Young
is good for the soul. No matter your age, young or old, music brings joy, builds connections, and is good for your overall well-being. My son is a child musician, a young cellist.
He started taking cello lessons when he was seven years old and has been playing for six years now. When he was just nine years old, he wanted to start performing, but there are not a lot of performance options for a little boy still learning to play his cello.
Then, he made a friend. He was visiting a local senior living center with our neighbor. There, he made a friend, a resident of the center. He talked with her for a long time, and when she learned he played cello, she asked him to play his cello for her. My son promised he would, and he didn’t forget his promise. Later that week, I started making phone calls and was so pleased to discover the event organizer for the senior living center welcomed the idea.
At the age of nine, our son performed for the first time in that senior living center in Bangor, and he had
BY CRYSTAL SANDSa wonderful time. The seniors in the audience adored the concert and told my son how much they loved hearing him play. I could see the praise from the seniors was a boost to my son’s confidence, something he really needed, but I could also see that my son’s playing brought a light to the faces of the residents of the center. The experience opened my eyes to the importance of young musicians being able to make these kinds of connections with seniors. These connections benefit both parties. It was as if my son had access to a room full of supportive grandparents, and I watched as my son’s confidence in his musicianship grew.
My son, now 13, continues to play cello. He also continues to play at the same senior living center. The friend he made those years ago is still there, and at his last concert, he dedicated a special piece of music to her. She shed a few tears.
My son is not the only young musician in the Bangor area making connections with seniors through music. Amy Irish, a piano teacher in Bangor, organizes
regular performances for her students at local assisted living centers. She recalls her own experiences as a young musician and works to create the same experiences for her students.
“Growing up, my piano teacher used to have me perform periodically at local nursing homes as a way to gain performance experience and to share music with the community,” Irish said. “I have vivid memories of being a teenager and performing recitals at my grandmother’s assisted living facility. The feeling of being able to share my music with her and her community helped take away from the performance anxiety I struggled with.”
Irish hopes to provide these same experiences for her students when they perform for local seniors. “We put on Halloween recitals with students dressed in costumes performing spooky Halloween songs, and we perform a holiday recital closer to Christmas that includes a singa-long,” she said. “Students and their families love performing this way. It gives students a practice performance before our
larger studio recital and puts their focus on performing for others.”
Irish said her students and their parents often tell her these are their favorite and most meaningful performances all year. “I love watching each student take more ownership in their musical talent as they share it as a gift to the community.”
Before the pandemic, students from the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) played at senior living centers and other venues quite regularly. Now that COVID-19 is waning in our area, these kinds of concerts are once again possible.
If you are interested in having a young musician from the Bangor Symphony Youth perform at your senior living center, you can contact Katie Hardy, Education and Community Programs Manager with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, at katie@ bangorsymphony.org.
In a few weeks, my son will play his cello again, this time for a fall concert for the residents at the senior living center, many of whom have watched him grow up. We are all looking forward to it.
“I love watching each student take more ownership in their musical talent as they share it as a gift to the community.”The author's son plays the cello for an appreciative audience at a Bangor-area retirement home. PHOTO COURTESY OF CRYSTAL SANDS
DALLAS, TEXAS – Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, announced it has acquired Senior Planning Center (SPC), an independent marketing organization (“IMO”) based in Farmington, Maine. As part of the acquisition, Tony Arruda, Founder and CEO of Senior Planning Center, will become a Partner in Integrity, and Stephanie O’Leary will become President of Senior Planning Center.
“Tony, Stephanie and their team are committed to standing by their clients when it matters most,” shared Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. “Oftentimes their service extends far beyond meeting a client’s insurance needs, and that dedication has helped Senior Planning Center become one of the most trusted and respected Medicare agencies in the Northeast. Integrity will support their growth by providing shared business services, world-class technology and an increasingly wide range of resources to help train and support broker agents. Senior Planning Center’s personalized approach aligns perfectly with Integrity’s mission to holistically protect the life, health and wealth of American consumers. We can’t wait to serve more seniors in the Northeast together in new and better ways than ever before.” Senior Planning Center represents most all the Medicare health plans and therefore finds the very best plan to meet the needs of the client. The premise of Tony is to go above and beyond for the client and he calls this the currency of good karma.
“Our goal at Senior Planning Center is to build on Tony’s compassionate model of service and continue spreading it across Maine,” said Stephanie O’Leary, President of Senior Planning Center. “Our employees and agents truly live to serve the beneficiaries they work with. Partnering with Integrity gives them access to technology and resources that are far more advanced than what we’ve been providing on our own. I can’t wait to utilize Integrity’s MedicareCENTER and pass that resource on to our independent broker partners. I’m also extremely excited to offer our employees ownership in Integrity, which will further deepen their commitment to our shared success. We have so many opportunities ahead of us, and I’m looking forward to reaching new heights in partnership with Integrity.”
