February 2013 PrimeTime

primetime free

rhode island

F e b r uary 2 0 13

WIeaN r

1-Y hip to rs e b m e M age

Massvy!

En

on the road again! c l a s s i c c a r s • r i d i n g w i t h r i p ta • d r i v e r s a f e t y

exhibitors wanted Don’t miss our next expo!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Warwick Mall

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

P r i m e T i m e

g n i v i Le x p o

M a g a z i n e

senior We take care of . . .

Planning Promotion Follow-up

Exhibitor space includes tables, chairs, pipe & drape, tablecloths & skirting, and electricity.

For registration information call Lisa Bronstein American Health Resources, Inc.

508-588-7700

Market your product or service to thousands of seniors and caregivers.

Combine the advertising of PrimeTime Magazine with face-to-face marketing opportunities at the Expo

Extensive networking opportunities with major senior organizations

or e-mail lisab@ahrevents.com

| PrimeTime 2

February 2013

I

’ll be honest, when it comes to the PrimeTime editorial calendar, there are themes I can relate to and those I can’t. I’ve got caregiving covered, I love animals and though I don’t know a ton about gardening, I live with a green thumb, so it isn’t entirely foreign territory.

This month is a different story.

I don’t know when or why the animosity began, but cars and I don’t get along so well. I generally look at them with mistrust, and for some reason or another, they seem to prefer if someone else is in charge of their care and transport. I know very little about how cars work, why one is better than the other, or what it means when that little exclamation mark icon lights up on my dashboard. When buying a television once as a teenager, a Best Buy employee asked me what kind of car I drove, in response to my concerns that it might not fit into the backseat.

I promptly responded: a blue one.

Ford Escort would have been the correct answer, but in that moment, I had absolutely no idea what make, model or year my car was from. All I need to know is that it will get me from home to work, maybe to a post-work cocktail, and back.

But it appears that I am in the minority. Everywhere I go I meet men, women and children who are fascinated by cars. They infiltrate my work and personal life, too. And so here I give you an issue dedicated to cars.

When I pull into my office one sunny Friday, I scan the lot for an open space, and find one nestled between a Triumph TR250 and a 1962 Porsche. They’re not exactly common nowadays, but for the PrimeTime publishers, they like to arrive in style. On the cover of this issue, you’ll see publisher John Howell and his wife Carol, showing off the Porsche in front of their Warwick home. John’s journey to find that dream car is a long one, and he shares it with you himself in this issue. I sat down with another publisher, Richard Fleischer, to find out what cars have made his wish list over the years - plus the only car left on that list.

February 2013 1944 Warwick Ave. In this month’s doer’s profile, Joan Warwick, RI 02889 Retsinas catches up with Rick Mariscal, 401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110 another lover of cars, classics and racing. If you’re in the market for a new car Distribution Special Delivery instead of a golden oldie, Rhode Island dealers from Flood Ford and Tarbox ToyPUBLISHERS ota were nice enough to sit down with us Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, and give a breakdown of the ideal cars John Howell for senior drivers.

EDITOR Once you’ve found the perfect car, Meg Fraser consider sharpening your road skills, eimegf@rhodybeat.com ther through the AARP driver safety program or the AAA driving course, both of MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella which are featured in this issue. And if donnaz@rhodybeat.com you’ve had enough of traffic, honking horns and bad drivers, jump aboard a Creative Director RIPTA bus, just like we did, to talk with Linda Nadeau 35-year bus driver Nick DeCristofaro. lindan@rhodybeat.com Enjoy cruising this issue of WRITERS PrimeTime.

Pr i m e Ti m e

Jessica Botelho, Michael J. Cerio, Don Fowler, Terry D’Amato Spencer, Elaine M. Decker, John Howell, Joan Retsinas, Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Joe Kernan, Kerry Park, Kathy Tirrell

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com Carolann Soder, Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli, Suzanne Wendoloski, Gina Fugere Classified ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com PRODUCTION STAFF Matt Bower, Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner

Meg Fraser editor

nextmonth

In March, we talk about a topic I’m much more comfortable with, though many of you might not be: technology. From Facebook to smart phones, we’ll help you get plugged in.

inthisissue cars cars cars

5 Classic Love Affair

Fleischer tackles list of dream cars

6

Cruising the Market

9

Riding with RIPTA

10

Ideal cars for seniors

35-year career in public transit gives driver road wisdom

Smooth Sailing

AARP offers refresher course for driver safety

14 My 1966 Valentine

Getting his dream car is longest journey of all for Howell

16 Road test

AAA offers driver improvement course

PEOPLE & PLACES Doer’s profile.................................................................................4 A Worthy Cause........................................................................19 Glimpse of RI’s past.................................................................21 SENIOR ISSUES Director’s column.......................................................................8 Alzheimer’s Association offers 24/7 support..........16 Retirement Sparks...................................................................18 Medicaid underfunding exceeds $30 million........18 Giving a VOICE to veterans................................................21 PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE Your Taxes........................................................................................8 LIFESTYLES What do you Fink?..................................................................17 That’s Entertainment.............................................................20

A Joint Publication of East Side Monthly and Beacon Communications.

PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

February 2013

o n t h e c ove r John and Carol Howell with their 1963 Porsche (Photo by Jim Byrne of Dublin Motorcar Co.)

PrimeTime |

DOER’S PROFILE

by JOAN RE TSINAS

Crazy for

people

and

Cars

places

When did car racing officially start?

Where? How many tracks did Rhode Island have? Who were Bugsy Stevens and Fred Desarro?

Rick Mariscal knows the answers.

For the rest of us, racing started officially in 1896 in Cranston. Rhode Island once had nine tracks, in Cumberland, Pascoag, Kingston, Tiverton, Charlestown, Newport, Warwick and two in Cranston. Bugsy Stevens, the alter ego of an Air Force man hiding his passion from the Air Force, was a legendary asphalt-modified stock car racer.

Fred DeSarro was the 1970 NASCAR National Modified Champion.

Mariscal has amassed an encyclopedic knowledge of car racing, including these tidbits and more.

Mariscal has also amassed an army of memorabilia. His non-profit Pronyne Motor Sports Museum in the Oak Hill neighborhood of Pawtucket comprises 7,400 square feet, full of matchbox cars, racing posters, brochures, advertisements from decades of manufacturers and photos of competitors along with their cars. In the garage, he has up to eight vintage cars in working order at any time. Enthusiasts, collectors, drivers, hobbyists all gravitate to see the memorabilia and inspect (but not drive) the cars.

Mariscal can’t tell you why he fell in love with racing. His parents didn’t race cars. Neither did his siblings, or any of his relatives.

“I had no automotive background,” he said.

But he can tell you when. Mariscal grew up in Pawtucket on Armistice Boulevard. At age 5, when his parents were out, his aunt, who was babysitting, took him to the Lonsdale Sports Arena.

| PrimeTime 4

She lived a block from the Speedway; it was a perfect outing for a little boy who played with Matchbox cars. Since he enjoyed the experience, she would take him occasionally after that, sometimes to other tracks.

By age 10, Mariscal played with toy racecars. He was getting to know the different makes and models. He remembers that he and his brother would hear a car coming down the street; his brother would ask, “What is that?”

From the sound, Mariscal could identify a Chevy, a Buick or a Ford.

Soon, Mariscal was bothering his aunt to take him to more tracks. Recognizing his interest in cars, she introduced him to people who repaired cars, sold auto parts and sold cars. By the time he was 16, he got a license to drive - which, for Mariscal, meant a license to race, generally with the Narragansett Sports Club.

In the late 1960s, people raced regular “street cars” - in short, the cars driven on city streets. But those cars are not built for racing. So Mariscal and his fellow racers modified their cars to make them faster. He first tackled a 1971

MGB, roaming junkyards for parts.

Typically he would take a car apart, and then add parts from another car. A hybrid might combine a ‘57 Chevy body, a ‘37 Chevy front, a Chrysler front end and a Buick hub.

“I dreamed of being the next Richard Petty. I wanted to be the next big star.

Racing was it,” Mariscal said.

Today, racers who are building cars don’t roam junkyards; they surf the web.

After graduating from Lincoln High School, Mariscal sought jobs that complemented his passion for racing. His first job was at Chrysler Plymouth. For 17 years, he worked in sales at Major Electric but the owners understood that racing was his prime activity.

“They would ask me, ‘Where are you going this week?’” he recalled.

When he married, Mariscal cut back on racing. He bought a house. He had a son (who raced until he was 16 but now races cars on the Internet). But racing soon won out over domesticity. In the early 1980s, Mariscal was racing weekly, entering exhibition races with 30-year-

old cars. He won two local championships. He remembers the thrill of racing one of those old cars.

“The drive shaft was spinning two inches from my leg, rattling,” he said.

“How did those guys do this?”

In 1981, the New England Antique Racers Association was founded, to honor men of the past - including Mariscal’s boyhood heroes, racers like Bugsy Stevens and Fred DeSarro. Mariscal had driven one of the iconic cars.

At that point, Rick the racer morphed into Rick the archivist. By day he works in the Department of Public Works in Johnston. Evenings, afternoons and weekends, he showcases the history of racing and his love of cars.

The Pronyne Motor Sports Museum is open by appointment. Contact Rick Mariscal at 447-4202, or email vintagepro@verizon.net.

February 2013

cars

b y meg fraser

Classic It isn’t just a shared love of print media that PrimeTime publishers Richard Fleischer and John Howell have in common.

Parked alongside Howell’s 1962 Porsche in the company lot is a black 1968 Triumph TR250. Together, the cars look like the start of a collection of classics. That is, until the image pans out, revealing spaces filled by aging sedans and SUVs, practical cars for everyday commuters.

But when Howell and Fleischer aren’t busy running a publishing company, the pair enjoys the simple pleasure of a revving engine and looking at the world from the rear view mirror.

For Fleischer, it’s a love affair that has lasted a lifetime.

“Every kid likes cars; that’s just the way it is. Every boy wished he could have some car - it seems to be in the DNA of many guys,” he said.

Growing up in New York, Fleischer’s experience with foreign cars was limited, but once exposed to the overseas models, he was hooked. He soon developed a wish list of cars, knowing the chances of him owning any of them was slim.

After an illness in his 20s, Fleischer’s perspective changed. In

February 2013

his own version of a bucket list, he took out a loan and bought a Porsche 911.

He was grateful for his health, and also to discover that buying old cars wasn’t as costly an endeavor as he had imagined. Maintenance is cheaper and so is insurance. For the price of one brand new car, Fleischer purchased all four of his current golden oldies.

“It’s not a rich man’s hobby,” he said.

“You have to enjoy the hunt. It’s taken me a year to find each of the cars I own, and that’s the fun part.”

More challenging is finding the right mechanic. Fleischer has three different mechanics that he uses regularly, and advises collectors to find a good mechanic before buying, especially if it is a foreign car or a model for which buying parts could be an issue.

