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Savvy Senior: How to Check Up On Your Hospital
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55 Issue 54 December 2014 / January 2015
PLUS
Ms. Symphoria Catherine Underhill brings experience, savvy as managing director of former Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Marvin Druger
‘Reflections of the Older Generation’
Botox Treatment Dr. Eva Briggs explains how it works
A Call to Honor Honor Flight Syracuse takes veterans to Washington D.C.
Poet Gets Award Former S U librarian and Eastwood resident gets poetry award in Wales
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CONTENTS
55 PLUS
55 PLUS
December 2014 / January 2015
12 Savvy Senior 6 Financial Health 8 Gardening 10 My Turn 22 Golden Years 36 Aging 38 Life After 55 42 Consumers Corner 44 Druger’s Zoo 46 Jay Taylor of Syracuse gives back by volunteering at the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center. 4
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cny55.com
18 20
12 TRADITIONS
26 CHANGES
15 HONOR FLIGHT
28 HOBBIES
• Lombardi’s carries on ‘old country’ tradition in Syracuse’s North Side
• Honor Flight Syracuse takes veterans to Washington to visit monuments erected in their honor
18 POETRY
• Eastwood poet gets first Dylan Thomas International Award for Poetry
20 PROFILE
• Dollars and good sense with Vicki Brackens
24 MENTORING
• Older Big Brothers, Big Sisters find rewards in helping kids
55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
• A Chittenango dietitian is turning a photography hobby into a business
• Photo restoration, preservation made easy
30 COVER STORY
• Catherine Underhill brings experience, savvy as managing director of Symphoria
40 VOLUNTEERS
• Crouse Hospital volunteers enjoy decades of service
48 VISITS
• New York state’s path to Freedom: The Underground Railroad
Attention Medicare Part D Members You may have been affected by recent changes in your current Medicare Part D plan. If you are self-enrolled in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, you recently received a notice that Walgreens and Rite Aid are no longer part of its Medicare Part D pharmacy network as of January 1, 2015. If you need to switch pharmacies, or need advice, we hope you'll consider Wegmans Pharmacy as your new partner in wellness. 짜 Wegmans accepts most Medicare Part D plans 짜 Member of the Excellus pharmacy network for over 40 years 짜 Recently rated the #1 Pharmacy in America
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savvy senior By Jim Miller
How to Check Up on Your Hospital
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hile you may not always have the opportunity to choose your hospital, especially in the case of an emergency, having a planned procedure can offer you a variety of choices. When shopping for a hospital, the most important criterion is to find one that has a strong department in your area of need. A facility that excels in coronary bypass surgery, for example, may not be the best choice for a knee replacement. Research shows that patients tend to have better results when they’re treated in hospitals that have extensive experience with their specific condition. In order to choose a hospital that’s best for you, it is important to discuss your concerns and alternatives with the doctor who is treating you. Some doctors may be affiliated with several hospitals from which you can choose. Or, if you’ve yet to select a doctor, finding a top hospital that has expertise with your condition can help you determine which physician to actually choose. Another important reason to do some research is the all too frequent occurrence of hospital infections, which kill around 75,000 people in the U.S. each year. So checking your hospital’s infection rates and cleanliness procedures is also a wise move. Researching Tools Today, there are a number of online resources that provide hospital safety and performance data to help you research and compare facilities. Because hospitals are such complex places, it’s wise to get information from a variety of sources. Here is a summary of some top guides. • Hospital Compare (medicare. gov/hospitalcompare): Operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this free tool lets you compare general quality of care, as
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55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
well as care for many medical conditions and surgical procedures in more than 4,000 U.S. hospitals. • Consumer Reports Hospital Rankings (consumerreports.org/ hospitalratings): If you don’t mind spending a few dollars ($7 for one month or $30 per year), Consumer Reports ranks 4,500 hospitals in all 50 states. The reliable resource provides information on up to 34 performance and safety measures. • U.S. News & World Report (usnews.com/best-hospitals): This online publishing resource identifies the best hospitals for 16 specialties, and provides rankings by metro area and by specialty for free. • Healthgrades (healthgrades. com): A private, for-profit organization, they provide free hospital ratings on patient safety and medical procedures, and scores hospitals using a 5-star scale. • The Commonwealth Fund (whynotthebest.org): This is a private foundation that provides free performance data on all U.S. hospitals. • The Joint Commission (qualitycheck.org): This is a not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care organizations and programs in the U.S. Hospitals receive a checkmark for each set of measures they have met. • Hospital Inspections (hospitalinspections.org): Established by the Association of Health Care Journalist, this focuses on violations and inspection reports. • The Leapfrog Group (hospitalsafetyscore.org): This national, notfor-profit organization grades hospitals on their overall performance in keeping patients safe. Use your city, state or ZIP code to search more than 2,500 hospitals. • VA Hospital Compare (www. hospitalcompare.va.gov): If you’re a veteran, you can research and compare VA medical centers here.
55PLUS Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto
Associate Editor Lou Sorendo
Writers
Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Allison Kanaley Trudell Sandra Scott, Mary Beth Roach Matthew Liptak
Columnists
Eva Briggs, M.D., Bruce Frassinelli Marilyn Pinsky, Harold Miller Jim Sollecito, David J. Zumpano Marvin Druger, Michele Reed
Advertising
Jasmine Maldonado Marsha Preston Jim Maxwell
Office Manager
Laura J. Beckwith
Layout and Design Chris Crocker
Cover Photo
Chuck Wainwright
55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in Central New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper. Published at 185 E. Seneca St. PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $15 a year © 2014 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Upstate New York.
No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 3071
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
CDC: Americans Living Longer
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ife expectancy at birth among the US population — defined as “the average number of years that a group of infants would live if the group was to experience throughout life the age-specific death rates present in the year of birth” — increased from 78.7 years in 2011 to 78.8 years in 2012. This is the longest life expectancy ever recorded. The report authors, from the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say this increase can be attributed to a reduction in many major causes of death, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke. To reach their findings, the authors compared final mortality data on deaths and death rates from 2012 with that of 2011. Although life expectancy has increased over the total US population, women are still expected to live longer than men. The report reveals that in 2012, the life expectancy for females stood at 81.2 years, while the life expectancy for men was 76.4 years. This difference of 4.8 years is the same as reported in 2011. At the age of 65 years, life expectancy for the total population also saw an increase, from 19.2 years in 2011 to 19.3 years in 2012. Again, women aged 65 had a longer life expectancy than men of the same age, at 20.5 years in 2011 and 17.9 years in 2012. The authors say the life expectancy difference between men and women aged 65 increased by 0.1 years in 2011-12, from 2.5 years to 2.6 years. The authors say that the 10 leading causes of death — which account for 73.8% of all deaths in the US — were the same as reported in 2011. The report reveals significant declines in age-adjusted death rates for eight of the leading causes of death in the US. They are: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, unintentional injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide.
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December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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financial health By David J. Zumpano
What If You Don’t Die?
Invest in Oswego County’s future. The Oswego County Community Foundation is a union of gifts, big and small, made by those who want to make a charitable investment in this community.
We invite you to join us. Learn more at oswegocountycf.org The Oswego County Community Foundation is a component fund of the Central New York Community Foundation. 315.422.9538 www.oswegocountycf.org oswego@cnycf.org
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55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
‘Did you think you were going to be this old and feel this good?’
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any seniors assume they will die before they reach a “certain age.” I understand why. From the time we are young, we have been told we will work until 65, retire and then plan for our “final years.” Now, look around you. How are old are you? Did you think you were going to be this old and feel this good? My parents, aged 89, recently drove themselves from Central New York to Connecticut to visit my brother. How about you? Many seniors today are extremely active. They go to the gym, they stay actively engaged socially and intellectually. What we believed to be true based on what we have been told since we were young is not quite turning out the way we thought. But have you planned for it? That’s really the key to estate planning. Most people think estate planning is about dying. The truth is, estate planning is more about living. The best estate plans begin with you. Did you ever go on an airplane and after the flight attendant tells you how to put the seatbelts on they then say, “If we lose cabin pressure a mask will drop down, please secure your own mask before assisting the person next to you.” Nothing could be truer in estate planning. Estate planning is one area where you must protect yourself first. Why? Well, just like on the airplane, if
you can’t breathe, you won’t be effective at helping the person next to you. In estate planning, if you’re not financially secure or personally able to take care of yourself, then you will not be able to financially or personally help those you love. Proper estate planning will keep you in control of yourself and your assets, and ensure you won’t become a burden to your loved ones. Estate planning is simple if you do it while you are healthy and become informed on the options you have to accomplish your personal goals. When properly done, estate planning assures all you have worked for is available for you without being at risk of being lost to unforeseen creditors and predators. Proper estate planning becomes your “voice” when you are unable to speak for yourself. And, when the time finally comes that you do pass, your stuff will get to the people you love in the manner you want without unnecessary costs or delay. If you have not done your estate planning in this regard, you really must reconsider because, hey, you really might not die when you thought you were going to. David J. Zumpano is an attorney and a certified public accountant (CPA). He operates Estate Planning Law Center. He can be reached at 315-793-3622.
Lifestyle Factors Prevent Stroke Risk in Women
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omen who follow five healthy habits can cut their stroke risk in half, new research suggests. After being followed an average of 10 years, women who ate a healthy diet, drank alcohol moderately, never smoked, remained physically active and had a healthy body weight were 54 percent less likely to have a stroke than women with none of these factors, said study author Susanna Larsson, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. “We observed that the risk of stroke decreased steadily with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle habits,” Larsson said. The study is published in the Oct. 8 online edition of the journal Neurology. Larsson’s team followed nearly 32,000 Swedish women, average age 60, as they reported on their diet and lifestyle. For the study, a healthy diet was considered one within the top 50 percent of a food score that measured how often the women ate fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods and other healthy fare. Moderate alcohol intake was termed three to nine drinks a week. Women were classified as physically active if they walked or biked at least 40 minutes a day, along with doing more vigorous exercise at least an hour once a week. Healthy weight was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 25. For example, a person who is 5 foot, 4 inches and weighs 140 pounds has a BMI of 24. About 1,500 women reported none of the healthy habits, but 589 had all five. Most women had two or three. During the follow up, 1,554 strokes occurred. The more healthy habits a woman practiced, the less likely she was to have a stroke, the study authors found. “It is never too late to start to be more healthy,” Larsson said. So, if women have reached midlife and need to get healthier, she encourages them to do so.
