a project manager for Best Construction in Ontario. One of his customers had a 4-foot console repurposed as a plant stand.

The customer wanted to sell it, so Bogel bought it for $50.

Always up for a challenge, he decided to restore it. By researching resources online and applying his existing knowledge of cabinetry, he completed the project. He did a few more for friends and acquaintances.

His work on consoles picked up steam and he founded For The Record Stereo Console Restoration in 2017, working from his garage and eventually from a 20-by-20-foot addition he constructed.

“It’s certainly easier to do the wood than the electronics,” Bogel said.

He reaches out to many different mentors when he feels stumped.

When Bogel bought the first console, he didn’t even own any records.

“In my teens, 8-tracks were much smaller, though a record has a better quality of sound,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of records then because I didn’t have much money.”

By the time his income increased and he began buying more recorded music, he began purchasing CDs. Now he owns 3,000 records of all genres except the one he doesn’t like: rap.

He stores many unrestored consoles and portable record players at his workshop where clients may come select the model they want. Most are older than Bogel, but some are younger adults who want a console to complement the vibe of their retrofurnished homes.

Once clients come to an agreement on the model and its price, Bogel charges a deposit and begins working.

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437-4864 Bogel doesn’t upgrade consoles.

“Every unit remains intact as it was when it left the factory, except adding Bluetooth capability if desired,” he said.

Every part is inspected and cleaned or, if necessary, replaced, as well as the cabinet. Some restorations take months, including a trial period where Bogel plays the console daily for a few weeks.

“Once I am satisfied with its performance, the clients may come and claim their console,” Bogel said.

“Patience is a virtue I need [that] from my clients.”

So far, he has restored only 15 consoles. The cost of restoration starts at about $700.

Bogel said most of his consoles are from the 1960s.

“History is history and if the walls of the cabinets could talk, they would spin endless tales of families gathered around the precious console to listen to music,” Bogel said. “And that is it—it’s all about the records and the machines that played them.”

June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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55+ downsizing Bucking the Trend: Reasons NOT to Downsize

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Many retirees choose to downsize as a way to save money — but they may be better off staying put, experts say

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

O

nce your children have left the nest and you’re looking forward to retirement, it may seem like downsizing should be part of the natural transitions at this part of your life. But if you want to stay in your home, you have many reasons to do so other than nostalgia.

Downsizing may not be less expensive than staying put.

“For some reason, there’s a ‘standard’ culturally that you must downsize, but you should do the math to see if it’s worth it financially,” said Leyla Morgillo, certified financial planner with Madison Financial Planning Group in Syracuse. “You might buy a smaller home, but it might not end up saving you money. There are closing costs, you might need new

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furniture to fit into your new house. If you’re in the same area, there might not be any tax savings.”

While those who downsize into a townhouse may not need to pay for maintenance, snow removal and mowing, there may be home owner’s association dues along with the lease.

Often, these communities are in locations where taxes and utilities are higher.

There’s also the temptation to buy a nicer albeit smaller house. Even if it’s smaller, the expensive dreamhouse won’t save the retiring couple any money.

Your home may represent a significant amount of your equity.

Morgillo said that it’s still possible to tap into home equity.

You should also consider if your children want your home. One way to do that is to do a private annuity with a family member, a private transaction in which the child makes payments that would provide you with income.

T h e re v e r s e m o r t g a g e w a s overhauled in 2013. Changes in laws offer homeowners more protection, greater counseling and have reduced the upfront cost, making them more appealing. Homeowners don’t have monthly payments, but receive money from their home’s equity.

Many people want to age in place where they raised their families and have lived for decades. They feel emotionally attached to the home where they have so many happy recollections. Depending upon your

future health needs, staying in your home could still work.

Randy L. Zeigler, certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Oswego, encourages looking into converting a first-floor room into a bedroom and moving the laundry to the first floor. A full bath should also be on the first floor.

“I don’t think people should automatically think they should be in a smaller footprint home,” Zeigler said.

“There’s lots of non-financial reasons like where you want to live and where your family lives. You might need to give care to someone else, and if you reduce your home’s footprint, you might not be able to.”

Do you anticipate possibly caring for your elderly parents someday? Or, possibly having someone stay with you to provide your care. Staying home with the support of home health aides or assistance from family members is definitely less expensive than nursing home care.

It’s wise to work with a care coordinator or a service that specializes in elder care to assess any obstacles to aging in place. If you’re undertaking any home renovation projects, keep

in mind future accessibility to allow aging in place.

For example, during a bathroom renovation, choose sink plumbing that comes through the wall and not the floor to accommodate a wheelchair accessible sink. Keep doorways wide enough for a walker and wheelchair.

Including many of these features can add value to your home once you or your heirs do decide to sell.

Reach Local Boomers Advertise in 55 PLUS. One ad, two months of exposure editor@cnyhealth.com

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June / July 2020 - 555/8/20 PLUS 35 11:16 AM

55+ job Adrian Vanmaarseveen became a job coach for the OnondagaCortland-Madison Counties Job Coach Program four years ago. “I enjoy working with children,” he says.

“I really like to teach them things. I like to see them do the work and see them graduate.”