His advice for buyers is to research extensively. He gets on the computer whenever the itch for a new car returns, and his classics have come to Rhode Is-

Love Affair

land from sellers in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Pennsylvania. The look of the car is what gets him, not the test drive.

“I had never even sat in a Triumph until the day I got it,” he says, noting that the same is true for all of his cars.

“These are cars you fall in love with emotionally, because of the way they look and their performance [specifications].”

That love-at-first-sight approach has led to disappointment on occasion, but Fleischer shrugs it off. If the car isn’t right, it’s easy enough to find another buyer. And just like that, he’s back on the market for a new model.

Over the years, his wish list has become shorter.

He crossed models off the list, in-

cluding the four he currently owns. Depending on the weather, and especially on his mood, Fleischer might back out of his Cranston driveway in a 1974 Saab Sonett, a 635 BMW, a 560SL Mercedes or his beloved Triumph.

Last on the list is a Lotus Esprit, the most expensive model he has pined over. Someday, he knows that too will find its way to the PrimeTime parking lot. Fulfilling that boyhood fantasy is inevitable.

“Most people grow out of it,” he says.

“I never grew out of it.”

PrimeTime |

b y meg fraser

Cruising the Market With many seniors on fixed incomes, or retirement fast approaching, the over60 crowd isn’t always in the market for a muscle car or an import with a hefty price tag. Value is important, but perhaps most important for older drivers is safety. Drivers age 50 and older are no more likely to get into an accident than middle-age drivers, but they are more likely to get hurt. As driver age increases, so do fatality rates, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). That is due, in large part, to the fragility of our bodies as we get older.

Taking these factors into consideration, seniors looking for a new car

Ideal cars for seniors

should be concerned with cost, safety and the ease with which you can get in and out of your car. We visited dealers with the Flood and Tarbox Auto Groups to find out what vehicles they recommend to their older clients.

Jim Smashe, a sales consultant at Flood Ford in East Greenwich, recommends the Ford Focus and Fusion as two cars that give motorists a big bang for their buck. Both five-passenger vehicles were chosen as “Top Safety Pick Award Winners” by the IIHS. The Focus was redesigned in 2012, and the Fusion was redesigned for 2013.

At Tarbox Toyota and Tarbox Hyun-

FORD FOCUS

• Starting price: $17,000 • Available as four-door sedan and five-door hatchback • 160-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder fuel injected engine • Mileage: 27-mpg city, 38-mpg highway • Safety: AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control, front and side airbags Extras: Both the Focus and the Fusion come with an option for a reverse sensing system that gives an audible alert for objects in your path. Another option is a rear view camera, which automatically activates when the vehicle is in reverse.

dai, owner/dealer Ed Tarbox can tick off a long list of senior-friendly cars. It isn’t always about the lowest price tag, either.

He has seen many clients who are looking for a luxury vehicle but aren’t worried about the cachet that comes with a recognizable insignia. The Hyundai Azera, Genesis and Equus are all popular examples.

“They want that luxury but they don’t need to impress their friends,” Tarbox said.

But as far as value, safety and efficiency are concerned, he puts the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata at the top of his list. Calling the models “bulletproof,”

he says they are both high in value and long lasting. Of the Camry vehicles sold since 1995, 90 percent remain on the road today. And of the 35,000 Toyotas that Tarbox has sold since 1996, 8,750 of them were Camrys.

Best of all, Tarbox says that customers can expect honesty from their third generation, family-owned dealership.

“They recognize the name and they know we’re trustworthy,” he said, adding that an honest approach applies both to selling cars and servicing them. “We’re not going to gouge them. We’re here to sell them cars over generations.”

FORD FUSION

• Starting price: $22,500 • Front wheel drive with an optional all-wheel drive model • 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder fuel injected engine with an option for a 1.6- and 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine • Mileage: 22-mpg city, 34-mpg highway • Safety: AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control, front and side airbags • BONUS: Fusion is available in a hybrid model, which gets 47-mpg city and highway

Flood Ford is located at 2545 South County Trail in East Greenwich.

Smashe can be reached at 401-884-4000. Flood Auto Group also has locations in Wakefield (284-4700) and Narragansett (515-2700), and sells vehicles for Mazda, Ford and Lincoln. | PrimeTime 6

February 2013

cars

HYUNDAI SONATA

TOYOTA CAMRY

• Starting price: $22,000 • Comes in Sport Limited Edition and hybrid • 2.5-Liter, Four-cylinder, 6-Speed, 178 horsepower engine • Mileage: 25-mpg city, 35-mpg highway • Safety: 5-star crash test rating, 2012 IIHS top safety pick, 10 standard airbags, blind spot monitor, day/night rearview mirror • Comfort: Dual zone climate control, 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat, 4-way power adjustable for passenger, tilt/telescopic steering wheel • BONUS: BLU Logic hands-free system and Entune-capable Tarbox Toyota is located at 3671 Quaker Lane in North Kingstown. For more information, visit tarbox-toyota.com or call 866-465-5896. Tarbox Hyundai is located at 870 Quaker Lane in Warwick and can be reached at 877-213-8580. Their website can be found at TarboxHyundai.com.

• Starting price: $21,000 • 2.4-Liter, Four-cylinder, 198 horsepower engine • Mileage: 25-mpg city, 35-mpg highway • Safety: 5-star crash test rating, 2012 IIHS top safety pick, driver and front passenger and side-curtain airbags, day/night rearview mirror • Comfort: Dual zone climate control, 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat and lumbar, tilt/telescopic steering wheel • BONUS: 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty with roadside assistance

OUR COMMUNITY JUST GOT A LITTLE HEALTHIER LOCATION

HOURS OF OPERATION

535 Centerville Road, Ste 102 Warwick, RI 02886

Monday – Friday 8 am – 8 pm

P: 401.773.7220 carewellurgentcare.com warwick@carewelluc.com

Introducing CareWell Urgent Care

February 2013

Saturday 9 am – 5 pm Sunday 10 am – 4 pm

Shorter Wait Time Extended Hours Highest Level of Personal Care Board-Certified Doctors No Referral or Appointment Needed

PrimeTime |

senior

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

Could our blue state be a blue zone?

Rhode Island is growing older. How old?

Each year, the Division of Elderly Affairs (DEA) conducts a survey to locate persons in the state who are age 100 and older. In 2012, DEA located more than 100 centenarians, 70 of whom were healthy enough to attend the governor’s annual Centenarians Brunch in May. That’s more than twice as many participants in our first Centenarians Brunch 35 years ago.

Need more proof? Rhode Island also has the greatest percentage of persons over 85 than any other state in the nation.

At the same time that the population is skewing older, aging policy itself is undergoing an evolution. We are shifting our focus from the medicalization of old age toward the promotion of healthy habits and the prevention of illness and disability.

Older Americans Act programs administered through the Division of Elderly Affairs lead the way in fostering health and independence, and keeping people safe, nourished, supported and informed as they age.

And yet, perhaps the best approach to supporting healthy aging is a “back to the future” one. There are some places in the world where healthy aging seems to happen effortlessly.

I recently received an e-mail from a colleague brimming with excitement after hearing Dan Buettner, author of “Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest,” give the keynote address at the “Healthy Aging in Massachusetts” conference in Boston.

In his work as a National Geographic explorer, Buettner visits what he calls “Blue Zones” around the world. These are such places as Loma Linda, Calif.; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Sardinia, Italy, which have the highest concentrations of elderly living into their 90s and 100s and doing so with purpose, joy and good health.

After spending several months in these communities, Buettner identified factors common to the experience of residents of “Blue Zones” that he believes contribute to their happy longevity: • Natural exercise during the course of the day: walking, gardening, building or squatting. In fact, on his website, Buettner recommends “de-conveniencing” your home to build in fitness. For example, locate your houseplants far from a faucet so you have to walk back and forth to water them • A plant-based diet, with meat consumed sparingly as part of a “celebratory

meal” than as a staple in the diet • Daily consumption of nuts and wine (sake in Japan) • A sense of community and of purpose arising from their role in the community, such as volunteering, child-rearing and the sharing of skills and talents with younger generations • Emotional, religious and meditative connections. Each of these cultures values time to think and to reflect, a connection to friends and relatives, and a connection a higher power • Most importantly, each of these communities values its eldest members and celebrates aging, viewing it as an honor, not a burden Buettner now works with communities nationwide to promote healthy aging by creating their own “Blue Zones.” Some of the key elements include creating safe and open walking paths, offering volunteer opportunities and opportunities for social interaction, helping individuals to commit themselves to self-care and creating access to healthy food options.

These common-sense elements are embedded in the Older Americans Act of 1965. We are working on them here in Rhode Island. For example, the AARP and GrowSmart Rhode Island’s partnership around the Complete Streets initiative - to ensure that roads are built to accommodate all travelers regardless of mode of transportation or ability - is a great step forward.

Another example, and a hallmark of Older Americans Act programs and DEA as a government agency, is our reliance on

your taxes

older volunteers, in part so we can accomplish our work with scant funding. In addition, however, according to the Corporation for National Service and as evidenced in “Blue Zones,” there are measurable health benefits to older people when they derive joy and purpose from volunteering, far greater than with younger people. Volunteers join the Senior Medicare Patrol, deliver Meals on Wheels or serve at congregate dining sites, provide respite services, serve as nursing home ombudsmen or senior companions or SHIP counselors, teach falls prevention at senior centers and operate the cameras at our Senior Journal cable TV program.

What would it take to make Rhode Island a Blue Zone?

Wouldn’t it be nice if it were as simple as pouring every adult a daily class of Chianti? The fact is, we have many Blue Zone elements in place. But we will not attain Blue Zone status until two things happen.

First, we must treat our elders as the most important and valuable people among us. They have accomplished the most, and have the most to give, in terms of love and wisdom.

And second, we ourselves must look forward to our own 100th birthdays - and all that we will do, be and love when we are afforded that privilege.

I look forward to having to find a much larger venue for the governor’s Centenarians Brunch!

professional perspective

b y meg chevalier

Mileage rates up 1 cent

| PrimeTime 8

The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2013 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: • 56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven • 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations The rate for business miles driven during 2013 increases 1 cent from the 2012 rate. The medical and moving rate is also up 1 cent per mile from the 2012 rate.

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile.

The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs. Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS), or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for more than four vehicles used simultaneously.

These and other requirements for a taxpayer to use a standard mileage rate to calculate the amount of a deductible business, moving, medical or charitable expense are in Rev. Proc. 2010-51. Notice 2012-72 and Publication 463 contains the standard mileage rates, the amount a taxpayer must use in calculating reductions to basis for depreciation taken under the business standard mileage rate, and the maximum standard automobile cost that a taxpayer may use in computing the allowance under a fixed and variable rate plan.

