55 Plus CNY, #100: August – September 2022 by 55 Plus: For Active Adults in Central New York

E 10 XP 0t AN h D Is E su D e!

MICHELLE BAZAN REED: TAKE DELIGHT IN THE DETOURS

Issue 100! – August / September 2022 For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

cny55.com

PICTURE PERFECT

PHOTO SAFARI

A six-day, photo-filled trip to the African safari? Yes, please! Retired writer and author David Figura shares his safari experience, in words and in pictures. P. 20

VINYL IS MAKING A COMEBACK, P. 32 LINDA LOWEN’S CENTRAL NEW YORK JOURNEY,

P. 46

OPERATION NORTHERN COMFORT RENOVATES HOMES, P. 54

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Above: Dunbar Association students on their trip to Disney World Right: Betty and Ted Stark

Recently it became a dream of ours that every child, no matter their circumstances, would have the opportunity to visit Disney World. We believe that Disney World is a place that can inspire them as they begin making life decisions. Our vision was set in motion when we created a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation. Our fund provides support for the Dunbar Association to send its students, who exemplify the qualities of kindness and character, on an all-expenses paid adventure to Disney World. We hope that continued support from our Dunbar Disney Dreams Fund will help spark curiosity and motivate our community’s young people for many years to come.

GIVING BACK TO INSPIRE: BETTY & TED STARK

Read more of Betty and Ted’s story at cnycf.org/Stark

315 . 4 2 2 .9 5 3 8 | C N YC F. O R G

E 10 XP 0t AN h D Is E su D e!

55 PLUS | contents

SAVVY SENIOR: SERVICES THAT HELP SENIORS DOWNSIZE

Issue 100! – August / September 2022 For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

cny55.com

PICTURE PERFECT

PHOTO SAFARI

A six-day, photo-filled trip to the African safari? Yes, please! Retired writer and author David Figura shares his safari experience, in words and in pictures. P. 20

August / September 2022 Do you have story ideas, or would you like to advertise in 55 Plus? Send an email to editor@cny55.com or call 315-342-1182. To subscribe to the magazine, look for the coupon on page 41. Subscriptions start at $21/year. ON THE COVER

VINYL IS MAKING A COMEBACK, P. 32 LINDA LOWEN’S CENTRAL NEW YORK JOURNEY, P. 46 OPERATION NORTHERN COMFORT RENOVATES HOMES, P. 54

Writer David Figura and partner Laura Downs pose together for a photograph in South Africa. Provided by the author.

FROM THE EDITOR 6 12 RETIREMENT GARDENING 8 DINING OUT 10 AGING 28 MY TURN 44

42 HISTORY

• The thirty greatest threats to your retirement that you should avoid

• “Floor Burns” captures the history of Syracuse through basketball

16 FLOWERS

46 BOOKS

• The Syracuse Rose Garden is the effort of 3,000 volunteer hours every year

• Author Linda Lowen’s journey through life and Central New York

20 COVER GOLDEN YEARS 57 • David Figura shares his six-day photo LIFE AFTER 55 60 safari experience...that he almost skipped. DRUGER’S ZOO 62 26 SPORTS • The pickleball craze comes to CNY

30 MUSIC • The Society for New Music is thriving and inspiring Paul Lear, 64, • Remember vinyl? It’s back, and young discusses the people are leading the resurgance historic role Fort 38 FALL Ontario has played • Scenic drives for optimal leaf-peeping in several wars, the • Immersive history experiences Holocaust and more.

LAST PAGE

www.cny55.com

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022

52 FITNESS • Meet Josie Howlett, the Energizer Bunny of Madison County

54 VOLUNTEERING • Operation Northern Comfort renovates home for Congo refugees

56 REAL ESTATE • Should you sell your home right now? Experts offer tips and advice.

58 CHARITY • Don’t get scammed when giving to charities; how to donate legitimately.

64 VISITS • Exploring Yates County, known for its wine and spirits, art festivals, and more

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from the editor By Wagner Dotto Email: editor@cny55.com

Our 100th Edition

his is the 100th edition of 55 Plus magazine. Wow! How did that happen? It feels it was just yesterday that we were putting together the first issue, writing stories, inviting organizations to advertise, designing the publication. That was in the summer of 2005, a time when we were bombarded with news stories about the “silver tsunami” — the millions of baby boomers who were about to retire. Starting a senior magazine at the time made a lot of sense and we acted on that notion. Our first cover reflected the editorial goals of the magazine — to publish something local, fun, engaging, relevant and interesting. We had a younglooking player hitting some balls on the golf course. It was a perfect cover that encapsulated the concept we had in mind. In general, magazines catering to baby boomers are fairly boring and stale — canned stories about social security, nursing homes and plenty of advertorial. I call them magazines for rocking-chair seniors, those who don’t do much and spend a great deal in a rocking chair (or LaZ-Boy chair) watching TV. We decided to follow a different direction. Instead, we had the active adult in mind, cool people over age 55 who travel, go to the theater, movies, restaurants, practice sports, entertain, work, volunteer and are educated. With that idea in mind, we launched 55 Plus, the very first magazine for adults in Central New York. Yes, we were the first. Colorful, glossy stock, sleek design. The emphasis was (and is) to celebrate life after 55, to focus on interesting, active people, people

are making things happen, people in the prime of their lives. Over the years, stories in 55 Plus in general have revolved around finances, travel, food, healthy living and leisure. And we’ve included tons of feature stories showing unique people in the community. That formula has worked so far. To make the publication successful and widely read, we distribute it free of charge. Readers can find 55 Plus just about everywhere: all Wegmans in Central New York and many Tops and Price Chopper grocery stores. We also have a network of nine drivers who make sure the magazine is dropped off at doctor’s offices, diners, hospitals, pharmacies, restaurants and other high traffic locations. The quality of writing and stories is another reason for our longevity — 17 years and counting. We have great writers and columnists who are constantly writing great, interesting pieces and columns. The good news? 55 Plus has become a great medium for business and organizations to advertise and spread the word about their products and services. We reach over 60,000 readers with every issue we publish. And our readers, according to an audit by the Circulation Verification Council, are educated with a great deal of disposable money. According to CVC, about 75% of our readers are between 55 and 74 years of age and nearly 50% earn between $75,000 to $149,999. Forty-eight percent have some college or have graduated from college. It’s a great market for advertisers to reach. People of this generation grew up reading magazines and newspapers — they are now internet-savvy but they maintain that loyalty (and habit) of reading print media. Lucky for us.

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022

cny55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto Associate Editor Steve Yablonski Writers & Contributors Deborah J. Sergeant Mary Beth Roach, Christopher Malone David Figura, Aaron Gifford Roger Wohlner, Carol Radin Columnists Bruce Frassinelli, Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, Marvin Druger Michelle Reed Advertising Amy Gagliano Cassandra Lawson Miranda Terry Office Manager Bernadette Driscoll Layout & Design Joey Sweener Cover Photo Provided by David Figura

55 Plus: A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc. at 185 E. Seneca St. P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $21 a year; $35 for two years © 2022 by 55 Plus: A Magazine for Active Adults in Central 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@cny55.com Editor@cnyhealth.com

WE’VE DOUBLED OUR HEART TEAM Our united expertise brings you advanced technology and streamlined care. As part of the Upstate Heart Institute, we provide connections to research and surgical care.

THE CARDIOVASCULAR GROUP OF SYRACUSE JOINED UPSTATE CARDIOLOGY FACULTY.

PHYSICIANS FROM TOP LEFT:

Dana C. Aiello, MD Larry S. Charlamb, MD Mark J. Charlamb, MD Christopher A. Nardone, MD Matthew S. O’Hern, MD Charles Perla, MD Theresa Waters, DO Andrew M. Weinberg, DO

UPSTATE PHYSICIANS FROM LEFT: Timothy D. Ford, MD Robert L. Carhart, Jr., MD Debanik Chaudhuri, MD Hani Kozman, MD Sakti Pada Mookherjee, MD Amy Tucker, MD Daniel Villarreal, MD

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gardening By Jim Sollecito

Always Learning

How did they get the flag up on the Lerner School pole outside of Pulaski?

sn’t it interesting how much influence our early education had on the rest of our lives? Learn something right and it stuck with you. Learned incorrectly, old habits are hard to break, as the nuns used to say. So what is up with this sign that made me pull over and ponder for a bit? I came upon this decades-old relic outside Pulaski on Tryon Road near where we recently installed a landscape project. It evoked a lot of memories and emotions. None of

mine were made here, but memories nevertheless. Parts of school I loved and cherished; other parts I could not let go fast enough. It is hard to become experienced without making mistakes. I did more than my share. Hopefully we learn from them. Daydreaming through the classroom window, watching seasonal changes, I thought about places I wanted to go and relationships I hoped to experience, among other deep thoughts, of course. Such as what’s on the cafeteria menu and whether I

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022

could afford the luxury of chocolate milk that day. I dig historic structures like this. And I wish I knew if that is an old flag pole on top and if so, how did the flag get there each day? Maybe I’m coming to grips with myself as I age, trying to rise and shine every morning. But spotting a vintage car, an old wooden boat, a building that has served its time, encourages me to stop, contemplate and admire. I pretty much have everything I wanted as a student, albeit a bit later than planned. I am now busy rebalancing and editing my possessions and my environment. Even my landscape plantings: removing pieces that are beyond graceful aging. Replacing with fresh, new, inspired selections. Choices I can enjoy now and also planting for the future. I am building a barn so I can move a lifetime of possessions indoors, carefully considering which to keep, admitting that many have no value to anyone but me. At some point even those will meet the dumpster. Some roads merely move us ahead, while others revitalize us. By the time this is published, after 18 months of planning and motivating, our West Genesee High School 50th Reunion will be complete. The reunion will be another piece of history. A weekend of rehashing old times and creating new memories. It may have required some mental flossing to remember if that grown woman in front of me is the same girl who sat next to me senior year. Or did she come as a guest and I have no other reason to know her? Either way, some interesting conversation may crop up over shared moments, just like in the old cafeteria. As we watch things around us age, I remind you not to feel bad about growing older. It’s a privilege that is denied to many. We’re developing a patina. And just like in English class, you can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last one.

Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in New York State. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 315-468-1142 or jim@sollecito.com.

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Grilled asparagus: the easily shareable small plate was topped with bread crumbs and goat cheese. Beneath the greens sat some delicious pork belly.

Dining Out RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Christopher Malone

THE TEMPTATIONS OF EDEN Downtown Syracuse eatery focuses on farm-totable food, wood-fired cooking

o resisting at this farmto-table restaurant. Nestled in the Hanover Square nook of Syracuse is a restaurant a that can be easily overlooked. While dwelling in my favorite and one of the underutilized “squares” of downtown — actually, these are commercial districts — there’s no extravagant sign aside from the name on its door. Before coming, I’ve heard many great things about the upscale-casual restaurant that opened up prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For one, the cooking method is entirely wood-fired. Their farm-totable emphasis is also a winning aspect. Especially during this strange time,

and adding in inflation, supporting local business is important. And if you’re going to pay more no matter where you dine out, sticking locally is the way to sway. The former location of Downtown Manhattan has new life. Aside from a small venue, there’s lots of seating from when you walk through the entrance’s stone threshold, down the steps and into the rustic chic bar area. There’s also outdoor seating for those perfect nights, too. Even with the fire constantly blazing in the kitchen area, the temperature of the restaurant is comfortable. Talking to one of the staff members, I brought up my reservation (just in case) for the empty bar area. Other

55 PLUS – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022

customers were staggered throughout the inside and, case in point, the outdoor tables were filled. He said to take a seat anywhere. When my hand went to pull out one of the chairs, he immediately interjected — “But not that one.” Cue the uprorious laughter from everyone. This night was off to a great start. As with many farm-to-table restaurants, the menu is concise to maintain the promise of quality food, rotating and changing menu items, and with little waste at the end of the day among other reasons. While pondering the menu, I enjoyed a Wax Off cocktail ($14), which was made with beeswax-infused gin, bee pollen, green tea honey, champagne acid, and ibisco bitters. It also came with a large chunk of honey toffee. Bartender (and my personal food guide) Keenan’s balancing act as the toffee sat on the rim of the class was well-done. Even if I wasn’t a gin guy, I’d order this little sweet cocktail with a dry finish. Of course, it paired well with the toffee. As they say — eat dessert first.

Wax Off cocktail ($14, top) made with beeswax-infused gin, bee pollen, green tea honey, champagne acid and ibisco bitters. It also came with a large chunk of honey toffee on top. Crostini (right) with orange, scallions and a Kalamata olive.

But as a palate cleanser, Keenan brought over a crostini with orange, scallions, and one of my “favorites” — a Kalamata olive. This is the first instance in a while I’ve enjoyed something with an olive. The saltiness and the other ingredients were more prominent than the olive, which sat back. The grilled asparagus, source credited to Grindstone Farms in Pulaski ($16), came out first. The easily shareable small plate was topped with bread crumbs and goat cheese. Beneath the greens sat some delicious pork belly. Aside from the hard-to-miss cooking area, it’s easy to tell these components were not cooked over gas heat. The asparagus was crispy, the pork belly was warm and fatty, and cutting into egg literally topped it all off. This isn’t your grandmother’s beet salad — I was told. And, no, it wasn’t. The warm beet salad ($14), giving credit to Common Thread Farms in Madison, is anything but typical. Aside from beets, this small plate included orange and goat cheese. For an added crunch, cue the almond brittle. It’s a pretty presentation that could be personally enjoyed day after day. The goat cheese, which was disclosed, came fresh that day from 2 Kids Goat Farm in Cuyler, Cortland County. It’s been one of my favorite places to get goat cheese. The fresh, soft goat cheese with the salad is a perfect combination. For intermission: I was presented with a bibb salad with very light

orange vinaigrette dressing. It was unexpected and refreshing. The lettuce itself is already flavorful but with the pinch of orange, this palate cleanser was vibrant. Keenan asked me, as if I was crazy — I’m used to it at this point — if I was prepared to commit to two large plate orders. I said yes, and planned to have leftovers regardless. The goat cheese tortellini ($28), insert more credit to 2 Kids Goat Farm, boasted a gorgeous presentation, plus a flower to top it off. Although cauliflower was absent from the plate, I appreciated more of the crispy, smoky asparagus enjoyed moments before. The homemade ravioli pocketed just enough goat cheese — maybe the cauliflower was in there? — since there were more dollops placed around the dish. The pan-seared blue fin tuna ($42) came from Casco Bay in Portland, Maine. According to Keenan, the chefs

Eden 118 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13202 315-991-8408 | edencny.com facebook.com/edencny instagram.com/edencny Sun. – Tues.: Closed Wed. – Sat..: 5 – 9 p.m.

heat up a cast iron to an incredible temperature, throw the tuna in, and quickly sear it on all sides. Those who don’t like their tuna rare may not enjoy this. However, it was incredibly delicious. I don’t think it should have been cooked any more. The tuna was served over a bed of escarole and cassoulet with a white butter (beurre blanc) sauce. There’s a lot of flavor but it’s not overwhelming. Of course, the richness of the beurre blanc goes very well with the fish. This is one of the more unique tuna entrees I’ve enjoyed. Finally, dessert. And it’s a dessert that should be a typical one. Three chocolate truffles ($10) from Nostalgia Chocolate in Syracuse were presented with assorted fruit and mint leaves. The chocolate origins were India, Costa Rica and Madagascar. The India truffle boasted a spicy (not hot-spicy) kick, the Costa Rican was more dense and the Madagascar was light and smooth. Each, of course, paired well with the fruit and mint. Before tip, the bill came to more than $130. Sure, readers may be turned off by the cost — a couple have let me know these concerns — but sometimes spending a little more on a satisfying meal is worth it. This is especially true if dining out isn’t a frequent thing. Compared to some places where I’ve spent as much, Eden feels and eats different. As a patron, I felt valued by the staff. Not one part of the meal was bland or overcooked. I can’t wait to go back.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

retirement The 30 Greatest Threats to Your Retirement If you want to have a happy retirement, avoid these perils of moving — people trying to save for retirement should consider relocating to a more appropriately sized property. 4. HAVING A MORTGAGE IN RETIREMENT Depending on a retiree’s situation, having a mortgage in retirement could be a boon or a bust. If your mortgage payments are low, keeping that large property might not be a problem. On the other hand, if high house payments are preventing you from adding to your retirement nest egg, you might want to consider selling that overpriced property and moving to one that’s more affordable.