Wanted: Job Coaches Mentors guide OCM BOCES students through real work environments

By Mary Beth Roach

I

Gratifying experiences

f you are looking for part-time employment in which you can mentor young people in a workplace environment, then

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with students with mild disabilities who are part of career development occupational studies. They travel together on school buses to work sites in the area and spend several hours either during a morning or an afternoon session. Coaches help their students acquire career skills.

The goal of the program is to get students into employable entry-level positions, according to Allison Jennings, work base learning coordinator for the Career and Tech Center at OCM BOCES. “We’re trying to get students out in the community to get that handson authentic experience at an actual business,” she explained. While most of the businesses that take part are in food service, hospitality, and facilities and ground maintenance, the job coaches do not need experience in those fields.

As that program continues to grow, so does the need for job coaches.

Currently, there are about 20 coaches, with 30 to 45 students on job sites. The coaches will have one or two students to oversee.

The job pays $14.50 per hour, according to Jennings, and while there are no benefits, like health care, the job is not without its own kind of bonus.

“To me, it’s just very rewarding working with these kids,” said Lexis Van Epps, 62, who has been a job coach for more than five years. She had moved to Central New York about seven years ago and had been looking for a job when she learned of the BOCES program.

55 PLUS - June / July 2020

the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Counties Job Coach Program has the spot for you.

The program pairs up coaches

She talked of her experience with one student she had been with for four years. He had been working at Panera

golden years

“I enjoy working with children. I really like to teach them things. I like to see them do the work and see them graduate.”

By Harold Miller

Americas’ Golden Years on Hold

-Adrian Vanmaarseveen, 80 Bread, and she was so pleased to be able to watch him grow and blossom over that time, she said.

“At the end of those four years, he had developed a real relationship with the staff. That gave him so much confidence in his ability and skills.

It’s great to see the kids grow,” Van Epps said.

Cheryl Borowski, 71, a retired educator, said she has learned so much through the program.

“I like the fact that I had young children for years, and now I’m working with older children in a completely different scenario,” she noted. When she connects with her students, ”it makes me feel good that they feel good,” she said.

Adrian Vanmaarseveen, who turns 80 in June, had been an engineer.

Although retired, he still likes to work, so he became a job coach four years ago. It gives him the opportunity to give back to the community.

“I enjoy working with children,” he said. “I really like to teach them things. I like to see them do the work and see them graduate.”

He doesn’t miss their graduations.

Those interested in becoming a job coach can call or email Jennings.

She will review the program with interested candidates in more detail.

After an application is filed, there is an interview.

The prospective job coach will also be fingerprinted and a background check is done. Once hired, the new coach will shadow another coach and student before they’re matched up.

J e n n i n g s ’ e m a i l a d d re s s i s ajennings@ocmboces.org and her phone number is 315-431-8516.

The program impacts more than just the coaches and students, according to Van Epps.

“It’s having people see these kids with disabilities being able to do these jobs,” she said. “I think that’s a real win in this program too.”

Email: hmiller@mcsmms.com

Our economy will survive COVID-19; do not despair

I

n the last edition of 55 Plus magazine (April-May), I wrote of the world’s industrial evolution (not revolution) the likes of which has never been experienced before.

Artificial intelligence, super computers, quantum computing, data mining and cloud computing — they all will change the way we live our lives. Silicon Valley is the epicenter and the think-tank for this technology.

Consequently, for the most part, America is the prime benefactor.

Since the rising tide lifts all ships, anyone who is willing to learn a skill and work hard shall enjoy the golden years ahead.

And then the roof caved in.

As the story goes, somewhere in the bowels of China an epidemiologist researcher at a laboratory somehow got infected by a bat. The rest is history.

COVID-19 has infected the world as well as our economy, which has come to a quarantined halt.

When you emerge from the lockdown, you will enter a new world.

We are all in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat. Some will sail through it in their yachts while others will struggle through in a leaky dinghy with a single paddle. It will be much easier if we see ourselves not as separate ships but members of the most dynamic armada in the history of the world. It will just be a long slog to prosper once again.

There has never been anything quite like this. World War II affected the world but there was nobody at home getting killed. There has never been anything that impacted 150 countries at one time.

Our economy will survive this virus. Do not despair. This economic crisis will pass once the clampdowns have lifted; that is if the media will

cease peddling fear and uncertainly to sell their goods. Unlike any financial crisis before, our government has invested billions to ensure that our workers will have jobs to go back to.

Once the pandemic passes and we all go back to work, I believe the country will recover quickly and I believe we will reach new levels of prosperity. As this article goes to the printers in mid-May, America is just starting to open.

President Donald Trump says, “We’re going to put the flame out. We can’t keep the country closed.” Many financial experts and economists think April was the bottom and May will begin the recovery. This seems to be the case.

Many journalists, reporters and others talk about how far the stock market is down from the record level it was at the end of February. This is meaningless. The market value of your stocks is what it is today. If you did not sell at the top, you never had it.

Likewise, if you did not sell it at the bottom price, you never lost it.

All that matters is how your stocks are valued today. If you own shares in a company that is in trouble, you may want to sell, take your loss now and write it off your taxes. We are in a whole new world now and must adapt.

