PrimeTime - June 2014

primetime free

rhode island

J u n e 2014

celebrating 20 years

WaterFire A conversation with creator Barnaby Evans

Sailing Solo 3,200 miles from England to Newport

Peter Bourke’s Trans-Atlantic Race plus:

WIN Block

Ferry Island Ticke ts!

Music & Magic

Creative Interesting Unexpected

| PrimeTime 2

June 2014

inthisissue fire water magic music

4

Creative Interesting Unexpected

PUBLISHERS Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, John Howell MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella donnaz@rhodybeat.com Editor/ Creative Director Linda Nadeau lindan@rhodybeat.com WRITERS Michael J. Cerio, John Grow, Don Fowler, Tim Forsberg, Dan Kittredge, Terry D’Amato Spencer, Elaine M. Decker, Joan Retsinas, Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Joe Kernan, Kerry Park, Kathy Tirrell, Jennifer Rodrigues ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com Carolann Soder, Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli, Suzanne Wendoloski, Gina Fugere Classified ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com PRODUCTION STAFF Matt Bower, Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner A Joint Publication of East Side Monthly and Beacon Communications.

Silver Creek Manor.............................16 Alzheimer’s Association..................17 Director’s column...............................18 Retirement Sparks..............................21

A conversation with creator Barnaby Evans

PEOPLE & PLACES

8

It’s Magic

LIFESTYLES

Bjorn the Magician, aka: John Slack

Glimpse of RI’s Past............................19

That’s Entertainment........................10 What Do You Fink...............................14

10 Song in Her Heart

YOUR VOICE

15 Book Review

Your Taxes................................................18

“

SENIOR ISSUES

Pr i m e Ti m e Distribution Special Delivery

Peter Bourke sails solo

6 Waterfire

What seniors are up to.

June 2014 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110

Passage to Newport

Singer-songwriter Mary Wheelan

Our Neighbor Anna..........................11

professional prospective

John Grow reviews “Sea Trials: A Lone Sailor’s Race Toward Home”

o n t h e c ove r Waterfire Basin lighting photo by John Nickerson

I still get excited to

come to work each day

nextmonth

and help people realize the possibilities . . . I see potential everywhere I look.

”

Celebrating Summer in the Ocean State

– Barnaby Evans

Page 6

Happy Father’s Day! Find the

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Block Island Fast Ferry Tickets!

mail entries to:

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PrimeTime |

A Passage b y john grow

to

unexpected

newport I

f you’re planning a long boat trip over a big body of water – say, the North Atlantic Ocean for example – and you’re going to do it alone, take some good advice from a guy who’s been there and done that.

“Stay in the damn boat,” says Peter Bourke, the only American to enter the 2009 Original Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR), starting in Plymouth, England, and ending in Newport, R.I.; a distance of about 3,200 miles against the prevailing wind, and without a chance of seeing land.

Another handy tip from Bourke: “Keep the sea on the other side of the hull.”

Bourke, who makes his home in Newport when he’s not living aboard his 44-foot sailboat, Rubicon, pulled out of a thick fog into Newport harbor at the end of the race, just as crowds of revelers were gathering to celebrate Independence Day weekend.

Flags were flying and bands were playing; like the closing scene from some Hollywood movie.

After such an ordeal, after storms at sea, broken equipment, days of being becalmed, a succession of squalls right up to the end, somehow this greeting seemed appropriate.

The local press was less theatrical. A short notice in the July 12 edition of Newport Now, said, “After 39 days at sea, Newport skipper Peter Bourke arrived back home on Friday, July 3, barely ahead of the July 5th cutoff date for the 2009 OSTAR Challenge.”

It’s true. Finishing the race on time, or even at all, was touch-and-go for many of the 39 days and seven hours Bourke and Rubicon fought the elements and hair-pulling equipment failures after leaving Plymouth.

And there were times when the arguments he made to himself for quitting didn’t seem so bad at all.

Talking about his experience now, however, it’s clear that Bourke didn’t just complete an amazingly tough race against some stiff odds. He lived an adventure, certainly. But there’s even more, much more to it than that.

“Solo sailing itself is no better or worse than sailing with crew,” he explains. “But on a long voyage, such as a Bermuda run or the OSTAR, being alone at sea is a very unique experience. It’s a visit to a monastery. It changes you.”

He expresses his journey across the North Atlantic as a metaphor for life. A true voyage of self-discovery. And after a bit of reflection, introspection and time, he decided to try and put it all down on paper.

“I’d never written a book before,” he says. “And I had no agent or publisher, so I didn’t really know what would come of it.”

On board the Rubicon tied up in St. Martins a few weeks ago, Bourke spoke to us by phone to explain how this latest remarkable achievement happened.

“I had a friend who knew someone at McGraw-Hill Publishing, and they knew someone in the right department, and so in June, my book ‘Sea Trials,’ will be out for people to read. I have so many people to thank, so many friends – old and new – who helped me.

| PrimeTime 4

June 2014

b y J ohn G row

“I was lucky. A lot of my life has been,” Bourke says.

“But like I’ve said many times, I’d rather be lucky than smart.”

Talking to Peter you quickly learn he is both.

Bourke emigrated from England to Canada with his parents when he was 6. A Londoner by birth, Bourke has thought many times how different his life would have been if his father had never taken the chance and moved.

“My father was an electrical engineer, a highly skilled one. He was a veteran of Dunkirk, and after World War II, he saw opportunities in North America he could never have in England,” Bourke says.

“I remember the ocean passage, and the sea from way up on the deck of the liner. It’s much different than seeing it at eye-level on the Rubicon. But I knew then that this was the place I wanted to be.

“My father took a position with a lot more potential in the States very soon, and so we moved over the border to the U.S. “I can’t think what my life would have been if we’d stayed in England or Canada,” he says.

His father was also intrigued by the sea and with sailing. After his death, Peter inherited his stacks of books and magazines about it.

“We’d talk about it sometimes, but he never went out,” he said.

Another thing Bourke’s dad never did was naturalize the family. “He was happy working on a green card. I didn’t really think about it until after I graduated high school,” Bourke says. “As far as I was concerned this was my home.”

He’d planned to attend a military academy after high school and make a career in the armed forces. He worked hard, pressured his high school principal, and graduated early, only to discover a non-citizen could not get an appointment to a military academy.

“That stunned me, but not for long. I talked my mom and dad into signing papers to allow me to enlist in the U.S.M.C. when I was 17. I figured I’d do my hitch and become an officer that way,” he said.

But Bourke spent nearly a year of his three-year active duty hitch in school, learning electronics and something really new: computers.

“I wanted to be a ‘grunt,’ a combat Marine. But that wasn’t going to happen. So I started volunteering for Viet Nam again and again until, I guess, they just got tired of processing my paperwork and sent me over,” says Bourke.

When discussing his time in the Corps and the men he knew there, Bourke’s voice takes on a reverence.

“I was never in combat. But a lot of guys were. Some never came back. The Marine Corps is a very small organization compared to any of the other services. It has the feel of a family in a lot of ways.

“You hear people say ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine.’ I don’t know. That is probably so,” he says.

Right from the beginning in boot camp at Parris Island, the Marine Corps, Peter feels, taught him discipline, to value what’s earned, and the patience and perseverance to grind it out and make it happen.

On discharge, he was barely 20. He chose to get a college degree and then decide if career military was the life for him. Using the Veterans Education Benefit, he went after a Bachelor of Arts degree, which required two classes in economics or something similar.

“I found I liked it,” he says. “I could have built on the training in computers the Marines had given me.

That would have been something considering it was the early ‘70s.

“But I switched to a degree in economics and it’s worked out well.”

He landed a position in an old, well-established

June 2014

Creative endeavours

firm and began to move up. He married a wonderful woman, Gail, and they bought a home in New Jersey.

“But no sailing. We talked about it, but we had so many other things to do,” says Bourke.

“Gail and I couldn’t have children and we wanted them very much. She suffered seizures, so there was a lot to consider.

“Finally we chose to adopt and were lucky enough to find a beautiful boy and girl, from Chile, who’d both lost their mothers. Steven and Amy. We had a family and life was good.

“I was an armchair sailor until I was 40,” he explains. “I was constantly reading books and magazines on the subject. I finally decided to take a sailing course.

“Just before I was to start it, I gave in and took a little Sunfish out while we were in the islands,” says Bourke. “I figured I had read so much about sailing, and I’d watched people sail from the shore so many times, what could go wrong?

“I wound up capsizing it and de-masting it in front of a big crowd on the beach.”

Bourke didn’t let that bit of humiliation stop him, and he was soon crewing whenever business and family permitted. His life could have gone on like this for a long time, he says.

“In 1993 some friends of mine

peter bourke

sailing solo had a crazy idea to do a moneymanagement start-up and they wanted me to come along,” Peter says.

“Gail and I talked it over long and hard. We had responsibilities. We’d be giving up the security of an established position in an established financial institution.

“The new company had a business plan, and a lot of enthusiasm. My last day at the old firm, people were still telling me how crazy this was.”

The timing was ideal, Bourke remembers. The country was just coming out of a money crunch. The new business took off and prospered.

Three years later, the very worst news of his life hit him out of nowhere.

“I was at work, and my father-in-law called me.

That didn’t happen often but it wasn’t unheard of.”

Gail had been found at home. She’d had a seizure.

And she had died.

Peter broke the news to Steven and Amy. “I remember Amy sobbing, ‘Now I’ve lost two mommies.’”

Gail and Peter had 17 good years together. Now he was 45 and not only a widower, but also a single parent who had his children’s futures riding on a still-new business. Sailing was still his passion, but it would have to wait.

“I’d take the kids out once in a while. I tried to get them interested. But neither one has really developed an interest,” he says.

He remembers times with the kids on board when suddenly something went wrong – he’d run aground, or foul up a docking procedure – and the odd swear word would burst from his lips.

“They would be shocked, I’d be embarrassed, and I’d try to explain it away. Once I told them that the word they just heard me say meant something completely different at sea than it does on dry land.

“They didn’t buy it.”

His colleagues at work were understanding and patient with Bourke through this period, and the business continued to thrive. He made a promise to himself that he would not put himself at risk, either financially or physically, until his children were in high school.

Finally, in 1999 Bourke felt he could take the plunge and looked around for a boat of his own. He found Steadfast. It came well recommended.

He bought Steadfast from a 75-year-old gentleman who went on sailing for another five years afterward.

