South Coast Prime Times - March/April 2023

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published by

Coastal Communications Corp.

publisher a Nd e ditor-iN-Chief Ljiljana Vasiljevic

e ditor

Sebastian Clarkin

s ales M a N ager Mari Burns (508) 916-0374

CoN tributors

Michael J. DeCicco, Paul Kandarian, Sean McCarthy, Elizabeth Morse Read, Rona Trachtenberg

l ayout & desigN

Janelle Medeiros

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By Michael J. DeCicco

Elizabeth Morse

Paul Kandarian

Sean McCarthy

By Michael J. DeCicco

SWING INTO spring!

Spring is just around the corner! Wear green on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), red on St. Joseph’s Day (March 19), and a new hat on Easter Sunday (April 9)! Celebrate Women’s History Month every day in March, the first day of spring on March 20 and Earth Day on April 22 – and don’t forget to change your clocks on March 12!

tiptoe through the daffodils

It’s that time of year when gardeners can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the sight and scent of flowers! Don’t miss the 73rd Annual RI Home Show, including the RI Flower and Garden Show and Energy Expo at the RI Convention Center in Providence March 30 to April 2 (ribahomeshow.com). Then step into spring in April during Daffy Days in Newport (newportdaffydays.com) and during “Gateway to Spring” at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org), or else wander through the fields of daffodils in Parsons Reserve in Dartmouth (dnrt.org)!

get outdoors aNd get MoviNg Shake off winter’s inactivity and breathe some fresh air! Register now for the Newport 5K Night Run on April 1 (newportnightrun.com), the Shamrock Stampede 5k through Plymouth (and the tavern!) on March 18 (southshorerace.com), the New Bedford Half Marathon on March 19,

sponsored by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (newbedfordhalfmarathon.org), or the West Island 5K Run/Walk on April 23 in Fairhaven (fairhaventours.com)!

Get healthy – for free! “Walk With a Doc” on Saturdays, or find out what’s happening at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford on Sundays –like yoga, meditation, or Zumba – all part of the New Bedford Wellness Initiative (nbewell.com).

Or else check out the online portal at “Discover Buzzards Bay” with information about more than 100 public places to walk, bird-watch, kayak/canoe, fish, snowshoe or cross-country ski (savebuzzardsbay.org/discover). You can find other outdoor recreation spots along the South Coast at thetrustees.org and massaudubon.org, asri.org, riparks.com, or stateparks.com/rhode_island.

f u N for the W hole fa M ily Looking for something that everyone

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e lizabeth Morse r ead

ta K i N g a leap

Island Moving Company is now known as the Newport Contemporary Ballet, and its dance academy is now The Academy at Newport Contemporary Ballet. The change comes as the organization enters is 41st season, and demonstrates an effort to strengthen its commitment to its home city, while “enriching the cultural vitality of the region and remaining a global force in the dance world.” On March 16-18 and 24-25, see “Elements” performed at the Keats Theatre at Saint Andrews School in Barrington. For more information and additional upcoming shows, visit newportcontemporaryballet. org. Also search Vimeo for an announcement trailer.

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in the family will enjoy? Check out these upcoming activities and events: there’s free family fun and entertainment on the second Thursday of every month at downtown New Bedford’s AHA Nights (ahanewbedford.org) and the annual Herring Run Festival at Oliver Mill Park in Middleborough on April 15-16 (discovermiddleborough. com)!

If you’re looking for something indoors, don’t miss “Jurassic Park Live” March 23-26 at the Dunkin Donuts Center (dunkindonutscenter. com) or the planetarium shows at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park (providenceri.gov/museum), or, for the little ones, a performance of “Bluey’s Big Play” at The VETS on April 1-2, all in Providence! Or if you’re near New Bedford, head for the Zeiterion to watch “Enter the Dragon” on March 19 (zeiterion.org). Or you can all bring your ice skates (or rent

them) at indoor skating rinks in Southeastern Massachusetts (fmcicesports.com/rinks).

If you’re still enjoying cold weather activities, grab your binoculars and go on a guided Seal Watch boat tour departing from Bowen’s Ferry Landing in Newport through April (savebay.org/seals), or catch a glimpse of snowy owls and other migratory birds at the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge (fws.gov/ sachuestpoint) or at the Norman Bird Sanctuary (normanbirdsanctuary. org), both in Middletown! Maybe go on a night-time Owl Prowl at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dart mouth on March 6 or 20 (lloydcenter.org).

