55 Plus CNY, #97: February – March 2022

HOW DOES SOCIAL SECURITY WORK WHEN A SPOUSE DIES? 10 N.Y. MUSEUMS YOU HAVE TO VISIT P. 47

FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS FOR 2022 P. 14

IS IT TIME FOR AN EAR EXAM? P. 36

PROF. ROBERT GREENE PUBLISHES 20TH BOOK P. 21

Issue 97 – February / March 2022

For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

cny55.com

The Multifaceted

CHRISTIE CASCIANO NewsChannel 9 anchor wears many hats: author, podcaster, columnist and a news commentator on a local morning radio show. She talks about her career, how she juggles all her acitivities and her relationship with TV personalities Dan Cummings and the late Rod Wood.

P. 28

Had a Stroke.

Back on Stage.

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

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

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FACE DROOPING

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ARM WEAKNESS

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

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

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

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

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

T.

TIME TO CALL 911

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! BroadwayInSyracuse.com

55 PLUS | contents

HOW DOES SOCIAL SECURITY WORK WHEN A SPOUSE DIES? 10 N.Y. MUSEUMS YOU HAVE TO VISIT P. 47

FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS FOR 2022 P. 14

IS IT TIME FOR AN EAR EXAM? P. 36

PROF. ROBERT GREENE PUBLISHES 20TH BOOK P. 21

Issue 97 – February / March 2022

February / March 2022 Story ideas?

Information about advertising?

Email editor@cny55.com or call 315-342-1182.

For Active Adults in the Central New York Area

cny55.com

To subscribe to the magazine, look for the coupon on page 37. Thanks!

The Multifaceted CHRISTIE CASCIANO

NewsChannel 9 anchor wears many hats: author, podcaster, columnist and a news commentator on a local morning radio show. She talks about her career, how she juggles all her acitivities and her relationship with TV personalities Dan Cummings and the late Rod Wood.

P. 28

12

ON THE COVER

Chuck Wainwright photographed Christie Casciano Dec. 29 on the NewsChannel 9 set in E. Syracuse.

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SAVVY SENIOR 6 12 55 PLUS COOKS

40

45

28 COVER

• Mark Cole of Oswego is a retired SUNY Oswego professor. He shares his risotto with herbs recipe

• NewsChannel 9 anchor Christie Casciano leads a very busy life, on- and off-air. Here’s how she does it.

14 FINANCES

34 ESSAY

financial resolutions for 2022

• Contributing writer Barbara Pierce asks: are you looking for love in 2022?

16 FITNESS

38 HEARING

• Gaining muscle at 55-plus requires a unique exercise regimen

• If you are ‘of a certain age,’ it may be time for a hearing examination

19 PROFILE

40 GROUNDHOG DAY

• Bob Greene, longest-serving Cazenovia College professor, publishes his 20th book Donna DeSiato, — about the Bush administration 71, was named 24 BOOK Superintendent • Sharon L. Hann’s book “Hope Faith of the Year by the Love” is a collection of plays handwritten New York State at her Auburn kitchen table Council of School Superintendents

• When the weather-predicting groundhog visited Central New York

GARDENING 8 DINING OUT 10 AGING 22

MY TURN 36 • Local financial planner discusses DRUGER’S ZOO 43 LIFE AFTER 55 45

LAST PAGE

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55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

47 NYS MUSEUMS • 10 must-visit art museums in New York state (including The Everson Museum of Art)

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savvy senior

By Jim Miller

How Does Social Security Work When a Spouse or Ex-Spouse Dies?

I

f your deceased spouse or ex-spouse worked and paid Social Security taxes and you or your kids meet the eligibility requirements, you may be eligible for survivor benefits, but you should act quickly because benefits are generally retroactive only up to six months. Here’s what you need to know.

Under Social Security law, when a person who has worked and paid Social Security taxes dies, certain members of that person’s family may be eligible for survivor benefits, including spouses, former spouses and dependents. Here’s a breakdown of who qualifies.

• Widow(er)’s and divorced widow(er)’s: Surviving spouses that were married at least nine months are eligible to collect a monthly survivor benefit as early as age 60 (50 if disabled). Divorced surviving spouses are also eligible at this same age, if you were married at least 10 years and did not remarry before age 60 (50 if disabled), unless the marriage ends.

How much you’ll receive will depend on your spouse’s earnings that were subject to Social Security taxes made over their lifetime, and the age in which you apply for survivor benefits.

If you wait until your full retirement age you’ll receive 100% of your deceased spouses or exspouses benefit amount. But if you apply between age 60 and your full retirement age, your benefit will be somewhere between 71.5% – 99% of their benefit.

There is, however, one exception.

Surviving spouses and ex-spouses that are caring for a child (or children) of the deceased worker, and they are under age 16 or disabled, are eligible to receive 75% of the worker’s benefit amount at any age.

• Unmarried children: Surviving unmarried children under age 18, or up to age 19 if they’re still attending 6

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

high school, are eligible for survivor benefits too. Benefits can also be paid to children at any age if they were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. Both biological and adoptive children are eligible, as well as kids born out of wedlock. Dependent stepchildren and grandchildren may also qualify. Children’s benefits are 75% of the worker’s benefit.

You should also know that in addition to survivor benefits, a surviving spouse or child may also be eligible to receive a special lump-sum death payment of $255.

• Dependent parents: Benefits can also be paid to dependent parents who are age 62 and older. For parents to qualify as dependents, the deceased worker would have had to provide at least one-half of the parent’s financial support.

But be aware that Social Security has limits on how much a family can receive in monthly survivors’ benefits — usually 150% to 180% of the worker’s benefit.

Switching Strategies Social Security also provides surviving spouses and ex-spouses some nice strategies that can help boost your benefits. For example, if you’ve worked you could take a reduced survivor benefit at age 60 and switch to your own retirement benefit based on your earnings history — between 62 and 70 — if it offers a higher payment.

Or, if you’re already receiving retirement benefits on your work record, you could switch to survivors benefits if it offers a higher payment.

You cannot, however, receive both benefits.

You also need to know that if you collect a survivor benefit while working, and are under full retirement age, your benefits may be reduced depending on your earnings – see SSA. gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf.

cny55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto Associate Editor Steve Yablonski Writers & Contributors Deborah J. Sergeant, Aaron Gifford Christopher Malone Mary Beth Roach, Margaret McCormick, John Addyman Columnists Bruce Frassinelli, Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, Marvin Druger Michelle Reed Advertising Amy Gagliano Cassandra Lawson Office Manager Kate Honebein Layout & Design Joey Sweener Cover Photo Chuck Wainwright 55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc.at 185 E. Seneca St. PO 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

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gardening

By Jim Sollecito

Sometimes Changing Direction Refocuses our Goals

A vintage tricycle with a basket of annuals adds a garden focal point. Now’s the time to start planning for spring.

M

y buddy and I have been trying to get to Siberia ever since a Russian beat my International Game Fish Association fly fishing world record two years ago.

Evidently Russia grows larger fish than I found in a sparkling Canadian Arctic river.

A light ignites in me to go somewhere primitive, the kind of place you’d see in a battered yellow-bordered National Geographic magazine, to do something I’m passionate about.

However, I am not reckless about chasing that inner light. Once again, I’ve decided to postpone my Atlantic Salmon fly fishing trip to Siberia.

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55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

For safety and COVID-19 concerns; it is just not prudent to attempt that trip this year. Maybe next. Those fish will be a bit bigger next year while hopefully I’ll be about the same size.

Heeding tales from others who have recently ventured beyond our borders and despite being vaccinated and boosted, I am just not comfortable taking unnecessary chances. I remember contracting malaria in India years ago. That was not enjoyable.

I’m not keen on getting hung up somewhere user-unfriendly for 10 days waiting to pass a test. And maybe the local culture includes pay-offs to get the desired results. Don’t think it doesn’t happen. I don’t want to be

surrounded by faked verification.

It’s funny, I’ve gone places that I’ve never fully come back from. I find myself gravitating to places where some form of bicycle is many people’s primary means of transportation.

And it always makes me smile. It reminds of the freedom I experienced exploring my own world growing up.

I’m comfortable with a simpler way of life but I am uncomfortable with a bribery culture.

Trusting our gut becomes more reliable with age. More accurately, our gut becomes more astute with experience and knowledge. No biggie; there are other fish to fry.

Changing my focus to a different adventure, I have decided to renovate my own landscape vista. I will plant a lot of trees and improved varieties of shrubbery on our farm to screen, frame and enhance the new barn I will build. With deliberate consideration, I will situate these plantings a sufficient distance from the proposed structure well before construction begins. This will include elevation considerations, soil composition and topography disturbance. All this precise planning stirs my creative juices.

My attention has shifted from elusive fish to results-oriented landscape design. Putting pencil to paper is actually fun. It is daydream time. Winter is an etching. Spring will be a glorious watercolor.

Excitedly starting our 49th year in business this year, I invite you to experience life in full bloom this spring. That time is right around the corner. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.

How about you?

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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The Brazville at The Brasserie in Camillus: a Nashville-inspired hotand-fried chicken sandwich ($16).

Dining Out RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Christopher Malone

Getting Down to Brass Snacks

T

Camillus bistro find the best of old worlds

ownship 5 in Camillus is quite a convenient spot. It’s a mixed-use development filled with a movie theater, places to shop, various offices, a major big-box retailer and a plethora of places to eat.

After ground was broken and the vision came in place — why bother ever going to a mall?

Aside from chains, the mall certainly doesn’t have The Brasserie.

When the restaurant moved in in 2015, two things crossed my mind: it’s nice to see a local restaurant open up and not be fazed by neighboring chains.

The second, I definitely confused its name meaning French bistro for a French word for an undergarment.

I broke up the review into two parts: takeaway and dine-in. Feeling iffy myself and the state of the recent COVID-19 surge, breaking things up 10

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

seemed appropriate. For all the readers eyeballing the plates, this is why they don’t look alike.

There were three starters that immediately caught my eye: the arancini, the greens and French onion soup. The five fried and golf ballsized risotto balls ($11.50) were very crispy with a perfectly soft, hot and cheesy center. There was also shaved parmesan included to join in on the culinary fun. The roasted red pepper sauce was a great complement although there wasn’t enough of it for each of the arancini.

The greens ($13) was hot and fresh, served with French bread bites. The escarole was crispy and the garlic and butter was prominent. The creeping heat is great for spice lovers and fine for those timid of it. It’s easily shareable among three or four people.

The crock of French onion soup

($7) did not disappoint. Although the gruyere cheese wasn’t pouring over the side of the bowl, there was enough of it. The cheese literally blanketed the piece of bread soaking up the savory broth. The bread looked comfortable — like we all should be during the winter months — wrapped up and all nice and cozy in a cheesy blanket.

The soup did not shy from the pieces of onion either. There were plenty of them with each bite.

The chipotle turkey panini ($14) checked a lot of flavor boxes with the roasted turkey, pieces of bacon, cheddar and the noticeable chipotle aioli. The only complaint is that I wish it were larger.

When I think of a panini, my mind goes to bread slices and not a roll.

Considering the option didn’t hold back on flavor, it definitely had me craving more.

Instead of fries, I opted for the apple craisin slaw, which lived up to its name with each of the two ingredients to sweeten up the side slathered in mayo.

Take Nashville. Take The Brasserie.

Put them together for the Brazville — a Nashville-inspired hot-and-fried chicken sandwich ($16). Between the two sandwiches, this was my favorite.

The chicken was perfectly fried and each half sat in a roll with coleslaw and fried pickles. It wasn’t overly spicy either. The balance was obviously there just like its crunch.

For a couple bucks, I upgraded to garlic truffle fries, which didn’t hold back on the garlic. The house fries boasted skins and were just as good as leftovers the following day.

Finally, the shrimp and pesto risotto ($18), which I enjoyed in-house with the soup. The risotto dish could make other risottos green with envy.

The Italian rice dish was wonderfully soft and cheesy. Pesto is a strong flavor but there was just enough there to not be overpowering. Plus, the risotto was a pale green because of it.

There was a plethora of lightly sautéed shrimp, too. After getting halfway through and beginning to feel full, I hit the pause button to enjoy this another day.

Before tip, the total of all the food came to $93.61, which isn’t too shabby for that much food. Kudos goes out to The Brasserie for making it convenient to dine in and take away food. Ordering food was a smooth process, and a huge thanks goes to their maintaining a clean, comfortable environment to dine in.

The greens ($13) was hot and fresh, served with French bread bites. The escarole was crispy and the garlic and butter was prominent.

The chipotle turkey panini ($14) checked a lot of flavor boxes.

