Primetime Magazine - May 2015

primetime free

rhode island

m ay 2 0 1 5

Foster Parrots

Dogs Around Town

118 Puppies & Counting

The Brandi

Project PLUS:

A Conversation with

Charles Fogarty

Director of Elderly Affairs

page 19

and a spring update on

Winter Moths

for the love of

PETS!

BIRTHSTONE of the MONTH SPONSORED BY:

The Jewelry Center My name is Clayton Roth, Owner and Chief Executive Dog Runner at Canine Cardio Company of Rhode Island.

I was inspired to start this business because my own dog, Lucy, was impossible to tire out. As a runner, it dawned on me one day that I should take Lucy along on a jaunt. The results were amazing. It was great having a four-legged running partner and she was nice and calm afterwards. After much research and becoming Canine CPR Certified and later a professionally certified dog walker, Canine Cardio Company was born.

DIAMONDS ~ 14K ~ 18K ~ PLATINUM JE WELRY REPAIR ~ CUSTOM DESIGN SILVER JE WELRY ~ DIAMOND REMOUNTS

1463D Atwood Ave., Johnston, RI 02919 401-421-0360 ALL CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

Visit us @ jewelrycenterri.com

We Buy Gold, Silver, Platinum and Diamonds Lic#200606

Emerald ~MAY~

Our clients trust us to safely exercise their dogs and we take that responsibility very seriously. A tired dog is a good dog and when active pups get enough exercise, everyone can relax. From on leash runs and walks to our afternoon “Tails on Trails” off leash excursions, we offer an exercise plan for every breed, age and body type.

We.Run.Dogs.

For more information and to schedule a free meet and greet, call us at

401-919-2267 or contact by email at

caninecardiocori@gmail.com • Fully Insured & Bonded • Canine & Human CPR certified

Canine Cardio Co. of Rhode Island

www.caninecardiori.com | PrimeTime 2

1.10 ct.

Princess Cut

Emeralds brings happiness,

EMERALD RING

set in 14K White Gold with .50ct total weight in diamonds on the top of the band.

SALE PRICE

1,149

$

99

prosperity, success and goodness. Emerald is also believed to cure ailments and legends said that emeralds had bewitching and magical properties. Emeralds signify honesty, wisdom, growth and patience

May 2015

inthisissue

Pr i m e Ti m e May 2015 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110 Distribution Special Delivery PUBLISHERS Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, John Howell MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella donnaz@rhodybeat.com Editor/ Creative Director Linda Nadeau lindan@rhodybeat.com WRITERS Michael J. Cerio, Don Fowler, Jessica Selby, Tim Forsberg, Elaine M. Decker, Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Kerry Park, Kathy Tirrell, ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli, Suzanne Wendoloski, Alex Viscusi Classified ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com PRODUCTION Matt Bower, Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner 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.

4

5

Gold Fish!

More Than Just A Second Chance

The rewards and challenges

No Name Dog Foundation

of fostering animals

Dear Shelby & Smoke

15 Meouch

Introducing PrimeTime’s new monthly pet care column!

Four-legged friends can be seen all other town

8 The Brandi Project Raising funds to save lives

9

Designer Dogs

Elaine Decker gives some humorous advice on what to look for

10 Foster Parrots

12 118 Puppies & Counting

6 Dogs Allowed

Sanctuary has 23 acres dedicated to resuce and protection

Common Feline Ailments

Food & Drink

Dog Treat Recipe....................................8 Mother’s Day Treats...........................26 Anti-Inflammatory Smoothies....27

professional Prospective

Your Home..............................................21 Your Taxes................................................29

Senior issues

Meet Charles Fogarty.......................19 RI Health Care.......................................21 Alzheimer’s Association..................22

LIFESTYLES

11 Sweet Binks

What Do You Fink...............................14 A Spring Update on Winter Moths................................20 Garden Design.....................................24 Fowler’s Restaurant Review..........29

11 Fowler’s Pets

nextmonth Summer in Rhode Island!

Find the

allaboutpets!

Finding loving homes for rabbits

Dogs, birds and snakes!

mail entries to:

Beacon Communications 1944 Warwick Ave., Warwick, RI 02889 attn: I Found It! or send an e-mail to: donnaz@rhodybeat.com

ACTUAL SIZE Entry Deadline: May 31, 2015

for a chance to win a

25

$

00

Gift Certificate to

Efendi’s Mediterranean Cafe

Page ___________

Name__________________________________________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________________________________ Phone#________________________________________________________________________________ e-mail__________________________________________________________________________________

in Cranston

May 2015

PrimeTime |

b y M ichael C eri o

More Than Just I’m getting closer to the day with each tick of the clock. I can feel it. Some of the signs are already there. My kids love dogs, especially my little girl. It’s just a matter of time until they team up and ask for one of their own.

Having a dog would be a welcome addition to the family. It would be my kids’ first pet of their own (outside of my son’s late Beta fish), and I know they’d be over the moon. I grew up with dogs and would love for them to have the same as a pet truly creates some of life’s most cherished childhood memories. And, as animal lovers know, they can also create wonderful times for adults of all ages.

Before my wife and I married, we rescued the most amazing beagle fox hound mix from a local shelter. It was an incredible experience, not just because of the satisfaction we received from saving this sweet animal that quickly became part of our family, but because she gave so much to us in return. We had Lola for just over five years before her health failed, and we enjoyed every minute.

She was my co-pilot when running errands, my kayaking sidekick, and our automatic doorbell every time the mail or a package arrived.

I often think about the dogs we weren’t able to take home the day we met Lola, but am excited to share with you an organization that’s doing amazing work to provide hundreds of dogs each year with a second chance: No Name Dog Foundation.

No Name Dog Foundation, or NNDF for short, is a Rhode Island licensed foster-based rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs in high kill shelters and finding them their

| PrimeTime

forever homes. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more active dog advocate than the Foundation’s director, Alisha Kutzler.

Alisha’s journey began more than a decade ago when she started helping various organizations rescue dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. More recently, she founded NNDF, inspired after being told she was not an ideal fit to become a foster home for rescued dogs.

“I rent, didn’t have a fenced yard and am a single female, so I wasn’t considered a match as a foster home,” recalls Alisha. “What I wanted to do was give people the option of fostering dogs if they wanted to help save them; all you need is a love of animals.”

She soon came across a photo of a dog in a North Carolina shelter that was to be put down the following day without ever experiencing a loving home.

Further tugging at Alisha’s heartstrings was the dog’s name, or lack thereof, on its kennel card: “No Name.” Alisha and a group of fellow dog-lovers leapt into action, raising $800 in a single night to rescue the dog.

While the dog never made its way to Rhode Island—she was rescued by a local organization the same night Alisha and her team were raising funds—the Foundation’s wheels had already been set in motion.

“I wasn’t discouraged; instead, I was excited that others were out there doing the same thing we wanted to do—it was all about saving that dog,” she says. “So I took that $800 and started No Name Dog Foundation with our name coming from that dog’s kennel card.”

Since these early days, NNDF has grown to rescue upwards of 500 dogs each year. While they are based in Rhode Island, the Foundation helps dogs across the entire northeast and beyond with a focus on saving them from

what are known as high kill shelters.

Kutzler calls (and I know I agree) high kill shelters “One of the most hurtful things that our country has come to develop.” Too many people consider a dog property, instead of an extension of the family. She says she’ll never forget visiting a high kill shelter in Alabama, in which every dog she saw had less than a day to live if they weren’t adopted. Quite simply, the shelter needed the space.

“In the south, and warmer states, there are four seasons of breeding and that generates a lot of overpopulation— just like failing to spay or neuter,” she says. “High kills shelters, unfortunately, are everywhere, even in our own backyard.”

The team at NNDF spends a lot of time monitoring shelter websites in a number of states, including Rhode Island. They focus on identifying dogs that aren’t generating interest and are at-risk of being euthanized. Perhaps a dog has unadoptable qualities, or there are behavioral concerns. Regardless of a reason, Alisha is undeterred.

“We see potential in all dogs,” she explains. “Even if a dog has behavioral issues, we can correct those to make sure they’re a good fit for someone’s home.”

Because NNDF is licensed by Rhode Island’s state veterinarian, they’re able to rescue dogs from out-ofstate, following an established protocol.

The process includes ensuring each dog is heartworm free and health certified by vet in its state of origin. Once these requirements are met, the dog remains quarantined for two weeks in its home state before transportation is arranged.

This is to ensure any treatment a dog may have needed is complete.

“It can be a tedious process, but once we know it’s begun, there’s certainly a sense of relief knowing we’ve saved another dog,” says Alisha. “Every dog we receive from out-of-state meets the necessary health standards before they arrive so we can focus on getting them fostered and then adopted.”

Above and beyond the dogs they find on their own, Alisha’s phone is con-

Meet Reagan: Reagan has been living in a foster home after being adopted and returned for chewing stairs when he was a puppy. Now about a year old, Reagan is looking for his next and last home to spoil him. He absolutely loves the children and other dogs in his foster home! (submitted photos)

stantly ringing for local rescues. Owners reach-out to surrender their dog, and members of the community call with concerns about dog in their neighborhood or a particular situation. According to Alisha, Rhode Island rescues tend to be emergency situations. Even if she gets a call in the wee hours of the morning, she’s out the door in less than ten minutes.

Alisha shared a story about a 3 yearold pure bred golden retriever, Rhody, she found an ad for on Craigslist. The dog was living with a woman in Pawtucket who was about to move and couldn’t bring him with her. He was being offered for free, and Alisha knew she could find him a good home.

“This dog was absolutely beautiful, but he had never been to the vet—I picked him up immediately and was able to get some minor health issues resolved,” she says. “He is now a therapy dog for a woman who needs him just as much as he needed her.”

Because NNDF also works with pit bull mixes, Alisha always makes it a point to address common misconceptions about the breed. She calls a pit bull one of the most loyal dogs you’ll find, and surprising to some, extremely family-oriented. They’ll do anything an owner asks of them, which unfortunately, has given them a difficult reputation when an owner isn’t looking after their best interests.

“I owned a pit bull for 19 years that I rescued at 8 weeks old from a shelter here in Rhode Island; I’ll never discriminate against a breed,” says Alisha.

“I think a lot of the pit bulls we save and get adopted can be ambassadors for the breed and show people what they’re capable of.”

One of Alisha’s dedicated volunteers, Nicole DeLeo, knows this all too well.

She owns two pit bulls, brothers Tyson and Busta that she rescued 7 years ago.

The dogs are constantly by her side and she couldn’t envision life without them.

Her experience with them, and dedication to all dogs, drives her to help create happy endings for other rescues.

“Like a lot of families, we had some hesitation about pit bulls before I rescued Tyson and Busta, but I can’t stress how quickly they changed our entire outlook on the breed,” says Nicole.

“Rescuing them was the best thing I ever did—we have an infant and toddler in the family and the dogs are just amazing with them.”

In late March, Nicole helped Alisha identify a foster home for Tia, a dog in May 2015

all about pets

A Second Chance

Meet Marshall: Marshall is a kind and gentle soul at 5 years-old that was an owner surrender rescued from a high kill shelter in Georgia. He is looking to spend the rest of his life with a new family that will never abandon him again.

New York who was going to be put down in two days. Once the dog was pulled from the shelter through NNDF and cleared for transport, Nicole didn’t think twice about driving to New York to get her.

Along with NNDF, Nicole helps find foster homes for dogs rescued by other organizations. She estimates that she and Roger DeWitt, a dog trainer and friend, have rescued more than 30 dogs in the past two months alone.

“Rescuing a dog gives you this incredible feeling,” says Nicole. “So

many dogs get put down each day to no fault of their own—as humans, we have a responsibility to be their voice.”

Adds Roger, “I’m committed to helping rescues because I envision a day when we can do away with shelters entirely so no dog is ever alone. One of my dogs, a female pit bull, was one that I intended only to foster, but ended up keeping so I could help her be the dog she is today—that’s the influence these great animals can have on you.”

NNDF is always looking for volunteers, particularly people willing to serve as foster homes for dogs in adop-

Getting a Fresh Start: Alisha Kutzler of No Name Dog Foundation welcomes Phoebe, a 4 month-old Rottweiler mix. Now in a foster to adopt home, this was the first moment Phoebe felt the Rhode Island sun after her long trip from Texas.

May 2015

tion transition. Everyone is welcome to get involved; the organization prides itself in its approachability. If you’re interested being a part of NNDF’s work, you can reach them at adopt@nndf. org, foster@nndf.org and info@nndf. org. Alisha welcomes calls—including those to surrender an animal or share concerns—at (401) 575-7925. The Foundation also has a strong presence on Facebook at Facebook.com/NoNameDogFoundation.

“I’m such a firm believer in adopt, don’t shop—we domesticated the dog and it’s our responsibility to take care of them,” adds Alisha. “We have a great team and would love to engage even more people. Words alone can’t describe the satisfaction that comes from taking a dog that no one wanted and seeing them adopted by a family who will love them.”

PrimeTime |

professional perspective

b y J essica S elby

dear shelby & smoke

Welcome to Dear Shelby and Smoke, a new monthly PrimeTime Pet Care column!

Dr. Danielle Paradise and Dr. Clarissa Williams from West Bay Animal Hospital and NorthPaws Veterinary Center would like to bring you the Dear Abby equivalent for the pet world.

We would like to encourage everyone to send in questions or topics that you want more information about.

Rather than just providing a new “topic” each month, we would like you to email and let us know what you want to know.

Lets us know what you need help with regarding you four-legged family members.

Shelby is Dr. Danielle’s yellow lab and Smoke is Dr. Clarissa’s cat. We hope this will be a more interactive column. We would both love to help you with any issues we can.

Please send emails to shelbyandsmokewestbay@gmail.com. Feel free to visit our website at westbayanimalhospitalri.com or northpaws.com for more information about us. We also have excellent resources for exotics as well.

At the end of each article we will provide a “Kibble of the Month.” We look forward to our interactive column next month.

A brief paws ‘till next time

Shelby & Smoke Email your pet care questions to:

shelbyandsmokewestbay@gmail.com “Kibble of the Month”

Interesting fact . . . did you know that three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic. They were two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.

| PrimeTime

If you or anyone you know has or has ever had a dog, you know that for many, it’s actually like having a child.

It has also become more and more common place to see dog owners of today bringing their favorite fourlegged friends along with them to do their every day chores, dining with them, or squeezing in a workout alongside their little buddies.