Or, for something completely different, take the kids to see psychic medium Matt Fraser March 15-16 at New Bedford’s Zeiterion (zeiterion.org) or illusionist Lyn Dillies at the Spire Center in Plymouth on March 25-26 (spirecenter.org)!

ta Ke a trip doWN broadWay

Stay here on the South Coast to watch a Broadway play or enjoy the show tunes we all love so much!

The Tri-County Symphonic Band will perform “Celebrating Andrew Lloyd Webber” on March 19 at Tabor Academy in Marion (tricountysymphonicband.org), and the Rhode Island Philharmonic will perform the songs of “West Side Story” on March 17-18 at The VETS in Providence (riphil.org). And if you’re in the mood for musicals, check out “SIX” April 11-23 or “Beetlejuice” April 25-30, both at the Providence Performing Arts Center (ppacri.org)!

e N joy the soothi N g sou N ds of C lassi C al M usi C

Whether you prefer the intimate setting of a chamber music ensemble, a chorale concert or a full orchestra experience, there are many events to suit your musical tastes coming up in March and April.

The Haven String Quartet will perform in Rehoboth on March 18

(rehobothantiquarian.org), followed by Jonathan Cohler & Rasa Vitkauskaite on April 29. The Newport String Project will perform at Ochre Court in Newport on March 12 (newportstringproject.org), and the Frisson Ensemble will perform on March 26, as will the Handel & Haydn Society on April 23, at Westport’s Concerts at the Point (concertsatthepoint.org). There will be “Chamber Music in the Parlors” performed by members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra on April 16 at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Museum in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org), and the South Coast Chamber Music Series will perform “Dreamcatchers” at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion on April 29 and at St. Peter’s Church in Dartmouth on April 30 (nbsymphony.org/ southcoast-chamber-music-series).

The Sippican Choral Society will perform “Music of Poetry & Love” on March 30 at Tabor Academy in Marion (sippicanchoralsociety.org) and the Pilgrim Festival Chorus will

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

“h adestoWN” at provide NCe perfor MiNg a rts Ce N ter

gree N buildi N g

“A small building with an enormous impact,” the state-ofthe-art Living Building Challenge Welcome Center at the Lloyd Center is an environmentally friendly structure that promises to bring national and international recognition to the Lloyd Center and the students of Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech.

Students in the Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC programs have worked on the construction for years. Engineering students designed a bicycle rack, while Media Technology students have been monitoring the project with photos and video, which will contribute to the building’s eventual certification.

As the exterior nears its completion, students are now turning their attention to interior design and construction.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

sing Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” at St. Bonaventure Parish in Plymouth on April 29 (pilgrimfestivalchorus.org). Also, the Providence Singers with the Aurea Ensemble will perform “Finding the Light” at the Grace Episcopal Church in Providence on March 11-12 (providencesingers.org).

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and pianist Gluzman will perform selections of Beethoven’s works on March 25 at the Zeiterion, then “Mahler’s Farewell” on April 8 (nbsymphony.org), and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will perform “Rite of Spring” on April 15 at The VETS (riphil.org).

f ro M tragedy to C o M edy

Nothing is more intriguing than the plot of a well-crafted play, whether a comedy, tragedy, or mystery. Don’t miss the performances of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being

Earnest” on March 10-12, 17-19, 24-25 at the Marion Art Center (marionartcenter.org) or “The Crucible” March 3-5, 10-12 at Your Theatre in New Bedford (yourtheatre. org), or else enjoy “Guys and Dolls” March 23-26 at the Little Theatre in Fall River (littletheatre.net)!

And mark your calendar for the performances of “The Inferior Sex” March 16-April 16 at Trinity Rep in Providence (trinityrep.com). Then head for the Providence Performing Arts Center March 21-26 to watch “Hadestown” (ppacri.org), or a performance of “Indecent” by The Wilbury Group in Providence starting April 13 (thewilburygroup.org)!