These publications are available at IRS. gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800829-3676).

February 2013

b y meg fraser

cars

Riding with Thirty-five years ago, Nick DeCristofaro was on the verge of settling down and starting a family. With his first child on the way, he was looking for a stable job, and preferably one that didn’t keep him behind a desk all day.

When he applied for a position at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), it was a shot in the dark. “I had never taken a bus. I didn’t even know what a bus looked like,� he said, laughing.

It wasn’t what he expected, but the job sounded agreeable enough, and he took a chance. “Being young, I didn’t mind driving, and I like being outdoors,� he said.

Back then, RIPTA was still driving what DeCristofaro calls “tin can buses,� nothing like the mammoth vehicles on the road today. He admits that learning the ropes was intimidating, though. He had routes to learn, not to mention the ins and outs of operating a commercial vehicle. The hours weren’t always easy

RIPTA to adjust to, either. The first bus pulled out of the Elmwood Avenue facility at 4:18 a.m., and depending on your shift, you could be on the road late into the evening. The last bus today pulls in at 2:30 a.m.

After training, drivers picked routes based on seniority. Every day, drivers would come in and look up at the giant board that listed each assignment.

Now 58 years old and a RIPTA employee for more than three decades, DeCristofaro has seniority to spare. He reports to the RIPTA facility each day and works in the offices. He is on call in case another driver is late or calls in sick.

Being a floater makes every day different for DeCristofaro.

Still, he has his favorite roads to travel. “I would say right now, my favorite would be Route 66, which is the Galilee/Wakefield run,� he said. “The 13 Arctic/Washington - that’s still a pretty good run, too.�

5HGHĂ&#x201E;QH <RXU :LQWHU DW Experience winter in a whole new way with EPOCH! The enriching, assisted living lifestyle at EPOCH of Providence allows you to leave the worries of winter behind and enjoy: s %XCEPTIONAL $INING

s 3CHEDULED 4RANSPORTATION

s %XCITING %NTERTAINMENT

s !CCESS TO A &ULL #ONTINUUM of Care

s "EAUTIFULLY &URNISHED !PARTMENTS

s ! #ONVENIENT $ESIRABLE Location

#ALL TODAY TO LEARN MORE Assisted Living on Blackstone Boulevard

Assisted Living on the East Side

"LACKSTONE "LVD s 0ROVIDENCE 2) /NE "UTLER !VE s 0ROVIDENCE 2)

401-273-6565

www.epochblackstone.com

401-275-0682

www.epocheastside.com

Mass Relay â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 711

Assisted Living . Memory Care . Respite . Fitness Center

February 2013

Many routes have stayed the same, but the driving experience has not. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back then, 90 percent of the ridership were regulars; you knew everybody back then,â&#x20AC;? he recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like that; maybe only 10 to 20 percent are regulars.â&#x20AC;?

De Cr i s t o f a ro misses those days, when he and his colleagues knew who would be stepping on each day. They knew who would be on time and who would be running late, and had some wiggle room to accommodate.

With ridership up tremendously, that luxury no longer exists. There are 10 time checkpoints drivers must meet between Kennedy Plaza and the end of the line, and there are also exponentially more cars on the roads than when DeCristofaro started, making drive times longer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of our routes are full to capacity. There are no buses out there riding around empty, or even half full,â&#x20AC;? he said.

RIPTA drivers must keep to a tight schedule to accommodate commuters, and he admits that traffic or unexpected setbacks can be very nerve-racking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most stressful jobs.

Get in your car and drive eight hours and tell me how you feel,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He hopes that RIPTA riders keep that in mind when using public transportation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They should realize how stressful it is, and they should be courteous to the drivers,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Try to understand that the bus driver has so much to do behind the wheel, and we do everything in our power to accommodate them.â&#x20AC;?

Despite the Ocean Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad reputation, however, DeCristofaro isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fazed by the quality of motorists here. He has been accident-free for 22 years, and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been found responsible for an accident for 30 years. He maintains that Rhode Island drivers are no worse than their out-of-state counterparts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just an old saying. There are bad drivers everywhere,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding that tailgating, aggressive driving and

not using a directional are his biggest driving pet peeves.

In all his years at RIPTA, DeCristofaro has seen his share of the strange and bizarre, but the story of a colleague stands out as the oddest piece of company folklore. Fifteen years ago or so, he says a rider got on in Riverside. The manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house was being remodeled, and he took something quite valuable with him when leaving, to avoid any problems with the workers in his home.

Unfortunately, he left that something on the bus - a paper bag filled with $34,000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was something,â&#x20AC;? DeCristofaro said, smiling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got it back to him.â&#x20AC;?

When he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working, DeCristofaro enjoys spending time with his two children and three grandchildren. He says he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend much time joyriding, but he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind driving off the clock, either. He says being a RIPTA driver is a good, secure job, and he gets along well with his colleagues. He also has a lot of respect for the new interim CEO, Lt. Colonel Raymond Studley, whom he calls a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Godsendâ&#x20AC;? and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fantastic guy.â&#x20AC;?

Under his leadership, and based on the needs of Rhode Islanders, DeCristofaro doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doubt that public transit will continue to be in demand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Public transit isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going away,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it will always be here.â&#x20AC;?

PrimeTime |

b y meg fraser

Smooth Sailing As motorists age, they face a litany of challenges: impaired vision, slower reaction times and side effects to medication, not to mention a prevalent stereotype that older drivers are bad drivers.

In Gerard Levesque’s experience, that brush is too broad.

As the Rhode Island State Coordinator for AARP’s Driver Safety program, Levesque is one of 10 instructors in the state who refresh seniors’ memories when it comes to rules of the road. With drivers who have been on the road for more than four decades, he says that refresher course covers a lot of ground.

“We talk a lot about how automobiles have changed over the years, from GPS to OnStar. Fifty years ago, if you got a car with power windows, it was ‘wow, you must be rich,’” he said.

The Driver Safety course has evolved over the years. It started as a two-day program, but AARP found that commitment cumbersome for many seniors, so the program was cut down to a four-hour program, delivered in one shot at locations

cars

AARP offers refresher course for driver safety across the state. Participants are given a manual to take home for further study.

More often than not, it is money that motivates course participants.

“The main reason people take the course is because they are concerned about driver safety and they’re offered a reduction, under the law in Rhode Island, from their insurance company,” Levesque said. “The husband and wife who come with two cars can save a pretty good piece of change.”

The savings varies by insurer, but the average senior saves nearly 10 percent on liability insurance after taking the approved AARP Driver Safety course.

The AARP Driver Safety manual currently includes eight sections, covering everything from safe driving strategies and awareness of others on the road to understanding road signs and understanding vehicles. It will soon be revised and cut down to six chapters, while at the same time being updated with new state laws and driver policies, such as the state’s “move over” law that requires motorists

to move out of the right lane when law enforcement officials have pulled a car over in the breakdown lane. Many seniors are likewise unaware of the fact that not wearing a seatbelt is now a primary offense that they can be pulled over for.

“I always try and talk about some of the newer laws. One thing that comes up almost every class is, is it legal to pass on the right? And it is; it is legal,” Levesque said.

Impaired driving is a staple topic in the Driver Safety course. The state continues to crack down on drunk driving, for example, and Levesque urges his students to know their limits.

“Don’t think that a single drink or two won’t impair you to some extent. You should be aware that your reflexes are slower than normal,” he said.

While texting and driving is not as common an offense among seniors, motorists need to be on alert for other impaired drivers. Levesque encourages students to go a step further and not talk on the phone at all.

“It’s very hard to enforce because it’s not

against the law to talk on a cell phone, but you should avoid it if at all possible,” he said. “Impaired driving isn’t just texting.

It’s fooling around with your air conditioner, changing your radio channel ... or people eating.”

Aside from knowing the laws, AARP instructors want drivers to get to know their bodies. An entire section of the manual is dedicated to judging your own driving fitness.

“Getting older, in and of itself, begins to take its toll on us,” Levesque said, explaining that impaired eyesight or reaction time are examples of how seniors are challenged on the roads. “You need to learn to compensate for those things.”

Seniors should educate themselves on the effects of any medication they are on.

By day, Levesque works for a pharmaceutical company, and therefore is able to field some questions about medications.

But he says it is crucial that drivers talk to their doctors or call the University of Rhode Island’s medication information AARP – PAGE 22

Saint Elizabeth Manor Just like family n Long-term care n Short-term rehab n Specialized care for dementia n Hospice care

Saint Elizabeth Manor

For more details, call Kathy Parker, Director of Admissions at

401.253.2300 10 | PrimeTime

Member Saint Elizabeth Community

One Dawn Hill Road, Bristol, RI

www.facebook.com/SaintElizabethCommunity www.stelizabethcommunity.org A CareLink Partner and non-profit, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

February 2013

Elderly Housing

AdElAntE Apts.

Providence, RI AllEgriA Court Johnston, RI lACAsA Apts.

S. Kingstown, RI plAzA EspErAnzA Apts.

West Warwick, RI

Must be 62 years of age or older. Rents are based on 30% of adjusted household income.

sAugAtuCkEt springs Hopkinton, RI WildbErry Apts.

West Warwick, RI rodMAn CoMMons South Kingstown, RI

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES CORPORATION

CONTEST

Share your love Valentine’s story Day Tell us how you met your Valentine!

CONTEST!

861A Broad Street Providence, RI

401-941-2900 www.wdchoc.org

Tell us how you met your Valentine for a chance to win a

Massage Envy

1 Year Membership!

C R A N S TO N • E A S T G R E E N W I C H

ImmedIate CrematIon ServICe

$995.00 This service includes: Collation of information, one person transfer of remains to funeral home, use of facilities for mandatory waiting period, preparation of remains (not embalming), cremation container, transfer of remains to crematory, securing death certificate and filing of certificate with appropriate town or city, and crematory fee.

Mail your LOVE STORY by February 28, 2013 to: PrimeTime Magazine Valentine’s Day Contest 1944 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI 02889 Your Name: __________________________________________________ Your Valentine’s Name: _________________________________________ Your Address: ________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________________________ State: _______________________ Zip: ____________________________

Route 44 • Greenville Common Greenville, RI (401) 949-0180 andersonwinfield.net

Your Phone Number: __________________________________________ Your Email: __________________________________________________

or email your LOVE STORY to: megf@rhodybeat.com February 2013

PrimeTime | 11

Flower Show sets roots The Rhode Island Flower Show will bloom again from Feb. 21 to 23 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

To enter the garden display area, patrons will pass under a 14-foot-tall pergola decorated with flowers constructed

by Walpole Woodworkers. Inside, the gardens and vignettes beckon with a larger waterfall, a nautical-themed garden featuring an actual sailboat and a walk through the history of the show through one gardener’s display of each of the Flower Show’s past theme posters.