Just remember that our country is still the best in the world and others are suffering more than we are.

My favorite saying that has guided me through many bumps and curves in the process of building my business career is, “Good judgment is the result of experience, which is the result of bad judgment.” The U.S. Treasury is using good judgment and learned from the crash of 2008-2009. It is using billions

Continued on page 40 June / July 2020 - 55 PLUS

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55+ boxing Fighting for Youth Ray Rinaldi uses boxing as way to reach at-risk youth

By Mary Beth Roach

A

s I began my conversation with local boxing legend Ray Rinaldi, I asked him his age.

He replied “90 years old,” then corrected himself: “90 years young.”

“That’s true,” said Chris Burns, a nephew of Rinaldi’s, the program director of the West Area Athletic and Education Center on South Geddes Street in Syracuse and its head boxing coach.

But what’s his secret to reaching 90 years young?

“He always says it’s the pasta fagioli and the wine, but as long as you feel the duty that’s left and something to be served, I feel that’s what keeps you young,” Burns said.

And that “something” for Rinaldi is the boxing gyms he’s run for 60 years and the thousands of kids, most of them at-risk, who have come through those doors.

Rinaldi opened the WAA-EC in 2005, a sister gym to the one he opened on Syracuse’s North Side in 1994. Prior to those, he had managed gyms in other locales throughout the area.

He still comes to the WAA-EC for about six hours daily, and it’s something to see him holding the mitts for the athletes, or getting down and doing 30 push-ups when someone starts complaining, Burns noted.

He can still punch a bag pretty good, strike a pose in his gym, cheer on his “kids” in and outside the ring, and provide guidance when needed.

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Ray Rinaldi at West Area Athletic and Education Center in Syracuse. At age 90, he still comes to the gym for about six hours daily.

Intro to boxing Rinaldi was born in Solvay and raised in Syracuse, one of eight boys and four girls, and it was one of his brothers that introduced him to the sport.

“You could say I was a wild kid.

I got in a lot of fights,” he said. As Rinaldi tells the story, his brother, Tony, said to him one day, “Ray, I want to take you for a ride.” They went to a gym on the North Side, and he saw all these kids boxing. “Geez, I like that,” he recalled.

It turned out to be an afternoon

that would alter his life as well as the lives of thousands of people for generations to come.

His days as a boxer, himself, were cut short, though. A car struck him in his younger years, and it would force him to give up any thoughts he might have had as continuing in a career in boxing.

A few years later, he entered the military, and after a stint at Fort Dix in New Jersey, he was sent to Frankfort, Germany. Because of that earlier injury, he wasn’t able to fight, so he became a coach and trainer.

He said that after he returned to

More than 6,000 atrisk kids — known as “Ray’s Kidz” — have gone through the boxing programs coordinated by local boxing legend Ray Rinaldi the States, he thought he was done with coaching. However, a nephew encouraged him to help a buddy of his, so Rinaldi took them to his basement, where he had a speed bag set up.

After a few months, Rinaldi said, his wife, Florence, got tired of the house shaking, so he found a gym near downtown Syracuse.

T h e WA A - E C w a s a n o l d McDonald’s Restaurant that friend Dominick Tassone donated to him. To get the building renovated and to keep it running hasn’t always been easy, Rinaldi said. He credited his friends and the community for their help.

But much of that success comes from Rinaldi’s tenacity and his belief in his coaches and the more than 6,000 kids, also known as “Ray’s Kidz,” that have come through the program.

“I’ve always managed to stay in there,” he said.

Since many of his boxers come to the gym as at-risk kids, he knows that some will be lured back to a gang, but if they stay with the training they receive at the facility, Rinaldi promises that most will see a change, especially if they enter the program while they’re young.

“These kids come off the street.

Once in a while we lose one,” he said, meaning that they’ll go back to the gangs. “We tell the parents, ‘Look, you bring them here. I guarantee you in three weeks, they’ll change their attitude.’”

There are probably several reasons for that change. One is that Rinaldi has three rules — no do-rags, no pants down to the knees, and no swearing. If the kids violate any one of those rules, they will be sent home that day.

In boxing you can’t do drugs, Rinaldi said. They “examine you before the fight, they examine you after the fight. [If you are not clean] you’re suspended automatically, professional or amateur.”

Ray Rinaldi and his nephew, Chris Burns, who is the program director of the West Area Athletic and Education Center in Syracuse and its head boxing coach.

Beyond the sport According to the website rayrinaldifoundation.com, Rinaldi and his team have “combined athletics, education and counseling programs, in collaboration with the Syracuse City School District and the Onondaga County Probation Department,” enabling them to develop a “structured after-school program for youth at risk.”

The facility, Burns pointed out, is “a hook to attract at-risk youth in the city of Syracuse into our facilities, where

we then offer structured workouts, computer labs, and educational tutoring, all free of cost.”

Through boxing, the kids learn physical endurance, but beyond that, they develop greater concentration skills and self-esteem.

“It gives you 100% confidence,” Rinaldi said.