M eet li K e- M i N ded people

Shake off the winter boredom and mingle with other folks who’re curious to sample something new! If you’re heading near New Bedford, check out the free monthly New Bedford Science Café lectures and discus -

t here W ill be “Cha Mber MusiC iN the parlors” perfor Med by Me Mbers of the Ne W bedford s y MphoN y orChestra oN a pril 16 at the rotCh-joNes-duff MuseuM iN Ne W bedford (rjdMuseuM.org)

sions at The Last Round Bar & Grille (nbsciencecafe.com), learn how to line dance at Kilburn Mills (facebook.com/ aandmdanceacademy.com), or check out the classes and workshops for all ages at the New Bedford Art Museum/ Artworks (newbedfordart.org)!

Sample local craft beers at the annual Newport Craft Beer Festival at Fort Adams on April 29 (ribrewersguild. org) , try your hand at pickleball at Fairhaven’s indoor Southcoast Pickleball arena (southcoastpickleball.com), or check out the Friday afternoon movies at the Newport Public Library (newportpubliclibraryri.org)!

Celebrate your irish roots

Even if you’re not Irish, everyone enjoys the traditions and culture our Irish forebears brought to the South Coast. Don’t miss the spectacular Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Newport on March 11 (newportirish.com), “The Irish in America” concert, also on March 11, at the Newport Public Library (newportpubliclibraryri.org), a rousing performance by Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers on March 11 at Memorial Hall in Plymouth (plymouthphil.org), or

the multi-faceted show “Ireland with Michael Londra” on March 12 at the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford (zeiterion.org).

f roM today’s headliNers to yesterday’s golde N oldies

No matter what your taste in contemporary/pop music, there’s a nearby venue on the South Coast to suit your musical moods! Head for the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River (narrowscenter.org), the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford (zeiterion.org), The VETS (vmari. com) or the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence (ppacri. org), the District Center for the Arts in Taunton (thedistrictcenterforarts. com), or the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth (spirecenter.org) or Memorial Hall of Plymouth (memorialhall.com)!

e lizabeth M orse r ead 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.

p erfor M a NC e of a lifetime

IF MONTHS AND YEARS OF QUARANTINES AND SOCIAL DISTANCING HAVE LEFT YOU WANTING TO SHARE YOUR MUSICAL TALENTS WITH THE PUBLIC, CONSIDER ATTENDING THE MATTAPOISETT MUSEUM’S MONTHLY OPEN MIC NIGHT.

Hosted in a charming 1821

Meeting House with an attached replica of a 200 year old carriage house, it’s the perfect place to showcase a talent. Their website describes the “ancient pews, graceful galleries, and post and beam construction in the carriage house, which carry one back to when life revolved around daily work, church, town meeting and the waterfront.”

At this event, you can “Sing a song, tell a joke, read a poem, or play an instrument,” began Jessica DeCiccoCarey, who is a Member at Large on the Museum’s Board of Directors. “The audience is yours, and the entertainment

is all ours to share and enjoy. This is a community at its best! This event is in keeping with our mission to provide a vibrant place of learning and community activities. We have created a welcoming place for all people of all ages.”

Due to COVID-19, the museum was closed all of 2020. The staff was considering ways to inject life into the museum. Fortunately, in 2021, Jeff Angeley, from South Coast Lessons, came along with his Old Time Fiddle Session and Silent Movie Night. “When he needed a place to host his monthly open mic,” said DeCicco-Carey, “We had the space. It was a mutually beneficial agreement; we didn’t charge him to use the space, and his event brought new people into the museum.”

DeCicco-Carey explained that, “Jeff was the catalyst and inspiration for our Open

“People have come from all over the South Coast and Cape Cod to perform,” confirmed DeCicco-Carey.

“I have been told that the museum has amazing acoustics and many of our regular performers, like Doug from Middleboro, are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in this beautiful space.”

Mic Monthly Event, which has been running successfully since July 2021, every third Friday of the month at 6 p.m. It is free to perform and free to attend. Since we are a nonprofit we always mention

There is no audition. Performers simply sign up when they arrive and their names will be called randomly. Depending on how many performers attend, each one can do one or two songs, for about a 10-minute set.

that donations are appreciated. (It helps to keep the lights on).