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Help Syracuse City Schools We Need Volunteers 55 and Older. Earn a small stipend in exchange for giving 15-40 hours a week to help young people. Call PEACE Inc. at (315) 295-0719 or visit www.peace-caa.org/FosterGrandparents December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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gardening By Jim Sollecito
Life Lessons Learned
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55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
his is the time of year when we really notice changes — large and small: the weather, wildlife flying to southern climes, trees and shrubs that shed their coats as we don ours. Some of us embrace the changes; others try to work against Mother Nature. Joan Rivers comes to mind. Even with a name that is part of the earth, she tried to gain happiness by radically changing the way she was created. I wonder if she was ever fully comfortable in her own skin. We get just one crack at life. We all have gifts; and beauty is only skin deep. Happiness is a by-product of other things, not a goal. Nobody is constantly happy; that would be unrealistic. But we can do things or have things that will make us smile. We can create moments that will bring enough happiness to help us get up in the morning with a purpose for the day. I choose to consider life as a journey knowing that conditions change with the winding road. The stumper is that most of us have trouble with change. Here’s something that will change regarding plants in New York state starting March: It will be illegal to sell burning bush, barberry and buckthorn. Any variety, any size. They are considered invasive and will become banned. You read it here first. We in the trade knew this was coming; we just didn’t expect it so soon. And, of course, as I do with my gray hair, I am learning to accept things beyond my control. I’ve learned that we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for. I’ve learned that money doesn’t buy class. I’ve learned that ignoring the facts doesn’t change them. I’ve learned that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I read a bumper sticker the other day. It said “I used to be cool.” We all have had moments in our lives when we were cool. Sometimes they were planned, but often they just happened. Part of the journey. Much pleasure can be derived by simply working around obstacles, instead of hitting them head on as we might have done at a younger age. Indeed that was an issue with me. My creed was “solve the problem immediately if not sooner.” I’ve learned that time can be my friend. Plants improve our quality of life. They connect us with the deepest parts of ourselves and give our lives more meaning. This is not the time of year for a kaleidoscope of color. The muted tones and subtle shapes take on new meaning. Walk through a favorite patch of woods. Observe how the trees speak a different language. Bring that same feeling to your own home. Instead of thinking only about the view from the street, reflect on your view from the inside. You might place a specimen where you can enjoy its form all year-round. Weeping trees are a wonderful choice. Their draping branches shed snow revealing that singular graceful form in the openness of winter. Conifers will catch and embrace those same flakes, providing a backdrop for winter’s white bounty. What should you shed from your own life this year? And what should be embraced so you can share more of life’s precious moments? The key to life — and your landscape — is how you approach it. Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in NYS. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 468-1142 or at jim@sollecito.com.
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55+
traditions
! o t i t e p p a n Buo
Dominick and John are two of the three brothers who started Lombardi’s Fruit & Imports on the north side of Syracuse in the ‘70s. They are still active in the business.
Lombardi’s carries on ‘old country’ tradition By Mary Beth Roach
S
yracuse’s North Side has seen a lot of changes since the 1970s, when one particular Italian immigrant family opened its gourmet and imports shop. Businesses have come and gone, buildings have been razed and new construction has changed the landscape of the neighborhood. However, one of the constants has been and continues to be Lombardi’s Fruit & Imports, 534 Butternut St., at the corner of Lodi Street. Begun in the 1970s by brothers Dominick, John and Vince, with inspiration from their father, Elviro, the store remains a family business, being run by Dominick and John, along 12
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with Dominick’s children, Dominick and Rosina. The store is just a few blocks from the family homestead. “It feels good that they can carry on,” Dominick said of his children. “They were brought up with the food, and with the work.” For Dominick, now in this early 70s, it’s all about family, customer service and the quality and variety of their products. “The selection — the aroma — you can’t beat it,” he said. The shop’s large exterior sign — a mural featuring the name of the store, along with a painting of fruit and meats — has welcomed generations
of customers to its front door. Once inside, shoppers are met with an “abbondanza” of aromas and products that cover nearly every surface. Some meats, baskets and flags hang from the ceiling. The deli counter stretches across the back of the store. Dried fruits are packaged and displayed in a case along one wall. Shelves are filled with various cookies and treats, dozens of different kinds of oils and vinegars and a hundred cuts of macaroni. Underneath the front window that looks out onto Butternut Street are pasta and serving bowls of all kinds. The front case boasts T-shirts
of every size. Coffee and espresso makers, macaroni machines, tomato presses and pizzelle makers are some of the cookware that line the top shelves of the store, reaching to the ceiling. The Lombardis emigrated to the United States in 1955 from Calabria, Italy, because of family. “My grandfather and grandmother were here, and I’d never seen them ’till I came to this country,” Dominick explained. Elviro Lombardi grew and sold produce from the family’s orchards and vineyards in his native Amalfi. “We try to follow what my father started in Italy,” said John. Comfortable niche Within recent years, as grocery store chains have added extensive delis and gourmet food sections, Lombardi’s still maintains its unique niche and legions of customers. “We keep increasing in variety,” Dominick said. “We specialize in imports. Everything we do is unusual. Where are you going [to find] the variety of product we have?” he said, pointing to shelves where more than 80 kinds of oils and vinegars sit. The Lombardis realize their customers expect them to know the subtle differences in all these products, and they do their research in order to help their patrons. TV cooking shows have certainly affected shop sales. “There’s people that never heard of a certain item that we’ve been selling for years,” he said. “After seeing the item used in one dish or another on television, all of a sudden there’s a rush on it.” “You take care of your customers. You know a lot of the customers by their first name,” he said. “You know their families, you know their kids.” Now those kids have grown and they are bringing in the next generation. “You can hear the stories they tell the kids,” he said. During recent visits to the shop, Lore Fuller commented on the inexpensive prices on cold cuts, and Steve Caraccilo, also of Syracuse, contended that there were few better places in the area to get cheese. Rick Belvito of Marcellus has been coming to the shop for about 20 years. He appreciates not only the selection but the conversations he has with the
Dominick Lombardi and his children, Rosina and Dominick: A new generation is taking over the business. Lombardi brothers. The customers are probably more knowledgeable than us now in a lot of ways,” John said. “This is good. We get a lot of knowledge from the people — what they like, what they dislike, what their grandmother used to have. We’re not trying to push what we want, but what you want.” Their patrons span generations and come from far and wide — from the Syracuse area, but also the Southern Tier, the North Country and cyberspace. Dominick credits his children for creating online purchasing opportunities for their customers. The store has its own Facebook page, with more than 1,400 likes, and where fans can share their reviews and memories. “I don’t even know how to turn a computer on,” he chuckled.
Dominick may not know how to operate a computer, but one thing he does know for sure: “Word of mouth is the best advertisement you can have in any business,” he said. “Whether it’s on Facebook or between neighbors. Variety, price and customer service are the key ingredients to the store’s success and longevity, with a large amount of Lombardis’ work ethic mixed in. The store, for example, is open seven days a week, and Dominick said he works nearly every day. He admits, however, that with his children grown and becoming more involved in the business, he’s taking a little more time for himself, but just a little. “Why would you need much more time off? To do what?” he said. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
Q: What is the earliest age that I can apply for my Social Security retirement benefits? A: To apply for Social Security retirement benefits, you must be at least 61 years and 9 months of age and want your benefits to start in the next three months. You can begin receiving retirement benefits as early as age 62, but if you take benefits before your full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced permanently. If you’d like to test the waters and get an idea of what your benefit amounts would be at different retirement ages, visit our Retirement Estimator at www. socialsecurity.gov/estimator. Q: I need to make changes to my Medicare prescription drug coverage. When can I do that? A: Open season for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage runs from October 15 to December 7. The Medicare Part D prescription drug program is available to all Medicare beneficiaries. Joining a Medicare prescription drug plan is voluntary and participants pay an additional monthly premium. If you are considering changing your plan, you might want to revisit the Application for Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs. If you have limited resources and income, you may also be eligible for Extra Help to pay monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,000 per year. To find out more, visit www. socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp. For more information about the Medicare prescription drug program itself, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). Speaking of medical benefits, the open enrollment period for qualified health plans under the Affordable Care Act is November 15 to February 15.
55+
honor flight
A Call to Honor Honor Flight Syracuse takes veterans to Washington to visit monuments erected in their honor By Matthew Liptak
A
call has gone out to men and women in Central New York and many are responding just as they did seven decades
ago. World War II and Korean War veterans are invited to go on the next Honor Flight Syracuse free of charge. The next one will depart in the spring. The Honor Flight gives vets a chance to see the memorials in Washington D.C. that honor their sacrifice and to enjoy some welldeserved appreciation from the public. “I hope other people have a chance,” said veteran Bill Pavlus. “I’d say you’d better get your butt in line and take the trip.” Pavlus went on the October flight last year. A nine-member board of
directors and 300 other volunteers make one or two flights happen each year. The flights leave out of Syracuse Hancock International Airport and arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Jeff Bastable, director of development for Honor Flight Syracuse, said the local organization has brought almost 200 vets to Washington D.C. since its start two years ago. The national nonprofit Honor Flight Network has transported 118,000 veterans to the capital from city hubs since 2005, he said. There are now 118 hubs around the country, and Syracuse is one of them. Each flight from Syracuse cost about $50,000. Donations from a variety of organizations help fund the flights.
Pavlus, 87, of Skaneateles served in the army in Korea in 1945. He is a former Skaneateles postmaster and town supervisor. Pavlus called his honor flight experience “fantastic.” “Honor Flight is a couple of things,” development director Bastable said. “It’s the grateful appreciation that our loved ones returned safely and it’s a recognition that some did not.” Veterans are brought to the Syracuse airport in the early morning before the flight. Each vet has a guardian to accompany them the whole way. The guardian can be anyone who is able to assist the vet in the transitions of the flight. It is often a son, daughter or other family member, but spouses are prohibited from being guardians, Bastable said. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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Many people are on hand to greet veteran as they disembarked in the nation’s capital. The reception is part of the Honors Flight program to honor those who fought in the World War II and Korean War.
A fee of $300 is asked from the guardian if they can afford it. The money helps offset the cost of the flight. If a vet doesn’t have a guardian one will be provided by the organization. “Guardian is probably the key role on the trip because the guardian is briefed in a mandatory meeting before the trip on what their responsibilities are,” Bastable said. “It’s very, very important that the guardian is physically and mentally able to serve in that capacity.” Pavlus did not have anyone to go with him so a volunteer, Jeff Bastable’s wife, Susan, accompanied him. The vet said that he was almost moved to tears that a stranger would take a whole day out of their life to assist him. Susan Bastable is the director of the Le Moyne College nursing program, which supplies the seven volunteer nurses who go on each honor flight. Many of the 65 or so vets who go on each flight are frail. Bastable said the youngest are around 87 years old and on a recent flight about half of the vets were over 90. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 640 World War II vets 16
55 PLUS - December 2014 / January 2015
die each day in America. “We are totally focused on health and safety,” Jeff Bastable said. “There’s a huge screening process that Kara Keyes and her team of nurses goes through before these trips. They screen people for all their medical conditions, medications and everything is monitored carefully to be sure that who we go with we come back with.” The result for those who go is a comprehensive tour of many of the war memorials of the capital. The vets depart their plane in Washington D.C. and are greeted by several hundred Skaneateles native Bill Pavlus looks over the well-wishers at the terminal. photo album of his Honor Flight trip he took in After going through the lines October 2013. Pavlus was deployed to Korea of cheering citizens the vets board three buses that have a at the end of World War II and served in the national park service escort. infantry. He later became the postmaster and The groups go to the town supervisor of his hometown. N a t i o n a l Wo r l d Wa r I I Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial (featuring the famous Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans statue of Marines raising the flag on M e m o r i a l , M a r i n e C o r p s Wa r Iwo Jima), the Tomb of the Unknown
Bill Pavlus with former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole who was a World War II combat veteran himself. Soldier and the Air Force Memorial. The vets may spend an hour or so at each monument with their guardian before the bus leaves again.
By the end of the day the veterans are back on their way to Syracuse on the chartered jet. As in the capital, a welcoming party is on hand to greet them. “The Scottish pipe band comes,” Bastable said. “There’s a group of choraleers, men that sing patriotic songs. We have honor guards, sometimes Syracuse University ROTC, other groups that have volunteered. It’s extraordinary. That’s all I can tell you. It’s moving.” Bob Davignon, an 89-year-old World War II veteran from Syracuse, was moved by what he saw on the honor flight. “When we got to Washington D.C. and we disembarked from the airplane and went through the halls to get the buses, by golly, it was bumper to bumper both sides of the halls with people cheering, waving flags and things like that,” he said. “When we got back to Syracuse in the evening it was the same way. There were so many people greeting you. It just brings back a lot of memories. “ Pavlus related a similar experience. He got choked up when he spoke of returning the salute of a young school boy who thanked him for his service.
