South Coast Prime Times – January/February 2017

S o u t h

C o a s t

Prime timeS J a n ua r y/ F ebr ua r y 2 017 • Volum e 13 • Num ber 1

HEALTH & HAPPINESS

Leading by example Don’t fear the flu The team from Brandon Woods of Dartmouth wishes you a Happy New Year!

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For admissions or to schedule a tour call: 508.990.1133 Bedford Gardens: 5 Bedford Village: 9 Pope St. New Bedford, MA 02740 Dighton: 907 Center St. N. Dighton, MA 02764 Highland Manor: 761 Highland Ave. Fall River, MA 02720 Rockdale: 1123 Rockdale Ave. New Bedford, MA 02740

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CONTENTS

Are you caring for a loved one?

IN EVERY ISSUE

4 6

South Coast newsmakers

by Elizabeth Morse Read

26 In brief

Apply here for MassHealth eligible compensation.

by Elizabeth Morse Read

PRIME LIVING

Massachusetts Department of Elder Affairs offers compensation for caregivers caring for loved ones with ADL (Activities of Daily Living) needs through Preferred Residential Network’s AFC (Adult Foster/ Family Care) program.

Preferred Residential Network

508-677-9613 www.prnafc.com

From the publisher

12 Unsung heroes

by Jay Pateakos

24 Instrumental learning

12

by Sean McCarthy

PRIME SEASON

16 Learn to live

by Michael J. Vieira

18 Out with influenza

by Elizabeth Morse Read

GOOD TIMES

prnafc@gmail.com

26 When I go

by Sherri Mahoney-Battles

32 Electoral Collidge

by Paul Kandarian

24 S o u t h

ON THE COVER: The team from Brandon Woods of Dartmouth wishes you a Happy New Year and welcomes you to their home!

L-R: Louise Rodrigues (Activity Director), Crystal Macedo (Community Relations Manager), Donald Schwarz (Executive Director), Stacey Carvalho(Move in Coordinator), Rose Diaz (Nurse Manager), Toni Cormier (Director Of Social Services), (Back)Mark Kirkman (Housekeeping/Laundry Supervisor)

C o a s t

Prime timeS J a n ua r y/ F ebr ua r y 2 017 • Volum e 13 • Num ber 1

HEALTH & HAPPINESS

Leading by example

For more informations see pg 27 or visit elderservices.com/ brandon-woods-of-dartmouth

Don’t fear the flu The team from Brandon Woods of Dartmouth wishes you a Happy New Year!

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FROM THE PUBLISHER January/February 2017 ■ Vol. 13 ■ No. 1 PUBLISHED BY

Coastal Communications Corp.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I HOPE THAT YOU have a new warm jacket, because winter is here and it can feel like it will never leave. Never fear! Stay healthy and focus on your resolutions and you’ll be sure to make the most of these short days.

Ljiljana Vasiljevic EDITOR

Sebastian Clarkin ONLINE EDITOR

Paul Letendre CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Kandarian, Sherri Mahoney-Battles, Sean McCarthy, Jay Pateakos, Elizabeth Morse Read, and Michael J. Vieira South Coast Prime Times is published bi-monthly.

Copyright ©2017 Coastal Communications Corp.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. All information contained herein is believed to be reliable. Coastal Communications Corp. does not assume any financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements, but will reprint that portion of an advertisement in which the typographical error occurs.

A lot of people struggle with finding a good New Year’s resolution, and the reason why is straightforward: it’s hard to make a positive change in yourself. But have you ever tried resolving to make a positive change in the lives of other people? If you’re looking for some role models, you’re going to want to read Jay Pateakos’s article on page 12, spotlighting some leaders who are making a big impact in a quiet way.

Maybe this is the year you really are going to do it though. What is “it?” Whatever it means to you! Read that book, speak that language, build that piece of furniture. Whatever it may be, you’ll need some help to learn. In that case, turn to page 17 for Mike Vieira’s article on some select learning opportunities throughout the region.

Whatever your resolution is, it likely doesn’t involve spending the whole day in bed. But that’s just what you’ll end up doing if you don’t take the proper precautions against illness. It’s flu season – make sure you get your shot. Think you don’t need one? You’ll think again after reading Liz Read’s article on page 18.

There’s more to learn and treasure in this issue, but half the joy is in exploring for yourself. Maybe that is our collective resolution: look forward to some things, and prepare to love everything. It’s a New Year and a new you!

NEXT ISSUE February 15, 2017

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GOOD TIMES

SOUTH COAST

NEWSMAKERS

BY E LIZABETH M ORSE R EAD

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) has assumed full oversight of the South Coast Rail project, taking it out of the control of the problem-plagued MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). Stay tuned…

Massachusetts voters approved the referendum to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Retail sales of marijuanabased products are not expected to begin until 2018.

Uh, oh! Many South Coast seniors who have a Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO plan may need to find a new primary care physician (or else switch to a new insurance plan) by January 1 if their current PCP is affiliated with Steward Health Care. Contract negotiations between Tufts Health and Steward failed, leaving 3,600 primary-care patients of Dartmouth’s Hawthorn Medical Associates alone scrambling to make new arrangements.

Other local offices affiliated with Steward include Compass Medical in Middleboro and Fall River-based Prima CARE. The Tufts/Steward impasse affects only primary-care physicians, not specialists.

Fill your baskets with local produce, cheeses, jellies, wines, pies, and holiday greenery. To find a farm, vineyard or winter farmers market near you, visit semaponline.org, pickyourown.org, farmfresh.org, or localharvest.org.

If you’re 50 or older, check out the trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program. Make your reservations now to see “The Lion King” on March 16 at the Providence Performing Arts Center!

For details, call 508-991-6171.

SOUTH COAST HIGH-FIVES

The Dartmouth High School Marching Band and Color Guard took first place in the national competition held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Ka-Ching! The casino is coming to Tiverton! State and local voters approved the Twin Rivers proposal to move its gambling license from Newport to a new $75 million facility in Tiverton, right over the Fall River line. It will have 1,000 slot machines, 30 table games, hotel, restaurants, entertainment venue, and will employ 450 people.

Tiverton stands to gain $4 million in fees and tax revenues when the casino opens in mid-2018.

Long-time philanthropist and education advocate Dr. Irving Fradkin of Fall River has died at age 95. He founded Scholarship America in 1958, which now oversees 500 chapters of “Dollars for Scholars” nationwide. Scholarship America has given out $3.5 billion to more than two million students.

State Rep. Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) received an award for her key role in securing offshore wind’s place in the state’s energy legislation signed by Gov. Baker in August.

The Standard-Times has been named the 2016 New England Newspaper of the

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For the sixteenth year in a row, New Bedford was the nation’s top-value fishing port, with 2015 landings worth $322 million, largely due to scallops. According to a new state-funded study, the Port of New Bedford had a $9.8 billion economic impact in 2015, and provides more than 36,000 jobs to the region.

New Bedford has been chosen as “Top Fishing Destination of the Year” by the Luxury Travel Guide, which is distributed to over half a million travel and hospitality professionals and affluent people around the world.

Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association.

Ten-year old Derick Costa of Acushnet was honored as the “Most Outstanding” bull rider at the first-ever New England Rodeo competition in October, besting many adult bull riders.

GraphicDesignDegreeHub.com has listed New Bedford in the top 20 “most creative small towns (population under 100,000) in America.” Complex.com, another arts-centered website, listed New Bedford as one of the “10 Cities That Creatives Should Move to That Aren’t NYC or LA.” For the fourth consecutive year, UMass Dartmouth has earned a top-20 national ranking for civic engagement by the Corporation for National Community Service. UMD was also one of the four

finalists in the economic opportunity category, and has been placed on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

the proposed $2 billion merger of Southcoast Health and Care New England Health hospitals in Rhode Island has collapsed.

Priscilla Fonseca of New Bedford, an 85-year-old Air Force veteran, has been named the 2016 Southeastern Massachusetts Veteran of the Year by the Veterans Transition House.

UMass Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) has received a $526,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to plant oyster beds along the Westport River, in order to test whether oysters really do clean out excess nitrogen from coastal waterways, as many oyster farmers have long believed. Nitrogen is an environmentally harmful byproduct of farm runoff and septic systems. The project will be conducted in association with the Westport River Watershed Alliance.