That Rinaldi’s interest in these kids goes beyond boxing is obvious in the stories he tells.

“I could talk about these kids all day,” he said.

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He can tell of a number of guys who went through his program and onto professional careers in the ring.

Upon retiring from boxing, they have often found success in the business world. He has helped and encouraged many to go onto college, where they get not only their bachelor’s but their master’s degrees as well.

But Rinaldi does more than just talk about them. He shows them off.

The walls surrounding the boxing ring boast of collages with some featuring Rinaldi and friends, but mostly of the youth that have gone through the program.

One of those framed pictures on the wall of the arena is of Rinaldi with boxing great, Muhammad Ali, just one of the many boxing greats Rinaldi has met over the course of his career. He admitted to three favorites — Floyd Patterson, Gene Fullmer, and of course, Carmen Basilio, who hailed from Canastota.

Another copy of the Ali picture is in the corner of his office, situated in the front of the facility. The shelves, file cabinet tops and walls are covered with plaques, proclamations, trophies, and awards for all that he has done for the sport.

He’s an elite coach and trainer with the Golden Gloves Association of America, and among his honors are those from the North Syracuse and Canastota Lions Club; the Liverpool Optimist Club; the Knights of Columbus; and an appreciation award from the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

In 1997, he received the Syracuse Post-Standard Achievement Award for contributions to the community, and in 2001, he was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.

Despite these awards, Rinaldi is not ready to hang up the gloves just yet.

To that end, Rinaldi has plans to acquire the property next to the gym and turn it into a training facility, where one can learn a trade. He also wants to build another structure and use it as a family activity center.

As Burns said, “He knows that his job isn’t done here yet. He wants to keep seeing the center grow. He wants to see it achieve more and to make sure it’s left in good hands. That’s what’s keeping him young.”

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Americas’ Golden Years on Hold Our economy will survive COVID-19; do not despair Continued from page 37 of dollar allocated to keep small and large businesses afloat.

Government in rally mode The Federal Reserve is also buying non-investment grade corporate paper now to try to support the capital markets. All this was done very quickly. Indeed, we have done a pretty good job of getting money to flow to individuals and get people back to receiving cash equal to what they were getting when working.

Retail will never be the same.

There will be accelerated store closings and the acceleration to online sales will bury many brick-and-mortar chain stores. Amazon and Walmart will swallow most of the retailers.

Many companies are never going back to office space. They have concluded that remote workers can get the job done. Huge malls will be a thing of the past and the real estate market will drastically change, while hotels will take a long time to recover.

Presently, there is no overall recovery in sight. Now it is unclear.

There are parts of our economy that are being obliterated and not just damaged: Hotels, restaurants, barber shops, gyms, sports and concert venues, taxis, doctors, dentist, therapists, car dealers, travel agencies and cruise ships. The

streets of our cities are empty now and interstate roadways have a dribble of traffic.

As a footnote, the only good thing coming out of this worldwide disaster is the drop in oil prices that will pull the rug from under the war mongering and terrorism that is engulfing the Middle East. Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia can no longer sustain this calamity and Russia can no longer finance its military to keep the pot stirred.

Oil is the main income that supports their economies. The basic cost is $54 per barrel to meet their budget; the present worldwide cost of oil is $24 dollars per barrel. Russian leader Vladimir Putin can no longer sustain his military and feed his people nor can the bad boys of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

America is no longer dependent on Middle Eastern oil thanks to our abundant supply of shale oil. The result of all this is that the U.S. can no longer fear being drawn into a war to protect our interests in the Middle East and we can bring our troops home. The money saved can be used to fight our own war against the COVID-19.

One day we will look back on the devastation of COVID-19 and be proud that our country came out of it stronger than before as we have done in every other war that has threatened our freedom and prosperity.

55 PLUS: Reaching CNY’s fastest growing population.

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consumers corner

By Eva Briggs, M.D.

Air Pollution Strongly Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

L

ike most people, I was aware that air pollution is bad for health. The American Lung Association website lists 10 top health effects of air pollution: premature deaths, asthma attacks, cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and stroke, lung cancer, developmental damage in children, increased susceptibility to infections, worsening of COPD symptoms, lung swelling and irritation, low infant birth weight, and respiratory symptoms of wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

What I didn’t realize, and learned recently, is that air pollution is strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Of specific concern are small airborne substances about 1/30 the diameter of a human hair, called fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) because their size is less than 2.5 microns.

(1 inch = 25,000 microns.) They are too small to see, although at high atmospheric levels, they produce haze, smog, and decreased visibility.

Outdoor PM 2.5 comes from the burning of fossil fuels (cars,

trucks, construction equipment, off-road vehicles, power plants, forest fires), as well as from the dust emitted by motor vehicle brakes, tires and clutches.

Indoor sources of PM 2.5 include cooking, tobacco smoke, candles, oil lamps, fireplaces and woodstoves.

Their exact substances leading to Alzheimer’s risk are not known.

PM 2.5 may contain various metals, chemicals and organic compounds.

PM 2.5 particles often consist of many different substances clumped together, making it difficult to tease out which ones are harmful.