“You’re really, really honored for the service that you gave to your country,” Bastable said. “No matter what you did you served the country. You signed on the dotted line to say ‘Take me. I’m here. I’ll put my life on the line for this country.’ That’s what they all did. Some don’t think they did much, but they did by serving. Others were heroes.” Public support for honor flight is strong. Although the price tag for the chartered flight is high, many have been willing to contribute. SRC Inc., a research and development company from Syracuse has contributed almost $50,000 to the flights over the past two years and 150 SRC employees have volunteered, Bastable said. The honor flight board member said the community of Skaneateles has also been invaluable in making the flights possible. It’s been over 70 years since the start of World War II but Central New Yorkers are still thankful for what its vets did back then. Those who answered the call of duty have not been forgotten. “You need to understand history and when you do you damn well better honor them,” Bastable said.
The first mission of Honor Flight Syracuse on October 6, 2012 at the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. The trip was organized by the Syracuse nonprofit and was free for all veterans of WWII and Korea. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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poetry
Eastwood Poet Wins Award in Wales Martin Willits Jr. and his wife, Linda Griggs.
Former Syracuse University librarian and Eastwood resident gets first Dylan Thomas International Award for Poetry By Matthew Liptak
E
ven though he’s been a published poet for years, Eastwood resident Martin Willits Jr., 65, was shocked when he received an email stating he had won the first Dylan Thomas International Award for Poetry. He said he thought it was a scam akin to the ones people used to get in their email from a Nigerian prince purporting to offer rich financial rewards. “When I got this message it was like I didn’t believe it,” Willits said. “When I got there I still didn’t believe it. People were convincing me. They were saying ‘Yes. You’re that good. You really are.’ I was like...’You sure you’re talking about me?’” The award was no joke. Willits beat out 350 poets from around the world with his winning 18
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poem titled “Daffodils.” The prize was given out in July by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Thomas’s birth. An acclaimed Welsh poet of the mid-20th century, Thomas is best known for such poems as “Do not go gentle into that good night.” The prize included a cash award of 2,000 British pounds or the equivalent of about $3,300. Willits also received a large etched piece of decorative glass. The Syracuse poet’s trip to Wales to receive his prize was paid for by the contest. While he was there Willits met with Thomas’ granddaughter and one of the Welsh poet’s former publishers. He visited historic sites related to the famed poet and conducted a reading of the winning poem to an
audience of more than 100. “This is a big event in Wales,” Willits said. “They have something going on throughout the whole year. Their kickoff event started with Prince Charles because he’s Prince of Wales. He’s my lead-in act is what I generally kid about. I didn’t get a chance to meet him.” Willits’ poetry was compared to the work of William Wordsworth and William Butler Yeats at the contest celebration. “I didn’t think I was in either category,” he said. His poem “Daffodils” does draw on some strong imagery though, including the possible presence of the flower before Christ’s crucifixion. It mentions the use of the daffodil bulb to help kill the pain of mortally wounded Roman soldiers. The
daffodil is also the national flower Griggs runs the Palace Poetry Group, as’ own “Do not go gentle into that of Wales, a fact that Willits said he which meets at the DeWitt Commu- good night.” There is a challenge with wasn’t aware of when he entered his nity Library the first Thursday of ev- that though. He may have produced poem in the contest. ery month. The two met after Willits a poem that he will be trying to live The Syracuse artist is no newcom- called Griggs to find out about one of up to for the rest of his writing career. er to the poetry world. He has had the group’s meetings. “There’s that hope, but it means multiple published books of poetry Willits hopes that “Daffodils” that it set a high standard for me, that along with chapbooks (books of 40 may resound with readers and be re- I’m going to have to write either that pages or less). His work has been con- membered by them, much like Thom- good or it’s going to haunt me for the fined to the small press and contests rest of my life,” he said with a laugh. thus far, but he has hopes of getting his poems in with a bigger publisher such as Random House. He is a prolific writer. Sometimes he can write up to 30 poems This poem by in a day, he said. former Syra Jr., 65, won th e first Dylan cuse University librarian M He started creating poetry given by give T n by the Univ homas International Aw artin Willits after he took a creative writing ard ersity of Wales Trinity Saint D for Poetry course at Onondaga Community avid. College in 1970. He wrote poetry in his free time until 1984 when he decided to stop to spend more time with his newborn son Kendal. He started up again in 2001, A daffodil bu d is deciding to participate in an anoffering forgiv seen among the snow, eness. Winter thology about 9/11. was harsh, and the bruta Since then he just hasn’t been lity of summer is not far awa W e able to stop writing, he said. He need forgiven y. es s. S u re ly is realistic about his approach to , after tribulati there is relief. o ns A lready we are the poet’s life. gardening dre It had been hu ams. ddling like an “You write it because you old gray wom grabbing her love it, or you can’t stop writing an shawl, in an u nderground h stirring a prom like me or something motivates ouse, ise to return. you,” he said. “You don’t write Soon its six p etals harmonic for the money. I make no monsense will bri ng love. ey off of it.” All day, it rad Willits is a former Syraiates. Althoug h it has not gro you can feel th cuse University librarian. He wn, e end of winte is also of the Quaker religion. r, like curtain It appeared in s rustling. th e Garden of G He said his religion and his and felt what ethsemane as experience as an avid organic would happen relief, next. It was a for the Roman gardener inspires much of his lso there soldiers who bit the bulb to writing. their wounds, ease knowing wha “My poems lately are t would happ en next. a lot about spirituality,” he Now it’s here said. “The one I just found for us, and we do not know w We only see so out yesterday is going to get hat will happ fa r, a n d th in en. published is all about spirigs go pass fast is easier as we er . Tolerance become older tuality. The last book was a , an as our bodies finds new ailm d suffering becomes norm combination of spirituality al ents. In our d We are yellow and nature. To me they’re reams we pla petals caught n t. in a frayed shaw the same. I don’t see any l. difference between the In a world un certain what w two. When you’re working ill happen nex there are som t, that close with the ground e things we ca n expect and The snow und and you’re working that so me we can’t. erstands it can not stand in th close with plants...that e daffodil’s w tends to make you closer ay. to your particular religion or your particular belief.” The poet was a widower until he met and married Linda Griggs.
Award-winnin g Poem
Daffodils
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profile
Financially Fit Dollars and good sense with Vicki Brackens
By Matthew Liptak
V
icki Brackens is known locally as the co-host of the long-running WCNY television program “Financial Fitness,” but when she was a girl growing up in Texas, she was known for being a bit of a pioneer. She was one of the first three African-American children in her area to go to an integrated school. Today, the 61-year-old Brackens continues to be impacted by those events in Henderson, Texas. They shaped her life when she was just 12 years old. Her habit of trying to open doors for others when she can is rooted in her childhood and the values her parents taught her back then. “When you are in an environment or in a situation where your parents can guide you through and show you the importance of taking these kinds of steps and show you the importance of actually standing up for social change, then it sets a foundation for you in the future,” Brackens said. “I’ve tried to live up to that.” That idea of helping others is not just a race-oriented one for her. Everyone is connected and quite often the benefits that the fortunate among us enjoy exist because others have come before us and sacrificed, Brackens said. If you happen to be one of the first to break down a barrier then you need to hold the door open for others to follow, she said. She tries her best to put those ideals into action as an adult by telling those she knows about opportunities she may become aware of. She has served as assistant treasurer for the Central New York Community Foundation and foundation board member of the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse. 20
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Brackens is also a member of the Syracuse Salvation Army Advisory Board. With her spouse, Earlene Jones, Brackens started the Jelly Bean Angel Fund for Innovation administered by the CNY Community Foundation. “It’s a small fund but we’re growing it to spur on seed funding for ideas for young people.” she said. “Last year they used it for the entrepreneurial group camp for the Southside Innovation Center. They gave one scholarship.” Brackens, a financial planner, is also the owner of Brackens Financial Solutions Network. Financial planning is offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors as the broker and registered adviser. Locally, financial planning is a male-dominated field with only a handful of
other African-American women in it, Brackens said. She thinks the job has a high attrition rate because it requires a complex skill set to be successful. “You have to be a people person, but you also have to be a business person, an educator, in marketing,” she said. “This is, I would say, an industry that needs to change a little in that mentorship and bringing an individual through the ranks, versus starting them as though they already know, is important.”
She has led “Financial Fitness” with co-host Jim Burns since 2012. The Thursday night staple on the public broadcasting station was started in 1992 by its original host, Daniel Pluff. The right stuff Burns said he encouraged WCNY to choose Brackens as his co-host. “I consider Vicki to be the consummate professional — very well informed, always prepared, completely honest and a really nice person to boot,” Burns said. “She’s really, really good at what she does. I think we have a great working relationship. She’s a trip.” Both Burns and Brackens consider the partnership a good one because they complement each other well. Burns is more high energy, they both acknowledged, while Brackens is more of a “cool cat, with a warm and empathetic personality,” Burns said. “I’m a big fan of Vicki Brackens,” he said. The program is broadcast over an area of 19 counties in Upstate New York. In May, the show moved from a one-hour format to 30 minutes. Financial Fitness features discussion between the hosts and guests on financial topics that can vary widely. It’s not just a stock market show, Brackens noted. Topics have included discussions of the bond market, retirement planning, divorce and finances and caregiver resources. “What I like most is that we can look at the need as far as what information we believe is most needed at the time and bring it directly to engage the viewers,” Brackens said. Brackens is also a vocal advocate for the Upstate New York economy. She said it could be doing much better if the community changed its direction a bit. “I want Central New York to start appreciating itself,” she said. “The reason I do the good news segment right at the end of the show is that we have to start looking at what we offer, not what we lack.” One of her concerns is all the students who migrate away from the area once they graduate from college. She said there are 150 universities and 150,000 students who go to school in Upstate New York each semester. Three billion dollars in sponsored research is conducted here each
that person doesn’t stay,” she said. Once a Texas girl striving for equality, Brackens today is a strong voice in the Central New York financial field. She said she hopes to continue that journey here for years to come. Even if she retires in the future, she expects to continue to stay involved. “Do I ever see myself, Vicki Brackens, just being 100 percent leisure time?” she said. “No, I don’t. I’ve already realized that I’m a person who is engaged in stuff all the time. You’ve got one life, might as well live it right to the end.”