Senior Planning Center joins Integrity’s partner network, a cross-industry collaboration of icons and legends who are united in their mission to innovate insurance and financial services. These leaders share best practices and strategize solutions designed to help all Americans plan for the good days ahead so they can make the most of what life brings.
Trusted and respected Medicare agency in Maine chooses Integrity to streamline technology and expand resources for employees, brokers and clients COURTESY OF SENIOR PLANNING CENTER“Ihaveno question that my trajectory was fully shaped by my life as a child in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee and by the angel who was my momma,” John Messer said when asked of his most recent humanitarian trip to Poland as a volunteer chef.
The active Dedham resident is far from what most would consider retired.
After a rewarding career as a partner in one of the largest international accounting and consulting firms in the world, Messer followed through with his long-standing drive for volunteerism.
“I have taken up many causes, but the common thread is not difficult to discern,” Messer said. “My work has always been with people living on the edges of society. Children living in poverty, orphans, indigent
BY ANNE GABBIANELLIpersons living with AIDS, victims of domestic violence, the homeless, children who have been traumatized, immigrants and displaced persons.”
Messer’s life as a retiree began with trips to Paris every summer for three years to attend the renowned Paris cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. Now he takes his sophisticated culinary skills and knowledge of an industrial-sized kitchen along on his quests to help feed the marginalized people of the world.
Messer’s earlier volunteer journeys through the Miracle Foundation based in Texas took him to various orphanages in India. “Following the Arab Spring (protests and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in 2010) and the enormous movement of displaced persons, from both the Middle East and Africa, I became enraged at the treatment
the world was affording them, including the treatment from America. And so I got involved.”
Messer’s compelling drive saw him through perilous situations and even avoiding being deported out of Bosnia. He credits some of his fortitude to his working career. “It was only because of the personal growth from the challenges of such a career that I am today able to bring a willingness to work hard, an ability to solve problems and the leadership skills necessary to be effective in the not-for-profit world.”
“My work has been in both third world and developed nations,” he said. “Today, most of my time is spent here in Maine. I am an English teacher for immigrants and I am a board member and treasurer of Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.”
His latest spontaneous trip was spurred by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. “I simply knew that I would find a way to help refugees fleeing across the border into Poland. So I bought a one-way ticket to Warsaw.” There Messer
made contact with the U.S.-based not-for-profit World Central Kitchen and was invited to work as a chef.
“Everyone worked seven days a week, 11 hours a day. We were producing 300,000 meals a day from this organization that operated kitchens for the refugees. The single most important aspect of this trip for me was to see first-hand what the western world is capable of doing in response to a crisis that forced millions to flee their homes. The war in Ukraine has illustrated in a stark fashion what is possible,” Messer said. “You have to set any fear aside and just do it… this has allowed me to reach out like I have.”
“No one needs to travel abroad to make a difference in the world… opportunities abound all around us. Most Mainers may not realize this, but we have one of the highest rates of volunteerism in America. Mainers are nice people and they care for and are involved in their communities.”
“You have to set any fear aside and just do it… this has allowed me to reach out like I have.”(Opposite page) Messer cooks stews in the large vats, also known as “paella pans,” for displaced Ukrainians. (Left) Messer in an orphanage in Tamil Nadu in southern India speaking about the importance of education. (Below) Messer with an orphaned Indian boy. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN MESSER
of all shapes and sizes, as well as a working switchboard, sit inside the Telephone Museum in Ellsworth. It’s where you’ll also find former telephone employee Dave Thompson of Bucksport. The 89-year-old has spent a quarter of a century volunteering at the museum on the Winkumpaugh Road where he willingly serves as the assistant treasurer and a tour guide.
“We are unique in that visitors are expected to actually pick up the phones and use them, unlike other museums that want you to look and not touch,” explained Thompson. In his younger years, Thomspon, a Massachusetts native, traveled to Maine on weekends to work for the Eastern Telephone Company which had a home office in Liberty, Maine.
“It was just a hobby at the beginning,” Thompson reminisced. “Then I was offered a full time job and worked for the telephone company for 27 years.”
Thompson remembers when the Eastern Telephone Company was bought out by the Continental Telephone Company, which later merged with GTE. Then GTE and Bell Atlantic joined together to become Verizon, one of the many cellular phone carriers available today.
“We stir up all kinds of memories [at the museum],” he said. “In some cases, we create memories. We had a young gentleman in here one day who said, ‘Mom, can we get rid of our cell phones and get one of these [rotary] phones?’”