By Roger Wohlner

they will likely thank you in the end.

aving for retirement is difficult enough if all goes according to plan. However, individuals often encounter serious speed bumps on the road to retirement wealth. Although one of these issues on its own might not spell disaster, taken together, these obstacles can derail even the soundest retirement plans. By knowing the threats that could ruin your retirement plans and how to avoid them, you might be able to retire sooner and happier.

5. GIVING TOO MUCH AWAY, TOO EARLY If you have extra cash, you might be tempted to give some away to family members or a favorite charity. There are some serious tax benefits to donating your retirement assets to charity, but individuals need to be mindful of timing. McClain said that people who give their money away too early risk outliving it.

2. NOT SAVING IN THE BEST WAY Unless you are lucky enough to inherit a large sum or win the lottery, you will likely need to save a great deal of cash 6. MEDICAL EXPENSES during your working years in order Saving enough for retirement is difficult to retire comfortably down the line. in and of itself, but when you add the Plan ahead to ensure you’re putting burden of paying for healthcare during enough aside for whatever the future your golden years, the goal can seem holds. While there are many ways to unreachable. According to Fidelity save for retirement like a 401(k) or an Investments’ annual retiree healthcare IRA, all of your funds may not be in cost estimate, couples in their midthose accounts and you should also 60s can expect to spend $280,000 on make sure any money in a standard medical expenses during retirement. savings account is earning as much as “Large, debilitating medical expenses possible. It’s always helpful to check can decimate your savings,” said 1. GROWN KIDS SIPHONING OFF with a financial planner on the way to personal finance writer Elizabeth YOUR RETIREMENT MONEY invest money. Colegrove. She advised soon-to-be Most people want to help their children retirees who are still working to succeed in life. Experts caution against 3. KEEPING TOO MUCH HOUSE contribute money to a health savings sharing too much of your retirement An oversized house can be a serious account whenever possible. A great money with adult kids, however. financial burden for individuals trying vehicle to supplement your other “You won’t be around forever, and to save for retirement. McClain said a retirement income, an HSA lets [children] need to stand on their own,” house that’s too large for your needs individuals pay for qualified medical said Eric McClain, a certified financial can become a liability, between upkeep expenses tax-free. planner at McClain Lovejoy Financial costs and property taxes. Although it’s Planning. natural to feel sentimental toward a 7. LONG-TERM CARE EXPENSES Teach your kids to be independent — home — or to want to avoid the stress A medical situation that leads to the 12

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need for long-term care can erode doubt that the average young adult has one’s retirement nest egg in a hurry. the interest or the discipline, let alone Long-term care costs can be staggering the understanding, to make sure that and have gradually increased over the they contribute enough to their TSP years. Moreover, a 2016 article by the account for the full match.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reveals that one in seven 11. DEFINED CONTRIBUTION RETIREMENT adults will one day have a disability PLANS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR requiring care for more than five years. M i l i t a r y m e m b e r s a r e n ’ t t h e Unfortunately, only a small fraction only Americans taking on more of Americans have long-term care responsibility with regard to retirement insurance. savings. Over the last 30 years, the burden of 8. BEING PART OF THE SANDWICH GENERATION saving for retirement has been shifted Members of the sandwich generation, to workers via defined contribution aspiring retirees often find themselves plans, such as the 401(k). If they caring for both adult children and don’t manage their 401(k) accounts aging parents. appropriately, these individuals could “Other family members can be a drain very well come up short in retirement. when on a fixed income and resources,” said Colegrove. “Instead of saving 12. THE PENSION CRISES ACROSS THE NATION for holidays, vacations and larger Social Security and healthcare costs expenses, your resources are spent on might dominate the headlines, but the older and younger generations.” the pension crisis that many states The best solution is to plan ahead are confronting is just as worrisome. by creating a system to grow your In Illinois, for example, the unfunded assets as you save for retirement and pension debt has risen significantly, to protect them once you’ve stopped jeopardizing the retirement plans of working. many who are still currently working. 9. UNEXPECTED MAJOR EXPENSES Just because you’ve stopped working doesn’t mean life stands still. Expenses can’t always be predicted at the outset, and even the most mundane, unexpected costs can threaten one’s financial health in retirement. Citing expenses such as roof repairs and new cars, Colegrove said, “It is very important that, in your day-today budget, you are still saving for these expenses. On fixed incomes, not only might it be harder to qualify for a loan to cover the costs, the loan payments could blow your budget.” 10. DEFINED CONTRIBUTION RETIREMENT PLANS IN THE MILITARY Military members often assume that their financial needs will be covered in retirement. However, the shift toward defined contribution retirement plans has put more burden on veterans, said Doug Nordman, a former member of the U.S. Navy’s submarine force and military financial expert. In recent years, the Department of Defense has reduced its retirement expenses “by at least 10%, but now the burden of saving for retirement lies even more heavily on the service members,” said Nordman. “Just as we’ve learned with civilian 401ks, I

As state finances become further stretched, the health of the pension system is likely to suffer in kind. 13. THE MYTH OF SPENDING LESS IN RETIREMENT Many individuals assume that they will spend significantly less money in retirement than they do during their working lives, said blogger and freelance writer Michelle Schroeder. “This is usually a mistake because other expenses may increase, such as travel and healthcare costs,” said Schroeder. “A person should also be realistic with their retirement spending instead of just assuming that it will be less.” Budget appropriately for retirement now to make sure your golden years are comfortable. 14. TAKING 401(K) LOANS Taking a loan from your 401(k) can seem like a fine idea when times are tough. If an employer terminates you while you have an outstanding loan, however, you could wind up taking an unwanted distribution from the plan, owing taxes and a penalty if you can’t

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pay it back immediately. Borrowing from your 401(k) can get costly and will put a significant dent in your retirement nest egg.

Individuals often encounter serious speed bumps on the road to retirement wealth. By knowing the threats that could ruin your retirement plans and how to avoid them, you might be able to retire sooner and happier.

15. CONTRIBUTING ONLY YOUR COMPANY’S DEFAULT MINIMUM TO YOUR 401(K) Putting your 401(k) contributions on autopilot can cause serious issues when it comes time to retire. Some employers make all employees contribute a minimum amount to their 401(k) unless they opt out of the benefit. If your mandatory contribution is too small — for example, 2% of your pay — you will likely miss out on your savings goals. your employer ’s 401(k) matching In an era of pension and Social Security contributions, you are missing out on crises, employees must take greater a valuable opportunity to grow your control of their financial destiny by retirement nest egg. contributing more to their 401(k). “This is a part of your compensation package and should always be utilized 16. INVESTING TOO CONSERVATIVELY to the fullest extent,” said Ryan Guina, FOR RETIREMENT founder of personal finance blogs Cash It goes without saying that nobody Money Life and The Military Wallet. w a n t s t o l o s e m o n e y o n t h e i r He recommended that individuals investments. Being too conservative who can’t afford to contribute enough with your portfolio could cause you should adjust their spending habits to come up short with regard to and lifestyles to take advantage of this retirement savings, though. By taking “free” money. a few calculated risks, you can build a better nest egg and ensure that 20. INVESTING TOO HEAVILY unexpected expenses don’t leave you IN COMPANY STOCK crippled. Aspiring retirees might be tempted to invest in their own companies. Experts 17. WITHDRAWING YOUR 401(K) caution against putting too much of MONEY WHEN LEAVING A JOB your money in one place, however. These days, it’s not uncommon for Even if your company’s stock has workers to switch jobs multiple performed well in the past, it’s wise to times over the course of their careers. diversify your retirement portfolio so Unfortunately, many people make the your livelihood is protected. mistake of withdrawing their 401(k) money when they do so. Not only 21. HAVING INADEQUATE LIFE INSURANCE does withdrawing prior to retirement Paying too little for life insurance reduce the size of your savings account, now can affect your family’s plans but it also causes you to lose growth in retirement. Life insurance gives and face a potentially hefty tax bill. breadwinners the peace of mind that comes with knowing surviving 18. RETIRING TOO EARLY spouses will be protected after they’re While everyone has fantasies about gone. When saving for retirement, retiring at age 40 or 50, the reality don’t forget to invest sufficiently in is that few people can afford this this necessity. luxury, thanks in part to longer life expectancies. No matter how large 22. NOT HAVING DISABILITY COVERAGE your nest egg might be — or how It’s not enough to save for healthcare frugal your lifestyle — retiring too costs in retirement; savvy individuals early can ruin your well-laid financial also purchase disability coverage to plans and affect your quality of life pay for unexpected costs like illnesses down the line. or injuries. Typically constituting 60% of your former earnings, disability 19. NOT GETTING FULL EMPLOYER payments let workers maintain their MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS previous lifestyles after an injury and If you aren’t taking advantage of prevent them from having to withdraw 14

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from retirement funds to afford basic necessities. 23. SAVING FOR COLLEGE INSTEAD OF RETIREMENT It’s no secret that college tuition rates have skyrocketed in recent years. While it’s natural to want to pay for your children’s education, aspiring retirees shouldn’t make the mistake of paying exorbitant college tuition bills at the cost of their own savings. The last thing you want is to be a burden on your kids in retirement because you neglected to save appropriately. 24. IGNORING THE IMPACT OF INFLATION Inflation is a major threat to your retirement, said Todd Tresidder, financial coach and founder of Financial Mentor. “It’s a hidden tax on savings. You have no control over it, it can’t be predicted and it has an insidiously compound, erosive effect,” he said. “It gnaws away at an otherwise healthy retirement like cancer to a healthy body.” Stay abreast of inflation costs to avoid unpleasant surprises down the line. 25. FAULTY DECISION-MAKING Tresidder also cited bad decisionmaking by people saving for retirement as a significant risk. For instance, putting your money in a wellperforming mutual fund in the belief that it will continue to climb higher is a perilous choice that is often based on wishful thinking. In the long run, making financial decisions based on bad assumptions and misinformation can result in negative outcomes and keep you from enjoying the retirement of your dreams. 26. POOR ASSET ALLOCATION Poor asset allocation is a big threat

to one’s retirement, said financial 28. NEGLECTING YOUR OWN NEEDS emergency or similar situations.” adviser Kirk Chisholm. Although the Many aspiring retirees focus on the traditional advice is to subtract your needs of others instead of their own 30. LIFESTYLE INFLATION age from 100 and use this value as the self-interest, said author Valerie Rind. More than other Americans, soonpercentage of bonds in your portfolio, “If you’re too busy taking financial to-be retirees need to be conscious Chisholm and others recommend a care of other people, you might find of their spending habits and avoid more cautious approach. The fact is yourself excluded from your own buying more than they can afford, that investors can lose money in bonds retirement plans,” said Rind. “For said personal finance blogger Chris or spend their time chasing yields example, when you loan money to Holdheide. family members or borrow for your “This can be a huge threat to someone’s since rates are low. “This is a mistake you don’t want to kids’ education, you’re tying up retirement, because it can cause people make so close to your retirement,” said precious funds that could be invested to buy stuff based on their income as toward your future.” Chisholm. it increases, instead of putting more of it toward their retirement,” Holdheide 29. AN UNEXPECTED LAYOFF 27. BOREDOM said. “Oftentimes, when we get an You might not expect boredom to be Unplanned job losses can be highly increase in pay, people tend to think a big threat to your retirement, but problematic for people planning for about the next thing they want to buy it can be, said financial blogger and retirement, especially if they don’t right now rather than thinking about have funds set aside for emergencies, the future and saving more.” entrepreneur Jim Wang. “Many people jokingly say that when said personal finance expert and Stay aware of these retirement-saving roadblocks if you hope to build a they retire they’ll play more golf, take author Jason Vitug. more vacations and lounge around “I had a friend who was on track with robust bank account in the coming all the time, but that’s only fun for a his retirement savings until he got the years. couple [of] weeks,” he said. “What call he would be laid off in 30 days,” he said. “Unable to find a job that paid happens in year two or three?” Wang emphasized that soon-to-be the same caused him to dip into his Roger Wohlner is a freelance financial retirees should plan for what they can savings to cover the gaps from his old writer who has written for several national work on during retirement in order to salary and unemployment benefits. publications. This article was originally He saved money in his 401k and in a published in www.gobankingrates.com stave off boredom. Roth but never set up savings for an and reprinted with authorization.

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flowers

for the

LOVE of ROSES

In early April, volunteers from the Syracuse Rose Society took turns to prepare the Dr. E.M. Mills Memorial Rose Garden in Thornden Park in Syracuse for the season. The rose garden has approximate 3,500 rose bushes, representing about 335 varieties. BY MARY BETH ROACH

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Photo courtesy of M.F. Piraino

Roses in full bloom in June 2021 at the Dr. E.M. Mills Memorial Rose Garden in Thornden Park in Syracuse. The Syracuse Rose Society, which maintains the park, estimates it takes more than 3,000 volunteer hours a year to keep the park going.

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“The roses and the people. It’s a great combination.”

t’s a sentiment expressed by Leon Ginenthal, 68, a member of the Syracuse Rose Society, and the reason why he travels from his home in Ithaca Wednesday mornings during the spring, summer and fall to volunteer at the Dr. E.M. Mills Memorial Rose Garden in Thornden Park on Syracuse’s east side. It’s also a feeling shared by the volunteers of the Syracuse Rose Society who were gathered one Wednesday morning in early April as they began their work to prepare the garden and its approximate 3,500 rose bushes, representing about 335 varieties, for the season. “We have a good time together. We share each other’s joys and each other’s heartaches in our lives. And we share that common love. There’s something about working together in the dirt, sharing a passion,” Ginenthal said. While not all 125 members of the organization volunteer each week to dig in the dirt, there can be as many as 20 tilling the beds, weeding, trimming, fertilizing, pruning, planting, deadheading, watering and tending to the climbers that wind around the 36 arches along four of the garden’s cobblestone pathways that lead to its gazebo in the center. Volunteers work Wednesday mornings from April until November and some Saturdays early in the season to make the garden the jewel that it is. The Syracuse Rose Society has estimated that well more than 3,000 volunteer hours are logged annually. On this one particular April morning, 91-year-old Jim Wagner, of Fayetteville, is helping with one of the climbers. A volunteer with the group since 2001, Wagner appreciates the love of roses that the membership shares. There are other benefits to the work. Syracuse resident, Mary Pat

McHale, 70, has been a volunteer for what she calls “12 glorious years,” and while she enjoys the camaraderie, she also likes learning about the roses. Meanwhile David Wiediger, 73, of Syracuse, has been with the group for 10 years, and he says, “gardening is something that makes me whole.” Like McHale, Pam Dooling, of the town of Dewitt, enjoys the companionship and the learning, but also likes that it keeps her active and gets her outside in the fresh air. Since starting with the Syracuse Rose Society in her 40s, Dooling has served as membership chair, publicity chair, rose show chair and president. The love of roses is the only requirement needed to volunteer at the Park. No special skills are needed. “We’ll give them tools. They don’t need any special knowledge. We’ll teach them from the ground up,” Dooling notes. While her father always had roses wherever they lived, Dooling says she didn’t know very much about them. On this morning, between doing her gardening work, she enthusiastically shows a visitor around the space, explaining various

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rose varieties and their care. The Syracuse Rose Society’s signature event, the Rose Day celebration was held in mid-June, and as Ginenthal said, “In June, this is the closest thing to heaven there is.” The organization will be at the New York State Fair and in September, it will host the American Rose Society New York District Convention. For those interested in learning about or volunteering with the Syracuse Rose Society, visit syracuserosesociety.org. OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE The Dr. E.M. Mills Memorial Rose Garden in Thornden Park in Syracuse sits before the Syracuse Rose Society begins their work for the season; Volunteers work in the garden in April. Pictured from left: Susan Johnston, David Wiediger (orange shirt) and Carl Grillo; Volunteer Pam Dooling of DeWitt has volunteered at the Rose Garden for at least two decades, at one point even serving as society president; The flowering fruits of the volunteers' labor bloom in all their colorful display.