year, largely because of those schools, Brackens said. If the area could move that research into the next stage of creating products and services, she thinks the economy could see an upsurge. Between that missed opportunity and the flight of graduates from the area, she thinks the Upstate New York economy has room for improvement. “We have all of the elements to triple the size of Upstate as far as an economic base, maybe even five-fold. But we’re letting it walk out the door every time we pass off a diploma and
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December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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my turn By Bruce Frassinelli bruce@cny55.com
How Basketball Became a Dirty Word for Awhile My stint as a basketball coach: a turtle could lead the team with the same degree of success When you have three-quarters of a century in the book of life, it’s not unusual to survey those 75 years for some improbable, zany moments where you slap the side of your head. You don’t necessarily proclaim: “I should have had a V-8,” but you smile in embarrassment and marvel about the unlikelihood of the adventure. My you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me experience was the season when, at age 19, I coached a girls’ basketball
team, which wound up going 26-1. Understand that the closest I had gotten to a basketball until this point was being a scorekeeper for my high school basketball team. I lettered in football, baseball and track. Now, I did play a fair amount of Puff basketball in our dining room with my son, Mike, but I am pretty sure that doesn’t count. My short-lived career as a coach was not something I sought. It fell into my lap by default. The girl whom I
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was dating at the time was a member of this team. She and her friends loved basketball and wanted something more challenging than pickup playground games. Their Catholic high school did not have a girls’ basketball team yet, but the administration agreed to sanction a sport club that did not have varsity status. They needed a “responsible” person who would arrange scheduling of games, help line up transportation,
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make sure the girls observed decorum and modesty, and, oh, yeah, coach the team. I was so starry-eyed about this girl that I was dating that if she had asked me to fly to the moon, I would have
asked, “When is the next rocket ship leaving?” Manipulator that she was, she popped the question as to whether I would be coach after planting one of her most sensuous kisses on me. I guess I must have said yes,
because the next thing I knew I had the team gathered at the high school gym, and they were listening in rapt anticipation as I gave my first Knute Rockne-style pep talk. After a crash course on learning the mechanics of girls’ basketball — this was 1958 when the rules were different than they were for boys’ basketball — I was ready to strategize and come up with several plays in advance of the team’s opener. I found out almost instantly that this team would be built around an incredibly gifted and talented shooter who had near-deadly accuracy from just about anywhere within 20 feet of the basket. Backed by her 37 points, our team routed the opposition in the opener,
and, from there, we were virtually unstoppable. Our star forward scored nearly 1,000 points for the season, averaging just about 35 points a game. Although I was hailed by the girls, their parents and families and the school’s athletic director as a genius, the truth is that a turtle could have been coaching this team and done just as well. So long as our star shooter was on the court, there was a pretty good chance that this team was going to win. The lone loss occurred when our star sprained her ankle in the fourth quarter of the final game of the season, had to leave the game, and we lost by two points. Because of the incredible showing of the team and the support it generated among parents and the communities, the school decided to establish girls’ basketball as a varsity sport with a qualified coach. My brief tenure as a coach was history. Just as well: My girl and I broke up shortly after basketball season. I felt used, and the word “basketball” became a dirty word for awhile.
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December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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mentoring
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: The Rewards in Helping Kids Program matches children with adults who work as mentors and role models By Matthew Liptak
W
hy should an older person consider getting involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters pro-
gram? The answer may surprise you. Two older “Bigs” from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Onondaga County said that they think they get more from the interaction with the children than the children do. Most of other volunteers would say the same thing, they said. Whether it’s the “Bigs” (adults), or “Littles” (children), the individuals involved with the program have enjoyed a life-enhancing experience. The program, brought by P.E.A.C.E. Inc. (People’s Equal Action and Community Effort, Inc.), matches children with adults in the community who act as their mentors providing a positive role model. Stephen Bero, 68, of Syracuse has been a Big for almost a decade to two boys from Oswego County. The experience has been very rewarding for him. “I think I got a lot more out of it in a relationship than the kids do,” he said. “I think most adults will tell you the same thing if they’ve been a Big Brother or Big Sister.” Kim Barone, a Big Sister from Liverpool, agreed. She said her relationship with her Little, Zikeiya, has enriched her life. “I think she probably has more of a positive influence because it keeps me young and it keeps me connected to that age group and what they’re in to,” Barone said. Barone says there can be some
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Stephen Bero, 68, of Syracuse has been a volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters for almost a decade. Here he is shown recently with two boys from Oswego County, Mike and Matthew, he has worked with for most of his time in the program. Photo on opposite page shows Bero with the same boys nearly a decade earlier. challenges with mentoring a 13-yearold girl too. Most of those don’t come from her Little, she said, but from the Big’s tendency to want to impart different habits to the child than the Little’s family subscribes to. Barone, an administrator at Peace Inc., used the example of littering to explain. “I can teach and model and things...like you don’t litter out the window or you don’t walk along and throw your gum wrapper on the ground,” Barone said. “She’s probably going to continue to do that. That’s because she’s not with me every day and she’s probably not taught that every day. It’s things like that that sometimes get frustrating. Hopefully one day she’ll think about it and do differently.” Barone has been Zikeiya’s Big for three years and she described the experience as “awesome.” She said the 13-year-old is like part of the family. The teenager often shares time with Barone’s family and they do things together. Activities can range from going to the beach or the zoo or just going on daily errands. “If I have to do errands, even if it’s just the store from here to here or the market or something I’ll pick her up and she’ll tag along,” Barone said. Bero said he has had a lot of adventures with his Littles too. The former adjunct professor at SUNY
Oswego became a Big to Michael in 2004. Michael lived with his grandmother and half-brother. It was natural for Bero to also become a Big to Michael’s half-brother Matthew. The first time Bero and Michael went out together it was to cut down a Christmas tree. “That was kind of a nice experience with him,” Bero said “As that year progressed we did just about everything.” The Big went to the boys’ football and basketball games, took them fishing and to group events sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters. They even went on camping weekends together in later years. Bero got to watch the young boys grow into young men. He tried to be a positive influence on them, or just be there to listen. He respected the different interests the boys developed and encouraged them. “These are teenagers now,” Bero said. “The years have gone by. I think in a small way I helped them become more confident and believe in themselves so that they could do things they wanted with their lives.” Michael is 19 now and just graduated high school earlier this year. He is considering going into the military, Bero said. Matthew has entered his last year of high school and hopes to go on to college. Bero was named the Big Brother
of the Year in Onondaga County in 2010. He was nominated by Michael and Matthew for the award. But the Big was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008. He said he is lucky because his disease has been managed where two of his friends who had the same disease have died. The cancer has taken a toll though, and his days with his Littles may be limited so he treasures them. “Sometimes I’m really exhausted and tired,” he said. Even as Michael and Matthew are entering adulthood and aging out of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, the relationship between the three continues. Bero went to Michael’s high school graduation party this summer. He is continuing to live out his belief that adults have a responsibility to be a role model for children, even if they’re not your own. “It’s like this,” Bero said. “Pay it forward. Do something good for somebody else. Do it for little kids. That’s part of who I hope to be and hope that I am.” There continue to be many local children who are looking for a Big Brother or Big Sister to share a little time with them. If you think you want to be a mentor, go to www.bbbs-syr.org or call 470-3369. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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Rediscovering
Photography
A Chittenango dietitian and dog lover is turning a photography hobby into a business By Allison Kanaley Trudell
T
he automatic camera given to Nancy Kieffer on her 13th birthday has long since joined countless others forced into retirement by technology. But Kieffer, now 55, has recalled the memory of that gift over and over, until a lifetime photography hobby eventually became a career. Kieffer, of Syracuse, recently launched her own photography business, specializing in pet photography and landscapes. “I’ve always loved photography,” said Kieffer. She said she has been the “family’s unofficial photographer” but was limited to the training she’d received in high school and college. That changed a few years ago, when she traded up from point-andshoot cameras to her first SLR (single-lense reflex) camera. Around the same time, she signed up for a fourday photography workshop in the Adirondacks with local nature photography expert Tom Dwyer. “That’s when I decided I wanted
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to get into this more,” Kieffer recalls. “I love hiking and the outdoors.” The group, strangers united by a love for photography, inspired each other. “We looked at each other’s shots and did a critique.” The session was so motivating, said Kieffer, that she began to spend more time with her camera focusing the lense most often on her favorite subjects — pets and landscapes. Often combining the two, Kieffer liked the results. In fact, Kieffer said her favorite photography sessions now include both pets and their humans. She doesn’t have a studio, preferring to photograph animals in their own homes or outdoors where the setting is more personal. Often, dogs will have a favorite park or place to walk. Or a favorite napping spot in a couch or chair. Or lap. Some pet owners want photographs of their pets to use on greeting cards or as framed gifts. Others want to have an aging pet photographed as a memento. She also takes human clients; there is a special section on her website devoted to them as well. One of the biggest challenges is running the business while still tending to a separate, full-time career in health care. A registered dietitian with the Chittenango Center for Care, Kieffer said she enjoys her work there, particularly the interaction with residents. Still, in recent years she felt an increasing draw to her rediscovered love of photography. “I love what I do [being a dietitian], but I needed something more,” Kieffer said. And the urge to reinvent, or rediscover, herself wasn’t an entirely new concept. Her work as a dietitian was preceded by years in the hospitality business. Working in hotels in St. Louis, and eventually in Niagara Falls, Kieffer was immersed in a world of customer service. When the corporate
climate of bigger hotel chains became stifling, Kieffer took a break. “I bartended for a while,” she said, “then decided to go back to school.” Building on a growing interest in nutrition
and healthy living (she is a vegetarian), Kieffer earned a degree in nutrition, and launched the career that would bring her to Syracuse. A dog lover and animal advocate, Kieffer enjoys sharing her love of nature with her pets. Several years ago, she joined a local hiking group, and
would often take photographs of her dogs, Seamus and Midnight. “One of the things I love is trying to [photograph] the owner with the dog,” said Kieffer. “The interaction of them playing in the park or walking.” She made several attempts with her own dogs over the years, using a tripod to take “selfies.” She found joy in photographing her dog-nephew, Beau, her sister’s chocolate Labrador. “They are some of my favorites,” she said, noting the difficulties in taking a self-portrait that involves a subject that is not always compliant. Midnight has since died, and Seamus, a yellow Labrador, is not able to take the long hikes he used to. So Kieffer is especially fond of capturing the relationship between pet and human, or simply the personality of a cherished pet. Kieffer’s newest challenge is delving into learning the business aspect of photography as well. She built her own web page — nancykiefferphotography.com — which includes a blog about the photographs featured, and the inspiration behind her work. There is a special section on rescue animals, where she includes a personal note about her desire to help animals in need of safe, loving homes. Over the summer Kieffer took her work to the Canine Carnival at Jamesville Beach, where she had her own booth, and showcased some of her pet and landscape photographs. She also attended the Canine Classic to benefit Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association in Chittenango in late September. Just like every photograph has the potential to be better than the last, Kieffer is happy to click away, finding joy with each subject, and the creative fulfillment she had been seeking. “It was kind of neat when I ordered my first print [to sell],” said Kieffer. “I thought, ‘Oh, wow, that’s mine!’ That’s kind of nice.” December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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Photo Restoration, Preservation Made Easy By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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f you’re like many 55-plussers, you probably have a lifetime of photos in albums and frames, all in varying conditions. Fortunately, you can not only preserve but even restore your favorite photos for yourself and posterity. The key to do-it-yourself photo preservation is starting with a good quality scanner set at its highest quality setting. Many PCs come preloaded with software to enhance photos, but the most common software to restore photos is Adobe Photoshop. Tracie Alexander, OASIS program and volunteer manager, recommends Picasa software. “It helps people sort and crop photos,” she said. “It can also help with restoring them.” OASIS often offers classes in Picasa. For printing photos, it’s more cost effective to use a site such as shutterfly.com or snapfish.com. Their laser prints last longer than soluble ink jet ones printed by home computer printers. Store scanned photos on archival DVDs for the longest life for electronically saved photos. Back up your files on a cloud-based storage site such as Crash Plan, which allows users to remotely and securely access files anywhere
People can try to restore photos using special software programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Picassa, or have take the photos to specialists such as Industrial Color Lab in Fayetteville. Says Amanda Davis of Industrial Color Labs “They don’t know how much we can restore a photo. They are very surprised.” 28
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in the world. Some anti-virus software companies also sell off-site back-up services, as do some photo printing sites. You could also start a free website such as on Weebly or Wordpress with access only to your family. Google offers Picasa, a free service to organize and share photos, too. Flash drives or an external hard drive can also provide on-site backup. You may want to give copies to family members also. Maintain one or two external hard drives or thumb drives stored in different, safe locations to prevent physical damage from eliminating your photo files. For example, you could store one in your safe deposit box and another at your daughter’s home. Update them with new photos periodically. It’s also smart to include passwords to online photo sites or back-ups in your end of life documents so that your family may access your files after you pass away. Only trust passwords with a family member whom you would trust with your bank account numbers or other important information. If you’re not up to restoring and digitally preserving your photos, contact a company like Industrial Color Labs in Fayetteville. “A lot of people come in and don’t understand that we can crop people out,” said Amanda Davis, graphic designer and restoration specialist with Industrial Color Labs. “They don’t know how much we can restore a photo. They are very surprised.” For example, if a photo’s condition eliminates part of the scene, Davis can often fill it in digitally in the reproduction. Cracks, missing spots, and crumbled corners rarely pose problems. She advises clients to store photos flat. Avoid acidic
products like cheap photo albums or everyday boxes, ultraviolet light, and direct sunlight. “If it’s too hot or cold or if the temperature fluctuates, moisture will get to them and damage them,” Davis said. “Attics or basements aren’t good for those reasons.” Labeling photos helps ensure that future generations will be able to identify photo subjects. But many people who label photos do so incorrectly. Don’t use ink unless you use an archival, non-acidic pen. A No. 2 pencil is safe. Instead of labeling photos only on the back, write on the album page, in case a photo is removed and not immediately replaced. Using a corresponding letter and number system can minimize the amount of writing actually on the photo, such as “A23P3” for “album 23, photo 3” on the page and the photo. Most people also don’t get specific enough. A photo labeled “Mom” may make sense to you, but will it to the person looking at it in 100 years? Record the person’s full name, age (if known) and the date. Other known details are helpful too. For truly vintage photos, such as daguerreotypes and silver photos, get professional assistance in preserving them, since these antique processes require unique handling and archiving. But in general, avoid acidic containers and albums. If you own fragile historical photographs, make copies so that if you want to display or share them, you can preserve the original images. It may take time to sort and restore your treasured photos, but considering the memories they evoke, it’s worth the effort.