Bourke took it on the Bermuda run, a passage he made solo for the first time in the summer of 2001, sailing from New Jersey with friends and then home alone.

The business had been a roaring success, and Bourke had taken the opportunity to retire as a relatively young man. He had time now for his children and time to get seriously into sailing. He did both.

In 2004, Bourke had a boat built fresh for himself, and he became the first skipper of the Rubicon – 44 feet from stem to stern and 28,000 pounds. It had state-ofthe-art navigation and communications, a galley many chefs would envy and a cabin to sleep himself and a few friends.

It was equipped for solo sailing.

In 2007 he sailed the Rubicon from Newport to Bermuda in the solo leg of the Bermuda 1-2 Race.

So when Peter Bourke got the notion to cross the Atlantic Ocean, alone on the Rubicon, at the age of 57, it would make it only his third solo offshore sail ever. He freely admits that on the night he made that decision and began the arrangements to enter the 2009 OSTAR, he had had more than one Scotch.

Read the book review on Page 15

BOURKE – PAGE 15

PrimeTime |

a worthy cause

barnaby evans b y M ichael j . cerio

the glow behind WaterFire Providence

photo by James Turner

Q

What was your inspiration for WaterFire?

The moment of realizing both the opportunity and the inspiration for WaterFire was one in the same. The city had undertaken an immense project in moving the rivers, and I saw a huge potential to transform, not just downtown, but Rhode Islanders’ vision for their capital and what living in Providence could be. I felt it was possible to create an artwork that would inspire people to be excited about where they live. All of the different elements in bringing this together came as I watched the river project develop and saw that people were not coming to Waterplace Park. I felt that art could frame the next chapter in the life of Providence.

I wanted to make a work that was truly public in every sense of the word; it would be free, and everyone would be invited.

Q Why fire?

Well, there was nothing in the park other than water, and fire is a symbol of life and inspiration; it has a lot of symbolic potential. It also has the practicality of providing light. Water and fire are both seen as signs of life, so I loved the idea of trying to balance the two together in an interesting way. At night, water turns dark, so it becomes a mirror and working with a dark mirror, elements of light are a natural partnership. | PrimeTime

Its flames have illuminated cities around the globe, but only one can call WaterFire their own—Providence.

With WaterFire’s 20th anniversary season now underway, PrimeTime sat down with creator Barnaby Evans to learn more about the phenomenon that has helped to revitalize the Capital City and the passion that continues to burn for the limitless possibilities of the future.

WaterFire began in 1994 when Evans created First Fire to celebrate the 10th anniversary of First Night Providence. Two years later, he created Second Fire for the Convergence Art Festival and the International Sculpture Conference. From here, the sky became the limit.

Through overwhelming community interest and the dedicated support of volunteers, WaterFire became a seasonal event at Waterplace Park in 1997 and a grassroots effort to establish WaterFire as a nonprofit had begun. What started with 11 braziers illuminating Providence’s night sky with a warm orange glow and the unmistakable scent of burning wood, has grown to become more than 100 dancing flames symbolizing hope, togetherness, and so much more.

Q Now synonymous with Providence’s culture while having a global presence,

did you ever envision WaterFire experiencing this level of growth or impact?

I didn’t envision all of this, but I did feel that the combination had a certain magic to it. What I hadn’t imagined was that 20 years later, we would still be exploring new possibilities and ways of doing WaterFire – it’s something like 15 million people who have come to Providence to see WaterFire. I never thought it would have that much of an appeal. I think what that speaks to is less about the artwork and more about the need we have as a community to have something that gathers us together. The whole event is managed in a way that promotes urban vibrancy and social engagement with a lot of freedom to it. There’s the capacity to talk to each other, you can come as a large group, by yourself, as a couple, or as a family – it can accommodate all of those things.

Q What continues to drive your passion?

I still get excited to come to work each day and help people realize the possibilities that can make Providence a better place – I see potential everywhere I look. I love learning things and trying new things. We don’t look at the success we’ve had as the status quo; we look for ways to further expand the dialogue and include more people. One of the challenges for the arts, and this is for the arts in general, is that they’ve been with humanity for thousands of years, all the way back to cave paintings. We know art moves us, often in mysterious ways. But, sadly, the arts have been moved aside from the center of our lives and now there are many who don’t have as much exposure to the arts as they deserve. It’s the extra that gets cut from the school curriculum because it’s not in the budget. But when people get excited to travel to Europe, they’re excited to go to a place that’s been deeply invested in the arts for a long time. We never really give ourselves the permission to build that here, and it’s too bad, because I think we deserve better – that’s one of the goals of WaterFire.

June 2014

Creative endeavours

Q How would you describe the local

and international feedback you receive?

The thing that always comes to mind is this deep sense of quiet joy you see people share during a lighting and how rare it is that we have a place where this happens. It’s fascinating how often people relate to WaterFire by telling me a story or writing a poem.

Joe Rocco recently did a documentary about WaterFire that’s been airing on Rhode Island PBS and in it, many people relate their personal stories and interactions. People should really watch it if they haven’t seen it. WaterFire helps people realize that art is with us all and connects us all. I’m fascinated at how often I’ll be talking with someone and they’ll have heard about WaterFire, or you mention Providence and they say, ‘Isn’t that the place where the rivers are on fire?’ It’s great for the city and for the state. *The documentary, titled “WaterFire: Art & Soul of a City,” re-airs on July 13 at 6 p.m. on RI PBS (channel 36.1) and July 15 at 8 p.m. on the RI PBS sister station Learn (36.2).

Q For you personally, what has been the

most impactful international experience

for WaterFire?

We get a lot of calls from overseas, people wanting us to do WaterFire in all different places. It actually speaks to one of our challenges. WaterFire is an event we present for free, and we have a tremendous number of volunteers who help to make it possible.

But, there are a lot of expenses involved.

We had this great opportunity to do WaterFire in Rome in September of 2011. What’s astonishing about these installations in other places is how they touch people in the same profound way. As you may know, if you’re speaking to a Roman, Rome is not just the center of the world, it’s the center of the entire universe. They can be very hard to impress. I remember a gentleman who came up to me on the first night in Rome as the crowd was enthralled with the event and he said to me, ‘I’m Rome’ while pounding his chest. He then spread his hand out over the area of the fires and said, ‘This is Rome’ and gave me a big hug.

The other thing that happened in Rome was that we worked with some local modern dancers, and one of the pieces their choreographer created was a performance inside the oculus of Ponte Sisto. It took many, many meetings to be able to go into the oculus of one of the oldest bridges in Rome. We didn’t announce it to anyone. So when everyone was gathered and suddenly the torches came up and you saw this dancer performing a piece related to a Leonardo da Vinci etching of the Vitruvian Man, something happened in Rome that I’ve never seen before – thousands of Romans all paying attention and not talking! Everyone was riveted. It was a real delight to see the capacity for new art in such a historic place.

June 2014

Barnaby Evans, far right, welcomes 16 young people to the U.S. for a torch lighting. Coming from the Middle East and Africa, they participated in a State Department-sponsored program at Roger Williams University to build civic leadership skills. The focus of the WaterFire program was on the importance of Roger Williams establishing a culture of civic tolerance and free speech. (photo by David Amadio)

Q What type of economic activity does WaterFire generate?

One of WaterFire’s core missions is the economic vitality of not only Providence, but of Rhode Island. We’ve had several independent studies done on its economic impact. The most recent was a federal study as part of an evaluation of the need to dredge the rivers. One of the problems we face is that the river needs periodic maintenance because it gets too shallow and mud accumulates, which is completely natural. The study found that WaterFire generates around $114 million in spending. About 85 percent of that is spent by people coming to Rhode Island for WaterFire who otherwise wouldn’t be visiting the state. It’s hard to directly figure that into tax dollars, but it’s somewhere between $6 million and $9 million in sales tax for the state.

We do lightings of different sizes, and try to do as many as 18 to 20 each year. There are events in the middle of July and August when we get over 100,000 people. And, attendance for an entire season can easily top 1 million. that people thought about coming to. Today, I’ve had waiters come up to me and say, because so many people have worked togeth‘You bought me my new car’ because of tips. er, Providence is a wonderful destination city You’ve got restaurants doing three and four and WaterFire was one of the first steps in getturnarounds for dinner and lunch when there’s ting people to pay attention. The other thing WaterFire. But when you look at that ecois there are conventions that choose to come nomic impact study, it’s important to know to Providence because they’re intrigued with they only look at what’s spent on the day of weaving WaterFire into their conference. Right WaterFire. When we last did a poll of about now we’re working with a conference of more 2,000 people at an event, 57 percent were from than 6,000 people who want to see WaterFire. out of state and 90 percent said that WaterFire The value of a convention of this size coming was the purpose of their trip. So if you’re travhere for four or five days isn’t even included in eling any distance, you need a hotel room and those economic impact numbers. They could will eat out more – maybe you’ll visit Newport, have gone anywhere. which means the economic impact is really WaterFire was recently listed as one of the much greater. top five best things to do after dark on the That said; there are a bunch of other implanet. Now when you get put on a list like pacts that WaterFire has had that are prothat, it helps the city and the state in a big, big foundly important to the state’s economy. One way. has been re-branding the city. If you rememEVANS – Page 9 ber 20 years ago, Providence was not a place

PrimeTime |

Creative endeavours

DOER’S PROFILE

by JOAN RE TSINAS

Bjorn the Magician

aka: John Slack

Here is a challenge: go to a magic show and leave with a scowl. You can’t. The performance is a kind of alchemy: you enter tired, worried, anxious – whatever the mood of your day – but after watching a magician for 90 minutes, you are smiling. A presto moment!

The alchemy works with children, with their parents, with adults in assisted living. Ask Bjorn the Magician, aka John Slack. He has been delighting audiences for more than 30 years.

Bjorn’s tricks range from balls hidden in cups – considered one of the oldest tricks, marked on Egyptian hieroglyphics, to more elaborate ones with a rabbit. (His long-time assistant rabbit, from the Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue in Foster, died recently at age 14. Bjorn is “auditioning” a successor, who Bjorn admits may not make it as an entertainer). Bjorn no longer slices women in half (“It frightened audiences.

Plus there is enough violence showing people doing it for real on the internet.”). But his repertoire encompasses more than enough sleight-of-hand tricks to astonish audiences. For adults, he may trace the history of magic, including the Great Blackstone and Harry Houdini. For children, he may focus on a fable, punctuated with magic tricks.