The Brasserie 200 Township Blvd, Suite 20, Camillus, NY 315-487-1073 | brasseriecny.com facebook.com/brasseriecny instagram.com/brasserieCNY/ Sun. – Mon.: Closed Tues. – Thurs.: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Fri. & Sat.: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.)

The crock of French onion soup ($7) did not disappoint. Although the gruyere cheese wasn’t pouring over the side of the bowl, there was enough of it.

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

11

Mark Cole, 70, is a playwright, actor and director. He retired from SUNY Oswego in 2014, where he served as a professor in the theater department for 35 years.

consuming our rehearsal days were, the communal time at dinner was a sacrosanct ritual. We sat around three tables pushed together for a meal at 5:30 each day. So in addition to the shows we put on, four musicals in 10 weeks, dinner was also a production.’’

As a graduate student in New York City in the 1970s, Cole cooked simple meals for himself. His busy work schedule and evening show schedule didn’t allow for the preparation of elaborate meals, but he continued to collect recipes. He began cooking in earnest again after his father died in 2005, for both his mother and him. “Since my work often took me out in the early evening for theater rehearsals, I was adept at whipping up a fast dinner for my mother — like broiled fish or a pasta dish.’’

In retirement, Cole continues to explore new sources for recipes and take chances on them. He enjoys the planning and prep time as much as the meal itself.

Mark Cole, Oswego

By Margaret McCormick

F

or Mark Cole, hosting and preparing dinner for guests is like a theater production — something he knows very well.

First, he considers the season and chooses his players, the ingredients, accordingly. Next, he thinks about scripts (recipes) for the occasion, and acts, or courses. Before the curtain rises on his entrée, there might first be a seasonal soup or salad and a loaf of homemade bread. After the main course comes an intermission, to clear the set and set the stage for the finale (homemade cheesecake, perhaps, or chocolate mousse or a seasonal fruit dessert).

Everything is well rehearsed, but he always leaves room for improvisation.

Cole, 70, of Oswego, is a playwright, actor and director. He

12

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

retired from SUNY Oswego in 2014, where he served as a professor in the theater department for 35 years. He also served as department chairman from 1995 to 2009.

He learned to cook from watching his father, “an inventive cook,’’ and his mother, an enthusiastic baker, and got a “crash course in cooking’’ as a college junior, while doing summer theater in Auburn.

“The 18-member troupe lived in a double house. I, who lacked culinary skills but was a quick learner, volunteered to work with an experienced cook to plan and prepare the dinners. We stocked the kitchen with suitable breakfast fare and folks were on their own for lunch,’’ he recalls. “The director insisted that the group dine together every night of the week. No matter how time-

How would you describe your cooking style?

“Living in an area that is known for the drama of the seasons, my approach or style relates to seasonal produce. I try to capitalize on what is available locally. I also like to be wellrehearsed, knowing that improvisation may be a necessity. I also enjoy recipes that use plenty of herbs. For me there can never be enough rosemary or tarragon.’’

What’s your favorite thing to cook on a weeknight?

“This depends on the season. In the summer and fall, I like sauteed or grilled fresh vegetables, often with some chicken or fish. In the late spring, when asparagus is fresh and local, that’s the go-to vegetable: night after night, grilled, roasted or lightly sauteed, with some Parmesan cheese.

Some version of butternut squash soup is a must during the colder seasons. I like to have seafood at least twice a week: cod, sauteed or baked; broiled scallops or broiled haddock, topped with panko, shallots and tarragon.”

What do you like to cook when family or friends come over?

“Probably my favorite is risotto (see recipe, below) along with grilled chicken on skewers, marinated in lemon and fresh tarragon. Add a green salad and maybe a seasonal soup. In the summer I like to grill pizza, with the guests helping with the toppings.

I often bake bread: either a no-knead whole wheat yeast bread or an Irish brown bread. I save dessert-making for the times I have company.’’

NOMINATE a 55+ home cook for this feature!

Email details, including contact information, to Margaret McCormick at mmccormickcny@gmail.com

What have you been cooking during the pandemic?

“Like many other folks, I did a lot with beans. Also, farro and vegetarian dishes. My sister-in-law steered me to a vegetarian chili from the website Cookie and Kate. It’s excellent.”

W h a t ’s y o u r f a v o r i t e r e c i p e resource?

“My favorite resources include ‘Joy of Cooking,’ the website Cookie and Kate, cookbooks by Ina Garten and Tyler Florence and The New York Times food section — the comments are often just as interesting, educational and entertaining as the recipes themselves.

And of course, some friends who are very good cooks are a source of inspiration and usually willing to share a recipe.’’

What’s your favorite place to shop?

“Here in Oswego, Price Chopper, especially for seafood; Ontario Orchards and our farmers market for produce; Garafolo’s, for meat, and Green Planet Grocery. For a splurge, I do a mail order from Organic Prairie.’’

Risotto with herbs is Mark Cole’s favorite dish to cook when he has family or friends over for dinner.

1/3 cup dry white wine 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (simmering in a saucepan; you may not use it all) 1 heaping tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (rosemary, sage, thyme)

Risotto With Herbs

1 tablespoon butter (to add after

Once the ingredients are organized and laid out, the actual cooking happens in about 25 minutes, at the stove. I like this recipe because you can add something like roasted cherry tomatoes or baked butternut squash, honey nut squash or pumpkin depending on what’s in season. Sauteed asparagus and sugar snap peas are also tasty additions. —Mark Cole

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup arborio rice

cooking) Salt and ground black pepper, to taste Sweet basil, as garnish Melt butter (or use olive oil) in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook over low heat until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and keep stirring for another minute.

Add the rice, increase the heat to medium and keep stirring. The standard advice is to stir until the rice

begins to look chalky and you can see a white dot in the center of each grain (three to four minutes).

Add the white wine. Keep stirring to prevent sticking as the wine is absorbed.

Begin to add the stock, about a halfcup at a time, and keep stirring.

It’s important that each half-cup is absorbed before you add the next.

Halfway through the process, toss in the fresh herbs. When about 3 cups of stock have been absorbed, begin to taste the rice (probably after about 20 minutes of stirring). The rice should be a little firm to the bite, tender but not mushy. Add more stock as needed to get the rice to the point where it is still firm, but close to the consistency that you want.

Remove rice from the heat. Fold in one tablespoon of butter. Gently fold in parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the risotto to stand for a minute before serving. Garnish with basil. Makes 4 servings.

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

13

finances Financial Resolutions for 2022 A little planning now gives peace of mind later

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

he beginning of a new year can represent a good time to make a few resolutions, whether it’s to get in better shape, lose a few unwanted pounds or fine tune your financial plans.

Here is what a few area financial experts recommend to improve your fiscal fitness: “It’s a good idea to look at your debt. If you have a mortgage or auto loan or student loans if you cosigned for a child, or credit card debt, look at what you’re paying in interest. You may be able to refinance it. Interest rates are lower than they’ve been in some time for the last 20 or 30 years.

Some people might be paying 5% to 6% but have equity in their home and get it down to 3%. If you refinance a mortgage, you go off assessed value of the house. Your house might be worth

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55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

a lot more than it was two years ago.

“You could examine some of your life insurance or other types of insurance that may have been needed while you had a family counting on you. If there’s not necessarily a need for insurance, it might make sense to stop paying for it, like a term insurance policy at age 35 for 30 years. Or a whole life policy where you don’t necessarily need it. You could surrender it or roll it into a different type of insurance vehicle, depending on the terms.

“Develop a plan for Social Security. For a lot of folks, Social Security, especially with dual-income households, is a big chunk of their retirement income. Sometimes people think when they retire, that’s when they claim Social Security. That may make sense but if two people are retiring at 62, it may not make sense for both to do it. My general rule is if you

have a reasonably healthy couple, the spouse with the better pay should wait until age 70 to claim Social Security.

“It’s worthwhile to come up with a budget and see how much money you are actually spending each month. It’s amazing how many people will add up all the expenses they can think of that seem common and ballpark that as a number, but they’re missing a lot of things. A lot of people who have an older home might think they spend $7,000 a year, but they really spend $8,500 for a one-time expense of siding.

But next year, it was another ‘one-time’ expense of $7,000 for a down payment on a car. Every single year, they have a ‘one-time’ expense for something.”

— Ethan Gilbert chartered financial analyst, certified financial planner and partner at Rockbridge Investment Management in Syracuse

David D. Mirabit

CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, Senior Financial Serv Investment Advisor R

Ethan Gilbert

“Change your mindset. When we think about saving for retirement, most of us think about the end goal, the total dollar amount we’ll need, the lump sum. Before you retire, you’ll want to figure out how much of that amount you’ll be able to use each month or each year. This will help you in thinking of your retirement in terms of an income stream and not just a dollar amount.

“Consider all your income sources.

Your retirement plan may not be your only source of retirement income. When you’re figuring out how much income you’ll have once you’re retired, be sure to include pensions, Social Security payments and other investments or savings in your calculations. You can find out how much you’ll get from Social Security by visiting www.ssa. gov.

“Think about the best time to start taking income. Most retirement plans won’t allow you to take withdrawals before age 59-1/2 without incurring penalties, but also require that you start taking income by age 70-1/2.

Social Security payments increase the longer you wait, but only up to a certain point. You may want to talk to your financial professional to make sure you’ll be able to make the most of your money and benefits while still meeting your needs.

“Remember taxes. If you are contributing to a traditional retirement plan right now, you’re putting money into your account pre-tax. That means you’ll have to pay taxes on both the contributions and any earnings when you withdraw the money. On the

David Mirabito

other hand, if your contributions go into a Roth account, any money you withdraw at retirement will be tax-free, since you already paid the taxes on it.

Keep that in mind as you develop your income strategy.

“Understand your withdrawal options. When you’re ready to withdraw money from a retirement account, you have a number of options to choose from: fixed dollar amounts (you withdraw the same amount of money each month, quarter, or year); fixed percentage (you take out the same percentage of your portfolio each time, so your income will depend on how much you have in your account); or investment earnings only (you take out only what your account has earned in the last month, quarter, or year. This leaves your principal untouched).

“If you need help developing a retirement income strategy that fits your specific needs, always contact your financial professional. He or she is happy to work with you to ensure that you can look forward to retirement with confidence.”

— Kurt M. D’Angelo, financial consultant, Equitable Advisors in Syracuse

Fulton, NY 13069 (315) 592-3145 dmirabito@financialg Kurt M. D’Angelo www.financialpartne possible, you want to spend money on things that are important or meaningful to you. We all have family obligations.

No one’s money is 100% his own, but don’t be a financial martyr. Spend on things you love to do and by all means enjoy them.

“Make sure if you’re still working that you have an opportunity to save in a retirement plan. Take advantage of the tax incentives. Take advantage of an employer match. It’s also wise to save money outside of a retirement plan. “ Ta l k t o a n y i n v e s t m e n t professional and he or she will talk about financial diversification. Don’t have all your money in one investment or one stock or if something goes wrong, you’re in deep trouble.

“Don’t invest it all in your business.

It may be very difficult to get out of.

“I encourage people to review whatever insurance policies they have in place, whether life, disability or long-term care. It is not morbid to do that. We’re all going to die someday. It’s realistic. Make sure your policies are sufficient and there are no unpleasant surprises down the road.

Check on beneficiaries.

“A lot of times when people are in their 50s, they think about downsizing and possibly moving. Don’t go in headfirst. Go in a little at a time. I’ve helped many people retire and I’ve always encouraged them, ‘Don’t just buy a house somewhere South. See if you’ll like living there.’”

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“I want people to ‘gain muscle’ and ‘lose weight’ at the same time, which can be done.

“Get a financial checkup. Make it just as religiously as you do getting an annual physical checkup. It should include a few things, like ‘What happens if I live?’ You want to review quickly what your living expenses are.

It’s not just for the idea of eliminating things. Life is short. As much as

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

15

fitness Gaining Muscle at 55-Plus We all lose muscle mass as we age, but local trainer say people can grow muscles if they are willing to follow an exercise regimen

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

P

eople begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade beginning at age 30, according to Harvard Medical School.

Most men will lose 30% of their muscle mass over their lifetime.

But that does not mean that it is impossible to fight the effects of aging on muscle mass.

“You can still grow muscle after 55,” said Jennifer Johnson, certified personal trainer and owner of Fearless Fitness in Baldwinsville. “It may not be as much when you get older, but if you’re lifting heavy enough, you can grow muscle.”

She said that training changes, but the basic mechanisms of gaining muscle remain the same. She advises many of her clients who are 55-plus to increase the amount of weight they are lifting because many lift too little.