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a i r o h p u E a i r o h p m y S r Ove Catherine Underhill brings experience, savvy as managing director of Symphoria By Matthew Liptak
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atherine Underhill, the Symphoria’s managing director, believes music is the universal language of mankind. She is thriving in her new role of sharing that language with the rest of Central New York, but admits there is much work ahead. The Syracuse native was hired last year to take the reins of the newly created Symphoria. The Symphoria is the orchestra that was born in the wake of the bankruptcy of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in 2011. The symphony was part of the CNY culture for 50 years while the Symphoria is just a little over a year old. Underhill has been admiring CNY’s musical landscape since she was a little girl. Decades ago, former New York State Sen. Tarky Lombardi was a friend to Underhill’s aunt, Sister Frances Agnes. He was a strong supporter of the arts in Syracuse. “Tarky had box seats for the sym-
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phony, but sometimes he would be stuck in Albany and could not attend, so he would give his tickets to Sister [Frances] and she would bring us with her,” recalled Underhill’s sister, Maureen Louis of Cazenovia. “I have very clear memories of sitting with Catherine in those box seats, wearing our little velvet jumpers. You never know what early exposure to good music will bring.” Underhill, 58, has had a life-long passion for the arts. She attended Syracuse’s Our Lady of Solace in her early years and graduated from Nottingham High School. Before graduating high school, Underhill spent a year as an exchange student in Peru. It was a formative experience. She had three years of French under her belt, but was placed in a Spanish-speaking country. “I was placed in Peru and didn’t really know anything at all,” Underhill said. “It became very clear to me
that the cultural language of music and dance and visual art and architecture were as rich a communication opportunity as language. I think maybe I was sensitized to that a little bit as a consequence of the fact that I couldn’t really engage verbally. I think that’s probably part of the reason why art history was intriguing to me. I’ve always really enjoyed the arts in all forms.” The father of the family Underhill had been sent to stay with had been a professional singer. He continued to sing with his friends and welcomed her to get involved, she said. She didn’t sing, but learned many of their songs. After high school, Underhill entered Wheaton College in Massachusetts where she said she fell in love with the art history major. “I really like the combination art history provided by the chance to really understand what an artist has
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intended,” she said. “To look more deeply. To understand the historical context of what preceded the work that you’re looking at. I enjoy writing. It’s a good combination of analysis and art and writing.” She transferred and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of New Hampshire in 1978. Rocky Mountain high Catherine was living with her now-husband Steve Underhill in Boston when the couple decided to move to Colorado. Steve was pursuing a degree there and she decided to go for her master’s in art history and she attained it at University of Colorado Boulder in 1985. Underhill got a job with the National Conference of State Legislatures that is based in Denver. She worked there in public policy at the state level from the mid- to late-80s. That job involved a lot of travel. Her duties entailed managing the arts tours and cultural resources program. The young arts enthusiast met with more success during that time. She became a National Endowment of the Arts fellow and was accept-
lifelines Place of Birth: Syracuse Current Residence: DeWitt Age: 58
Personal: Married to Stephen Underhill; three children: Jack, 14; Devon, 20; and Cailey, 24. Education: Bachelor’s in art history, University of New Hampshire, 1978; master’s in art history, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1985; master’s in public administration, Harvard University, 1991 Career Highlights: Catherine brings to Symphoria more than 25 years of experience in leadership positions in a wide range of arts organizations. Immediately prior to moving back to Syracuse, she served for 11 years as executive director of 32
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ed into another master’s program at Harvard University. Getting her masters in public administration in 1991was great, Underwood said. About 30 percent of students in the program were international and it was very diverse, she noted. “It was very interesting,” she said. “Since I had been focused in the arts arena, it was good to get out and really have a broader perspective.” After meeting her educational goals, Underwood moved to Atlanta where she lived for three years and worked as deputy director of the Southern Arts Confederation. The federation was a regional agency that collaborated with state art organizations and linked them to the NEA. Her stay in the South was relatively short though. She soon found herself back in Colorado, where for the 12 years before coming back to Syracuse, she was executive director of the Colorado Music Festival. All told, she has lived about three decades of her life in Colorado. She said living in Colorado was nice but different from Central New York. “We basically raised our kids there,” she said. “It’s growing very
the Colorado Music Festival, a sixweek mostly classical summer music festival based in Boulder, Colo., and during her tenure she oversaw the merger of the festival and a yearround community music school. Also in Boulder, served for several years as executive director of The Dairy Center for the Arts, where she managed the $3.5 million conversion of an abandoned dairy processing plant into a vibrant, multidisciplinary arts center that became home to 14 local arts organizations. Additional professional experience includes serving as deputy director with the Southern Arts Federation, a regional arts organization based in Atlanta serving nine southern states; managing the Arts, Tourism & Cultural Resources program at
fast. I think the climate change is impacting and will continue to impact that region very dramatically. It’s a semi-arid high desert so it’s quite dry. It’s beautiful. It’s a very dramatic landscape where here the landscape is much more gentle and rolling in comparison.” Although she enjoyed the Western life, Underhill had been keeping an eye on things in her hometown. She was dismayed to hear of the troubles and eventual failure of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. “It was such a heart breaker,” she said. When news reached her that a new orchestra was being created, Underhill threw her hat in the ring for the position of managing director. She was intrigued by the chance to help lead a startup and excited about the possibilities it offered. ‘Not easily rattled’ Vicki Feldman is a past president of the Syracuse Symphony Association, a nonprofit that helped support the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra financially. She was impressed with Underhill when she arrived to take the reins of Symphoria.
the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver; and serving as a fellow in the States Program of the National Endowment for the Arts. Community Involvement: Catherine is currently a member of The Everson Museum of Art, WCNY, the Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse Sounds of Music Association, the Aria Society, Friends of Lorenzo, and Stone Quarry Hill Art Park Hobbies: Gardening, swimming, hiking, reading, skiing (snow and water), and spending time with family and friends Favorite Composers: Dvorak, Mozart, Golijav Favorite Quote: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Getting Used to the Weather Again Catherine Underhill, Symphoria’s managing director, said she is happy to be back in Syracuse. She has moved to a new house in DeWitt where she lives with her husband and children. She has even successfully endured her first CNY winter since she was a girl. Underhill learned the key to that feat from her sister, Anne Anthony (the family has seven siblings). Wearing the right winter clothes is essential to enjoying the outside. Anthony loaned Underhill a big down coat when she got here. “I looked liked the Michelin Man but I was warm and comfortable,” Underhill said. Rough winters are a relatively small price to pay for the gift of being back in the hometown she loves. Underhill is now able to pass on a passion for music that she first gained while sitting in box seats at the symphony so many years ago.
Catherine Underhill welcoming the public during the Colleagues Across Borders concert Oct. 18 at the Crouse Hinds Theater. “Catherine is not easily rattled which is a great trait for someone in her position,” Feldman said. “She’s very approachable and very good at listening to both musicians and patrons.” There have been plenty of challenges with her new employment. Underhill said bringing Symphoria from a bootstrap organization to a
long-term sustainable one has been like trying to “drink from a fire hose.” Tasks the Symphoria staff have had to complete in the first year of operation have included creating a new chart of accounts, a budget, implementing a new ticketing system and database, developing programming and moving to new offices on Harrison Street in Syracuse.
“As a new organization, we had all new systems,” she said. “Now that we’ve completed one full season and two summers worth of performing, we have the opportunity to think about how we want to shape this thing going forward.” The Symphoria has an administrative staff of six to get things accomplished — three full-timers, including Underhill, and three part-timers. Three of the six are also performing musicians in the orchestra. It is one of only two cooperatives in the country, Underhill said. There are about 50 musicians who are part of the co-op and 80 percent of them were once with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. “The structure is a cooperative organization so the musicians are vested in the organization and have much more of a voice in shaping its December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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future and direction,” Underhill said. “They are the people that actually began the institution so they’re actively involved in the development of policies and programming. We are really more designed to operate as a team together.” That team has made real progress in the last year. Symphoria performances are estimated to have reached 100,000 people in the community through both ticketed and free events. More than 500 audience members have been 18 or younger and get into concerts free. Exposing new generations to orchestral music is a priority, Underhill noted.
the support of the Syracuse Symphony Foundation and Onondaga County,” she said. “Those are our two biggest funders. The balance is through government and foundation grants, individual donors, ticket sales and performance fees.” She admits the orchestra still needs to garner more corporate sponsors. Organizers will need more funding if the orchestra members become full-time musicians like they were in the days of symphony. “We’re growing in that direction,” Underhill said.
Budget blossoms The orchestra received about a dozen grants last year. Its budget has grown from $500,000 to $1.7 million this year, Underhill said. The budget is about half earned and half contributed. “We’ve been fortunate to have
Underhill during the summer concert at Everson museum July 25.
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‘Longevity Gene’ One Key to Long Life, Research Suggests
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ven among people who live well into their 90s, those with a particular gene variant may survive the longest, a new study finds. The variant is in a gene known as CETP, and researchers have known for more than a decade that people who carry it have a better shot at an exceptionally long life — past 95 or even 100. CETP is involved in cholesterol metabolism, and the longevity-linked variant raises blood levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind) and promotes larger-than-normal HDL particles, researchers say. The new findings show that even when you look at people who’ve already lived beyond age 95, those with the “favorable” CETP variant survive longer, said physician Sofiya Milman, an assistant professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The results build on work that began at Einstein in the late 1990s. Researchers there have been studying centenarians in and around New York City, all of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. They’ve found that people in this long-lived group often carry the CETP variant, and have very high HDL levels. “They don’t only live longer, they live healthier, too,” Milman said. Research has linked the CETP variant to lower-than-average rates of heart disease and stroke, as well as sharper mental function in old age, Milman noted. But she said the gene could have other, yet unknown roles in aging, too. These latest results are based on more than 400 people from the Einstein project. They were typically 97 years old when they entered the study, and were followed anywhere from one to 11 years, Milman said. Overall, the researchers found, centenarians with the favorable CETP variant tended to survive longer — as did those with relatively higher HDL levels.