For John, magic constitutes part of a story; he sees himself as a storyteller who uses magic to make the fables come alive. Indeed, a few years ago he branched into ballooning, learning the basics from a Spanish street-performer. His signature balloon features a koala bear clutching a stalk of an exotic rose; another favorite is the balloon-constructed 6-foot shark which can – presto – turn into a hat. In February, in Rochester New York, he joined 74 other balloonconstructionists to build the world’s largest Jack and the Beanstalk model over 5 days – 5 stories high, 75,000 balloons.

John’s evolution into Bjorn the Magician is itself a fable, blending a passion to create with serendipity. Growing up in Methuen, Massachusetts, John didn’t envision performing the cup trick. He went to Kimball Union Academy, then the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he majored in cultural anthropology. He picked the military as a career, served in Southeast Asia, then left as a captain in the 1970s.

He explains: “Military life didn’t mesh with family life.” In the army, he wasn’t writing stories, acting out parts, or creating anything (“I was mostly jumping out of airplanes”). He credits the military with expanding his horizons, physically and culturally: “It is a good career. If you want to learn to appreciate the United States, go to other places.”

| PrimeTime

Post-discharge, he indirectly, unwittingly started on the road – not a yellow brick one, but one paved with computer chips – to his vocation as Bjorn. He joined a software firm, in an era when an IBM mainframe had about 64K of memory (“more is in your watch today,” John notes). After working for a Fortune 100 corporation, he and 5 partners formed a start-up that eventually grew to 24 employees, before being bought. From there he hired out as a consultant in the booming software field: “I was a bit of a gypsy. I like to build new things or fix things that are broken.” At another small company, in charge of the “customization of the package,” he trained customers to use their computers. That kind of training, often to groups of staff, demanded a showmanship. To bolster his stage presence, a colleague suggested John enroll in an acting class at a local college.

John had never yearned to act. Nor could he point to relatives who performed. But all the acting classes were full; by default, he enrolled in a magic class. And, John recalls, “I enjoyed the stagecraft.” He confesses that if early on he had told his parents he was interested in acting, “they would have been appalled.”

Initially he performed tricks for family and friends, but recognized that “the only way to test yourself is to do it professionally. Otherwise, you may be inflicting yourself on others.” Amateur professionals abound; professionals meet the test of the marketplace. So began a career as Bjorn the Magician, with a sideline as an “Edutainer” who stages shows for children that feature science and art. A recent show, “How to Build the Biggest Mousetrap,” subtly taught children the basics of levers and fulcrums.

John Slack did not give up his business persona.

Part of the time this Charlestown resident is a consultant, specializing in construction projects – still trying to fix things, make them work.

The rest of the time he morphs into a magician.

He may have found the perfect occupation: “I get paid to make people happy.”

Bjorn the Magician (401) 742-2441 johnslack@bjornthemagician.com

calendar of events Newport International Polo Series Opening Day - June 7, 5PM $12-$50.

USA vs. Chile, one of long-standing rivals, at the polo grounds Glen Farm, 715 East Main Road, Portsmouth 846-0200 www.nptpolo.com/matches/usa-vs-chile The 33rd Polar Seltzer Great Chowder Cook-Off June 7, Noon - 6 p.m.

Admission: $15, $20, $25 Enjoy endless samples of traditional and exotic creations and then vote for the best in three categories: Clam, Seafood and Creative. Live entertainment, food and bar options, kid’s activities. Newport Waterfront, 4 Commercial Wharf, Newport (401)-846-1600 15th Annual Federal Hill Stroll June 10, 4:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. $30 plus tax. Stroll through one of Providence’s most flavorful neighborhoods, while sampling signature cuisine or enjoying exclusive discounts at restaurants, shops and galleries.

Federal Hill, Atwells Avenue, Providence (401) 432-7783 49th Annual Gaspee Days Parade June 14, 10 a.m. In 1772 brave colonists from Rhode Island burned the British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee.

Narragansett Parkway, Warwick into Broad Street in Cranston and through Pawtuxet Village www.gaspee.com 35th Annual Festival of Historic Houses - Providence June 13-15 $30 - 45. The Providence Preservation Society. The 2014 Festival tours College Hill and Pearl Street Lofts. Providence Neighborhoods 831-7440 www.ppsri.org/festival SUMMER POPS 34th Annual Concert June 21 Pre-show begins at 6 pm, Main show begins at 8:00 pm Free Admission. Produced and Performed by The Chorus of Westerly.

Sponsored by The Washington Trust Company.

Wilcox Park, Westerly 596-8663 19th Annual Newport Flower Show June 27-29 Theme – Journey: Grand Vistas. The show offers themed floral exhibits, horticultural entries and garden designs.

Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Ave., Newport 847-1000 www.newportflowershow.org

June in New England Annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, Tour de Heifer, and Slow Living Summit June 4-8 – Downtown Brattleboro, Vermont The Strolling of the Heifers Parade features up to 100 heifer calves, along with cows, horses, goats, tractors, bands and more. www.strollingoftheheifers.com Annual Oak Bluffs Harbor Festival June 21 – Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts More than 40 vendors participate in one of the Island’s most popular events. Free admission.

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival June 28 – Dover-Foxcroft, Maine Celebrate the taste of Maine’s favorite dessert. Dozens of bakers with thousands of Whoopie Pies mainewhoopiepiefestival.com New England Brewfest June 27-29 Lincoln, New Hampshire Breweries from across New England will gather. Come to the Lincoln Village Shops in Lincoln, in the heart of the White Mountains, to sample and learn about these delicious craft brews. 30 breweries and more than 100 beers on tap. www. nebrewfest.com

June 2014

WaterFire Providence

2014 Season Schedule

Saint Elizabeth Community Where RI seniors come first

photo by John Nickerson

Basin Fire Events Basin WaterFire Providence installations are a smaller version of the event; lighting up the circle of twenty-two braziers in the Waterplace Park Basin and the five braziers leading up to Providence Place. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset.

• Thursday, September 4: Sunset 7:14 PM • Friday, September 19: Sunset 6:48 PM • Saturday, November 29: Sunset 4:17 PM

Full Fire Events All Full Fire WaterFire Providence installations light up over eighty braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial Park/South Main Street. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset and the event continues until just past midnight.

• • • • •

Saturday, June 14: Sunset 8:22 PM Saturday, June 28: Sunset 8:25 PM Saturday, July 12: Sunset 8:21 PM Saturday, July 26: Sunset 8:11 PM Saturday, August 9: Sunset 7:55 PM

• • • • •

Saturday, August 23: Sunset 7:35 PM Saturday, September 27: Sunset 6:36 PM Saturday, October 11: Sunset 6:12 PM Saturday, October 25: Sunset 5:51 PM Saturday, November 8: Sunset 4:33 PM

EVANS - from page 7

Q How is WaterFire funded?

WaterFire is a nonprofit, independent art organization that’s a 501c3, which means that all donations are tax-deductible. We’re always looking for people to get involved, whether a business or organization wants to be a sponsor or talk about new ideas. People can also give individually; any contribution helps. The limiting factor on the exciting things we can do is almost always being able to pay for it. We also apply for grants and receive foundation support. There’s in-kind help from the city to offset some of the costs of police detail. From the state, which benefits from the sales tax revenue I mentioned earlier, we get in the range of $200,000 to $300,000 each year; it fluctuates. While it sounds like a lot of money, it’s only about 15 percent of our annual budget.

It’s also important for people to know that when WaterFire does international installations, those are paid for by the host city. Every donation we receive here in Rhode Island directly supports what we do in Providence.

We’re also always looking for volunteers. If you send an email to volunteer@ WaterFire.org saying that you want to get involved; it can be your company, you as an individual, or your family, we’ll get back to you. Volunteers are boat captains and keep the fires going; others help the crowd know more about Providence, both its history and where restaurants are. We also utilize volunteers in the office for special projects and to help as grant writers.

June 2014

Q What is your vision for the future of WaterFire?

My dream is to build a solid base for WaterFire to be an agency for both community engagement and community development that inspires Rhode Islanders. At the same time, if we don’t get the river dredged, we may be forced to move to another city since we’ll no longer have the stage to host the event. I’d love for the larger community to focus on solving simple issues like railings in the park, dredging the river and paving the park to remove trip hazards.

In terms of events, I just came back from Washington, D.C., where we talked about doing WaterFire on the tidal basin between the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at night during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. I want to see if we can recreate the closeness of what happens in Providence; rejuvenating the festival to what it was hundreds of years ago as a celebration of the community coming together over the beauty of a natural phenomenon that represents the beginning of a new season.

Traditionally, the blooming of the cherry blossoms was viewed at night by firelight and that’s a real magical moment. Maybe it’ll be next spring, or maybe it’ll be 2016.

We’re definitely exploring it; it’s something we’d love to do.

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PrimeTime |

b y kathy tirrell

Creative endeavours

With a Song in Her Heart Mary Wheelan is a talented singer-songwriter who currently makes her home in Worthington, Mass. But she was born and raised in Providence, then moved to Pawtucket where she lived for a number of years before settling in western Massachusetts in 1998.

Now 63, she said she started playing guitar and writing songs at the tender age of 15, along with taking guitar and voice lessons. She also plays drums, Native American style.

“When I was in high school I was playing for folk masses in the Catholic Church,” she said.

Always interested in songwriting, she said she attended song swap circles, part of Connecticut’s songwriting association. During this time, she got to thinking it would be great if Rhode Island had a similar organization, so she started passing around a sign-up paper looking for interested parties. And that was the beginning of RISA (Rhode Island Songwriters Association), which was founded in 1993.

“I’m still very connected to Rhode Island and to people in RISA, an organization that began in my living room in my home in Pawtucket,” said Wheelan.

According to RISA’s website, they now have 139 registered members. RISA is a 501c3 non-profit organization, funded by membership dues and donations. Many of the members sing and play an instrument, but some are mainly songwriters with a strong interest in music.

More recently, in 2012, Wheelan started producing and hosting a cable TV show called “The Song” on Frontier Community Access Television (fcat.tv), located in South Deerfield, Mass. The program is meant to be a showcase for songwriters, composers and lyricists to present their original songs.

Wheelan explained how the show came about.

“I was already doing a TV show geared for seniors,” she said. “Then the station manager said, ‘I need more shows. Any ideas?’ He happens to be a songwriter, too, so that’s how it started. I would contact people to be guests on the show. Now performers contact me. We have people from all over – Massachusetts, other states, and even other countries. A gentleman from London contacted me. He drove from New York City to be on the show.”