Thompson thoroughly enjoys watching visitors be transported back in time while using one of the many working phones inside the small museum. The non-profit is home to many crank phones, rotary phones, and push button phones. There’s also a working payphone inside an actual telephone booth on display at the museum. On some occasions, Thompson says, visitors will stop by the museum with gifts in hand.
“We’ve had people stop by and stay for 30 minutes, which is good. Other times we could easily spend six hours with a family,” Thompson shared. “We’ve got people who visit and bring stuff in. We know what it is supposed to do, but they didn’t bring the prints or instructions, so we have to develop prints from what we know the equipment does.”
It’s a challenge, but an enjoyable one, for the six volunteers who spend their Saturdays at the Telephone Museum. Thompson, who will turn 90 years old in March, would like to see more volunteers answer the call and join the non-profit before all the knowledge and know-how is lost.
“I’m still moving stuff around here. There are only so many of us and we are not getting more volunteers [which we need] to learn what we are doing before we leave,” Thompson explained. “We have four document rooms which will take two years to archive and all the equipment has to be archived. Plus there’s wiring that needs to be done.”
Thompson said it’s not just the history of the telephone’s evolution but also the personal experiences so many of the volunteers like himself share with visitors that make this Hancock County destination a memorable one.
“I remember when I was working in Arkansas and came across a 35 party line,” he said. “Now that was a phone that rang quite often.”
The Telephone Museum in Ellsworth is open Saturdays 10 a.m. 4 p.m. from July to the end of September. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
BY JODI HERSEYwith friends and family is a vital part of being happy and healthy. The meals we eat not only sustain the body, they also add joy to our lives. That is why at Parker Ridge retirement community in Blue Hill, they are serious about the food they offer residents. Parker Ridge has established a first-class reputation for offering some of the finest meals available, and their staff works tirelessly to continue that tradition.
Enter chef Matthew Ensworth—a classically trained Executive Chef, who partners with employees to grow their profession, through the language of food. Matthew is a Certified Chef accredited by the American Culinary Federation who graduated from the Oakland Community College culinary arts program and was recently hired by Parker Ridge as their new Executive Chef.
Matthew’s credentials come from spending two decades working in hotels, restaurants, and country clubs as a chef, cooking for well-known celebrities including Larry Bird, Lebron James, former Michigan
Governor Jennifer Granholm, Gerard Butler and many others! At Parker Ridge Matthew knows what drives the heartbeat of a community — FOOD! He says, “It’s how you connect the people together!”
Matthew has worked for many large universities providing café and catering for many different styles of service and always leaves an enduring impact at every place he works.
At Parker Ridge, he has brought many seasonal menu selections and created a fantastic Sunday brunch menu, as well as a once a month action station and buffet featuring regional menu favorites with live music events.
Nine-year-olds Don (left) and Frankie Veneziano with volunteer David Thompson at the Telephone Museum in Ellsworth.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JODI HERSEY
Matthew Ensworth Hired as New Executive Chef at Parker Ridge Retirement Community in Blue Hill
COURTESY OF PARKER RIDGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
When you sign up for a Senior Membership at our Y, you’re not just joining a facility where you can work up a sweat—you’re joining a community where, as the “Cheers” TV show theme song goes, “everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.” And, Joe is one of our many members we are so lucky to have as part of our Y family.
Many of our senior members join our Y to stay active by doing their own workouts in our Fitness Center, Weight Room, and Cycling Room; by swimming in one of our two Swimming Pools; or by participating in a variety of senior-friendly Land and Water Fitness Classes—FREE with a senior membership. These classes are led by certified instructors who love providing fun, engaging classes to keep everyone motivated and are designed to help older adults improve their balance, strength, mobility, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Our popular 50+ Fitness classes with Sheila are designed for active older adults who want to improve their overall fitness—especially to help in both daily and recreational activities. If you have had recent joint replacements, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other neuromuscular condition, then you will benefit from taking our Joint Ventures water fitness classes with, Jodi, Tracey, Jenny, or Heidi, which are held in our warm (84-87°F) Means Pool and will help you enhance activities of daily living, focusing on joint mobility, flexibility, range of motion, strength, endurance, light cardio, balance, and coordination. Don’t worry if you’re not a strong swimmer, you can choose to stay in the shallow end of the pool for the entire class. Additional senior-friendly classes include Senior Fit Yoga, Tai Chi, Healthy Bones & Joints, Strong for Life, Group Groove®, Cycling, Hydrofit, High/ Low H2O, and more!
In addition to offering Fitness Classes for ALL levels, we also offer evidence-based programs led by certified instructors to help those living with chronic diseases: Enhance®Fitness for those living with Arthritis or similar conditions; Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program for those with
high blood pressure; LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA for cancer patients and survivors; Cardiac Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation; and our Neuro Health Program for patients and their care partners. These programs are designed to provide social, emotional, physical, and quality of life improvements.