Studies show a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This surprised scientists, who once thought that the brain was protected by a network of cells that line brain blood vessels to form a barrier between the blood and the brain. New evidence shows that there are several ways PM 2.5 can enter the brain. First, these particles can change the blood-brain barrier to make it more permeable, allowing

substances to pass through. Second, particles entering nose are taken up by the olfactory (smell) nerves, and travel directly in these nerves to a part of the brain called the olfactory bulb. From there PM 2.5 spreads into other parts of the brain.

We don’t know yet exactly how air pollution triggers Alzheimer’s disease. One possible mechanism is that pollutants activate or alter genes in patients who have genetic variations increasing susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease.

Another possibility is that PM 2.5 triggers microglia cells to release cytokines. Microglia cells are a special kind of cells found in the brain and spinal cord that form an immune defense to protect neurons (nerve cells). Cytokines are molecules that help regulate immunity and inflammation.

Normally this can protect the brain against outside invaders. But chronic production of cytokines leads to chronic inflammation and ultimately nerve cell death.

A recent study showed that exposure to fine particle pollution caused structural changes in the brain and memory loss in older women. These changes were detectable before actual symptoms of Alzheimer’s developed.

No drugs have yet been developed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. That leaves environmental and lifestyle changes as ways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This is one more reason to be in favor of measures that reduce pollution.

Physical exercise is a lifestyle change to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

It increases blood flow to the brain and increases levels of proteins that promote the growth and maintenance of brain cells.

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life after 55

By Michele Reed bazanreed@hotmail.com

Photos by Bill Reed

Eternal Europe Will Endure

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ike people all over the world, our travel plans were curtailed this year due to the global pandemic. As regular readers know, we head to France to escape Central New York’s snow from late January to mid-April each year.

Lucky for us, although we didn’t think so at the time, the biggest railroad strike in France’s history meant we wouldn’t be able to get from Barcelona airport to our home in France and had to delay our departure. The day the strike ended, we bought airline seats for March 1 and packed our bags.

We keep up with the news from France – and practice our language skills — by reading the local French daily newspapers online. So, on Feb. 29, when there had been only four coronavirus cases in all of France, and those in Paris hundreds of miles from our village, we read that the first local cases were found in a village just 10 miles from our home.

We scrambled to cancel our tickets, and after three days of negotiations with airlines, hotels and trains, we escaped with a loss of only the cost of one night’s stay in a New York City hotel. Not bad considering what the entire trip would have cost if we lost everything.

Now, as we sit watching the Oswego River flow by our apartment window, we dream about the day when we will be able to return to our beloved second home.

And what will we find there when we return? The world is changing daily, but as we’ve learned in our travels, Europe somehow endures. Invasions, wars and, yes, even plagues, have interrupted life there over the centuries but somehow, the indomitable spirit of the people remains strong. Their roots run deep in the soil of Europe, and their cultures and traditions are likewise enduring. The people

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themselves are resilient and tough.

We saw it in Warsaw on a trip several years ago, where the Poles rebuilt a city devasted by World War II, and we

see it in Beziers where our cathedral literally rose from the ashes of a fire that destroyed it during the Crusades in 1260.

The church in Argeles-sur-Mer was empty when we visited in January 2015, as it probably was again this spring.

We are confident that when we return to Barcelona, we will find the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar or Saint Mary of the Sea, a fisherman’s church which was on the front lines of a massive siege in the War of the Spanish Succession, still welcoming pilgrims. In its shadow, the eternal flame commemorating the Catalan heroes who gave their life in that historic battle of Sept. 11, 1714 will remain burning for three more centuries.

In France, as we write this in April, the people are confined to their homes, and gendarmes patrol the streets, imposing steep fines on anyone who is out and about without an appropriate government form. France’s cafes, a mainstay of the culture, are shuttered until at least July. Winegrowers fear for their harvest, as the itinerant workers who pick the grapes cannot travel to the vineyards. But those vines have endured since the days when Hannibal passed by on his way to cross the Alps in 218 BC, and they will be there two millenia hence.

France’s government has pledged that none of the businesses forced to curtail operations will be allowed to go under. The government will support them.

So, we can look forward to the day when our butcher, Monsieur Ramos, again teases us about not buying horsemeat or kidneys, two French delicacies we shun.

Or the day when Jacqui and Myriam at the cheese shop cut us a hunk of our favorite delicacy, Brie de Mieux, with a wink and a knowing, “Comme d’habitude?” (“Your usual?”)

We’ll visit the Allees Paul Ricquet again soon, and Jean-Marc, the retired rugby hero who owns our favorite café, won’t even ask before bringing out two bottles our local craft beer.

But most of all, we look forward to seeing our dear neighbors. We’ve been writing back and forth, and Gilles promises us he has a bottle of sparkling wine he made and a foie gras chilling in his “frigo” (fridge) for the day we can enjoy an apero, or cocktail hour, again on our own rooftop terrace.

As enduring Europe has taught us, delayed doesn’t mean destroyed. The wait will only make our return that much sweeter.

Beaches all over France are empty, like this usually busy tourist spot in Collioure was on a January day in 2015.