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golden years By Harold Miller hal@cny55.com
Blue Mind
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Being by water makes people healthier, happier and more peaceful
o you love being on the water? Do you love boating, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, riding the waves on a surf board or any of the other water sports? Do your recreational activities and vacations generally center around being at a lake or sitting on an ocean beach? Do you own or rent a residence on the water? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have a blue mind, according to Wallace Nichols, research associate at the California Academy of Sciences and author of the book: “Blue Mind — The sur-
prising science that shows how being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do.” The author dives deep (pardon the pun) into the psychological aspect of the blue mind (sometimes too deep) but one factor is clear: this phenomenon is definitely an inherited trait. Life started at the seashore as slimy creatures — whose tissues were mainly comprised of water — slithered onto land and eventually became you and me. We feel peaceful and at ease by the water because it
was and is our home. Moreover, listening to the waves, whether it be sitting on the beach or lying in bed with the window open, is the greatest tranquilizer that exists (our boat is named Tranquil Liza). Of course your waterside habitat need not be limited to the ocean — a lake, a river, even a stream will do nicely. Our current residence on Owasco Lake in Auburn also adjoins Willowbrook Creek, a small stream that meanders down from the hills above, and eventually empties into the lake at our doorstep. When our grandchildren come to visit (almost
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every weekend during the summer months) the young ones always head to the creek bed with nets in hand for frogging. We always keep a supply of nets handy. This is all the amusement they need. My mother and father loved the water. Often they would rent a cabin on Owasco Lake for a week or two. One day I vividly remember, at the tender age of 6, sitting in a rowboat with my sister just offshore from our rented cabin I said, “someday I’m going to have my own home on the lake.” This would become my ardent goal. Luckily my wife Janet also loves the water and this explains why our children and grandchildren all have blue minds. During the early years when our children were small, and before we could afford to rent a place on the lake for the summer, we would pack up the station wagon (yes we had a large family practically from the start) and head for the lake on the weekends — unpacking play pens, sandwiches and plenty of drinks. After the day of swimming and games, the family packed up for the trip home — ex-
hausted but happy. Not too many years passed before my career picked up and the family could afford to rent a camp on the lake. How fortunate to live in the beautiful Finger Lakes (by definition one of the loveliest places to live in the entire world). No one is far from a body of water. After school was out we packed up the station wagon again and headed to the camp. However, there is a price to be paid for living on or near the water — everyone has to learn how to swim. Our kids were taught at the local YMCA almost as soon as they could walk. Only then can mom and dad relax when they are at the camp. In 1966 we built our dream home on Owasco Lake. Thus, all of us had year round access to the water and water sports that included boating, swimming, water skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, cross country skiing (snow is merely frozen water) — and to relaxing time with a good book by the water. When Disney World in Orlando opened in 1970, Janet and I again
piled all the kids in the station wagon, strapped our luggage on the roof – and headed south to see Mickey and Minnie. After that we visited Janet’s brother at his then recently purchased condo on the ocean at Jupiter, Fla. After swimming in the ocean for a couple of days the kids were hounding us to buy our own condo. And to make a long story short, we did. It goes without saying, that this opened a new blue mind chapter in our life. To put it in the words of Celine Cousteau (Jacque Cousteau’s granddaughter who contributed the foreword to “Blue Mind”): “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” At this juncture — more than 40 years later — Janet and I spend our lives swimming in the ocean or the lake almost every day of the year. I usually sit by the ocean or the lake reading for a couple of hours each afternoon and our blue minds never tire of looking upon the sparkling kaleidoscopes of water from our lakeside home in Auburn, N.Y., or from our ocean room in Juno Beach, Fla.
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aging By Marilyn L. Pinsky
I Will Never Do THAT Again! Words of wisdom for everyday life
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’m amazed how at this stage of my life there is yet so much to be learned. The best part is I don’t even need to take adult education courses. I just hang around my own kitchen and “knowledge happens.” For instance, though I’ve never taken a chemistry course, I recently utilized Koopmans’ theorem. The theorem states that, in closed-shell Hartree-Fock theory, the first ionization energy of a molecular system is equal to the negative of the orbital energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital.” Impressed? Don’t be. I have no idea what that means. But in my case, I interpreted it to mean: If you have eggs boiling on the stove, don’t leave the damn room! When the water boils out, they’ll explode, hit the ceiling, stick up there until they’ve dried out and a week later — it’s raining little clumps of yolks. So with a number of similar lessons under my belt, I asked friends about their dumb moves thinking we could benefit from each other’s mistakes. Names are not used in order to protect the innocent and curse words have been mostly omitted. Life’s lessons learned • “If your best judgment tells you a tree should be cut down by a professional, don’t try to just ‘cut it a little.’” The spouse of the guy with the broken foot who fell off the ladder when the tree fell the wrong way related this. • “Never leave the dishwasher open and walk away. The phone rings, you turn around to grab it, forget what you were doing 38
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• “When lending money, prepare to give it as a gift and don’t expect to get it back.”
and trip over the dishwasher.” • “Never put trash out in a can that is not securely closed. Animals will knock it over, tear the bag open, spread garbage all over and you will be out there picking it up from the neighbors’ lawns.” • “If you’re making coffee, but don’t hear the plop, plop, plop of the coffee going into the pot, check the counter for your coffee, as you probably forgot to put the pot back on after dumping in the water.” • “I will never again bite a pasta shell to test for doneness when it is still full of boiling water. Burnt my lip, tongue and gums.” Said by a wonderful father who cooks for his young children. • “When using a previously opened carton of milk, always make sure the top is tightly closed before shaking.” • “Never make assumptions about a couple’s relationship. I met a man in his 80s accompanied by
a much younger woman, probably in her 40s. I addressed her as his daughter. It was his wife.” • “Never ask a woman when she’s due. Not ev- ery woman with a large belly is pregnant.” • “After the accident, I will never again teach a child to parallel-park.” • “Never leave sofa and chair cushions outside when there is a chance of rain without using a timer to remind you that they are out there!” • “Never get involved in email while frying food. You could set the kitchen on fire.” • “Never put a chocolate bar in the pocket of white pants.” • “Always double-check your spelling and then do it again!” • “Never assume the GPS knows everything; always bring a map.” • “Never travel with a new friend.” • “Never drink water from the Trevi Fountain in Rome unless you are carrying Imodium!” • “After belly surgery, ask your solemn sister to care for you during weeks one and two and your hysterically funny sister to visit after the incision has healed.” • “Never eat spaghetti while wearing a white blouse.” • From a friend still mopping the floor: “Do not, I repeat, do not use any detergent in the dishwasher other than the appropriate soap. If you use washing machine detergent, you will have a flood of bubbles all over the kitchen floor.”
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• “If you’re always losing your ring and spending precious minutes searching when you should be running out the door, put a nice antique smaller than a saucer next to each sink and train yourself to put your rings on the plate when washing your hands.” • Three people submitted this: “Without looking, you assume that your driveway is clear as usual, and you back out of your garage into the car of the person who is there cleaning your house or providing a service.” • “When juggling coffee, keys, papers, briefcase, etc., never put them on the top of the car “temporarily” as you get in. The next time you see them will be in your rear view mirror.” • “When planning something for the first day of the month, note it on the calendar of the last day of the previous month. I learned this after inviting guests for dinner on April 1. Then I accepted an invite for March 31 many hours away. I can still hear the mournful voices of my out-of-town guests on my answering machine!” • “Don’t go into business with a couple. The vote will always be two-to-one.” • “If you get into a disagreement with your waiter during the first course, do not complete the meal.” • “Never volunteer information to salespeople when buying something big or expensive. They are not your friends.” • “After blowing off several early morning conference calls, I’ve resorted to putting ‘post it’ notes on the bathroom mirror to remind me of early morning commitments!” • “Never do anything mean to anyone on the way up, because you’ll meet them on the way down.” • And my personal latest, “Never book the last flight out. There’s no back up option if it’s cancelled and you end up staying over to the next day at your own expense.” Of course, as I’m writing this I just booked the last flight out as there was no other way to get back when I needed to be back.
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Crouse Volunteers Enjoy Decades of Service Some volunteers have worked at the hospital more than four decades By Matthew Liptak
“I
’m 86 years old and I’m proud that I can still manage to give back to others [for] what I’ve received.” Those are the words of Horace Blakley, a Syracuse resident who has been volunteering at Crouse Hospital since 1988. Blakley started volunteering after he had a bout with colon cancer that the hospital staff helped him win. He also had an amputation there. “I wanted to pay back the hospital and the community for what they’d done for me,” he said. Today the retired GE shift manager is fighting bladder cancer, but he expects to keep volunteering as long as he can. For the past 26 years the volunteer has worked at Crouse and
he has seen lots of changes, but he takes it all in stride. “When you look back, it’s changes in time, that’s all—progress,” he said. Blakley has put in 9,500 hours in and his next challenge is to reach 10,000 hours. He now volunteers as a dispatcher, directing about 25 to 30 others by phone over the course of his four-hour shift. He works Monday and Tuesday afternoons. The volunteer has made many good friends there over the years and he said he now knows all the nurses on the floor by name. He recommends volunteering to others because it keeps people away from the TV and gives them a chance to give back to others.
Crouse Hospital volunteers Susan Klenk and Barbara Blumberg have been devoting time to the hospital since the early ‘70s. The two former teachers still have the same pink shirts they wore when first working at the gift shop. 40
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“You’ve got to stay active,” he said. “You’ve got to stay busy.” Volunteers Barbara Blumberg and Susan Klenk also recommend volunteering. The pair from Syracuse declined to give their ages but they have been volunteering at Crouse since the early 1970s. Blumberg has given more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service at Crouse while Klenk has provided more than 8,000 hours. Klenk’s aunt was an administrative supervisor on the seventh floor of Syracuse Memorial Hospital, a precursor to Crouse Hospital. She mentioned to her niece that she thought she would love volunteering and asked her to invite a friend too. Klenk had known Blumberg since their college days at Syracuse University and both were teachers at Webster Elementary School in Syracuse. Klenk taught kindergarten and Blumberg taught second grade. “Of the teachers at Webster school Barbara was interested in coming with me,” Klenk said. “At that point we both decided we’d like it and we got in here. We were given the assignment of the gift shop. We were in there a long time as regulars.” The two worked the 4-to-8 shift on Thursdays after the school day was done. Times have changed at the gift shop. In the early days the buyers responsible for procuring merchandise took more of an interest in getting one of a kind specialty items, Klenk said. “There were some very nice buyers within the gift shop,” Klenk said. “One stood out for me. Her name was Midge Sanford. She had quite an interest because she also was my volunteer boss at the Consortium for Chil-
dren’s Services down on Water Street. I thought it was marvelous when she came because she followed some of her buying techniques that she had at the consortium. They were very nice items, one of a kind. I would say we developed quite a little clientele on our various nights of work here because they would be wanting to see some of the things that she recently brought in.” Today much of the clientele is hospital staff who like to buy cards and candy. The nurses buy a lot of candy, Blumberg noted. Technology has changed at the hospital over the decades the women have been there, even in the gift shop. Blumberg faced a challenge when the shop decided to change from a traditional cash register to a computerized one not long ago. “About a year ago or so they were talking about getting a new cash register,” Blumberg said. “We had to learn on an IBM computerized cash register. I wanted to continue working there volunteering so I had to learn how to do it and I did. I know one person just wasn’t going to learn and she quit. I wasn’t going to quit. I wanted to be there.” Klenk now volunteers at one of Crouse’s short-term surgery centers. She finds it more rewarding than her old days at the gift shop, she said. Although she loved the gift shop work, tasks at the surgery center are more varied. She provides patients with specialized menus after surgery and can even give them words of support after their procedure. The volunteer particularly enjoys offering words of encouragement to the children and seeing them immediately perk up. Both women said they enjoy working with people at Crouse. It has been part of their routine for decades and they don’t see it ending any time soon. “Here, once you get into it, they’re very friendly,” Klenk said. “The volunteers and the administrative staff and the bosses that we have...they’re just so friendly all the time.” Of the 350 volunteers at Crouse, 10 of them have been there from 25 to 48 years. If you would like more information about becoming a volunteer at Crouse call 470-7571 or go to www. Crouse.org.