The new Seastreak passenger ferry from New Bedford to Nantucket was a smashing success – between May 18 and Labor Day this past summer, about 45,000 people made the trip, well above projections. Total ridership on all Seastreak services was almost 120,000, with a significant impact on local merchants, restaurants, and tourist attractions.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

After almost a year of negotiations,

Southcoast Health and the Buzzards Bay Coalition have joined together to create “Discover Buzzards Bay,” an initiative to promote active outdoor recreation. A series of guided monthly outdoor walks, called “Sunday Strolls,” and an online portal with information about more than 100 public places to walk, cycle, fish and paddle can be found at savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover.

Titleist is going public! Fairhavenbased Acushnet Holdings Corp., which owns the Titleist and Pinnacle brands, will sell 19.3 million shares of common stock in its IPO (initial public offering) on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol “GOLF.” The town of Dartmouth has given approval for a medical marijuana dispensary to be built on Faunce Corner Road.

AAA members in Massachusetts can now conduct most of their Registry of Motor Vehicles business at the AAA branch office in Fairhaven, thanks to a partnership between the RMV and AAA, with the goal of opening an RMV service center in every AAA office in the state.

The Fairhaven AAA office is open 9-5 Monday-Friday and also 9-1 on Saturdays.

Once again, the famous Abbey Grill restaurant in Fall River has reopened, this

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Give your holiday guests the gift of a good night’s sleep.

Luxurious Bedding at Factory Pricing HOLIDAY SIGHTS

Visit the annual Christmas Festival of Lights at the LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro through January 1 – more than 300,000 lights illuminating 10 acres! For details, call 508-2225410 or visit lasalette-shrine.org.

Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol will “sparkle” for Christmas! For info, call 401-253-2707 or go to blithewold.org.

Don’t miss the special holidayseason events at the Rotch-JonesDuff House in New Bedford! For info, call 508-997-1401 or go to rjdmuseum.org.

Stroll through the splendor of “Christmas at the Newport Mansions” through January 1! For more info, go to newportmansions.org or call 401-847-1999.

Discover colonial traditions by taking an evening Holiday Lantern Tour in Newport on Fridays and Saturdays through December 30. For more info, visit newporthistory.org or call 401841-8770.

Don’t miss the Christmas Festival of Lights at Edaville Railroad in Carver! Take the kids on train rides illuminated by 17 million lights throughout the park! Santa VIP train rides on Sundays. For more info, visit edaville.com or call 508-866-8190.

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Check out “Undecked Halls” at Rough Point in Newport through December 27. For details, call 401-8497300 or visit newportrestoration.org.

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Shop for that special gift at the “Artists for the Bay Art Sale” at the Save the Bay Center in Providence through January 31. For more info, call 401-272-3540 or visit savebay.org/art.

time specializing in Italian food.

The tobacco industry might sue the town of Marion for including menthol cigarettes in a proposed ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. Marion would be the first town in the country to include menthol-flavored tobacco, but if the town is sued, they will receive free legal services from the Public Health Advocacy Institute and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards.

Thanks to a $2.5 million MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant, Union Street in downtown New Bedford will

get a complete overhaul down to the waterfront, starting in the spring. And, at long last, work will begin next year to replace pipes, repair sidewalks, and repave County Street.

BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS

Fairhaven Lumber has donated $12,000 worth of plywood and building supplies to the Haitian Health Foundation in Norwich Connecticut in order to help the victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.

The Fall River Diocese has received a $1 million matching gift from the Carney Family Foundation to create scholarships

and increase enrollment in the diocese’s Catholic schools.

Mechanics Cooperative Bank of Fall River has donated $100,000 to the Dental Hygiene program located in Bristol Community College’s new Sbrega Health and Science Building in Fall River.

The Marion Council on Aging has launched a weekly “Memory Café” for those suffering memory disorders and their caregivers. Held every Wednesday from 11:45 to 2:15 at the Marion Music Hall, the café offers lunch, activities and music in a relaxed, supportive environment. The program is free (donations appreciated) and open to non-Marion residents. For more info, call the Marion COA at 508-748-3570.

Pet Food Aid, a non-profit organization, collects pet food donations and distributes them to food banks throughout Bristol County. Volunteers and donations gratefully accepted. For more info, visit petfoodaid.org or call 774-204-5227.

Browse the Oxford Book Café on Saturdays from 9 to 1 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in north Fairhaven.

Coffee, used books on sale, WiFi. To learn more, visit goodshepherdfairhaven.com or call 508-995-1219.

Hazelwood Park in New Bedford’s South End is getting a gradual make-over, starting with 30 fruit trees planted along the entry road. Plans are underway to restore the historic bowling green and the Congdon-Lucas House, and to add more shade trees and picnic tables.

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VOLUNTEER

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Citizens For Citizens Inc. is looking for retired seniors who can

MASS SAVE offer their skills, talents, and experience to help out public and nonprofit organizations in the Fall River and Taunton areas. To learn more, call Judy Charest at 508-679-0041.

REBATE

For a limited time, take advantage of a $1,700 rebate and 0% financing toward a new oil fired boiler replacing any operational oil fired boiler 30 years or older! Call for details

The Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) needs Portuguesespeaking volunteers for its Hospice and Palliative Care programs. For info, contact Mary Harrington at 508-973-3219 or harringtonma@southcoast.org.

The AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide program is looking for volunteers of all ages to provide free tax assistance and preparation for low-to-moderate-income taxpayers. Training is provided, need Spanish and Portuguese speakers. For more info, call 1-888-687-2277 or go to aarp.org/taxaide.

The Samaritans of Bristol County needs crisis hotline volunteers. Training is provided. For more info, call 508-6799777 or 508-673-3777.

My Brother’s Keeper of Dartmouth and Easton is looking for volunteers and gently-used residential furniture for families in need. Free pick up. Call 774305-4577 or visit mybrotherskeeper.org.

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The Whaling Museum in New Bedford is looking for volunteer guides (especially bilingual) able to take a ten-week training course next summer. For details, call 508-717-6849 or email rrocha@ whalingmuseum.org.

SIGHTS TO BEHOLD

A timely exhibit – “Global Voices for Social Justice/Art as Activism” will be on display at the New Bedford Art Museum/Artworks! through January 8.

For more info, visit newbedfordart.org or call 508-961-3072.

A “must-see” exhibit – “Inner Light: The World of William Bradford” at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford through May 2017. For more info, visit whalingmusuem.org or call 508-9970046.

Don’t miss the special exhibit of rarely-seen Impressionist works at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence through June 11. For more info, go to risdmuseum.org or call 401454-6500.

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PRIME LIVING

UNSUNG HEROES

JAY PATEAKOS

Most people hope to someday have an impact on the world and the people around them.

Some people wait for such an opportunity to fall into their laps.

The people below are not those kinds of people. They have quietly and

consistently made their mark for many years now, never seeking praise or a pat on the

back, striving only to help make people’s lives better.

Most of them downplayed their individual impacts and focused more on the team that did the job together, or on the families that they help being strong enough to move ahead in life. But it’s clear these select few have made the people and families around them better and we, as a community, will benefit from that. These are their stories.

'YOU HAVE A STAFF THAT’S PROVIDING A HAPPY, SAFE, AND HEALTHY PLACE FOR THESE KIDS TO GO. JUST SEEING THIS WARMS YOUR HEART AND PUTS A SMILE ON YOUR FACE'

— JAMES K ARAM 12

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FAMILY VALUES The Boys & Girls Club of Fall River Executive Director Peter McCarthy initially had difficulty when asked for two among his hundreds of volunteers and staff who went above and beyond all that was expected of them. To McCarthy, just about all of them do, volunteering their time and talents to the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys &

Girls Club located on Bedford Street in Fall River, a chapter founded way back in 1890.

But McCarthy thought a little bit more about it, and stressed the impact current President of the Board Jamie Karam has had on everything from fundraising to resource development, and for being a great example for the other Board members. He also cited Annual Gala Chairman Jo Anne O’Neil, who has taken their biggest fundraiser of the year and made it her own.

“Jamie has been President for six years now, agreeing to stay on while the VP was chairing the United Way Annual Campaign. Since he’s been President, he has found opportunities for this club to grow in resource development. He has been instrumental at helping the club to secure funds,” said McCarthy.

“He’s a leader who never misses a meeting and leads by example. One hundred per-

'KIDS AND COLLEAGUES ALL HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THEY ALL VALUE THE

OF FALL RIVER

IMPACT THIS

Thanks to our Board, Volunteers and Staff for making a difference in the lives of the children we serve.

PLACE HAS.'