“Women especially are afraid they will get too big and bulky,” Johnson said. “That won’t happen.”

She encourages clients to push themselves just enough to grow

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muscle, but not so much that they are at risk for injury. It should not cause pain while lifting, but “you will be sore the next day, showing that you are growing muscle,” she said.

Changing the routine can help muscle growth instead of doing the same thing repeatedly.

“You need to create muscle confusion which keeps your body on edge,” Johnson said. “Do heavier weight, try something different and you’ll see results faster instead of just doing light weights over and over.”

She mixes up her clients’ routines with fitness bands, kettle bells, free weights and more for 30 minutes.

In addition to the additional muscle, clients gain better bone density, balance and functional strength for activities like picking up grandchildren or bags of groceries.

“It helps you feel better, especially if you’re a senior who’s living alone,” Johnson said. “You have social contact and physical aspects. It’s like a mini therapy session.”

The notion that people mid-life

and older cannot build muscle “is what society has taught us, and that’s sad,” said Randy Sabourin, certified personal trainer, medical exercise specialist and post-rehab conditioning specialist and owner of Metro Fitness, Syracuse and Fayetteville. “You can build muscle at any age.”

While he acknowledged that there are orthopedic and muscular changes as we age and perhaps the ghosts of previous athletic injuries, Sabourin sees no reason why people 55-plus cannot build muscle.

“Seventy percent of premature death in mature age is lifestylerelated,” Sabourin said. “Heart attack, stroke, diabetes, most falls, fractures: any serious injury pretty much is caused by the way we live. ‘Normal aging’ really isn’t normal. We’ve set the bar really low.”

He thinks that people need to continue exercising strenuously as they age to continue to stay strong and fit instead of riding around in a golf cart for two hours or puttering in the garden as “exercise.”

“If you’re just starting, you should get a personal trainer to know how to lift weights,” he cautioned. “As we get older, if you’re just getting into it, you do want to understand that you have to increase the workload to put enough stress on those muscles to break down.”

As the muscles heal from those microtears, they become stronger, especially when supported by proper nutrition provided in a balanced diet.

At age 56, Sabourin still bench presses 200 pounds, runs and takes spin classes. Last summer, he bicycled to Vermont. He has a student in her 90s who performs dumbbell exercises on one foot. He encourages clients to “find something you enjoy doing. Find a strength sport. If you lift three days a week, that’s minimum, in between, do things like cycling, skiing, tennis, racquet ball or kayaking, where you use your muscles.”

A few of the challenges older adults face while working out is the need to stay hydrated and well-nourished while muscles repair. Sabourin said that these aid in recovery.

“I’ve seen some seniors not drinking water like they need to,” he said. “I have them put rubber bands on their water bottle and every time they finish it, they take a rubber band off. They start with four and the goal is to start with six. They carry the water bottle with them everywhere.”

He also advises leaving a full water bottle by the bedside to encourage drinking it even before breakfast.

Most older adults struggle with stiff joints or physical reminders of old injuries. To accommodate these, Sabourin encourages swimming as a good means of supplementing resistance training since swimming is not weight bearing and is thus easier on the joints. Using an elliptical machine or stationary bicycle is also gentler than many other activities.

Varying the activities can also give achy joints a break.

Many Medicare plans include discounted or free gym memberships for people 65 and older. Most communities’ high school gyms offer discounted or free community use hours.

“There are a lot of opportunities for seniors to have free gym memberships, which can free up some money to get some classes or a trainer,” Sabourin said.

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17

Bob Greene is robed for an induction ceremony for Alpha Chi, the national student honor society, which he advises.

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profile College Professor Publishes His 20th Book Longest-serving faculty member at Cazenovia College writes about the presidency of George W. Bush, reflects on 40-plus years teaching at Cazenovia

By Aaron Gifford

I

n 1979, John Robert Greene saw a classified ad in the local paper: Central New York school on a lake seeks part-time radio station adviser.

In the four decades that followed, Cazenovia College expanded from a women’s junior college to a four-year coeducational institution. Academic programs were added, new facilities were built and the school was attracting students from across the country. The black boards made way for the white boards, which later made way for power point presentations and online learning.

And yet, professor Bob Greene, who was named the college’s first endowed program chairman 21 years after he answered that ad for a radio station adviser, never wavered in his approach to teaching.

“Teaching has not changed at all,” Greene, 67, said in a recent interview.

“It’s a human being that knows things that the audience doesn’t know.

That hasn’t changed since Plato was

Bob Greene: Forty-two years teaching at Cazenovia College.

standing under a tree and teaching.”

Greene loves writing as much as he does teaching. His 20th book, “The Presidency of George W. Bush,” was published recently. His previous books include works on Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H. Bush. He’s considered a scholar on the American presidency and is a sought-after subject matter expert on that topic. He has also been a regular panelist on WCNY TV’s “The Ivory Tower” political talk show for 17 years.

Since COVID-19, the Chittenango resident has taught remotely. He’s selfproclaimed “trapped at home” because of his vulnerability to the virus. While reflecting on his past, Greene noted he never strayed too far from home, anyway.

The Syracuse native grew up in the Valley neighborhood. He spent much of his free time at the Betts Branch Library on South Salina Street, reading each of the Hardy Boys books and as many autobiographies as he could get his hands on. He dreamed of writing for a living someday. Upon graduating from Christian Brothers Academy in 1973, Greene was ready to consider enrolling at LeMoyne College or Syracuse University like so many of his classmates, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to look at a smaller Catholic college in the rural corner of southwest New York.

“I made the decision on the scenery, or call it a gut feeling, but it really looked like something out of the Sound of Music,” Greene said of the Allegany countryside and the St. Bonaventure University campus.

He began as a history major and briefly considered a career in law before gravitating toward teaching. He

got jobs subbing in Allegany County and in neighboring communities in northern Pennsylvania.

He enjoyed the classroom setting immediately, but eventually becoming disheartened with the curriculum and objective.

“What discouraged me was the regimen of having to teach to the [New York State Regents] exam,” he said.

“That’s not what I thought it would be.”

Greene returned home to work on advanced degrees at Syracuse University, earning master ’s and doctorate degrees. He was still a student there when he applied for the job at Cazenovia College 42 years ago.

The radio station adviser job, much like the high school teaching job, was not what Greene imagined. But this time, he did not get discouraged and made the most of the creative freedom the undergraduate institution allowed him.

“I loved it,” Greene recalled of his early days on the small, scenic Madison County campus. “But I didn’t realize how much of a rookie I really was. With teaching, I’d say it takes five to seven years to learn the craft.”

Greene had to polish his public speaking skills in order to lead amateur disc jockeys and news readers by example. That hands-on experience in the station motivated him to design more effective classes. He went on to write books about public speaking and the college and its students benefited immensely from the synergy between the professor’s writing and teaching styles.

“Writing books became the groundwork for teaching an audience,” he said.

Greene has an affinity for teaching FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

19

public speaking, a skill that is all too often underappreciated in this digital age. He said it’s a joy to watch a student’s confidence grow with a few pointers and plenty of practice: If your hands feel jittery, rest your finger tips on something before you begin talking.

If your voice is shaky, drink a few sips of water. If you tend to talk too fast, record yourself and realize how silly it sounds, a sure corrective measure before your next live appearance.

“Every single person who speaks is nervous,” Greene said. “But the difference is, with the accomplished public speaker, you can’t see that they’re nervous.”

He also helps students develop critical thinking skills. He has no interest in teaching a course where the students just memorize the history or events or text book definitions.

“We want debates in the room,” he said. “What is your political ideology?

You are teaching them how to think

Different Take on George W. Bush’s Presidency In his new book, “The Presidency of George W. Bush,” Cazenovia College professor John Robert (Bob) Greene presents a perspective that differs markedly from the negative judgment most of his colleagues have passed regarding the presidency of George W. Bush. Working through Freedom of Information Act requests to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and the National Archives, the author unearthed a trove of newly released information and documents that include some previously classified

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and they don’t know it. It’s less about substance and more about how that thinking process works.”

Greene was awarded his Ph.D. in American history from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1983. Cazenovia College hired him on full time a year later and in 1987 he received tenure. He was awarded the college’s distinguished faculty award five years after that.

In 2000, he was named the Paul C. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities. Today, Greene is the longest-serving faculty member at Cazenovia College, where he chairs the social and behavioral science division, serves as program director for the history program and co-directs the dual major program for history and social sciences.

And, he still he finds time to write.

In addition to 20 books, Greene has penned more than 100 articles and

materials. These provide evidence that despite its shortcomings and defining response to 9/11 and the War on Terror, the Bush administration produced many positive achievements in social, domestic, economic, and national security policy matters, Greene says.

The assessment is documented in his book, The Presidency of George W. Bush, which has just been published

by University Press of Kansas. Its publisher says it is the first scholarly work to make wide use of documents accessed from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and the National Archives through extensive Freedom of Information Act requests.

“I’ve been surprised at how wrong historians and journalists were in their assessments of the Bush administration in writing it off as a complete failure,” Greene says in a press release issued by Cazenovia College. “While there was much to criticize, there was much accomplished to its favor.”

As he writes, “When one looks at the ‘whole ground’ of the presidency of George W. Bush—domestic, economic, administrative, national security, and foreign policies in total— the need to revise the completely dark assessments comes into sharp relief.

The evidence also makes it eminently

more speeches than he cares to admit.

“I could teach, write, design courses; the college allowed me to do it all,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds. I’ve always been very grateful for that.”

Greene’s favorite topic is the American presidency. He has always been intrigued by the amount of power our presidents had, yet, “most did not ever learn how to push the buttons of power to make life better for the citizens.”

In “The Presidency of George W. Bush,” Greene makes the argument that George W. Bush was not the complete failure that most academic historians contend. The ideas that Bush brought to the table, stem cell research, tax cuts, Middle East policy, “showed an awful lot of what could have been.”

But Bush’s presidency is mostly remembered by Sept. 11, 2001 and its aftermath. After 9/11, Greene said, the president wanted to be judged

clear that the Bush administration was responsible for many positive achievements, successes that have been largely ignored by contemporary observers. What Bush cared about most after 9/11 was keeping his promise to the American people to not let the country be attacked again.

That was the most important thing. It came at many costs, but that was the measuring stick for him, although to some people, it was not enough.”

Greene’s book uses unprecedented access to a huge cache of documents and historical evidence to present a balanced assessment and nuanced conclusions of the Bush administration’s actions.

University Press of Kansas Senior Editor David Congdon elaborates on how Greene’s book uniquely takes a divergent look at a presidency that was defined predominantly by one issue.

“As an editor, it’s always a pleasure when I see an experienced historian uncover new sources and shed fresh light on our history. Bob Greene’s book adds an important volume to the American presidency series, one of our most esteemed series at the University Press of Kansas. He already wrote the book on the elder Bush, so it was fitting that he tackled the younger as well. His book will set the standard for years to come.”

by the fact that there was never a second attack. “And there wasn’t,” the professor said.

When researching his books, he utilizes the Presidential Libraries, which is a collection of archives, museums and public programs. He prefers such documents as the main source of his information instead of just interviews with people who considers themselves political insiders.

There are 15 designated Presidential Libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover, but documents for Obama and Trump are not yet available. Records are exempt for five years after the end of a presidential administration. After that, if the archives have even been established at that point, documents can be obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The George W. Bush Presidential Library was dedicated in 2013, which was within five years after his administration ended. Richard Nixon’s was not dedicated until 2007.

“Everyone wants to know if I’ll write about Trump,” Greene said. “I’m gonna be dead before any documents about Trump that are worth the paper they are written on are available. It will be a while before the right materials are there.”

When he is not teaching or writing, Greene enjoys spending time with his family. He is married with three grown children and one grandchild.

He loves to read, of course, and follows St. Bonaventure University basketball and the Atlanta Braves with a passion.

His fandom with the Braves dates back to when his children were infants. He would stay up late at night trying to get them back to sleep, and often, reruns of the games from the day before were on.

Beyond the books, articles and speeches, Greene spends time on one more medium, handwritten letters.

He has stayed in touch with many students over the years, some dating back to the early 1980s. “A stamp,” he said, “is still the best way to get a point across.”

As COVID-19 runs its course, Greene still has plenty to think about and write about. He’s tinkered with the idea of writing a book about teaching or a guide to teaching. But, “maybe that’s just my age talking.” Still, he can’t imagine a day without teaching or writing.

“Retirement is not on the horizon,” he said, “as long as they keep letting me in.”

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21

aging

By Marilyn L. Pinsky

Let’s Talk Plumbing (or abdicating my title as queen of CIGBOT)

T

hey say as you get older you need to stay active.