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Get in touch with us to schedule a tour and learn more. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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life after 55 By Michele Reed michele@cny55.com
Cuisine Savoureuse! French cuisine tantalizing to tried and true foodies
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ood, food, glorious food! Upon hearing that Bill and I were heading to France, one of our friends nodded sagely and said, “Ah, you must be foodies.” We love good food, but never would have defined ourselves that way. Once we settled into our village, however, the wisdom of her words hit us. We had landed in the world of fresh, biologique (organic) non-GMO veggies — even in January. We marveled at potted meats that the local butcher makes by hand from pork, goose and duck. Even the modest supermarche around the corner boasted 40-plus cheeses from every corner of France. The south of France is a foodie’s paradise.
You can’t make great food without fresh ingredients, so the village farmers’ market has to rank as the biggest discovery of our trip. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, I could obtain spinach fresh from the fields for two euros per kilo — that’s about $1.25 per pound. Avocados from Spain, just 50 miles away, were perfect every week and eight of them could be had for two euros or $2.69. We ate like royalty, and our weekly food bill was only about $60 per week, including wine. At first, I tended to purchase too many vegetables, but soon learned to be careful to buy only what we would eat in the next couple of days. The bounty continues later in the week when there would be another market.
Editor’s Note: Local writer Michele Reed and her husband, Bill Reed, spent the winter of 2013-14 exploring the possibility of retiring to the south of France. In a series of articles, she takes readers along on their journey, sharing the ups and down of senior expat living. But passing a stand with succulent lettuces — while back home it was the dead of winter — tempted me to buy the red and green leaf varieties. I made a silent promise to sauté them with the local “rosy” garlic if they became wilted before they could be eaten in salads. After the holiday vacation period, we were thrilled to see the Catalan woman who sells cheeses and sausages was back again, so we got a “boudin blanc” — a white sausage native to the region. We already had the black blood sausage, “boudin noir,” and it was delicious. Also she had “tomme Catalan” (“TOM” — you do not pronounce the e), a nutty, semi-soft cheese made from sheep’s milk. We passed on the delicacy she was cooking, which looked great and smelled even better. It was smothered in sauce and cheese, but alas, we could not translate what the main ingredient was. Succulent aromas
Artisanal cheeses and sausages are on sale in an open-air market at a nearby village. The sausage maker is always happy to hand out samples of his delicious wares. 42
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That brings me to the biggest temptation with the market — everything looks and smells so good. Passing by a vegetable stall, you can
Traditional cheeses made from the milk of sheep and goats raised in the Pyrenees Mountains are available each week at the market. Photo By Bill Reed inhale the aromas of leeks and shallots and the green smells of parsley and leafy veggies. Citrus fruits are in season during the winter months and their scents draw you in, as does the pungent fragrance of little wheels of goat cheese in open-air stands. Our favorite olive grower has plates of green, violet and black olives out for sampling and the beekeeper offers generous tastes of his honey and jams. As if that’s not enough, the vigneron, or vintner, often has some wine available to try. The local soap makers have huge bars on display of “savon de Marseille,” a rich, olive oil based soap good for washing everything from your hair to the laundry. Because not everyone has cars to get to the shopping malls, you can buy clothing, electronics, mattresses and shoes right on village streets.
If twice a week is not enough, you have only to travel to a nearby town for another chance at culinary heaven. It’s just a one euro ($1.34) bus ride down the coast. Every town in the region has at least one market, so every day of the week is covered somewhere. Most of our favorite farmers traveled around the circuit. While most foods were familiar, some old favorites were expensive or hard to come by. Beef was especially expensive, so I bought it only once. About two months through our sojourn, I so missed a good hamburger that I purchased a pound of “bouef hache” — ground beef — at the supermarket and truly savored a burger on a slice of baguette with great French mustard. Chickens were sold whole and very dear. I roasted one that cost me $20 (after the butcher removed the
head and feet while I watched) before I learned that the butcher would slice off perfect two-person portions of turkey, veal or duck to order. I learned to cook lamb’s liver, to make a “blanquette” or stew of veal, and to appreciate several kinds of local sausage. I never got up the courage to cook rabbit or goat, but on our return, I may give those meats a try as well. In addition to the butcher, who gave me many tips, one farmer at the market was especially kind, answering questions despite my halting French and teaching me the correct pronunciations for vegetables. But one day, I caused a bit of a stir when I pointed to a delicate leafy plant called “mache.” I had looked it up in the French-English dictionary on my e-reader and it defined it as “lamb’s lettuce.” When I saw my fellow shoppers eagerly grabbing up the early season offerings, I asked him how it was prepared. He let out a big guffaw and relayed my question to the locals behind me in line, much to their amusement. He must have been thinking “Silly Americaine” as he gave me his reply with a twinkle in his eye: “You wash it.” To cook all this great food, we relied heavily on the Catalan cookbook we bought in Barcelona. The hardy, peasant fare of our adopted region can best be described as the ultimate comfort food. Our local supermarket gave out a weekly TV guide with recipes based on their specials, and with my French-English dictionary handy on the kitchen counter, I tried gratins, soups and stews from the instructions I found there. Soon I was braving the newsstand, buying French magazines and translating recipes for ingredients in season, and trying to mimic favorite restaurant dishes at home. Fresh vegetables, hardy cheeses, delicious wine and a dedication to careful preparation — the south of France truly is a foodie’s paradise. • Next issue: The adventure continues. About the author: Michele Reed retired after a career spanning four decades in public relations, advertising, journalism and higher education. She now writes travel articles, book reviews, haiku poetry and fiction. December 2014 / January 2015 - 55 PLUS
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consumers corner By Eva Briggs, M.D.
Botox Treatment
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recently completed an introductory course in Photoshop, and one of the fun things you can do is to make people’s skin smoother and less wrinkly. Of course, overdo it, and faces look at best unnatural and, at worst, plastic. Not so different than real plastic surgery! Just over a decade ago, in 2002, the FDA approved botulinum toxin as an injection to treat frown lines, those vertical furrows that appear between the eyebrows. And in 2013 the FDA granted approval for its use to smooth crow’s feet, the crinkly wrinkles radiating from the outer corners of the eyes. Botulinum toxin is a deadly poison made by a bacterium called “Clostridium botulinum.” Ingestion of as little as one microgram in contaminated food can kill an adult by causing muscle paralysis. But much tinier doses, injected into localized areas, have legitimate medical uses. It’s been used for more than 20 years to treat assorted medical conditions: blepharospasm (eyelid spasm), strabismus (crossed or otherwise misaligned eyes), cervical dystonia (neck muscle spasm), migraines, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and muscle spasticity. The stuff works by interfering with the release of acetylcholine, a signaling chemical nerve cells used to send a messages to muscle cells. Botulinum toxin splits a protein called SNAP-25 found on the inside membrane of nerve cells. Without SNAP25, little packets of acetylcholine within the nerve cells can’t get out, and the muscles never receive a signal to contract. The muscles in your face have unique soft tissue attachments to the overlying skin. That’s what makes your face so expressive. And that’s what makes skin wrinkles amenable 44
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to treatment by affecting the underlying muscles. Over time, repetitive contractions of facial muscles, coupled with atrophy of the skin, forms wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles form when muscles contract, and these are the most sensitive to botulinum toxin treatment. Static wrinkles, present in relaxed skin, can also be treated with botulinum toxin. The effects of an injection develop after two-three days, and peak about two weeks post injection. The body gradually makes new SNAP-25 protein, so the effect gradually wears off over three to four months. After multiple injections to the same area, the effects may last even longer. Like any medical treatment, there are potential side effects. Redness, swelling and tenderness at the injection site usually resolve in a day or two. Bruising can range from pinpoint to quarter-sized bruises that may take two weeks to fade. Headache may occur and usually is mild and lasts a few days, though some unlucky folks have severe headaches lasting several weeks. Other complications occur if the injection affects areas other than the intended target. The more skilled the
injector, the less likely this will happen. If the toxin migrates to the eyelid muscles, a patient can wind up with a droopy eyelid. A few patients develop antibodies to the toxin, which makes the injections ineffective. Rarely, patients develop hives or severe anaphylactic reactions. There have also been reports of large doses (usually for other uses than facial wrinkles) leaking into the bloodstream and spreading to distant areas. This could cause generalized weakness, trouble swallowing and speaking, drooping eyelids, urinary incontinence, and trouble breathing. There are several contraindications to botulinum toxin injections: rashes in the treatment area, pre-existing weakness in the area, neuromuscular diseases, keloid formation, pregnancy or breast-feeding, sensitivity or allergy to the product. People who depend on facial expressions for their livelihood, like actors or singers, probably should avoid these injections. Eva Briggs is a medical doctor who works at two urgent care centers (Central Square and Fulton) operated by Oswego Health.
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Put your care in the hands of the most experienced robotic surgery team. One that performs more procedures than any other in Central New York. At Crouse, we use our experience with the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System to provide you a better one. It’s the kind of experience that leads to smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery. And, it’s precisely why more patients are choosing Crouse. Learn more at crouse.org/robotics U r o l o g y
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John Nicholson, MD David Nesbitt, MD Colon Rectal Associates of CNY Dr. Nicholson and Dr. Nesbitt are nationally recognized trainers of surgeons in the field of colon-rectal robotic surgery. As a result of their expertise, Crouse has been designated a da Vinci Epicenter robotics training site for colon-rectal surgeons from across the U.S.
Proud to be the official hospital of SU Athletics.
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druger’s zoo By Marvin Druger
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Reflections on the Older Generation
obody wants to reach old age, but the alternative isn’t desirable either. In 1900, the life expectancy at birth was about 46 years for men and 48 years for women. Now, the average life expectancy is about 76 years for men and about 81 years for women. Better sanitation and modern medicine have made old age a reality. One problem with getting older, however, is that you are bound to get something that you don’t want, such as arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and other ailments.