— JO ANNE O'NEIL

GET INVOLVED! Volunteers Needed: Homework Help, Reading Club as well as our Gym Leagues

cent of the board gives, and it starts and ends with Jamie.

He gives before he asks others to give.”

Just a minimum wage increase for the Club equates to a $40-50K increase in costs – they are constantly trying to raise money to keep the programs growing and the kids coming in.

“We are fortunate that under Jamie’s leadership, we have met the challenges of fundraising and have also been able to increase the resources that the kids need when they come here,” said McCarthy.

“He knows what it takes to be successful.”

Karam, Vice President of First Bristol Corp. in Fall River, said he grew up in a family in which everyone, from his father Jim Karam to his uncle Bob, dedicated time to the community. He knew he must follow their leads and have an impact on the place where he was born and raised and still works.

With his work at the Boys & Girls Club, Karam has seen many wonderful things unfold and countless children

get the help and direction they need to move on and live incredibly rewarding lives.

Karam said it doesn’t take long to see the importance of the Club on the city’s youth.

“You have 200 kids there at night eating dinner, and a staff that’s providing a happy, safe, and healthy place for these kids to go. Just seeing this warms your heart and puts a smile on your face,” said Karam.

“The people involved here have no ulterior motives and aren’t trying to do anything for themselves. Their motive is only to benefit the children.”

L.E.A.D. Mentors: work one-on-one with Club Member to help them achieve their goals

Donate easily online at fallriverbgc.org 803 Bedford Street, Fall River, MA 02723 Phone: (508) 672-6340 • Fax: (508) 679-3080

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VISUALLY OPULENT DANCE

BELLE OF THE BALL McCarthy noted the tremendous amount of work that it takes to put on its Annual Gala – the Boys & Girls Club’s biggest fund-raising event of the year. It became so taxing on the volunteers at one point that they only held it every other year.

But that all changed when Director Jo Anne O’Neil decided to Chair the Annual Gala and make sure the Annual Gala stayed annual.

O’Neil, former owner of the

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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2016 2017 SEASON

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE catering business, Nancy and Jo Anne Catering, had moved on to run the culinary program at Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical School, but still maintained all of the connections she had made over the years which would become instrumental in putting on the Annual Gala.

“This is a woman who singlehandedly ran the Annual Gala, from start to finish, finding sponsors, getting tickets sold, and finding donors for the food. This was an event that became so taxing that we didn’t have it one year until Jo Anne got involved,” said McCarthy.

“But when she agreed to take it on, she said she would take the challenge every year, and then she leads the whole thing.”

McCarthy said all the money raised from the gala – every single cent – goes to the Clubs’ general operating account, or as he put it, “the bread and butter of the operation.” The gala generally has about 100 volunteers, many of them high school kids and kids involved or formerly involved in the Club, all managed smoothly by O’Neil.

She shrugs off the impact she’s had, pointing more

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towards the many volunteers that put the event on, insisting that the event, over the last few years, basically runs itself.

“There are a lot of people who help me. Seeing how willing they are to help and how polite they are, it’s just an amazing place,” said O’Neil.

“This place is teeming with kids, sometimes 300 at a time, eating dinner or taking in the activities. This place keeps kids off the streets of Fall River – helps keep them safe and happy. Peter brings a lot of warmth to this place. It’s a really easy place to sell. A very easy place to help.”

O’Neil said with money raised in the past helping to develop a teen center, the Boys & Girls Club has been able to extend its reach into the teenage years where kids tend to get lost in the shuffle.

“When we had the catering company, we were constantly being asked to help with charities and I decided to just pick one and get the biggest bang for it,” said O’Neil of the Annual Gala.

“Kids and colleagues all help to make it happen. They all value the impact this place has.”

McCarthy said the 34 Board members don’t all have the

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time to make the biggest impact, but they all give to make the Club grow, starting with the leadership and tireless devotion of Karam and O’Neil.

“It’s so impressive to see the time and effort put into our Club – the results they get and the influence they have,” added McCarthy. “They do it all on a daily basis.”

HELPING NEW FAMILIES

Fresh off her Child Protection Council Award for her individual work and commitment to children and families, Robin Jones, People Incorporated’s Director of Early Intervention and Early Intervention Partnerships Program, clearly does not favor talking about herself.

While the awards are a nice thing, she feels her true reward is in helping families thrive. And she’s been doing that for decades, first as a Family Lives Advocate for eight years before moving to People Incorporated eighteen years ago.

People Incorporated’s President and CEO, William Perkins, pointed to Jones’s “tireless passion, thoughtfulness, and genuine caring” among her many attributes that have been serving children and family well for many years.

Jones became President of the Massachusetts 'WE HELP MOMS Early Intervention Consortium, which TO FEEL MORE Perkins called CONFIDENT, “a tribute to her consistent advocacy BECAUSE BEING for children and families.”

A PARENT IS THE “Robin’s guiding principles of integHARDEST JOB OF ALL' rity and compassion have certainly — ROBIN JONES distinguished her

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as a leader in the field of early intervention not only in the community but throughout the state,” said Perkins.

People Incorporated’s Early Intervention Program works to service the developmental and therapeutic needs of children up to three years old.

The Early Intervention Partnerships Program provides education, support and resources for pregnant or new mothers of all ages, through home visits and support groups, and helps the family set goals through a Family Care Plan to include education, support groups, mental health services, and health care.

Years ago, Jones worked in a homeless shelter, helping children and families in Fall River to get back on their feet, into an apartment, spending a year with them budgeting and helping them any way she could before moving on to helping educate and support families through People Incorporated.

“Every single family I have worked with has been a privilege, and I have enjoyed each journey with them, to watch these children grow,” said Jones.

“Recently, I went to the grocery store and saw a kid I had worked with years ago and he told me that I had no idea how much the program impacted himself and his family. This guy was like 25 or 30 years old now and he came over and hugged me. It just floored me.”

Jones said when she took the People Incorporated job in 1998, she never thought she’d still be doing a job that she carries so much passion for.

Jones feels fortunate to be able to impact lives while those people she has helped are so

grateful for her working to turn their families in the right direction.

“We help moms to feel more confident, because being a parent is the hardest job of all,” added Jones. “With that confidence, they then become a better mom to their children and the child has a better outcome too.”

“It’s truly about building relationships with these families, providing guidance to them. I feel flattered by the awards I’ve received, but I just love what I do – being able to work for something I have such a passion for.”

FIGURING FATHERS Jo Anne Bernier, Director of Healthy Families and Welcome Family for People Incorporated, said Cory Silva is the perfect male role model for struggling dads and husbands, as he works hard to help them become better parents and better people.

“Cory came to us three years ago and had a lot of experience with adolescents and families. At the time, we had just one male worker in our program and we were expanding programs to include fathers,” said Bernier.

“He became a strong advocate for families and he put a lot of effort into developing our Fatherhood program.

Some of these men are incarcerated. Some have families they can rely on, while others don’t. Cory helped to strengthen the relationship these men had with their families and the mothers of their children.”

The fathers go through extensive training, working hand-in-hand with case workers like Silva, to help them better cope with life and the challenges that come with it,

'E VERY TIME WE GO TO THEIR HOUSE, I TELL THEM THIS IS THEIR PROGRAM AND WE ARE HERE TO ENCOURAGE THEM, THAT THEY ARE STEERING THE SHIP'

- CORY SILVA

especially when it comes to child rearing and the support needed to help children succeed.

“Cory understands the importance of his work and how the support he provides makes an impacting difference,” said Bernier.

“He works hard with the families we service and shares in their happiness and empathizes with their struggles. His calm and gentle nature makes him a consistent role model for others.”

Silva said his work covers a lot of ground, from working in the homes of first-time parents, to helping with child development, to connecting families with resources in the community to get them back on track.

“It’s about parent and child development. We are more of a bridge, not an agency where they go in and tell them what to do. We are there to support them – get them from where they are to where they want to be,” said Silva.

“We try to keep the relationship as collaborative as possible, like a team. Every time we go to their house, I

tell them this is their program and we are here to encourage them – that they are steering the ship.”

Silva demonstrates an example of one of his cases where he came to a father who was heavily into marijuana and had problems with domestic violence in his relationship with the mother of his child.

Silva worked with him over a year’s time.

The man would quit smoking marijuana, found himself a good job and worked hard at being a better person for his family. That man would end up leaving the program, but four to five months later, asked to come back in and requested to continue working with Silva.