Some of the local talent who have appeared on “The Song” are John Fuzek, Mary Day, Kim Trusty, Ellyn Flemming and Mike Laureanno.

Wheelan reflected on some of her interesting guests; one in particular who stood out was Joanne Grumet of New York City.

“Joanne is in her mid-70s,” said Wheelan. “I asked

her how old she was when she started songwriting and she said 64.”

The two women agreed that it’s never too late to start.

Wheelan is very proud of “The Song’s” recent achievement on April 13, 2013 – a third place award from the Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region’s 15th Video Festival in the Music and Performance non-professional category.

She says although she considers herself more of a songwriter than a performer, she has performed in public and on her cable show. She wrote an e-book called “Songwriting on a Shoestring: Writing, Producing and Promoting Your Own Songs,” available on smashwords. com. She has recorded three full-length CDs; the newest is called “Shining Bright,” available on CDBaby.com and on iTunes.

Wheelan said she’ll be performing at a Massachusetts Arts Festival on July 27. She maintains a fan page on Facebook called Songwriters on a Shoestring.

When she isn’t strumming her guitar and singing a folksy composition, Wheelan is employed as a community health worker, helping the handicapped, teaching people how to quit smoking and how to manage their health.

Wheelan says there are no Rhode Island cable TV stations currently airing “The Song,” but if people would like to be able to watch the show, they can contact station manager Douglas Finn at www.fcat.tv expressing an interest. Past programs can be viewed online as well.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

lifestyles

by DON FOWLER

Providence Riverboat Tours We have been down the Nile, up the Amazon, on a gondola in Venice, and through the Panama Canal, but one of our most charming and educational boat tours was a 45-minute, $20 boat trip up the Providence River on a 28’ Sylvan pontoon boat. (Children 12 and under are $15).

We joined Captain Tom on an entertaining and educational tour from the Hot Club to the river basin at Waterplace Park, and then back through the hurricane barrier up to Field’s Point, pointing out historical buildings, providing a fascinating history of downtown Providence, filling us in on what the future holds for the reclaimed land along the river, and telling us some interesting “insider’s” tales.

Tom McGinn knows what he’s talking about. His grandparents owned a business along the river, and he has been conducting tours for the past 23 years.

While his WaterFire tours are very popular, taking visitors up the river past the thousands of onlookers and the lit braziers, he also offers daytime and moonlit rides on the 16-passenger boat, daily 10 | PrimeTime

from May to November.

Special group tours can be arranged, and weather permitting, there is a special Santa boat ride in December.

Providence from the River You may have taken the river walk along South Main Street and viewed the river and WaterFire lightings from Waterplace Park, but there is nothing like seeing the sights from the river.

Leaving the Hot Club dock on the Proud Mary, we went under the Point St. Bridge, built in 1927. The bridge used to turn to let the larger boats through, but now remains stationary. The cement pilings from the old Route 95 are still there.

When it is finally determined what will be developed along the reclaimed land, there’s the possibility of a pedestrian bridge.

We pass the Dynamo House, originally planned to house a Heritage Museum, but now designated to house a URI/RIC School of Nursing.

Picnic tables line the footpath, and we watch a man feeding a swan and seagulls, a family having a picnic, and people fish-

ing. Yes, Capt. Tom tells us, fish and oysters are returning to the river.

He tells us about uncovering the widest bridge in America and moving the rivers, as we pass under the Crawford St. and other low bridges. We see stacks of wood for WaterFire stored underneath, along with a gondola.

The captain points out some of the historical buildings, including the Custom House, where officials counted the ships entering the harbor as early as the 1820s. The river is 5 to 6 feet deep as we sail at high tide, but can be as low as a foot at low tide.

The amazing thing about taking a boat down a river is that everyone on shore waves and smiles.

“I think it’s the law,” Captain Tom says with a smile.

We pause at a spot where the water reached dangerous heights during the 1938 hurricane and proceed back through the open hurricane barrier and out into the unprotected waters, past the docked tug boats that guide the big tankers into Field’s Point, admiring the new

wind turbines.

The crowds were gathering at the Hot Club, which has to be one of the best pieces of real estate in the city, owned by the same family since 1956, and serving great food and drink.

While the boat is not technically handicapped accessible, there is a ramp leading to it and easy, level access on to the boat. If you are wheelchair bound, you will need assistance to get from the chair to a seat on the boat.

Special Tours Children’s Pirate Parties are popular events for that special birthday or special occasion. An hour trip up the river to discover treasures cost $250 for up to 12 children, ages 3-12, with complementary tickets for two adults.

The Sunset Cruises (21+) allow you to grab a drink from the Hot Club bar and watch the sunset while cruising up the river.

For more information, check out the website at providenceriverboat.com, or call Kristin at 440-6920.

June 2014

your voice

Our Neighbor Anna

Submitted story by PrimeTime reader

Donna J. Cote

In our very transient society where so many people seem to be on the move for one reason or another, the individuals who relocate may be tempted not to invest their time or effort into knowing their neighbors.

However, those who make this choice may be in for a rich reward: a neighborly connection that could be treasured for a lifetime.

My husband and I were at the end of one of those, too-busy-for-cooking, Saturdays. Entering the kitchen, I pulled open the stove drawer that held my assortment of cast iron frying pans. This was pretty much a guarantee that supper would soon be ready. While two of the heavy skillets were preheating, I started assembling ingredients for the limited menu: pancakes, sausage patties, and fresh perked coffee. As the frozen sausage patties sizzled on contact against the hot skillet, the resulting aroma began teasing our appetites.

Mark was pleased to see the apple pancakes. “What are you trying to do, compete with Anna?� The question prompted sweet memories. Anna, our dear neighbor, had died about 10 years ago; she was 92 . There was no way of competing with her recipe. Her apple pancakes were just one of the ways she spoiled our young sons. Anna enjoyed the company of our family, and we were eager to oblige her.

In April 1977, we bought our house. Nature was shedding its winter clothing and adorning itself with

spring greens.

Before moving in, I drove over the old Jamestown Bridge with my lunch, our Golden Retriever and an urge to do yard work. I had been raking for a while, when my dog suddenly jumped up to greet the older woman with the babushka wrapped over her head. An immediate love affair developed between them. Before he eloped, I introduced myself. I had difficulty understanding her Lithuanian/German accent when she greeted me. Nevertheless, we were eager to be “good neighbors,� as she used to affectionately refer to our family.

Anna and her husband Edmund were survivors of the two World Wars. In 1954, they became “citizens of

the United States of America� as Anna would proudly proclaim. Occasionally, a tale out of those long ago experiences would escape into the present. Anna recounted the story of a weary winter trek through the frozen woodland as she was fleeing from the enemy in her native Lithuania. She was resting on what she thought was a snow -covered log. Startled when her hand touched something odd to her, she looked down and realized it was part of a dead man’s face. The ravages of the war had taught them to be resourceful, self -sufficient, and generous toward others.

Edmund was a butcher by trade, an angler for pleasure, and an ingenious handyman. Anna tended her flower and vegetable gardens with an artistic flair. Our sons remember the fun they had opening the gate leading into the garden. Anna taught the boys to pull up their own carrot by firmly grasping its emerald “tops� with their little hands. They would wash the carrots at the outdoor spigot for immediate crunching. Our friends shared their bounty of land and sea with many grateful neighbors.

Edmund’s health began to fail; although he had lived through time in the concentration camp, cancer would take his life. Anna’s first husband was declared missing in WWII; now she was a widow for a second time.

ANNA – Page 16

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Meet the dedicated team at Steere House, including Admissions Coordinator Robin Knoderer (far right, back row) and Rehab Team Leader Kim Morse (right, front row) Cheerful, bright, sunny, warm and inviting. These are not adjectives that one normally associates with a rehabilitation facility but these happy words are exactly the ones that describe the newly expanded rehabilitative wing of the Steere House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Providence.

Located behind Rhode Island Hospital, Steere House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has a long and rich history of providing compassionate care to both short and long-term care patients. Their cheerful, bright, sunny, warm and inviting short-term care unit welcomes all who are looking for transitional aftercare following an orthopedic event, stroke, cardiac episode, fracture or scheduled or emergency surgery. Patients recovering from these health setbacks will find themselves surrounded here by a dedicated and close-knit team of therapists and caregivers whose goal it is to provide quality care while making their patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay as comfortable and stress free as possible. This is a place where both patients and family members feel nurtured and valued. It is also a place committed to getting people better and able to return to a life of independence.

Intensive occupational, speech and physical therapy services are provided here in the Steere Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state-of-the art therapy room. The room is light and airy, and bathed in sunshine. Kim Morse, the centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rehab Team Leader and a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), says of her team of therapists: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a really good energy here and the residents feel that positivity.â&#x20AC;?

The room is filled with specialized equipment that works on balance, strength, endurance and mobility, including the balance machine Biodexâ&#x201E;˘ which offers patients immediate visual feedback on their progress and the Nustepâ&#x201E;˘ machine which offers low impact, total body exercise. Accessible from the therapy room is an enclosed outdoor terrace where patients can get re-accustomed to walking on different surfaces ~ and can enjoy the fresh air of early summer.

There are mock-ups of a kitchen, bathroom and laundry area here so that patients can feel confident with self-care and home management skills following a period of recuperation. On site is also Social Worker Dorothy Nicholls, a thirty year veteran of this work, who makes all the discharge arrangements for each patient. Every effort is made at every level to prepare each patient with the skills they will need to resume a life as close as possible to the one they left behind.

The rehabilitation center at Steere House has eight semi-private and two private rooms, each equipped with cable television, free wi-fi and phone service.

If you or a loved one are in need of post-surgery care, or if an unexpected injury or illness has necessitated short-term rehabilitation, come visit the Steere House. Admissions are taken around the clock, so patients are welcome, no matter the time of day.

For more information or to schedule a personal tour, contact Admissions Coordinator, Robin Knoderer at 401-454-7970. Steere House Nursing & Rehab June 2014 Center is located at 100 Borden Street in Providence. You may also visit their comprehensive website at www.steerehouse.org.

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PrimeTime | 13

wHAT DO YOU FINK?

by MIKE FINK

T

his year for Father’s Day I would like to say thanks to my son Reuben for making me a Happy Father Everyday! “Reuben” in Hebrew means, “Wow! a Son!” or something like that. That’s how I felt when I first saw him, smiling as he emerged “sunny-side up” to greet his dad. He’s been smiling at me--or maybe laughing at me, is more accurate--every single day since that moment and that smirk.