So I decided to take up a new sport.

Actually I sort of invented it and unlike tennis or pickleball, you don’t need a partner, court time or even lessons to play. Not even an actual outfit, though maybe a couple of extra underpants wouldn’t hurt.

It is called CIGBOT and I was almost nationally ranked at one point. In CIGBOT (short for “Can I Get To the Bathroom On Time?”) I was competitive in not just one, but in four different categories: 1. The ‘long dash to the main bathroom without use of hands’ 2. The ‘quick waddle to the guest bath with use of hands’ 3. The ‘less than three dribbles, but no more than five’ before reaching my objective 4. The ‘after one cup of coffee with a sneeze coming on’ category, which is where I really excelled.

In an effort to become less competitive, I started out my quest with physician Elizabeth Ferry, assistant professor of urology at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“Leakage is one of the most common issues that bring both men and women to see urologists,” said Ferry. “Our goal is for your bladder not to control your life but to make it work with you.”

What about the mechanics of the situation?

“The bladder’s job is to stretch and contain urine until the point of a socially acceptable time that you want it to empty,” she said.

“Men and women leak for some of the same, as well as for different, reasons,” explained Ferry. What we do first is to search for the cause of your particular situation. With men, a common cause is an enlarged prostate gland. Just imagine that there is a

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RIGHT Urologist

Elizabeth Ferry of SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“Leakage is one of the most common issues that bring both men and women to see urologists,” she says.

fist around the bottom of the urine channel that is located at the base of the bladder. As we get older, that fist tends to tighten and cause problems.”

“In women, the pelvic floor muscles are not as strong as they used to be or the bladder as a muscle itself is having spasms.

“For both men and women there are many other things to explore,

including how much and what you drink, a variety of medical conditions, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, certain medications you may be taking, or even your weight.

“And both men and women can have overactive bladders. The bladder is a muscle and can have spasms just as muscles do in other parts of the body, such as when you get a charlie horse

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23

book

“Hope Faith Love” is a collection of plays, some of them not more than two pages long.

Writing Plays That May Save People Sharon L. Hann of Auburn: from operating a drill press in a factory to writing books

By John Addyman

W

hat does a 71-year-old grandmother do to pass the time? She does all kinds of crafts and needlework.

It’s filled a room in her apartment.

And she enjoys the company of one of her grandkids, Kory, who helps take care of her.

Altogether she has eight g r a n d c h i l d re n a n d t w o g re a t grandchildren.

But there are moments when something else hits her. A feeling. An idea. A whisper.

On those occasions, she writes.

And Sharon Hann has put together a book that has been 15-some years in the making.

“Hope Faith Love,” which was published in August by RoseDog Books of Pittsburgh and is available on Amazon, is an unusual work because it is a collection of plays, some not more than two pages long.

Sitting at her Auburn kitchen table with pearls around her neck, dressed

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in a yellow sweater and barefoot, Hann patted the tablecloth. “Right here,” she said. “That’s where I do my writing, or over there on the couch.”

Once the work is fleshed out and all “quirks” are removed, she walks into the next room and sits down in front of the computer to type out a finished product.

The first play came about by accident.

Hann and her friend, the late Eleanor Treat, were talking in church about how kids are misled today, “why it’s so hard to get them to believe in the Lord. Parents don’t realize what they’re doing to their children, it’s like the blind leading the blind…and something clicked.”

That click was the play “Blind Leading the Blind,” the kick-off work in the book, which has 12 plays in it.

As simple as the play is, its message is a central theme for Hann. She adds a “Thought” section after each play, partially to explain the substance

Sharon Hann, 71, in the kitchen of her Auburn home. “Right here,” she says.

“That’s where I do my writing, or over there on the couch.”

underlying the play and what she wants someone to think about as the takeaway.

“We met at church and got to talking about what the play is about.

We are blinding our children by telling

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them about Santa Claus and the Easter bunny and tooth fairy. We tell our children, after a while, that those are fairy tales, they’re not real people.

They learn from other kids or their parents that Santa Claus is a fake,” she said.

“Then in church we tell about how Jesus was born and the Virgin Mary and how he died on the cross and that he ascended into heaven and all the miracles he did. The kids think that’s fake, too. And now we don’t understand why kids don’t believe in the Lord. We’re leading our kids — the blind leading the blind. Kids are blind as to what we’re doing to them.”

Hann and Treat did the play at the church, the Port Byron Missionary Baptist Church, and everyone liked it.

After she wrote “Blind Leading the Blind,” an Easter play followed, then another for Thanksgiving, and later, a Christmas play.

“I had four or five plays done and I sent them to a friend of mine in New Hampshire. She used to be a school teacher. I asked her to read them, and her husband, because he was a pastor. They’re the ones I dedicated the book to. (Patricia Johnson and Pastor Hoyette Johnson). She called me up and said, ‘Sharon, they’re great, publish them.’”

Hann explained that she’s writing for two audiences: “Those who are not saved, so they can be saved, and for those that are saved and don’t realize the things I’ve put in the book, to open their eyes to reality. Time is short. The end times are here. If one person gets saved, the book is worth it.”

The road to published author certainly didn’t get started in school. “I hated English,” she said. “But I enjoy writing. I wish I had learned more so I could write better. I enjoy sitting down and things come to me and I can write.

I don’t have a plan. Sometimes I don’t even name the play until I’ve written it. A theme will come up and I just start writing. It just flows.”

She and her husband, Ronald, worked in factories in Weedsport, Auburn and Port Byron and in the state of Washington, criss-crossing the country a couple of times following the work. Two kids were born in New York, one more came in Washington.

She divorced Ronald and worked jobs at Leonardi Manufacturing, and nights and weekends at Ames, to keep the family fed. Eventually, carpal tunnel

surgery in both hands finished her working career.

Hann taught Sunday school for more than 10 years and led a Bible study group at Mercy Senior Citizens Apartments in Auburn.

In her heart, she sees churches using her book. “A church will get this book because they want to put on a Christmas play. It’s copyrighted but people have my permission to use the plays as long as they don’t turn it all around and change it. They can change a word here and there — but not change the meaning. If they’re reading it out of curiosity and some of the plays are good, they may use them as an example to change their lives, show their kids different things.

If their kids are having a problem that’s related to one of the plays, it lets their kids know what should be right. The book is to be used.”

She talked about “head” learning and “heart” learning and how Kory had helped her crystallize the concept during Sunday School.

“He asked me, ‘Grandma, you’re always telling us there’s head knowledge and heart knowledge.

What’s the difference? How do we know what the difference is?’ “I heard his question and I said to myself, ‘OK, Lord — give me the answer.’” Hann said.

Her answer was that everyone knew who the president of the United States was. Then she asked, “Do you know his likes and dislikes? Do you always want to be with him? Do you want to please him and not hurt his feelings or hurt him in any way? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, you don’t know him. That’s head knowledge.

“You love your father. You don’t want to hurt him, you want to do everything you can to please him, make him happy. You know his likes and dislikes. You like being with him.

That’s heart knowledge.

“Here in Sunday school, you know the Lord. You know of him. You’re being taught about the guy, you know of him, that’s the head knowledge. If you want to serve him and do what he wants you to do because you want to please him, to make him happy, and you love him like you love your father, that’s heart knowledge.”

“I got my answer,” she said.

And Kory got his.

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27

cover The Multifaceted CHRISTIE CASCIANO NewsChannel 9 anchor leads a very busy life but, she says, she learned from her dad how to juggle multiple tasks

I

By Mary Beth Roach

t’s been said that if you love what you do, something she believes she learned from her you’ll never work a day in your life. father, who ran Leo’s Big M in East Syracuse for Local reporter and anchor Christie many years with his brothers, Frank and Larry.

Casciano said it was a favorite saying of “When I grew up, my dad was always her father’s, Joe Casciano, and it’s one that spinning a lot of plates,” she said. she has truly embraced in her long career In addition to operating the grocery store, in the media. he volunteered for many local organizations and That love for her work came through their church, and he frequently brought food to during a recent interview people in the area. when she described her time “I guess I didn’t know any on NewsChannel 9 and as an other way to be,” she said, In addition to author, podcaster, columnist and adding that he engrained in his a news commentator on a local six kids that whenever you get, anchoring several morning radio show. you need to remember to give.

While many Central New Her father also fostered in evening newscasts Yorkers know the 60-yearhis daughter a love of the news. on NewsChannel old as an anchor and reporter Casciano grew up watching the on the evening newscasts on news with Joe, and it was at the 9, Christie NewsChannel 9, where she family’s grocery store where she has been since October 1986, started to hone her microphone Casciano is an Casciano also reports the skills. news and banters with long“In the store, we had this author, podcaster, time friend, Rick Gary, on his big, beautiful silver microphone. columnist and a morning radio program on I was, ‘I just want to talk on that Sunny 102. A hockey mom, she day.’ When I became cashier, news commentator all is the author of several books I had access to the microphone,” on the sport, a columnist for the on a local morning she said. And she admitted that U.S.A. Hockey Magazine and some of her announcements radio show. a podcaster. She co-authored to the customers tended to a book on the history of local be a bit dramatic, with egg television with colleagues Lou spills, for example, becoming Gulino and Tim Fox and another book with Gary catastrophic. But her dad took it all in stride. A on his therapy dog. butcher by trade, he used to joke, that he had Moreover, she’s a wife, mother, stepmother, six little hams, but, pointing to Casciano, would a daughter and a sister to four siblings. Her say that ‘this is the ham that could never be brother, Leonard, died unexpectedly in 2021 at cured.’ He knew she was destined for a career the age of 63. in broadcasting.

Her ability to balance all these roles was Joe Casciano died in 1999.

28

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

Chuck Wainwright

CRIME BEAT AT NEWSCHANNEL 9 NewsChannel 9 was the station Casciano wanted to work at, she said.

Her first opportunity to get first-hand knowledge of the world of television came while she was still in high school at Bishop Grimes.

She was one of 12 students throughout the county selected by the station for an Explorers Post it was trying to set up. She was introduced to the various aspects of the industry, but when she entered the newsroom, her decision to enter journalism solidified.

“When I went into the newsroom, I just fell in love. I just loved the feel of that newsroom. It seemed so vibrant, so alive. They’re running around, trying to meet their deadlines, they’re running across the newsrooms with tapes in their hands to stick them in the decks to put this newscast together.

At that moment, I knew. I said, ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’ So I pursued that.”

And pursue it, she did!

During her senior year, she continued to write for the school newspaper, she job shadowed at NewsChannel 9 and she was accepted into the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University for the following fall. She also took some advice from the pros at the station and suggested she try radio first, where she could develop her voice and writing skills and learn to work under deadlines. As a big fan of the then-Rick and Ron Show, (Rick Gary and Ron Bee) on WOLF at the time, she seized an opportunity to meet the duo when she was a senior in high school.

Bee, the newsman at the station at the time, said OK and at 5 the next morning, Casciano was knocking on the station’s door. She would assist Bee one day a week and it led to a summer gig doing some fill-in work. While attending Newhouse, she worked at the then-WHEN Radio station, where she met Jeff Scheidecker, who would later bring her in at NewsChannel 9.

Upon graduation from Newhouse, she worked at WROC-TV in Rochester for a year. Scheidecker, then the news director at NewsChannel 9, called her, told her he was building a team at the station of local talent, young reporters 30

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

who were aggressive. Knowing her work ethic from their days at WHEN, Scheidecker asked if she wanted to join them. Apparently, he didn’t need to ask twice.

She was given the crime beat and “I found my niche,” she said. “Even though I was general assignment, I covered everything, but when those opportunities came to tell those crime beat stories, that’s what I gravitated toward.”

Through her work on the crime beat over the years, she said she has met many victims and has learned some of the tips to preventing crimes.

Over time, it has evolved into the “On the Lookout” feature, which has helped area local enforcement officials close 500 cases. Casciano credits the viewers for the program’s success, “using their eyes and ears to make a difference in getting people off the streets.”

In addition to her anchoring

duties, Casciano still goes out and reports on stories.

“I think that being an anchor, it’s really important that you have to stay engaged and you have to stay connected to the community. It’s very easy to just sit on that desk and become disconnected and just become a script reader, and that’s the worst thing. If you’re not connected to your community, how can you honestly sit up on that desk and feel comfortable about it?” she said.

Her work over the years has garnered her many awards and accolades, but two of the most prestigious have to be a regional Emmy nomination and in May of 2015, a regional Edward R. Murrow award in 2016 for the series “Heroin: Too Close to Home” that she did with former NewsChannel 9 staffer Tammy Palmer.