Kevin O’Connor, host of television series “This Old House,” will be a featured speaker. O’Connor joins a roster of garden and horticultural experts, including author and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy and nationally known gardening expert and author Melinda Myers.

The Marketplace returns with more flower market vendors, a Build Your Own Bouquet station, pottery and vases, and garden ornamentals, including copper pieces made in Lincoln. The Lifespan Wellness Pavilion will offer various health screenings and educational materials.

Again this year, the Show presents its exclusive Food and Wine Festival from 1 to 6 p.m. each day of the Flower Show in the fifth floor ballroom of the Convention Center. Featured will be continuous chef demonstrations including “Top Chef ” Tiffani Faison; Sara Moulton of public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals”; Nemo Bolin, chef-proprietor of Cook and Brown Public House in Providence;

and Johnson & Wales University Chef Educators Frank Terranova, Neath Pal and Ciril Hitz.

Wines from all over the world will be available for sampling with tastings led by wine personalities such as Randy Arnold, “The Barefoot Guy.” Advance tickets are on sale until Feb. 15 at www.flowershow.com. Advance ticket prices start at $17 per person.

Combo tickets for both the Flower Show and Food and Wine Festival are $30. Advance tickets to the Flower Show only are available at AAA Southern New England offices.

Show hours are Feb. 21, 22, and 23 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit flowershow.com.

t h g i l t o sp on

business

Caring, Kindness & Quality 4QBDJPVT POF CFESPPN BQBSUNFOUT r 4IBSFE TUVEJP BQBSUNFOUT r 3FTQJUF 4VJUFT Call for details or arrange for a tour... we would love to meet you! t Ask abou n m tu u A r u o s Incentive

our respite suites are awaiting your arrival!

Scandinavian RetiRement An Assisted Living Community

centeR

50 Warwick Avenue, Cranston, RI 02905

401-461-1444

www.ScandinavianHome.com

12 | PrimeTime

A non-profit organization A CareLink Member

February 2013

Now Leasing!

The Highlands on the East Side – NOW OPEN! –

Where you are always welcomed home The Highlands on the East Side is a welcoming and newly renovated Assisted Living residence, nestled peacefully in the hills overlooking downtown Providence. As loved ones contemplate the challenges of moving a senior member of their family from a familiar and beloved home to a more protected environment, this modernized apartment setting offers a place of comfort, security, privacy, dignity and peace of mind. Here, a close-knit, experienced and compassionate team of professionals, whose combined years of serving the senior population exceeds one hundred years , has one goal in mind – to serve the residents as they adapt to this new way of life. As Valerie Houshar, the Director of Sales & Marketing says: “I love what I do, but mostly, I love WHO I do it with.” This attitude towards the residents and their families at The Highlands permeates the thinking of each of the team’s enthusiastic members. As residents continue to move into this beautiful community, they benefit directly from the experience and expertise of this devoted team who believe it is not just about the “whats” at The Highlands – it is all about the “who’s”.

Come in today and meet the team of multi-disciplinary professionals who each bring a lifetime of unique gifts and skills to this energetic residential community. Meet Deborah Kirchick, an RN who has worked with the senior population for over 25 years and who provides the oversight and support for all the wellness services here. Kirchick works hand- in-hand with Jessica Marcaccio who directs those staff members who tend to the various medical needs of the residents, including the administration of all medications. You will soon be enticed into a spacious and sun-lit room to observe Heather Tompkins as she conducts activities that are entertaining, cognitively stimulating, meaningful and dignifying.

Meet Dale Adams, veteran Social Worker of 30 years, who brings an undeniable passion and sensitivity to her work with residents who struggle with memory loss issues such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Behind the scenes, but of equal value and importance to the mission of The Highlands, are Ernie Parfitt and Paula Broccoli. Parfitt, who’s eye for perfection is evidenced throughout the entire recently upgraded facility, manages all the physical aspects of the property. Broccoli sees to the smooth running of all personnel and business related issues. There is a real feeling of “family” here at The Highlands as each of these hand-selected professionals is personally invested in making this a place of comfort, security, privacy and dignity for all who enter. A place just like “home.”

The Highlands on the East Side, a member of the Hallkeen Management family, is the ideal destination for seniors who are in need of assistance with activities of daily living, as well as for those with memory loss issues. This apartment community has amenities which have been uniquely designed for optimal senior living, yet is also intimate and neighborly, with just 64 specially adapted, immaculate and welcoming apartment units.

Personal tours are offered everyday at The Highlands from 9:00am to 5:00pm or by appointments on weekends and after hours. Contact Valerie Houshar at 401-654-5259, e-mail highlands@hallkeen.com or stop by 101 Highland Avenue in Providence. You can also visit the community’s website at www.HighlandsRI.com for more information or a virtual tour.

The Right Choice for Assisted Living on the East Side Unmatched in Service, Location and Value Exclusively created to celebrate you, your wisdom, your spirit, and your life – The Highlands on the East Side is a newly designed Assisted Living residence with all the comforts of home…and more!

Featuring: x

x x x x x x x x

MODEL APARTMENT NOW OPEN!

Studio, one and two bedroom apartments for seniors Top-notch assisted living services Full calendar of enrichment programs Gourmet meals served daily Medication management available Relaxation and sensory room Reading nooks and sitting areas Landscaped veranda Reflections - Alzheimer's & Dementia memory care apartments/program

(401) 654-5259

101 Highland Avenue, Providence RI 02906 | (401) 654-5259 | e-mail: Highlands@hallkeen.com | www.HighlandsRI.com

Important Medicare Information Medicare is not designed to cover all Medical Expenses.

Medicare Supplement Insurance can help cover deductibles, coinsurance, and other expenses that Medicare does not cover in full.

For more information about: • Medicare deductibles • Medicare coinsurance • Medicare Part A • Medicare Part B • Medicare Supplement Insurance Please Call 732-5213 to discuss with a Licensed Insurance Agent Medicare Supplement Plans are underwritten by Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company, an affiliate of Bankers Life and Casualty Company. Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company, Bankers Life and Casualty Company and their licensed agents are not affiliated with or sponsored by the US Government or the Federal Medicare Program. Insurance Solicitation.

CPL 04-B001

With BAYADA Home Health Care…

“I found the perfect career choice for me.”

BAYADA HHA Peggy Peck with her client Mary Lou A.

Meet the team at The Highlands on the East Side: (from left to right) Dale Adams, Jessica Marcaccio, Deborah Kirchick, Paula Broccoli, Ernie Parfitt and Heather Tompkins. Seated are Valerie Houshar and Divisional Director of Assisted Living, Warren Strong.

February 2013

– Peggy Peck, HHA

Join our expert team of health care professionals. Home health aides and homemakers with BAYADA enjoy: UÊ i> }vÕ Ê i iÊV>Ài UÊ V> ÊÃÕ«« ÀÌÊÓ{Ê ÕÀÃ]ÊÇÊ`>ÞÃ UÊ ÊÛ>À iÌÞÊ vÊÃV i`Õ }Ê «Ì Ã Call 401-330-2525 | www.bayada.com

Compassion. Excellence. Reliability.

EOE

PrimeTime | 13

b y john howell

14 | PrimeTime

February 2013

My

1966 T

Valentine

his is a story about a companion, a fellow traveler and patience.

Cars are like that, although we know they’re inanimate. Yet we name them, we curse them, we blame them for things that only we can do, we talk to them and we bestow our love and our cash on them.

One of my first cars was a Hudson Jet. She was an original compact, and I preferred small to the boats of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. She was dependable, easy to fix and best of all, a cheap date.

I bought her from a rancher who held my $25 deposit until I came up with the remaining $200. I had a summer job in Atlantic City, Wyo., at $2 an hour, and in a matter of weeks, I was behind the wheel of a baby blue Jet. I should have kept her, even after a Korean exchange student who I met while in college in Washington, D.C., ran her into a parked car. To repair the damage would have cost $150, which seemed an awful lot when I could get another car for less than $300. We parted, and I fear the Jet made her last trip to the junkyard.

It was then that I fell in love.

I was looking for something different, something that I could connect with.

In my tour of used car lots in D.C., I found it. She was a practically brand new 356 SC Porsche, cherry red with black leather seats with a throaty rasp that sounded more like French singer Edith Piaf than her German origin.

To this day, I can see that car glistening in the sun, feel the coolness of the seat and her willingness - anxiousness is more suited - when I touched the pedal. I also remember the price tag - $3,200. Even a summer job at $2 an hour - good wages - wouldn’t pay for this date. My next car was a Peugeot, a dignified lady that evidently had sat on a lot for months. It seemed the salesman accepted my $430 all too quickly, although she served me well.

I couldn’t get the Porsche out of my mind and I devised a scheme to get one.

After graduating, I found a job in D.C. that had the prospect of bringing me to Los Angeles. I scoured the classified ads of the LA Times and soon February 2013

cars

learned that Porsches commanded higher prices on the West Coast. If I found a deal on a Porsche here, I could drive it there and be $500 richer when I came back by bus. I talked my way into a few loans and a fellow employee into joining me and we set off. The car was green, cost $2,750 and went like hell.

We had a blast and I learned the folly of redlining a car. I spent $400 after she sucked in one of the valves. I also learned not to try to cut corners. When I found a buyer at $3,600, I made the mistake of canceling my insurance. That very night I totaled the car on the freeway south of San Francisco. I was figuratively crushed and the car was literally crumpled. I got $450 for the engine. A cousin in San Francisco was kind enough to let me sleep on a couch while I finished up the job before hitchhiking home. I was in debt and without a job. Also, the Vietnam War was heating up and I thought, for sure, I would be drafted. I joined the D.C. Air National Guard and soon enough I was in Lackland Air Force Base marching under the hot sun and getting screamed at by a sergeant.

But that image of a red Porsche persisted.

It was maybe a year after I completed basic and technical training in Amarillo, Texas, that I found the car that I still have. It was 1966 and I found her at a Rambler dealer in Greenwich, Conn. I can’t imagine why someone would trade in a Porsche for a Rambler, but they had and the dealer wasn’t getting any bites.

He wanted $2,500. I waited ... and waited. I bought the 1962 red 356 C for $2,000.

And that’s the beginning of a love affair that continues today. The car has changed colors - she was Kelly green for several years before returning to her original red - she was in one fender bender and her rusty frame has been rebuilt twice. Her odometer quit at 76,000 miles. That was probably in 1968, so my guess is she has 350,000 miles on her, if not more. I let my wife drive her on our first date; we drove her away, balloons flying, when we left our wedding reception and headed for the airport and our honeymoon. The kids, when they arrived, fit neatly in her rear jump seats.

I did some pretty silly things with her, like racing a Jaguar XKE down Park Avenue in Manhattan at 3 in the morning. Carol was with me. That was a good thing. Park Avenue lights change all at once and Carol kept count before they turned red, warning me to be prepared to slow down. As soon as I did, the XKE flew by only to go fishtailing, smoke engulfing the wheels as the driver sought to avoid the cross-town traffic.