“Sometimes people do leave the program for whatever reason. Maybe the timing isn’t right. But it was great that I had enough of an impact for this man for him to request me to help get his life back on track,” said Silva.

“When he left the program, he felt he had everything he needed but came back because he realized there was something in the program that

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worked for him.”

Clearly, that something was Silva.

“You see these people later on and they come and say hi and talk to you. You know that if you didn’t have an impact on them and their families, they wouldn’t be saying hi. You did something right for them, something you may not have realized at the time you were working with them.”

These are people who dedicate their time, on scales large and small, to improve individual lives and our communities at large. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.

Above is not an exhaustive list. The next time you find yourself feeling pessimistic, look around you. There are wonderful people out there, making a positive impact where they can. You can do it too.

J AY PATEAKOS has been a freelance writer for more than 10 years including daily and weekly newspapers and monthly magazines. A native of New Bedford, he currently lives in Marion and has three children.

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PRIME SEASON

IN AUGUST, STUDENTS STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE SECOND H ALF LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE VISITED THE DUNHAM’S BROOK CONSERVATION AREA IN WESTPORT.

L IVE TO LEARN,

LEARN TO LIVE

MICHAEL J. VIEIRA

Do you want to run with the young dogs or rest on the porch? Either way, there’s no excuse not to learn a few new tricks. From regional colleges to local libraries and learning institutes, there are many opportunities available.

If you’re looking to feel young again, stop by one of the many colleges in our area. You can spend some time in a library, go to an art gallery, take in a lecture, enjoy music, or experience theater. Just visit any college website. They all provide events calendars and there’s nothing like being on a college campus to feel young again.

The Claire T. Carney Library at UMass Dartmouth was recently renovated and expanded. There’s now a new wall of glass that allows light into the reading rooms, learning commons, and other areas. It’s worth a visit, but while you’re there, learn more in the various archives which are situated at the university.

From the Ferreira-Mendes PortugueseAmerican Archives, to the Congressman Barney Frank collection, to the Howard T. Glasser archives of folk music and letter arts, you can learn more about Jewish Culture, the Robert F. Kennedy Assassination, as well as UMass Dartmouth’s own history including the “brutalist” buildings designed by Paul Rudolph.

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Looking for art? The Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery is located at Bristol Community College and is free and open to the public from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Go to bristolcc.edu/gallery for upcoming exhibits. Other colleges also have galleries. Visit their websites.

Bridgewater State University is now the home to the Family Performing Arts Center. A new initiative begun by President Fred Clark, the group will stage “Mary Poppins” on the weekends of January 6-8 and January 13-15. Tickets are available at BSUtix.com.

The BSU student theatre group also puts on regular performances, plus there’s dance programs, music, and more.

You also don’t have to be an enrolled college kid to sign up for a course at area schools. There’s beekeeping at Bristol Community College, “monstrous appetites” at UMass Dartmouth, and digital art at Bridgewater State – countless courses to prepare you for a degree or to simply take for enrichment.

J A NUARY /F EBRUARY 2017

Visit the college sites and explore the many non-credit or continuing education courses at the local institutions.

Many are now available online. There are also speaker series programs and special events during the day and in the evening.

In Massachusetts, if you’re 60 years or older, you are eligible for a “tuition waiver.” This waiver provides opportunities for seniors to take undergraduate or graduate courses at the Commonwealth’s colleges and universities.

To qualify, you must provide proof of Massachusetts residency and your birthday, a copy of your driver’s license, and fill out a “Senior Citizens Affidavit.”

There must also be enough tuition-paying students enrolled in the course to cover the cost of instruction.

Seniors beware: tuition also does not cover “registration, campus, college, and technology fees,” according to the UMass Dartmouth website. At Bristol Community College and other institutions, qualifying seniors must also wait until one week before classes start to register. See the college sites for more information.

LEARN AT A LIBRARY Libraries have become places that offer much more than books. Take a stroll to your local public library or visit their websites. From eBooks to videos, music to lessons, you’ll be surprised by what they

This class is a 16 week program designed for older adults of all fitness levels. If you have a chronic condition such as arthritis this class will help you gain strength and independence. You will feel energized physically, mentally and socially. Classes meet three times per week and focuses on strength, flexibility, balance and movement.

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Originally affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, The Second Half: Lifelong Learning Institute is now an independent, non-profit corporation operating out of its own building at 205 Bedford Street in Fall River.

About 30 to 35 classes are offered each semester. Fall runs from September to December and Spring from February to June. In 2017, look for courses in French and Spanish, about Michelangelo, Astronomy, South Korea, gardening, bridge, bird watching, and New England forests – plus others ranging from handbells to poetry writing.

Roberta Melton is the executive director who pointed out that “enthusiasm for classes is contagious.”

The Spring catalog will be online in mid-January. Visit the group’s website at www.secondhalflli.org for more information or plan to attend the Spring Semester Kick-Off Event on January 17 at Bristol Community College.

A $35 membership fee covers the entire academic year, but all expire on Aug. 31 no matter the starting date. There is also a $150 tuition fee for up to two study groups, with an additional $30 charged for additional groups.

“It’s open to anyone interested,” Melton noted, adding, “Our faculty will be there to give attendees an overall description of each course and people can sign up for classes at the kick-off event.”

So get off the couch and learn something new – or stay on the couch and head online. Either way, there’s no excuse not to try something new this New Year.

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George Pacheco is a local genealogist specializing in Portuguese research. He’s usually at the center in Dartmouth on the third Saturday of each month. The center is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are also open one night during the week (The Center says Friday, but the Family Search site lists Wednesday. Try calling 508-994-0413 first.)

FITNESS FUN & FRIENDS

offer.

The Somerset Public Library makes available more than 500 continuing education courses through an online program called “Universal Class.” Covering topics such as computer training, pet and animal care, and business and career training, the free courses (for library card holders) are impressive.

Want to brush up or learn a foreign language? Somerset also provides access to “Transparent Language,” which can help a person master about 100 languages.

Bonnie D. Mendes, Somerset’s library director, took a course in bird watching and pointed out that the courses are “a good way to keep the mind going.” She also stressed that libraries can help people save money.

“All libraries have museum passes,” she stressed, explaining that a visit to an art or historical exhibit is a great way to learn.

Or you can create your own art or music through a new opportunity called “Artist Works.” Available online with your Somerset library card, you can learn an instrument, improve your voice, or learn to create art with the help of some accomplished professors.

The Fall River Public Library has been offering a program called “Tech Help Tuesday.” From 2 to 4 p.m. – or at other times if needed – patrons can get one-onone help with a tech device or computer issue.

“A lot of the people we help are looking for help using a Kindle or downloading books to an iPad or other device, but we've also helped people set up email and Facebook accounts and learn to use Word,” reference library Kathryn Kulpa noted.

She pointed out that people can call the library's reference department (508-3242700, ext. 3) to schedule an appointment.

In Fall River, you can also get access to legal forms, learn about their art collection, and more.

All of the local libraries have genealogical collections and access to resources like local newspapers, and most provide free access to ancestry.com in the libraries.

The Swansea Public Library offers “The Tuesday Club,” a group which meets weekly from 12 to 2 p.m. to work on family histories.

Many people know of another resource, the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (familysearch.org), but some don’t realize there’s a local Family History Center on 400 Cross Road in

from full-time administration at BCC. He has written for several newspapers and magazines including ‘The South Coast Insider’ and ‘South Coast Prime Times.’

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PRIME SEASON

Out with influenza ELIZ ABETH MORSE READ

When I was a small child, my live-in Nana once showed me some old photos that her family had brought over from the old country. One was a studio portrait of a toothy young man with dark hair wearing his Sunday best. “That was my brother John. He stayed behind in England when we left and died of the Spanish fever a few years later.”

Whether it’s call the Spanish fever, le grippe (“the grip”), catarrh, the sweating sickness, or the flu, being infected by a seasonal influenza virus is a very serious threat to life and livelihood. Getting a yearly flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and the ones you love.

Flu season arrives in the winter months,

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so it’s important to get your flu shot in the fall, especially as it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to produce flu-fighting antigens in your body. But that seasonal immunity will gradually fade over time.

Last year’s flu shot may have protected you last year, but because influenza viruses mutate rapidly, last year’s flu shot may give you no immunity for the viruses

J A NUARY /F EBRUARY 2017

that are circulating this flu season.

HOME WITH THE FLU

FOR THE HOLIDAYS The peak flu season in the northern hemisphere is December to February, when students are home from school, families assemble for holiday vacations, and there’s dry indoor heating everywhere you go. And that’s the perfect storm for

Is it the common cold or the flu?