It was on the crime beat where she met her husband, John Burns, who has since retired from the Syracuse Police

Department. The couple has been married 27 years. They are the proud parents of Joey, 26, and Sophia, a junior in college. The kids would take up their mom’s interest in skating and they have played on both the high school level. Joey also played travel hockey for the Syracuse Blazers, and Sophia continues to play in college.

Over the years, Casciano has taken her love of the sport and her experience as a hockey mom and turned it into several sideline enterprises.

Most recently, she’s become a podcaster with two other hockey parents and friends, Mike Bonelli, a hockey coach who is involving in developing youth hockey programs, and Lee M.J. Elias, a hockey entrepreneur and author. Called “Our Kids Play Hockey” on Apple Podcasts, the program came about due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the pandemic, all the rinks were closed and we’re going through

withdrawals,” she said.

So, the three friends decided to put together the podcast.

“Every week we talk about everything about hockey, the good, the bad and the ugly,” she said. “Hockey parents are finding us and just finding comfort in three sane hockey parents.”

She has penned several books on hockey. “The Puck Hog, Haunted Hockey in Lake Placid” and her newest book, “When Hockey Stops,” were illustrated by her sister, Rose Mary Casciano Moziak. A third book, titled “My Kids Play Hockey,” is a culmination of columns she writes for U.S.A. Hockey Magazine. She described it as a “parent guide on how to get through hockey with sanity and try to save some money; what you need to focus on.”

Casciano’s book “When Hockey Stops,” which she wrote with Elias, is due out in February. This, too, was a result of the pandemic. She believes

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE With the late Rod Wood, Steve Infanti, floor director Warren Linhart and Jim Teske; In the field with retired sheriff, Sgt. Mike Norton, to see how fugitives get busted; With Andrew Donovan and Jeff Kulikowsky at the New York State Fairn.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE Casiciano with co-anchor Jeff Kulikowsky and floor director Melissa Thorne; Undated photo with Rick Gary, the host of Rick Gary Mornings on SUNNY 102.1; Undated photo with David Muir.

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

31

LEFT Casciano was awarded the First

Place CNY Readers’ Choice Award for Local Media Personality in 2020, sponsored by The Post-Standard.

that we are all learning lessons about what happens when everything stops, when “all the things you love to do are taken away from you,” she said.

The book tells the story of a young hockey player who gets sidelined after an injury and he finds out that there are other ways to identify himself outside sports, she explained. It’s about resiliency and “all the sports lessons you want your kids to learn,” she said.

‘ROCK OF THE NEWSROOM’ In her television career, she has covered a wide range of stories, some tragic, like the one early on in her career, covering a fire on the city’s south side in which children perished. While she was live on the air, the children’s bodies were being taken out of the house with the mother witnessing it, she explained. “The scream — it stays with you,” she said somberly.

But there are some exhilarating ones, as well. She recently told the story about Zac Lois, a Syracuse city schoolteacher, a former Green Beret and a member of Task Force Pineapple, who worked to get many, including his combat interpreter and his family, out of Afghanistan. The interpreter was on the Taliban’s death list, Casciano reported, but Lois and other vets were able to engineer their rescue. The 32

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

family is now settling in Syracuse.

Instead of worrying about if they are going to live, he is able to plan for his children’s future, she said.

And at least one had her, well, not walking on air, but flying in air.

In August, 1997, she was able to ride along with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in one of their F-16s when they were in Syracuse in an air show, and pulled 9G’s, she exclaimed.

Her co-anchor at NewsChannel 9, Jeff Kulikowsy, is like her in that they are both news junkies, she said.

The pair has good chemistry and she added that the newscast is a great collaboration with members of the team coming from different perspectives.

“We have younger reporters who see things so differently than I do,” she said. “I think it’s a good representation of what our community wants to see.”

One of her newer co-workers, Iris St. Meran, came to NewsChannel9 from another local news station in March of 2021. While she had known Casciano previously, having worked with her at several community events, St. Meran has found her to be very welcoming and helpful and a mentoring influence.

“She’s the rock of the newsroom,” St. Meran said.

That newsroom has been non-stop since the pandemic, Casciano said.

“The pandemic, protests, so many things. So many polarizing issues. I feel

like we really haven’t had a breather yet. It’s a wild ride and there are no guardrails.”

Social media is playing a huge role in the industry these days. While Casciano said she sees its purpose and its advantages, it also has its disadvantages.

Deadlines are much faster now, with the need to post on Twitter, Facebook and the web, she explained.

“I’m very cautious. I’d rather be right than be first. I’m more comfortable taking the extra time to vet your sources, to thoroughly check something out before you put it out there as factual. I think that chips away at your credibility. We also don’t have enough time to work on stories as I wish we did,” she said.

And as the workplace can become tumultuous at times, the past two years have been turbulent for Casciano’s personal life as well. She had two hip surgeries in 2019, her husband battled health issues and her brother died.

But just like her main character in “When Hockey Stopped,” she’s resilient.

“You can’t get overwhelmed by everything that’s happening all around you,” she said.

She tries to incorporate breaks into her life, spending most of her down time with her husband, her kids, her mom, Mary, 97, and her dog, Duke.

“I’ll take my dog for a walk just to turn everything off, just to unplug.

You’ve got to have some mental flossing every day to deal with all the stress,” she pointed out.

And she has plenty planned for her viewers on NewsChannel 9. She is currently working on her “Remarkable Women of Central New York” special, slated to air in April, and wants to do more in-depth series.

“Looking at issues that are really impacting our community and digging a little deeper and helping our community become better, stronger, more aware of issues that we need to bring to light,” she said.

In short, she plans to continue doing what she loves to do with a mind toward giving back to her hometown area. ❖

LEFT The late Rod Wood, Christie

Casciano and her daughter, Sophia.

about his own children with me, too.

He loved talking about his children, all five of them. And his dedication to his wife, too, Nanette. He just really loved his family. I’m so glad I got to know him on that level other than just sitting on an anchor desk with him.

Christie Casciano On the Losses of Her Brother, Colleague Rod Wood

C

hristie Casciano has lost two significant people in her life within the past few months: local news icon Rod Wood, with whom she shared the anchor desk at NewsChannel 9 for about seven years, and her brother, Leonard Casciano, who died unexpectedly in May at the age of 63. She draws strength from the memories she has of them. —Mary Beth Roach Q: What was it about Rod Wood that made him so special to so many?

A: So many things. I think what everybody loved about Rod was that he wanted to know you beyond your first and last name. Rod was that he always wanted to connect with everyone in some way, make them feel comfortable. He always made everyone feel so comfortable around him, which isn’t always easy, especially when you’re someone on TV. And I think that’s a very unique gift that he had, his ability to make

everyone feel important, no matter who you were.

Q: You had a friendship that extended beyond the newsroom.

A: We had a lot of laughs at night.

Working the night shift is difficult. We would do fun things to just keep our energy level up. He loved the energy of the newsroom and he brought a lot of energy to all of us. Whenever I think of him, I just smile, because I think of all the fun moments that we had.

Q: He had a special relationship with your family, your kids?

A: When they were born, he made sure to give them gifts. He would come over unannounced frequently, which we loved, especially if he had a new vehicle or motorcycle. They’d come running out ‘Uncle Rod,’ ‘Uncle Rod,’ and for years they really thought he was their uncle. They didn’t know he wasn’t a blood relative until they were teenagers. And he would share stories

Q: What would you say are some of the most important lessons you may have learned from him?

A: There are a lot of them. His favorite saying was “prior planning prevents poor performance.” He was all about making sure that before you went on the set, you’d erase everything that might have happened that day, get it out of your mind and just concentrate on the news, delivering the news as clearly, concisely and the best you possibly could do. That was really important to him. And, just watching him anchor. Every story mattered to him, no matter what, which I think is an important lesson. Before he would go on the air, he would read his copy out loud to make sure that it sounded good to the ear. We would often collaborate on stories before the newscast to make sure that the stories not only made sense but also sounded good to the ear.

Q: What are some of the favorite memories of your brother?

A: Christmas was one of his favorite times of year. His best friend would be Santa Claus. He would decorate his truck like Santa’s sleigh and the two of them would load up on toys and go into some of the poorest neighborhoods in Syracuse and hand out toys. It just brought him so much happiness. I was so proud of him to be my big brother. He always looked out for all of us. There were five girls and one boy. He didn’t always have the easiest time growing up with five girls.

It’s very heartbreaking for me to deal with one loss after the other. I just draw strength from the wonderful memories I have of each of the two wonderful men that were in my life.

I feel grateful for having had the opportunity with Rod and be his friend and grateful to have a brother like Leonard was.

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

33

essay Looking for Love in 2022?

By Barbara Pierce

A

t the start of every new year, there’s an energizing “clean slate” feeling in the air that makes it the perfect time for a change — a time to reconnect with work, possibly change jobs, and maybe even get serious about making a relationship happen.

As that’s not an easy thing to make happen, I’d like to share some things I learned, things that worked for me and for people I know and may work for you. I’d been divorced several years. I was fine with being alone; my life was full and happy with work and raising my daughter. Then she grew up and I was ready for a relationship.

I looked and looked for the right man. I tried all the things I heard: visualize what he looks like and he’ll appear — that was a total bust. Get out there and expose yourself to a whole bunch of single men and surely one will be right for you. Yes, I dated many men, but no one who really worked for the long haul.

Then I went to a workshop called: “If I’m So Wonderful, Why Am I Still Single?” by Susan Page. And no longer after, taking what I learned from her, I found the perfect man and married him. What I’m sharing here I learned from her. (She wrote a book with that same title.)

First, think about the reasons you’re not with anyone. Run through all the reasons you can, off the top of your head. Take your time; let your mind wander through all the reasons.

Maybe you’ve said, “I just haven’t 34

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

found the right person,” or “I keep getting involved with people who are wrong for me,” or “It’s just too hard!” or “I don’t have the time!”

But, if you really want to be in a relationship, whatever your reasons are, no reason is good enough.

That’s right. There is no reason not to be in a relationship, if you really want to.

Here’s the real reason: You’re on the fence. You’re ambivalent, being pulled in two directions. You’re not totally committed to finding someone and you’re not totally committed to being single.

Ambivalence is the most powerful reason why people are single.

Author Sue Grafton’s character Kinsey Milhone describes it well in one of Grafton’s novels: “Being single can be confusing.

On one hand, you yearn for the simple comfort of companionship. Someone to discuss the day with, to celebrate with, who’ll commensurate with you when you’re sick. On the other hand, once you get used to being alone, you have to wonder why you’d ever take on the aggravation of a relationship.

Other human beings have all these habits, opinions, mannerisms, peculiar tastes, not to mention mood disorders and attitudes that in no way coincide with the correct ones, namely yours.”

You probably aren’t even aware that you’re ambivalent. But whether you’re aware of it or not, it’s sabotaging your efforts to be in a relationship.

If you’re not wholeheartedly committed to love, if finding love is not your top priority, you may be talking

as if you want love, but holding back on your follow through.

Learning this changed my life.

Officially I was “looking” for someone.

But I kept getting involved with the “wrong” men. Of course, they were men I met in singles bars or men who were scared of commitment.

Most of us aren’t sure. If this describes you, what do you do? How do you get off the fence?

The only thing you can do is start acting “as if.”

One side of the fence is being single. You may want to stay on that side of the fence or now; that’s fine.

Then start acting as if you really enjoy the single life style. Throw yourself wholeheartedly into being single. Be glad you don’t have the complications of another person to deal with.

When we’re single, we wait for that special person to come along to buy nice furniture or fix up our place or go on our dream trip. Instead, act is if you really enjoy being single, buy nice furniture, go on that trip. Appreciate your time alone.

On the other side of the fence is being in a relationship. You have to give up many things to be in a relationship. You have to compromise on so many things.

If you really want to be on the relationship side of the fence, you will need to act as if this is your priority.

You will need to be determined to reach this goal; to persevere in working towards this goal. Proceed steadily towards your goal and overcome the obstacles that will be in your way.

I have a lot of suggestions for you on ideas of how to do this. I’ll share them next month [in In Good Health].

Barbara Pierce is a retired licensed clinical social worker with many years of experience helping people. If you would like to purchase a copy of her book, “When You Come to the Edge: Aging” or if you have questions for her, contact her at barbarapierce06@yahoo.com.

Elaine and Steve Jacobs at the CNY Philanthropy Center.

While I had always been charitable, I credit Elaine for inspiring my generosity and perspective in many ways. We enjoy donating both our time and money to several local organizations and are grateful to know that we are making a difference in our community. We have found that it’s not important to worry about how much you give, but rather to just get started.