Big or small, today’s dogs are also a little more socialized than the dogs of yesterday that stayed home tied to a dog house in the family backyard!

There is even a whole new revenue source based upon these lovable, huggable pets better known as “doggie daycare.”

But just because pet owners appear more inclined to treat their four four-legged friends like kids, is society as a whole as accepting of this? Well, apparently some of society is…There are a number of local businesses around the state that actually cater not just to people, but also to their four-legged friends.

Need an oil change or a few household items and your traveling with Fido, you can still get it done…The Container Store in Garden City Center in Cranston is a completely pet friendly environment. According to Garden City store staff, patrons “often times” bring their pets into the store with them to do their shopping. So while you’re browsing for some stationary, don’t be surprised if a schnauzer walks around the corner!

Just a short distance away, pet owners can sit in the comfort of the Balise Nissan Car Dealership service department waiting area with their dogs while they have the oil in their car changed or their vehicles worked on. This is, according to dealership staff, something that people often do.

Brian Isacson, director at the Nissan Service Center at Balise Auto, said that he sees dogs come to the service departments with their owners “at least a few times a week.”

“It’s always been our policy to allow dogs here and we see both big and small dogs,” Isacson said. “It’s never been a problem. People are only going to bring their dog if it knows how to behave, so these dogs usually just come in and sit with their owners. Then, other people who are also waiting end up wanting to pet the dog, so it’s a win win for everyone.”

If, on the other hand, bringing your dog along with you is not an option, there is an alternative. Bow Chicka Wow Town, a Dog Daycare Center, is located just off of Post Road in Warwick. At Bow Chicka Wow Town, dogs are never left alone. They are always kept company by other furry friends at the center as well as the multitude of staff that are on duty to monitor and care for the dogs.

Alisa Paykos-Theurer, owner of Bow Chicka Wow Town, said the center typically has anywhere from 30 to 40 dogs a day.

“People are busy today; they are working long hours or they have kids with extracurricular activities and other commitments so it can be real tough to get that walk in for the dog, but dogs need regular exercise for their health and well being so a lot of people are choosing this option,” Paykos-Theurer said. “Not only are they getting that exercise component, but they are also getting the socialization as well as the care and attention that they need.”

Inside the facility the dogs have full access to an indoor dog park complete with climbing apparatuses and chew toys as well as an outdoor play area. The space allows for the dogs to run, jump, play and interact with one another in a controlled environment.

“Some people who have pets and have long working hours choose the dog walker option, and that is understandable, but typically, dog walkers do just that, take the dog for a walk so that it can go to the bathroom and that is it,” Paykos-Theurer said. “They are not getting nearly as much exercise as they get when they are here.”

Paykos-Theurer said that not only do the dogs benefit from their time at the daycare center, but so do the owners.

“Our dogs that come often, a couple times a week, well; their owners tell us when they don’t come they are destructive at home,” she said. “Plus when the dogs are here, we are watching their body language and teaching them dog park best practices and we also help the owners understand their dogs body language and teach them what to watch for so that when they do take their dogs out of this type of controlled environment, like to a public dog park or a family picnic they are ok.”

There are several public dog parks located around the state, with a large one right in Warwick, at City Park.

Other areas of interests that welcome pets, although often times a leach is however required is Chase Farms, an open space land mass located at 669 Great Road in Lincoln and Compass Rose Beach, located in Quonset Point. If you like reading with your pup, Books on the Square, an independent book store, located at 471 Angell Street, Providence, welcomes dog and if you like watching movies with them, The Rustic Tri-view Drive Inn, located at 1195 Eddie Dowling Highway, Rt. 146 in North Smithfield is also dog friendly. PetSmart, PetCo and Pet Supplies Plus are also animal friendly pet stores that sell an array of all animal supplies.

May 2015

all about pets

have dog, will travel.

Shopping.

Dining Out. Working Out. Drive-In Movie Theater.

Book Store.

Dogs these days accompany their owners all over town.

The Container Store in Garden City Center in Cranston is pet friendly.

According to Garden City store staff, patrons “often times” bring their pets into the store with them to do their shopping.

PET SPA CERTIFICATIONS • New England • North West School Pet Grooming of Animal Massage Professionals • Red Cross Pet • Reiki First Aid & CPR May 2015

Alwa Complim ys enta Espree ry Conditio ne & Facial r

340 Samuel Gorton Warwick, RI

401-PET-PACK (738-7225)

PrimeTime |

Muralist Goes To The Dogs

b y kelcy d o lan

all about pets

New organization is all about raising funds to save lives It’s hard to believe but Jim Paolucci was not a “dog person” just a few years ago.

Now, Paolucci has held numerous fundraisers for PAWS New England and just launched his own organization, the Brandi Project, which raises money for dog rescue organizations, all thanks to a beagle/ border collie mix Brandi, Paolucci’s rescue dog.

As a puppy, Brandi had found herself in a high kill shelter with a 90 percent euthanasia rate in Tennessee.

PAWS New England, an organization that rescues dogs from high kill shelters and cares for them until they find their “forever home,” rescued Brandi from “death row.” Eventually, Brandi found herself with a foster family in Rhode Island.

Now, Paoluccis’s wife, Iwona Paolucci, had been looking to adopt a dog, but Paolucci had kept putting off any adoption, that is, until he met Brandi at an anniversary party at Brandi’s foster home.

“There were maybe ten dogs in total playing in the back yard, then there was this smaller dog off to the side all by herself. After meeting Brandi she wouldn’t leave my side for the rest of the party,” Paolucci said.

When the couple learned Brandi was up for adoption they finished the paperwork by the end of the week and took the pup home. That was in September 2012.

Paolucci began doing research on dog rescue, and when he saw everything volunteers have to do to save a dog, all the care and concern, he thought his $450 adoption fee was very minimal in comparison. He started holding fundraisers for PAWS New England at his restaurant, the Cowesett Inn in Warwick. His first fundraiser earned $3,000 for the organization.

Paolucci said, “I feel dog rescue organizations, like PAWS, are so passionate, but they are underfunded, under-represented and under-appreciated. They have expenses just like any other business. Once they remove a dog from the shelter there is no going back. They do whatever it takes to keep that dog alive and find them a family. Imagine what they could do with just a little funding.”

After a few years of fundraising with a lot of success, Paolucci wanted to find another way to help, a way to continuously benefit PAWS and organizations like it. Thus, the Brandi Project was born.

Kelly Parker, one of the founders of PAWS New England, said that Paolucci has been a real success story for the organization and has continued to be a generous donor.

“He would come to us with these donations, but always express that he wanted to do more and that’s when he came to us with the Brandi Project idea. We were so over the moon about the whole idea,” she said in a phone interview.

“I missed out on dogs all these years and Brandi is such a great dog. PAWS just gave so much to my life and I wanted to give back in any way I could,” Paolucci said.

The Brandi Project sells branded merchandise, such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote Brandi – Page 28

The

Rhode Island artist Robert Ratigan created this mural on the building of Ahead of the Pack, a full-service pet groomer in Warwick. The project started out as a tribute to the owner’s dog who had recently passed away, but quickly grew to a depiction of all her dogs, past and present. Robert Ratigan’s work can be seen all over Rhode Island, including Place Jewelers in Warwick and Sundance Therapies in East Greenwich. Visit his website to learn more and take a look at his work robertratigan.net.

BPBandFLAX Dog Treats Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour grain free option: rice or coconut flour ½ Banana, mashed ⅓ cup all natural peanut butter 2 Tbsp ground flax seed ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well.

Roll on a floured surface, about quarter inch and shape.

Place on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 24 treats – Store in a airtight container.

A word about

catnip from the ASPCA

Catnip, a member of the mint family, contains a chemical that attracts cats.

When it’s dried and crushed, it gives off an odor that has a powerful effect on some (though not all) cats.

Catnip’s safe, and your cat won’t get addicted to it. Keep a plastic container of dried catnip on hand to give to your kitty, or you could even grow some.

Some cats can get over-stimulated to the point of aggressive play, while others just get relaxed. Genetics determines if your cat is affected by catnip. The ones that do react usually develop sensitivity to it when they’re about six months old. | PrimeTime

Brandi Project

Growing Catnip

Catnip is a loosely branching, low perennial that bears tiny, white blooms. Grow it in a garden bed or in a pot. Catnip requires lots of sun and lots of water.

Remember, Catnip is a member of the mint family and can almost become a noxious weed.

Keep in mind that if you plant one catnip plant, you can be almost sure that at least 2 more will pop up in other possibly unwanted places in your yard.

May 2015

retirement sparks

senior

issues

b y elaine m . decker

Designer Dogs for Retirees

I recently noted that virtually all the canine pets in our condo development are small breeds. I’m not sure why. Our association doesn’t cap the allowable weight of pets, only the number (two). But some communities limit dogs to 30 pounds.

On the heels of this finding, I noticed that Time magazine included a feature on designer dogs in its “The Answers Issue.” This confluence of tidbits unleashed the idea for this column.

Since many retirees live where pet weight is regulated, I’ve included a number of smaller creatures in my collection. Read the details of each designer breed to find the perfect one for your needs.

New members of a condo community may want a dog that conveys status. The best choice for a high-end symbol is the LhaChiDa—a blend of Lhasa Apso and Chihuahua, with just a hint of Dalmation in the lineage. The Dal parent harks back several generations, assuring that the LhaChiDa will not get too large and will have only small and occasional (not too) black spots. As Chris Farley aka Matt Foley used to say on Saturday Night Live: “Well, la-dee-frickin-da.”

Speaking of Farley, those who have packed on the pounds since they stopped going to work should consider a Porkie. This Pug—Yorkshire Terrier crossbreed is so chubby that just looking at it will provide incentive for you to exercise daily. A word of caution: the Porkie may want to join you on your daily walks. If it loses too much weight, it will begin to look like a Shar-Pei. Ditto for its owners.

Retirees generally make frequent doctors visits, where they’re likely to spend considerable time in the waiting room. The perfect dog to tuck into your medical tote for company is the Dachsador. This Dachshund—Labrador mix loves going to the doctor’s office. It’s sized like the Dachshund, but it’s as devoted as the Lab. And please don’t send me any jokes about lab tests. Or cat scans.

Rhode Island Animal Medical Center

IT SURE WAS A

Ruff

FouR PAws Pet ResoRt

WINTER! Start Spring Off Right!

For older women who have become dependent on weekly appointments at the beautician, we recommend the Pompador. This cross between a Pomeranian and a Labrador has the size and pouf of its smaller mother and the temperament of its larger father. Note that if you cross a male Pomeranian with a female Labrador you get a Labramanian. These dogs are used to search for truffles in certain Balkan countries.

While we’re on the subject of hair, a designer dog for those who are going bald is the TerPei. This Terrier—Shar-Pei mix has been bred to perch comfortably on top of your head when you leave home. Sometimes affectionately called the Terpe, this wonderful little guy will happily drape on top of you like a small rug. Your friends and neighbors will have no idea how thin your own hair has become underneath all his wrinkles.

Designer Dogs – Page 28

A Full Service State-of-the-art Hospital Serving Canines, Felines, Ferrets, Rabbits & Other Small Animals

We offer services such as:

• Flood Restoration & Water Removal • Mold Removal from Ice Dams SPECIAL PET CARPET & FLOOR CLEANING SERVICES

Free Physical exam *

In Business for

25 Years

when make an appointment at the Rhode Island Animal Medical Center

BEFORE AFTER

NLBS Carpet Cleaning Services

Ice Dam Damage Repair NEXT LEVEL BUILDING SERVICES will help you put winter behind you!

We’re there for you when you need us!

Next Level Building Services

Call Now 888-808-7847

May 2015

* Free Exam does not include any vaccines, medications or treatments. Free Exam cannot be combined with any other offers and is good for new clients only.

343 Warwick Ave., Warwick

(401) 785-1000

www.4pawsne.com Let the family who has been your family vet for nearly 100 years take care of your best friend!

Call Today To Make Your Appointment!

PrimeTime |

all about pets

the work of

Foster Parrots A dog confined to a crate for 22 hours a day.

A kitten pulled from its mother moments after birth and placed, unweaned and helpless, in a pet store. A puppy breeding ranch holding hundreds of dogs in small, filthy kennels, breeding thousands of puppies annually for the pet market… We recognize all of these situations as being cruel. In fact, almost all of the situations described above are actually unlawful. But all of these are widely accepted, completely legal situations for parrots produced for the commercial market and kept as pets. The fact that parrots are highly intelligent, profoundly social, flighted wild animals makes the typical captive parrot experience all the more tragic. And with so few of their complex social and behavioral needs being met by the pet industry and by pet guardians, parrots don’t stand a chance on the domestic front. Particularly when so few people are able to even recognize situations of profound abuse and suffering as they apply to parrots in captivity.

Foster Parrots logs between 300 - 500 requests for the surrender of parrots annually and this is typical of rescue organizations across the country as we struggle collectively to catch the fall-out from the commercial trade in parrots. Many of these birds carry the psychological scars and resulting behavioral issues typical of wild animals raised as “pets”. Even under Foster Parrots, Ltd. is the best of circumstances it is difficult to locate adoptive homes capable of meeting the needs located on 23 acres in of an animal as intelligent and socially needy as Hope Valley. Over 450 a parrot. Complicate that relationship with isparrots, representing sues of aggression, psychological manifestations of stress like feather plucking or self-mutilation, nearly 50 different parrot and vocal expressions that can literally damage species, currently reside human eardrums. Clearly, we are faced with a at the sancurary. For more challenging proposition as we search for answers to an ever-expanding unwanted parrot probinformation, go to lem. www.fosterparrots.com Not all parrots, of course, are gravely impacted by their captive experience. Many parrots are well adjusted, clever, and intrinsically beautiful animals whose natural behaviors are merely incompatible with human lifestyles – or who, by virtue of their long-life spans, have simply outlived their guardian’s ability to continue to provide care. Regardless of their psychological dispositions, there is one thing that all captive parrots share: the likelihood that they will, at some time in their lives, become homeless or “unwanted”.

Mission and History Foster Parrots, Ltd. is dedicated to the rescue and protection of parrots and other exotic animals both in captivity and in the wild, and to humane education initiatives targeting the issues and attitudes that give rise to animal exploitation, abuse

and abandonment. With over 450 parrots and other displaced exotic animals at our permanent care sanctuary facility, The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, we strive not only to provide exemplary care and a high quality of life for our sanctuary residents, but to turn this “tragedy” into a positive force by utilizing the sanctuary itself as the nucleus and focal point of our humane education programs.