I think there was only a single day in nearly three decades that his face had a slight frown instead of the customary cheerful grin. It seems I criticized something he had done or left undone. I learned my lesson in fatherhood--my brand of fatherhood--that day. Never cross your son!

So I never did.

We worked out a different kind of discipline, albeit a one-sided sort of arrangement. If we played cribbage and bet on each game: if I won, we forgot the cash reward, but if he won, I paid up. From those days, we agreed on the nature of the deal. Whatever pleases the boy pleases the old man. (And I WAS an old man, or at least a senior sire in terms of the usual paternity pattern of my generation.)

In my youth, you chose your mate in high school, wed her right out of college, had your first-born a year later, and retired to Florida as soon as you hit midlife. That was not for me.

Reuben kept me young, maybe even TOO young. Instead of him wearing my hand-me-downs, I stole his style and put on hand-me-ups. I really did! Now, I cannot recommend this totally irresponsible behavior to anybody else. It worked, though, for us, or at least for me. I never once threw a baseball his way in an empty lot. For that, he had to visit his uncles. When he was assigned the summer responsibility of reading “Walden,” and balked at the onerous task, I said, “Just lie down on that there hammock, and I’ll read it to you,” and I did. I recited every word of Henry Thoreau from cover to cover and enjoyed every minute of

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Lessons of Fatherhood

the long hot afternoon and twilight. If Reuben got sleepy I took a brief break and then went right back to it. Years later, more than a decade after this pleasant interlude, we visited the actual Walden Pond and grabbed a quick dip, an agreeable swim. Oh yeah, that’s one form of exercise and competition we can share. I have absolutely no fear of the water, even when it is cold or choppy, and I much prefer high tide, especially at full moon. Reuben likes to jump in before me, or stay in longer. Just to prove he can beat me, to grab the gold and not just the bronze.

His day is not complete without one of my “rants” as he has labelled my foolish art genre. I have to debrief him on what nonsense I am up to, or to complain about my lot in life. Never an opinion or a word of advice, only a burst of mock anger at a minor problem. He likes my venting but also grades me. If it’s not outrageous or pointless enough, I only earn a B. A- is the highest mark I have ever gotten, but my reward is, he will e-mail the best of my

LIFESTYLES rants to his friends, and their fathers vie with me to see if they can produce as ridiculous a message as mine, and they cannot come up with anything to challenge my claim on the form.

Now, my only rival is my father-in-law, Reuben’s only grandparent. He gets good solid practical advice from him.

“One drink, and put in enough ice to melt and dilute the alcohol,” he will declare, to counter my endless pouring of good wine or bourbon. I approve of every girl Reuben has ever chosen to go out with. His grandfather, on the other hand, critiques each cutie. Reuben has no respect for my work: he insults me and sees through any pretense it is the way of fathers to offer in order to maintain a dignified degree of proper authority.

I must close this rant with a denial, however. I believe Reuben loves me, worries about me, enjoys my company, and understands the ins and outs of my conversation, performances, correspondences, and even silences. Every pater familias has his own signature and its own reasons for being. Mine works for me and my beloved son.

I do have another sort-of son. A former student named Fred, who never fails to phone in on Father’s Day to check in on how he’s doing. He also calls my wife on Mother’s Day. He lives in Los Angeles and makes masks and costumes for horror movies and fantasy flicks, and usually has a pet iguana to care for. We “adopted” him while he was studying at RISD and he has turned into another kind of son and heir. I reject the merely logical notion of genetic destiny, what is labelled “nature.” Even “nurture” doesn’t impress me as an alternative to the tyranny of science, physical or social. It’s all a matter of mutual affection and attraction, the fate of friendship. Not a good idea to treat your child as a friend. But my son is my best friend, and my friend has become a loyal son, and June is the month to celebrate what is rare and radiant, as the seasons of life and of the sun do their own thing!

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June 2014

BOOK REVIEW b y J ohn G row

“Sea Trials: A Lone

Sailor’s Race Toward Home” “You have to be prepared to lose your boat.”

tine, especially when things start to go wrong.

Bourke explains how he’d tricked out the Rubicon with high-tech electronics and robotics to allow him to – Peter Bourke, April 21, 2014 perform all the tasks of a sailing crew by himself. But he does it without overwhelming the reader with a barrage of techy terms and unexplained sailing language.

You understand what he’s talking about, and how it n late May 2009, 31 sailboats of various classes gathered at the hallowed port of Plymouth, works and how it all helps him pull off a solo crossing and still have time to eat and sleep.

England.

All that came crashing down in less than a week They were there for the OSTAR, the Original Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race to the United States, held when his electronic autopilot begins to fail, finally givevery four years. According to the rules, the race would ing out completely. Obviously anyone planning a trip end in the Newport, R.I. harbor. All boats had to make across the ocean alone plans for trouble, and sets up this passage and be there by the 5th of July at the latest, plenty of backup, just in case.

But what if your backup fails? How much redun40 days after the start, and not a moment later.

They came from all over: France, Italy, the U.K., dancy can you load onto one small sailboat? How many backups for backups do you reasonably carry?

Australia, plus there was one lone entry from the U.S. Going solo also carries with it the realization that All of the boats were well fitted for the dangerous and arduous passage through some 3,200 miles of when things start going wrong, you’re a little shortrough water. Sailboats sailing west into the prevailing handed for people to blame. Blown fuses with no reWesterly winds require a lot of maneuvering and seems placements in a fuse box you didn’t know was there? It’s all wrong, especially if it’s done solo. It puts a lot of a little hard to stick that on someone else if you’re the wear and stress on both ship and captain. But all the only person on board, and it’s your boat.

Bourke’s experiences aboard the Rubicon become skippers had years to prepare for it; their biographies show they’d spent virtually their entire lives on the sea. our own. As one piece of equipment after another All except that skipper of the 44-foot Rubicon; the breaks, we feel the frustration in the realization that the falling dominos marching straight toward failure were one and only entry from the United States. set in motion weeks before.

His name was Peter Bourke.

We are there when the storms rage and waves reach Thirty-nine days and seven hours later, 22 boats had finished the OSTAR in regulation time. One came in higher than the mast. And we feel the anxiety when the wind vanishes for days, but the calendar keeps moving after the race was over.

Eight failed to finish at all – power failures, broken and the finish line gets no closer.

There are plenty of reasons to quit, he finds. How rudders, a cracked hull, forced them to pull out. One Italian sailboat capsized in an angry sea; it’s captain, simple it would be to just fire up the engine and head Gianfranco Tortolani, nearly lost his life. He had to for the nearest friendly port to take himself out of the race. abandon ship and be rescued by a passing freighter.

But what if he doesn’t? What if he fights through the The Atlantic took it’s toll.

“Sea Trials: A Lone Sailor’s Race Toward Home,” is frustration and anger and finds a way to grind out this the story of how the 22nd boat – the last boat to finish passage to his home in Newport?

He finds strength in his own life experiences. Bourke the race in regulation – the Rubicon, made that voywrites: age.

“We move through life as if down a river and the It’s told by its skipper Peter Bourke in a surprisingly fast-moving book due out this month. Life alone banks frame our options. Sometimes the banks spread aboard the Rubicon for nearly six weeks is far from rou- wide apart, sometimes they narrow, and in our final

I

BOURKE – from page 5 “Since the first OSTAR in 1960 there are usually a few Americans in the race. Five years ago it was just me for some reason. It just happened that all the other American skippers who wanted to enter ran into a snag,” he says.

Bourke celebrated his 58th birthday somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean during the race. He was the least experienced skipper that year by far.

Even if it takes place in plain sight, with the whole world watching, a rite of passage is, by nature, personal.

It is a thing that one does. A challenge put to one either by circumstances or by choice, which is almost always dangerous and often painful.

It changes you most profoundly inside, where it doesn’t show; from the person you were when you started, into the person you are when you come out the other side.

In countless cultures it marked the exact point when a child became an adult.

But what if you are already an adult, with many tests of responsibility and maturity behind you? Why then take on another?

June 2014

moments we sail over the edge of the world.

“Our responsibility to ourselves, to those we may care about – whether we know them or not – and to whatever force we believe gave us this precious gift, is to understand our options and choose wisely.

“The price is steep for time spent grieving lost options.”

Later he reflects on advice he read from Jerry Freeman, an earlier OSTAR competitor: “... you just have to gut it out ... just keep going and grind out the miles to Newport.

Bourke credits his hitch in the U.S.M.C. for giving him certain strengths and values that have helped him often in his life. Many who have been in the Corps do also, myself included. He points out, especially, how one learns to appreciate things others would consider trivial.

For example, the simple label of “Marine” takes on immense importance once it’s been earned, he says. A recruit is called many things by drill instructors during boot camp, but never “Marine.” That title only comes on graduation day.

As a token of appreciation, all royalties earned by Bourke from the sale of the book will be donated to the Semper Fi Fund, a non-profit organization that helps families of service men and women from all branches of the U.S. military.

Peter once told a friend that he wasn’t out to prove anything by taking on the OSTAR, given his age and experience, but he admits now that, secretly, he did want to show himself to be a competent sailor.

I’d say he did. And I’d say he’s also shown himself to be a very good writer.

This is Peter Bourke’s first book. I hope sincerely it is not his last.

“Sea Trials: A Lone Sailor’s Race Toward Home,”

by Peter Bourke (McGraw Hill, 225 pages, June, 2014)

Many times during the nearly 40 days Peter Bourke spent alone on the 44-foot sailboat Rubicon, in the middle of the wild Atlantic Ocean, he asked himself that very question.

Since then he’s been asked if he’d ever do it again. The race is held every four years.

But things didn’t come together for 2013. Fellow American Jonathan Green was first in this class.

For 2017? Peter Bourke will only be 66.

“It’s too soon to tell,” he says. “Maybe.”

Before we hung up and he began plans for his return passage to Newport, I asked Peter one last question.

“What’s the bottom line,” I asked. “What determines whether or not anyone takes on something like the OSTAR?” Without a second’s hesitation he said, “you have to be prepared to lose your boat.”