Our fund at the Community Foundation will receive a contribution through our estate after our passing, continuing support to our favorite causes long after we’re gone. We hope our dedication to generosity will transfer to our children and grandchildren, carrying forward our legacy of giving for many years to come.

GIVING FROM THE HEART: ELAINE & STEVE JACOBS

Read more of Steve & Elaine’s story at cnycf.org/Jacobs

315.422.9538 | C N YC F. O R G

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

I

s it ever ethical to lie? I guess the textbook answer is “no,” but, in reality, we lie all the time.

We gloss over the majority of these lies by convincing ourselves that they fall into the “little white lie” category. These are instances where we assure ourselves that we are lying for a good cause.

For example, your spouse tries a new dish which took her several hours to prepare — just for you. It’s disgusting. When she asks how do you like it, do you tell the truth, do you lie or do you use a euphemism — “This was really different” — hoping that she doesn’t catch on?

Is it OK to tell a little white lie to spare a friend’s feelings? When my spouse, who packed on a few pounds, asked whether she looked fat, should I have told her the truth? (I didn’t.)

Should you lie when asked about past encounters with the opposite sex prior to your marriage or a serious relationship?

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55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

the intent of the lie in determining how harmful it might be. Lying to a family member who will be the honoree of a surprise birthday party, is perfectly acceptable, most believe.

One thing is certain: Even the most ethical person tells a lie now and then. It’s part of our DNA. Yes, my word is my bond, but I, too, tell occasional white lies to get me out of uncomfortable situations.

A man wrote to advice columnist Amy Alkon recently to lament that he was asked by a female friend to objectively rate her looks on a scale of from 1 to 10. He said his friend has a very high opinion of her looks, but she stressed to him that she wanted the unvarnished truth.

Taking her at her word, the guy rated her between a 5.5 and 6. Big mistake! Predictably, she sent him a text and said she is cutting him out of her life. He was mystified by her action, especially since she insisted on the truth.

Alkon responded that this is the classic “gotcha” question. “Always lie,” she advised. Well, she added, if you are held at gunpoint or threatened with disembowelment with a steak knife or rusty pliers, still lie.

Alkon admits that her advice is at odds with the black-and-white notion of honesty and deception that is seared into our brains at an early age.

“Honesty, good; lying, bad!

My mother warned me that if I lied, my nose would grow like Pinocchio’s, or my pants might spontaneously catch on fire.

I remember the first time I told my mother a lie. When I was about 6 years old, I had taken a half-dollar from the baby carriage of her friend who had come to visit. When the friend discovered the money was missing, I quickly became the prime suspect.

My mother asked me several times whether I took it. I insisted I didn’t.

My mother’s perfect logic noted that there were just four of us in

the room — my mother, her friend, the friend’s 18-month-old child and me. Finally, after more prodding, I confessed, produced the coin and burst into tears. I can’t remember what all of the punishment consisted of, but I assure you that it had an impact on my backside.

Most people look upon “little white lies” as acceptable behavior.

If they don’t harm anyone, what’s the problem? Telling mom that her broccoli was really tasty when you hate broccoli, telling your husband that he looks great in that god-awful tie, or telling a friend who wanted to get together with you that you had a previous commitment when you didn’t — these are all examples of OK little white lies.

These are known as “prosocial” lies, according to Alkon. They mislead, but they also benefit the person we’re lying to. One might refer to it as “benevolent deception.”

I remember when I was 10 years old, my mother and I were visiting a friend whose 6-year-old granddaughter was there. She began babbling on about Christmas and all of the stuff that Santa Claus was going

to bring her.

Since I had recently found the truth about the Santa caper, the now older and wiser I would show this misguided child the error of her beliefs.

“You fool,” I told her, “there is no Santa Claus.” Her demeanor changed as if she had been struck by a Mack truck.

She let out a wail, which brought her grandmother and my mother rushing to see what had befallen this unfortunate child.

When the girl told them what I had said, my mother shot me a look that could have brought forth the demons from hell. When we got home, she administered corrective measures for my intemperate disclosure.

I was confused and reminded her that she always told me to tell the truth.

That is the instant that I learned about prosocial lies. She told me I should have said nothing or gone along with the girl’s fantasy about Santa.

Learning from the Santa caper, when my then-8-eight-year-old granddaughter, confronted me with the dreaded “Is Santa Claus real?’’ question, I dodged the pitfall and referred her to her parents. Let them be the bearers of bad news, or let

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them get off the hook as best they can, I reasoned.

My 57-year-old son recently reminded me of something I had forgotten. When he approached me with his skepticism of Santa Claus, I told him Kris Kringle had been a real person, and even if the toys were delivered by loved ones, the spirit of Christmas walks the face of the earth, and that is the really important message.

Teaching a course in communication ethics for SUNY Oswego for many years, I always prodded my students to think about lying as unethical behavior. We frequently discussed whether the so-called little white lies should be in a different category.

We all tell little white lies. Innocent stuff. Like the last one I told. I was running late for an appointment and called the person I was meeting to say I was on my way, when, in fact, I had not even left home yet.

A lie? Technically, yes. Did it hurt anyone? Probably not, but here I am fretting about it, because my mother’s famous motto is ringing in my ears — “Your word is your bond.”

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Meet Juanita & Matthew

s Critz Farms discusse The couple behind an out-of-use dairy farm their journey turning destination. P. 30 a top in Cazenovia into

ALFRED JACQUES

The Stick Maker

To watch Alf Jacques make a lacrosse stick in his tiny Onondaga NationY: barn is to witness an artist at work. Read what makes this MARILYN PINSK to long-standing tradition so important.

What the heck happened P. 22 P. 32 good manners?

Passion for An imals

CELEBRATION

a lot like It’s beginning to feel n MUSIC s P. 26 Christmas in Skaneatele

Kerner and Merchant Pipe

Organ Builders: in the business TTES CORVE of making music sound better

Corvettes of 26 loveP. Enthusiasts share their P. 20 while helping others

n ADIRONDACKS William ‘Jay’ O’Hern has already published 17 books about the Adirondacks, and 10 more are on the way P. 14

n WORLD WAR TedII Fox, the Rosamond

Gifford Zoo’s director, Auburn native Mike Chamberlain working for the organizat celebrates 30 years ion. He donated his father’s WWII photos Hoffmann ’s two-toed sloth who is holding Araña, a 7-year-old to Veterans History Project was hand-rear P. 42

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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

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hearing

Signs You Need a Hearing Examination If you are of a ‘certain age’ you may be having some trouble with hearing

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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veryone should have a baseline hearing evaluation.

But after this point, some signs can indicate that you could benefit from another evaluation.

Sometimes, a hearing loss could indicate an acute, treatable problem. Other times, hearing loss could mean that a hearing instrument could improve quality of life and communication.

C r a i g C h o r n e y, l i c e n s e d audiologist with Beltone Hearing Care in Liverpool and Fayetteville, said the most common sign someone needs a hearing evaluation is that “others ‘seem to mumble’ more frequently,” he said.

“They may also experience ringing in the ears and ask people to repeat

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55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

themselves. The family may say the radio or TV is too loud. They can’t hear normal household sounds, like the tea kettle whistling or microwave beeping.

They may not understand words in the conversation. It’s particularly difficult when there’s a large group and any kind of background noise. They also have difficulty on the telephone. They may be told they speak too loudly.”

Challenges with hearing does not always mean hearing aids are necessary. A build-up of wax in the ear could also contribute to muffled hearing. That is why Chorney performs an examination that includes screening for other possible issues.

Audiologists who discover the likelihood of a medical reason for hearing impairment refer patients to

an otolaryngologist or physician for further treatment.

Hearing loss is more than an annoyance or quality of life issue.

Chorney said that people with untreated hearing loss have a greater chance of falling. Because of the diminished auditory stimulation, those with a mild untreated hearing loss have a higher likelihood of developing dementia.

Although the risk of hearing loss increases with age, people of any age can experience hearing loss. Factory work, serving in the military, playing loud music or engaging in loud hobbies like working with power tools or shooting firearms can increase the risk of gradual hearing loss. Anyone with abrupt hearing loss should seek immediate medical attention.

“We always tell them what we’ll be doing ahead of time,” Chorney said about hearing examinations. “They may have insurance to cover hearing aids. We can check their insurance.

Some have significant coverage, others don’t.”

He encourages anyone coming in for a hearing examination to bring along someone else, such as a spouse or sibling, who may be able to share additional information.

“It’s part of the testing process to see how well they can hear a familiar voice,” Chorney said. “That’s helpful.”

The examination is painless and, for most providers, free of charge.

If hearing aids are in order, the audiologist would write a prescription for them.

High tech aids Hearing aids have come a long way since the bulky, taupe colored hearing aids of a generation ago.

Today’s top-of-the-line models are Bluetooth-enabled to allow them to tune into Smart TVs and cellphones.

They can cost a few thousand dollars.

However, the improvement they offer is unparalleled.

It may seem a good option to select an inexpensive over-the-counter amplifier. However, people should have a hearing exam, according to Clayton Andrews, licensed hearing

Craig Chorney is an audiologist with Beltone Hearing Center.

aid dispenser and nationally boardcertified in hearing instrument sciences at Upstate Hearing Solutions in Oswego.

“We wouldn’t know if it’s a wax blockage or an ear bone gap,” Andrews said. “The hearing aid is specific to their hearing loss so an over-thecounter device could over-amplify and in theory, cause more hearing damage.”

Amplifiers often do not fit properly and in the cases of moderate to severe hearing loss, will not help. Amplifiers are used for situations such as hunting but not for general hearing loss.

“Relying on amplifiers too long may make it hard to transition to hearing aids eventually,” Andrews said. “Adaption to a prescription hearing aid is you really hearing with your brain. The ear is a mechanism to get the sound to the brain. The brain won’t be stimulated in that area. It can lead to time lost with family, balance issue and all types of things. It’s a loss that should be treated early rather than later. It’s lost quality of life.”

Another difference between over-the-counter amplifiers and

prescribed hearing instruments is that the latter are both input and output devices.

Commonplace electronics are just output devices.

Instead of an audio engineer at a soundboard perfecting the sound that goes through a phone or iPad, a hearing aid does this on the fly.

Amplifiers simply make all sound around the person louder but cannot determine which sounds are desirable so that less desirable sounds are not the focus. Modern hearing aids can also determine the origin of a sound so the aid on that side turns up and the other side turns down.

Hearing aids can also record how much they are used and in what types of environments they’re used so that the provider can adjust them further.

“Hearing aids have sophisticated algorithms and hardware,” Andrews said. “The direction of where sound is coming from is almost as important as the loudness of the sound.”

He said that hearing aids may be as inconspicuous as users would like or designed with fashion colors and patterns, if desired.

“We can make most hearing aids completely invisible, so people won’t see them if that’s what the issue is,” he said. “What people will notice is that you’re much more alert and aware. You may seem smarter than before.”

He also noted that since most people have some sort of Bluetooth device for listening to phone calls or music, wearing a hearing aid is not associated with stigma anymore.

“Hearing aids do not have to cost a lot of money,” Andrews said. “Most reputable professionals will let you try prescription hearing aids before you make a purchasing decision.”

Nicole Anzalone

Got Hearing Aids — Now What?

“It definitely takes some time for acclimation,” said Nicole Anzalone, audiologist and owner of Syracuse Hearing Solutions in Camillus. “The duration of that time depends on how long they’ve had the hearing loss and the severity of the hearing loss.”

She likens the experience to living in a dark cave for years and then entering a brightly lit room. It takes time to adapt. Many people take an average of 7 to 10 years before they seek help and treatment for their hearing loss.

Once the aids are fitted, patients visit Anzalone two weeks later to adjust their instruments and then afterwards, monthly for care, cleaning and general maintenance.

“That’s to maintain good sound quality,” Anzalone said. “They’re so susceptible to ear wax blocking the sound. We want them clean and clear. We may still do some fine tuning every few months.

“We also do testing for speech and noise testing to see how much benefit they’re getting to make sure they’re getting functional benefit. We can measure and test the output, but it’s important to see the benefit they’re getting and how well they’re doing with their devices.”

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groundhog day

Groundhog Day That Time Punxsutawney Phil Visited Central New York

By Ken Sturtz

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he children filed onto the wooden gymnasium bleachers and waited impatiently. A tuxedo-clad man strode to the microphone and began speaking, but his presentation didn’t include traditional school assembly themes such as the dangers of drugs or the importance of reading.

He had a furry sidekick: Punxsutawney Phil.