We waved as we passed him at a respectable 25 MPH as he was stopped by the curb.

In her time, there were lots of red lights, usually from cops pulling me to the side of the road. Remarkably - maybe she won the hearts of the cops, too - I didn’t get all that many tickets, but lots of advice to “take it easy.”

It was probably 20 years ago, she started to show her age and I stopped driving her. After one of her two extended visits to the body shop, things changed. She wasn’t the same when I got her back, but then she had been eight months in the shop and I figured I had forgotten her feel. Six months later, I brought her around to B & B Auto in Apponaug. When I picked her up, Bob told me it was a different engine.

I went back to the body shop. They denied such a thing and I had no way of proving it.

She lost her kick and mechanical problems set in. I found myself parking on hills or calling upon co-workers to push her and then jump in and hope for the jump-start.

It was about this time - 14 years ago - that Jim Byrne at Dublin Motorcar Co. suggested it was time for a complete engine overhaul. We towed her to the garage, he removed the engine and we towed her back to my garage. The engine was in worse shape than Jim first imagined. Jim put out feelers to find another. Weeks turned into months, months turned into years. He eventually found one and the car returned to his garage and was placed on the lift.

But it wasn’t that easy. When he got the engine apart, it became apparent it wasn’t worth rebuilding. The engine search was renewed. I’d visit my red Porsche every other week or so. She hadn’t moved from her perch. It was as

if she were on a top shelf, forgotten and gathering dust.

Jim found another engine. This held promise. He tore it down. The pieces sat like bones on a workbench with small parts gathered in cardboard boxes around the shop. My hopes dimmed with the years, although Jim promised she’d be “on the button” when she was back together.

Then, in October, Jim called. He never called.

“It’s nothing bad,” he started off, “can you come down to the shop?”

Not knowing what to expect, I walked into the garage. The Porsche hadn’t moved from her nest. Jim was proudly standing over a gleaming engine. He announced it had passed the “smoke test,” which I learned meant it had good compression. A lot more needed to be done from brakes to flushing the fuel tank, finding the proper muffler and installing the seats.

Finally, on an early December weekend, Jim brought her to the house. It was a reunion. Carol found some fun hats and got Jim to snap the picture that appears on the cover of this edition.

There’s still a lot to be done.

Will I get the passenger door to close completely? Probably. Will the gas gauge ever work again? Probably not. Will she have carpeting and floorboards? No question, yes. Will she get pulled to the side of the road by a cop?

That’s probable, if I’m not careful. Will she fly down Park Avenue at 95 MPH again? Not likely, although I know she’ll still do 75.

Will she steal my heart? Well, that’s obvious.

That happened in 1966.

John Howell is a publisher for PrimeTime Magazine, editor of the Warwick Beacon newspaper and owner of Beacon Communications.

PrimeTime | 15

CARS

b y kathy tirrell

Road Test

AAA offers driver improvement course According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, senior drivers account for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities and 18 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. While those figures may seem low and younger drivers are responsible for more accidents, seniors are more likely to die from their injuries. Certain physical factors may affect an older person’s driving abilities such as vision changes (cataracts or glaucoma), medical conditions/medications, hearing loss and reaction time.

Fortunately, there are some positive steps senior drivers can take to improve their chances of avoiding trouble on the road.

One is to take a refresher course.

AAA offers a Driver Improvement Program for drivers age 55 and older. Those who complete the two-day course will receive a certificate and qualify for a discount on their auto insurance.

According to Manager of Traffic Safety John Paul, one of the class instructors for the past 15 years, AAA has been offering this defensive driving course for over 25 years.

We’re looking for new members . . .

Korean War Veterans 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 16 | PrimeTime

“Most of what we cover has to do with managing time, distance and speed to reduce the risk of accidents,” said Paul. “We go over car maintenance, how to make sure visibility is good and we talk about blind spots, speed and weather conditions.”

Paul said the course is video-based, which opens up class discussions and creates some teachable moments.

The number of students per class depends on the class location. Paul said the Providence location accommodates up to 50 people. The class is also taught in other Rhode Island cities such as Westerly, as well as locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

This is an eight-part program that reviews safe driving skills; four parts are covered per class. Each session runs for three hours. It is free for AAA members and costs $20 for non-members, payable by check at the first class. Participants need to attend both class dates in order to receive a certificate.

Paul says the best way to register for the class is online at the AAA website, but people can also call AAA to sign up.

Here is a partial list of the upcoming course dates for Rhode Island: Location: AAA Headquarters 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence • Saturday, Feb. 16 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Feb. 23 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Tower Street Community Center 93 Tower Street, Westerly • Tuesday, Feb. 26 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Wednesday, Feb. 27 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: AAA Headquarters 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence • Thursday, March 7 6 to 9 p.m.

• Thursday, March 14 6 to 9 p.m.

• Saturday, April 20 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 27 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In addition to the Driver Improvement Program, AAA recently launched a new website just for seniors with valuable information, slideshows and brain fitness drills. You can access it at www.

SeniorDriving.AAA.com.

For more information about the Driver Improvement Program or to register, go to www.AAA.com/Driverimprovement or call AAA at 868-2000 ext. 2120.

senior

issues

b y C amilla F arrell de velopment direc tor , alzheimer ’s association r hode island chapter

Alzheimer’s Association offers 24/7 support In our world of global searches and massive amounts of information, it can be hard to know where to turn and who to trust. Rest assured that the Alzheimer’s Association is the ultimate source and authority on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In addition, the Association seeks to provide reliable information and support to all those who need assistance even in different languages.

The Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900) serves people with memory loss, caregivers, health care professionals and the general public.

The highly trained and knowledgeable staff and volunteers provide confidential care consultation and referrals to local community programs, services and ongoing support. They are the experts about a variety of topics related to Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Additional resources are available at any time online (www.alz.org/ri). Our website features well-organized content where users can: • Access statewide resources and services • Learn about the basics of Alzheimer’s disease, 10 warning signs, the diagnostic process, behaviors, stages and treatments • Read our current newsletter • Information about TrialMatch the free tool that provides clinical trial matching services • Facts and Figures • Learn about Alzheimer’s Association champions and public policy • Get up-to-the-minute information about current programs and events in the area • Connect with a support group Support groups are another way to find out useful information and find comfort in meeting others who are experiencing similar concerns. Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Groups are designed to provide emotional, educational and social support for caregivers through regularly scheduled meetings. They help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems.

The groups encourage caregivers to maintain their own personal, physical and emotional health, as well as optimally care for the person with dementia.

“The numbers of people who attend support groups have decreased somewhat over the years due to challenging time constraints or transportation, but the training and dedication of the facilitators has remained consistent,” said Alzheimer’s Association Program Director Marge Angilly. “Support groups are an important way to share feelings with others who understand, so why not give one a try.”

The Alzheimer’s Association has a list of about 18 Alzheimer’s-specific support groups, and the groups meet all over the state. Some meet every week or twice a month, so you have to find the best fit for your situation.

If you would like more information about programs and support groups, contact Program Director Marge Angilly at ext. 107. Our offices are located at 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306 in Providence. For more information or to learn about chapter services in your area, visit the website at www.alz.org/ri or call 800-272-3900.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of

Chef Marc Ruggio “The Apple Pie Guy” from Cortland Place Senior Living We will always remember Marc for his warm smile and delicious Cortland apple pies that helped make every Senior Living Expo so special.

February 2013

wHAT DO YOU FINK?

LIFEST Y LES

by MIKE FINK

An unexpected passenger No, not Bogart. No, not Hubert.

This Humphrey is a cat, a 17-year-old tabby with a golden-colored coat. He’s a heavy, old, leonine creature, who, like all his kind, thoroughly enjoys a long nap.

Humphrey lives with my friend, Gloria.

They have the whole house to themselves, just the two of them. They reside near a city park. They have a romantic view of neat woodland, as well as the carefully groomed grounds of the public gardens. Gloria claims the view was even better throughout her girlhood in this very spot.

Gloria is a petite person, and she relies on Hospice care and the visits of volunteer angels and auld acquaintance. Her aides and her guests help her to get about upon her walker, with her oxygen tubes, from bedroom, through parlor, and on to kitchen table.

“I crave vegetables. I like tofu. I enjoy the muffins, cookies and cakes people bring as gifts,” says Gloria.

She makes absolutely certain that Humphrey, her companion in this life, has his litter box clean and his food properly served. She also pens thank-you notes to her allies and kindly folks who come by.

“Pick him up from my bed and put him on the rubber mat on the cot in the other room, until I settle under my quilts and arrange the pills on my night-table,” she tells me.

He weighs a ton, but he is totally willing to be carried and placed on the same coverlet that holds his neatly served supper dish.

I snap a couple of shots of Humphrey, one while he is fast asleep, and the other when he wakes, stretches and yawns, to take up his duties as guardian-protector.

How did he get this noble job?

Well, Gloria narrates the adventure of nearly two decades ago.

“I left my car window open, just for a short while. When I got back in the driver’s seat, there was Humphrey in the passenger seat. He must have jumped in only to grab 40 winks, but he has never left my side in all these years, a faithful friend to the end.”

She remembers getting the name not from celebrities, but from a village in Britain during one of her bygone treks around the greater world, beyond the boundaries of Pawtucket.

Gloria’s little bungalow is, was, and has been, a rather elegant inheritance. It was her grandparents’ homestead, then her mother’s and father’s, and finally hers as a legacy and responsibility.

“How did you two meet?” asks a holiday volunteer who has stopped by to serve the luncheon. “Andrea” is curious about our alliance.

“We met in 1968,” answers my hostess Gloria (her initials, G.G., have a certain glamour, don’t they? Think, Greta Garbo, Gloria Grahame, Gladys George, Greer Garson). “It was the time for political idealism; we stood for some of the same things.”

The most durable fight from that decade was, for my local G.G., the battle for animal rights. It was Gloria who first demanded freedom and authentic sympathy for Fanny the Elephant, chained to a post in the next-door zoo. The saga of her release and relocation in benevolent Texas has been the subject of local lore and legend. One of my RISD students made a film about this successful campaign. It was shown in Japan. I was there at the launching of the film. I even made a speech about Gloria there, in Tokyo.

“Even now, there are ponies in this parkland who just pace round and round in a circle like slaves in a mill, going nowhere. There was also a fishpond, but vandals poured bleach into the water ...

Nobody knows the suffering, the solitude, the sorrows, of the penned-in beasts who live and breathe just across that baseball field.”

Gloria still puts up her dukes for what’s due to all the creatures of Eden.

I made a brief bio and toast, for Andrea’s benefit, about the anger, the pride and the impatient patience with which Gloria pits her fragile strength against indifferent authorities in fancy offices.