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cover

PICTURE-PERFECT PHOTO SAFARI

Have a dream trip on your bucket list? Do it now. The no-go years could come around sooner than you think. PHOTOS AND STORY BY DAVID FIGURA

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

recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to South Africa, which included six memorable days of photo safaris. I almost didn’t go.

The trip initially had the makings of a girls’ getaway. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting, Liz Vinson, my niece, and her mother, Susan Downs Kost, (my wife’s sister) had planned the venture to celebrate Liz’s 40th birthday. But then the pandemic hit. The trip was canceled and rescheduled three times, due to surges of COVID-19 variants in this country and South Africa. My wife, Laura, and our good friend, Nancy Neiley, committed to the trip. I was asked early on, but hesitated, focusing on the fact that I would be the lone guy with four women. But my stance changed prior to retiring last fall. I knew Laura would come back with all sorts of memories and experiences with no interest in going back. Why was I being such a poop? I knew I’d regret not seizing the day. “I’m in,” I said. In preparation, I borrowed a 35mm, digital camera and zoom lens from my daughter, Katie, and started practicing using it. As a preventive measure, I, along with everyone else, had to get a typhoid shot, a prescription for malaria pills and a comprehensive travel insurance policy. We departed May 10 from JFK Airport in New York City, flying to Heathrow Airport in London and from there to Cape Town. We stayed nearly three days in Cape Town. Highlights of our stay there included sampling the city’s excellent cuisine and wine; connecting with an old newspaper buddy and his wife whom I haven’t seen in 34 years; AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

THIS PAGE A zebra looks back before

taking off; A white rhinoceros mother and its calf awaken after they were found snoozing on the road at Kruger National Park. The male rhino was feeding a short distance away.; A pair of male impalas lock horns in a battle for dominance in a field at Kruger National Park. OPPOSITE PAGE A leopard lazily perches on a tree branch during mid-morning; A baby African elephant clings close to its mother in a herd of half dozen adult elephants at Kruger National Park.

going up to the top of Table Mountain that overlooks the city and spending a day traveling down to the Cape of Good Hope (the southwestern end of South Africa, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean). We stopped at Boulders Beach, where there was a massive colony of breeding African penguins. From Cape Town we flew north to Kruger National Park, where we were picked up at a small airport and driven to Hamiltons Tented Camp. We stayed in luxurious, glampinglike tent structures connected to the main lodge by a wooden walkway, which was some eight-10 feet off the ground. Our sleeping quarters were spacious, with teak floorboards, king-

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sized beds with mosquito nets on all sides, outdoor showers and a deck with a superb view of a river bed. The weather was comfortably warm during the day and cool at night. It was the beginning of the dry winter season and relatively bugless. After three days at Hamiltons, we traveled about two hours to Jock Safari Lodge, also in Kruger, where the accommodations, food and wildlife sighting opportunities continued to be amazing. The photo safari routines were similar at both camps. We got up early every morning before sunrise and departed before 6 a.m. We had trained rangers as our guides, driving in a vehicle with partially open sides and large seats that

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A pair of male waterbucks are on alert while the rest of a small herd of mostly female waterbucks graze nearby.

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LEFT Laura Downs and David Figura get ready to go out on a photo safari at Jock Safari Lodge at Kruger National Park. ABOVE A pair of giraffes get up close and

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

afforded good views of wildlife from all angles. The morning outings lasted more than three hours each day. We were back to the main lodge by 9-9:30 a.m. for breakfast. We went out again each afternoon, driving around for another three hours. Each afternoon outing ended with 30-45 minutes of driving in the dark. The guide drove with one hand on the steering wheel, with the other holding a high-intensity light and flashing it about—constantly searching for the glowing eyes of animals. I took more than 1,000 photos. We saw lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape buffalo. Add to that, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, baboons, hyenas, jackals, water bucks, kudus, African crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, countless exotic-looking birds and various smaller mammals. During our first morning outing, we came across a pair of lions just off the road, lounging in a field. We encountered them the next day at the tail end of our afternoon outing, driving off road in the darkness and getting some 10-15 yards away from them and their three cubs. We also had a cool white rhino sighting. The female rhino and its baby were snoozing in the middle of the road, while the father was hanging out nearby. One thing that stuck with

me was that the animals had been dehorned, meaning park rangers had tranquilized them at one point and taken off their horns. We were told it was a preventive measure to discourage poachers, which we were told is a big problem at Kruger. Elephants are huge, majestic beasts. Up close, they make you feel small and vulnerable. One young bull came up within 10-15 feet and did a mock charge, a moment of concern for everyone in our vehicle—except the guide. Seeing giraffes feeding on leaves on tree tops and galloping away made me think of the dinosaurs running across fields in a Jurassic Park movie. I also spotted a pair mating, which was something you don’t see every day. We had two exciting leopard encounters. In one instance, the huge cat walked within 10 feet of our vehicle. In the other, the leopard was perched on a branch high up in a tree, guarding the carcass of an impala it had killed and dragged up there. We got back home May 22. The trip, among the most expensive we’ve ever taken, ended too soon. It was fun, exciting and well worth it. The photo safaris at Kruger cost us nearly $5,000 each. There are a wide variety of prices for such excursions, from self-directed to guided outings.

It all depends on the number of days in the park, the use of a guide game-viewing vehicles, over-night accommodations, etc. The best way to manage all of these moving parts is to get your airline tickets, book a tour and decide exactly what you want. A three-day, basic photo safari package could cost about $400 USD, while a full-blown safari with all the perks, can cost up to $7,900 USD, according to tourradar. com. Go-go Years A good friend once told me that retirement often begins with the “gogo” years, which then transition into the “slow-go” years and finish with the “no-go” years. Have a dream trip on your bucket list? Don’t wait. Do it now — particularly if you’re financially and physically able. Not to decide is to decide. The nogo years could come around sooner than you think. ❖ David Figura is a retired outdoors writer for The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and NYup.com, He is working on his second book, “Nobody Likes A Whiny Man,” about guys handling life in their 60s and 70s. His first book, “So What Are the Guys Doing?” covered how men deal with middle age.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

sports The Pickleball Craze Comes to Central New York The sport has become a raging success, especially among 55-plussers By Mary Beth Roach

while ago, if anyone mentioned the word pickleball, the reaction would more than likely be, “What is pickleball?” It was the question that Mark MacCaull asked several years ago as he was playing softball while wintering in Florida. He said he kept hearing this “tick, tick, tick,” he said, and he asked what that noise was. He was told that it was pickleball.

The ticking was actually the ball, much like a Wiffle ball, being hit with the paddle-like racquet. It wasn’t long before MacCaull, a former racquetball player, got started himself. “I fell in love with the game,” he said. Now 69, the Lakeport, Madison County, resident plays three times a week. One of the places MacCaull plays is Skyway Park in Cicero. During a visit there earlier this summer, the

Playing pickleball recently at Skyway Park in Cicero are Doreen Dengos, left, and Margie McAuliffe. Dengos, 66, of Cicero, retired in June of 2020, and a few months later she started lessons at Skyway Park. She got hooked, she said, and has been playing ever since. 26

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pickleball courts were full of members of the CNY Pickleball Association and more players were standing on the sidelines, waiting their turn. MacCaull and the others that are part of CNY Pickleball, a local organization of avid players, are helping to make it one of the fastestgrowing sports in the country. It’s no longer just a recreational activity with a funny name. Since there’s no true membership in CNY Pickleball, an exact number is hard to ascertain, according to Brook Bregman, a member of the group’s executive committee. She estimates that there are about 1,000 people that she coordinates on a regular basis, with more than 80% older than 55. According to a 2019 report by the Sports and Fitness Association, there were 3.3 million players, 1.3 million were considered “core players,” those who play eight or more times a year, and 64% of the core players are 55 years or older. But why is this game so popular, especially among baby boomers? “It’s for everybody. This is the place you get active instead of being a couch potato,” said Joe Szyikowski, 76, of Cicero. Now retired, Szyikowski was a high school tennis coach for 31 years and is now an instructor and ambassador for the CNY Pickleball. “You always give back to what you like. This is one thing I like, so I give back to it.” Doreen Dengos, 66, of Cicero, retired in June of 2020, and a few months later, at the encouragement of a friend, she started lessons at Skyway Park. She got hooked, she said, and has been playing ever since. For her, the sport is doable, with the courts smaller than tennis courts. Games are relatively short, since

players only play to 11 points. In addition, Dengos said it provides her social opportunities and allows her to learn something new. When Diane Wilson, 70, started pickleball about 18 months ago, it was a way for her to become familiar with the area after moving to the North Syracuse community. Also, she started the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic and she said it was “a godsend to be able to still do something.” Wilson added that she finds it be a great physical game for people who are 55-plus, offering them a good aerobic activity. She also sees it as a “good mental game. It’s more strategy than power,” she said. The sport helps players to meet the recommended physical activity for adults at 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, in addition to the social aspects of the game, according to Tiago Barreira, associate professor in the exercise science department at Falk College at Syracuse University. That pickleball’s popularity is not only seen in the number of players but in the number of facilities where it can be played. In Central New York, they are many indoor and outdoor courts. The websites cnypickleball.com and pickleballfire.com show courts at Elevate Fitness in Liverpool and Dewitt; the YMCA locations in Baldwinsville, Cazenovia, Fayetteville, Fulton, Manlius, Oswego, Skaneateles, and downtown Syracuse; the Magnarelli Community Center on Syracuse’s north side; CiTi BOCES in Mexico; the Cato-Meridian Community Recreation Center; Red Creek Community Center; and Lysander Park in Baldwinsville. In addition, the Jewish Sports and Fitness Center in Dewitt has one indoor and two outdoor courts. Some facilities may require a membership to play. Some facilities allow for nonmembers to play at a nominal fee. Beginner instruction is offered at Skyway Park in Cicero on Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m., according to the cnypickleball.com website, which also has a great deal of information on upcoming events, locations, beginner play and more. The sport has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1965, when it was created by three friends in Washington state who were looking

for something to do to entertain their families one summer. There was a badminton court at the home of one friend, Joel Pritchard. But there wasn’t a full set of equipment, so they used ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball with holes. After making changes to the height of the net and moving it to an asphalt surface, the men established rules, very much like those of badminton. How did the sport get its name? There are two stories surrounding how the unique name came about. One is

that it was named after a family dog, “Pickles.” The second says the name came from Pritchard’s wife, Joan. In competitive racing, the “pickle boat” is the last one to finish and is comprised of leftover rowers who create their own team —much like the game of pickleball, which was made up of leftover equipment from other sports. Regardless of how it got its name, nearly 60 years later, fewer are asking what pickleball is and more are taking up the sport.

FROM TOP Diane Wilson of North Syracuse plays pickleball; Joe Szyikowski, Doreen Dengos and Sandy Suppes pose for a photo at Skyway Park; Mark MacCaull plays pickleball. “I fell in love with the game,” he says. The Lakeport resident plays three times a week in Cicero.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

aging By Marilyn L. Pinsky

Incontinence, Sports Bras, Arthritis

OK,

so in two previous articles I discussed incontinence, and now everyone assumes I am peeing all over town. I’m not. Well...not so much anymore. But given the supply chain issue that is affecting fertilizer availability, peeing has become a very “in” topic, as urine is very rich in nutrients. Some avid gardeners are saving their pee for the garden. Or even, I guess, doing a direct application. So, before you call the police that your neighbors are exposing themselves, check out their gardens. And if they share the crop with you, you might want to even lend a hand. And, ladies, remember: squats are very good for leg strength as you age. So there’s a double bonus right there. But I digress. To help my image out, today our first discussion is sports bras.

I feel this topic has a much more youthful sound to it. Of course the one that follows, arthritis, probably doesn’t help with the image thing. In the category of “words which my daughters would have killed me for even mentioning in public” when they were teens, the word “bra” is right up there. Recently there were headlines in the Albany paper about allowing girls to wear sports bras without shirts when practicing in hot weather, given that boys work out shirtless. The girls were supposedly told by a school official that “it was distracting to their male coaches.” I texted my granddaughters living in that area to get their takes on the controversy. Madelyn, who is in high school, said, “I think they should be allowed to work out in sports bras without consequences considering it was really hot and sports bras are designed for working out.” Sophie, in

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law school, said, “That’s ridiculous! We had girls in middle school wearing sports bras and then in college you What can do whatever you want happened to being body positive?” Then I checked my girlfriends for reactions. A number mentioned the bikini-clad female volleyball players in the Olympics and how they have successfully fought to wear more appropriate uniforms but no one had a problem with girls wearing sports bras without shirts while exercising. My friend MA (Mary Anne) who always has the best responses, said, “Next they should wear long pants, because some of them might have Betty Grable legs.” Maybe our attitude is related to the fact that we are the generation that wore mini-skirts to school and work. Our parents’ generation was shocked. They wore girdles (OK, so some of us did too) and to go from wearing a longline panty girdle that required a modest hemline to a mini-

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Shep’s Pool Water skirt was a huge cultural change. And it seemed to literally happen in one day. Our parents were in shock. Now we look at our grandchildren and not just the young ones, who wear shorts so short, and tops so skimpy…. But given that each generation has to best the last one, what is left to be the next clothing frontier? On to arthritis. In high school, when I would get bored in class, I’d crack my knuckles. I was told not to do that because it would cause arthritis when I was older. So now I’m older and have some arthritis in my fingers, I've been wondering if it’s because I cracked my knuckles when younger. Recently, when I was sitting around a sports field (one of those sports where there are long delays between events) I started speaking to the other grandparents around me, some of whom I could tell had arthritis. I asked what they thought about the causal relationship between knuckle cracking and arthritis. They had all heard that expression themselves and to a person, agreed it was a myth. The gentleman on my right said he was a big knuckle cracker when younger and he didn’t have arthritis. His wife, who was never a cracker, did! The thing I most got a kick out of, was that the group was between their 70s to their mid-90s and the first thing each one did when I asked the question, was to reach for their phones and Google the answer. I loved it! We’re still in the game, people.

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music

Society for New Music

Society for New Music: Thriving and Inspiring

By Carol Radin

usic and motion was everywhere. Choirs, chimes, children’s chorus, symphony bands, wind and string ensembles and giant puppets changed Syracuse University’s quadrangle into 15 corners. Indoors, the Hendricks Chapel organ resounded. And topping it all off — literally — a blare of trumpets on the roof of SU’s School of Engineering. This was composer Robert Morris’s “Sound/Path/Field,” brought to us by Syracuse’s Society for New Music in 2006. Fast forward to 2021, Onondaga Park, Syracuse, for “Wilderness Sounds” when 12 trombonists roamed along Hiawatha Lake. And 2022, for “Vision of Sound” programs which showcased as many as six regional composers and six regional dancers. The Society of New Music 30

has been offering these exuberant performances for all musical tastes since 1971. Neva Pilgrim, the society’s program adviser and one of the cofounders, has seen SNM’s concerts and community involvement take on remarkable dimensions in multimedia performances, education and collaboration among musicians, artists, and dancers from across New York’s diverse cultures. “We have so much local talent,” said Pilgrim. SNM may be the oldest music organization in New York state outside of Manhattan and the only year-round music organization in Upstate New York. However, it is the “upstate” that the organization prides itself for. Pilgrim describes new music as music composed during our lifetime. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t build on musical works from the past; just puts things together differently,” she added. While the traditional orchestral instruments familiar to concert-goers

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ABOVE Neva Pilgrim, program adviser for

the Society for New Music, co-founded the society with two colleagues in 1971. Photo courtesy of Courtney Rile. TOP OF PAGE Rehearsal for “Sound Futures” is performed in January 2021 with SU Visual and Performing Arts faculty Gregory Wood on cello, Rob Bridge on percussion, and violinist Sonya Stith Williams, a veteran of SU’s Women in Leadership Initiative.