In 2007 Foster Parrots established the New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary on 15 acres of rural land in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. Now encompassing 23 acres, this facility serves as the permanent sanctuary arm of the organization and, currently under development as a regional Center for Humane Education, serves as the seat for our local and national educational outreach programs, student internship programs and adoption center. Over 450 parrots, representing nearly 50 different parrot species, currently reside at the NEEWS. Humane Education It is not enough to simply collect and care for the uncountable numbers of unwanted pets that flood into America’s shelter system year after year. Spreading awareness and working to influence a societal shift in attitudes regarding the roles and responsibilities of humans in the lives of animals is the key to real and lasting change.

Foster Parrots has worked for nearly two decades to bring recognition to the devastating end result of human fascination with parrots as companions. In 2013 our message was given wings as we embraced the extraordinary opportunity to participate in the production of “Parrot Confidential,” a documentary film by the renown Animal Welfare Documentary Film Producer, Allison Argo, exploring the relationships between parrots and people.

We have worked hard over the years to link arms and establish bridges between Foster Parrots and other animal welfare groups regardless of the species they represent. We have developed educational programs that are widely sought by regional schools, universities and veterinary groups. All of this has been done with the goal of creating a peaceful retreat for parrots and animals, as well as a regional center for animal care services and programs that nurture a culture of empathy, responsibility and respect for all living things.

Story and Photos courtesy of Foster Parrots, Ltd.

PrimeTime

Pet Pics!

Konan Wendoloski posing for a photo taken by his brother Jason.

10 | PrimeTime

Beautiful Katie Nadeau is a 6-year-old Great Pyrenees

This is Maggie, Kelcy Dolan’s pretty pup!

Bailey belongs to Donna Brian Geary’s cat Lily loves McGowan, Executive Director to work on the computer! of RI Alzheimer’s Association,

May 2015

b y alex viscuisi

all about pets

Rescuing Rabbits T’is the season…of pets! Spring is one of the most common times to get a furry friend. During the Easter season, many parents and grandparents considered buying rabbits. But once the bunny season comes to end children often lose interest.

If owners get discouraged by how much work a rabbit really is, Pamela Hood and her team of volunteers are there to rescue them.

Hood runs Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue. Rabbits are taken in until they can find permanent, loving homes. She has around 10 volunteers that help with adoptions and education.

For the past three years Hood and her volunteers have spent time teaching at New England Tech’s Vet Tech program, which allows students to be properly trained specifically in rabbits which is rare, especially in Rhode Island. Typically, rabbits that are used for educational purposes are euthanized at the end of the semester, but with Sweet Binks in charge, that isn’t the case anymore. They’re placed for adoption by the shelter.

Pamela started rescuing rabbits in 2000 privately after being inspired by the love she had for her rabbit, Bun Bun. “It was a tough time for me…I fell in love with her, she was a great companion.”

After the untimely death of Bun Bun, Hood began to save local bunnies and in 2002, after numerous referrals, she realized she had to “take this to another level.” Since then, Sweet Binks has saved over 2,000 bunnies.

“Rabbits are active, playful animals,” says Pamela, “it’s important to teach youngsters how to be bunny people.” At Sweet Binks they preach that rabbits are indoor creatures that need activity, love and attention. Many times, once spayed or neutered, rabbits actually thrive with a companion - they form bonds like most other animals. Rabbits live for up to ten years, so Sweet Binks asks that adopters take it seriously. “Many of our rescued bunnies were Easter gifts that end up abandoned outside in a hutch.”

Sweet Binks looks to the future to help further educate people and local shelters. There are limited resources in Rhode Island for abandoned rabbits. Hood hopes to change that to help local shelters manage adoptions on a larger scale in addition to continuing their classes at New England Tech.

Go to their website, rirabbits.org for more information including where you can donate and adopt.

Pamela Hood (center) and her team of volunteers at Sweet Binks Rabbit Rescue find permanent homes for adoptable rabbits

b y d o n f o wler

all about pets

Pets That Have Changed My Life It all started at the age of five.

Dad brought home a mongrel puppy that we named Dusty.

Dusty had no leash, roaming the neighborhood and playing with all the kids, following me to school every day and returning to walk me home.

His toys were worn out balls, sticks and torn gloves. He had a dog house and slept in the cellar on cold nights.

His food consisted of Alpo and table scraps. He never went to the vets. He lived to a ripe old age.

He was my constant companion and best friend.

The day after he died, my mother bought me a goldfish. It lasted a week.

During my teens, my after-school job was cleaning white rat cages at a local college lab. I became attached to the smelly creatures and went through a plethora of white mice, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs until I went away to college and took a four-year sabbatical from four legged creatures.

After marriage, Joyce and I settled down in a small apartment in a busy neighborhood where dogs had to be conMay 2015

tained on a leash. When someone offered us a deodorized skunk, we jumped at the chance.

Sniffy (Perfect name for a skunk) had lived with a cat and used a sandbox in the bathroom. Joyce was always a night person, so she and Sniffy, being a nocturnal animal, spent a lot of time together.

Skunks have no necks, but we were able to find a special leash that fit under his neck and around his front paws.

A few accidents were narrowly avoided and motorists did double-takes as Joyce walked Sniffy around the neighborhood.

Sniffy ate mostly cat food, but occasionally we would catch a June bug and we would listen to him crunch it like a potato chip.

We brought Sniffy to the summer camp I was directing, but unfortunately he escaped into the woods one night.

Being without his natural defenses, we feared for his survival.

Next was a parakeet. Joyce taught him to say “Pretty Boy,” and that became his name. During the day he was free to fly around the house, spending time sitting on Joyce’s shoulder while she read,

We didn’t have many visitors when the snakes were residing in our living room.

and sipping from her soda glass. One day he leaned too far and fell into a glass of coca-cola, forcing his first and last bath.

We had an old plastic hamster ball, which the hamsters used for exercise.

Pretty Boy made it his own plaything, pushing it around the house with his beak.

Joyce’s mother visited one day and was not happy about a bird landing on her head. When the bird called her a nasty name (Wonder where he learned it?), she was ready to go home.

Our years at Camp Yawgoog provided us with the only heated cabin on the property. The Nature Director had an iguana and two boa constrictors (Sam and Dave) that required warm temperatures.

On cold days and nights, we housed the creatures. The snakes loved to climb on our Jungle Jim with our kids.

On Sunday afternoon, Joyce would rap Sam around her neck and walk around the camp. Most parents stayed far away, but the Boy Scouts loved him.

Snakes eat mice, and one or two would last the summer.

We didn’t have many visitors when

the snakes were residing in our living room. Mother-in-law would not step in the cabin.

Snakes defecate about as often as they eat. Unfortunately, Sam chose Sunday afternoon during Joyce’s walk. It was not a pleasant sight.

When the kids got older, they begged for a dog, so we adopted Vader, a black mongrel who was as ornery as the Star Wars character. When Vader stole a neighbor’s wig off her clothesline, we decided that dogs could no longer roam free in the neighborhood and sent him to friends in the country.

The children are grown and have children of their own, carrying on the tradition of pets, mostly cats and dogs, but with ferrets, tarantulas, snakes, and other wild creatures thrown in.

The pet influence was so strong that one granddaughter has become a veterinarian.

In our senior years, we have settled for two miniature shrimp in an enclosed environmental ball, requiring no maintenance.

Maybe someday we’ll get a cat.

PrimeTime | 11

b y kathy tirrell

Fostering Love

It takes a very dedicated, warm and caring person to be a foster pet caregiver.

It takes someone who loves animals and is willing to give them the time, love, and attention they need to thrive.

Lisa Levasseur, shown at left, is this kind of person. She loves being a foster caregiver. In addition to serving as the Rhode Island SPCA’s Foster Care Coordinator, she has taken home many animals to foster herself.

“I’ve fostered over 118 puppies,” she said recently at the shelter. “But I’ve only kept three.”

One of the lucky three she adopted was sitting on her lap during our interview, a long-haired, two-year-old dachshund named Mary.

“She came in at 4 weeks old and she had puppy strangles,” said Levasseur. “That’s when the lymph nodes and the glands swell up and suffocate the animal. She needed high dose steroids. So, for seven months I fostered her and then I adopted her.”

Levasseur says that even though fostering is very rewarding, there is also a time commitment involved and it’s not always easy. That’s one reason why it’s not always easy to find more foster caregivers.

“Our numbers are going up, “ she said. “It’s hard because people don’t realize the work involved. It’s time. They want to do it in the beginning. Our kittens go through stages of upper respiratory problems, sometimes diarrhea, so that’s work.

The cuteness fades out at that point. There is time involved.”

Levasseur said that last year the SPCA had 172 fosters, which included dogs, kittens, puppies, bunnies, guinea pigs and a bird. The shelter can normally house 40

(Photo by Kathy Tirrell)

Pets could improve your health

Rather than heading to the pharmacy for solutions to common ailments, a majority of people may be able to stop at the nearest pet store or animal shelter and find a finned or furry remedy instead.

There are a lot of studies that link positive health benefits and owning a pet. According to WebMD, one study found that 48 stockbrokers who adopted a pet experienced lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations. Another study found that individuals suffering from serious diseases, such as cancer are far less likely to experience depression if they have a strong tie to a pet. Plus, pets have proven beneficial to seniors struggling with loneliness. Here are some of the many ways that pet ownership can be good for your health.

ur pet?

Is it right for yo t ie d e e r -f in a r G

discusts are a trendy topic of die ee -fr ten glu d an in of gra estions about The potential benefits rs often have similar qu ne ow t pe t Bu ay. tod le sion in the grocery ais gs. some imright for their cats or do are ts die se the er eth with Petcurean, gives us nadian wh list cia spe n tio tri nu d an Ca h a alt is he n a rea n, Michele Dixo pet’s diet. Petcu nsider the oving grains from your portant facts before rem premium quality recipes for dogs and cats. Co in company with expertise based protein, such as following: s be related to a grainme eti som reaction. can ies erg all that causes the allergic • While food n tei pro at me of rce en a sou nation of all corn or wheat, it is oft allergy, immediate elimi in gra c cifi spe a s ha t pe • If you suspect your diet is not necessary. t’s pe ur be a quick and excelyo m fro ins gra ely cooked, grains can rat de raw mo d an d un gro gs and cats do not digest • When they are energy for your pet. Do e ibl est dig hly hig of lent source very well. t’s food as part of a starches or whole grains te grains from their pe na mi eli to g kin loo are necessarily mean it is low • Pet owners who a grain-free diet doesn’t t tha are aw ioca, or peas, be uld sho low-carb diet , such as potatoes, tap tes dra hy bo car of es important. r typ in carbohydrates. Othe recipe. So knowing what to look for is very the might be included in

Lower blood pressure: Petting a dog or cat can lower blood pressure, as can watching a fish swim around a tank.

Reduce stress: According to a National Health Interview Survey, 75 percent of the general population experiences at least “some stress” every two weeks.

Research has indicated that when people spend time with a pet their levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered while their level of serotonin, a hormone associated with improved mood and well-being, is increased.

Lower cholesterol: Lifestyle factors associated with pet ownership, particularly a focus on increased physical health and activity, can help lower cholesterol levels. Also, having a pet works to reduce stress, which may keep you from looking to fatty foods to alleviating anxiety.

Fight depression: Many therapists have prescribed pet therapy to treat depression. A pet is an unconditional friend and can provide that listening ear a person needs to talk through problems. And taking care of a pet devotes attention away from problems and inward thinking.

Reduce stroke incidences: There has been evidence that cat owners are less likely to suffer strokes than people who do not have cats. Researchers are not sure of the connection, but surmise that cats have a more calming nature than other types of pets.

Reduce propensity for allergies: Children who grow up in homes with cats and dogs are less likely to develop common allergies and even asthma, research suggests. In fact, children who live around two or more dogs or cats before their first birthday are less likely to have allergies of any sort, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

TF145187

12 | PrimeTime

May 2015

all about pets

7 years and 118 puppies later, Lisa Levasseur finds fostering as rewarding as ever dogs, 40 cats, and a few smaller animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

“We are a private, non-profit shelter,” said Director of Humane Education Lorna Steele. “Ultimately our goal is to get these animals adopted. Eventually our fosters will be put up for adoption when they’re ready. Animals here who are adoptable are here until they’re adopted.”

There are various ways animals are brought to the shelter, such as when a family’s cat has a litter of kittens, too many for the family to take care of.

“If the kittens come in without the mom, they’re orphans,” said Levasseur. “They need to be bottle-fed. Some people can’t do this because they work. A newborn kitten eats every two hours. And you have to keep them warm. You have to stimulate them to go to the bathroom.”

Levasseur agreed this is one reason why a retired person would be an ideal candidate for fostering pets, since he or she would have much more time available. With so many animals surrendered to the shelter on a regular basis, foster caregivers are always needed.

“We’re really trying to build a core of volunteers and have them trained and ready,” said Steele. “And we provide all of the supplies.”

So how does a person become a foster pet caregiver for the SPCA? According to Steele, “They start with the application, found on our web site. It includes questions like do they own their own home or do they live in an apartment. We always check to make sure the landlord is okay with it. And in order to foster they have to come here for training. So we have a training seminar and it gives us the opportunity to meet the potential fosters.”

May 2015

Levasseur says after training, the potential foster caregivers are on a list and when foster animals come into the shelter she goes through the list to see who is appropriate for the animals. She keeps track of the fosters, answers questions and says her cell phone never leaves her side if someone needs some help with fostering.

“I tell them please don’t worry about calling me,” she said. “I’ve driven to people’s houses late at night if they need help.”

The SPCA also receives some dogs that have been neglected or abused which need some fostering as well.

“We have a separate training for the rehabilitation of rescue dogs,” said Steele.

“That’s when dogs come in who are deemed to be not adoptable yet. They might have behavioral issues that need training or they need to be more socialized.”

“I love being a foster parent,” Levasseur said. “It’s the most rewarding thing I can do. I have a great family; I have two daughters who help me. We’ve been doing this for seven years now. That’s how I got to 118 puppies!”