Getting You Back to Better Both the common cold and the flu are respiratory infections caused by viruses, but you don’t have the sudden high fever and overall misery when you catch the common cold.

Almost a third of people who are infected by the flu virus will have no symptoms at all.

Flu symptoms can be mild or severe, but people with the flu will have a runny or stuffy nose, high fever, chills, headaches, sore throat, body aches, persistent dry cough, and extreme fatigue. Many children will also have vomiting and diarrhea. You don’t get symptoms like these with the common cold.

But if someone seems to be recovering from the flu, and then suddenly relapses with high fever and difficulty breathing, this is a sign of secondary bacterial pneumonia – call 911.

spreading the seasonal flu virus.

Unlike bacteria, fungi, molds, and mildew, which all love “damp, warm, and dark,” flu viruses thrive in cold weather and dry indoor heat, when we’re getting very little exposure to fresh air and the sun’s healing Vitamin D. Instead, we’re cooped up indoors with sneezing strangers in malls, theatres, airplanes, holiday parties, and restaurants, breathing in recycled air. Just in time for the holidays.

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HOW TO AVOID THE FLU The influenza virus is highly contagious, especially when people are crowded indoors. People are coughing and sneezing into their hands without a tissue, and

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What to do if you catch the flu

At the first sign of flu symptoms (usually a fever), ask your doctor about being prescribed an antiviral drug like Tamiflu, which can minimize the severity of your symptoms. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, avoid alcohol and tobacco, and take Tylenol (acetaminophen) for fever and aches. Do not take aspirin or give it to children without a doctor’s express permission.

Stay hydrated! Excessive sweating, whether it’s caused by hard exercise or a high fever, disrupts your body’s fluid balance. You can quickly become dehydrated when you have the flu, especially if you’re also vomiting and suffering from diarrhea. You need to replace all that fluid loss by increasing your fluid intake – use Pedialyte (for infants), Gatorade, broths, juices, crushed ice – but no caffeine or alcohol. Tepid sponge baths (not alcohol rubs) and cool-mist humidifiers can also soothe the discomfort.

then touching doorknobs, countertops, and shopping cart handles.

Flu viruses are transmitted in the air – every cough or sneeze can shed half a million virus particles onto other people and surfaces within six feet – and the virus can survive on surfaces for up to eight hours. An infected person is contagious starting a day after they become infected, and remains contagious for at least five days – so stay home from work if you’ve got the flu. Young children remain contagious for even longer – don’t send them to daycare or playdates or birthday parties.

Health care workers and anyone in close contact with high-risk populations (such as children, the elderly or the chronically ill) should get a flu shot, if only to protect themselves. This includes teachers, home-aides, sports/scouts leaders, nurses, school librarians, babysitters, etc.

If you don’t have a tissue, cough or

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sneeze into your elbow, not into your hand. Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water or alcoholbased lotions. Carry sanitizing towelettes or hand rubs when you leave your home.

Surfaces and equipment can also be sanitized with diluted bleach.

Whenever possible, avoid close contact with people who might have the flu, especially in enclosed places like gyms, airports, locker rooms, public bathrooms, open-plan offices, waiting rooms, classrooms, and public transportation, and don’t touch shared surfaces like faucet handles, toilet-stall doors, toys, computer keyboards, or sports equipment without wiping them down first.

WHO’S CALLING THE SHOTS Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) tracks the emerging strains of influenza viruses, and recommends the formulation of an updated vaccination. This gives pharmaceutical compa-

J A NUARY /F EBRUARY 2017

nies about six months to manufacture the millions of doses needed worldwide before flu season arrives. Nasal-spray and jet-injector flu vaccines are not recommended for anyone during this 20162017 flu season, especially for people 65 years and older.

Each flu season’s vaccine is tailor-made to match the influenza viruses circulating that year. Influenza viruses are classified as either Type A, B, or C – some more contagious than others, some which can also infect animals and birds, some which are particularly dangerous for at-risk populations, such as infants, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses (especially cardiovascular, asthma, diabetes) or who are immunosuppressed, and anyone over 65 years old.

Type A influenza viruses are the most virulent, and have been the cause of major global influenza pandemics – the Spanish Flu in 1918 (A/H1N1), the Asian Flu in 1957 (A/H2N2), the Hong Kong Flu in 1968 (A/H2N3), the Bird Flu in 2004 (A/H5N1), and the Swine Flu in 2009 (A/H1N1). Types B and C viruses are less common and weaker than Type A viruses, but may still be included in a particular year’s flu vaccine.

WHY SENIORS ARE

ESPECIALLY AT RISK Three of four flu-related deaths occur in people over 65, and more than half of all flu-related hospitalizations are people over 65. The over-65 group is also at much higher risk of developing flu-related complications like pneumonia.

As we get older, our body’s ability to fight off infections grows weaker, which makes us more susceptible to complications and secondary infections. And it’s a fact that older people tend to have more pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease which amplifies the effects of seasonal flu.

Fortunately, there are two flu vaccines specifically designed for people 65 and older. Fluzone is a “high dose” vaccine containing four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. Studies show that seniors receiving the high-dose flu shot suffered 24% fewer flu infections than those receiving the standard flu shots.

New this year for seniors is Fluad, an adjuvanted vaccine, which boosts a stronger immune response. Initial studies indicate

that Fluad is 60% more effective than standard flu shots. But both vaccines increase the chances of experiencing mild side effects after getting the shot, like pain/redness at the injection site.

And make sure you’re also up-to-date on your pneumococcal vaccinations. One of the most serious flu-related complications for people 65 and older is developing secondary viral or bacterial pneumonia.

Excuse #1: “I don’t need a flu shot because I’ve never caught the flu before.”

Well, you were just pretty darn lucky.

Maybe you were one of those people (33%) who caught the flu virus but didn’t develop any symptoms. Maybe you thought you just had a really bad cold.

Maybe you lived in the woods and had no contact with the outside world.

But with each passing year, the flu virus changes, as does your life and health, which could put you in a high-risk category if you were to catch the flu this year – pregnancy, chronic illnesses, advancing age, immunosuppression, or working in health care. You are not immortal.

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Excuse #2: “I got a flu shot once and it made me sick!”

No, no, no, Virginia – you cannot catch the flu from a flu shot, any more than you can catch autism from childhood vaccinations. There is no causal link between your getting the shot and then getting sick.

If you developed the flu right after getting a flu shot, that happened because either (a) you were already infected by the virus when you got the shot (which takes two weeks to become effective, remember), or else (b) you unluckily caught a new virus that the vaccination cocktail didn’t cover. It happens.

Each year’s flu vaccine is never 100% effective in preventing all flu infections (some estimates put it as low as 60%), but it can still help minimize the symptoms and complications in case you do catch it.

Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time or money or insurance to get a flu shot.”

Well, that dog just don’t hunt anymore.

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demic viral infections have wiped out the smallpox virus worldwide, and are waging the war against global polio, measles, and HIV viruses. If we all voluntarily got our annual flu shots, we’d be helping to combat the influenza virus. Be proactive and get your flu shot every year.

Getting an annual flu shot on your own initiative is easy, local, and either free or cheap. You don’t need to make a doctor’s appointment – pharmacies, walk-in clinics, schools, workplaces, and even shopping centers offer flu shots on-the-spot, and many locations will directly bill your insurance company/Medicare and notify your primary care physician.

Even if you have to pay out-of-pocket for the flu shot, it’s a lot less expensive than taking time off at work and buying a busload of Kleenex, chicken broth, and Tylenol. To find a convenient flu shot location near you, go to vaccines.gov/ diseases/flu or mass.gov/dph/flu. No excuses.

Excuse #4: “I don’t like needles/I don’t trust vaccines/ I’m worried about side-effects/ I’d rather take medicines if I do catch the flu.”

Really? You’d rather be sick-as-dog for a week, lose a paycheck or miss an exam?

You’d rather take the chance that you could develop life-threatening complications? You’d rather risk infecting everyone around you and putting them in harm’s way?

Antiviral prescription drugs like Tamiflu are not a quick-fix substitute for getting the flu vaccine. All they do is slow down the progression of the flu virus once you’re already infected – but they only work if you take them at the first sign of flu (like a sudden fever), not three days later when you’re totally miserable.