“People have come from all over the South Coast and Cape Cod to perform,” confirmed DeCicco-Carey. “I have been told that the museum has amazing acoustics and many of our regular performers, like Doug from Middleboro, are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in this beautiful space.”

There is no audition. Performers simply sign up when they arrive and their names will be called randomly. Depending on how many performers attend, each one can do one or two songs, for about a 10 minute set. If there are fewer performers, then they can do up to four songs. “We are an all-volunteer operation,” said DeCicco-Carey, “so as long as the volunteers are willing to stay (which they gladly will), we will stay open as long as needed to give everyone a chance to perform if they want to.”

The museum’s open mic nights welcome performers of all ages, from as young as nine years old to people in their 70s. “I personally love when a child or teen performs,” said DeCicco-Carey. “It takes courage to get up in front of a room of people and play an instrument or sing. I am always blown away by how much talent there is in our community.”

Each month is different. One never knows who will show up or what the performers will do.

DeCicco-Carey related the story that, “One evening in 2021, Adam Hanson from Northwoods came and performed an acoustic version of a song he wrote for his first solo album. He approached

me after the show and asked if we did any concerts. We kept in touch and he emailed me about six months later asking if we could set a date for a show. We booked him for May of 2022 for his East Coast album debut show. (He is originally from Mattapoisett and lives in L.A. now.) He wanted to perform in his hometown. I honestly had no idea how much of a big deal he was until he showed up with his sound and lighting people and some of his bandmates drove from NYC to perform with him.”

Unfortunately, in November 2022, Jeff Angely had to step away from his three events. “Until we get an MC, with their own speakers and microphone,” said DeCicco-Carey, “we will be hosting an acoustic open mic night. The feedback and involvement from the community has been outstanding, so we will continue this event. In the meantime, we eagerly wait to hear if our grant comes through. If it does, we will be able to purchase our own equipment.”

DeCicco-Carey is invested in her facility’s long-term success as a museum and as a place for community gatherings. She concluded, “This is a very pure way to get people who love listening to music and people who love performing music together in a very supportive and inclusive environment. Our Mattapoisett Museum is located at 5 Church Street. Please consider sharing your talent on stage with us.”

r o N a t ra C hte N berg is a freelance journalist, a Certified Nursing Assistant, a professional organizer, and a US Coast Guard Auxiliarist, who lives in Fairhaven.

Local catch

ith decades of experience as a local fisherman and businessman, he had the knowledge and insights to create a first-rate seafood market. And in June of this year, the 61-year-old will continue expanding on his lifelong passion for bringing quality seafood to Westport and the region at large, as construction continues on a second wide-ranging market at this 915 Main Street location. Benefitting from his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Manchester isn’t just building on his business – he’s building on his reputation.

“This business was started 50 years ago by a local fisherman and it’s going to continue to be owned and operated by a local fisherman,” he says. “I know this town and the fishermen in this area, I’ve been fishing here all of my adult life. I can bring my knowledge of seafood to this area.”

Manchester’s plans for Westport Lobster’s expansion are to open an

Wadditional market located atop his current retail market. The aim of the new market is to offer customers more than the variety of seafood he already sells, including prepared foods and complimentary items for entire meals to be enjoyed at the location or at home. A one-stop-shop for seafood dining.

“If you’re coming home from work and you want to have fish tacos, you can buy all the ingredients to go home and have something you can make yourself,” he suggests. “If you don’t feel like doing that, you can pull out a seafood pie or a lobster salad or some baked stuffed shrimp.

“We want to offer things that you can’t find anywhere else – maybe enjoy a bagel, salmon, and a good cup of coffee. We’ll have prepared foods such as lobster rolls and chowder, and items from local farms such as produce, dairy, and baked goods.”

Manchester has benefitted from the lessons he learned during the pandemic. During this time he began servicing customers in the areas of prepared foods such as grab-and-go items and curbside delivery – a trend he expects to continue.

“WE PICKED UP A LOT OF BUSINESS DURING COVID AND THE PUBLIC TAUGHT US A LOT ABOUT THINGS THEY WANTED,” HE SAYS. “NO ONE WAS GOING OUT TO DINNER, SO WE WERE INUNDATED WITH CUSTOMERS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED US ABOUT PREPARED FOODS AND WE WERE DOING A LOT OF TAKE-OUT.”