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Why was the famous weatherpredicting groundhog in Central New York?

The answer lay in a pair of art teachers dedicated to their hometown traditions and a funeral director cousin.

By coincidence three teachers with connections to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — a town with a population of less than 6,000 — all ended up working at the Mexico Middle School in Oswego County.

Rebecca Kendra Woods grew up in Punxsutawney and moved to Central New York in the 1980s for her first job out of college. She eventually taught art in the Mexico schools for 14 years.

When she moved here she brought the Groundhog Day tradition with her. Barbara Beck Sheldon was also born and raised in Punxsutawney. She

Groundhog Day decorations festoon the lobby of Mexico Middle School when, in 1994, it welcomed Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather-predicting groundhog.

too moved to the area for a job a few years after Woods. Sheldon taught art at the middle school and New Haven Elementary School.

A third teacher, Jeanne McCloskey, was born in Punxsutawney and taught 6th grade social studies in Mexico for 25 years before retiring.

Wo o d s a n d S h e l d o n b e g a n teaching their students about Groundhog Day and other teachers joined in. Younger children worked on groundhog crafts and art projects, such as head silhouettes that mimicked the groundhog’s shadow. Older students learned about the actual animal and studied the science behind weather.

Industrial arts students constructed an 8-foot-tall groundhog. Decorative displays were put up in the lobby.

Woods and Sheldon distributed groundhog cookies made with a special groundhog-shaped cookie cutter.

Teachers and students began wearing red and white Punxsutawney Phil buttons and shorts — red and white are the school colors in Punxsutawney.

Growing up there, Sheldon says the school would have a pep rally featuring the groundhog and name

a groundhog king and queen. So, she and Woods carried that tradition over to Mexico too; at the end of the day there would be a ceremony to name a king and queen.

And, in a time before the internet, each year in the morning on Groundhog Day there would be an announcement on the school’s public address system informing expectant students of the news from Punxsutawney.

Woods and Sheldon spent countless hours working on the various parts of the celebrations each year. Over time the festivities became more elaborate.

Sheldon says one reason was because teachers and students alike needed a distraction during the gloomy weather.

“It was in the winter and it was just like you needed something to brighten you up,” she says.

At one point, Woods and Sheldon were even awarded groundhog ambassador credentials from their hometown for their efforts.

But throughout their years of Groundhog Day festivities they’d been missing one thing: the actual groundhog.

Wo o d s h a d a c o u s i n i n

Punxsutawney, Bill Deeley. He was a funeral director by day, but moonlighted as a member of the Inner Circle, the group responsible for caring for the groundhog and putting on the annual festivities.

Woods prodded Deeley, who was the groundhog’s handler at the time, to bring the critter to Mexico. In 1994, he finally caved and agreed to make the 300-mile trip up from Punxsutawney.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Interest in Groundhog Day was at a fever pitch then, driven by the immense popularity of the 1993 Bill Murray comedy “Groundhog Day” in which a mean-spirited TV weatherman becomes trapped in a time loop in Punxsutawney.

When Woods and Sheldon were growing up, Groundhog Day was a much more subdued affair. If 500 people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob outside of town for the early-morning ritual that was considered a large crowd. Today, up to 30,000 people descend on Punxsutawney when the holiday falls on a weekend.

Not everyone was excited for Phil’s visit. The middle school principal was

OPPOSITE PAGE, INSET Bill Deeley answers questions and shows off Punxsutawney Phil to students during a visit to New Haven Elementary School in 1994.

THIS PAGE Rebecca Kendra Woods and

Barbara Beck Sheldon pose during a Groundhog Day celebration. The pair of art teachers were born and raised in Punxsutawney, Pa. and brought their Groundhog Day traditions with them when they began teaching in Central New York.

THIS PAGE, INSET Rebecca Kendra Woods

holds Punxsutawney Phil during his visit to Central New York in 1994. Woods convinced her cousin to bring the famous weather-forecasting groundhog to a school assembly.

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

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more than a little nervous about the prospect of letting a live groundhog into the school. But Woods assured her principal that her cousin gave similar presentations all the time and would be careful.

And so Deeley traveled to Central New York with Phil. He stayed the night before at Sheldon’s house. She had sent her two large dogs away so they wouldn’t try to eat the groundhog.

When Deeley arrived Sheldon and Woods were shocked to discover that the groundhog was housebroken.

“That groundhog he raised from a baby, so he was kind of like a little dog,” Woods says. “That groundhog followed Bill like a dog.”

The groundhog got to run loose in the house and was soon shredding toilet paper and baskets of potpourri.

He also made himself at home behind a dryer.

“I’d hear him gnawing, I mean gnawing hard,” Sheldon says. “So, Bill would go back there and dig him out from behind the dryer.”

The next morning Deeley and Phil did a presentation at the middle school. He told how Phil is coaxed out of his burrow each year and if he sees his shadow, his prediction is for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see a shadow, that means there’ll be an early spring.

He explained how the tradition traces its roots to the Christian holiday Candlemas (Feb. 2). According to legend, clear skies on Candlemas meant an extended winter. The Roman legions brought it to the Germans, who concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather. Some of Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers were German, and they carried on the tradition with a groundhog instead of the European hedgehog.

After the presentation Deeley invited the kids to pet Phil. Woods stood nearby, hoping nothing would go wrong.

“I don’t know how many kids he allowed to pet Phil,” she says. “I really was kind of nervous about it, but it all worked out in the end.”

Deeley had tucked Phil’s head down a bit to help keep him calm as the kids petted him, Woods says.

And Deeley told her he knew from experience that when the groundhog began getting squirmy it was a sign 42

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Jeanne McCloskey, Barbara Beck Sheldon and Rebecca Kendra Woods in 1994 pose with an 8-foot cutout of Punxsutawney Phil. All three teachers who taught in the Mexico school district in Oswego County had ties to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

he’d had enough. Woods breathed a sigh of relief when Phil was back in his cage.

Later in the day Deeley visited New Haven Elementary School with Phil, bringing plastic top hats for the kids similar to the ones worn by the Inner Circle. The younger students were even more excited to meet Phil than the middle schoolers had been.

“Every classroom that little sucker went in with Bill, all the kids were just going crazy over him,” Sheldon says.

“They all got to come up and see him close and some got to pet him.”

Woods, 61, and Sheldon, 60, both

recently retired from teaching. Getting Punxsutawney Phil to visit their school remains one of the more memorable episodes of their careers. But it wasn’t the last either of them heard from Punxsutawney Phil.

Several months after the visit, Sheldon’s dryer broke. When she called a repairman, he somberly informed her she must have a problem with rats, big rats. Only rats could have chewed a giant hole clean through her dryer house, he reasoned. Sheldon told him it was actually the work of a famous groundhog.

druger’s zoo

By Marvin Druger Email: mdruger@syr.edu

Caring for Seniors In some cultures seniors are respected and revered. We should follow those examples

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veryone should be especially kind and caring to people who are over 55.

We have experienced a long set of experiences that form the backbone of society.

The younger generation has been nurtured by us and we are basically responsible for their attitudes and behaviors. The influence of older individuals on the youth of today cannot be underestimated. So, seniors do merit appreciation and preferential treatment.

In 1900, people in the U.S. lived for about 47 years. Medical advancements and healthier living extended this average lifespan to about 78 years in modern times.

We have lived a longer time and have had more experiences. With extended experiences, we should have greater wisdom and better judgements. Yet we still get embroiled in stupid, unnecessary wars and have abundant prejudices and hatred.

We learn from every experience, and every experience becomes part of who we are. Yet, I wonder whether living longer has changed behavior and negative attitudes very much.

My favorite sign of special treatment for seniors is the senior

discount. It’s not the usual 10% discount for seniors that’s important.

It’s the principle that seniors are special and should be recognized as such. I always ask for a senior discount. Often, I am told, “I already gave you one.” My usual response is, “How did you know that I was a senior?”

Lately, I have experienced many examples of recognition of my senior status.

One Thanksgiving, a friend and I were having lunch at a table in a café. An attractive younger lady was paying for a purchase at the counter.

She came over to us and handed me a $5 bill. She said to me, “Have a happy Thanksgiving!”… and she walked out of the store. As she was leaving, she exclaimed, “Have a VERY happy Thanksgiving!” I was shocked. My friend and I were wearing sports jackets and a necktie. We certainly did not look like poor vagrants. I framed the $5 bill as a reminder to be kind to others, especially the elderly.

Many people open doors for me and treat me differently than they would have done years ago. My family is very over-protective. One of my sons won’t let me drive my car with him or my grandchildren in it. This is very annoying, although I know they

are looking out for my welfare. I have been driving for longer than they have been alive and, if I had the slightest thought that I would have an accident, I wouldn’t drive.

Younger people don’t realize the resilience and abilities of the older generation. We can do a lot more than they think. But sometimes it’s nice when they say, “Can I get you a glass of water” or “Can I help you carry that grocery bag?”

I’m beginning to like when a stranger holds open a door for me at a store or lets me go ahead of her or him at a checkout line in a store, or calls me “sir.” When I was in a rehab center after some surgery a nurse came into the room and asked, “Can I help you peel that banana?” That comment may have been a bit extreme.

After having a major surgery to remove scar tissue from my intestine, I spent 11 days in a rehab facility.

The very first day, I saw very old people sitting forlorn at a table, with depressed faces and not having any conversation, looking like they were just waiting to die. My reaction was, ”I don’t belong here.” The nurse agreed, but I did spend 11 days staring at a large clock on the wall day and night.

On the last night, I had a new senior roommate. He came to my side of the curtain separating us and asked, “Can you open your window?”

I said, “Why don’t you open your window?”

“My window doesn’t open,” he said, and he went back to his bed.

We had separate TV sets and his was still on at 1 a.m. I called the nurse and asked if she could tell him to turn off his TV. “Oh, he’s not here, he’s in the hospital.” It turned out that he had walked down the hall and found a window that he could open, then he jumped out of the second-story window.

He later died in the hospital.

This bizarre incident made me wonder about whether or not I could have done something to prevent this tragedy. Perhaps, a few kind words and conversation from me might have prevented the incident. Or, maybe, he might have jumped out of my window.

I’ll never know, but this incident reminds me to be kind to seniors no matter what.

One evening, I was having dinner (continued on next page) FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022 – 55 PLUS

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Philosophy of Life These are several parts to my philosophy of life 1. Appreciate relationships.

Many of my friends are either retired, terminally ill or dead, 2. We can’t escape or explain death. Ten out of every 10 people die. The risk is very high.

It’s not a question of “will I die?”

It’s a question of when and how.

3. Respect and enjoy this strange phenomenon called “life.”

4. Live enthusiastically. Keep laughing and do as many activities as possible.

5. Be kind to everyone, especially seniors.

6. Do a good deed for a senior today.

My good deed for seniors today is to stop writing this article.

by myself in a Chinese restaurant.

After dinner, the waitress brought me the bill and a wrapped Chinese fortune cookie. I struggled to get the wrapper off. A complete stranger at the next table saw my dilemma and she came to my table and said, “I can help you with that, honey,” and she unwrapped the cookie.

I have experienced many kind deeds. Once, I was waiting in a checkout line at a store to pay for a sandwich for lunch. The lady in front of me was paying for her purchase. She unexpectedly said to the cashier, “I’ll pay for his sandwich.” I was surprised.

I said to her, “I wouldn’t have done that for you.” She said, “I like to do good deeds.” Great attitude.

Another time, I was waiting behind someone on a check-out line to pay for a bag of potato chips. The young man in front of me said to the cashier, “I’ll pay for his chips.” Another pleasant surprise.

As we age, some chores become boring and can be handled more easily by paying someone to do them.

After my surgery, I couldn’t mow my lawn, so I hired someone to do it. Now that I’m able to mow the lawn, I am

accustomed to having someone else doing it, so I abandoned that chore.

If you have the financial means, it’s easier to hire someone to do jobs that you ordinarily would do by yourself.

The danger is that when you give up doing anything except watching sports on TV, you and your skills and abilities wither away. So, as seniors, we should continue to do as much as we can by ourselves without becoming too dependent on others.

In some other cultures, seniors are respected and revered. When I visited India to attend my grandson’s wedding to an Indian-American woman, I was treated with great respect. Strangers knelt down to touch my feet (a sign of respect) and I gave blessings freely. I was regarded as a source of knowledge and wisdom. I felt like a holy man.

Maybe, I look like an old man who needs as much help as I can get.

Or, maybe people recognize that I am a senior and they feel the need to be especially nice to seniors. Everyone has a mother and father. They gave you your existence on Earth, and now it’s payback time.