The vineyards around Corneilhan were ready for the vendange or harvest when we walked among them in August 2016. Winegrowers wonder if itinerant workers will be able to travel to help out this harvest season.

The village’s stray cats can roam the streets, like this little guy in Corneilhan in 2015, but people must produce an official government form if they want to join them.

This street in touristy Banyulssur-Mer was empty on a cold February day in 2015. During France’s lockdown, it probably looked the same.

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druger’s zoo

By Marvin Druger Email: mdruger@syr.edu

I

Thoughts About the Coronavirus Pandemic

am writing this article a few days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo put New York state under lockdown because of the escalating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus -2 (SARSCo-V-2).

As you all know, the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 apparently started in a marketplace in Wuhan, China. A mutation occurred in a coronavirus that enabled the virus to jump from an animal species to a human. Coronaviruses are a

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cause of the common cold and other respiratory illnesses. This new variety of coronavirus was never before observed in humans, so there was little innate immunity.

The virus could be spread by person-to-person contact and on contaminated surfaces and it spread rapidly around the world. No vaccine or drug was available to fight the disease. Many deaths have occurred, especially elderly people with compromised immune systems, but the disease can be fatal to people at any age.

At this time, there are severe shortages of medical facilities and supplies to combat this disease. Major restrictions have been placed on people all over the world. The approach to slowing the spread of the coronavirus involves social distancing, thorough and frequent hand-washing with soap and water or a 70% alcoholbased hand sanitizers, keeping hands away from your face, since the virus can enter the body through your eyes, nose or mouth, and practicing rigorous hygiene. It is recommended that we stay at least six feet apart and avoid handshaking and other physical contacts, as well as wiping down surfaces that we touch.

In my opinion, social distancing has been happening for many years.

Instead of talking to another person face-to-face, the modern generation prefers text-messaging or facetiming.

We can talk to each other through social media, and that puts us far beyond the six feet of distance recommended by current coronavirus guidelines.

Paradoxically, we are more in touch with each other than ever before through social media; yet, we have grown more apart physically because of social media.

Humans are social animals. How can we cope with social distancing? As a professor emeritus, I talk a lot and am accustomed to personally interacting with countless numbers of people.

Now, because of the novel coronavirus, I have to stay at home for the indefinite future. We are all faced with changing our habits and behavior, perhaps for the rest of our lives.

Our first reaction to this pandemic was fear and panic. We raced to the supermarkets to stock up on food, toilet paper, medicines and other necessities. Restaurants are now closed, but are offering take-out service and deliveries. Supermarkets,

pharmacies, gas stations and other essential service places are open, but all else is closed. When I went to the supermarket a few days ago, there were zero paper goods on the shelves.

There were restrictions on how many of particular items could be purchased.

The panic lead to hoarding, but I realized that the stores would soon be restocked.

We each had to figure out how to spend the day in this new, COVID-19 world. The feeling was similar to what I experienced when my dear wife, Pat, passed away in 2014. She did everything for me. Whenever she asked me to do any chore around the house, I would tell her, “I’m paid to think.” Then, after her death, I had to learn how to do these things for myself.

I had to learn how to handle finances and the everyday chores that Pat took care of. I learned how to do laundry and how to turn on the microwave and how to use the dishwasher. Now, because of the coronavirus, I have to establish a whole new set of behaviors.

This is true for everyone.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, I led a very active social life. I worked out at Metro Fitness health club at least three mornings a week, gave campus tours at Syracuse University, conducted a Frontiers of Science program for high school students, did a radio program “(Science on the Radio)” on WAER-FM 88.3, interacted with my family, traveled widely with my companion, Victoria, and was involved in other activities. Now what? Like everyone else, I am in the process of figuring out what to do with my confined time at home.

Exercise should be a regular part of everyone’s life. There is an overabundance of research that supports the need for regular exercise for our physical and mental wellbeing. Since my health club is closed, I had to modify my exercise routine.

Now, I do stretching motions each morning, lift free weights and do 100 sit-ups. There are exercise programs on the web that I could take advantage of.

I take a shower after exercising, and I maintain that this is the best part of the routine.

There are countless household tasks that need to be done, but were never attended to. Now, is a good time to do them. Cleaning, sorting through family albums, emptying closets, cleaning out the refrigerator, etc. In my

‘If anything, the coronavirus pandemic has made us realize that we are all human, no matter what our country of origin or status in society.

Political differences are irrelevant in the face of the coronavirus reality.’ refrigerator and freezer, I found items that were many years out of date. No wonder they didn’t taste good.

Many people can occupy themselves watching TV. Generally, I minimize watching TV, but it seems necessary to keep up with the latest news about the pandemic. If TV is your preference, there is enough variety on TV to keep you busy much of the day.

Now is a good time to use social media to communicate with each other.

Members of my family call me on the phone or text me every evening. Group text messages are frequent. Such contacts with family or friends can help ease the isolation and emotional stress.