Heather Buchman conducts the New Music players in a concert of compositions by the Society of New Music’s “21st Century Prize Winners” in the fall of 2018 at Park Central Presbyterian Church, Syracuse.

make up many of the compositions, other works incorporate modern devices like computers and synthesizers, or the folk instruments that reach back to the roots of native and nonwestern cultures. For instance, SNM commissioned a work by Mohican composer Brent Michael Davids to accompany the Syracuse International Film Festival’s showing of “The Last of the Mohicans.” Davids himself performed on Native American flute with a Native American ensemble as well as a chamber music ensemble. On other occasions, performances draw on traditional instruments, like the string ensembles of Spanish-American composer, Octavio Vasquez. Yet other performances offer a mix of musical periods. For a performance SNM coordinated with the Cazenovia Counterpoint Festival in July 2021, prize-winning organist Dominic Fracco from Poland, New York, played a new composition by the young Cortland/Binghamton-based composer Emmanuel Sikora and then followed it with Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in E Minor.” By combining the new and traditional, SNM percolates possibilities that offer new insights

into history and culture. They have even updated the operatic form. “Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage,” an opera about Matilda Jocelyn Gage, was commissioned by SNM and featured a libretto by Ithaca-based composer Persis Parshall Vehar. Just in time for the centennial of the women’s right to vote, the opera was presented at Syracuse’s Carrier Theater in January 2018. A larger public saw excerpts at the 2019 New York State Fair. SNM also commissioned and premiered “Libba Cotten: Here this Day,” about home-grown folk legend Libba Cotten (who will be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022). The opera, with libretto by Kyle Bass, Syracuse Stage’s current playwrightin-residence, and music by Hobart and William Smith professor and composer Mark Oliveri, was presented at Libba Cotten Grove in Syracuse, as well as Syracuse’s Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, the Catherine Cummings Theater in Cazenovia, and the Franklin Stage Company in Franklin. While Pilgrim herself will be the first to tout the dynamic board members for coming up with many of SNM’s “firsts,” she does allow that she is “the glue.” As program adviser, it is she who keeps all the variables

in sync, while following her own passion for music. An internationally recognized operatic singer, Pilgrim has been singing all her life in church and school music rooms in her native Minnesota. In her senior year of high school, Pilgrim had her very first command performance of Mozart’s ”Hallelujah,” for the Minnesota equivalent of the New York State School Music Association. “My mother stayed up late into the night sewing me a new dress,” she recalled fondly. Pilgrim pursued her musical studies at Minnesota’s Hamline University, earned her master’s degree at Yale University and a fellowship at the Vienna Academy of Music. Since her mom sewed that first special dress in her senior year, Pilgrim has had plenty more dress-up occasions. She has soloed with symphony orchestras in Syracuse, Binghamton, Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, to name a few. A career highlight for her was her performance for the New York Philharmonic, singing a piece by the late American composer George Rochberg, conducted by the great Pierre Boulez. Pilgrim also has more than 20 recordings, some of which can be found on YouTube. When she moved to Syracuse years ago with her husband, Richard Pilgrim, a professor of religion now retired from Syracuse University, Pilgrim found she’d landed in the same place as a respected Yale colleague, Ralph D’Mello. D’Mello, who now resides in DeWitt, said, “I always had a tendency to do modern music. And there wasn’t anything here, so I said, ‘Neva, we’ve got to do something!” Pilgrim’s thoughts exactly! The Society for New Music was born, with Pilgrim, D’Mello, and a young Canadian composer named Greg Levin, who had just been hired by Syracuse University. Their first performance was a Greg Levin piece with a brass quintet in the Everson Museum’s Sculpture Court, along with a John Cage composition. In that first 1971-1972 season, SNM presented five concerts. Today, they present more than 35 concerts and multimedia performances each year. Pilgrim credits all this growth to the artistic creativity of SNM’s board members, whose ideas just keep sprouting more ideas. It was (Continued on p. 37)

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music

Return of the Turntable

REMEMBER VINYL? The resurgence of vinyl is largely driven by a younger generation of aficionados. By Mary Beth Roach

ong before streaming services and downloadable music, there was vinyl. If we wanted the latest releases from any of our favorite artists, we’d purchase vinyl 45s or albums from one favorite record store in our area — perhaps Gerber Music in the old Fairmount Fair or Shoppingtown, The Record Runner on Marshall Street, Clark’s in downtown Syracuse or one of the department stores around the area. There was something more to those albums than just the tracks of music. There were the liner notes, often with the lyrics, and amazing artwork both on the outside and the inside of the jacket. Like Mary Hopkin sang in the late 1960s, “Those were the days, my friend.” But those days have returned. Vinyl record sales beat out CD sales in 2021, according to MRC Data, which provides data and analytics to the music industry. This is in sharp contrast to where vinyl was a decade ago, when sales, as reported by MRC, made up only 2% of physical album sales. However, some may be surprised

that most of those buying the records are not only baby boomers, but the younger generations. According to Scott Havens, who owns Reimagine Records in New Hartford, with his wife, Michelle, “I’m in my mid-50s, so guys like me, we’ve always bought vinyl, and we’re continuing to buy vinyl, but the whole vinyl resurgence is being driven by young kids. “For a lot of them, they’ve never really owned a collection to begin with,” he said. “The generation that’s buying today, they’ve been downloading and streaming their whole lives. I think they want to own something that’s had such an effect on their lives. They want to be able to show their friends. This album means a lot to me. It means enough that I want to go out and buy it rather than just stream. I want it sitting on my shelf. I want to hold it. I want to handle it. I want to play it. It’s really important to them to own it rather than just rent it.” That today’s buyers want something tangible was a sentiment also expressed by Matt Butler, store manager of the Barnes & Noble in DeWitt, and Casey Keefe, a manager of The Sound Garden in Syracuse’s Armory Square. “This is something they like to own. Traditionally, they’ve never

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owned music,” said Butler, adding that they, too, like the generation before them, appreciate the sound and the artwork. Between the music and the artwork, it’s the whole package, and it provides more of a connection for listeners, Keefe said. Butler also believes that the vinyl now has a better sound quality than digital media, which he said, is digitized and compressed. That vinyl is making a comeback can also be seen even before one enters The Sound Garden on Armory Square. Over its front door hangs a banner with three spiders (the plastic insert that we put in 45s to make them fit on the turntable) and an oversized photo of a young woman wearing headphones, listening to albums. The artists favored by many of the younger buyers are putting things out on vinyl now. Ironically, many of these singers and bands with the top-selling vinyl records in 2021 weren’t even born when the discs were the hot ticket back in the 1970s and early 1980s. Taylor Swift’s “Evermore” sold 102,000 vinyl LPs in a single week in June 2021, breaking the record for the biggest vinyl sales week for an album since MRC Data began tracking sales in 1991. The COVID-19 pandemic may have also helped to drive sales. “Families, not being able to go on vacations and travel, they were figuring things that they go do at home, and listening to records was a big thing,” said Havens of Reimagine Records. Butler suggested that since teens were spending more time at home, they got into new hobbies, like listening to records. A couple of younger buyers I talked to recently bear out what the store managers said. Tyler Westcott, 29, plays with a group called Folkfaces and while he’s from Buffalo, he had been in Syracuse for a gig and stopped by The Sound Garden. “I like to hold the things in my hands, read the liner notes. Sometimes there’s funny little inserts, drawings. It sounds better sonically,” he said. Westcott also said he likes to search through the bins at the store, read the track list and see if there is a new version or a different interpretation of a favorite tune. Ally Pasco, 22, of Oswego, a music 34

Casey Keefe, a manager at The Sound Garden on Armory Square, Syracuse: Between the music and the artwork, vinyl is the whole package, and it provides more of a connection for listeners, Keefe says.

Part of the vinyl record on sale at Barnes & Noble, DeWitt. Newer artists, like Lady Gaga, mixed in with classics, like Aretha Franklin. “This is something they [the younger generation] like to own. Traditionally, they’ve never owned music,” says Matt Butler, store manager of the Barnes & Noble in DeWitt.

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Regretting the loss of the classic albums your mom threw away when you moved out of the house? They’re still available in well-stocked record stores in the area, and major labels have reissued many favorites. Plus, new releases from today’s artists are now being pressed on vinyl again.

major at Syracuse University, got a record player for her birthday this past spring. So she was stocking up on some jazz classics. “I am really big into jazz. I like the jazz vinyls. I like the sound that the vinyls have,” Pasco said. The vinyl covers and the liner notes were always a big collectible item, according to local music historian and collector Ron Wray, 75. And Wray knows a thing or two about collecting. The Liverpool resident has been purchasing records since 1958. Over the decades, Wray estimates that he has had more than 22,000 45s. Today, he has 981 45s of just local and Central New York artists and more than 1,100 LPs, and he has expanded his collection to include 78s and Edison cylinders, cassettes, and eight-tracks by local artists. Being a collector, he owns different versions of the same album, since they are often marketed, especially to collectors, on different colored vinyl, are released in different countries, and may include different bonus tracks. His major interest, over the years, has been local Syracuse groups, and today, his collection of those performers’ 45s numbers 981. Hearing the music on his transistor radio drove him to collecting, he said. For Christmas in 1958, he received an RCA adapter that only played 45s, and with that, a collector was soon to be born. While he didn’t have a turntable to play the albums that were coming out, that didn’t stop him from buying them. His first album was “The Buddy Holly Story,” which was released shortly after the singer’s death in 1959. “I had to buy it whether I had something to play it on or not,” he recalled. He eventually had earned enough money to get a four-speed Zenith record player. His second album was by Ritchie Valens, and today, these are still two of his favorites, he said. “I’m happy that these younger people get back into music in that way,” Wray said. He said he’s not really surprised that baby boomers are not the major buyers of vinyl these days, since many have their money tied up in other areas. And while most of us — baby boomers or younger generations — will never have collections to rival Wray, it appears the vinyl days are here again. ❖ 36

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Music historian and collector Ron Wray, 75, of Liverpool, has been purchasing records since 1958. At one point he had more than 22,000 vinyl records. “I’m happy that these younger people get back into music in that way,” Wray says.

Ally Pasco, 22, of Oswego, a music major at Syracuse University, got a record player for her birthday this past spring. So she was stocking up on some jazz classics. “I am really big into jazz. I like the jazz vinyls. I like the sound that the vinyls have,” Pasco says.

Society for New Music: Thriving and Inspiring (Continued from p. 31) board members and other enthused supporters who found venues beyond the auditorium—historic homes, churches, libraries, parklands and woodlands. Artists on the board suggested concerts amidst art exhibits. A regional composer married to a choreographer integrated dance with performances, and that was actually the beginning of SNM’s “Vision of Sound” series, now in its 17th year. SNM also brings listeners “Fresh Ink,” a regular radio program of contemporary music on Syracuse’s WCNY-FM, Sundays at 4 p.m. As a tribute to its dynamic and varied programming, SNM has received numerous national and state awards and recognitions. It also receives generous funding through local and NYS arts grants, foundations and private individuals. Drawing on regional talent as SNM does, it was a natural next step to coordinate the mentorship and development of school-age musicians. “It was board member Billie Burdick’s idea to have composers-in-residence in the schools,” Pilgrim said, “since students learn how to write and create art but they don’t learn to create their own music.” That led to the Young Composer’s Corner, a program of workshops for middle and high school students. The SNM board also has Syracuse University undergraduate and graduate student representatives, and an 11-year old from the Young Composers’ Corner asked to be on the SNM Board as a high school representative in his mid-teens. Each year, SNM recognizes two 30-and-younger composers in New York state, with awards named after two gifted composers from the Syracuse arts and academic communities, the late composer and pianist Brian Israel (1951-1986) and the late composer, pianist and organist Sam Pellman (1953-2017). SNM also features young talent from the schools in their concerts. Certainly, all generations can certainly appreciate the new and

unexpected ways of interacting with music. When sight, sound and motion collide as they do in many of SNM’s events, the young as well as those with an inner child can find themselves finger-snapping, footstomping, hopping and swaying to all kinds of interesting arrangements. “Paradise” at Cazenovia’s Stone Quarry Art Park, for instance, had families wandering among the park’s woodland paths, listening to the sounds of nature as well as recordings and becoming instrumentalists themselves by stomping their feet on a soundboard that activated bird tones wired in tall trees. Staying new means there’s always a “next.” “We don’t want any two seasons to look the same,” said Pilgrim. They have a different series every summer for Cazenovia Counterpoint, an annual festival showcasing CNY arts. They commission a musical score in the fall in collaboration with the Syracuse Film Festival, which annually presents a milestone silent film accompanied by a live orchestra or band playing, of course, a home-grown composition. “Vision of Sound” will expand from two pieces to three this year. And at the same time that SNM keeps its programs coming, the organization is also partnering with Symphoria and Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music on a regional conference of the Society of Composers, Inc. in November. Pilgrim knows well that CNY has plenty of creativity-in-residence. “We used to joke that people in Central New York could brag that their neighbor was a Pulitzer Prize winner, and indeed four of SNM’s commissioned composers by the 1990s were Pulitzer Prize winners, three of whom had first been performed by SNM while graduate students,” she said. “Four more have been finalists and several have won Grammys and other prestigious awards. They are your neighbors. You get to know the creative artists who move to CNY. They enrich the community with their performances, their teaching, and their involvement in the community.” Ultimately, SNM reminds CNY that we all inspire and thrive on music together. ❖

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fall

Scenic Drives

Scenic Drives For Optimal Leaf Peeping By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s the weather turns crisp and leaves begin turning, it is a perfect time to take a fall drive to enjoy the color. Along the way, take the time to stop at a farm stand, pumpkin patch or cidery to pick up some produce, freshly made doughnuts and new fall décor for your home.

Route 38 A

Route 38A South from Auburn winds alongside Owasco Lake. The 16-mile drive spans between Emerson Park in Auburn and Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, both picturesque venues for a walk. Bring along a picnic on a sunny autumn day to enjoy the weather.

Route 89 S

Route 89 South in Seneca Falls begins at Cayuga Lake State Park (bring along young grandchildren to enjoy the playground). Hugging Cayuga Lake to Ithaca for 38 miles, the route passes by numerous wineries on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Northwest of Ithaca, stop at Taughannock Falls State Park for gorgeous waterfalls. Just south of Ithaca, explore Robert H. Treman State Park for Instagramworthy snaps of waterfalls and foliage. 38

Route 14 S

Route 14 South from Lyons to Watkins Glen meanders by golden farm fields and small villages, skirts Seneca Lake and family-owned wineries and ends at Watkins Glen State Park. The Windmill Farm and Craft Market in Penn Yan is a bit of a sidetrack on Route 14A, but worth a jaunt for anyone who enjoys artisan crafts, as the market includes dozens of indoor and outdoor vendors on Saturdays. Hike the Glen to discover its 12 waterfalls and terrific

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THIS PAGE The sun rises at a foggy Mirror

Lake in the village of Lake Placid. OPPOSITE PAGE Sis Lake near Old Forge is in the Adirondack Mountains. The entire region makes for a great fall destination.

scenery. Then take Route 414 north to view more scenery on the other side of the lake. Route 431

Whiteface Veteran’s Memorial Highway in Wilmington offers unparalleled views of Lake Placid— along with distant views of Canada and Vermont—from the summit of Whiteface Mountain at almost 5,000 feet. The paved road rises more than 2,300 feet in five miles from the Toll House to the summit. Tickets for two to drive (driver and passenger) to the top is $40. While at Whiteface, consider

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Services include painting, home repair, pressure washing, reliable moving help, and so much more! a gondola ride, cliffside coaster or zipline to further enjoy the season. Seaway Trail

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail, spanning shoreline of the Saint Lawrence River and Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls, includes numerous spectacular views of fall foliage and sparkling water. Choose any portion of the Seaway Trail for a day’s drive, or plan to make a long weekend of it with a stay at B&Bs along the route and dining at the charming farm restaurants and mom-andpop cafes dotting the trail. www. discoverupstateny.com/visit-regions/ seaway-trail Route 28 E

In Old Forge, take Route 28 east to Blue Mountain Lake, which winds through Little Moose Mountain

Wilderness, Sargent Pond Wild Forest, Pigeon Lake Wilderness, and Moose River Plains to enjoy fantastic views of waterways paired with foliage. The drive between Keene and Lake Placid has a few turns, but it is worth the drive. Start in Keene on Route 73 and drive west on Route 73/Cascade Road. Take the first right onto Route 9 North and then a slight left onto Springfield Road/County Highway 83. Take the next left onto Fox Farm Road/County Highway 63. In nearly a mile, turn left onto Olympic Trail/Route 86 and enjoy the views for the next 10 miles as you cruise into Lake Placid. I Love NY, the state’s tourism website, offers a fall foliage report map so you can time your drive for optimal leaf peeping. Visit www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/ foliage-report.