PrimeTime | 15

b y kerry park

senior issues

Destined for Silver Creek Owning and operattionwide according to nationing a nursing home may ally quality care benchmarks. not be at the top of the Ciociola has seen drastic list for kids thinking changes in skilled nursing care about what they want to throughout the years. “In the do when they grow up, seventies, nursing homes were but for those with long like the assisted living facilities term care in their blood, we have today and many of the the job is second nature. people we treat today would Kim Ciociola is a have been taken care of in a third generation “Bristohospital. Back then they were lian” and she’s the perfect profit centers and regulations Kim Ciociola advocate for a career in were next to nil. Today, with family-operated, long all the changes, it’s more of a term care. “I was the kid playing in the struggle but most of the changes have backyard of (the nursing home). It’s in been for the better in terms of care,” she my blood,” she said. She began working commented. With the evolving role of at family-run Silver Creek Manor in Bris- nursing homes as post acute care and retol when she turned 16, first in the laun- habilitation centers, Ciociola is constantdry, then in the kitchen and other jobs. ly reminded that she’s not running her Her children grew up working there as ‘father’s nursing home’. “The differences well. Now as Silver Creek Manor’s Ad- are drastic, but most days, I love my job,” ministrator, she oversees a staff of nearly she said with a smirk.

150. She’s continuing a long family traHer biggest professional worry is dition of caring for elderly and infirm about being able to take care of her emRhode Islanders at the 128-bed nursing ployees. Millions of dollars of cuts from and rehabilitation center. In a town like Medicaid and Medicare are making it inBristol, known for its deeply embedded creasingly difficult for individual owners sense of community, the sense of family to keep wages and benefits competitive that permeates Silver Creek Manor is a and fair. She knows however, that rewelcoming feature. search has shown that consistent staffing “When it comes to long term care, correlates directly to higher quality care there are two schools of thought … those so treating employees well is a main priwho want the glitz and glamour that’s of- ority. “When I say I’m blessed, I’m truly ten found in corporate-owned facilities, blessed. Historically, my nurses stay long and those who want the connection of a term. I’m surrounded by a great staff. facility operated by long time neighbors. They’re great people who are dedicated to They can both be good options that of- Silver Creek and the people we care for fer equally good care, but people have here. They are definitely one of the perks different preferences depending on their of the job,” she acknowledged. background and what they’re used to,” So while most kids aspire to be astrosaid Ciociola. nauts or professional ball players, CioRhode Island has a high percentage ciola is perfectly content with her career of independently run facilities like Silver path. She grew up revering the elderly Creek Manor. With economic changes and learning from the personal accounts making it more difficult for family-run of history they offer. “We have a woman businesses, operating independent nurs- in here who’s 110. She’s fascinating. She’s ing facilities can be a challenge. At least living history,” she exclaimed. When in Rhode Island however, commitment it comes to careers, Ciociola’s passion to quality care is managing to override makes it clear that she made the right the challenges. In fact, Rhode Island’s choice. nursing facilities rank among the top na-

ANNA – from page 11

For the remainder of her life, we became more than neighbors. Anna was a doting grandmother, babysitter, chauffer and encouraging friend.

How could someone whose childhood had been stolen from her, having been born into a barren, desperate world, and never had children of her own, so instinctively take part in our sons’ lives? Perhaps, this question is also where the answer is to be found.

She lived vicariously through their fun and experiences, intensely enjoying each stage of childhood.

We did our best not to spoil our sons. Anna picked up the slack. We tried to limit their sugar consumption; she kept a candy dish on her coffee table filled with colorfully wrapped candies to share. She would also have a few of the candies in her pocket whenever she appeared at our door. She spoiled them with backrubs. Although Anna’s hands were not pretty, they were strong - perfect for the backrubs requested of her.

Trying to describe this unique woman cannot capture her fullness!

She was a friend who was always available day or night. Without trying, without realizing what she was doing, she was my humble, servant-hearted mentor. For Anna, loving, forgiving, and finding joy in the simplest things were traits of her unspoken philosophy woven into the fabric of her life.

How could I compete with someone whose solution, when she was feeling blue, was to do something nice for someone else?

On the side of Anna’s house, there was a porch enclosed with windows.

She would sit in her blue armchair smoking cigarettes as she gazed out at Narragansett Bay. If we surprised her with a visit, she would quickly extinguish the cigarette and widely open the door to let the fresh air in, all the while apologizing for smoking. From this chair, she could see the flashing lights on the school bus when it dropped off “her boys” from school. Minutes later, she would appear at our door, sometimes holding a box filled with Allie’s Donuts. With coffee ready and snacks for the boys, sitting around our table became somewhat of a ritual.

Not only did our children’s birthdays pass too quickly, so did Anna’s.

We tried to be of comfort and companionship. My attempts to encourage her routine of daily walking in the fresh air were only briefly successful. “My feet, oh, there is such pain.” These words were a whisper of the intensity expressed in her facial grimaces. Her feet had neuropathy.

The poor circulation would eventually cause a poisoning in her entire body. She deserved a hero’s medal for the perseverance she had in trying to maintain her life rituals.

One day as I brought flowers and baked custard to her, she was sitting in the blue chair on her porch with tears running down her face. She had often told me not to get old. I usually joked and reminded her that the other option was death, and that we were all getting older. This day was not for joking. Touching where her brain was, she confided that her head was not the same. What she was describing was dementia. For the next few months, it was impossible to bring even momentary joy to the woman who had served up a consistent helping of happiness to others. Her illness was spreading faster than the weeds overtaking her gardens.

Hospice enabled Anna to remain somewhat comfortable in her bedroom. Fittingly, over her bed hung a beautiful painting of an innocent boy and girl guarded by white-winged angels. Often she had referred to it when she would be “on the hill with Edmund.” They now lay side by side.

My husband knew I would never compete with this “good neighbor” we enjoyed for so many years, yet his teasing question triggered a side order of sweet memories to enjoy with our apple pancakes.

Donna J. Cote is native to the Ocean State and lives with her family in Jamestown.

She has her A.A. with a focus on creative writing. Donna also enjoys fabric arts, gardening and has recently joined a poetry group at the Middletown Library. _______________________________ If you would like to have your story considered for publication in PrimeTime, send it to Linda Nadeau: lindan@rhodybeat.com

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June 2014

senior issues

b y C amilla F arrell de ve l o p m e n t d i re c to r , a l z h e i m e r ’s association

RI

chapter

When Seniors Do Extraordinary Things Do you know someone who is always ready to lend a hand, make a basket, take a photograph, or volunteer at moment’s notice – well that is Joan and Larry Kent.

Joan and Larry are both in their 70’s, but you would never know it because they have more energy than most 20-year olds I know. Joan has been volunteering at the Alzheimer’s Association office for about 15 years, and her husband Larry has been taking photographs for all of our events for about that long.

Joan said her mother, Lillian Harrison, passed away in 1994 from Alzheimer’’s, and her father passed away this year from the disease. Larry’s father, Everett Kent, passed away in 1996. “That is why we got involved,” Larry said.

For 20 years now, the Kents have participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

During that period, Joan has served as co-Chair of the Pawtucket Walk, and several committees including logistics, teams, and volunteering on Walk Day. Rain nor shine will stop the Kents from taking photographs at the Walks for all of the hundreds of teams who register. The Walk in Pawtucket is at Slater Park on September 28th and the Newport Walk is at Salve Regina University on September 21st this year. Joan and Larry always have a Walk team too and this year, they had 4 generations Walking to End Alzheimer’s – visit our website alz.org/ri if you would like to join. Joan always wears her Walk t-shirt around town to encourage others to get involved in the Walk.

Besides the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Joan volunteers in our office once a week, answering Helpline calls, recording data, making baskets for our auction. “I like to keep busy,” says Joan.

Not only does she keep busy, she is so creative, she can knit, make centerpieces, photo collages, if you need something done, Joan is your gal. When I asked her to help with a colleague’s retirement party, she had lots of ideas and made everything herself.

Joan’s volunteer efforts do not end with the Alzheimer’s Association, Larry proudly pointed out. His wife of 56 years also works with the Citizen Scholarship Foundation of East Providence and knits and sews blankets for Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence. Thank you Larry and Joan Kent – you are truly one of kind. How much longer will they volunteer? “As long as we can.”

Larry and Joan Kent

Ken Smith honored as RI’s Salute to Senior Service Winner Ken Smith, 65, of Warwick has been honored as the Rhode Island winner of the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service award.

Smith is being recognized for his dedicated community service, including his work at the Rhode Island Military Organization. A retired Navy officer, Smith volunteers a minimum of 16 hours each week at the military lounge in T. F. Green Airport, where his smile

and welcoming personality provide respite and comfort to traveling members of the military.

“Ken represents so well the dedication and commitment that make senior volunteers such a value to their communities,” said Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead, Inc. “He has proven once again that age is meaningless when it comes to making a difference. So many charities, nonprofit organizations

and faith communities could not do the work they are doing without selfless volunteers such as Ken.” For more information about the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service program or to download the “give back” resource sheets, visit SalutetoSeniorService.com.

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June 2014

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b y catherine T erry taylor

d i re c to r , r i d e p a r t m e n t o f e l d e r l y a f f a i r s

issues

All Rhode Islanders are Mandatory Reporters of Elder Abuse Sunday, June 15, Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, will mark the ninth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day to focus attention on the horrific physical, emotional and financial impact of elder abuse.

This is the third June in a row that I have devoted my monthly column to the importance of observing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The message bears repeating, over and over, until we can all count on living in safety and dignity as we age. I can think of no better way to honor our fathers, and our mothers.

There are three essential points I want to leave you with this month.

First: Every Rhode Islander is a mandatory reporter of suspected elder abuse and self-neglect. The number to call is 401462-0555.

Second: Elder abuse is never normal and never acceptable.

Third: There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of falling victim to elder abuse.

Rhode Island law requires any person who has reasonable cause to believe that an individual age 60 or older has been abused, or is neglecting his or her basic needs, to report it to the Rhode Island Division of Elderly Affairs (DEA). Failure to make such a report can result in a fine of

up to $1,000. Abuse reports can be filed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and on nights, weekends, and holidays, by calling 401-462-0555. Reports can be filed anonymously and are confidential. DEA partners with community case management agencies to develop a plan to eliminate the abuse.

Elder abuse takes many forms: â&#x20AC;˘ Physical abuseâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;inflicting physical pain or injury upon an older adult. â&#x20AC;˘ Sexual abuseâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;touching, fondling, intercourse, or any other sexual activity with an older adult, when the older adult is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced. â&#x20AC;˘ Emotional abuseâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment, or intimidation. â&#x20AC;˘ Confinementâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;restraining or isolating an older adult, other than for medical reasons. â&#x20AC;˘ Passive neglectâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;a caregiverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s failure to provide an older adult with lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessities, such as food, clothing, shelter, or medical care. â&#x20AC;˘ Willful deprivationâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;denying an older adult medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, and exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental, or emotional harmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;except when the older, competent

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adult has expressed a desire to go without such care. â&#x20AC;˘ Financial exploitationâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;the misuse or withholding of an older adultâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources.