If you’re interested in becoming a foster pet caregiver for the RISPCA, you can call 401-438-8150, ext. 8 to get in touch with coordinator Lisa Levasseur. Or send her an email at lisal@rispca.com.

And if you don’t think you can commit to fostering a pet, there is another way you can help.

“We really rely on the public for supplies,” said Steele. “If people can’t foster, maybe they’d like to check out our Foster Care Wish List located on our web site under the Foster Care section.”

PrimeTime | 13

Saving a Life from a potential catastrophe EVERY 10 MINUTES

LIFEST Y LES

wHAT DO YOU FINK?

by MIKE FINK

Marc Kehoe’s canvas but I’m never alone.

I have Life Alert.®

®

AS SEEN ON

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

TV

For a FREE brochure call:

1-800-516-0367 THIS BLOOD THINNER IS CAUSING DEATH LEGAL HELP IS AVAILBLE. CALL TODAY! TheLawFirms

Xarelto Lawsuit: Have You Taken Xarelto?

If you or someone you know have experienced bleeding problems after taking Xarelto, we need to speak with you immediately. You may have a claim against the drug manufacturer because it is alleged that they did not properly warn the public about this serious life threatening side effect.

Call us for a free case consultation.

800-639-0431 /HDUQ ZKDW VLGH HIIHFWV DUH EHLQJ FDXVHG E\ ;DUHOWR DQG KRZ WR ƓOH D FODLP against Xarelto for no out of pocket expense. Call us now: 800-639-0431.

14 | PrimeTime

His day job is to climb up to the second story level of a tour bus in Manhattan and guide grateful guest travelers – from the four corners of the globalized world – from one attraction or historic site to the next. But Marc Kehoe’s vocation is to stand at his easel and paint portraits, still lifes and landscapes. His recent show at the Van Vessem Gallery on, get this, ”Muse Way” in Tiverton, a new street and setting, drew me in.

I single out and focus on one canvas image that startled and unsettled me.

It was the close-up picture in subtle and subdued oils of his pet cat! The leonine creature stares at the viewer, almost accusing the spectator of something known only to you.

So I contacted the artist, my former student and long-time friend, to ask for the story of the feline figure, and here is my report.

The alleycat came into Marc’s life and abode fifteen years ago and stayed with him for fourteen of them. And then passed. Marc, who has a great and deep capacity for friendship and devotion, crafted the masterpiece as a memorial homage.

“This animal took charge of me completely. Knew when to put me to bed, ten o’clock on the dot. Warned me if something was boiling too long on the stove.

Comforted me and consoled me,” Marc said.

When I then looked again at the large depiction, I was stunned by its lack of conventional sentimentality or personification, but instead its power, spirit, and uncanny vitality.

This cat was telling me something, or asking me to confess something. I gazed in wonder at Marc’s “familiar.” The person with the paintbrush has a talent honed

by RISD and Providence, and also by his years in New York City.

Marc has a dramatic personal presence but like poets in the broadest sense of that label, he hides himself behind the faces he portrays, and this cat reveals his masked inner life. Something like that, anyway.

Did you know?

Cats and vegetarian diets may not make an ideal match. Cats

have a greater need for protein than their canine counterparts, and while protein can be found in a vegetarian diet, different proteins contain different levels of amino acids cats need to survive.

Taurine is an amino acid found in meat and fish that cats cannot synthesize, meaning they must get it through their diets. If cats diets don’t include sufficient taurine, the resulting deficiency can lead to heart disease and other potentially serious health problems. Cats also need more protein than dogs, making vegetarian diets for felines an especially risky proposition and

May 2015

It’s

Playtime!

Encouraging active playtime will keep your cat healthy and fit, all in the name of a good time!

Feline Playtime Tips It’s important to keep your cat active by engaging them in playful activity a few times a day. Help your cat conquer playtime and stay active with these simple tips and toys from the folks at Temptations Brand. It’s as easy as play, pounce and purr!

• Rotating Toys: Don’t let your cat get bored with the same old playthings. Swap a rotation of toys in and out of the mix to keep your cat alert and entertained.

• Fun at New Heights: Cats love climbing, pouncing and exploring. Place enticing cat toys on top of boxes, scratching posts and other feline-friendly surfaces to encourage curiosity during playtime.

• Meowing Mirror: Mount mirrors in play areas, which will not only amuse your cat, but also help him socialize! (Family Features) Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Meouch –

Common Cat Ailments

Cats are widely considered low maintenance pets, but even the most independent feline can use a helping hand from his owner every now and again. That helping hand is perhaps most necessary when cats find themselves facing a health issue they can’t overcome. The following are a handful of common cat ailments and what cat owners can do to help their furry friends go back to living life to the fullest.

Feline lower urinary tract diseases Many things can cause a cat to get a feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD. A collection of clinical symptoms that can be caused by a host of factors, FLUTD can prevent a cat from fully emptying its bladder and may even lead to a fatal block of the urethra, which is the tube connecting the bladder to the outside of the body. Cats that are overweight or obese might be susceptible to urinary tract problems, and those suffering from FLUTD may experience frequent or painful urination, bloody urine and frequent licking of the urinary opening. Other indicators of urinary tract problems in cats include a hard, distended abdomen, prolonged squatting in the litter box and possibly fear or avoidance of the litter box that leads to soiling in inappropriate places.

Cat owners who suspect their cats are suffering from FLUTD should bring their cats to the veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian will conduct a complete physical examine and order a urinalysis, and the results of these tests will determine treatment, which varies depending on the cause of the problem and the doctor’s prognosis.

May 2015

Fleas Cats with fleas may be constantly scratching at their skin, which be covered with tiny black dots. Such dots are flea dirt. In addition, cats with fleas may suffer hair loss and their skin may be noticeably red or irritated.

Fleas pose a serious threat to cats, as they can live on felines for more than a year and increase cats’ risk of anemia, a condition in which cats have less of the red blood cells they need to carry oxygen to the tissues in their bodies. A veterinarian can design a course of treatment for cats suffering from fleas.

Tapeworms The most common internal parasite found in cats, tapeworms can live inside a cat’s small intestine, and cat owners may be shocked to learn that these parasites can grow as long as two feet. Cats fighting a tapeworm infection may vomit or lose a noticeable amount of weight. But it’s important that cat owners recognize vomiting is very common in cats, and not necessarily indicative of tapeworms.

Cats often get tapeworms as a result of fleas, so it’s important that owners of cats with fleas address the flea issue first before addressing the tapeworms. If a flea issue is allowed to continue without treatment while a tapeworm issue is addressed, the tapeworms are likely to return. Veterinarians will likely prescribe medication to treat tapeworm infections.

Diarrhea Diarrhea is another common ailment in cats and can be the result of an allergy, spoiled food or infection. Some cases of diarrhea are indicative of a more serious problem. Diarrhea that lasts longer than 24 hours should be brought to the attention of a vet.

Cats have independent streaks that may result in owners missing certain signs of health problems, so owners should always be on the lookout and take immediate action if any such signs appear. PE154087

Age equivalents for your cat Cat owners know that the responsibility of caring for their favorite felines as those animals age. But owners may not know just what constitutes an “aging” pet. Many might go by the popular notion that one dog year is equal to seven human years. But that figure is not quite accurate and is rarely associated with cats, leaving many cat owners to wonder the age equivalents for their furry companions.

The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that determining the age equivalent of pets is not as simple as “1 human year = X cat/dog years.” But the AVMA does calculate pet age in human terms, and the following are the equivalents on which they tend to rely.

Cat Human years = years 7 45 10 58 15 75 20 98

Did you know?

The Humane Society of the United States and the American Pet Products Association say 20 percent of the 83.3 million owned dogs in 2012 were adopted from animal shelters. Of the 95.6 million owned cats in the United States that same year, 26 percent were adopted from animal shelters. With between six and eight million animals entering shelters each year, adoption should be one of the first considerations for people looking to bring pets into their homes. TF154096

PrimeTime | 15

business

Supporting independence with quality and reliability.

Spotlight

Lifespan Laboratories* Where accurate and expediency in test results are guaranteed 622 George Washington Highway, Lincoln, RI 02865 LifespanHomeMedical.org

Lincoln Mall

401-335-9000

Highest Quality, Easiest Access .OW !CCEPTING "LUE #ROSS "LUE 3HIELD -%$)#!2% !$6!.4!'% "LUE#(I0 s #OMPLETE RANGE OF THE MOST ADVANCED LABORATORY TESTS s LOCATIONS n .O APPOINTMENT NECESSARY For information on our Patient Service Center Lab locations: Call 401-793-4242 or 1-800-980-4244 or visit www.Lifespanlabs.org *RIH Ventures d.b.a Lifespan Laboratories

Spotlight your business

Includes your Ad and 1 Story & Photograph!

4-Month Commitment – $200/month Call today

(401) 732-3100 16 | PrimeTime

To many patients who visit doctor’s offices or hospitals, procedures such as drawing blood or other specimens are pretty straightforward and commonplace. Drawing these specimens, however, is only the first step in a long line of successive steps whose final outcome yields important, even lifesaving, information.

Once these samples are procured, they are then sent to laboratories to be tested and analyzed.

Armed with these For all your laboratory test results, join the hundreds of critical results, phy- patients who rely on the accurate and timely services of sicians and health Lifespan Laboratories. care providers can then develop treatment plans essential to the care of their patients. There is no room for error in this process, which is why the professional and progressive services of Lifespan Laboratories are so highly sought after.

Accredited by both the College of American Pathologists and the American Association of Blood Banks, Lifespan Laboratories operates an integrated set of coordinated laboratories throughout the state. These are the region’s largest and most sophisticated testing facilities, setting the highest standards for speed and accuracy.

Lifespan Laboratories are also the first laboratories in the entire region to use the patented Power Express™ technology. This system routes samples through the automated laboratory in the quickest and most efficient manner. This expediency both increases patient safety and makes the diagnostic process easier and faster for them and their doctors. When waiting for test results can often seem like an eternity, the speed and efficiency of Lifespan Laboratories provide true comfort and peace of mind.

How laboratories test samples and send results can vary greatly from lab to lab, but because the process at Lifespan Laboratories is automated, they are far “ahead of the curve�. As Dr. Douglas Anthony, the chief of pathology at Rhode Island and Miriam Hospitals explains: “The quality is better with this advanced technology. It is mostly hands-off. There is no chance for cross contamination between specimens and it is 100% accurate in linking the results with the specific test tube.�

The process of testing specimen samples unfolds in this way: Samples come to the lab by way of laboratories and physician offices throughout the region, involving over 3.2 million tests a year. Each sample is then entered into a computer by a lab technician, or entered directly by the doctor via Lifespan’s LifeChart systems. Once a bar code is produced identifying the sample and patient, the sample is then placed in a tray where robotics take over. These new-age robotics can run 34,000 tests in about three days. The dramatically diminished turnaround time means that physicians can receive results and diagnose patients faster than ever before. Safety and accuracy are major priorities in this advanced laboratory where the focus remains, as always, on the patient.

To find a laboratory near you, visit their informative website at LifespanLabs.org or call Lifespan Labs Customer Service number at 401-793-4242 or 1-800-9804244. Their main office is located at 148 West River Street (Suite #4) in Providence.

All 55 labs have their own hours of operation, so click onto a Lifespan Laboratory near you to get directions, hours, and more.

*RIH Ventures d.b.a. Lifespan Laboratories

May 2015

business Spotlight

Scalabrini Villa Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center

Recently designated “Deficiency Free” for another year Sitting shoulder to shoulder in a sunlit room at Scalabrini Villa Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center are Kristen Bernardo and her 76-year old mother Margaret McKnight. Margaret’s hand rests gently on her daughter’s knee, moving only to stroke her hair from time to time as they quietly reminisce about days gone by. It is a private moment for this mother/daughter pair, but is an oft repeated scene in this skilled nursing center in North Kingstown. Scalabrini Villa, located at the end of a tree-lined country road on 100 acres of land overlooking Narragansett Bay, is just the kind of place where residents like Margaret can thrive and be safe, and where a daughter like Kristen can feel the weight of worry and conflict literally lifted from her shoulders.

Scalabrini Villa, which is owned and operated by the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, has been providing skilled nursing care on this picturesque site since 1957. It is a vibrant and welcoming community that offers both acute long term care and short term rehabilitative care to patients and residents across the state.

The center houses 120 beds, including 72 semi-private and private skilled nursing rooms and 16 private rooms devoted entirely to rehabilitation patients. There is a secure memory loss unit where the staff is professionally trained in dementia care and where activities are tailored to meet residents’ specific needs. Finally, specialized palliative care and end-of-life services are offered here.

Among these comfortable rooms are many enclosed and tranquil sunrooms for visiting and private family gatherings, a fully-equipped and staffed therapy room, and a newly renovated dining area. In the many common areas spread throughout the center, there is life and activity, where residents enjoy games, entertainment, physical exercise and intergenerational programs.

There is also an expansive outdoor terrace with sweeping views of Narragansett Bay and the Quidnessett Country Club golf course. A gracefully landscaped “Memory Garden” with memorial bricks and benches is planned for this fall. Most importantly, all the residents here are tended to by a caring, dedicated and compassionate interdisciplinary team of rehabilitative therapists, social workers, culinary specialists, CNA’s, nurses, activities coordinators and administrators.

Finally, one of the features that sets this unique center apart from others is the special opportunity it affords those who enjoy religious worship. While the main denomination is Catholic, the religious identity and tradition of everyone is respected by the Villa’s pastoral team. Daily Catholic Mass and monthly Ecumenical services are held in the center’s light-filled, half-round chapel.

Scalabrini Villa is proud to be participating in this month’s National Nursing Home Week, kicking off on Mother’s Day. The staff, residents and their families will be treated to a week of festivities ending with a cookout by the bay.

If you are looking for a supportive and compassionate setting for your loved one, schedule at tour today at Scalabrini Villa Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center. For more information, call 401-884-1802 or visit their website at www.scalabrinivilla.com.

Scalabrini Villa is located at 860 North Quidnessett Road in North Kingstown.