Over-the-counter (OTC) flu concoctions are potentially toxic brews. They may temporarily alleviate symptoms of the flu (fever, aches, cough, nasal congestion), but they can also trigger serious unintended side-effects. For instance, never give aspirin products to children when they have the flu – stick to acetaminophen (Tylenol). Certain OTC flu medicine ingredients can cause some

J A NUARY /F EBRUARY 2017

people’s blood pressure to skyrocket.

Always confer with your doctor or pharmacist before taking (or dispensing) any OTC flu medications. Better yet, just get your flu shot!

A PLAGUE OF VIRUSES Diseases caused by microscopic lifeforms like bacteria and viruses can kill you. Luckily, we’ve created vaccinations and antibiotic drugs that can kill bacteria. Yet we still haven’t found a cure for the common cold, which is caused by a virus life-form, not a bacterial lifeform. Antibiotics don’t kill viruses, only bacteria – we haven’t yet discovered the magic bullet for killing viruses. As a result, treating a viral infection like the flu is much harder than treating a bacterial infection.

Scientists are always scrambling to find fast-acting anti-viral drugs and vaccinations to prevent viral infections like polio, influenza, chicken pox, and pneumonia. But until we discover the magic bullet for killing viruses, getting annual flu shots is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Like the “Black Death” bubonic plagues during the Middle Ages, worldwide influenza pandemics have killed billions of people throughout history (averaging three pandemics per century). After Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World, almost the entire indigenous population in the Antilles was wiped out by a flu-like epidemic in 1493.

After World War I, the deadly “Spanish Flu” pandemic killed almost 100 million people worldwide – close to 5% of the world’s population, almost as many as those who died from the Black Death.

The majority who died in 1918-9 succumbed to secondary infections of bacterial pneumonia, especially young adults like my toothy great-uncle John Connor who stayed behind in England.

We’re a century away from him – let’s act like it. Stay healthy!

ELIZABETH MORSE READ is an award-winning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.

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Home for the holidays

H

olidays are a season of joys and stress. Families are finally together and begin to notice changes in older ones and also start to discuss difficult decisions about finding care for them. Here are some of changes that may indicate your loved one needs some extra help: - Weight loss, poor hygiene - Messy home - Paranoid or agitated behavior - Unopened mail, unfilled prescriptions, missed appointments - Unpaid bills, lost money, paying bills twice or more If you notice these changes, you should consult an elder law attorney.

An elder law attorney will ensure that all alternative decision making documents are in place, such as: Health Care Proxy: Allows you to make medical decisions for your loved one should they become incompetent or incapacitated.

Durable Power of Attorney: Allows you to handle legal or financial issues.

HIPAA Release: Allows you to medical records to assist with their medical care If these documents aren’t in place, the court will chose one through the guardianship process which is complicated, time consuming and expensive.

If your loved one needs help, don’t worry. There’s a lot of support. Contact an elder law attorney to start the process. Attorneys have good referrals to other services that you may need. ©Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. This article is for illustration purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

There is no attorney/client relationship created by this article. DO NOT make decisions based upon information in this article. Legal advice can only be given after an individual consultation with an attorney. Any decisions made without proper legal advice may cause significant legal and financial problems.

M ICHELLE D. B ENESKI is an Attorney at Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. For specific questions email mdb@nbelderlaw.com or call 508-994-5200.

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PRIME LIVING

Instrumental

AT S YMPHONY SHOP IN DARTMOUTH

MUSICIANS IN THEIR SENIOR YEARS ARE TREATED NO DIFFERENTLY THAN THEIR YOUNGER COUNTERPARTS

With more than 20 years as a music instructor, Wendy Hawes SEAN MCC ARTHY can say at least one thing for sure: “My best students are seniors, no question.”

Whether you’ve always wanted to play an instrument or you thought you never would, the music world awaits.

“Senior students are noticeably different from young students,” Hawes says. “They are very self-motivated. It’s something that they really want to do. Regardless of how good they are, they do it because they love it. It’s always a pleasure to be with them.”

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learnin There is more to the music experience than the memorization of scales and other details – instructors will usually take time during a lesson to teach the student a favorite song of theirs, something they can practice while they play at home. Some sessions may include the instructor and the student performing a duet together.

“Playing music can be a hobby that leads to greater creativity,” Hawes says.

Music can provide additional benefits beyond making music, such as getting out of the house to attend lessons, meeting new people, and gaining friends. Learning music has been shown to benefit people mentally as well as help to build an improved sense of self-esteem.

Think about this: if you practice an instrument for an hour a day for a year, you will have put in more than 360 hours in that year. That is likely to result in significant progress.

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“Seniors are perfectionists – they always work to the best of their ability,” Hawes says. “They’ll practice something until they’ve mastered it.”

Hawes has a qualified perspective on musicians. For more than two decades she has taught flute at Symphony Music Shop in North Dartmouth.

“My senior students are very special,” she says. “I always look forward to seeing them.”

NEW NOTES For the sixth time in six years, patrons of the Bishop Connolly Church in Fall River will have a special element to their Christmas service: in the lobby they will be greeted by an older man playing Christmas carols on a saxophone. That man is the 78-year old Thomas Harrington, a retired priest who lives with other retired clergy at the Cardinal Medeiros Residence on the Bishop Connolly

'I like the discipline of practicing every day and it helps break up the monotony of the day. It’s very relaxing.'

A WALL OF GUITARS AT TJ'S MUSIC IN FALL R IVER

campus.

For the last eight years Harrington has studied his instrument at TJ’s Music in Fall River.

He practices for an hour a day, beginning at 4 o’clock every afternoon when the other priests have awoken from their afternoon naps. But Harrington’s primary reason for taking up the sax was somewhat unique – he was using it to help him with his ailment, pulmonary fibrosis.

He began playing the instrument to help improve his breathing.

Harrington has improved both medically and musically.

“I’ve always had a musical sense. I’ve always loved music,” he says. “Playing the sax has allowed me to play many of the jazz standards I’ve always enjoyed, and my doctor thinks it’s a good idea. I never dreamt that I would do this. It has really enriched my life.”

And 74-year-old, Margarida Pereira

didn’t imagine that she would one day play an instrument, but three years ago her three children bought her the surprise gift of a flute. Now she usually practices for 20 minutes twice a day, and looks forward to her weekly sessions.

“They bought it for me to help with the challenges of growing older,” Pereira says.

“I like the discipline of practicing every day and it helps break up the monotony of the day. It’s very relaxing.”

Pereira says her children and her husband are pleased with her progress. Her husband Anibal is also a musician, playing guitar and organ.

“This brings me joy,” she says. “I have no intention of giving it up.”

Learn more about learning opportunities at symphonymusicshop.com and tjsmusic.com.

S EAN M C C ARTHY has been a freelance journalist for 25 years.

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GOOD TIMES

When I go I recently met with a new client whose husband had recently passed. She had spent the last few years caring for him while he was ill, and was stressed about having missed the recent tax SHERRI filing deadline. She told me that in fifty-four M AHONEYyears they had never missed a tax deadline, but BATTLES the last year had been particularly rough. She showed me a calendar, the days filled in with doctor’s visits and hospital stays.

I did my best to alleviate her fears, assuring her that I would get the taxes done quickly and telling her that I often prepared tax returns for clients who had missed multiple tax deadlines.

We chatted while I reviewed her documents, and she shared some of her life with me. Her husband had retired about fifteen years ago, and they had spent the first chapter of their retired lives traveling the world together. In their early retirement years they traveled so frequently she kept a suitcase for each of them packed and ready. Traveling was a dream they had both shared, and they had worked hard to make it a reality.

The early years of their marriage had been spent working hard, saving for retirement, and raising a family, but their retirement years had been all about traveling to the places they had always dreamed about.

They had had a good run of it until he had gotten sick about five years ago, and she was happy to have spent the last few years taking care of him. After all, the ride through life they had shared had been truly wonderful.

As she collected her things to leave I asked her how she had found me. She settled back down into her seat. “It was

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easy,” she said. “You were in his ‘When I Go’ letter.”

He had spent the last few months of his life writing her a letter recounting pieces of their lives together He had spent the last few months of his life writing her a letter recounting pieces of their lives together. Little glimpses back to their early years, the births of their children, and memories of holidays with young children. He reminisced about a home they had built together, in which they loved and lived and then sold to make way for retirement.

He forgave her for shrinking his favorite wool pants and asked her to forgive him for any of the times he had forgotten to tell her how beautiful she was.