Warning signs that an elder might be an abuse victim include bruises, marks, or broken bones; sudden changes in mood or alertness; withdrawal from normal social and family activities; changes in personal hygiene; unusual weight loss; nervousness or irritability; or sudden changes in financial situation.

Social isolation and cognitive disorders such as Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease are significant risk factors for elder abuse. Caregiver stress can be a contributing factor. Appallingly, data shows that in almost 90 percent of cases, elders are abused at the hands of their spouses or adult children.

How great is the scope of this problem?

Estimates provided by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) indicate that one in 10 American elders have experienced some form of elder abuse. Unfortunately, NCOA also reports that only one in about 14 cases of elder abuse is reported.

The RI Division of Elderly Affairs received nearly 1,000 reports of elder abuse in its latest 12-month reporting cycle.

You can take action to prevent elder abuse. NCOA advises these steps to keep-

your taxes

ing you and the elders you know safe: â&#x20AC;˘ Take care of your health. â&#x20AC;˘ Seek professional help for drug, alcohol, and depression concerns. â&#x20AC;˘ Attend support groups for spouses and learn about domestic violence services. â&#x20AC;˘ Plan for your own future with a power of attorney or a living will. â&#x20AC;˘ Seek independent advice from someone you trust before signing any documents. â&#x20AC;˘ Review your will periodically. â&#x20AC;˘ Stay active in the community and connected with friends and family. This will decrease social isolation. â&#x20AC;˘ Post and open your own mail. â&#x20AC;˘ Do not give personal information over the phone. â&#x20AC;˘ Use direct deposit for all checks. â&#x20AC;˘ Have your own phone. â&#x20AC;˘ Know your rights. If you engage the services of a paid or family caregiver, you have the right to voice your preferences and have them honored.

Please join me in spreading the word this month that elder abuse is an abomination that should never occur or be tolerated. Keep your eyes open, and please, speak up. This Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take one step closer to creating a world where it is a safe and dignified thing to grow old.

professional perspective

b y meg che v alier

Make Plans Now for Next Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tax Return Most people stop thinking about taxes after they file their tax return. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better time to start tax planning than right now. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too early to set up a smart recordkeeping system. Here are six IRS tips to help you start to plan for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taxes: 1. Take action when life changes occur.

Some life events, like a change in marital status, the birth of a child or buying a home, can change the amount of taxes you owe. When such events occur during the year, you may need to change the amount of tax taken out of your pay. To do that, you must file a new Form W4, Employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Withholding Allowance Certificate, with your employer. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov to help you fill out the form. If you receive advance payments of the premium tax credit it is important that you report changes in circumstances, such as changes in your income or family size, to your Health Insurance Marketplace.

2. Keep records safe. Put your 2013 tax return and supporting records in a safe place. That way if you ever need to refer to your return, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know where to find it. For example, you may need a copy of your return if you apply for a home loan or financial aid. You can also use it

as a guide when you do next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tax return.

3. Stay organized. Make sure your family puts tax records in the same place during the year. This will avoid a search for misplaced records come tax time next year.

4. Shop for a tax preparer. If you want to hire a tax preparer to help you with tax planning, start your search now. Choose a tax preparer wisely. You are responsible for the accuracy of your tax return no matter who prepares it. Find tips for choosing a preparer at IRS.gov.

5. Think about itemizing. If you usually claim a standard deduction on your tax return, you may be able to lower your taxes if you itemize deductions instead. A donation to charity could mean some tax savings. See the instructions for Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, for a list of deductions.

6. Keep up with changes. Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips to get emails about tax law changes, how to save money and much more. You can also get Tips on IRS.gov or IRS2Go, the IRSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile app. The IRS issues tips each weekday in the tax filing season and three days a week in summer.

Remember, a little planning now can pay off big at tax time next year.

June 2014

A GLIMPSE OF RI’S PAST

PEOPLE AND PLACES

h i s t o r y w i t h T e r r y d ’a m ato t u r n b u l l

The Mills of Apponaug The textile manufacturing business that Caleb Greene had, established in Apponaug in 1809 prospered for a time. By the second half of the 19th century however, the Greene mills had suffered some financial reverses and the owners were persuaded to sell out their interests. This enabled a new group of entrepreneurs, led by Alfred Augustus Reed, to move into the area. Thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Anne C. Holst, Reed’s great-granddaughter, a letter dated May 18, 1865, written by Edward D. Boit, has been made available. This letter explains the situation and the circumstances surrounding the selection of Apponaug as a site for the Oriental Print Works.

Reed had made a fortune in the East India trade. After 1857, Reed, whose business took him to the Far East, established the Oriental Mills north of Providence. One of his partners, Edward D. Boit, found Apponaug a most desirable site for the establishment of a print works. Boit told Reed that Apponaug was an ideal place as “the situation is healthy and pretty good for help and cheap living and as fine a location as any other for Steam Cotton Mills.” Boit explained that he was able to get “refusal of the property for $14,000.” The reason that such a favorable site was available, he added, was because “the man [Green] is in trouble.” Boit boasted, “Jordan Marsh & Co. have got scent of it and wrote to the owner. I saw him... but I was a day ahead of that active firm and have the refusal… ..”

Boit extolled the fact that the water at Cowesset Pond, or Gorton’s Pond as it is now called, was excellent for their purposes. He wrote, “The water from this 300 acre pond is like crystal, and no other party can interfere with it.”

He said, “I do not count at all on the water power, although that can easily be made available to about 70 horsepower and would be of great service in reducing the cost of manufacturing. But the entire control of the 200 acre Pond of the purest water is invaluable in Print Works for bleaching and washing.” The proposition that Boit offered, and Reed accepted, required a capital outlay of approximately $60,000. This, according to Boit, would enable the company to print 5000 pieces per week, cheaper by quite a few cents than any other printers in R.I. The Oriental Print Works was able to rival the production of the Clyde Print Works in the western section of Warwick, and later with the acquisition of six additional printing machines, was able to produce 10,000 pieces per week.

June 2014

A Most Desirable Site The establishment of such a large enterprise as the Oriental Print Works meant a number of changes in Apponaug. In addition to the Greene textile mill, the purchase by Reed and his partners included one large tenement house and one or two smaller ones. The mill attracted large numbers of workers and unlike the early villagers many of them were not of English or Scottish origin and were not Protestant but Irish and French Catholics. The increased activity saw Apponaug once again revitalized and an important center for business and trade.

A new mill is called for The prosperity from the Oriental Print Works declined in 1873. This was the year of a very serious “panic” or “depression,” which had a devastating effect on Rhode Island. The collapse of the A. & W. Sprague Mfg. Co. in that year seriously curtailed the textile industry for a time. The man behind the success of the print works in Apponaug, Alfred A. Reed, died in 1879, and by 1883 the company had ceased to operate.

The years following the Panic of 1873 were difficult for all of the mills in the Pawtuxet Valley as well as other areas of Rhode Island and nearby Connecticut. Ironically, the Jordan Marsh Company, which had been interested in the old Greene mills in Apponaug, was able to purchase the Oriental Print Works and many of the mill hands were once again employed.

J.R. Cole, in his History of Washington and Kent Counties, written in 1889 notes, “The Oriental Print Works, now owned by Jordan Marsh & Co of Boston, at one time did a thriving business. The works closed however in March 1883 since which time a hundred thousand dollars and more have been paid to keep watch over the works and to keep the insurance paid up. In the meanwhile the laboring masses have removed to the surrounding villages for work.”

Fortunately for the “laboring masses,” the period when the mill was closed was of short duration. The company was able to continue in operation after 1896. At that time it was known as the Apponaug Print Works. Due to technical problems, this company was dissolved and a new company called the Apponaug Bleaching, Dyeing and Print Works. Co. was established and concentrated on the printing of staple cotton fabrics. This company enjoyed a limited success until 1913 when, under the leadership of J.P. Farnsworth, it made a major change and began a period of unprecedented prosperity.

The Apponaug Company building Farnsworth and his colleagues decided to direct the company toward the development of finishing processes for fine textiles instead of staple fabrics.

This field, which eventually included the finer grades of cotton, rayon, Celanese and mixed fabrics, required a greater

technical skill and more delicate workmanship. Fortunately, the company was able to acquire the skills of Alfred L. Lustig, one of the world’s foremost color chemists.

The story of the Apponaug Mills will continue.

PrimeTime | 19

THEME: U.S. GEOGRAPHY ACROSS 1. Prince or king in India 6. Bit of binary code 9. *Baltimore’s has deep enough water for largest ships 13. Ancient assembly area 14. Boy toy 15. Ancient Scandinavian characters 16. Bird action 17. Howard of “Happy Days” 18. To open 19. *Location of highest point in U.S. 21. Victorian era overcoat 23. William Penn to Sir William Penn 24. Civil rights concern 25. Watergate device 28. O. Henry’s “The Gift of the ___” 30. Baking soda 35. Seaward 37. Paris Hilton’s and Kelly Osborne’s dogs 39. Black cat crossing the street, e.g.

40. Try, as in a case 41. Wise guys 43. Frost-covered 44. *What Harvard Crew did on Lake Charles 46. Crystal ____ 47. Country alliance 48. Call for 50. Aforementioned 52. “... ___ he drove out of sight” 53. Retained 55. Strive 57. *The deepest lake 60. *Archipelago state 63. Disorderly disruption 64. Roswell subject 66. What sinners are expected to do 68. “The Waste Land” poet 69. Animal house 70. Pretend 71. Be dependent 72. Part of a hurricane 73. Absurd

20 | PrimeTime

DOWN 1. 50 Cent piece 2. Taj Mahal city 3. “Piano Man” Billy 4. Domains or expanses 5. Type of horse-drawn carriage 6. Creole vegetable 7. “New” prefix 8. Boredom 9. Often done on 4th down 10. Enough, for some 11. End of the line 12. Recipe amt.