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life after 55

By Michele Bazan Reed Email: bazanreed@hotmail.com

Perennial Love

T

he day after Christmas, Boxing Day, I settled in to enjoy one of my Christmas gifts: a painting set from my daughter, Katie, and son-in-law, Greg.

For the past few years, I’ve enjoyed learning watercolor painting, taking classes at the art association and practicing on the rooftop terrace of our home in France. Now I wanted to try my hand at acrylic painting.

As I applied the first tentative brushstrokes on the green leaves and fiery red petals of an amaryllis I was attempting to copy, I felt my mood lift, despite the gray skies and frigid temperatures of an Oswego December.

What is it, I wondered, that gives flowers the power to transport us, and transform us, with their beauty?

I don’t know about you, but whatever my mood, the mere sight of flowers in bloom can make my spirits soar.

Not only that, but a burst of color from an azalea, a whiff of the rose’s perfume or the touch of a daisy petal brushing my hand as I walk by, can call to mind beloved memories, taking me back years and even decades to happy times.

One of my fondest memories of my late husband, Bill, centers around flowers. For 30 summers, June to September, every morning on his way in from the morning dog walk, he would stop to pick a sprig of the tiny hedge roses that grew with wild abandon along the south side of our house. He’d come in and present them to me with a smile or a kiss (usually both), and I would take a minute to toss yesterday’s wilted blooms and put today’s into the Welch’s jelly jarjuice glass I kept on the windowsill for that purpose. The memory of the juice glass with the tiny blossoms bobbing in their drink of water never fails to make me smile.

In France, we would stroll every

Bill’s grandmother’s peonies still bloom at the old house.

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Grandmother’s peonies continue brightening the lives of our family members.

Friday along the Allees Paul Riquet in Beziers, enjoying the weekly flower market that takes place rain or shine, from January to December. I’d bring home little plants to put on my windowsill or pick up an impromptu bouquet to brighten the inside of our house, but usually we just took in the sight of pansies bobbing their big purple and gold heads, and the smell of the bougainvillea, as we strolled in the shade of the plane trees.

Whether it’s a prom corsage, pinned with shaky hands by a nervous date, a wedding bouquet tossed toward our best friend or memorial wreaths at the funeral home, flowers 46

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seem to mark the important times of our lives. They tie us together as families, friends and lovers. They have a magic all their own.

They unite generations, too.

My father was an avid organic gardener, who kept detailed charts in marble composition notebooks, each year’s plantings plotted out by location, number of plants and eventual yield. I inherited the notebooks, but not the green-thumb gene. When I was younger, I’d greet the arrival of spring by planting annuals, shady plants for under the deck: begonias, impatiens, a little coleus for leafy fill.

Then the marigolds and geraniums for

full-sun areas, especially nice over the septic tank. To be honest, I never was much of a gardener. If it weren’t for my husband hauling bucketfuls from our pond, the garden would never get watered.

Then a miracle happened. One year, Bill was coaching youth soccer, and at the end of the season, a grateful parent gave him a hosta plant, which we placed in a shady spot. I didn’t even know what it was. Good thing I consulted my gardening books, or I would have pulled that perennial beauty out in October to replace with mums.

Instead, it returned the next year and flourished. Soon we had a colony of hostas taking over the space under the deck. Best of all, the hostas required almost no work. Mulch a bit in spring, put out a dish of beer for the slugs in summer, remove the dried flower stalks in fall, and they were good.

I was bitten by the perennial bug.

Soon I began planting bulbs for a beautiful welcome to spring outside our window. Eagerly I’d await the first peek of the crocus and grape hyacinth through late winter snow.

Bill’s grandmother helped, doling out the bounty from 70 seasons of perennials: lily of the valley, hydrangea, still more hostas.

She shared more than her plants.

As we worked, she imparted her knowledge and love as generously as she handed out her homemade chili sauce, sweet-and-sour pickles and rhubarb pie.

When Grandmother passed away, the people who bought her house offered us the chance to take whatever plants we wanted before they did their own landscaping.

We hauled wheelbarrows full of lilacs and peonies down the road to our yard. And there we planted a lilac grove in Grandmother’s honor, and a peony patch of a dozen plants lined up in a double colonnade.

For years we greeted spring’s arrival with the sweet aroma of Grandmother’s lilacs and the brilliant magenta and stark white of her peonies.

Our son, Mike, has the house now, and he inherited my lack of a green thumb. But perennials are forever, and those that survive will unite three generations with their beauty.

And, like flowers everywhere, they will warm the souls of all who see them.

visits

10 MUST-VISIT ART MUSEUMS IN NEW YORK STATE

By Sandra Scott

It’s impossible to miss the “inverted ziggurat” rotunda design of the Guggenheim museum in Manhattan, conceived by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In the 87 years since it’s opening, it has amassed an extensive collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and contemporary art.

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ny time is a good time to visit art museums, especially when days at the beach are no longer likely.

There are many art museums within an easy drive from Central New York. Many of the museums have online videos one can watch for free.

Before heading out to visit a museum, check to see when they are open. Some have days when the entrance is free of charge. Many art museums offer classes and tours, some of which are especially designed for the younger set.

1. METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF MODERN ART The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City — fondly called “the Met” — is the largest art museum in the United States. The museum is home to some of the world’s most famous paintings, including Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait,” Emanuel Leutze’s “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” and Claude Monet’s “The Lily Pond.”

The museum also has an extensive collection of musical instruments and antique weapons from around the world. The Met Cloister in Fort Tryon Park is also part of the Met. It specializes in European medieval art.

NYS residents can pay what they want.

2. THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART The Museum of Modern Art is often referred to as “MoMa.” Originally it was founded as a place for exhibits illustrating the constantly changing examples of modern art. It now has one of the most comprehensive collections of modern art along with artist’s books and an extensive file on more than 90,000 artists. Among the collection are Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory,” Frida Kahlo’s “SelfPortrait with Cropped Hair,” and Henri Matisse’s “The Piano Lesson.”

3. THE GUGGENHEIM The Guggenheim eye-catching building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is impossible to miss. The spiral 48

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design was described by some as a washing machine and by another critic as a hot cross bun. But today people from all over the world come to NYC to the Guggenheim. The spiral ramp inside has the museum’s collection displayed along the ramp as it coils to the museum’s glass ceiling. It is on the UNESCO heritage of architecture.

It is the place to see Van Gogh’s “Landscape with Snow” and Vasily Kandinsky’s “Composition 8.”

4. HUDSON RIVER ART SCHOOL Thomas Cole was born in England and moved to the United States with his family. He was entranced with the majesty of the scenery here, especially the mountains, forest, rivers and valleys of the Hudson River Valley area. He was an early environmentalist and the founder of the first major art movement in the U.S.: the Hudson River School Landscape Painting. At the Thomas Cole National Historical Site in Catskill visitors can tour his workshop and home. The Hudson River School Art Trail allows people to visit the places that inspired Cole and other romantic painters of that era including Frederic Church and Sanford Gifford.

5. FENIMORE ART MUSEUM The Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown is located on land once owned by American author James Fenimore Cooper in a house that was built by Edward Severin Clark, the heir to the Singer Sewing Machine company. The artwork illustrates life in early America and a folk art collection that shows the work of selftaught Americans: painters, quilters, ship carvers and people from all walks of life. Of special interest is the museum’s American Indian Art collection. The museum often hosts a Native American event with music, storytelling, and re-enactors.

6. THE EVERSON MUSEUM OF ART The Everson, located in Syracuse, is housed in a building designed by I. M. Pei which makes it a sculptural artwork of its own. It is one of the first museums to create a permanent collection of ceramics and currently has one of the America’s largest holdings of American ceramics. Paintings of special interest are one of Edward Hick’s “Peaceable Kingdom” paintings and one of Gilbert Stuart’s portraits of George Washington.

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE Interior gallery

space at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo; an outdoor sculpture greets you at the entrance to the Albright-Knox; A suit of armor is among the archives of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum in Ithaca.

OPPOSITE PAGE Various pieces of artwork

on display at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse.

7. ALBRIGHT-KNOX ART GALLERY This Buffalo museum is currently undertaking a massive development project that will be integrated with Delaware Park designed by Frederick Olmstead. It will double the display area and have a dedicated place for special exhibits along with space for education, dining and social activities.

It is scheduled to open in 2022. Its collection includes works by Gauguin and Matisse.

8. HERBERT F. JOHNSON MUSEUM ART The museum is located on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca.

The building was designed by I. M. Pei with an extension from the fifth floor over the out-door sculpture garden.

It was designed so as not to block the view of Cayuga Lake and offers a panoramic view of the area. The permanent collection of 40,000 spans six thousand years and is culturally diverse. They are especially proud of their Asian collection and the two Tiffany windows from the Darin Martin House. Admission is free.

9. FREDRIC REMINGTON ART MUSEUM Fredric Remington is best known for his sculptures — notably the “The Bronco Buster” and “The Cheyenne” — but his paintings are some of the best examples of life in the Old West during the late 1800s. Remington made 16 trips west during which time he made sketches depicting the life of the cowboys and American Indians.

The paintings, in a variety of media, are some of the examples of everyday life in the early West. The museum is located in Ogdensburg.

10 ROCKWELL MUSEUM The museum in Corning was described by the travel guide Frommer ’s as “one of the bestdesigned small museums in the Northeast.” It is housed in the historic Old City Hall. The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian and should not be confused with the works of Norman Rockwell. The collection is a mix of American paintings, historic bronzes, Native American objects, and photography.

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By Mary Beth Roach

Donna DeSiato, 71

She was named Superintendent of the Year by the New York State Council of School Superintendents. She will represent the state as its nominee for the National Superintendent of the Year, awarded by the American Association of School Administrators in February.

Q: What does this honor mean to you?

A: It’s a very significant honor. First and foremost, I’m honored to be selected as the representative from New York state for the national recognition of Superintendent of the Year. I’m also honored because it is being selected from and chosen from my peers. I think, particularly, at one of the most challenging times in the history of education, it really brings with it an additional level of importance. We have so many aspects of change and challenge and opportunity before us.

Q: You are one of only a few female superintendents in the region. The U.S. Department of Education statistics show that 72% of the K-12 educators are

DeSiato is in her 50th year in the education field and her 17th year as the superintendent of the East SyracuseMinoa School District 50

55 PLUS – FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022

female, but less than 15% of the nation’s superintendents are women. Do you consider yourself a trailblazer perhaps?

A: I think in some ways that’s true.

I know that in moving from teacher to building level administration, I found certainly that I was in a lower percentage of female colleagues. I have great relationships with male and female colleagues. In moving to a district level position in my career, I became increasingly more aware of that at the director level. When I was in Syracuse City School District, there were 10 directors, I was the only female.

Q: What do you see as some of your major achievements as superintendent?

A: I think first and foremost, our strategic plan, which is really a living document that engages our stakeholders and brings about the areas of focus that we need to continue to improve on; the areas that we need to become cognizant of building into the system.

Q: Can you be more specific?

A: Our vision is to become an exemplary 21st century learning community, whose graduates are prepared to excel in a complex, interconnected changing world. When we began our strategic plan, we were clearly delivering, by and large, a 20th century education.

That was true of really most school districts in New York state and in our country. The school district was predominantly influenced by an Industrial Age. Now we’re in the 21st century. We’re operating in a digital world with all kinds of information, tools and devices. And we need to shift so our students, who are born in this century, are able to acquire the skills needed for this century, the challenges

and the opportunities as well. I think our strategic plan has set that roadmap and we’ve accomplished many aspects of the development of our system collaboratively with partnerships.

In addition, as a result, in 2005, our graduation rate was 82%. Our current graduation rate is between 92% and 93% on an annual basis.

Q: The East Syracuse-Minoa School District puts a lot of emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, correct?

A: Our district became one of the first STEM Learning Ecosystems in the country in 2015, I think was clearly one of the most major achievements because it said that an outside national organization recognized our work in that STEM field and the work that we had done in those prior years, between 2008 and 2015, to achieve that. We were actually recognized at the White House. Also, eight consecutive years for best communities for music. We also celebrate that fact that we really do address the whole child; we want to recognize that all curricular areas are important.

Q: What inspired you to enter into the field of education?

A: Growing up in a home with two siblings, our parents truly believed in the “little engine that could,” constantly a story that was read to us; constantly that notion that perseverance and doing your best does make a difference in school. When it was time to go to college, I was the first person in my family to actually take that journey. That opened my eyes to that the fact that there was so much to learn about other aspects of education.

Our family strongly believed that education was a key to overall success.

I was inspired to learn more.

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