“I can fight for the rights of others, but not for my own,” the delicate heroine declares.

The reason I took the pictures of Humphrey, but not of Gloria, should be obvious.

You don’t point your camera lens at a person at home in a bathrobe, in the privacy of a small space with an icebox, a sink and a simple microwave.

You find a substitute, and a symbol.

Humphrey shares the dignity and individuality of his human partner. He keeps the same secrets; almost, to stretch the point, the identical existential condition, whatever you may get from such a fancy reference.

The unusual and varied collection of paintings on the walls, landscapes, photographs of exotic places Gloria has visited, sometimes with her late father, as well as the portraits, over the spinet piano, or the mantel: everything is for sale. She has to make ends meet and clean house.

She still has her pleasures and her purposes.

“Sunday afternoons I have a caretaker named Sara who is also a juggler and a kind of gentle clown who can do hulahoops in front of my bed to entertain

me. She shops for me, and I am grateful I can knit and crochet and she wears the scarf I gave her. It makes me feel useful, despite my discomforts.”

I pen these words to express my respect for Gloria and to share her glory with the community of which she is very much a part. I write them with the verve and nerve of the month of February, with its Valentine’s Day celebration of all forms of love. I send these words as a Valentine card to Humphrey the Cat for his loving devotion to Gloria Grzebien, and also to Gloria for her loyalty to Humphrey, the cat who came to dinner, the fatal feline with a heart, a halo, and a coat, of pure gold.

It’s also a contribution to the issue on cars, since Humphrey came into Gloria’s life, folklorically, through the open window of an automobile parked in a driveway!

BANKRUPTCY 985

$

00

Flat Fee

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Payment Plan Available

Attorney David B. Hathaway Former Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee

Senior Discounts February 2013

401-738-3030

ribankruptcy.net PrimeTime | 17

retirement sparks

senior

issues

b y elaine m . decker

The New Crazy

The psychiatrists’ bible for diagnosing mental illness is the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM), which came out in 1952. A revision is issued every 12 to 20 years. A new one is coming this year, and apparently it’s a doozy. Time claims: “It will literally redefine what is normal.”

I’ve looked into the behaviors that will now be considered abnormal. There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but according to the new DSM, there are 350 ways to say you’re crazy. That means 350 diagnoses for which your psychiatrist can bill your insurance company.

The first thing to watch out for is an “irritable mood.” If you’re in one for more than a week and it can’t be explained by a medical condition or by drugs you’re taking, you could be diagnosed as manic or depressive. I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached a point in life where there’s not much that doesn’t irritate me. They should just stamp “subject to irritable moods” on my driver’s license.

A trip to the supermarket can leave me cranky for days. It might be the way they bagged the order. (How hard can it be to put the cans under the things that

go squish?) Or maybe they forgot to ask for the coupons I forgot to present or they didn’t give me the senior discount!

I’ll be called manic as sure as there are little green apples.

Another condition to be careful of is “loss of interest.” Once again, duh! After 67 years as a type A personality, how long do they really think I can stay interested in anything that isn’t dipped in chocolate or poured from a wine bottle? According to the new DSM, if I don’t find something that tickles my fancy within a two-week period, I could be sucked into a “major depressive episode.”

Oh, lordy, I’m doomed. Binge eating (now a disorder) will be defined as “eating until feeling uncomfortably full.” My mother made us clean our plates at each meal. “Think of the starving children in China.” I always eat until I’m feeling uncomfortably full. How else are you supposed to know when to stop? It’s kind of like drinking wine until you have a pleasant buzz on.

Many DSM diagnoses are psychoses or neuroses - disorders and episodes. Retirees are more prone to phobias. Actually, retirees tend to be more prone, period,

which makes those sessions on the couch a lot easier. My research has uncovered both disorders and phobias for retirees that the new DSM missed.

Do you frequently not know if you’re coming or going? If this occurs more than twice a day or lasts more than 10 minutes, you suffer from Bi-directional Disorder. Other signs you have this are not remembering if you were going up or down the stairs or in or out of a room.

Likewise, if you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator or a cupboard, door in hand, wondering if you were opening it or closing it.

A problem that eventually occurs in retirement is Ambivalent Disorder. Sure signs are when a former colleague who is still working describes some office crisis and you realize you simply don’t give a fig. Psychiatrists haven’t yet decided whether to treat this disorder or to celebrate it.

Moving on to retirees’ phobias. You’re likely familiar with two fears related to answering phones in the evening. Robophobia - or as I like to call it, RoboFobo - is the fear of getting one of those automatic sales calls in the middle of dinner.

b y kerry park

Even worse, is Croakaphobia, which sadly becomes more common as we move through retirement. That’s the fear of getting the call that some family member or dear friend has passed away.

The constellation of movement phobias is prevalent in retirees. Klutzaphobia is the fear of bumping into things.

Closely related is Stumblaphobia, the fear of tripping over something. When it becomes extreme, it morphs into Tumblaphobia, the fear of falling down.

These disorders and phobias are of major concern to retirees. If we lobby via AARP, we may be able to get them appended to the revised DSM. If we to have to wait another 12 years for Medicare coverage, we could need more than medication to deal with them. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Wine anyone?

Copyright 2012 Business Theatre Unlimited

Elaine M. Decker’s latest book, “Retirement Sparks Again,” is now available. It follows her first two books, “Retirement Sparks” and “CANCER: A Coping Guide.” All are available at Books on the Square, the Brown University bookstore, and Spectrum-India, on the East Side of Providence, and on Amazon. com, including Kindle editions. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com to arrange a book reading or a meet-and-greet with your organization.

senior issues

Medicaid underfunding exceeds $30 million According to a recent national study

by Eljay, LLC, Rhode Island’s Medicaid program fails to fully pay providers who are caring for the state’s most financially defenseless citizens. The study, titled “A Report on Shortfalls in Medicaid Funding for Nursing Center Care,” estimates that Medicaid underpayment to Rhode Island skilled nursing and rehabilitation providers exceeded $30.4 million in 2012, up from $26.3 million in 2011.

On a per-resident, per-day basis, the average 2012 projected shortfall amount was $15.58, up from $14.09 in the prior year.

“We cannot afford to let Medicaid funding slip further into the abyss. Medicaid and Medicare are the two main sources of government funding for 24-hour skilled nursing and rehabilitative care,” said Virginia Burke, CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, a non-profit trade group comprised of three-quarters of the state’s nursing centers. “We know

18 | PrimeTime

that changes and cuts to Medicare are imminent at the federal level; further losses to our state Medicaid funding on top of the Medicare cuts could be catastrophic.”

Rhode Island has the country’s largest percentage of people over the age of 85, the primary demographic of nursing center residents. Approximately two-thirds of them depend on Medicaid to pay for their care.

For a typical 100-bed facility, the Medicaid shortfall means a loss of roughly $350,000 annually. While higher Medicare payments typically help to defray the shortfall, providers are worried that imminent cuts to the federal program will eliminate that safety net.

“No business can be sustainable if it continually incurs cost increases that outpace revenues. Understandably, the state has been focused on providing community-based options so that people can receive care in the least restrictive environment.

However, round-the-clock nursing care

will always be needed by some of our citizens,” Burke said. “As the state has opened up avenues for home and communitybased care, the remaining nursing home population has become more concentrated. Residents of nursing centers today are far more acutely ill as a whole than they have been in the past. Their care requires more resources, not less.”

Rhode Island had made progress in reducing the Medicaid shortfall, falling to $14.09 in 2011 from $15.23 in 2009.

However, 2012 saw that trend reversed with an 11 percent increase in the Medicaid shortfall from the previous year. Rhode Island began phasing in a new reimbursement system for skilled nursing services in October 2012, with all changes to be implemented by April of this year.

It remains to be seen if the new system will begin to address the problem. At the same time, the state’s projected $69 million budget deficit further threatens the health care landscape.

“The health care reimbursement system is under severe strain,” said Burke.

“Home and community-based services for elders are finally receiving some much needed funding. However, one service does not replace another. We must find a way to fund all parts of the continuum of care as they are all necessary.”

That continuum of care is especially prevalent here in Rhode Island.

“Community-based care is not appropriate for someone who needs 24hour care like a patient with end-stage Alzheimer’s disease or multiple chronic or complex conditions,” Burke said. “Both providers need adequate funding to address the needs of their consumers and that funding should not be based primarily on balancing the state budget. When it comes to issues of health care, particularly among the elderly, appropriate resources are critical.”

February 2013

a worthy cause

PEOPLE AND PLACES

b y M ichael j . cerio

Connect with volunteer opportunities For the month of February, we at PrimeTime decided to go in a different direction with this column. Instead of highlighting one of our state’s many incredible non-profit organizations, we’d like to focus on some opportunities that you, our loyal readers, could connect with to help make a difference in the lives of others.

United Way of Rhode Island

For more than 80 years, United Way of Rhode Island has been a conduit for positive change in our communities by bringing people together for one simple reason: to help those in need. In order to impact the greatest number of lives, United Way focuses on issues that are critical to the current and future wellbeing of the Ocean State: education, income, housing and the safety net of 2-1-1.

Many of the United Way volunteer opportunities are available on an annually recurring basis. Below are some options for the coming months; each representing an opportunity to get involved in one of the organization’s targeted focus areas: • Education: Through United Way’s partnership with Books Are Wings, the organization’s Women’s Leadership Council collects and distributes new and gently used books to children. Donations of books and the coordination of book drives by volunteers are welcome year-round.

Additionally, volunteers are needed during the summer to sort and distribute books to children at the annual Back to School Celebration event.

• Income: As part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) initiative, volunteers are needed from early February through mid-April to help as greeters at tax preparation sites. No experience is necessary for this opportunity, just a willingness to help others. Volunteers must be able to work with people from a diverse background and bilingual Spanish-speaking is a plus but not required.

A complete list of VITA sites in need of volunteer greeters will be posted at www.

LIVEUNITEDri.org.

• Housing: As part of its dedication to increasing and improving access to safe, affordable housing for working families, United Way is supporting the efforts of Habitat for Humanity Providence to construct a new, two-family home in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence.

Volunteers are currently needed to assist with the completion of the home to make sure it’s ready for families this spring.

• 2-1-1: United Way of Rhode Island is currently recruiting volunteers to assist 2-1-1 Call Center staff in answering calls from Rhode Islanders seeking help. This volunteer opportunity includes a commitment of approximately four hours per week and individuals with call center and social services experience are required.

Those interested in volunteering with United Way of Rhode Island are encouraged to contact Carolyn Watkinson at 444-0650 or by email at Carolyn.

Watkinson@uwri.org.

Providence Animal Rescue League

Each year, the Providence Animal Rescue League (PARL) serves as a safe haven for more than 2,000 animals, providing rescue and relief for suffering and homeless animals while seeking permanent homes for adoptable pets.