The last part of his letter was a list of things she needed to know for when he was gone. He had some money hidden in a sock in his closet. Not a lot, but enough for an emergency. Be sure to get the

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gutters cleaned, the septic pumped, and make sure to get the boiler cleaned. He included names and phone numbers of the people who could help her with these things, and on that list he had included my name and number. She’s nice, and you’ll need help with the taxes when I am gone, he had written.

Later that night as I worked on her tax return I looked for his name in my list of clients, and I found an invoice for a tax return that I had helped him with sixteen years ago.

A distant memory pushed its way into my head, and then I remembered. A young retiree with exciting plans for travel and life. He was a proud do-it-yourselfer who had always done his own tax return but was a little intimidated by the changes his retirement brought to his tax situation. We had worked on the tax return together, and I had answered his questions about how his retirement would impact his tax return.

Included with the tax forms his wife brought was the tax return he had prepared from the previous year – handwritten, the numbers light and put there by someone whose writing revealed a shaking hand. He had prepared the return exactly as we discussed all those years ago, and it was wonderful to have this man’s life circle back towards me as I began the process of preparing his final tax return. It made my heart smile to know that he had gotten to live his dreams of travel and to meet the woman who had shared those dreams.

S HERRI M AHONEY-BAT TLES, an income tax preparation specialist, is a regular contributor to 'South Coast Prime Times.'

Contact her at 508-636-9829 or Sherilyn@ taxingmatters.com.

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E XTRA E XTRA

IN BRIEF ‘Tis the season for the holidays, bright lights, music, and settling indoors with family and friends for the winter. It’s also time for school vacations and flu season, so plan ahead! Make sure to bundle up and get outdoors when ELIZ ABETH MORSE READ there’s sunshine – and make a New Year’s resolution to enjoy everything on the South Coast!

CLASSICAL ACTS

Enjoy the 2016-2017 season of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at the Zeiterion. “Holiday Pops” will be performed on December 17, “An American in Russia” on January 21, “Strings Attached” on February 18. For details, call 508-9996276 or go to nbsymphony.org.

Listen to classical performances at Rhode Island College! There’s a free opera workshop “Dido and Aeneas” on December 18. For info and tickets, call 401-456-8144 or visit ric.edu/pfa.

Plan ahead for the Tri-County Symphonic Band’s performance of

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Mozart, Mancini and Mussorgsky on February 12 in Marion! For details, go to tricountysymphonicband.org.

The South Coast Chamber Music Series will perform “Harp Heaven” on January 14 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion and on January 15 at St. Peter’s Church in South Dartmouth. For more info, call 508-999-6276 or go to nbsymphony.org.

Enjoy a performance of “Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert” by the Strauss Symphony of America and the Rhode Island Philharmonic at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence on January 1. For details, go to vmari.com or

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call 401-421-2787.

Don’t miss the Sarasa Ensemble on February 4 at Goff Memorial Hall in Rehoboth, part of the “Arts in the Village” series. For more, visit carpentermuseum.org.

Plan ahead to hear The Claremont Trio perform on February 26 at Concerts at The Point in Westport. For details, visit concertsatthepoint.org or call 508-6360698.

Enjoy the new season of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra at the VETS – don’t miss the performance of Schubert’s “Unfinished” on January 21.

For details, call 401-248-7000 or go to riphil.org.

Festival Ballet Providence will perform “The Nutcracker” December 16-18 at the PPAC. For more info, call 401-353-1129 or visit festivalballetprovidence.org.

FAMILY FUN

Don’t miss AHA! Fall River’s “Starry Night” on December 15 downtown. For details, go to ahafallriver.com or call 508-294-5344.

Bring in the New Year with the family at the New Year’s Eve Bash at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford! Music, kids’ activities, food, and fireworks! For info and tickets, call 508-994-2900 or go to zeiterion.org.

THE BATH COVE IS NOW…

See New England’s tallest gingerbread lighthouse (16 feet) on December 31 at the Newport Visitor Information Center.

Free, but please donate a nonperishable food item.

Take the family on a guided nature cruise/seal watch down the Taunton River into Mt. Hope Bay! Tours leave from Borden Light Marina in Fall River through April. Or explore Newport Harbor, with guided tours leaving from Bowen’s Ferry Landing in Newport through April. For more info about both, call 401-324-6060 or visit savebay.org.

Find out what’s going on at your local YMCA! For schedules and info, go to ymcasouthcoast.org.

Get out the ice skates and head for the outdoor Newport Skating Center! For more info, visit skatenewport.com or call 401-846-3018. Or else head for the Driscoll Skating Rink in Fall River! For more info, go to fmcicesports.com or call 508-679-3274.

Take the kids to the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol for 18th-century “Home and Hearth” workshops! For the little ones, there’s Farmhouse Storytime every Wednesday. For details, call 401253-9062 or visit www.coggeshallfarm.org.

Ahoy! Check out the span of maritime history and culture at the Marine Museum of Fall River – check out the new Kid’s Cove Fun Space! For info, call 508674-3533 or visit marinemuseumfr.org.

Artwork inspires, colors inspire and feelings inspire.

While you’re there, visit Battleship Cove – for a schedule of events, call 508678-1100 or go to battleshipcove.org.

Spend a day in the cobble-stoned historic district of New Bedford! Visit the world-class Whaling Museum (508-9970046 or go to whalingmuseum.org), then explore the surrounding New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. For more info, go to nps.gov/nebe.

Relive American military history at the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Museum in New Bedford! For info, call 508-994-3938 or visit forttaber.org.

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

WHAT’S ON STAGE?

Don’t miss Trinity Rep’s performance of “A Christmas Carol” through December 31. “The Mountaintop” will be performed January 12 through February 12. For info, call 401-351-4242 or go to trinityrep.com.

TRINITY REP

ATTLEBORO COMMUNITY THEATRE

The Attleboro Community Theatre will present “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through December 18. “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” will be performed February 24-26, March 3-5, 10-12!

For details, call 508-226-8100 or visit attleborocommunitytheatre.com.

Take the children to see the Rhode Island Ballet Theatre perform “Alice Meets the Nutcracker” on December 18 at the Stanford White Casino Theatre in Newport! For details, call 401-847-5301 or go to ribt-nm@cox.net.

Curtain time! Your Theatre in New Bedford will perform “Never the Sinner” January 12-15, 19-22. For details, call 508-993-0772 or go to yourtheatre.org.

Explore the Children’s Museum in Providence! Go to childrenmuseum.org or call 401-273-5437.

Enjoy a dinner-theatre night out at the Newport Playhouse! “Nana’s Naughty Knickers” will be performed through December 31. Plan ahead for “Romantic Comedy” February 16 through March 26. For more information, call 401-8487529 or go to newportplayhouse.com.

LITTLE THEATRE FALL RIVER

NEVER THE SINNER

Then take the kids to the Roger Williams Park Zoo! For more info, go to rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Check out the Children’s Museum in Easton! For info, call 508-230-3789 or visit childrensmuseumineaston.org.

There’s always something to see or do at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro! Call 774-203-1840 or go to capronparkzoo. com. Then take the kids to Mass Audubon’s Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center, also in Attleboro! For more info, call 508-223-3060 or visit massaudubon.org.

Find out what’s happening at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford!

Check out the children’s programs: Bear Cub Club (2-3), Puddle Jumpers (2-5), Little Learners (3-5), Roots & Shoots (1115). For info, call 508-991-6178 or visit bpzoo.org.

HEAVENLY VOICES

Be dazzled by the St. Petersburg Russian Men’s Ensemble singing at Emmanuel Church in Newport on December 18!

For more info, call 401-847-0675 or go to emmanuelnewport.org.

YOUR THEATRE, NEW BEDFORD

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Enjoy FREE family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford.

Spend your New Year’s Eve at AHA! “City Celebrates!” Plan ahead for “Hometown Heroes and Sheroes” on February 9. For details, go to ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253.

Find out what’s playing at the Little Theatre in Fall River! “Love, Loss and What I Wore” will be performed January 19-29. For info, call 508-675-1852 or visit littletheatre.net.

“Straight White Men” and “Di and Viv and Rose” will be performed through December 24 by The Wilbury Group in Providence. “Betrayal” will be performed January 12 through February 4. For info and tickets, call 401-400-7100 or visit thewilburygroup.org.

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Check out the Children’s Aquarium and Exploration Center of Greater Fall River! Learn more at aquariumgfr.com or call 508-801-4743. And find out what’s going on at the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River. Reduced admission on the first Friday each month. For info, go to cmgfr.org or call 508-672-0033.