Scandinavian Home, inc. skilled nursing & rehabilitation center 1811 Broad Street, Cranston, RI 02905

401-461-1433

~

assisted living community

50 Warwick Avenue, Cranston, RI 02905

401-461-1444

A Community Built with Care!

www.ScandinavianHome.com

Non-Profit - Founded in 1930

100 Houghton St. Providence, RI 02904

401-487-1029

M-F 10am-6pm – Sat 10am-3pm

www.goodwillri.org

Refurbished Electronics – Microsoft Registered Refurbishers Budget friendly Computers and Electronics for families • small businesses • students churches • non-profits Large Inventory - 6 month warranty on computers

20% off your computer purchase with this coupon

Looking to promote your products or services to a growing group of Baby Boomers & seniors?

Look no further...

business

Spotlight

The close-knit staff at Scalabrini Villa, including Administrator Joy Ryan (center) and Director of Nursing Julie Bamisile (seated, left) gather for a group photo.

May 2015

Call Donna to find out more

401-732-3100

PrimeTime | 17

Westbay Café…More than a Meal Making a luncheon reservation at our eight Westbay Cafes is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

May Special Meals Thurs., May 7 – Mother’s Day Luncheon Chicken Soup, Stuffed Chicken Breast, Broccoli, Roasted Potatoes, Dessert or Roast Beef Sandwich Friday, May 1 – May Day Breakfast Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes, Bacon & Sausage, Home Fries, Croissant, Orange Juice & Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, May 20 – Bring A Friend Day Vegetable Soup, Sliced Turkey w/Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Peas & Onions, Cranberry Sauce, Apple Square or Chef Salad

Monday, May 4 – Rhode Island Day! Ri Clam Chowder, Stuffed Quahog, Hot Wieners, Corn on the Cob, Coffee ice Cream or Seafood Salad

Thurs., May 21 – Memorial Day Luncheon Tossed Salad, Hot Dogs & Hamburgers, Potato Salad, 3 Bean Salad, Strawberry Shortcake or Spinach Salad

Our caterer provides the following three options (two each day) for your meal • Hearty Traditional Meal – Appetizer, Main Entrée with sides (potato, vegetables) • Pub Option – Delicious Sandwich • Spa Option – Lighter, healthy option for those on the go All luncheons include an appetizer, bread, dessert and coffee or tea

For more information, please call patty martucci, Assistant Director of Senior nutrition program

401-732-4666 ext. 142

Senior CenterS Charlestown 401-364-9955 East Greenwich 401-886-8638 Jamestown 401-423-2658 The Center–S. Kingstown 401-789-0268 West Warwick 401-822-4450 Westerly 401-596-2404 Senior ApArtmentS (you do not have to be a resident) Park View-Westerly 401-596-4918 Shalom Apartments 401-737-0180

We invite seniors age 60 and older and individuals with disabilities to join us at these Cafes for a nutritious lunch. The suggested donation is $3/person. Reservations are necessary and should be made by Thursday for the following week.

ImmedIate CrematIon ServICe

$1,095.00 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.

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

18 | PrimeTime

May 2015

b y daniel kittredge

senior

Meet the

issues

New

Director For Fogarty, new role as elderly affairs director ‘like going home’ Public service is a tradition for Charles Fogarty. So is serving the Ocean State’s senior population.

A former Glocester town councilman, state senator, lieutenant governor and candidate for governor, he served as director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training for four years under Gov. Lincoln Chafee before being nominated for director of the Division of Elderly Affairs by Gov. Gina Raimondo.

“It’s kind of like going home a little bit,” he said of his new role, recalling his time as a member of the Citizens Commission for the Safety and Care of the Elderly and the Home and Community Care Advisory Board while serving as lieutenant governor. “There’s some new challenges and new opportunities.”

Confirmed by the Senate for the new post in January, the 59-year-old Fogarty has been meeting with senior center directors, various associations and groups, and representatives from assisted living and nursing facilities.

He praised Paula Parker, the division’s assistant director, for the leadership she provided between the departure of former director Catherine Taylor – who stepped down last year to seek the lieutenant governor’s office – and his arrival.

“She has done a wonderful job,” he said.

Parker had glowing reviews for Fogarty as well.

“We’re thrilled,” she said. “Our new director has a very strong legacy in this area.”

Fogarty takes the reins of the Division of Elderly Affairs as it is facing several key issues and priorities.

The agency – which has roughly 30 full-time employees – is working to replace Larry Grimaldi, who worked in elderly affairs for nearly three decades and was a familiar voice to seniors through his “Rhode Island Senior Beat” newspaper columns.

“He was a trusted friend to seniors,” Fogarty said.

Filling his position, the director added, is a “priority for us” – as is creating a “more dynamic and robust” means of distributing valuable information about the resources and assistance available to seniors, caregivers and others.

“I think we can do a better job of communicating,” May 2015

he said, also pointing to minority community outreach as an area of emphasis.

Perhaps the most essential challenge facing the division is adapting to meet the needs of modern seniors – a population that is quickly growing and changing. Fogarty noted that Rhode Island has one of the largest elder populations in the nation.

“There’ll be a higher demand for services …There are not limitless resources,” he said. “What are we doing that we can do differently and better?”

The ongoing discussion concerning health care costs – and the governor’s creation of a “Working Group to Reinvent Medicaid” as part of an effort to address a yawning structural budget deficit – is a significant piece of the equation.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenging year,” Fogarty said, pointing to the core question of “how we deal with all sorts of services … providing better outcomes for less money.”

From the perspective of Fogarty and his agency, keeping aging Rhode Islanders “at home an independent as long as possible” is a major objective. Aside from the obvious quality-of-life benefits, he said, doing so is a far more cost-effective than placement in nursing facilities or other options.

“In terms of a financial investment, it’s a no-brainer,” he said.

Outreach is vital in the mission of keeping seniors independent, and Fogarty said senior centers provide one of the most effective means to connect older Rhode Islanders with transportation, social opportunities, financial tools and other resources.

“Senior centers are really the front line in dealing with the senior population,” he said. “This division has always had a good relationship with the senior centers.”

Involving non-profits, local governments and other community partners is also essential, Fogarty said. He pointed to Meals on Wheels as an example of a “tremendous program” that is run at a low cost.

“That’s very important, keeping those lines of communication open … We’ve got to collaborate,” he said.

Technology also has a role to play. Fogarty noted

that many seniors are increasingly comfortable with mobile devices and other modern tools, which provide a more direct link to information and resources than has previously been available.

“Contrary to popular belief, seniors do know how to use a computer,” he said.

Given that today’s seniors are more active later in life than their predecessors – and have a different set of expectations for their golden years – Fogarty said appealing to, and harnessing the energy of, the group he calls “younger seniors” provides a unique opportunity.

“We have a whole group … that doesn’t see themselves as seniors,” he said. “There are opportunities, I think, for them to give back … How can we tap into that talent, potential and energy?”

Fogarty said he hopes to promote volunteerism among “younger seniors” as part of the broader push toward involvement, healthy and active lifestyles, and innovation.

“The bottom line is not just about dollars and cents,” he said. “Our greatest resource is the people of this state.”

Fogarty spoke highly of Raimondo, saying she shares his commitment to serving seniors and “recognizes the important of protecting and serving the elderly people of our state.”

“I’m excited to be in this administration,” he said.

For Fogarty and the division’s staff, the reward is found in the day-to-day effort to provide assistance where needed and improve the lives of seniors, their families and caregivers.

“It’s not a job, it’s really a labor of love,” he said.

“It’s making a difference for somebody … That’s the mission.”

PrimeTime | 19

b y tim f o rsberg

lifestyles

Before being buried by last winter’s snow, Rhode Island residents dealt with flurries of another kind:

winter moths update

spring

The invasive species Operophtera brumata, known better as the winter moth, was out in force last season after Thanksgiving. Adult insects were spotted congregating by the hundreds or thousands on lights, houses, cars and home interiors and exteriors, becoming a nuisance for many.

And while winter was ferocious and the adults are long gone, the next generation is now here.

“They’ve just started hatching, and they’re quite healthy,” said Heather Faubert, a research assistant at the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, a specialist who has been closely monitoring the bug in Rhode Island. “They’re doing just what we’d expect healthy eggs to do.”

The moth arrived in Canada in tree wood brought by ship from Europe during the early 20th century. The insects made their way to Rhode Island around 2005 and were first noticed in Bristol and Warwick. Until the last few years, distribution in Rhode Island was not widespread. With no native predators, however, they can now be found throughout the state.

This creature has a particularly unusual life cycle, becoming an adult after the late fall frost. The females, which are flightless and remain largely unseen, laid eggs in the crevices of tree bark last year that have lain dormant. The eggs start out orange in color, and then they turn blue just before they hatch.

“I put up bands on the trees in the fall to stop the females as they were coming up from the ground, so they would stop and lay a lot of eggs,” said Faubert of monitoring stations throughout the state, including the Rocky Point Blueberry Farm. “I took down the bands about a month ago and we’ve been monitoring eggs at five different locations and they just started turning blue last week, and they just started hatching on Saturday.”

Hatching caterpillars will crawl up trees and drill into the leaf buds as they are starting to swell and open, or feast on already open leaves, which can kill the plant. The caterpillars will feed until mid June, grow to about an inch in size, and then migrate down the trees and into the soil to pupate until they emerge as adults.

While there wasn’t much that residents could do last year to control the population once the insect had reached adulthood, the tables have now turned.

“If someone is trying to protect their apples and blueberries, I would suggest they spray immediately. Blueberry and apple growers need to get them before they get into the buds because if they feed inside they destroy it,” said Faubert.

20 | PrimeTime

“If they have landscape trees, one can wait [to spray] until the buds open up, and the caterpillars will still be small and exposed.”

If the caterpillars get inside the buds and the buds remain closed, they’re protected from any pesticides. Faubert recommends property owners use a biological insecticide to specifically target the moth.

“If they’re spraying now, use a Spinosad Insecticide, and there’s one available for homeowners called Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew,” said Faubert.

“Once buds open use a Bt product, Bacillus thuringiensis, products like DiPel, that only kill caterpillars. With this, the insects have to be feeding on sprayed leaves in order to kill them.”

In addition, Faubert and her team are working on a project to release a bio-control – an introduced predator – to counter the spread of the moth. The moth’s natural predator, a fly called Cyzenis albican, was first released at Goddard Park in Warwick in 2011 and has finally become established. Considered a longterm solution, it will take several years for the flies to grow in population size to effectively control the moth.

In the meantime, spraying may help control the moth’s spread.

“It seems like people’s flowering cherry trees get especially hard hit, so if someone wanted to choose one tree or two trees in their yard that they’d like to spray, that would be it,” recommended Faubert. “They seem to be suffering a lot.”

May 2015

your home

professional perspective

b y virginia burke , es q .

senior issues

p re s i d e n t / c e o , r h o d e i s l a n d h e a l t h c a re a s s o c i a t i o n

by BRUCE LANE president of senior real estate solutions

Radon.

What is it and what can you as a homeowner do about it?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released during the breakdown of small amounts of uranium present in soil, rock and water over time. Soil type, location, and house construction all play an important role in whether or not radon is present in a home. If outdoors, radon is released into the atmosphere.

A house however, can trap the gas, possibly presenting a health hazard, which is why testing is necessary.

On average, radon is linked to 21,000 deaths each year nationwide. Compared to our country’s population of 320 million, this may not seem like a huge number but radon still ranks as the number two cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. It’s invisible and odorless but certainly not harmless. The good news is, radon can be remedied fairly easily.

The only way to be certain if you have a problem that needs to be dealt with is to have a simple and inexpensive test performed on your home. Generally, it’s recommended that you perform a short term test first. A long term test may be needed if warranted by the results of the short term test. You can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $125 for a short term test and $150 for the more involved test.

Although radon is present all over the United States, naturally levels are higher in some areas than in others. In Rhode Island’s five counties, radon levels vary widely. Radon levels are presented in ‘picocuries’ and the national average is 1.3.

By comparison, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health, Rhode Island’s Bristol county average is 2.1, the area in the state with the lowest average radon levels, followed by Providence County at 2.8, Kent County at 3.3, Newport County at 3.6, and Washington County at 4.7. Keep in mind that these are simply averages and test results can vary widely from town to town and in fact from house to house. The Environmental Protection Agency’s action level is 4.0, meaning that thorough testing and/or mitigation should be performed on any occupied structure over this reading.

If you’re interested in educating yourself on radon, your state and federal government have some helpful websites: The Rhode Island Department of Health’s site on radon, www.ri-radon.info or the U.S. Government’s www.epa.gov/radon/ pubs both contain a wealth of useful information, including links to publications, organizations and businesses concerning radon.

If you’re thinking of selling your home and you haven’t had a radon test, it’s a good idea to have this potential problem eliminated before an interested buyer requests a test prior to purchasing your property. Today, radon tests are common during the home inspection process. By testing before you put your home on the market, you can take care of any potential problems before you scare a buyer away and if no issue exists, then you will have proof that no harmful conditions exist.

Bruce Lane is the President of Senior Real Estate Solutions, a non-profit referral service for seniors looking for reliable home repair & maintenance services.

If you have home maintenance questions, send them to Bruce@BruceLane.com or via the Senior Real Estate Solutions website at www.seniorrealestatesolutionsri.com

Targeted Medicaid Cuts Not Based on Facts Seniors take notice. In presenting her proposed budget, Governor Raimondo outlined a desperate need for Medicaid savings, claiming that Rhode Island spends 65 percent more Medicaid dollars on our elderly than other states, and that our average cost per enrollee is the second highest in the country. If this were true, she would be justified in targeting huge cuts to Medicaid, but it’s not.

The Medicaid data on which the budget is based was pulled from incongruous sources from different years making it impossible to draw an apples to apples comparison between Rhode Island’s Medicaid spending and national averages. The data, compiled during the previous administration, appears to be a cobbled together attempt to support a hypothetical conclusion: If Rhode Island faces a huge deficit, then Medicaid, as one of the largest expenses in that budget, must need a makeover. If reliable reports are used, it becomes plain that we don’t spend more on our seniors – if anything, we spend less. Moreover, the assertion that Rhode Island has the second highest Medicaid “cost per enrollee” is meaningless.

Here’s why: Medicaid covers four main eligibility groups: poor children, their parents, the disabled, and the elderly. The first two groups are relatively healthy, and thus relatively cheap to cover. The second two groups are much more expensive – understandably, the typical person in the elderly or disabled group has much more intensive needs than a person in the parents or kids group. Therefore, it’s easy to understand that the “per enrollee” spending by state depends on how many of each group are in the enrollment pool. A state with primarily healthy parents and kids, is obviously going to have lower “per enrollee” costs than a state with a large percentage of elderly and disabled

individuals – like Rhode Island.