To accomplish its work, the organization relies entirely on the generosity of the community and the tireless dedication of volunteers.

Recently, PARL was one of only 10 shelters across the country to be included in a program called “Pets for Life” in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States. This new outreach program extends the reach of animal services, resources and information to pet owners living in areas underserved by animal welfare. By addressing the critical need for accessible, affordable pet care, this program helps animals by empowering the people who care for them. Some of the services available

through the program include providing flea and tick medication, training advice and other assistance that can help people keep pets in their home.

PARL is currently recruiting volunteers to assist with the “Pets for Life” program through the following opportunities: • Events Volunteer: Individuals are needed to provide support for “Pets for Life” events such as spay/neuter and vaccination clinics. Volunteers may assist with the event’s promotion, set-up, registration and helping to make sure attendees and their pets are comfortable.

• Street Team/Canvassing Volunteer: Volunteers are needed to work in conjunction with PARL staff to go door-to-door in local communities to provide information on wellness care and upcoming events and clinics.

• Transport Volunteer: Volunteers are needed to provide transportation support to clients and their pets to ensure their ability to attend and take advantage of the events and services offered by the “Pets for Life” program.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with the “Pets for Life” program, or learning more about the initiative, is encouraged to contact Megan Machnik, PARL’s community programs manager, at 421-1399 ext. 213 or by email at mmachnik@parl.org.

Serve Rhode Island

As the state’s primary volunteer center and commission for national and community service, Serve Rhode Island makes it easy for Rhode Islanders to connect with a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. In December, the organization launched a brand new Volunteer Center web platform, making it even more convenient for people to find opportunities that match their interests.

• Volunteer in Rhode Island Database: With more than 300 volunteer opportunities from 160 different local agencies to choose from, Serve Rhode Island offers

one-stop shopping to meet all interests and skills. Whether you want to volunteer with children or the elderly, work with animals, clean up the environment, or help those in need, Serve Rhode Island can help. By visiting www.ServeRhodeIsland.org and setting up a free account, volunteers can create a profile that reflects their skill set, save searches, join or create volunteer groups and be contacted by volunteer coordinators when new opportunities are posted.

• Education Volunteers: Across Rhode Island, thousands of students fail to be grade-level proficient in math and reading. For urban public schools, proficiency is even more alarming. To address this issue, Serve Rhode Island has launched volunteer education programs at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence and Slater Junior High School in Pawtucket.

Volunteers are needed to help as classroom assistants, school monitors, after-school tutors and to help in arts, drama and music classrooms. Criminal background checks are required. Those interested in volunteering in Providence are encouraged to contact Leah Glass at 331-2298 ext. 117 or at lglass@serverhodeisland. org. Those interested in volunteering in Pawtucket may contact Kerri Thornsbury at 331-2298 or at kthornsbury@serverhodeisland.org.

• Walking School Bus Volunteers: In partnership with the Providence Children’s Initiative, Serve Rhode Island is recruiting volunteers for the Walking School Bus, which uses a team of volunteers to walk groups of students to school and home again at the Fogarty Elementary School in Providence. For information on getting involved, contact Amanda Ball at 331-2298 ext. 111 or by email at aball@ serverhodeisland.org.

Volunteers interested in other opportunities may call Serve Rhode Island at 331-2298 or schedule an appointment to visit their office at 655 Broad Street in Providence to speak with a volunteer specialist.

Attention

KoreAn WAr & KoreAn Service veterAnS The Department of Defense is awarding Certificates of Appreciation to Korean War and Korean Service Veterans. The 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee is committed to recognize you for your service during these periods. To apply and receive your Certificate of Appreciation, call 401-231-3736 and ask to speak to Frank Meo.

February 2013

PrimeTime | 19

lifestyles

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

by DON FOWLER

Live like a rockstar Looking for something different for the annual office party, birthday celebration, anniversary or any excuse to get a group of people together for a night out on the town?

ROCKSTAR LIMO will provide you with a new way to dine out that will, according to organizers of this unique experience, “Transform, transport and transcend your culinary experience.”

Imagine traveling in an executive coach over six hours to six of Providence’s premiere restaurants (from a choice of over a dozen), sampling their finest appetizers and signature dishes, in addition to tasting some hand-crafted cocktails.

I had the opportunity to travel with ROCKSTAR CEO John Olinger and a handful of food critics recently, and I have to say that it was one of the most exciting food experiences I have ever had.

The executive coach picked us up in Cranston and we began our adventure at 5 p.m. at the Waterman Grille where we were treated to two calamari appetizers, Szechuan beef sliders, Thai lobster bits, pumpkin ravioli and margherita pizza.

It was time to get back in the coach and head to Ruth Chris Steak House, where we sat overlooking the Waterplace basin, sipped our pomegranate martinis, and dined on spicy lobster, seared Ahi tuna and Kobi beef sliders.

I had died and gone to foodie heaven.

But I had to come back to earth because there was much more to come. Pace yourself.

Sip your drinks slowly. Get up and walk around.

Next stop was to Federal Hill and Roma. We had been upstairs at the Italian restaurant and had shopped at the deli but had never eaten at the renovated bar. The friendly bartender whipped up sangria with more fruit than I had eaten in a month. Fortunately, the chef had made up individual plates with lighter fare, including a mussel salad, grilled Caesar salad, a tasty rice ball, thin pizza and an arugula salad. By now, we had learned how to sample.

The next destination was Bravo, that eclectic restaurant across from Trinity Rep, where we were treated to bite-size beef Wellington, as good as the old Biltmore Hotel used to make. Tuna tartar added to our enjoyment, as did tasty Prince Edward Island mussels.

We went back to the Hill for a stop at the intimate Blush Winebar. At this point, we were in a very good mood, although our appetites could not handle all of the delicious thin pizza platters. The highlight on the menu was the Boom Boom Shooter. You have to experience it.

It is approaching 10 p.m. and we are headed for our final destination, Bar Louie, located next to the Capitol Grill. Hummus plates, Truffle-bathed popcorn (addictive), and a spinach-artichoke dip to kill, finished off our incredible night on the town.

That was our experience. You can create one of your own by calling Meagan Leste at ROCKSTAR (888-725-7871) to create your own Providence Chauffeured Dining Around. Fees are based on the number of participants and restaurant and menu choices.

A ‘Roi-al’ dining experience When I discovered that chef/owner Paul Shire had recreated his famous meatloaf that drew me to his original DownCity Diner, I knew I had to visit his new venture, The Roi, at 150 Chestnut Street in the heart of Providence’s Knowledge District.

The Roi sits in the midst of renovated old manufacturing buildings in what was the Jewelry District, neatly tucked in the basement, which has been turned into a cozy casual bar and restaurant.

There are only three entree items on the luncheon menu, served Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I ordered the meatloaf dinner ($12.95), and it was as good as I remembered it. Shire makes his meatloaf with rolled oats, giving it a moist and soft texture, enhanced by Jack Daniels gravy, served over fresh mashed potatoes and topped with thin onion rings. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Joyce chose the Maryland crab cakes ($14.95), two cakes filled with crabmeat

20 | PrimeTime

and cooked to perfection, served with fresh veggies and sweet potato fries. The fries are hand-cut and large, giving you the full taste of the potato.

The third item is a hummus plate, which also looked delicious.

There are sandwiches galore on the menu, including an open face meatloaf sandwich ($7.95), which is enough for the biggest appetite. The meatloaf is served for dinner, and I can’t imagine a larger portion ($15.95).

The dinner menu is extensive, including rack of pork, steak, chicken and fish, and ranging in price from $15.95 to $23.95.

The Roi is one of the few venues in town that serves up some cool jazz with its food and beverages.

Whether it is lunch, dinner or a late evening snack, you can order soup, salad, burgers, pizza and other items (try the polenta).

For reservations or more information, call 272-2161. And try the meatloaf.

February 2013

b y meg fraser

senior issues

Giving a VOICE to veterans According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, there are nearly 23 million people living in this country who are veterans of our armed services. Many of them - too many - face incredible hardship upon their return home, with more than 1 million veterans at-risk of becoming homeless and tens of thousands more already without adequate shelter. The unemployment figures that go along with this population are equally alarming.

Gateway Healthcare is looking to change that.

With the help of community partners, Gateway has formed the VOICE Coalition (Veterans Outreach through an Independent Collaborative for the development of Essential resources) to solicit feedback from veterans through an anonymous online survey at www. voicecoalition.org. The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete.

“It’s about empowering veterans so they can have a voice. Let them tell us what their needs are,” said Carolyn Kyle, the senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Gateway.

While data is available at the national level, there is no comprehensive source of information about veterans in Rhode Island. Agencies that work with veterans know the immense challenges they face but lack the local data to back up those assertions. The VOICE Coalition hopes to assemble that information in order to secure more funding for services.

“We’re always looking for grant opportunities for community needs in terms of gaps of care. One of the things we kept coming up against is we couldn’t corroborate data,” Kyle explained.

“There are lots of great providers in Rhode Island doing great service, but there isn’t one entity gathering data.”

This isn’t the first time Gateway has worked with veterans. The agency recently wrapped up a three-year program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that served military families. This time around, they are partnering with the Institute for Labor Studies and Research, the Corporation for Supportive Housing and veteran agencies across the state. The state De-

A GLIMPSE OF RI’S PAST

partment of Labor and Training and the Department of Human Services are also on board with the project, and spoke in support of the survey at the kickoff.

Helping to lead the charge is Lt. Colonel Jeannie Vachon (ret.), who is serving as advisor on the project.

“The more veterans that respond to this, the better chances we’re going to have of being successful with phase two,” Vachon said.

Vachon served in the Rhode Island National Guard for 33 years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2010.

She was the force behind erecting a Women’s Memorial at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery in Exeter and has been advocating on behalf of veterans ever since.

In her experience, the basic needs of veterans are often not being met upon their discharge from the military.

“All indications point to jobs and housing as the two primary, basic needs for veterans as they return from active duty,” she said, adding that she hopes the survey will “give them a voice as to what their experiences were like during

deployment and when they returned, especially in finding the resources needed in order to get back into the civilian fold.”

The VOICE Coalition launched the survey in November, and hopes to begin analyzing data starting at the end of February. No hard copies have been distributed, as the survey is meant to be totally anonymous. Confidentiality is crucial to the survey, as many veterans might otherwise be reluctant to share their feelings or any problems they have faced, especially regarding mental health.

“The stigma runs deep,” Kyle said.

But surveys are coming in slowly, with fewer than 100 submitted at the start of January. Vachon hopes to collect as many as 5,000 responses, and the Coalition plans to embark on a media campaign in the final weeks of the project.

“It’s totally anonymous and it’s totally voluntary,” Vachon reiterated. “We’re hoping [veterans] will reach out so we can get some help for them.”