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fall

Discover History

furnished log cabin, and see hand tools of history displayed throughout the museum. nysagsociety.org/witteragricultural-museum • Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome hosts events commemorating the rich history of “the fort that never surrendered.” Fort Stanwix guarded a vital route of both commercial and military importance. Originally an ancient trail linking the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, the six-mile path was part of the route for people traveling between Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Stanwix earned its nickname for resisting a British-led siege in 1777. In addition to touring the historic buildings and viewing their artifacts, guests can also view history reenactments. www.nps. gov/fost

Historic Fort Ontario in Oswego.

Immersive History Experiences By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you’re a history buff, try an immersive history experience this summer. Instead of just reading about history, these sites help you feel like you’re living it through their knowledgeable staff, period appointments and historic venues. ——— • Fort Ontario in Oswego has been a home to military forts since 1755. The fourth and current site (circa 1844) provides tours—both the grounds and the buildings—and periodically features history reenactments and other events. Each building open to the public includes historic artifacts and information. The site also boasts excellent views of Lake Ontario. historicfortontario.com 40

• Indian Village: Six Nations Agricultural Society at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse offers a glimpse of Native American culture. With programming held during the New York State Fair, the designated area of the fairgrounds includes vendors of Native American wares, displays about traditional Native American life, artisan demonstrations, a replica longhouse, and costumed history reenactors engaging in Native dances and other performances. Check the fair’s daily schedule for times. • Daniel Parrish Witter Museum, also at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, includes costumed artisans plying their crafts during the fair. Watch live demonstrations of wood turning and other arts of yesteryear. Peek inside a reconstructed, fully

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• Sackets Harbor Battlefield offers exhibits, outdoor plaques and a restored 1850s Navy Yard and Commandant’s House for both guided and self-guided tours. parks.ny.gov/ historic-sites/sacketsharborbattlefield • Fort Ticonderoga offers visitors a taste of military life in the late 1700s. The historic fort includes reenactments, a museum, specialty tours and boat cruises around the fort. It’s a four-hour drive from Oswego, but worth it for a weekend trip. fortticonderoga.org • The Wilder Homestead in Malone is a must-see for fans of “Little House on the Prairie,” as it is the original homestead of Almanzo Wilder, husband of the series’ author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Tours of the property connect its features to aspects of “Farmer Boy” (Laura’s book) when Almanzo lived there as a young person in the 19th century. The Wilder homestead is listed on the National History Registry and is a Literary Landmark. almanzowilderfarm.com Be sure to check a location’s website as you make plans to visit since most of them schedule their re-enactments and other interactive events. ❖

Art Music Theater Museums History

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history LEFT Covers of “Floor Burns: Love, Passion and the 1967 Syracuse All City Championship,” a five-volume book set discussing the Parochial League, that uniquely Syracuse institution of local legend and lore.

Book Captures A Slice of History of Syracuse ‘Floor Burns’ is a story about a city and its times as told through the filter of a single basketball game between Corcoran High School, a predominately African-American team, against Sacred Heart, an all-white team By Mary Beth Roach

t started out as a book about the Parochial League, that uniquely Syracuse institution of local legend and lore. But over the years author M.C. Antil said that “Floor Burns — Love, Passion and the 1967 Syracuse All

City Championship” morphed into the story of that contest between the Parochial League’s Sacred Heart and the larger Corcoran High School at a time when the city was confronting the same issues that were rocking the country. Corcoran’s was a predominately African-American team and Sacred

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Heart’s was an all-white team from a largely Polish neighborhood on Syracuse’s west side. “It’s a story about a city and its times as told through the filter of a single basketball game,” Antil said in a recent interview. Syracusans of a certain age will remember the Parochial League as a group of neighborhood Catholic High Schools in the city. Their basketball teams, especially, were involved in fierce competitions each season, and many still recall the games, the players, the plays, and the scores long after the schools have closed their doors permanently. The original book, he explained, was to be 10 chapters, one chapter on each of the schools. “But it became somewhat repetitive,” Antil said. “The Parochial League was more than that. I knew there was something better than that. It wasn’t until that meeting with the Nelson brothers that it started to click, that there’s a story here about the city as opposed to about the League,” he said. Al and Marshall Nelson helped to break the color line in the Parochial League when the two AfricanAmerican brothers played for St. John the Evangelist in the 1940s and ‘50s, and it was during these conversations, the author explained, that they started talking about the old 15th Ward, an old neighborhood in Syracuse near downtown and Syracuse University, where many of the city’s AfricanAmerican community lived. It was razed in the 1960s to make way for what was termed progress, urban renewal and Interstate 81. “The more African-American people I talked to, the more it became evident that this is a really special place for them. It was their homeland, their neighborhood and it was gone. This game, these all-city games, the last of

Author M.C. Antil, 67, makes his home in Chicago, but he grew up in Westvale, a western suburb of Syracuse, and attended Christian Brothers Academy.

which was 1967, suddenly became a symbol for them, and it mattered to them deeply,” Antil pointed out. Families were displaced, and many found it difficult to find another apartment or a house. “They were set adrift. They grew very resentful,” Antil explained. That basketball game which pitted Corcoran, a predominately AfricanAmerican team, against Sacred Heart, an all-white team from a Polish neighborhood, became a metaphor, in a way. “It was these parallel worlds that were no longer parallel, but they were on a collision course, and they were crashing headlong into each other, one white and one Black. And so I told the story of the basketball game,” Antil said. Of the book, he said, “I’m going to take you inside these two worlds,” he added, “and I’m going to show you the exact same basketball game through two different sets of eyes, two different experiences. If you have humanity, any human pathos, whatsoever, you will be changed by reading the story.” The book is actually a five-volume set, broken up into what Antil has called First Quarter, Second Quarter, Third Quarter, Fourth Quarter and

Overtime. The first four volumes not only set the stage for that 1967 game, it also sets the stage for that 1967 game, delves into the racial, cultural and political changes occurring in the city in the late 1960s, and explores the changes Syracuse has undergone – and continues to undergo — today. The Overtime volume tells the story of Bob Bregard, who Antil calls one of the most “tragic figures in Syracuse basketball history.” Antil said he had done thousands of interviews and spent hours poring over newspaper accounts, and it’s evident. “Floor Burns” is full of local history and detail — names, places, and photos — and readers, invariably, will learn a lot more about their city or hometown. Antil certainly did. “It’s been an amazing journey for me to learn about my hometown,” he said. The 67-year-old currently makes his home in Chicago, but he grew up in Westvale, a western suburb of Syracuse, and attended Christian Brothers Academy. So how did a CBA alum come to write about the Parochial League? “You don’t have to be a part of something to recognize that something’s special. Just the way people spoke about the Parochial League,” he said. Not only is the book a metaphor, but so is the title, “Floor Burns.” As Antil explained, when players dive on loose balls, their skin rubs against the floor and they get floor burns. “It was reflective of the style of play of the Parochial League, and I’d like to think, the city of Syracuse. Syracuse was a blue-collar, hardworking hustling town that didn’t put on airs, didn’t pretend to be other than what it was,” he said. “I just think ‘Floor Burns’ became a perfect metaphor for both the style of play of the Parochial League and the city that housed it.” Several chapters of the book can be read online at www.floorburnsbook. com, and the boxed set can be ordered from that same website.

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my turn By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Are We Older Drivers a Menace?

efore the COVID-19 pandemic threw a monkey wrench into long-distance driving, I made a 1,000-mile trek to see my son and his family in South Carolina then went on to see some other family members in the Nashville area. At age 80, I thought how fortunate I was to be able to drive long distances without any major consequences or hassles. I was also helping the economy with overnight stays, meals at a variety of restaurants and gasoline to keep my car humming along. While I am dislocating my arm patting myself on the back, some of you may have recoiled wondering why an octogenarian is risking his life and the lives of other motorists by making such a long trip. Shame on you for your ageism thoughts, but on one level I can understand it. Quite frankly, between you and me, when I was in my 50s I thought the same thing when I heard that an 80-something driver was involved in an accident. I even had the misguided notion that there should be an age limit on driving, maybe 75, certainly no later than 80. Once I reached that age, and all was well, I chastised myself for having such stupid ideas. S l o w i n g re f l e x e s , d i m m i n g eyesight and fading hearing can all impair an older person’s driving ability. Many diseases and overmedication also increase the risk of crashes. I guess it is only natural that now that I am at this age myself, I have a different view. I am in reasonably good health. I take an AARP-sponsored driver ’s safety course every three years, and I have given explicit orders to my three children that if they perceive that I am becoming a danger to myself or others, I will go quietly. If I don’t, I told them, turn me in, and take my keys. Let’s face it: Most of us equate the

open road with independence — the idea that we can go and come as we please. Those who can’t drive because of age-related disabilities or reactiontime issues must either rely on others to get them from point A to point B or, basically, stay at home. Some are fortunate enough to have family members serve as chauffeurs; some live near public transportation, and a few others might have the wherewithal to summon a taxi or an Uber or other ride-share service. Like most of you, I started driving when I was 16. I practiced learning to drive in a wide open area between two cemeteries in my hometown. I learned on my father’s 1951 stick shift Chevy panel truck, which he used for our family’s grocery store business. (Oh the memories that were etched in that panel truck, but that’s a story for another day.) When I first got my license, I cruised down my hometown’s main drag and those of nearby communities often with friends sitting on peach baskets in the back of the truck. That’s right. There were no seatbelts. Aside from the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, there were no other seats in the truck. When my dad was in a really good mood, he handed over the keys to his pride and joy: his 1955 red-and-

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white Buick Roadmaster. The automobile was my passport to exploring new communities, new states and cool sites. I remember on several occasions that my friends and I drove from our hometown to Philadelphia — a 120-mile round trip — for coffee and a piece of pie. One of the main points of driving was getting attention from girls. It was something I pretty much took for granted. As I have aged, I notice slight discomforts. I have to stop more often (if only to pee). Depending on the time of day, I can get really tired. It is not uncommon for me on a four-hour trip to Central New York, where I once lived and worked, to pull into a rest stop for a 15-minute power nap. The wave of older drivers and high-profile accidents involving my age group have caught the attention of law-enforcement and state officials, prompting both to call for programs that would aim to allow seniors to keep driving if they can do so without endangering others and themselves. According to USA Today, quoting U.S. Census projections, the number of U.S. drivers 65 and older will jump from 41.7 million this year to 55 million in 2030. Today, about 20% of all drivers on the road are 65 or older, and that number will soon jump to 25%, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. M o re a n d m o re s t a t e s a re implementing additional and more frequent testing of seniors, particularly those who are in my age group — 80 and older. In Maryland, state law allows d o c t o r s , p o l i c e a n d re s i d e n t s , especially relatives, to refer suspected unfit drivers to the Motor Vehicle Administration’s medical advisory board. Police have been referring about 700 drivers a year – about 60% of them 65 and over. In some cases, drivers are retested. A 2004 Florida law requiring older drivers to pass a vision test

Today, about 20% of all drivers on the road are 65 or older, and that number will soon jump to 25%, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. before getting a license renewal has helped cut the death toll among drivers 80 or older by 17%, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The problem in trying to come up with a solution to this touchy issue is that people age so differently that it’s impossible to devise a fair single standard for ending driving privileges. One 80-year-old may be perfectly fine and responsible behind the wheel; another 80-year-old motorist can be a ticking time bomb and a menace to others on the road. Researchers caution against stereotyping older drivers. Thomas Meuser, a gerontologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, told USA Today that most older Americans

are safe and cautious drivers. “The challenge is older drivers with subtle but progressive health issues that affect them without their knowledge,” he said. Mental health practitioners who deal with the elderly caution that driving is important for seniors, particul arly for their sense of independence and self-worth. Seniors passionately resist wanting to become a burden on others. Several studies have shown that grounding seniors who have no other available transportation depresses them, makes them inactive and causes them to lose access to health care, resulting in some cases to an earlier death. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles requires anyone —

regardless of age — who has three accidents in a three-month period to undergo a mandatory road retest. It also requires those between the ages of 25 and 65 who have had three accidents in a nine-month period to fill out a re-examination questionnaire. Based on its findings, the department will decide whether a retest is needed. Those under 25 and over 65 who have three accidents in a nine-month period must take a re-examination. The state DMV also has a program to retest suspect drivers who are referred by relatives or others if there is mitigating evidence to support the need for such a retest. One of the toughest things children must do is to convince reluctant parents to give up their keys. There are many tips for those who must broach this conversation, but they are advised to focus the conversation on specific driving concerns and not on just their age. They are also advised to start a dialogue of addressing these specific concerns and address why they are worrying you by using examples of specific instances such as their fear of night driving or being uncomfortable with driving on the highway.

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach. Putting the needs of my clients first is the approach I believe in. I’ll work with you to find the right financial solutions to help you plan for your unique goals. And together, we’ll track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help get you where you want to go. Randy L. Zeigler, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® Private Wealth Advisor CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner 315.342.1227 97 W. Utica St. Oswego, NY 13126 randy.l.zeigler@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/randy.l.zeigler

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with plaque design) in the U.S. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. © 2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (03/21)

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books

Linda Lowen in a photo taken in July 2021 in downtown Syracuse at M. Lemp Park, corner of West Fayette and South Warren streets. The mural is called “Put the U Back in Syracuse,” painted by Ally Walker.

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A Woman’s Journey Through Life and Central New York Author of ‘100 Things to Do in Syracuse Before You Die,’ discusses her unlikely journey through CNY and how the idea of writing a book about Syracuse came to be BY AARON GIFFORD

here else can you toast the nights of “Ni?” Baum around OzStravaganza? Flock to the mall to view bald eagles. Or see green at an upside-down traffic light? That place, of course, is Greater Syracuse. Local author and broadcast personality Linda Lowen testifies that the Salt City and its surrounding communities is the only place that gave her endless opportunities. Highlighting some of the most interesting features here is her way of giving back. “Large enough to be interesting, small enough that there hasn’t been a tourist/travel guidebook for our city until now,” wrote Lowen. “Let’s get you acquainted.” Lowen’s new book, “100 Things to Do in Syracuse Before You Die,” is available throughout the Central New York region at local bookstores. The 61-year-old author says this book is the closest she has come so far to a novel more than 40 years after her father promised her that if she attended college in these parts she would write professionally. She took some time recently to discuss her upbringing, her career, the events

leading up to the book, and plans to include some day writing that novel as promised. Lowen was born to a Jewish father and Japanese mother in Queens, New York City. That unique combination shaped her sharp sense of humor. The family moved around some, temporarily settling in Lewiston, near Niagara Falls, before Lowen attended college in the Finger Lakes area and later made her way to Syracuse. She loved reading and writing from the start, and by the age of 15 she was published in various publications, including 17 Magazine. It paid $25. Lowen had her heart set on Brown University, but attended Wells College in Aurora on an academic scholarship. While completing her bachelor’s degree, Lowen moved to nearby Ithaca and got a job at WVBR radio station at Cornell University. She was soon promoted to the position of program director, which she only worked one day before senior managers determined that they must be staffed by matriculated Cornell students. She produced commercials for the station and then took a position at the Q104 station in Ithaca, enjoying on-air opportunities. This is where Lowen developed her “syrupy” radio voice that she still jokes about decades later. She AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

loved the station’s album-oriented rock format with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones. But when Q104 changed its format to easy listening (Sergio Mendes and Barbara Streisand), the only benefit to Lowen was that the seven-minute song, “True,” by Spandau Ballet, gave her enough time to run downstairs to the bathroom. “Yeah,” Lowen recalled, “that music was pretty rough.” So back to Wells College Lowen went, this time to work as a public relations representative. The job was

not so bad and Lowen spent two years there, but “I felt like I hadn’t grown up at all.” By the time she was in her mid20s, Lowen felt like she was too far removed from broadcasting and took a decent-paying job as the director of community relations at Tompkins Community Hospital in Ithaca. That job wasn’t what she thought it would be. Instead of writing press releases or pitching stories about the hospital, Lowen spent her time fielding complaints and interviewing doctors, nurses and patients to complete

negligence investigations. “Every day I would go into my car and cry,” she said. So Lowen made her way to Syracuse and enrolled in a master’s d e g re e p ro g r a m i n v i s u a l a n d performing arts. It turned out that the program lacked the concentration in graphic design Lowen was looking for, and she didn’t want to take on more student loans, so she left SU without completing the degree. This is where Lowen was on the brink of leaving Central New York forever. She never imagined penning something someday about how the region was so abounding in opportunities. She was working at Pier One Imports and was about to buy a one-way plane ticket to Hawaii. Then she met the guy upstairs, Jim, whom she initially referred to as “Mr. Green.” They became friends, dated, and were later married. In the book dedication, Lowen wrote: “For Mr. Green, who shows me every day why happilyever-after isn’t Hawaii.” Lowen landed a job in Syracuse as assistant communications director for the National Office of Literacy Volunteers, a cause near and dear to her as she recalled how volunteers had helped her mother develop English language skills. Lowen and Jim had two children (Joanna, now 27, and Mia, now 30). The balance between family and career went quite well for Lowen for a few years, but her world was temporarily turned upside down with an ovarian cancer diagnosis at the age of 33.