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As we age, we become more dependent on the miracle pills of our modern generation to feel good and to stay alive. Years ago, when I visited my mother in a nursing home, a staff member entered the room full of old people and asked aloud, “Does anyone here take pills?” This was like asking, “Is anyone here alive?” Every older person I know takes at least several pills per day. It’s difficult to admit to old age. We tend to forget things more often. A gerontologist told me, “If you know that you are forgetting, you’re OK. If you don’t know that
you are forgetting, then you are in trouble.” I know some older people who don’t suffer from dementia and their brain is sharp. The lucky ones are cognizant of the world around them and they have the wisdom of age. On the other hand, the body starts failing as we grow older. Body parts don’t respond as they used to. We get fatigued more easily. Legs don’t move as easily as they once did, even though our brain orders them to do so. Aches and pains are commonplace. It’s depressing to observe older people with unimpaired minds, but a failing body. They want to get up vigorously and go, but they can’t. Nature has taken its toll. The body is not made to last forever, and we realize this as we get older. Exercise doesn’t prevent this decay, but exercise can slow it down. Fear of falling is a common complaint of older people. Very often, an older person can lose balance and fall, and break a hip. I think a big problem with falling may not be the fall, but that older people have trouble getting up. They stagger to their feet, along with moans and groans. Social life changes as we age. Old friends start disappearing. I told a friend, “At my age, almost everyone I know is retired, terminally ill or dead.” It’s more difficult to make new friends. We become crankier. There are many memories that sustain older people. They like to tell these memories, incessantly. They talk about the fallacies of the current younger generation, and how much better things were in the “good old days,” forgetting their own misbehavior as youngsters. Older people also like to talk about their latest ailments, who died recently, and which doctor they have to see next week and why. Older people realize that there’s more behind them than ahead, and
there’s not much to look forward to. Older people have to live every day as if it were their last, because it may well be, although that’s true for everyone. Older people become more stoic. They steel their minds against the inevitable. They become more fixed in their ways. You can “teach old dogs new tricks” but, many older people don’t want to learn new tricks. Older people are likely to become more outspoken as they age. They tend to say it as it is, without a hidden agenda. They don’t care if their tie is crooked or their hair is messy or if they are dressed appropriately for a special occasion. Who cares? As a dietitian, my daughter told me about a doctor who wouldn’t let an 89-year-old lady have a hot dog because she was on a low-salt diet, Have you ever heard of anyone dying from eating one hot dog? What the hell! Older people appreciate what others do for them. Although they want to be independent for as long as possible, they appreciate family visits and calls and messages from friends. Very often, older people are obliged
to give up their independent living and move into a nursing home or live with a family member. This places a huge responsibility on the family member, but it is one that many family members are destined to bear. The thought should be that your parents took care of you and raised you from childhood; now, it’s your turn to do the same for them in their old age. One of the saddest things about older age is that the likeliness of losing a loved one increases. Usually, in a marriage, spouses don’t die at the same time. I lost my wife and dearest partner and friend on Jan. 19, 2014. The devastating, empty feeling haunts me. Older people have to somehow adjust to a loss, and keep on going, but it’s not easy. We can’t solve the mystery of death. Older people are concerned about their health, not only for themselves, but for the burden ill health places on the family. For some, money doesn’t seem to be a major concern. For the lucky ones, retirement funds are often sufficient to relieve them of serious financial worries. Senior discounts are beneficial, but the
seniors oftentimes have the money to pay full price whereas younger people don’t. Should perhaps the younger generation get “junior” discounts? I asked one workman if he gave senior discounts. He responded, “I charge more for seniors.” Older people enjoy being as active as possible. They love being with their grandchildren, if their grandchildren have time to be with them. Older people like being entertained. When I visited my mother in a nursing home, I observed some of the entertainment programs. Many were terrible, yet they received enthusiastic applause and praise from the residents. Older people become less selective about the quality of entertainment. Older people deserve respect and admiration. They are the link to past wisdom and experience. One of my favorite sayings (that I just made up) is, “Remember the past when planning the future.” Listen to the older generation and, perhaps, we can avoid the mistakes we made in the past, and the world will be a better place.
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New York’s Path to Freedom: The Underground Railroad By Sandra Scott
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he Underground Railroad (UGRR) was not a railroad nor was it underground. It was a secret network of people who hid and guided slaves to freedom. Until the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, a runaway slave only had to get to a free state like New York to enjoy freedom. All that changed in 1850 when the new
act required that escaped slaves had to be returned to their masters and that the people of the free states had to cooperate thus making it necessary for a runaway to find freedom in Canada. New York state with its long border with Canada became an integral part on the Path to Freedom. There are many homes, churches, barns and other sites that were used
to hide slaves throughout New York state, some of which can be visited. Because of the danger in aiding and hiding runaways, many of the people who helped and the places slaves were secreted will never be known.
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The National Abolition Hall of Fame: The Hall of Fame in Peterboro is the perfect place to start for an overview of the UGRR. In 1835 when the NYS Antislavery Society tried to hold its meeting in Utica they were driven out by a mob to Peterboro where Gerrit Smith welcomed reformers, especially abolitionists. The hall of fame is located in the Smithfield Community Center where that historic meeting was held. The Gerrit Smith Estate, a National Historic Landmark is located nearby. The Gage Home: Located in Fayetteville, a community with a strong anti-slavery tradition, the Gage Home was just one of many stations on the UGRR. Matilda Joslyn Gage publically declared her intention to defy the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law and offered her home as a safe house for runaways. Gerrit Smith, Su-
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san B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were just some of the abolitionists who visited the home. One room of the house is devoted to the UGRR. The Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center: The Syracuse museum is the regional UGRR Interpretive Center with a permanent exhibit. Titled “Freedom Bound: Syracuse & the Underground Railroad” it features, among other things, a multi-media exhibition that explores Syracuse’s role in the movement along with local citizens who aided runaways. One of the more famous cases is that of Jerry McHenry a runaway who was captured then hijacked from a Syracuse jail by local abolitionists and made his way to freedom in Canada. A monument in Clinton Square commemorates the event. Harriet Tubman House: Harriet Tubman, the “Moses of her people,” was an escaped slave who put herself in danger by making 13 trips into slave states rescuing 70 enslaved family and friends. She was a union spy and worked for women’s suffrage. Her house in Auburn was a home for the aged. She would tell the often frightened slaves that, “on my Underground Railroad, I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” She is buried in the local cemetery. Nearby is the Seward House.
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The Jerry Rescue Monument in Syracuse.
The Harriet Tubman House in Auburn. Seward’s wife was deeply committed to the abolitionist’s movement. National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House: The Rochester home of Anthony details her struggle to get the vote for women but also her aim of equal rights for all. Nearby in a lovely local park is a lifesize statue of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass having tea. Douglass was an escaped slave and powerful orator who promoted the cause of freedom. He was a close friend and ally of Anthony. National Women’s Hall of Fame: The abolitionists and women’s rights movements were closely related. The National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls honors many women who were active in the abolitionist movement, including Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the Grimke sisters who fought the injustices of slavery, racism and sexism. Nearby is the Elizabeth Cady Stanton home. Stanton’s husband was a founding member of the New York Anti-Slavery Society. Murphy’s Orchard: The 65-acre family-owned farm in Burt, north of Lockport, has a secret underground room accessed from the floor of the barn where runaway slaves were secreted on their way to freedom. The farm was established by Charles and Anna McClew who were involved in the UGRR. The location of the farm’s proximity to the Erie Canal made it an ideal location on the route to freedom in Canada. Tours are available.
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Lewiston: Near the banks of the Niagara River is the Freedom Crossing Monument which honors fugitive slaves who sought freedom in Canada and the local volunteers who aided them. The Niagara River was a gateway to freedom and often the last stop on the way to Canada. Nearby at Niagara University, the Castellani Art Museum has a collection of artifacts and photographs plus several informative audio stations called “Freedom Crossing.” Starr Clark Tin Shop and Underground Railroad Museum: One of the newest museums connected to the UGRR is located in Mexico, Oswego County, where Starr Clark served as a station master. Jerry McHenry, of the Jerry Rescue fame, is the most famous of the runaways who made their way to freedom and most likely the Oswego County portion of his journey was organized by Clark. Jerry was hidden in a local barn for two weeks before being taken to Oswego and then by boat to Canada. The North Star Underground Railroad Museum: Located in Ausable Chasm, the museum reveals the hidden history of the Champlain Line of the UGRR with compelling stories of fugitives from slavery who passed though the area on their way to Quebec and Ontario, Canada including a multimedia production detailing the story of John Thomas and his family’s escape from slavery.
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By Mary Beth Roach
Jay Taylor The 69-year-old Syracuse resident and Vietnam War and Desert Storm veteran gives back by volunteering at the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center. Q. Are you a veteran? A. Yes, Vietnam and Desert Storm. I’m a retired U.S. Army master sergeant. Q. When did you serve in Vietnam? A. 1966 and ‘67 — one tour. I was outside Pleiku in the Central Highlands, and there was a lot of action there. I was also an instructor in the military. Q. How long have you been volunteering at the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center? A. About 2-1/2 years Q. What prompted you to start volunteering? A. Coming here for appointments and seeing the need for it. I wanted to help my fellow veterans. Most people are very happy when they leave. You see them coming in sometimes when they’re not, and I try to lift their spirits. You learn to do those things by reading people. Q. What are your responsibilities? A. Basically to greet and assist people in reaching their destination for their appointments Q. What do you find most enjoyable about volunteering? A. Hearing the thanks from fellow veterans and seeing the appreciation in their eyes. A couple of weeks ago, my boss was out here. There was a gentleman that came in. He was 50
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about 30 years old. He had both legs strapped and both arms strapped in a wheelchair. He operates his wheelchair with his two fingers. When he left, I said, “You have a good day sir,” and he cracked a little smile. That’s what it’s all about. The appreciation in their eyes and that goes also for their significant others with them. Q. Is there a need for more volunteers? A. There’s always a need for volunteers here in almost every field — greeters, escorts and Disabled American Veterans drivers. Q. What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering? A. I would suggest they come up and talk and maybe sit in with us for a day or two and see if it’s something they want to do. I’ve had three or four greeters come in and sit with me and they’ve taken up the cause. Q. What are one or two things that the general public might not know about the VA? A. We support a large number of veterans and their families. They’re probably not aware of the significant number of improvements here, not just in the building but in the staff as well, such as the parking garage down the street and all of the new equipment. This has become the spinal specialty hospital for veterans in New York state. The one is Albany is a cancer specialty one, and the one in Buffalo is a cardio. Those are marked improvements as well.
Q. What are some of the benefits that keep veterans coming to the VA? A. Regardless of what war or conflict you might have served in, there are some shared experiences. The camaraderie here is unbelievable. We like to throw out good-natured harassment and it’s thrown back at us as well. Like Army versus Navy. It’s hard for people to understand how military people deal with each other even after they’re out; you deal with each other differently. You don’t have the exact same experience, but you have similar experiences. It comes from the heart for these providers because the providers that work here are often veterans themselves. If people are unaware if they qualify for veterans’ health care, they can come into the veterans’ service office and find out if they do or not. Q. Is being a veteran required to volunteer? A. Anyone can volunteer. We have high school kids, college kids and some medical students.
Smart Giving ForTomorrow
Lee Gatta, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®, visited the headquarters of Home Aides of CNY, one of the organizations that will benefit from her and her husband’s legacy giving plan.
My husband Joe and I have been blessed by the support we have received from the local community. We decided to pay that forward by establishing a charitable giving plan through the Community Foundation. We had our sights set on a charitable gift larger than we were comfortable contributing now, so we decided to use a life insurance policy to achieve our goal. We chose a policy with terms that fit our goals, and the Community Foundation agreed to be the policy’s owner and beneficiary. While the Community Foundation owns the policy, we receive a tax deduction for our donation to them of the annual premium payments. When I pass away, the policy will fund the Lee M. Gatta and Joe Reddick Family Fund, which will provide continued support for issues that are of importance to us: the support of women and girls through the Women’s Fund of CNY and eldercare coordination and support. The Community Foundation was ideally suited to help us identify and carry out our charitable vision. Our Fund will stay in and benefit organizations in Central New York. We are pleased to make this gift as a way to give back to the community that has given us so much. We are confident that the Community Foundation will honor our wishes in perpetuity, making it Where the Smart Money Gives. Read more of Lee’s story at CNYCF.org/Gatta.
Where the Smart Money Gives. 500 South Salina 428 Street, Suite 100 431Street, EastSuite Fayette Syracuse, NYSyracuse, 13202 (315) 422-9538 NY 13202 (315) 422-9538 www.cnycf.org
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