PEOPLE AND PLACES

h i s t o r y w i t h T e r r y d ’a m ato S p e n c e r

To please a lady Alva Smith Vanderbilt quickly changed Belcourt Castle. A second bedroom had to be added for her, in 18th century French style that included paneling from a Louis XV palace. To accommodate the paneling, one of the doorways had to be closed and as a result, “a secret door” was cut in the paneling to make it possible to enter Alva’s sunken bathroom.

Once Alva was firmly entrenched as the mistress of Belcourt, an era of ostentatious parties and entertainment began. Her husband, Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, was more than willing to act the host and provide what was needed for the most lavish entertainments. He provided for liveried footmen to hold golden candelabra on every sixth step of the Grand Staircase to light the way for the guests. These footmen wore black velvet knee breeches, silk stockings and heavy maroon tailcoats with sterling silver buttons. They were either wearing wigs or had powdered their hair for the occasion.

Cleveland Amory, in his book “The Last Resorts,” tells us that Belmont chose these men “solely on the basis of their calves.”

Lavish luncheons

Another aspect of life at Belcourt that could be trying for servants was Alva Belmont’s spur-of-the-moment luncheons. Carole J. Maconi, in “Belcourt Castle,” informs us that it was “...Mrs. Belmont’s custom to invite friends whom she met at Bailey’s Beach each day to luncheon.”

To prepare for this, servants had to set a buffet table that extended the length of the first floor banquet hall. Maconi tells us that “...it was set every day with lobsters, hams, turkeys, imported delicacies - the finest money could buy.” To help offset the extra difficulty rendered to the staff, the 30 servants were allowed to eat any of the remaining food from the previous day.

Elegant formal dining

As spectacular as the luncheons were, a formal dinner given by the Belmonts was in a class by itself. The family dining room has often been called one of the most beautiful in America. Alva had her magnificent Louis XIV dining table brought from the Marble House. The table is carved of oak, can be extended 30 feet and seats 48. The room is designed in the French Empire style with alternating columns and mirrors.

February 2013

All the columns are Corinthian and have swans in the centers. Among the many unique aspects of the room is the fact that the ceiling does not touch the walls at all; it depends on huge beams on the third floor for its support. Another unique feature is the lighting of the room. Thomas Alva Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, was a good friend of Oliver Belmont and in 1894 invented the first indirect lighting with 60 electrical features to illuminate the family dining room ceiling. The bulbs are still there and can actually be removed and repaired.

For a number of years, only those who were very wealthy, usually those having more than $3 million, were invited to have dinner in the formal room. Later, Alva extended invitations to “interesting people” and eventually to suffragettes.

The “bubble”

Belmont introduced the “bubble,” the name the more dashing members of Newport’s high society called the automobile and a new era of transportation came into being.

The “bubble” became the craze in Newport when O.H.P. Belmont imported a French machine. Belmont, a great lover of horses, regarded the automobile little more than a clever toy. Soon after, however, Harry Payne Whitney, William K. Vanderbilt and John Jacob Astor began buying the machines. Races began in 1899 on the beaches and were well attended by the elite of Newport.

America’s Cup champion

In addition to Alva and Oliver H.P. Belmont, the beautiful Newport mansion, Belcourt, housed another famous personage. He was Harold Stirilng (Mike) Vanderbilt, the youngest of Alva’s three children. Unlike his flamboyant brother William K. Vanderbilt II, Mike was quietly successful. He spent his summers in an apartment added for him and his tutor on the third floor at Belcourt. Mike’s major claim to fame came as a yachtsman and a bridge player.

While his father and uncles had financed America’s Cup contenders, Mike was the only Vanderbilt to sail in the world famous event. He defended the America’s Cup successfully three times as he skippered his victorious J-Boats off the coast of Newport. His most famous sailing achievement came in 1931 when he defeated the Endeavor, the British favorite. When it was feared that the British had technical superiority in 1937, Vanderbilt personally financed the American yacht Ranger, to overcome the Endeavor II. PrimeTime | 21

Funeral Directors

A Lifetime of Achievement Demands Protection

UrqUhart-MUrphy

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

Barrett & Cotter FUneral hoMe

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

Carpenter-Jenks FUneral hoMe & CreMatory

The most important decision of your life may be about your death.

Stephen E. Carpenter - Director 659 East Greenwich Ave. West Warwick 826-1600

It’s a subject few people enjoy talking about– especially when you’re young and healthy.

thoMas & Walter qUinn FUneral hoMe

Your Will

Michael, Patrick, Jerome Quinn Directors 2435 Warwick Ave. Warwick 738-1977

A comparatively simple, legally binding document, that ensures your assets go directly to the people you choose, and the people you care about.

797 BALD HILL RD. WARWICK, RI

Appears in Tuesday Warwick Beacon, Thursday Cranston Herald and PrimeTime Magazine

(401) 821-1330

Please contact your sales representative for advertising information

Serving The People For Over 25 Years The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law. The Court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.

Tel. 732-3100

Fax 732-3110

businessDIRECTORY

auto repair

Ken Rocha Auto Collision

Serving You For Over 36 Years

hotline (1-800-215-9001) to learn more about their medication.

Seniors should also recognize when it is time to turn over the keys - a scary prospect for many.

“We have a checklist of indicators. If somebody’s having a hard time getting the car out of the garage, they’re rolling up on the curb, the car is scratched and dented and you just get this feeling as the child of an aging parent that it’s probably time for mom or dad to do something, a decision has to be made whether the family member is capable of sitting down with a parent and having that conversation,” Levesque said. “If they’re convinced that the parent needs to give up driving, we have several ‘it’s time to talk’ brochures that AARP offers free of charge.

It gives them a lot of insight as to how to approach this.”

If a family member isn’t able to have that conversation, he suggests calling in the family doctor, or starting to limit the types of trips the motorist takes, such as not driving at night or only driving short distances.

Most important, he said, is taking the fears of that senior driver into account.

“People who are going to be giving up

calendar Going Cajun The 21st annual Cajun and Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball will take place on Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to midnight at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. Admission is $40 at the door, and guests can enjoy three styles of Cajun and Zydeco music, regionally-inspired food and a cash bar.

A portion of proceeds benefit Very Special Arts. The ball is a “costume optional” event, with prizes for best costumes. For details, go to www. mardigrasri.com or call 783-3926.

Kind Care

A dose of art The Jamestown Arts Center at 180 Valley Street will have the artwork of the 2013 RISCA Fellowship Artists on display from Feb. 14 through March 9. The opening reception is on Friday, Feb. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature music by Silvio Cuellar of Voces de los Andes and Glenda Luck. Admission is free, and the center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. www.arts. ri.gov or call 222-3881 for details.

References • Insured • Reg#3052

At Twin River First Class Fool, a Rod Stewart tribute band, will perform on Feb. 10 from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Lighthouse Bar at Twin River Casino. Admission is free. World Premier Band performs on Feb. 15, Mystique on Feb. 17 and The Nerds on Feb. 22. For more info - www.twinriver.com/lighthousebar_ent.php or call 475-8346.

467-4800

Free Pick-Up & Delivery Guaranteed Loaner Car

R.I. Lic. #1

senior care

Transportation to Appointments, Errands, Shopping •••••••• Light Cleaning & Home Maintenance Safety Bars Installed

Call 401-559-0848 Put your business card into PrimeTime Magazine

Only $30/mo. (3 month commitment) Contact Sue 732-3100 sueh@rhodybeat.com 22 | PrimeTime

aarp – continued from page 10

A taste of the classics Visit Temple Emanu-El on Taft Street in Providence on Feb. 10 for “Haydn’s The Creation,” a concert featuring soloists and musicians from the New Bedford Sym-

their license often feel that they’re going to be isolated and that’s their big fear. I think the main thing is that the family needs to assure the loved one that they’re not going to be isolated - someone’s going to get them to the store or to the card game they’ve been going to for 20 years,” he said.

But old age doesn’t always mean a motorist needs to retire their wheels. Levesque says many seniors err on the side of caution, but that is better than being too reckless.

Personally, the students he has met through the AARP course have shattered stereotypes about senior drivers.

“My assumption was if you’re 96, you’re not a very good driver. That’s just not true.

This particular driver may be a better driver than a person who is 70. It’s really based on function and mental ability,” he said. “It’s wrong to make an assumption on a person’s ability to drive.”

AARP Driver Safety courses are offered March through October, nearly every week.

The course costs $12 for members and $14 for non-members, and is open to people over the age of 50. Visit aarp.org/drive or call 1888-687-2277 to find a program near you.

of

events

phony Orchestra. Admission is $38, $36 for seniors or $15 for students.

The performance will begin at 4:30 p.m. Call 751-5700 or visit providencesingers.org.

Starring Sarah Brightman Soprano Sarah Brightman will perform at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 15, as part of the PPAC Gala. The gala is a blacktie optional event. Tickets are $250 and include the concert, post-show party and parking. General public tickets are available from $60 and up. For details, visit ppacri.org or call 421-2787.

Chili on a chilly day The Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina plays hosts to the 18th annual Chili Cook-Off, presented by Samuel Adams, on Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 with a button, and $3 for children ages 6 to 12. For more information, call 847-7666 or visit NewportWinterFestival.com.

Nice ice Visit the Long Wharf Mall in Newport on Feb. 16 and watch as artists take chisels, chainsaws and sanders and turn blocks of ice into art. Admission is free. More information call be found at NewportWinterFestival. com or by calling 847-7666.

Lord of the dance PPAC hosts Lord of the Dance, created by Michael Flatley, on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. Admission is $31 to $58 for a show that has entertained more than 60 million people from 68 countries.

February 2013

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

INTERIOR DESIGN

LABORATORY SERVICES

MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

Advertise here for only $30.00

Call 401-732-3100 for details

To Advertise, call 401-732-3100 for details

HEARING HEALTH

REAL ESTATE Realtors...

Seniors are downsizing.

Advertise for only $30.00 a month

(6 month min. commitment)

Call 401-732-3100 for details

CATERING

Loose Dentures?

Cater to Seniors Call 401-732-3100 for details

DENTURES

CEMETERIES

NEW DEVELOPMENT In Denture Adhesion - Multicap Suction Technique - No Need for Adhesives/Pastes

Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery

- Latest Technology for Upper & Lower Denture Retention and Stability

EST. 1902 ~ HISTORIC ~ NON-DENOMINATIONAL

Traditional and/or Cremation Burial

Call for a complimentary consultation

ASK ABOUT FAMILY PLOT DISCOUNTS PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

6365 Post Road, North Kingstown 401-884-7691 www.qmcemetery.org

1370 Cranston Street Cranston, RI 02920-6758 Tel:(401) 946-1010

K. Bob Malesra, DDS - Family Dentistry

Products & Services Designed to Make Your Life Easier

CALL 401-732-3100 FOR ADVERTISING DETAILS

February 2013

PrimeTime | 23

24 | PrimeTime

February 2013