THIS PAGE Linda Lowen’s two daughters

— Joanna (left) and Mia — helping mom (center) promote her book. The event was a Mother’s Day book signing on May 8 at the McCarthy Mercantile in downtown Syracuse. OPPOSITE PAGE Book signing by Linda Lowen at Barnes & Noble in DeWitt on May 7. Her book was published the week before.

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ONLY IN SYRACUSE! For each category of the book “100 Things to do in Syracuse Before You Die,” Linda Lowen was asked to name a place in each category that might surprise the average Central New Yorker. Here’s what she provided:

FOOD & DRINK

➼ Lowen preferred just to drop a few hints rather than provide the name. This restaurant is on the west side of Syracuse, is unassuming and not known for elegance. The décor is simple, but the food quality is at another level. The salmon is fork tender. The vegetables are not just an afterthought. The texture of every single piece of food is just right. “Moderate prices and nothing fancy-schmancy; don’t come here to see or be seen. It’s the food — precise preparation, nuanced flavor — simply delightful.”

SPORTS & RECREATION

➼ View one of the largest bald eagle winter roosting areas from, yes, a shopping mall. Destiny USA is located next to the intersection of Onondaga Creek

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MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

➼ Beak & Skiff in Lafayette rocks more than apple picking. Its summer concert series has hosted big-name performers like Ani DiFranco, 10,000 Maniacs, The Decemberists, Bruce Hornsby and the Indigo Girls. The natural outdoor amphitheater can accommodate up to 1,800 people.

SHOPPING & FASHION

➼ Lowen invites you to rally ‘round women-owned retail shops in Marcellus: The Wren’s Den, AnnaBelle Design Company, Olive + Fern (above), and Rummage Heaven. “In this picture50

‘This is a place where people are willing to trust each other,” Lowen said. “Get out of ruts. Walk to a new park. Watch a sports team you haven’t seen before. Try a new restaurant. The hope is that everyone in Central New York is going to cross each other’s path.’ During her treatment Lowen took a great interest in women’s health and women’s issues. She met a like-minded individual in Lorraine Rapp, who worked for 95X radio station. A local National Public Radio affiliate was interested in their perspectives and, in 1996, the weekly live “Women’s Voices,” show premiered. It took off quickly. The duo had no problem lining up big name guests, including Hillary Clinton. Even though they did the show on an unpaid volunteer basis, they continued to grow their audience and hoped for eventual syndication. Lowen and Rapp won a Syracuse Press Club award and found their work on the show deeply gratifying, but they ended the radio program in order to do a paid television show with Time Warner Cable’s channel 13. The TV show was also a success, but it was discontinued after one year along with all other local programs on the station when News10 Now set up shop in Central New York in 2003. “Looking back,” Lowen recalled, “the whole experience was insane—in a good way. Sure, we didn’t get paid for the radio show, but we also didn’t have to pay for the airtime. When the [television] show ended, we didn’t come close to running out of ideas. For one episode we tried to do fly fishing. We looked like idiots, but it was a lot of fun. Only in Syracuse would you get these kinds of opportunities.” Lowen later got a job with the Syracuse PBS television affiliate,

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WCNY. The station offered her a one-hour live weekly shot. Lowen had done live radio, but the show she did for Time Warner was always prerecorded. She was terrified and lost 10 pounds during her first week on the job worried that she’d be a flop. But she proved to be up to the challenge. “You had to learn not to get distracted if there was a humming sound in the background, or if a ceiling light went out. I had to improvise and stay focused on the goal: To take everyday Central New Yorkers and put them in the seat next to you. You can never forget that small-town feel.” Lowen eventually returned to her first love: writing. Decades after getting that first check from 17 Magazine, she was getting published again nationally. She produced about 2,500 pieces of original content about women’s issues for About.com. If it happened to a woman, she wrote about it. Then Lowen took another long break from writing again to do another show with Rapp, this time for the WRVO NPR affiliate. The “Take Care” show ran for five years. Between the back and forth between publications and broadcasting, Lowen set her sights on a simultaneous second career: teaching. She got involved with the Downtown Writers Club at the age of 50. Her initial interest in the organization was to get some direction for finally writing that novel, but instead she found opportunities to share her knowledge of writing nonfiction with others. At the age

Photo via Facebook (Olive + Fern); Secret Syracuse Book (sidebar image)

and Onondaga Lake. The warm water released from a nearby wastewater treatment plant — “you can’t make this stuff up,” writes Lowen — attracts schools of gizzard shad and other fish that the big birds love. Just pull into the rear parking lot of Destiny to catch the action. Up to 50 bald eagles have been spotted in one day. Best viewing is January to March between 7 and 9 a.m. or 4 to 5 p.m.

of 56 she started teaching “micro memoirs,” where participants are challenged to write their life stories in 200 words or less. Moreover, writers were encouraged to write about the most difficult moments in their life. Lowen led by example, of course, and her piece “Letting Go of Signs,” appeared in the New York Times Sunday Styles section in June 2019. Lowen’s ability to write so tight and bright prompted a call from Reedy Press. The publisher had already published more than 100 books about the hot spots in different cities. They wanted a book that was witty and colorful, and not something with too much fluff or padding that looked like it was written by a visitor’s bureau or a tourism office. Lowen took to the task as if she was working on her Ph.D. Larry West, who was Lowen’s editor at About.com, said Reedy Press found the best person possible to write this type of book. He described her ability to connect with readers as remarkable. “She is always focused on the reader,” West said. “It doesn’t matter what the story is about or who the story is about. The audience will immediately feel a personal relationship with her.” Reedy gave Lowen the creative freedom to pick the places and apply her own writing style, but the publisher still required the entries to be categorized — food and drink, sports and recreation, music and entertainment, culture and history, and shopping and fashion. “If I have to have a first book at age 61,” Lowen said, “this is really nice, because people want to read it.” When she is not writing, Lowen enjoys walking and fitness. Before COVID-19, she used to vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, renting a big house where she hosted workshops for her writing friends. The trips were halted due to COVID-19, but Lowen took advantage of the down time, worked out harder, explored new diets and lost 70 pounds. She looks forward to walking pain free on the beach again with her dogs. Lowen cut out sugar and alcohol. She is not big on fruit, but eats tons of

perfect community, eclectic shops are run by women on second careers, juggling families, upcycling furniture, even working fulltime,” Lowen writes. “You’ll need to set aside a whole day for shopping this unique area.”

Secret Syracuse: Second Book Already in the Works Linda Lowen’s book “100 Things to Do in Syracuse Before You Die” has been so well-received that the publisher quickly gave her a contract for a second one: “Secret Syracuse: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure.” And this time, the entire Central New York Community can get involved. Lowen is collecting ideas and story submissions. They can be sent to SecretSyracuseBook.com. Once she selects ideas or submissions, Lowen would interview the contributor and then verify the events through the Onondaga Historical Association’s collections of records or newspapers. Her manuscript is due March 1, 2023. A fall 2023 release date is planned. “[55-Plus] readers are the target audience,” Lowen said.

vegetables. “When you hit 55 or 60, you can see the end in sight if you don’t plan well,” she said. Lowen and her husband live in Jamesville. Although they enjoy trips to southern beaches, they have no plans to leave Central New York. She is brainstorming a few short pieces about Central New York, but still can’t get away from the idea of someday publishing fiction. Lowen loves the idea of writing the story type of her choice, but she can’t promise that it won’t be about Syracuse. Meanwhile, she challenges others to get out and explore what the area has to offer. “This is a place where people are willing to trust each other,” Lowen said. “Get out of ruts. Walk to a new park. Watch a sports team you haven’t seen before. Try a new restaurant. The hope is that everyone in Central New York is going to cross each other’s path.” ❖

CULTURE & HISTORY

➼ At the intersection of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue in Syracuse’s west side Tipperary Hill neighborhood lies the only green over red stoplight in the world (allegedly). It celebrates Irish pride and persistence. The story goes, Lowen writes, that when the light was installed, angry Irish youths grew tired of British dominance of red over green, so the lads smashed the top lens with a wellaimed stone. After each repair, the angry young men broke the red light again. Finally, city officials made the green over red light permanent. A statue depicting Irish immigrants was placed at the intersection in 1997. Each year at 12:01 on St. Patrick’s Day, Irish celebrants paint a large green shamrock under the light. “Only in Syracuse!” Lowen says. ❖

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fitness

Josie Howlett leads a bone builder class at Oneida Recreation Center. She instructs three bone builder classes per week and will soon teach yoga.

Meet the Energizer Bunny of Madison County At 79, Josie Howlett leads bone builder exercise sessions, tai chi for arthritis workshops, and was recently certified to teach yoga. “She just keeps going — and our community benefits,” says a local official By Aaron Gifford

rowing up, Josie Howlett was not too keen on physical education. She was never a star athlete or a marathon runner. And yet, as an older adult she leads the way in showing her peers how to stay fit, mobile and vibrant going into their twilight years. “I was the shyest person in the world, and I hated gym class,” the Bouckville resident recalled with a 52

laugh. “The only sport I liked was badminton.” At 79, Howlett is a shining example that where you’ve been is not always as important as where you’re going. In her case, it is a matter of making sure her fellow seniors can stand on their tip toes to reach for things in higher places, and bend down to pick up anything that falls on the floor. Then the focus increases to maintaining muscles and bones and hopefully being able to recover from a fall with

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the long-term goal of remaining independent long-term. In Madison County, Howlett is the Energizer bunny. She leads bone builder exercise sessions, tai chi for arthritis workshops, and was recently certified to teach yoga. She already has multiple fitness instruction credentials and at one point was so popular that she was hosting courses in every corner of the county. “She just keeps going — and our community benefits,” said

Josie Howlett was not an athletic type growing up but got interested in wellness and exercise after she took some classes. “I loved the classes, but I felt like I could do more,” she says. “Also, I loved helping people. Helping people helps me. So I decided to get certified.”

Annette Clark, director of Madison County Office for the Aging’s Retired Senior Volunteer program director. Howlett has shared her time with the organization for 12 years now. She earned certified fitness trainer credentials at the age of 70. Shortly after her retirement from a long career as a medical record transcriber, Howlett decided to attend a bone builders exercise class. She was hesitant to do so, having never been a fan of fitness, but she was worried about hereditary osteoporosis. The instructor, who was 80, had an infectious personality. Howlett was immediately hooked. “I loved the classes, but I felt like I could do more,” she said. “Also, I loved helping people. Helping people helps me. So I decided to get certified. Once in a while I’ll see someone on Facebook who is 94 years old and still doing this. That’s what keeps me going.” Howlett instructs three bone builders classes per week. In the past,

she has instructed as many as four per week. Her most popular site is Perryville, a small hamlet between Cazenovia and Chittenango. On any given session, Howlett leads an audience of a dozen or more. Bone builders consists of functional exercises, often incorporating the use of weights, to help seniors stay limber and move to the best of their ability. One of Howlett’s favorite regulars was a 96-year-old blind woman (now deceased). The instructor has always maintained a good sense of humor and keeps the classes fun. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Howlett taught classes via Zoom meetings. She is currently halfway through an ongoing session of tai chi classes, four weeks down, four more to go. While the main aim of tai chi for seniors is to help manage arthritis, Howlett emphasizes that the movements are also excellent for maintaining balance. Howlett has not started her yoga instruction yet, but she’s excited to offer something that might be the exact fit for many people. “With tai chi, you can get the same results as yoga, but it’s gentler. But at the same time, I think there are some folks who want something that is more challenging, like yoga,” she said. Regardless of the class type, Howlett’s goal is to get as many older adults as possible to keep moving. “Muscles are the movers of your body,” she said. “People think just going up and down the stairs is enough. It isn’t.” Howlett recommends walking and exercising with resistance bands. Getting enough calcium and watching

portion sizes at meal time is also very important. She has regular bone density scans, and is proud to report that her scans are improving due to her fitness levels. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to weaken and even become brittle. Age is a significant factor as bone tissue is constantly being broken down and replaced, and over time it’s difficult for new bone tissue to keep up with the loss of old bone tissue. According to the Mayo Clinic, osteoporosis-related factures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. The condition affects men and women, but the highest risk is among post-menopausal white and Asian women, according to the Mayo Clinic. A healthy diet, certain medications and weight-bearing exercises like the ones taught in bone builders classes can prevent bone loss and strengthen existing bones. The American Bone Health o rg a n i z a t i o n w e b s i t e p ro v i d e s comprehensive resources to learn more about osteoporosis and other bone conditions that affect older adults. It notes that the “T score” is an essential tool for post-menopausal women to detect their risk of bone density problems, and the “Z score” is a tool that can be used by children, young adults, men younger than 50, and pre-menopausal women. The organization also has a 10-year fracture risk calculator that is recommended for all men and women older than 45. Visit Americanbonehealth.org for more information.

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volunteering Group Renovates Syracuse Home for Congo Refugees By Mary Beth Roach

any Central New Yorkers know Operation Northern Comfort as the hosts of the Crawfish Festival held annually in Syracuse. However, in addition to serving up these crustaceans, this dedicated team of volunteers, many of whom are 55 or older, renovates homes for those in need, takes on a variety of other projects for those facing hardships and assists other nonprofits. For the past few months, several volunteers had been working on a house on Oak Street in Syracuse for a family of new Americans. It had been the homestead of Rev. Anthony Keeffe, who served the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse for more than 55 years. He and his sister had willed it to All Saints Church, on Syracuse’s east side, with the stipulation that it be used for a family of new Americans. The church contacted ONC and asked if the group could fix it up. Its new residents, who are now calling it home this summer, are from the Congo and had spent about 12 years in a refugee camp. The organization was originally founded in 2006 as Operation Southern Comfort by Norm Andrzejewski, of Liverpool, following the 2005 Hurricane Katrina as a means to help the victims of this crisis. Andrzejewski had earned his master ’s degree in public health from Tulane University. While there, he and his wife, Maureen, had become good friends with his neighbors. As Operation Southern Comfort, the organization estimates that did more than 60 mission trips with 2,500 travelers between 2006 and 2012, to Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and North Carolina. They have built more than 1,300 desks for students in need and 70 ramps and lifts for homes. Around 2012, the group refocused its efforts on the needs in the Central 54

Norm Andrzejewski, 81, of Liverpool, is the founder of Operation Northern Comfort. The nonprofit renovates homes for those in need. Next to him is Joyce Reap, a board member from Manlius.