Many individuals are working from home. This requires self-discipline

and creativity. I suspect that working from home will be a much more common experience in the future. n Read a book. I have countless unread books in my house. Now is a good time to start reading them. If you like writing, now is a good time to write that article or book that you have always dreamed of writing but never seemed to get around to doing it. n Develop a new hobby. I have a watercolor set with paints and brushes that I have never used. I have an abstract painting in mind about traffic in India. Now, I plan to do the painting. Sewing, knitting, etc. are certainly worthwhile activities during this crisis. If you sew, you might even want to make masks which are in great demand. n Take a walk outside. There is no restriction on taking a long walk and yelling at joggers or walkers who pass by. You can even chat with a neighbor in person, so long as you are six feet apart. I was struck by the eerie silence of the neighborhood. Except for an occasional passing car, the silence was thick and heavy. I could actually feel the silence. I discovered that I can think when I walk, even though I have trouble thinking while I talk. So far, I have walked to Victoria’s house each afternoon (almost two miles) and then walked with her dogs around a park.

Then, she usually drives me home.

Yesterday, I also walked home.

Now is a good time to think about life. Usually, we are racing from task to task without doing any philosophical thinking about life. If anything, the coronavirus pandemic has made us realize that we are all human, no matter what our country of origin or status in society. Political differences are irrelevant in the face of the coronavirus reality.

I feel like I am part of science fiction horror movie or a nightmare.

This pandemic cannot possibly be real.

However, it is real and we each have to deal with it. For the sake of our own life and the lives of others, we have to follow the guidelines given to us by epidemiology experts, like it or not.

My hope is that we find an effective drug soon and that a vaccine will be developed.

The best scientists in the world are working furiously toward that goal.

We have to keep this pandemic in perspective and remember that, “This too shall pass.”

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55+

visits

Fort Niagara

Exploring the Seaway Trail The 518-mile Great Lakes Seaway Trail offers unique historical places and diverse cultural heritage sites in addition to outstanding views and scenic vistas

By Sandra Scott

T

he Great Lakes Seaway Trail was one of the first roads designated as one of America’s National Scenic Byways.

The 518-mile trail follows along the shores of Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. Along the way are there are unique historical places and diverse cultural heritage sites in addition to outstanding views and scenic vistas.

Explore and pause in the evening to watch a stunning sunset touted by many to be one of the best sunsets in the world.

Forts: The shore of Lake Ontario was the first line of defense protecting the area from attacking forces during several wars hence the

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need for forts and other fortification.

Fort Niagara was built by the French in 1726 and later taken by the British and turned over to the United States.

It protected the mouth of the Niagara River. Fort Ontario was built in 1839 in Oswego protected the Oswego River.

Lighthouses: There are 25 lighthouses along the Seaway Trail to satisfy the desires of pharologists (lighthouse enthusiasts).

The Braddock Point Lighthouse is one of the few privately owned, fully functioning lighthouses in the country.

It is now a B&B. The Tibbetts Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent is a hostel.

The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego offers tours of the West Pierhead Lighthouse (also known as

2.

Oswego Lighthouse) and the Sodus Lighthouse is now a museum.

Architecture: There are several Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the Buffalo area, two of which are open to the public. The Darwin D. Martin House is one of most extensive of Wright’s Prairie Houses in the Eastern United States. South of Buffalo in Derby is Graycliff overlooking Lake Erie and designed by Wright as a summer home for the Darwin Martin family. Cobblestone houses are a unique architecture style along the trail that owes its existence to the stones along the lake shore. Check out the Cobblestone Museum in Albion to learn how the lake stones are fashioned into homes.

3.

Seaway Trail Center, Sackets Harbor.

Road sign for the Great Lakes Seway Trail.

Sodus Lighthouse, Sodus Bay.

Chimney Bluffs State Park, Wolcott.

Battle Field, Sackets Harbor.

The Safe Haven Museum and Education Center, Oswego.

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Lakes is perfect for growing produce.

There are apple and peach orchards along with dairy and vegetable farms. In addition to u-pick fruits and vegetables there are many seasonal farm stands. Many of the farms offer family activities such as mazes and haunted hayrides during harvest time.

Old McDonald’s Farm near Sackets Harbor is a family-friendly place with a variety of animals and activities including a dairy barn tour and pony rides.

Parks: There are many state, county, and local parks along the Seaway Trail. Some have campsites and rental cabins, while others have marinas. Some are mainly for day use.

Several of the parks allow swimming.

One of the day-use parks, Chimney Bluffs State Park, has unique clay formations designed by nature. Many have great hiking trails. The Seaway Trail is a flyway for raptors and other migrating birds drawing bird watchers to it shores.

Unique: Adjacent to Fort Ontario is The Safe Haven Museum and Education Center, a site that details one of the most interesting government actions during WW II when nearly 1000 Jewish refugees were brought the United States. Casey’s Cottage at Mexico Point Park is a carriage house that nearly 50 years ago was turned into an 11th century English manor house. The park also has life size statues of people germane to the park. The Underground Railroad was active also the shore of Lake Ontario. Visit the newly opened Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center and in Lewiston there is a statue, Freedom Crossing, honoring those who endangered themselves helping slaves to freedom in Canada. . Explore: Along the way stop and visit the museums of Rochester: George Eastman Museum, the National Susan B. Anthony Museum, and the Strong Museum.

Long before the settlers arrived the area was home to Native Americans.