Bonnie Caswell was first introduced to The Bangor Region YMCA in 2017 through our LIVE STRONG at the YMCA program. “I enjoyed the program so much, I experienced other classes and found a ‘home’ away from home”, says Caswell. “It was such a wonderful lifestyle transformation that completely changed my life. My physical and mental health drastically improved and is still improving to this day. I am still so thankful for the Y for changing my life. I now take Group Power®, Yoga, Personal Training, Group Core®, TRX, and am starting to swim. These changes are not only credited to the programs, but to the wonderful instructors that care for your well-being.”
If you’re not interested in physical activities— however, as a Y, we do recommend staying physically active—you’ll find a variety of engaging social activities in our Second Wind Social Club , created especially for our senior members. Getting your “Second Wind” means finding renewed strength and energy to embrace all that life has to offer. Join members in person for our Second Wind’s Coffee & Conversations Club at our Y, or participate in a variety of virtual programs like art classes, a mental wellness program called Mood Lifters for Seniors, Friends Zoom Chat, and many more activities you can find listed in our monthly Strong Connections at the Y calendar.
Let us know if you’re interested in our virtual activities but don’t have access to high-speed internet or devices. Our Y wanted to make sure that access was first and foremost for older adults and established a partnership with the National Digital Equity Center so that our Y Members and Community Members without access to high-speed internet or affordable devices could get support through this joint venture. The National Digital Equity Center’s mission is to improve digital literacy and support community members through organizations like the Y that serve the same population.
Our Senior-Friendly Fitness Classes, Social Activities and Events, and many of our Evidence-Based Chronic Disease Programs are included in our Senior Membership for $41 a month. With the support of our Y’s Annual Giving Campaign, financial assistance is available for those who qualify. As a Y, we want to help all seniors in our community have the same opportunities regardless of their financial situation.
For more information, stop by The Bangor Region YMCA at 17 Second Street in Bangor or call us at 207-941-2808.
COURTESY OF THE BANGOR REGION YMCA“The Bangor Region YMCA has changed my life with the smiles it gives at the entrance to the Y from the Welcome Center staff and the life-changing activities and exercises the Y provides in the pool, fitness center, and such programs as Water Fitness Classes, 50+ Fitness, and other multiple programs.”– Joe Pickering, longtime member of the Bangor Region YMCA PHOTO BY KATHY RICE
Doyou have questions about healthcare either through Medicare or the marketplace? You’re in luck! Both Medicare and the health care marketplace Open Enrollment periods will soon be underway. Help is available so you can review your healthcare needs and make sure you have the plan that best suits you.
MEDICARE: Medicare Open Enrollment is your only chance to review and make changes to your Medicare coverage for 2023. Free assistance is available so don’t miss this opportunity! Did you know? Over 300,000 Mainers are on Medicare! Open Enrollment for Medicare starts on October 15th and runs through December 7th. The healthcare choices you make will go into effect on January 1, 2023.
For help with your Medicare Open Enrollment questions, you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging at 1-877353-3771 or visit www.maine4A.org. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or go to www.medicare.gov.
HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE: The Marketplace open enrollment period begins on Nov. 1, 2022 and ends on January 15, 2023.
• You must enroll in a plan by December 15, 2022 for coverage to begin on January 1, 2023.
• If you enroll in a plan between December 16, 2022 and January 15, 2023, coverage will start on February 1, 2023.
Who should apply? People who do not have health care coverage through their job or through MaineCare or Medicare can purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.
How do I find a plan and where do I apply?
• Online: Mainers will enroll in coverage for 2023 by visiting www.coverME.gov. You can also visit www.healthcare.gov.
• In person: Many nonprofit and community organizations have trained individuals, known as “Maine Enrollment Assisters,” to help you apply for coverage at no cost. Call “the statewide navigator hotline” at 1-855-806-7333 to find an assister near you.
• By telephone: You can also call Maine’s Marketplace Call Center at 1-866-636-0355 and apply over the phone (M-F, 8am-8pm, Sat., 8am-5pm).
• You can get started and learn about plan estimates and coverage options before you enroll by visiting www. CoverME.gov and exploring its Plan Compare Tool.
For help with your ACA health insurance marketplace questions, contact Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC) at 1-800-965-7476 or visit www.mainecahc.org.
The important thing is to remember that free help is available for both Medicare and Healthcare Marketplace options. This is an important time to make sure you have what you need so you have the best coverage in 2023.
It’s 2022 Medicare Open Enrollment season:
Medicare: October 15 – December 7, 2022
Many of your questions can be answered with the help of our one-page flyers.
Visit aarp.org/me to get yours today.
me@aarp.org | aarp.org/ME | @aarpmaine