New York community and rebranded themselves as Operation Northern Comfort. Andrzejewski, 81, stepped down as head of the group earlier this year, replaced by Laurel Flanagan, in her early 50s, of Cicero. Andrzejewski, Joyce Reap, a board member; and several other volunteers talked about their involvement with the organization and the work they had been doing at the Oak Street home. Reap, 72, of Manlius, has been involved in ONC almost since the beginning. She has made several trips to the South and has been an integral

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part of the Crawfish Festival for years. She recalled that Andrzejewski had come to her church to give an informational talk on the project and try to secure some volunteers. Her original plan that particular evening was to simply attend the meeting, she said. But by the end of it she had signed up to go. Throughout that trip, she was overwhelmed by the thankful spirit of the people in New Orleans. “I had never been in an experience like that in my whole life,” she said. “The experience of being there and seeing people who had gone through

LEFT Property at 1124 Oak St. in Syracuse is now home to a family of refugees from Congo. It was the homestead of Rev. Anthony Keeffe, who served the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse for more than 55 years, and was renovated by members of Operation Northern Comfort.

that, but still had incredible gratitude. They have gratitude and they had faith.” Terry Jerman, 73, of North Syracuse, had similar feelings when he made his first trip with members of the group to North Carolina several years ago. His wife, who knows Andrzejewski through their volunteer work at North Meals on Wheels, mentioned the North Carolina trip to Jerman. It sounded like fun to him. So he called Andrzejewski and agreed to go. What Jerman found was more than fun. “It was so fulfilling,” he said. “It’s hard to explain.” The one-time owner of a painting company, Jerman still finds himself with a paint roller in hand, working on a room at the Oak Street home. Jeff Dunnewold, 56, of Cicero, had retired from his job at Lockheed Martin on a Thursday this past spring. The following Monday, he too, was

holding a paint brush and helping to paint and spackle at the house. An active member of the Pitcher Hill Community Church, he had attended a retreat with his church once, where he said he learned that one of his gifts was volunteering and helping people. He admitted that he was taken a little by surprise at this finding, but “over time, I became more open to it.” Dunnewold said, “When it got to the point when I realized my wife and I were both going to retire at a relatively young age, it was like ‘I can almost have a whole second career in my life and what do I want to do with that? I’d like to help different organizations, figure out what I have an affinity for.’ This week, I started dipping my toe in the water.” Or dipping a brush in a can of paint. When his wife, MaryBeth Dunnewold, 57, retired in 2017 from

Lockheed Martin, she became involved in various organizations. Her work with Literacy CNY acquainted her with many new Americans. Her intent, she said, was to help them, but she realized she was reaping benefits, as well. “I would come out of those classes so energized. That population in our community is a special place in my heart. I know how wonderful it is for them to be here and for us to be able to do something that’s literally giving them a life.” And it’s comfort they have provided to such groups as the PGR (Poised, Gifted and Ready) Foundation, an organization that was established in 2014 for girls aged 6 to 18, to provide resources and mentorship opportunities. Its founder and president, Debra McClendonBoddie, became familiar with ONC in 2013 and has been so impressed with the organization, she joined the board in 2015. She explained that she was trying to find opportunities for the mentees in her program to do community service. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, McClendon-Boddie had expressed her concern to Andrzejewski about her mentees having the appropriate arrangements to do their schoolwork. Members of ONC made 50 desks for the PGR Foundation. The girls and their families stained them. The ONC went on to find chairs for them as well. “They just rally together and find folks — or folks find them — to make sure they can stay in their houses, live a good quality of life. The legacy of their program is in line with the mission that I’m trying to instill in the girls that are part of mine. It’s just a win-win,” McClendon-Boddie said. The question often comes up as to why the volunteers keep on going, Andrzejewski said. “Every time I turn around, I work with somebody who just energizes me. That’s the way the organization is. We’ve been fortunate to attract super people.”

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real estate Should You Sell Your Home Now? Sellers are benefiting from sky-high prices of homes. Experts offer tips to get more for your home By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s it worthwhile right now to sell your home and downsize? Area real estate agents say that the market is still in the seller’s favor, making it a good time to consider moving, especially if the next home is not as costly. “ A s w e h a v e s e e n , w e a re experiencing one of the best sellers’ markets ever,” said William R. Galloway, real estate agent and owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego. “This is an excellent opportunity to sell your home for the maximum value. There is still limited inventory which have helped to increase property values. With interest rates on the rise, it is wise to list and sell your property now before the market begins to slow.” It appears the Tom Galloway market has peaked for sellers, according to Faye L. Beckwith, real estate agent and owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. Her advice? Sell now. “It doesn’t appear that the market is going to go up more,” Beckwith said. “Inventory is increasing. Days on the market is increasing and we are still getting multiple offers, but fewer than in the past. “My concern for sellers is, I hope the buyers won’t dry up because of the increased interest rates,” Beckwith said. In the past, she has seen rates as high as 18%. Although interest rates have risen in the past several months, they are by comparison still very reasonable. “But having them being so very low in the recent past, it’s hard for buyers. I think if they wait, the market will slow enough that they won’t have 56

the number of buyers we’ve had in the past 18 months or so.” Especially once the market loses momentum, sellers may need professional help and listing with www. realestate.com or www.cnyrealtor. com. Beckwith said that most buyers perusing these sites have already pre-approved their financing and are working with a real estate agent, both steps that make the transaction move faster. She added that buyers like these sites because they have a larger pool of homes to view and because they are accurate. “They assure us that data is updated every 15 minutes,” Beckwith said. “The other sites frequently have wrong information.” The likelihood of a bidding war is greatly increased when several buyers are interested in the same property, Beckwith said. “It’s a great time to be a seller. I’m in my 38th year. I’ve never seen a market like this and don’t expect

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to see one like this ever again. Jump on the bandwagon and go for it. The time has never been better for sellers.” Still, she believes that to make the sale easier and the price higher, “look to a realtor who has experience and good training,” Beckwith said. As summer wanes, it is still a good time to sell. Faye Beckwith “Everything looks gorgeous with the greens and flowers,” Beckwith said. “There’s all the fixing up and landscaping people have done. It’s great this time of year.” Sellers who do nothing to improve their homes usually receive less than their neighborhood’s sales prices. To get the very most for the home, sellers should consider upgrading the most important, expensive facets of their

“I’m in my 38th year. I’ve never seen a market like this and don’t expect to see one like this ever again. The time has never been better for sellers.” Faye L. Beckwith, real estate agent and owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal.

home, like the roof, furnace, hot water heater and any foundation or basement remediation work. “Save any receipts to prove what you have had done,” Beckwith added. While these basics should be covered, it is not vital to overhaul the entire home to bring it up to date. “If your house isn’t a showplace, it’s still sellable in this market,” Beckwith said. “People are often concerned about selling ‘as is,’ as it may be dated, but the demand is there. It’s sellable.” For sellers who want to upgrade their homes to get the very most for them, the kitchen and bathroom are the top areas, along with good curb appeal. Touches such as contemporary style, granite counters and clean lines predominate, along with low-maintenance landscaping, attract today’s buyers. Staging the home is also important. Sellers should consider renting a storage unit for their extra things and remove family photos. This helps the home look larger and enables potential buyers to see their own family living there. Homes should also receive a deep cleaning, especially to eliminate odors such as mustiness in the basement and pet odors in the carpets. Touching up small flaws such as dings in the woodwork and repainting the front door also make a home look well-maintained.

golden years By Harold Miller Email: hmiller@mcsmms.com

America’s Not-So-Green Energy Transition Plans The International Energy Agency warns of the hidden environmental costs of going green

he Int ernational Energy Agency, the world’s source of energy information for governments and partially funded by the U.S., has entered the debate over whether the U.S. should spend trillions of dollars to accelerate the “green” transition favored by the government. The plan encompasses using far less hydrocarbons (oil, natural gas and coal) which today supplies 84% of global energy needs. The IEA recently published a 287page report that reveals the hidden environmental costs of going “green” as the plan proposes. The report assembles a largely ignored aspect of the energy transition. It requires mining industries and infrastructure that doesn’t yet exist. Wind, solar and battery technologies are built from an array of “energy transition minerals” that must be mined and processed. The world may not currently have the capacity to meet such demands. There are no plans to fund and build the necessary mines and refineries. And, if it was pursued at the quantities dictated by the goals of this energy transition, the world would face daunting environmental, economic and social challenges along with geopolitical risks. The IEA stipulates up front that advocates of the transaction never mention that green energy machines use far more critical minerals than conventional-energy machines do. A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car, and an onshore wind plant requires nine times more mineral resources than a gas-fired power plant. And that is to bring wind and solar to within a 10% share of` the world’s electricity needs.

The IEA finds that with a global energy transition, as our government envisions, demand for key minerals such as lithium graphite, nickel and rare-earth metals, mining must increase by 4,200% to meet the need. We find that China has 80% of the global supply and the U.S.A. is not even a player yet. Spooling up production can’t happen overnight. It has taken, on average, 16 years to move mining projects from discovery to first production. This would put this program close to mid-century. The IEA may be the first agency to flag the geopolitical risk of this problem. Today the oil and gas market is characterized by diversity. The top three producers (the U.S. among them) account for half of the world supply. Well hidden in the IEA report is a warning of “the high emissions of energy transition minerals or ETMs.” It is the key factor in determining whether or to what degree a clean energy machine actually reduces carbon dioxide emissions on net. In other words—obtaining energy transition machines could wipe out the emissions saved by driving an electric car. Another important factor is that these so-called “clean energy” or “green” programs must be global to be effective. Right now, as things stand, Europe is at war. How do we work around that? The IEA’s report sums up the matter of clean energy: “The role of critical minerals in clean energy transitions,” is devastating to those ambitions. A better title would have been: “Clean Energy Transitions: Not Soon, Not Easy and not Clean.”

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charity Checking Out Charities Don’t get scammed, donate to legitimate charities By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

hether you call it good luck, fortune, blessings or karma, sharing what you have with a charitable organization is a good thing to do. But knowing how your gift will be used represents an essential part of donating. Make sure the organization is legitimate, whether you are donating online, in person or by check. One way to do this is to give through an existing, well-known group like Central New York Community Foundation or United Way. These organizations vet the groups to which they disburse funds so you can feel secure that your money will go to someone that will use it for the cause they claim. “Gifting to a charity for a cause you care about is an act of faith in that organization,” said Thomas Griffith, vice president, development at the Central New York Community Foundation. “Sometimes, the donor knows an organization well, but other times it may be an organization they are just learning about or that is helping with a one-time need like relief for a specific disaster. In either case, donors benefit from the due diligence that the Community Foundation performs when making grants for our fundholders by knowing the recipient organization is in good standing.” CNYCF’s donor-advised fund is its most common tool for lifetime giving. Griffith said that donors can make tax-deductible contributions to their fund when they need to and then distribute those resources to charitable organizations over time. “We can also help identify organizations that match your c h a r i t a b l e i n t e re s t s a n d o ff e r individualized service and strategies to help you carry out your goals and suggest ways to increase your impact,” he added. 58

Giving through an organization like CNYCF streamlines the donation process and makes recordkeeping much simpler. An endowment fund can be included in the donor’s estate to create a legacy of support to important causes that continues forever. In the last fiscal year ending March 31, CNYCF distributed $18.1 million. The total distributed over the organization’s history is more than $250 million. Fraudsters like to masquerade as legitimate concerns and have become very good at doing so. Spoofing technology allows them to appear to call from the same phone number as a trusted charity. It is easy to copy a charity’s letterhead for a postal solicitation. Many scammers try to fool unsuspecting people with an email

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using the same logo and links that direct people to a webpage mimicking the real one. Never give your financial information over the phone. Doorto-door or email solicitors can claim whatever they want. However, if you give to the organization directly, that is safer. Some scammers insist they receive donations in cash (a bad idea) or in checks made out to them. Checks should be written out to the organization, not one person. The safest way to donate is to give directly to the organizations you know—and not through a link posted on social media or sent to you in an email (most real charities will not email an initial request, although some follow up with an email to previous contributors).

“Because some of these charities have gotten so big, we’re seeing more interest in keeping dollars local and investing in charities where you can see the impact,” said Leyla Z. Morgillo, certified financial planner with Madison Financial Planning Group in Syracuse. If you are looking for a new organization, start with a cause dear to you. Ask a trusted friend who is familiar with the organization and looking at their board listed on the website. For local charities, you should recognize some board members as area businesspeople and contact them from their business’ phone number to ask about the organization. If possible, volunteer with them to get to know their mission and needs. While financial gifts are always welcomed, you may have a possession that could also benefit their cause. You should also check the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org) and Charity Star, (www.charitynavigator.org) for information on larger charities. Robert A. Rolfe, financial adviser with Harmony Financial Services in Oswego, encourages givers to identify

the organization’s mission, which should be publicly available. “Their Form 990, which is a public document, shows if they’re a 501(c)(3) organization,” he said. The charities with 501(c)(3) designation have been approved for tax-exempt status and are legitimate in the eyes of the IRS. Search for the organization by its employer identification number at apps.irs.gov/ app/eos or call 877-829-5500. Rolfe encourages potential donors to ask for the organization’s financial statements.

GOT SCAMMED? If you believe you have been scammed, contact the Department of State at www.dos. ny.gov or 1-800-697-1220; the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP; the New York State Attorney General at 1-800-771-7755 or www.charitiesnys.com.

“It’s helpful that a lot of organizations have an annual report,” Rolfe added. “If it’s a major donation, look at their audit and results. I’d want to talk with the executive director or resource development director so the cause I’m trying to support is in fact going to happen with the support I’m going to give them.” CharityNavigator estimates that most organizations use about 75% of their budget for their cause with the remaining 25% supporting administration (15%) and fundraising costs (10%). While this varies by organization, percentages wildly different should raise concern. You should also have the contact information for the organization, including a physical address. Search online for complaints against the organization. In addition to searching with the IRS site, to check the Better Business Bureau’s search tool, https://www.give.org, and to see if a charity is registered in its state, look it up on the website of the National Association of State Charity Officials (www.nasconet.org/resources/stategovernment).

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

life after 55 By Michele Bazan Reed Email: bazanreed@hotmail.com

In Metropolis, Illinois, Katie (left) and Michele posed as Superman and Supergirl.

Take Delight In Detours

alph Waldo Emerson said, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” As families begin traveling this summer for the first time since the pandemic began, I’ve been thinking about his words. How true they are. In my family, we have our own motto: It’s not just the journey, it’s the stops along the way. N o w, I d o n ’ t m e a n t h o s e “necessary” stops we all hunt for on a road trip — which seem to be more frequently needed as we age. Our family has a history of seeking out the little detours, off-the-beaten track distractions, roadside attractions. When the kids were growing up, we’d crisscross the country by car, traveling for fun or to conventions and conferences related to Bill’s hobby of military history. These journeys took

us to Baltimore, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Pennsylvania Dutch Country. As our son and daughter grew, there were road trips to soccer tournaments, band performances, academic programs. Then they headed off to college and longer road trips beckoned. Mike was on the Varsity Blues, the University of Toronto’s football team, and we wouldn’t miss a game. Katie’s college education took her to Ohio, Missouri and Florida, before getting her first teaching job near Salt Lake City. Since she was studying trombone, the road trips multiplied, as we headed to football games, where she marched with the band, and music recitals. And with each new school, the moving company of Mom and Dad, Inc. was on the job. Those destinations were important, those journeys, special. But we always

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A short drive west of Oswego, you can visit the preserved remnants of the home of 19th century spiritualists, the Fox Sisters.

managed to sneak in a little detour. To be honest, the kids and I were the instigators. Bill, tasked with getting us there safely and on time, really didn’t appreciate our pleading for a course diversion. But, being a good sport, he usually gave in. My personal favorite was the trip moving Katie from Kansas City to Florida. We started our trip with a detour to St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch. At 630 feet, the stainless-steel behemoth is the world’s tallest arch. We enjoyed a magical evening attending a concert with Katie’s favorite band at the time, on the levee of the Mississippi, in the shadow of the arch, then at dawn, we marveled at the beauty of the sunrise glinting off its polished surface. Then on to Metropolis, Illinois, the home of Superman. In front of the county courthouse there stands at 15-foot-tall bronze statue of Superman, painted in his iconic red, blue and yellow superhero tights and cape. We goofed off, posing in Superman and Supergirl cutouts and enjoying the murals around town with Clark Kent and other characters from the famous comic books. Katie’s not the only child who inherited my love of turning off the beaten track. In 2012, Bill and I took a “barbecue tour of America” with our son, Mike. We drove out to Kansas City, where we met up with Katie who, being a vegetarian, didn’t really care about the barbecue leg of the tour. We enjoyed Arthur Bryant’s famous barbecue, joining the daily line that snaked down the block. Next, we headed down the Mississippi to Memphis, where we enjoyed Memphis style ribs with white bread and beans on Beale Street. Then on to Nashville with more barbecue and heading to Virginia, then home. Along the way, Mike and I persuaded Bill to stop at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Mike’s always been an automotive enthusiast, and I can’t resist a good detour. We spent an hour touring the Corvettes on display from original 1952 models to the present day. A few weeks after our visit, a huge sinkhole opened up under the museum, swallowing eight of the

Bill tries out his best Clark Kent imitation at a Metropolis mural.

rarest Corvettes. The museum declined to restore them, put them on display in their damaged state. Sans kids, Bill and I continued the tradition, making part of our journey home from one Kansas City visit to Katie on Route 66, just to “get our kicks” there. We were enticed by billboards into going miles out of our way for an Elvis Museum. It turned out to be a gas station, with an attachment displaying some Elvis memorabilia and selling ’50s-themed tchotchkes. A Route 66 fridge magnet and full tank of gas later, we were back on the road. We should have learned our lesson from that, but a similar advertisement for the “Dick and Jane Museum” led us off the beaten track to another gas station, this one adorned with vintage classroom posters from the iconic readers of our grade school days. It was a nice trip down memory lane. You can do it, too, closer to home. On her recent visits home, Katie and I have sought local roadside attractions — historic markers, monuments to

famous Central New York people, haunted sites. We’ve visited the Mary Walker statue at the Oswego Town Hall and further afield, sought out the remnants of the home of the Fox Sisters, 19th century spiritualists who inspired a whole movement before admitting to faking their ghostly visitations. Just west of Oswego in Hydesville, it was a beautiful drive on Route 104 West and twisty country roads, while listening to a spooky podcast detailing their story. At Mexico Point Park, we found a monument to Silas Towne, a Revolutionary War spy, who overheard British General St. Leger discussing plans to attack Fort Stanwix at Oriskany. Silas hurried down to the fort, warning General Herkimer of the planned attack. The approach to Spy Island, where Silas heard the news, was for one fitter than I, but we managed to catch a glimpse of it through the surrounding trees. Whether near home or afar, the beauty of life’s journey really is in the stops along the way.