We are fifth in the nation with respect to the percentage of our “aged” Medicaid enrollees who are aged 85 and older.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, commonly known as CMS, Medicaid costs for elders aged 85 and above are more than twice that of elders aged 64 to 84. On top of that we are in the geographic region with the highest labor costs. Our “per aged enrollee” spending should properly be much higher than other states. But it isn’t. In fact, in contrast to the premise upon which the cuts were founded, our long term care continuum is pinching pennies on health care and going without, and our spending, when comparing apples to apples data, is at or below national averages. The Medicaid program shortchanges our state’s elders.

So what does all this mean? It means that millions of dollars of Medicaid funding cuts are targeted based on faulty assumptions. And who will feel the brunt of this the most? Those with the most intensive needs, like our elderly and disabled citizens, for whom the cost of providing care is the highest. In Rhode Island, fully two-thirds of the 24-hour skilled nursing care delivered in our nursing homes is paid for by Medicaid. With more than $28 million in cuts targeted to nursing home care alone, access to quality care will be diminished.

Those of us who work in long term care understand that our Governor and legislature are challenged by an enormous budget deficit and are faced with hard decisions – decisions that should only be made with all the facts in front of them. There is too much at stake to cut services based on flawed information. Surely we can do better.

For more information about proposed Medicaid cuts to skilled nursing care, and links to contact your legislators, visit www.rihca.com.

Rated The Nation’s Best Gutter Protection No Holes, No Gaps, No Openings = ZERO CLOGGED GUTTERS

F R E E E S T I M AT E S

1-800-290-6106

www.LeafFilter.com Promo Number: 99

Senior Discounts Available

May 2015

Over 15 Million Feet Installed, ZERO Clogged Gutters!!!

$

250OFF Whole House

Must present at time of estimate.

Not valid with any other offers.

100 ft minimum.

100OFF

$

Any Size Installation Must present at time of estimate.

Not valid with any other offers.

PrimeTime | 21

senior

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

RI

chapter

Good Fit For A Good Cause

Walk To End Alzheimer’s team captain and champion fundraiser, Lauren Ezovski, teams up with her friend Sabrina Roberts, owner Fairlawn Golf Course for a Fun Family Day to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter

Lauren Ezovski is a caregiver for her mom, Jackie Ezovski, who has Alzheimer’s disease. She resides now in a secured unit in Rhode Island. Lauren is also a wife, a mom, and a very energetic fundraiser. The Fairlawn Family Fundraiser will take place at Fairlawn Golf Course at 3 Sherman Avenue, Lincoln.

As a Lincoln native, Lauren contacted her friend from high school, Sabrina Roberts about hosting the event at Fairlawn. “I decided to donate the Fairlawn Golf Course for Lauren’s event because she mentioned she was looking for a great place to hold a fantastic fundraiser and I just felt it was a good fit for her cause. The facility has a very family friendly atmosphere,” said Sabrina Roberts, owner.

For a $20 donation, your admission includes a cookout buffet, bounce house, face painting, Father’s Day crafts, lawn games and more! There will be music, games for prizes and raffles, and a cash bar. Raffle items include Jackie Ezovski and granddaughters Twin River CES Boxing, Launch Molly (left) and Lily McGurn tickets, Hasbro toys, Red Sox, Alex and Ani and more.

Let’s not forgot why Lauren feels so strongly about raising money for Alzheimer’s disease. “My mom was diagnosed in 2008, since that day our lives have been changed. My mom was a 3rd grade teacher at Ashton Elementary School in Cumberland, RI for over 30 years; she walked 4 miles a day, only drank water, did puzzles and read all the time. This disease does not discriminate. She retired in

22 | PrimeTime

issues

her early 50’s and little did we know she had the beginnings of early onset dementia.

She took care of my father who at the time was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

My father passed away in October of 2007 and my mom was becoming more and more forgetful. We went to the doctors in the beginning of 2008 where she was diagnosed with Dementia. My daughters are never going to know what a fantastic grandmother they could have had; I am slowly losing my mom every single day. I fully understand what the Long Goodbye is now. Needless to say, my family has been completely turned upside down because of the growing effects of the disease and instead of feeling helpless we are determined to do something about it! So with all of your help we will put a much needed voice to this disease.”

Many know first-hand the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease, just like Lauren. At the Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter, we have a 24/7 Helpline. So many people do not know where to turn when they hear the diagnosis of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Statistics show that two thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death in the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.

The Alzheimer’s Association is funded by individual donations and public and private foundation grants. The Fairlawn fundraiser will support programs and services like our 24/7 Helpline, Support Groups, Early Stage Engagement program for persons diagnosed with early memory loss, education and training programs, care consultations. All of our programs for families are free.

Sabrina Roberts, owner of Fairlawn also knows the importance of helping others. We are so grateful for her generosity in hosting this event. “We’re a family run business. We know the importance of helping those who need it. We want to help causes that are near and dear to us..”

The Fairlawn Family Fundraiser is a prelude to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, a pre-event for Father’s Day, and a kickoff to summer so join us on June 20th. For more information and tickets to the event, visit crowdrise.com/alztogethernow or facebook.com/alztogethernow About the Alzheimer’s Association The Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter, an affiliate of the National Alzheimer’s Association, is a private, non profit organization started in 1989 by family caregivers and interested community healthcare professionals. The Chapter programs and services include a 24/7 Helpline, Support Groups, Training for Families, Early Stage Engagement, Newsletter, Advocacy, Resource Library, Conferences, Lectures, and special fundraising events.

If you are interested in receiving more information about Chapter programs and events, please contact Development Director, Camilla Farrell, cfarrell@alz.org or call 1-800-272-3900.

May 2015

Educational series for caregivers Powerful Tools for Caregivers is an educational series designed to help family caregivers take care of themselves while caring for a relative or friend over the age of 60. Two sessions of this free 6 week course will be held at the Cornerstone Memory Care Center, 140 Warwick Neck Ave., Warwick.

Session 1 will be held on Tuesday evenings May 5, 12, 19, 26, and June 2th & 9th at 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Session 2 will be held on Wednesday mornings May 6, 13, 20, 27, and June 3rd & June 10th at 10:00am – 11:30am.

This course provides tools to help caregivers: Reduce stress, balance their lives, improve communication and decision making skills and locate helpful resources Care for a loved one while the series meets will be provided during the morning sessions only.

To register, call Lynne Corey at 401-739-2844. Space is limited. The sessions will be conducted by Cornerstone Case Managers, Eileen Unger and Paula Dunne. Materials and support for this class are provided by Cornerstone Adult Services and the Diocese of Providence, Office of Community Services and Catholic Charities.

Cornerstone Adult Services is a member of Saint Elizabeth Community, a not for profit provider of services to seniors with ten RI locations that include, adult day centers, affordable apartments for seniors, affordable assisted living, rehab and nursing centers. For more information go to www.stelizabethcommunity.org.

Saint Elizabeth Place employee awarded statewide honor

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

James Boxser (left), director of maintenance, at Saint Elizabeth Place in Providence, wa recognized for exceptional service with the 2015 John Hedderson Award by LeadingAge RI. Saint Elizabeth Place Administrator Kenneht Cote (right) presented the award. Boxser was singled out among more than 2,000 employees of LeadingAge organizations for his unwavering commitment to the seniors at Saint Elizabeth Place. In addition to his full-time position at Saint Elizabeth Place, Boxser also serves as a deacon at the Pawtuxet Baptist Church.

LeadingAge RI (formerly known as RIAFSA) was founded in 1989 and represents the continuum of long- term care providers in Rhode Island, including not-for-profit nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and senior housing providers, as well as adult day health centers.

St. Clare-Newport begins construction St. Clare-Newport, 309 Spring Street, Newport, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new $15.28 million addition to the nursing facility on April 22. The addition will house 32 skilled nursing units, 40 independent / assisted living units, an adult day health program and a new “household model of care.”

The expansion will take 15-18 months to complete and will include new parking facilities, courtyards, café, and views of the harbor from the restaurant style dining room. A media room, fitness center and spa are also planned.

In addition to keeping seniors in Rhode Island, the project will create 34 new permanent healthcare positions as well as nearly 200 temporary construction jobs.

May 2015

FEATURES InclUdEd in your rent: Heat, Hot Water, Appliances, Elevators, Emergency Pull Cords, Laundry Facilities, Parking, Intercom, 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance Service, Cable Ready Apartments, Community Room equipped with Computer, Out Door Patio & Furniture, Flower Gardens, On-Site Management FEATURES noT included in your rent: Electric Lights, Monthly Cable and Phone

AdElAntE Apts.

Providence, RI AllEgriA Court Johnston, RI lACAsA Apts.

S. Kingstown, RI

• ApArtments AvAilAble •

plAzA EspErAnzA Apts.

West Warwick, RI sAugAtuCkEt springs Hopkinton, RI

• ApArtments AvAilAble •

WildbErry Apts.

West Warwick, RI rodMAn CoMMons South Kingstown, RI • ApArtments AvAilAble •

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES CORPORATION 861A Broad Street Providence, RI

401-941-2900 www.wdchoc.org PrimeTime | 23

lifestyles

Dreaming of Gardens?

A Design & Care Primer Does walking into a nursery or browsing through plant catalogs give you a headache? Do you agonize over where to start? Do you wonder how can you get your plants to look like, or somewhat like, those in the catalogs?

Planning next season’s garden does not need to be a chore. Getting your plants to respond well is within your ability. Several general steps, some that you are probably already doing, can get you the results you want.

Designing Draw a diagram of your lot. Include your house, drive, walks, patios and other hardscape (permanent) fixtures. Also, include any buried pipes and wires, plus any overhead wires that may interfere with any work you will do. This map of hardscape features is the backbone of your design.

Now, add the large shrubs and trees that are permanent fixtures in your yard. Note their height. Note distinctive shady and sunny areas and mark where they reach. Use this information to help influence your plant selections.

Walk around and view different parts of your landscape. Take note of the paths you use and the views from these areas. Go to places from where you will view your plant beds, including inside your house. How wide is your view? How deep is it? Is it shady (lighten the area with light colored shade plants) or sunny? Measure the size of these planting beds.

Choosing Plants Now you are ready to select plants. Remember, you are

the one who will be looking at these plants. So pick plants that you will enjoy!

• Annual plants generally have more color and “pop.” Perennials provide stability and anchor your landscape design.

• Do you want to vary color, leaf size (plant texture), height and density, or do you want a smooth flow?

• Consider the soil type, slope, and micro-climate for each part of your yard. These will indicate what plants do well in each part of your yard.

• How much work and money do you want to put into your landscape?

Reaching Potential To make sure your plants reach their full potential, you will need to water and fertilize to meet each plant’s needs.

Watering Each kind of plant will have its own needs as to frequency and amount of watering. For easier care, put plants with similar water requirements near each other.

“Deep watering” means watering to full rooting depth. This encourages deep rooting.

It is done relatively infrequently. Let the soil dry out somewhat between watering. “Frequent watering” usually means the plant has shallow roots or is a big user of water. Daily watering of these plants may be necessary during hot, dry summer weather.

Personal, Professional In-Home Health Services Since 1978 Skilled Nursing Care Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Home Therapy

Homemaker Services

Plan ahead for your care at home after surgery.

At the hospital, ask for Cathleen Naughton Associates for your visiting nurse service.

We are specialists in Home Nursing and Therapy Care.

Medicare and most major insurances accepted.

Perennials Fertilize perennials when you first transplant. Mix your slow release fertilizer into the soil with the roots. Use non-burning fertilizers, like Milorganite GardenCare 6-2-0, so you don’t harm tender roots. Fertilize perennials again in mid-summer and, if you have flowering perennials, fertilize at bud set. A final application about 45 days before perennials go into winter dormancy gives them time to store adequate nutrients to survive the winter.

As always, look for plant-specific information. Plant tags, your local nursery, and your county horticulture extension agent are excellent sources. Don’t forget that your personal experience , the amount of growth you want, the type of soil you have and the micro-climate you live in will dictate your plant selections.

Courtesy of ARA Content

A CAreLink PArtner

ʲŽŁ ƖLJLJ² ²ʻ ²ƖDZʻ !DZʲȇƖDZŁ Th e U lT i m aT e

in

a ssi sT ed l i v i ng

Refined, gracious and elegant.

Please call 401-767-2574 to schedule your personal tour.

400 Mendon Road, No. Smithfield, RI 02896 Located on the beautiful Saint Antoine Community campus.

Providence 751-9660 www.cathleennaughtonassoc.com

24 | PrimeTime

Annuals Annual plants, growing faster than perennials, respond faster to fertilizer applications. General recommendations are to fertilize at seeding or planting, and again when buds are set. Using

slow-release fertilizer results in steady growth and full blooms. Deadhead spent flowers to help many annuals continue to bud and flower.

Having a Hip or Knee Replacement?

Social Services Home Support Services

Fertilizing Landscape plants respond very well to fertilizers with a high percent of slow release organic nitrogen. This slow release nitrogen gradually releases as plants need it. Plants aren’t “pushed” to grow faster than they should, and don’t end up with unsightly, leggy growth.

Fertilizers such as Milorganite GardenCare 6-2-0 contain over 85 percent slow release organic nitrogen. This nitrogen is released only as plants need it.

According to Melinda Myers, horticulture author and speaker, “Milorganite products, including Milorganite GardenCare 6-2-0, provide organic nitrogen for even feeding. Milorganite products, with their high percent of slow release organic nitrogen, help plants overcome the stress of summer heat and dry weather. They also add non-staining iron, which helps make sure that plants reach their full potential for deep, green color.”

Wakefield 783-6116

www.stantoine .net Offering daily mass and rosary.

A health care ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.

info@cathleennaughtonassoc.com

May 2015

PrimeTime

Pet Pics!

Wine of the Month Sponsored By ATWOOD

WINE & SPIRITS Meet Penny! She is Matt Bower’s 3-year-old Chocolate Lab.

Lexie & her best friend Sophie, an 11-year-old Weimaraner.

Visit us today and see our large variety of Wine, Beer ^ƉŝƌŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ 'ŝŌ ĂƐŬĞƚƐ 426 Atwood Ave|Cranston, RI atwoodwinespirits.com|944-6900 Mon-Sat 9-10|Sun 10-6

Donna Zarrella’s sweet Golden girls Skittles & Casey

Our choice for May’s Wine of the Month is

Leese-Fitch Zinfandel 750ml

9.98

$

Aroma These water loving Shih Tzu’s belong to Lisa Yuettner!