“We picked up a lot of business during COVID and the public taught us a lot about things they wanted,” he says. “No one was going out to dinner, so we were inundated with customers. A lot of people asked us about prepared foods and we were doing a lot of take-out. We realized there were probably some things that we needed to take a look at when the pandemic was over, and we’ve stuck with a lot of the things we started doing during COVID.”

When Skip Manchester bought the Westport Lobster Company in 2019, he had a vision

But there were other lessons.

“A lot of people realized during the pandemic that staying home and making a good meal can have more value than going out to dinner all the time. A lot of husbands and wives are both working now, neither one stays home and cooks, so it’s nice for them to have a place like Westport Lobster that they can walk into and grab a menu card that tells them what ingredients to buy. You can grab a basket and put your meal together, and you can take it home and cook it. You can also enjoy prepared foods that you can take home and pop in the oven. There’s a lot of interest in good, organic food.”

FISHERMAN’S PANTRY

There’s also interest in the renovations taking place at Westport Lobster.

“For the last two or three years, a lot of people have been asking us about the work going on at our second floor,” he says. “People have seen what we’ve been doing, asking what’s going on. They want to know what we’re doing.”

But the renovations will only continue to bring greater shopping experiences to customers.

“When I bought this building after 50 years, it was in pretty poor condition,” he says. “Since then we’ve stripped it, painted it, cleaned it all out, and brought in fresh, quality seafood. We’ve built a

pretty good customer base. We’re doing all the things that people are looking for. People will be even happier once we open the second floor.”

But COVID brought a change to Manchester’s original plans for the building. After purchasing it, he intended to make renovations to the first floor as well as the second. However, he soon realized he had to keep the retail market open to the public once the pandemic took hold.

“During the pandemic, construction to the second floor was postponed because of the importance of keeping the firstfloor market open to the public,” he says. “So shortly after the second floor is open and running this June, we’ll remodel the downstairs seafood retail market so that we won’t have to shut the entire building down.”

FRESH FOOD, FRESH IDEAS

Since 2010, Manchester has been the owner of the wholesale seafood company, Liberty Lobster, in New Bedford. The establishment unloads seafood from fishing boats and distributes that seafood to businesses throughout the Northeast and across the country. Manchester uses the relationships that he built with other boat owners while he was fishing to purchase their products directly from their boats. Before Covid, Liberty Lobster was

MANCHESTER WAS BORN AND BRED ON DRIFT ROAD IN WESTPORT. HE HAS HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SEA SINCE HIS YOUTH. AFTER 25 YEARS ON THE SEAS, AND AS THE FATHER OF THREE DAUGHTERS, MANCHESTER SOLD HIS FLEET OF FISHING BOATS. BUT IT “ONLY MADE SENSE” TO STAY IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY THAT HE DEVOTED SO MUCH OF HIS LIFE TO.

shipping a large amount of seafood to Asia and Europe as well. Manchester’s mornings begin at Liberty Lobster, where he spends the first half of the day unloading fishing boats and buying and selling seafood from his New Bedford location. His afternoons are spent at his Westport location.

Manchester was born and bred on Drift Road in Westport. He has had a relationship with the sea since his youth.

“When I’d get home from school I would go quahogging, scalloping, and fishing to make money,” he recalls. I had a boat for transportation until I was old enough to get a license. This limited my travel but fostered my love of working the water. I took classes in Marketing and Management at Bristol Community College, and four days after my last final exam I took off on a fishing boat and never looked back.”

After 25 years on the seas, and as the father of three daughters, Manchester sold his fleet of fishing boats. But it “only made sense” to stay in the fishing industry that he devoted so much of his life to.

For more information, visit westportlobstercompany.com.

sea N MCC arthy has been a freelance journalist for 35 years. He lives in New Bedford.

STAVING OFF “senior-itis”

THERE’S

MiChael j. deCiCCo

If you are among the over age-55 crowd, just visit your local senior center to find a weekly schedule of programming to keep you fit!

Heather Chew, the director at the Acushnet Council on Aging, is proud to note a senior need not be a resident of a particular town to attend a senior center program anywhere within the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The only caveat, she said, is that the minimum age to be able to join in varies. In some communities, that minimum is 60 – in others, age 50. Seniors should check that requirement first.