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druger’s zoo By Marvin Druger Email: mdruger@syr.edu

Drugs Have Helped Us Live Longer Lives

ills are part of almost everyone’s life. Who doesn’t take a multivitamin pill or a baby aspirin or a vitamin D pill or Lipitor or something else? The cost of many drugs seems exorbitant, even though part of this cost is often covered by insurance. I once had lunch with a major executive at Merck pharmaceutical company. He explained why the cost of drugs is so high. He told me that, for the thousands of drugs that they initially start developing in the lab, only one may eventually come to market and it may take 12 years of research and development to get it there. If a drug seems promising, it has to be tested thoroughly and undergo clinical trials before it can be approved. Major steps have to be taken for a drug to gain approval. Then producing the drug in large quantities, assuring quality control in production, giving the drug a unique name, marketing the drug — all of this costs a lot of money and the manufacturer needs to make a profit on eventual sales of the drug. Naming a new drug is an art unto itself. The company that developed and tested the drug gives it a generic and a brand name and has a patent that lasts about 20 years from the date of filing. When a patent expires, generics can be marketed by other companies, with the approval of the Federal Drug Administration. For example, ibuprofen is the generic name for a non-steroidal, antiinflammatory drug used to relieve pain and fever. That generic name has the brand names of Motrin, Advil, Genpril and Nuprin and is made by almost 100 companies. To avoid accidental misuse, companies also have to consider name similarities of drugs. The names of drugs can be intimidating. Would you want to take any of these drugs: Tobramisona, Spersacarpine, Aprazolam, Lamividine, Zylagren, Ramidex,

Cyclobenzaprine, Venlafaxine or Tetrazepam? I think I’d rather be sick. Every drug has some potential side effects. Even aspirin has a potential for causing stomach bleeding in some people. Oftentimes, a particular drug has weird, seemingly unrelated side effects. A drug that is taken for enlargement of the prostate gland in men can cause a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, dizziness, back pain, blurred vision and tooth problems. This should not be too surprising, since every part of the body is connected. Mess up one body part and you are likely to mess up some other part. The FDA requires that manufacturers state possible side effects in drug advertisements. When you watch TV commercials, you may notice that the possible side effects of a drug are often stated very rapidly, like a long laundry list, along with some peaceful, distracting scenes. You may easily miss that one possible side effect of the drug is “death.” Indeed, the FDA is considering much shorter statements of side effects and sticking to the major ones.

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But can we live without medicinal drugs? Can we survive a cold without taking some sort of antihistamine to relieve symptoms? Can we survive the chronic backache without taking some sort of pain reliever? Can we live happy lives without drugs? Probably not. The human body is an amazing s t ru c t u re t h a t h a s re m a r k a b l e properties of self-healing. But selfhealing is often not enough. We often need drug interventions to stay healthy and keep body parts functioning well for as long as possible. Manufacturers have to consider naming a new drug, so that it is unique and can’t be easily mistaken for another drug. The size, shape, color and form of the drug also has to be considered. Does it matter if we take the drug in the morning or at night, or with or without food? I am often amazed that tiny pills may have a profound effect on the body. Each morning, I gulp down a large, coffin-shaped multivitamin pill, along with an attractive, gelatinous vitamin D3 pill, and a tiny safety-coated, baby aspirin. As small as it is, the baby

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE

Oneida County Health Department 315-798-5747 • ocgov.net/health

aspirin has an “81” printed on each safety-coated aspirin pill, indicating the dosage. I can’t imagine a drug-free world, but I can imagine the development of pills that perform miracles. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. There are more than 200 different types of cancer, but they all trace back to a defect in a single cell that can no longer control its division process. The cell multiplies wildly and spreads the malignancy throughout the body, leading to death. Suppose we had an anti-cancer drug that would get at the core of the cell division process and stop all cancers. I think that a very promising approach to dealing with cancer is to find a drug that will boost the natural immune system of the body. I can’t believe that the billions of dividing cells in our body divide flawlessly every time. The cell division process must go wrong many times in many cells, but the immune system recognizes these abnormalities and destroys the deviant cells. It’s only when an abnormally dividing cell

somehow evades the immune system that it can grow incessantly and lead to cancer. After all, the immune system enables bacteria that normally inhabit our body to live, but the immune system will recognize and destroy foreign bacteria that invade the body. Why can’t we somehow boost the immune system so that it more readily recognizes potential cancer cells and wipes them out before they take hold? Scientists are working on this approach to cancer. The No. 1 killer in the U.S. is heart disease. Suppose we had a drug that would cure heart disease. Suppose we had a brain pill that would cure Alzheimer ’s disease. I’m not suggesting drugs that would alleviate symptoms, but drugs that would actually cure the conditions. Pharmaceutical companies are always trying to find these blockbuster drugs that offer cures, but also make profits. There are many economic and social consequences of drug manufacturing. If we find more miracle drugs, how does that effect the growing population of elderly people, and does

the earth have enough resources to support such growth? We already have an example of such a phenomenon. In 1900, the life expectancy at birth of men was about 46 years and the life expectancy of women was about 48. Because of modern medicine, improved hygiene and other factors, the life expectancy of men in the U.S. is now about 76 years and the life expectancy of women in the U.S. is about 81 years. How much more increase in the human lifespan can we tolerate? Yet, we have to go on making more and better nursing homes, programs for the elderly and sick people, and developing new drugs to keep people healthy and happy and enable them to live longer lives. You may ask, why bother? Why not let people live their naturally allotted time on earth and not be propped up and kept alive by drugs? That’s because we are all involved in this amazing process called life and a mission of human beings should be to care for each other and make our brief time here as healthy and happy as possible.

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visits

By Sandra Scott

EXPLORING YATES COUNTY WINE ALONG THE FINGER LAKES

➼ YATES COUNTY IS LOCATED IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION of New York, midway between Pennsylvania and Lake Ontario. It borders on three of the Finger Lakes: Seneca, Keuka and Canandaigua. The county seat, Penn Yan, gets its name from a compromise by early settlers who arrived from Pennsylvania and the New England area: “Penn” for Pennsylvania and “Yan” for Yankees. The county is host to a large agricultural base that also includes a thriving Mennonite and Amish population. Some of the various types of agriculture include dairy and crop farms, grape vineyards and apple orchards. Yates County hosts a variety of events from Yoga on the Lake, live music at a variety of venues, arts festivals, along with Cruising Night and Block Party.

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

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

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in the Underwood Museum. There are seasonal guided walking tours. In Dresden, learn about Robert Ingersoll, an influential orator and free thinker who was ahead of his time. 2. DRIVE ABOUT Yates County is the perfect place for a scenic drive-about. The rolling hills are dotted with vineyards. There are many scenic lookouts with views of the lakes. Take notice of the variety of architecture. There are nine cobblestone houses, some of which are on the National Historic Register, along with several saltbox houses. There are wonderful examples of Greek Revival, Federal, Gothic, and Italianate styles of architecture. 3. TRAILS There are many trails to walk but the most popular is the Keuka Lake outlet trail where one can hike, bike, horseback ride, snowmobile or crosscountry ski. Follow the trail from Penn Yan to Dresden and enjoy the scenery and waterfalls. Among the other trails in the area bird watchers will want to hike one of the trails at TownsendGrady Wildlife Preserve.

4. WINE TIME Yates County claims to be the largest grower of wine grapes outside of California with over 5,000 acres of vineyards. There are more than 30 wineries. The county is part of two wine trails: the Keuka Lake Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. There is a winery for every oenophile. Besides wine tasting and sales, some wineries offer tours and have onsite cafes. Some are open year-round. 5. CRAFT BEVERAGES There is more than wine to enjoy in Yates County. There are several craft beer breweries. Some are licensed New York state farm breweries, meaning that the beer must be made primarily from locally grown farm products. Each brewery has its own distinctive flavor. Several offer cider, too. The Lyon Smith Brewery creates beer in the English tradition. Check out its unique gaming tables. There are several distilleries, including O’Begley Distillery, featuring Irish-style pot whiskey. 6. CULINARY There are several great restaurants in downtown Penn Yan plus most of the wineries and breweries have small cafes. If it is sweets you are looking for, you are sure to find in it at the Keuka Candy Emporium, an old fashioned candy store with all the old favorites sweets, including a soda bar and old fashioned ice cream counter. The Spotted Duck is a local favorite for duck egg custard that visitors can enjoy while watching the ducks.

Seneca Farms is another local favorite offering ice cream and chicken. The most unique culinary experience is the “Not your typical Upstate Mennonite and Amish Tour” that includes a home cooked meal with a Mennonite family. 7. ARTS The Yates County Art Center has a storefront on Main Street in Penn Yan. Artwork is on display but it also includes the Flick Gallery; Rosenfeld Studio where they hold workshops; and Sunny Point on Keuka Lake where most of the seasonal workshops are held. Sunny Point includes housing for visiting instructors and artist residencies. Also on Main Street in Penn Yan is Starving Artist Woodwork, offering many items crafted from recycled materials. The nearby Potters Gallery features the works of over two dozen potters using a variety of methods. 8. WATER AND RAIL TIMES There are several parks and some, like Keuka State Park, have a beach. Kayaks and boat rentals are available at several locations. Keuka Lake is known for lake trout and bass fishing. There are also bike rentals. For a unique dry land adventure check out Rail Riders. Learn about the history of the area while peddling the five miles of rails through the countryside. 9. THE WINDMILL The Windmill Farm and Craft Market hosts over 175 vendors. There is truly something for everyone including great food, fresh produce,

FROM LEFT Kayaks and boat rentals are available at several locations along Keuka Lake. Visitors also have many options to taste local wine —photo shows a glass of wine at Fox-Run Vineyard. Many trails are avaialable. OPPOSITE PAGE A relaxing view from a beach along Keuka State Park.

flowers, custom cabinetry, furniture, fashion, local wineries, artistry, gifts, micro brews, entertainment, and so much more. The Windmill offers many on site dining options from full restaurants to unending snack options. With six wineries, a brewery and a distillery, The Windmill is a one stop destination for tastings. Admission is free and there is plenty of parking. 10. THE UNIQUE The World’s Largest Pancake Griddle hangs on the outside wall of the Birkett Mills buckwheat mill. On Sept. 27, 1987 it cooked a two-ton pancake. The batter was poured into it by a sterilized cement mixer and flipped with the help of a construction carne. It was topped with 15 gallons of syrup and 68 pounds of butter. Truly a hidden gem, Garrett Memorial Chapel on Bluff Point, is on the National Historic Register. The Norman Gothic church is nestled in the woods overlooking Keuka Lake.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 – 55 PLUS

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By Mary Beth Roach

Paul Lear, 64 Long-time manager of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Oswego discusses his tenure, the fort’s historic relevance

ort Ontario was in every war in history from the French and Indian War to the global war on terror. Q. How long have you been working at Fort Ontario? A: I’ve been here twice. I worked here from 1986 to 1992 as interpretative programs assistant. I ran the Fort Ontario Guard, all the interpretive programming, special events, exhibits, all sorts of things. On Oct. 1, 1999, I came back as manager of the fort. I got the restoration plan program going again, I rebooted interpretation. Q. What are your responsibilities? A: Overall command of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site, responsible for all aspects of its operation.

online now. Fort Ontario is unique in its length and diversity of history. Most historic sites are a battle — very much one-dimensional. But Fort Ontario? There are more dimensions than you can imagine — you’ve got the French and Indian War; the Revolutionary War; the War of 1812; the Civil War; World War I as a hospital; then the New York National Guard, with the [present] Army. And the refugees. There’s no place like this. An Army Reserve company maintains a center here. They continue the military history of Fort Ontario Military Reservation that dates back to 1755.

Q. What is your favorite part of the job? A: When the public walks through the door. That’s the best time.

Q. What about The Safe Haven? A: It is called the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum. In history, there was nothing called Safe Haven. That’s a modern term for the museum that I helped open up in 2002. It was called the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter.

Q. After so many years at Fort Ontario, what is it about the job that keeps you interested, keeps you engaged? A : We d i s c o v e r s o m e t h i n g old about the fort every day. It’s a phenomenal time to be a historian because of all the resources that are

Q. What are some of your accomplishments or programs that you’ve put in place during your tenure as the manager? A: I have opened up more parts of the fort to public viewing enjoyment in my tenure, I think, than anyone. Every

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underground casement is now open. All the buildings are open; there are a few rooms that are closed. I restored the guardhouses and furnished them, modernized the exhibits; and restored the powder magazine. I developed special events that are pretty unique. I established the Fort Ontario Conference on History and Archaeology. That was a measure I took to try to advance the reputation of Fort Ontario on more of a national scale. Everything I’ve done is to try to elevate the prominence and awareness of Fort Ontario. Q. What are three things about the fort that might pique people’s interest and encourage them to visit? A: To learn that it’s the birthplace of United States refugee policy, it’s where the first group of refugees was allowed into the United States outside the immigration quota system. All refugee historians trace the beginning to Fort Ontario. It’s literally where the Holocaust came to America. It’s where everyday Americans—Oswegonians first met the victims of Nazi persecution and learned their stories and became their advocates. Holocaust stories, because of Fort Ontario, were moved up to the front page of American newspapers. The fort and Oswego were very significant in the French and Indian War, as well. In 1941, the Harlem Hellfighters were sent here. They were converted from infantry to aircraft artillery. That’s a real milestone in the civil rights movement — the Harlem Hellfighters being converted to a technical [United States Military] field here. It’s also where the first group of Buffalo Soldiers was assigned to duty east of the Mississippi in 1908. (The “Buffalo Soldiers” is a term which has become synonymous with all AfricanAmerican regiments formed in 1866 and the nickname came from Native Americans.) Q. Why do you think it’s important to have a museum like Fort Ontario? A: It was preserved as a shrine to those who’d served and sacrificed for our country, for our freedom. Once people get here, part of our mission is to educate them, to share its history, to raise awareness and let them learn about history and things that happened here, [and] try to inspire them.

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