Toby is 6 and Teddy is 5.

Camilla Farrell’s pups Finnegan, a 2-year-old Golden Doodle and Philomena, an 11-year-old Lab.

This is Russell! He is Linda Nadeau’s 5-year-old Golden.

Fresh aromas of raspberries, fresh grated ginger, cinnamon stick, black cherry, and vanilla cream pie.

Taste

Blend: 83% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouchet, 7% Grenache, 1% Ǥ ϐ show notes of black cherry, fresh cranberry raspberry hard candy, crème soda, nutmeg ϐ ϐ of vanilla and coconut.

Pairings

Best friends Bella & Callie and Zazou, to the right, are Lisa Mardenli’s furry friends.

Snoopy Bourque is a handsome 10-year-old Shih Tzu

May 2015

The wine goes very well with lamb sliders topped with arugula or deep-dish lasagna with sausage and sweet roasted red peppers.

To see more of our favorite wines please join us in store or online!

PrimeTime | 25

1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (about 1/4 pound) For rolls, stir together warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Let stand 5–10 minutes or until foamy. Add butter, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Mix with electric mixer using dough hook on medium speed until combined. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix on medium speed until smooth, elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes.

Spray large bowl with vegetable pan spray.

Form dough into ball, place into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

For filling, stir together butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl until wellcombined.

Prepare 13-by-9-inch pan with vegetable pan spray.

Punch dough down and roll out to 18-by14-inch rectangle on floured surface. Spread filling onto dough and roll up from long end, like a jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal, trim ends and cut into 12 equally-sized pieces.

Place rolls into prepared pan; cover with plastic wrap and let rise 25–30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap from rolls and bake 25–29 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack while preparing glaze.

For glaze, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cream.

Cook over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a simmer; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Pour glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Rolls Cinnamon Rolls with

with Caramel Caramel Glaze Glaze

or this ends. ,

az. Raz hinks of gether, with

rning up to her re from. lieve is

e om, bread ecipe

isit

away

MOther’s Day Treat!

FAMILY FEATURES

W

Servings: 1 dozen rolls Rolls: 1 1/3 cups warm milk (105°F) 2 packages (1/4-ounce each) active dry yeast 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla Extract 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting Filling: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons bread flour 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon Glaze: 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 cup lightly-packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Cinnamon Rolls Pure with Vanilla 1 teaspoon Wilton Caramel Glaze Extract Servings: 1 dozen rolls Rolls: 1/4 teaspoon saltmilk (105°F) 1 1/3 cups warm 2 packages (1/4-ounce each) 1 cup confectioners’ sugar active dry yeast 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided (about 1/4 pound) 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 2 egg yolks teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla For rolls, stir1 together warm milk, yeast and Extract 3/4 sugar teaspoonin saltlarge bowl. Let stand 1 tablespoon 4 cups bread flour, plus more for until dusting foamy. Add butter, 5–10 minutes or remainingFilling: 31/2tablespoons sugar, cup (1 stick) butter, softenedegg yolks, cup granulated sugar vanilla and 1/3 salt.

Mix with electric mixer 2 tablespoons bread flour 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon using dough hook on medium speed until Glaze: 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter combined. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a 1/2 cup lightly-packed light brown sugar time, and mix on medium speed until smooth, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream teaspoon Wilton Pure5Vanilla elastic dough1 forms, about minutes.

Extract 1/4 teaspoon Spray large bowl salt with vegetable pan spray.

1 cup confectioners’ sugar (about 1/4 pound) Form dough into ball, place into bowl and For rolls, stir together warm milk, yeast and cover with1 tablespoon plasticsugar wrap. in largeLet bowl.stand Let standin warm minutes or until foamy. Add butter, place for 5–10 45 minutes or until doubled in size. remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Mix with electric mixer For filling, stirhook together using dough on mediumbutter, speed untilsugar, flour combined. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a and cinnamon bowl until welltime, andin mixmedium on medium speed until smooth, dough forms, about 5 minutes. combined.elastic Spray large bowl with vegetable pan spray. dough into ball, place into bowl and PrepareForm 13-by-9-inch pan with vegetable cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in warm for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. pan spray.place For filling, stir together butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl until wellPunch dough combined. down and roll out to 18-byPrepare 13-by-9-inch pan with vegetable 14-inch rectangle on floured surface. Spread pan spray.

Punch dough down and roll out to 18-byfilling onto dough and rollsurface. up from 14-inch rectangle on floured Spread long end, onto dough and roll up from long end, like a jellyfilling to trim seal, likeroll. a jelly Pinch roll. Pinch seam seam to seal, endstrim ends and cut into 12 equally-sized pieces. and cut into 12rolls equally-sized pieces.

Place into prepared pan; cover with plastic wrap and let rise 25–30 minutes or Place rolls into inprepared pan; cover with until doubled size.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap let rolls riseand25–30 minutes or plasticand wrap from bake 25–29 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan until doubled on wirein racksize. while preparing glaze.

For glaze, melt butter in saucepan over Meanwhile, heatAddoven to 350°F. medium heat. brown sugar and cream. Remove Cook over medium-high heat until mixture plastic wrap from rolls bakestirring 25–29 reaches a simmer; cook and for 1 minute, Remove from heat and stir in minutes orconstantly. until golden Cool in pan vanilla and salt.

Whisk inbrown. confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Pour glaze over warm on wire rack while preparing glaze. rolls. Serve warm.

For glaze, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cream.

Cook over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a simmer; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Pour glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm.

hether she’s your mom or a “like-a-mother” mentor, chances are you’ve got a lot to thank her for this Mother’s Day. It’s a time for celebrating your biggest supporters, number one fans and best friends.

In life, we’re lucky to form relationships with women we can learn from and grow with. Beth Somers, Elizabeth Nelson and Emily Tatak from the Wilton Test Kitchen consider themselves lucky.

Beth Somers, Director of Creative Content Development, owes her start to her former boss Milette Raz. Raz is trained in the Wilton Method of Cake DecoratingTM and taught Somers how to decorate. But Somers thinks of Raz as so much more — calling her a mentor, her second mother and her friend. Years after working together, the duo teamed up for Cupcake Wars on the Food Network, returning home as champions of season six with winning recipes like Tropical Getaway Cupcakes.

Elizabeth Nelson, Assistant Culinary Specialist, attributes her love of baking to her grandma Ann, learning the basics with her and picking up passed down recipes that she brought with her to college. She looks up to her mother, her grandmother and her great-grandmother, whom she’s told she also gets her competitive nature from.

Nelson and her grandmother went through a lot of trial and error together to come up with what they believe is the perfect cinnamon roll recipe, very similar to this recipe for Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze.

For Emily Tatak, preserving family recipes and continuing the traditions around the holidays and in the kitchen led to her career at Wilton as an Assistant Culinary Specialist. She owes her inspiration to her mom, who taught her how to bake. Together they iced cakes, decorated sugar cookies and even made a gingerbread house from scratch. Keeping with tradition, celebrating the holidays without grandma Irene’s Kolachy recipe just wouldn’t be the same.

For more recipe ideas to honor your mother or special mentor, such as Tropical Getaway Cupcakes, visit s.wilton.com/MentorKnowsBest.

Grandma’s Kolachy Cookies

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add flour, vanilla and salt; beat until just combined. Divide dough into 2 disks. Wrap with Servings: 6 1/2 dozen cookies plastic wrap and chill at least 12 hours.

1 package (8 ounces) cream Heat oven to 375°F. cheese, softened Working with 1 disk at a time, roll each to 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 1/8-inch thickness on generously floured surface. softened Cut cookies using 2-inch round cutter. Place on 2 cups all-purpose flour cookie sheet and make indentation in dough with 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure thumb. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon pastry filling into Vanilla Extract each indentation.

1/2 teaspoon salt 16–18 minutes or until edges are lightly Award-WinningBake Goodies Poppy seed, apricot and Celebrate that special browned. mother figure in Cool your life with this fruityon and pan flavorful recipe for Tropical Getaway cookies on cooling grid strawberry pastry filling Cupcakes, created by Beth Somers and Milette Raz. 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on Confectioners’ sugar, grid. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. for dusting

r a “like-a-mother” mentor, chances are you’ve got a lot to thank her for this for celebrating your biggest supporters, number one fans and best friends.

26 | PrimeTime ionships with women we can learn from and grow with. Beth Somers, from the Wilton Test Kitchen consider themselves lucky. ve Content Development, owes her start to her former boss Milette Raz. Raz Cake DecoratingTM and taught Somers how to decorate. But Somers thinks of er a mentor, her second mother and her friend. Years after working together, ars on the Food Network, returning home as champions of season six with

Grandma’s Kolachy Cookies

Servings: 6 1/2 dozen cookies 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon salt Poppy seed, apricot and strawberry pastry filling

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add flour, vanilla and salt; beat until just combined. Divide dough into 2 disks. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill at least 12 hours.

Heat oven to 375°F. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll each to 1/8-inch thickness on generously floured surface.

Cut cookies using 2-inch round cutter. Place on cookie sheet and make indentation in dough with thumb. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon pastry filling into each indentation.

Bake 16–18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on pan on cooling grid

May 2015

food & drink

Spring Rejuvenators & Weight Loss Helpers

3 Anti-Inflammatory Cocktails It’s time to embrace Spring and cleanse and rejuvenate our bodies with lighter foods, juices and smoothies, says nutritionist and juicing pioneer Cherie Calbom, MS. (“The Juice Lady”).

What’s considered healthy and unhealthy seems to change on a regular basis, which is why it’s helpful to recognize further studies that confirm previous findings.

Most recently, a study by Georgia State University microbiologist Benoit Chassaing has further confirmed the destructive properties of an inflammatory diet.

Researchers found that common additives in processed foods including ice cream, margarine, packaged bread and many more may promote the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease as well as a group of obesity-related conditions.

“It’s not only intestinal problems; low-grade inflammation caused by food additives has been shown to contribute to weight gain and blood sugar control problems, as well as a host of other chronic disease,” says Calbom, author of “The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet” (www.juiceladycherie.com), which offers healthy meal options, smoothies and robust juice recipes to help readers live an anti-inflammation lifestyle.

“No matter the kind of diet you may lean toward – vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, no-carb, Mediterranean, Neanderthal or any other kind of diet – any and all antiinflammation efforts are well worth it!”

Healthy juices and shakes are a convenient way to reduce inflammation, revitalize your cells and lose some of those winter pounds.

“Yes, you can lose weight on the anti-inflammation diet and rejuvenate your body,” says Calbom, who offers just a few of her recipes and discusses their health benefits.

Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail

Antioxidant Power Smoothie

1–2 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed ½ small beet, with leaves 1 cucumber, peeled if not organic 1 handful spinach or several chard leaves ½ lemon, peeled 1-inch-piece ginger root, scrubbed, peeled if old

1 cup unsweetened plant milk such as coconut or almond milk ½ cup blueberries 1 pear ½ cup baby spinach 1 Tbsp. flaxseed Ice cubes (optional, depending on how cold you like your smoothie) Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.

Benefits Berries help prevent damaging effects of free radicals and inflammation by turning off the inflammation signals triggered by cytokines and COX2s, making them an ideal part of your diet.

Cherie Calbom holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. She is author of 26 books including The Juice Lady’s Anti- Inflammation Diet (www.juiceladycherie.com) She appeared on QVC for more than 13 years with the George Foreman grill. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, her juice therapy and cleansing programs have been popular for more than a decade.

Picerne Affordable Housing PAWTUCKET

WOONSOCKET FAIRMONT HEIGHTS (401) 765-1320

WOODLAWN GARDENS (401) 725-8060

RIVERSIDE

JOHNSTON SIMMONS VILLAGE (401) 943-7131

WARWICK GREENWICH VILLAGE (401) 732-3226 May 2015

PICERNE.COM (401) 732-3700

CRESCENT PARK (401) 433-3100

1 green apple ½ large fennel with fronds 1-inch-piece ginger root 1 large broccoli stem 3 leaves kale ½ cucumber, peeled if not organic Cut produce to fit your juicer. Start by juicing the apple and finish with the cucumber. Drink as soon as possible.

Benefits Fennel: anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, analgesic, and antioxidant Apple: inhibits the development of allergies; rich in histamine-lowering quercetin Cucumber: analgesic (pain killer); antioxidant that prevents the synthesis of the inflammatory compound prostaglandin Broccoli: anti-carcinogenic, prevents gastric mucosal damage (suggesting potential histamine-lowering action) Ginger: as effective as an H2 receptor antagonist prescription drug

Morning Energy

Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube.

Juice all ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.

Benefits Beets contain unique phytonutrients called betalains, which have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification effects.

Spring cleaning can give others a ‘fresh start’ With the cold and snowy winter we had, Rhode Islanders have geared up for the annual de-hibernation ritual known as spring-cleaning.

This year, Goodwill of RI is encouraging people to think of the springcleaning season as both a time to offer a fresh start to bygone belongings, and to help give individuals in need of work get a fresh start, too.

By donating clothing and household goods to Goodwill, consumers can ensure their spring cleaning refuse gets diverted from landfills, and they can also help fund job training and placement programs for individuals right here in Rhode Island.

Through its social enterprise model, Goodwill uses the revenue from the sale of donated goods and retail store to fund programs for job seekers, including youth, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. In 2014 Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island helped nearly 2,000 people train for careers in a variety of industries. With the economy finally showing some signs of life and perhaps heading for an upswing, it is essential that those out of work receive the training they need to succeed in the workplace. That is why Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island is asking friends and neighbors to donate when they finish spring-cleaning.

“Spring is traditionally the time of year for new beginnings,” said Jeffrey Machado, president and CEO. “When you donate this spring, new beginnings come in threes. You get a fresh start for your de-cluttered house, your donated goods find a new home, and you help give a job seeker a fresh start of their own.”