15. *U.S. maritime neighbor 20. Breaks off abruptly 22. Dr. Frankenstein’s workplace 24. *Lake Superior holds this U.S. distinction 25. *Lake located on CA-NV border 26. Southeast Asia association 27. Active or lively 29. *Pacific Ocean territory 31. Sidewalk/road divide 32. Nimble 33. Word of mouth 34. *_____ Canyon 36. Singular of #4 Down 38. ___ _ good example 42. Judaic mourning 45. Stalin’s order, e.g.

49. Confederate general 51. Hindu Festival of Lights 54. One excessively concerned about decorum 56. Like yesterday’s meal?

57. Jazz musician Nat 58. Agitate 59. Call to matey 60. Use a whetstone 61. I, to a Greek 62. To let someone “__ __ it” 63. Joaquin Phoenix’ 2013 film 65. Whimiscal and otherworldly 67. Compass reading June 2014

retirement sparks

senior

issues

b y elaine m . decker

Just-In-Case Lifestyle You may have heard of the JustIn-Time inventory concept popularized several decades back. To reduce costs, manufacturers kept the absolute minimum inventory on hand. They implemented computer systems to help predict orders and locate production facilities to optimize their ability to deliver goods “just in time.”

Today, thanks to digital printing, that concept has found its way into publishing as “Print On Demand.” That’s how I published my first three books, through Amazon’s Create Space arm. My books get printed only when (if ) someone orders one of them on Amazon.com.

Don’t worry. This post is not about selling my books. It’s about the contrarian inventory concept of “Just In Case,” which means it’s about how I came to have such an array of belongings.

“Just In Case” is a mantra that I’ve lived by most of my life. It explains half the clothes that are in my closet, tags still attached. Also a cabinet full of cake pans, just in case I decide to take up baking. And shelves of How To… books and file drawers of reference materials on arcane topics. In preparation for downsizing our house, I’ve been weeding out things I acquired “just in case.”

Not an easy task when you’ve spent your life accumulating stuff.

I blame my mother for this. She had a full-size standing freezer in our kitchen that was always chock full of meals she’d prepared, ready to be defrosted at a moment’s notice. She did this—you guessed it—just in case a platoon of friends or relatives dropped in unannounced and needed to be fed. Or more accurately, just in case they dropped in unannounced, period. It was her assumption that people always needed to be fed. (Did I mention my mother was Italian?)

My brother turned this into a standing joke with her. As my mother aged into her eighties, she’d engage us in conversations about who should take what from the house after she was “gone.”

When my brother was visiting from California and she started on this, he would ask her teasingly: “Where’re you going, Mom?” And she’d shoot back: “Well, I won’t be around forever, you know.”

This prompted him to reply: “You’re not going to leave us anytime soon. You

June 2014

wouldn’t do that to us.” She’d ask what made him so sure, and he’d point out that the freezer was not completely filled to the brim. “You wouldn’t leave us with the freezer partly empty. How would we feed all the people who’d be coming back to the house after your funeral?”

Then we’d all laugh, and my mother would get up and start cooking.

It wasn’t only with food that she believed in being prepared. She kept brand new pajamas and a robe in her dresser, just in case she had to go to the hospital unexpectedly. So you see, it’s mostly my mother’s fault that I’ve been saddled with this “just in case” mentality.

To be fair, I suppose my father is also partly to blame. He amassed a garage full of tools, just in case. We lived in one of the snowiest parts of New Jersey, but our car spent the winters in our driveway. There was no room for it in the garage. In his defense, my father

used most of his tools and equipment.

Or again, more accurately, he used them or he loaned them out to neighbors.

He had a table saw and a band saw and a wall full of those plastic organizers with the drawers that pull out. He had drivers for every type of screw ever made and wrenches that looked like pieces of bent metal. Back in the fifties I was probably the only teenage girl who knew what an Allen wrench was. I was also the only freshman in my college dorm who arrived with her own toolbox. I became popular quite quickly.

(Thank you, Dad.) Between them, my parents were prepared for every eventuality that could have befallen our household. I was doomed from the get go. Even now, I stock up on extra candles, batteries and bottled water, in case the power goes out for a few days. That was a common occurrence where I grew up, but it hasn’t

happened once in my twenty plus years in Providence. Not even the year that Connecticut was a disaster.

No, a Shaker lifestyle was never in my cards. Speaking of cards, I have two decks (unused) especially for playing Briscola. You never know when you’re going to run into some Italians who might want to play that card game, so I bought the decks when I was in Piemonte. Just in case.

Copyright 2014 Business Theatre Unlimited Elaine M. Decker’s books—Retirement Sparks Again, Retirement Sparks and CANCER: A Coping Guide—are available at SPECTRUM-INDIA, on the East Side of Providence, on Amazon.com, including Kindle editions, and by special order through your local bookstore. One of her essays appears in the recently published anthology: 70 Things To Do When You Turn 70. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com.

UÊ *À Û ` }ÊiÝVi i ViÊ Ê iÊV>ÀiÊÜ Ì Ê «iÀà > âi`ÊÃiÀÛ Vi UÊ i « }Ê«i « iÊ ÛiÊÊ >ÌÊ iÊ `i«i `i Ì ÞÊ Ã ViÊ£ ÈÈÊ UÊ - ÝÊV Ûi i ÌÊ V>Ì ÃÊ Ì À Õ} ÕÌÊ, `iÊ Ã > `Ê Visit homefront.org or call 401. 383. 9696 to access an array of caregiver resources.

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Streets of Summit

photography contest Photograph your favorite spots in and around the Summit Neighborhood, including the Mount Hope neighborhood.

• Sponsored by the Summit Neighborhood Association.

• Ground rules: Maximum size: 16 x 20 inches; no minimum • Mounting on foam core or mount board (no frames, no mats, ready for hanging) • Identification on sheet on back of photograph: Name of photographer, Title (with address of street/park/store/person photographed), e-mail address, phone number • Limit one submission per photographer • Judging: late June at Miriam Hospital • Cash prizes • Drop-off – June 16, 17, 18, at Camera Werks, 766 Hope Street, or at front desk of Miriam Hospital (directed to Monica Anderson) For more information, see Summit Neighborhood Association webpage www.sna.providence.ri.us/

Volunteer • The Jonnycake Center of Westerly needs volunteers to test electronic donations to ensure they work properly and are electrically safe. Individual should have a background in electronics and be familiar with how electronic devices work.

• The South County Museum is looking for volunteers to greet visitors, tend the gardens, and help with exhibit preparation and installation. Also, lend a helping hand during Yankee Crafts Days and other special events, and making minor building repairs. In addition, the museum needs someone to assist with social media, including Facebook postings.

• The State Capitol Building in Providence is seeking a receptionist.

• Save The Bay is looking for volunteers for its Coast Keeper program.

• Beechwood, the North Kingstown Senior and Human Services Center, is seeking drivers for both FISH and Meals on Wheels.

We’re looking for new members . . .

Funeral Directors

Korean War Veterans

Edward L. Murphy - Director 800 Greenwich Ave. Warwick 737-3510

Korean Service Veterans Meetings held 2nd Wednesday of every Month Chepachet Senior Center, Rte. 44

1210 Putnam Pike, Chepachet

Call Frank 231-3736 or Gil 831-3301 For More Information KWVA – Chapter 3

UrqUhart-MUrphy

Barrett & Cotter FUneral hoMe

Peter Barrett Cotter - Director 1328 Warwick Avenue Warwick 463-9000

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Tel. 732-3100 22 | PrimeTime

DAV auxiliary install officers Even at age 85, Gilbert Anthony Botelho has no intention of slowing down or just sitting back and taking life easy.

That’s because Botelho holds an important position, one that includes a mighty mission that he and members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Giovanni Folcarelli Providence Chapter I are bent on keeping alive.

In April, Botelho was installed for a third term as commander of the Folcarelli Providence Chapter I – the oldest such group in the state – during a special ceremony at the Kelley-Gazzero VFW Post 2812 on the Cranston-Johnston line.

Also sworn in during the ceremony were Ray Denisewich, adjutant, secretary, treasurer and service office; Dennis Boisvet, senior vice commander; John O’Hara, judge advocate, legislative officer; Melvin Hill, trustee; Ira Erickson, junior vice commander; John Buco, trustee; John DeFusco, trustee; John Cesana, chaplain; and Anthony Taratetta, sergeant-at-arms, secretary.

CHAPTER OFFICERS: Anthony Tartetta, John Buco, John DeFusco, Mel Hill, John O’Hara, Ray Denisewich, Ira Erickson and Commander Gilbert Botelho. (text and photo by Pete Fontaine)

St. Elizabeth offers free Meals on Wheels of RI educational session director honored Saint Elizabeth Community invites you to a Free Educational Session: “Keeping Seniors Safe in the Information Age.” The session will be held at New England Institute of Technology, 1400 Division Road, East Greenwich on Thursday, June 19, 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. A panel of professionals will discuss internet safety and social media, protecting against fraud and identity theft, banking safety and understanding Medicare Summaries. Light refreshments will be served.

To register call Donna Birmingham, 471-6060 ext. 148 or email, dbirmingham@stelizabethcommunity.org

Heather Amaral, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, has been named a “Woman to Watch” in the Social Services Category of the 2014 Business Women Awards Program of Providence Business News.

Amaral has been the Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island since 2010. She is also a member of Greenwich Bay Women’s Club, an organization that raises awareness of and funding for a variety of charities supporting the West Bay Area. In addition, Amaral is a Board Member for Opportunities Unlimited; a non-profit supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

Arthur Bone named to Pamper yourself at E.G. Tockwotton board Senior Center T. Arthur Bone has been named to the board of directors of Tockwotton on the Waterfront in East Providence.

Bone began a career in TV broadcast engineering at WTVD in North Carolina and was the general manager of WPRI in Providence. He started a broadcast engineering consulting firm and remained a consultant until retiring in 1998. Still active in the community, Bone currently volunteers as treasurer of the First Baptist Church i n America. He resides in Lincoln.

Licensed reflexologist Karen Davis is offering 30 minute appointments on June 10, June 20 and July 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Reflexology is “a natural healing art, based on the principle that there are reflexes in the hands and feet which correspond to every part of the body.” The fee is $15. Appointments are required; please call Erin at 886-8669, ext. 1. Karen will offer appointments on Friday, July 18th.

Manicures will be offered by licensed manicurist Donna Damore on Wednesdays, June 11 and June 25 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Donna will shape your nails, push back cuticles, buff with oil, give hand massages and you choose the polish color. The fee is $10. Appointments are required; please call Erin at 886-8669, ext. 1.

Fax 732-3110 June 2014

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June 2014

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June 2014