Visitors can learn more about the Iroquois at the Seneca Museum in Salamanca, the Ganondagan State Historic Site near Victor, and the Akwesasne Cultural Center in Hogansburg. Another do not miss is the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg.

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Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay.

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Sample of Frank Lloyd Wright house in the Buffalo area.

Cobblestone Museum in Albion.

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Castles: The 1000 Islands was the summer getaway for the wealthy. Among the magnificent homes is one that was inspired by the castles in Europe, namely the unfinished Boldt Castle. George Boldt, owner of the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, commissioned the building but it was never completed. It is now being restored. Nearby is the Scottish-inspired Singer Castle on Dark Island. It is completely furnished and complete with secret passages. It was built at the behest of the president of the Singer Sewing Company.

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Fort Ontario, Oswego.

5.

Festivals and more: Harborfest in Oswego draws thousands to it four-day event to enjoy the food, crafts, music, and other entertainment.

Learn about the War of 1812 at the annual reenactment in Sackets Harbor.

Niagara Falls is one of the Wonders of the World where visitors flock nightly to see the lights on the falls.

Nearly every area has its own unique festival or event from fishing derbies, to parades, to weekend events yearround including the Fire and Ice Celebration in Clayton.

On the Water: Water, water everywhere and plenty to do.

Fishing in the lakes and rivers is one of the biggest attractions along the Seaway Trail. There are many marinas serving boaters. The St. Lawrence Seaway is a system of locks, canals, and waterways that allow travel between the ocean and the Great Lakes. Visitors can see ships from around the world from the observation deck at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors’ Center and learn about the Seaway.

Farms/orchards: The soil and climate around the Great

6.

7.

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last page Barbara Raymond-LaPrease, 62

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Retiree from Baldwinsville champions woodworking a little more creative than the men with the way they enhance things and do things differently. They have a different standpoint than the men.

There are men that are very creative, but sometimes, they make just square boxes and women tend to be more creative. I also like to embroider, sew and make beadwork necklaces and other beadwork projects, but it’s the woodworking that seems to draw notice. To see a woman using it, yes, it’s odd.

Barbara Raymond-LaPrease serves as secretary for the Woodworkers of Central New York, Inc. She demonstrates a Pegas Precisions Scroll Saw at the New York Farm Show. Photo by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant.

M

any people would never guess Barbara Raymond-LaPrease, 62, is a woodworker. In fact, the Baldwinsville resident serves as secretary for the Woodworkers of Central New York, Inc. For the past 20 years, Raymond-LaPrease has enjoyed woodworking, a hobby that stemmed from her childhood habit of watching her father use woodworking equipment and eventually learning the basics of using tools like hammers and screwdrivers. She and her husband, Charlie LaPrease, have four scroll saws between them. Raymond-LaPrease was a librarian by training at SUNY Geneseo and part of the first group of students to take a minor in computer science at the school. She also earned a master’s degree in Library Science from Syracuse University. She began working at National Grid, then called Niagara Mohawk, and helped bring

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the internet to company in 1992. She retired as a systems analyst after working there for 31 years.

Q. When did you retire?

A. 2012 Q. How did you get into woodworking?

A. I thought I would paint wooden items, like toys and boxes with carvings on them. Eventually, I began using my husband’s scroll saw to make the objects themselves. It’s one of those things you grow into over time that becomes something enjoyable. A lot of women do woodworking, but it’s hidden away.

Q. What is your current project?

A. A toy truck for my great nephew.

Q. What do people think about you working with wood as a woman?

A. The women are sometimes

Q. Where is your work displayed and where do you and the woodworkers exhibit your skills?

A. Mainly at fairs and events like the New York Farm Show. I like using my 1877 scroll saw. People stop and see it because they’re used to seeing men in those positions. People tend to stop and talk with you more. If I were knitting, it wouldn’t attract people. It’s about reversed roles. I enjoy it. I run the exhibits. I also know embroidery and you learn skills about being exact while doing that. Women see woodworking and say they couldn’t do it, but if they can sew, they can do this. If I sit them down at some equipment and they try it, they say, ‘This is easy.’

Q. How many people are in the Woodworkers of Central New York?

A. About 200.

Q. What are your goals with the organization?

A. I want to bring more people into woodworking and to introduce it to young people who may have never used tools. Although COVID-19 has shelved the organization’s events, they’re still trying to connect through remote meetings using Zoom and other means.

Q. Do you do any other volunteer work?

A. Yes. I help the Belgium Cold Springs Volunteer Fire Department, which serves Lysander.

SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

A free, peer-led program is offered by Upstate Oasis and is available for adults who have any type of chronic condition. The program is now online and caregivers are also welcome to attend.

The six sessions complement the patient's existing healthcare plan and cover such topics as stress, fatigue,nutrition, problem solving and communication skills.

There are also special sessions for those managing chronic pain or Type 2 diabetes.

To review the program please visit:

UPSTATE.EDU/LIVINGHEALTHY or email

LIVINGHEALTHY@UPSTATE.EDU or call Lisa at

315-464-4827

Looking for things to do during quarantine?

Visit our webpage for a list of online classes.