To find out where and what to donate, visit www.goodwillri.org and click on Donate. Follow us on Facebook at Goodwill Industries of RI

Windwalker Humane Coalition for Professional Pet Therapy “A Unique, Energetic & Passionate Voice for People and Animals via the Profession of Pet Assisted Therapy” – p. salotto

EAST PROVIDENCE TAUNTON PLAZA (401) 434-4547

Jo-Ann Sutcliffe, President-Windwalker joannsutcliffe@yahoo.com Pearl Salotto, Founder of the DJ Program for Pet Therapy – 401-734-1888 PrimeTime | 27

Funeral Directors

We’re looking for new members . . .

UrqUhart-MUrphy

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

Barrett & Cotter FUneral hoMe

Korean War Veterans

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

Korean Service Veterans

Carpenter-Jenks FUneral hoMe & CreMatory

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

Meetings held 2nd Wednesday of every Month

thoMas & Walter qUinn FUneral hoMe Michael, Patrick, Jerome Quinn Directors 2435 Warwick Ave. Warwick 738-1977

Chepachet Senior Center, Rte. 44

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

Call Frank 231-3736 or Gil 831-3301 For More Information

1210 Putnam Pike, Chepachet

KWVA – Chapter 3

Please contact your sales representative for advertising information

Tel. 732-3100

Fax 732-3110

Senior Spending is on the

RISE

Are you advertising to this valuable demographic?

Call to find out more about advertising in PrimeTime Magazine

401-732-3100

BANKRUPTCY $

950

00

Attorney David B. Hathaway Former Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee

28 | PrimeTime

Copyright 2015 Business Theatre Unlimited Elaine M. Decker’s books—Retirement Sparks Redux (just published in December, 2014), Retirement Sparks Again, Retirement Sparks and CANCER: A Coping Guide—are available at SPECTRUM-INDIA, on the East Side of Providence, on Amazon.com, including Kindle editions, and by special order through your local bookstore. One of her essays appears in the recently published anthology: 70 Things To Do When You Turn 70. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com.

– Brandi bags and window decals, online and 25 percent of the sale price is directly donated to PAWS New England. The remaining 75 percent goes straight back into the company to create the merchandise and help the company expand.

Paolucci said the hope is that as the Brandi Project grows, customers from all over will be able to pick and choose which dog rescue or shelter organization they would like their donation to go to.

Andy Webb, who has been assisting the Brandi Project in communications, said the company has “national aspirations” as a company that financially supports dog rescue and creates a tangible and recognizable merchandise to raise awareness with their branded products.

“Brandi has really become the face of dog rescue, the Smokey the Bear for this cause,” Webb said. “And our dog tag symbol for the project is the like the pink ribbon for breast cancer; it is an easy recognizable symbol that shows support and can identify with a cause.”

Parker said that often rescue dogs are pitied and sometimes a little bit feared because people never know what to expect.

She loves that the Brandi Project is starting to change that.

“It is great that we can present an iconic compassionate vision of strong and brave rescue dogs.”

Currently, the Brandi Project is working on expanding their company and their social media presence.

Webb said, “We want to interact and engage with other organizations so we can grow organically.”

If you would like to donate to the Brandi Project or purchase any of their merchandise visit their website, www.thebrandiproject.com.

Parker explained that because PAWS New England is completely made up of volunteers and they don’t have a “brick and mortar” location, all donations go directly to travel expenses, veterinarian costs, grooming and food for the rescue dogs.

You can also submit your rescue story to the website for publication to get the word out about rescue dogs.

“I’m thrilled people are reaching out, and it’s rewarding to know dogs are being saved thanks to the money we raise,” Paolucci said. “All the dogs are unique and one of a kind dogs you can’t replicate a rescue dog.”

If you would like to donate to the Brandi Project or purchase any of their merchandise visit their website,

thebrandiproject.com

Atty. Fee

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Payment Plan Available

Senior Discounts

– Designer Dogs Retirees are prone to bragging about their grandchildren, often exaggerating their achievements and talents. We have two breeds especially for them. The first is the Malorkie, a Maltese—Yorkshire Terrier blend. This is the choice for grandparents who embellish only slightly about their progeny. The second is the BullShitz, a Bulldog—Shih Tzu crossbreed. This is the go-to option for those who fabricate outright the successes of their grandkids, who of course have zero shortcomings.

If you’ve moved into a community where you’re worried about your neighbors snooping, consider getting a SharpShooTer to guard your homestead. This breed has a pair of designer parents: a Shar Pei/Shih Tzu mix on its mother’s side, and a Poodle/Terrier union on its father’s. It looks like a cute little thing, so it lures snoopers into a false sense of security as they lurk in your bushes.

Then the yappy, manic influence of its father emerges, startling the intruder into a frantic retreat.

For retirees who are addicted to catalog shopping, the Speagle will be a valuable companion. This Spaniel—Beagle cross is a true hunting dog. It has a storied history of helping its owners find obscure products by sniffing through hundreds of pages in just minutes. You can generally adopt a Speagle online.

Finally, the perfect designer dog for retirees who have discovered the joys of napping is the Schnoozer. This Schnauzer—Poodle creation is at home lying on any soft horizontal surface. As long as you have room for this mid-sized pet, you’ll have company on your afternoon nap no matter where you decide to take it. If you live in a small condominium, you might want to opt for the sub-breed, the MiniSchnoozer. It’s a cross between a Miniature Schnauzer and a Toy Poodle. And no, it doesn’t take catnaps.

There you have it. Ten designer dogs created especially for retirees. I’m here to serve.

401-738-3030

ribankruptcy.net

Music for Vets concert The 2nd Annual Music For Vets concert will take place Sunday, May 3 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Sandy Woods Center for the Arts, 43 Muse Way, Tiverton. Tickets are $10.00, $8.00 with a military or VA ID card. All proceeds will benefit the VA Hospital Volunteer Services.

In addition to the concert, there will be a raffle and door prizes. Bring your own refreshments to this concert thanking our veterans. For more information, call George at 401-624-2581.

May 2015

your taxes

professional perspective

b y meg chevalier

Tax tips if you missed the deadline The IRS has some advice for taxpayers who missed the tax filing deadline. * File as soon as possible. If you owe federal income tax, you should file and pay as soon as you can to minimize any penalty and interest charges. There is no penalty for filing a late return if you are due a refund. * Penalties and interest may be due. If you missed the April 15 deadline, you may have to pay penalties and interest. The IRS may charge penalties for late filing and for late payment. The law generally does not allow a waiver of interest charges. However, the IRS will consider a reduction of these penalties if you can show a reasonable cause for being late. * E-file is your best option. IRS e-file programs are available through Oct. 15. E-file is the easiest, safest and most accurate way to file. With e-file, you will receive confirmation that the IRS has received your tax return. If you e-file and are due a refund, the IRS will normally issue it within 21 days. * Free File is still available. Everyone can use IRS Free File. If your income is $60,000 or less, you qualify to e-file your return using free brand-name software. If you made more than $60,000 and are comfortable preparing your own tax return, use Free File Fillable Forms to e-file. This program uses the electronic versions of paper IRS forms. IRS Free File is available only through IRS.gov. * Pay as much as you can. If you owe tax but can’t pay it all at once, you should pay as much as you can when you file your tax return. Pay the remaining balance due as soon as possible to minimize penalties and interest charges. * Installment Agreements are available. If you need more time to pay your federal income taxes, you can request a payment agreement with the IRS. Apply online using the IRS Online Payment Agreement Application tool or file Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. * Refunds may be waiting. If you’re due a refund, you should file as soon as possible to get it. Even if you are not required to file, you may be entitled to a refund. This could apply if you had taxes withheld from your wages, or you qualify for certain tax credits. If you don’t file your return within three years, you could forfeit your right to the refund.

For more information, please visit the IRS web page at www.irs.gov.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

lifestyles

restaurant review

by DON FOWLER

There’s lots to crow about at the Crow’s Nest We were first introduced to Warwick’s Crow’s Nest back in the late ‘60’s by Warwick residents Ed and Eileen Salamano.

Having just moved to Rhode Island, stuffies and calamari were tastes we hadn’t experienced. And what were thosefunny looking things called littlenecks?

The popular Warwick waterfront restaurant introduced us to fresh, perfectly cooked seafood, and despite a fire and change of hands, the quality has never diminished.

No matter what has gone on with traffic pattern changes, people still find their way to 288 Arnold’s Neck Drive, surviving Apponaug , turning right from Route 117 on to Route 1, taking their second left, going under the bridge, and parking in the clam shell covered parking lot.

While Crow’s Nest offers some fine steak, chicken, and Italian cuisine, we go there for the seafood.

If you want good, tender, perfectly cooked, plentiful fried clams, you’ve come to the right place. While clams, and other seafood, have risen in price in

recent years, it is still worth the $15.50 for the succulent seafood. For the same price, you can enjoy scrod or scallops.

We see many seniors at lunchtime and dinner enjoying the “smaller portions�, which are still quite generous, of fish and chips and broiled scrod for $12.95.

The ultimate treat is the Fisherman’s Platter, which includes clams, scallops, fish and shrimp for $19.95.

Italian dishes run from $9.95 for pasta to $16.95 for veal parmesan, which includes a doggie bag for the next day’s lunch.

Crow’s Nest also offers Smaller Portion dinners for a couple of dollars less, which we found to be plentiful.

Two main dining rooms with fireplaces, plus function rooms are available.

We enjoy eating in the bar, with tables around the walls and a bowl of fresh pop corn while you’re enjoying your favorite beverage.

Crow’s Nest is open 7 days a week, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Check out their attractive web site, just type in Crow’s Nest. Their phone number is 732-6575.

Care that Makes Someone Feel RIte @ Home The RIte @ Home and Adult Day Health programs of Seven Hills Rhode Island offer caregiving options for adults with disabilities and seniors who need help with activities of daily living. For more information, call 401.229.9760 today!

“Sharing Lives, Fulfilling Dreams�

An Affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation

t XXX TFWFOIJMMT PSH

GROUP LEADER BONUS Book your group or bus trip today!

Up to

$50 FREE SLOT PLAY

Special offer for PrimeTime Readers!

401-849-5000 www.newportgrand.com May 2015

Jeanie Gorrie

Sales Associate jgorrie@residentialproperties.com Cell: 401-265-5915

Your Realtors For Success!

Mark rayMond Sales Associate mraymond@residentialproperties.com Cell: 401-837-2042

Buying or Selling? Let Us Work For You! Ask for your complimentary market assessment PrimeTime | 29

STOP MEDICARE FRAUD! SAVE MEDICARE DOLLARS!

Volunteer for the Senior Medicare Patrol Program (SMP) and teach Medicare beneficiaries how to fight fraud.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. PROTECT 2. DETECT 3. REPORT Your Medicare Number.

Read your Medicare Summary Notice

Your Concerns

For more information, call the RI Division of Elderly Affairs at

401-462-0194 401-462-0740 (TTY)

The production of this ad was supported by grant #90MP0166/03 from the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHS).

State-DEA-30977_ad_4375x5875.indd 1

Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be.

3/5/15 10:45 AM

Save Now On A Walk-In Bath Or Easy Access Shower Bathe Safely and Worry-Free with a Premier Care in Bathing Walk-In Bath.

“You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.”

en Se V! As n T O

PAYMENTS AS LOW AS

$150 PER MONTH *

Independence and security are only a phone call away. If you or a loved one struggle taking a bath, talk to us at Premier Care in Bathing about our extensive range of Walk-In Baths.

– Joan Lunden

Enjoy a relaxing bath again, without the fear of slipping or falling The walk-in door feature allows easy access and exiting air jets soothe away

Call A Place for Mom. Our Advisors are trusted, local experts who can help you understand your options. Since 2000, we’ve helped over one million families find senior living solutions that meet their unique needs.

your aches and pains Our fully licensed installers can do most any install, and in most cases in just one to two days Easy installation with white glove treatment

CALL NOW • TOLL FREE

1-800-679-7363

A Free Service for Families.

Call: (800) 680-7901

* Limited time only. Subject to approved credit. Example: Based on 9.9% APR, a down payment equal to 1/3 of contract amount, and a monthly payment of $150 for 120 months. By submitting this request, I agree that Premier Care in Bathing may contact me by telephone using automated technology at the telephone number provided. I understand this consent is not a condition of purchase. ** Limited Lifetime Warranty subject to terms and conditions.

A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities, so our services are completely free to families.

30 | PrimeTime

May 2015

Products & Services Designed to Make Your Life Easier

BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS AND SERVICE DIRECTORY PET GROOMING

LABORATORY SERVICES

CEMETERIES

Seniors Love their Pets!

HOME CARE With BAYADA Home Health Care‌

“I love taking care of my clients.

They are like family to me.� – Shevon Barnhill, HHA

Call 401-732-3100 to advertise

Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery EST. 1902 ~ HISTORIC ~ NON-DENOMINATIONAL

Traditional and/or Cremation Burial ASK ABOUT FAMILY PLOT DISCOUNTS PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

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

BAYADA provides: • CNA and homemaking services (from 1-24 hrs./daily) • Variety of payment options, including Medicaid, state waiver programs, and private pay Call 401-330-2525 www.bayada.com

REAL ESTATE

HOME EQUITY CONVERSION MORTGAGE

Honest – Reliable Professional

Mature Matters

SENIOR REAL ESTATE SPECIALISTS Call Mature Matters to develop your personalized plan.

Susan A. Pomfret

Call for your FREE CONSULTATION

HECM Senior Vice President

Laura Bittinger

401-932-5770

401-595-7300

Donna DeLauro

401-486-6044

TOLL FREE (844)595-HECM email: spomfret@thefederalsavingsbank.com

Each ofďŹ ce is independently owned and operated.

www.thefederalsavingsbank.com/susanpomfret

MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

www.maturemattersrealestate.com

CATERING Cater to Seniors

To Advertise, call 401-732-3100 for details

Call 401-732-3100 for advertising details

CLEANING SERVICES The Professional Directory for Professional Results!

Call

401-732-3100 for details

Mrs. Clean of Rhode Island Cleaning Services

WEEKLY, BI-WEEKLY, MONTHLY 3 Rooms – Basic Cleaning $55 Seniors 3 Rooms – Basic Cleaning $45

(401) 332-4626

CALL 401-732-3100 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADVERTISING May 2015

PrimeTime | 31

Thank You to our sponsors

and everyone who participated.

Lifespan Laboratories Delivery health with care.™

Lifespan Medical Imaging Rhode Island Hospital • The Miriam Hospital Newport Hospital

Delivery health with care.™

primetime Spring

Senior Living Expo!

32 | PrimeTime

See you in the fall!

May 2015