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Listen to classical and sacred music in one of those most spectacular venues in New England – the “Music at Saint Anthony’s” recital and concert series. On December 18, the Spirit of Song Ensemble will perform a Christmas cantata. For

more details, call 508-264-8010 or visit saintanthonynewbedford.com.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

It’s all happening at the Z in New Bedford! Don’t miss A Christmas Celtic Sojourn December 15, the NBSO’s Holiday Pops on December 17, the New Year’s Eve Bash at the Whaling Museum, Get the Led Out January 12, Carrie Rodriguez January 26, Elvis Lives February 3, “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers” February 10!

For details, call 508-994-2900 or go to zeiterion.org.

Get back to your musical roots at Common Fence Music in Portsmouth!

There’s Aine Minogue’s Winter Solstice Concert December 17. For more info, visit commonfencemusic.org call 401-683-5085.

The Narrows Center for the Arts has a fabulous lineup – there’s Glen Phillips December 15, David Wax Museum December 29, Albert Lee January 1, Funky White Honkies January 6, the 4th Annual Winter Blues Festival January 13-14, Matthew Stubbs January 28, Leon Russell February 9, Paula Cole February 11 – and more! For a complete schedule, call 508324-1926 or visit narrowscenter.com.

Mark your calendar for the monthly Paskamansett Concert Series at the Dartmouth Grange Hall. For a schedule, visit paskamansettconcertseries.weebly.com or call 401-241-3793.

Find out who’s on stage at the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth! There’s Sweetback Sisters Country Christmas Singalong December 16, A Holiday Evening with Cher, Boccelli, Celine Dion, and Streisand December 17, Jonathan Edwards December 30, Billington Sea January 7, The Cape Cod Jazz Quartet January 14, Molly Venter & Goodnight Moonshine February 11 – and more! For tickets and info, call 508-7464488 or visit spirecenter.org.

Find out who’s playing at the Stone Church Coffeehouse at the First Congregational Church in Bristol! For info or tickets, call 401-253-4813 or 401-2537288.

Check out what’s on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center! Don’t miss A Christmas Celtic Sojourn December 14, “The Nutcracker” December 16-18, John Cleese & the Holy Grail January 14, Vocalosity January 25, “The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time” February 7-12 – and more! For details, call 401421-2787 or go to ppacri.org.

If you’re a fan of Americana and roots music, check out “Music in the Gallery” at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. For tickets, go to brownpapertickets.com or wamsuttaconcerts.com.

Check out the schedule at the Dunkin Donuts Center! There’s Twenty One Pilots January 17, Miranda Lambert February 2 – and lots of hockey games! For more info, visit dunkindonutscenter.com or call 401-331-6700.

E XPLORE THE OUTDOORS

Two Day

JEWELRY APPRAISAL EVENT

Take a New Year’s Day stroll through Paskamansett Woods, a nature reserve operated by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust. For more info, visit dnrt. org. Or go on nature walks at the Lloyd Center for the Environment! For details, call 508-990-0505 or visit lloydcenter.org.

Start the New Year with a polar plunge at Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven on January 1! For details, call 508-979-4085 or go to fairhaventours.com.

If you live near Fall River, get outside and enjoy the winter weather! Explore nature trails or historic landmarks, join a walking group – for info call 508-3242405 or visit walkfallriver.org.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13 10:00AM - 5:00PM SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 10:00AM - 4:00PM

Visit Mass Audubon’s Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center in Attleboro! For more info, call 508-2233060 or visit massaudubon.org.

Enjoy the trails, wildlife and scenery of the Mattapoisett River Reserve – leashed dogs welcome. Hike, fish, picnic, birdwatch, or cross-country ski! For more info, go to savebuzzardsbay.org.

Take a walk through the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown! EcoTours for all ages. For info, call 401-846-2577 or visit normanbirdsanctuary.org.

Jog along the Harbor Walk, a ¾ mile pedestrian/bike path atop the hurricane dike in New Bedford’s south end.

Arthur DeMello GG (GIA) graduate Gemologist will be available to provide jewelry appraisal for your personal, estate or insurance purposes.

Explore the Acushnet Sawmills public park and herring weir in the north end!

Canoe/kayak launch, fishing, trails. For more info, visit savebuzzardsbay.org.

If you’re near Newport, stroll through Ballard Park! For more info, go to ballardpark.org.

Wander through the urban greenspace of the Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford – learn more at thetrustees.org or call 508-636-4693. Or take a walk through the city’s Buttonwood Park and Zoo! For info, call 508-991-6178 or visit bpzoo.org.

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GOOD TIMES

Electoral Colledge Colege College In this new year – following the most contentious, head-scratching, mind-blowing, wtf-justhappened presidential election in history, one PAUL which made it seem like K ANDARIAN we’d have been better off deciding this thing in a cow-pie bingo contest in which wandering bovines poop on a grid-marked field to determine the winner – nothing seems to make much sense.

Which is why we in the journalism field, a field that this presidential go-round seems to have been grid-marked and traipsed on by incontinent cows, need someone to explain the madness. That would be me, a man who knows precious little of any of the election process and is therefore as qualified as any average American to make sense of it.

I will now take your questions: Q. Where is the Electoral College?

A. At the corner of Main and Maple, down behind what used to be Hardy’s Drugstore back in the day when elections made sense.

Q. Is that the place that used to have a soda fountain? I loved the malted there!

A. Okay, no, the Electoral College is not an actual place. It’s a process, created by our Founding Fathers, which is a huge red flag right there because if there were Founding Mothers involved this whole thing would probably have gone much more smoothly.

Q. A process?

A. Yeah. These dudes, fresh off of winning the American Revolution and who were probably exhausted and just wanted to get something down on paper that would confuse us for centuries to come, established it as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in congress and the election of the president by a popular vote. It’s these electors who elect the president.

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Q. Wait… it’s not me, you, us, we who elect the president?

A. No, Pollyanna, sorry to burst your idealistic bubble. I know that makes the most sense, or seems to, but sense has no place in politics. Haven’t you figured that out yet?

Q. So who the hell are these electors?

A. A group of candidates for elector is nominated by political parties and other groups in each state, usually at a state party convention or by the party state committee.

Q. Oh, but if the state where these people live give so-and-so the popular vote majority, then these electoral college people have to cast their electoral votes for that person?

A. Didn’t you hear what I just said about politics not making sense? Yes, you might think that would happen but at times it did not: In 1824, 1876, 1888 and 2000, when Al Gore seemed to have won the popular vote but apparently lost that year’s cow pie bingo and the presidency to George W. Bush, who – and it pains me to my core to say this – I would rather see as our president now than the Putin Puppet awaiting inauguration. Or the winning cow, for that matter.

Q. But I still don’t get why the Electoral College was created!

A. For this we go to the Internet, where the truth rate is roughly 20 percent, but still many times more reliable than your average politician. Anyway, I read it was created as a buffer between population and the selection of a president, and also as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to smaller states.

Basically, they feared a tyrant who could manipulate public opinion and come to power.

Q. But wait, isn’t that…?

A . “Ironic,” is the word. Yeah, I know.

They thought they had it covered. In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton wrote…

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Q. Hamilton? The guy in the musical?

That’s supposed to be amazing, I’d love to see it.

A. Yes, yes, that’s the guy. All the more amazing in that he’s been dead over 200 years, isn’t it! Stay with me would you?

So Hamilton, when he wasn’t singing stuff like “Say No To This” before sell-out Broadway crowds, wrote in the Federalist Papers that the electoral college was “peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder,” and that “the precautions which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief.”

Q. Hey, I have the soundtrack to “Hamilton” and I don’t recognize that one.

A. And right there is another reason Carrot Top won.

Q. So if Clinton clearly got the majority of the popular vote, but Trump won the Electoral College votes, she loses and he wins? That hardly seems fair.

A. Now you’re getting it, Skippy! Also, they did this back in the day when they wanted the candidates to campaign in rural areas and not just big urban centers where most of the votes were. Of course that makes little sense now in that virtually every American has instant access to information through television and the internet.

Q. Which is usually wrong?

A. Right, and precisely my reason for starting a petition to elect presidents by cow-pie bingo. You in?

Q. Will there be Hamilton tickets as part of the prizes?

A. I’ll work on it.

PAUL K ANDARIAN is a lifelong area resident and has been a professional writer since 1982, as columnist, contributor in national magazines, websites and other publications.

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