But she’s even prouder to note the health and exercise programs area senior centers offer now are a very good deal for the over-55 crowd.

“From Zumba to Yoga, we can help them stay happy and healthy,” she said.

She singled out as an example Acushnet’s “Strong Women, Strong Bones” program, which is geared toward seniors with osteoporosis. This program is Title III grant-funded and requests only a two-dollar voluntary donation. “But we never make anything we offer cost-prohibitive,” she added.

In the winter, the turnout

for this program is no more than 20 people, she said. In the warmer weather months, however, attendance goes as high as 40.

Another Acushnet program, Tai Yo-Ba, combines Tai Chi, yoga, and physical therapy. She said it easily attracts 30 people each time it’s offered. Its Zumba classes are three days a week and they average 30 to 35 participants.

Its chair yoga classes regularly attract 18 people a session. Its Resistance Band program, for which attendees may bring their own equipment or use the center’s supplies, is new, but

attracts around 15 attendees per session.

The secret to these programs’ success? “We have wonderful, warm instructors,” Chew said. “Just the best. They are all welcoming, and people’s health and safety are their top priorities.”

Karen Corcoran has been a fitness instructor in area senior centers since 2006 and an exercise teacher in total for 40 years. She elaborated that the “Strong Women, Strong Bones” class she runs aims to reduce the chances of developing phosphorus or keep the condition at bay by diminishing the effects of the

A SURPRISING PLACE TO FIND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TRAINING, MOTION AND BALANCE EXERCISES, TAICHI, YOGA, AND EVEN MEDITATION FOR FREE OR AT A VERY LOW COST

condition. It combines cardio, strength, and weight-bearing aerobic exercise. She said its goals are to increase the flexibility of the bones and increase muscle mass “and keep people in their homes and as independent as they can be.”

At the same time, these classes achieve another goal, Corcoran said. The seniors are socializing. She sees that the seniors like that they are making friends when they come to a senior center exercise class.

The seniors she has taught have not held back on their appreciation of what these classes do for them. “Last Thursday, a lady in my class said, ‘I can put on my pants for the first time, and they fit!” Corcoran said. “I see a lot them grow a little bit stronger. They can play with their grandchildren. They are so happy doing exercise. They see a better outcome of their day. It releases the endorphins. I see the stress release from their faces.”

Spring into Paisley

Caron Jewelers specializes in fine jewelry and estate pieces, custom wedding and engagement rings, luxury and vintage watches, artisan giftware, as well as its own Michi Designs featuring rare gemstones. In-house jewelry and watch repair, battery replacement, layaway and cleaning services available.

Acushnet’s senior community center is located at 59 1/2 South Main Street. Its website is acushnet.ma.us/councilon-aging. Its Facebook page is facebook.com/acushnetcoa.

Whole health

Similarly, at the Marion Council On Aging’s Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, at 465 Mill Street in Marion, director Karen Gregory said, “They let us know all the time that they are so happy we are here and it’s the highlight of their week.”

Marion’s Tai Chi classes are offered through a grant funded through Coastline Elderly Services grant that will last through September 2023. This program is popular, but Marion’s Strength and Balance class attracts more seniors, 20-25 participants each week. Meditation class attracts an average of 10 to 15 attendees each session.

“There’s something for

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

“t hey let us KNoW all the tiMe that they are so happy W e are here a Nd it’s the highlight of their W eeK.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

everyone here,” Gregory is proud to note.

In Marion, that “something for everyone” includes dental cleanings, from a dental hygienist who travels to the Marion COA with a mobile dental unit providing dental cleanings, screenings, and oral health information and education, including denture adjustments and cleanings. Also, a podiatrist provides foot care monthly, and a Public Health Nurse is available at the COA on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. for routine immunizations, blood pressure and blood sugar readings, as well as home visits.

The Marion COA is available at marionma.gov/councilaging.

f iNdiNg fitNess

The Rochester Council On Aging, at 67 Dexter Lane in Rochester, includes one thing none of the others in the

area offer: a fully-equipped fitness room for seniors to use weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rochester COA Director Eric Poulin reported the fitness center includes 13 pieces of exercise equipment. In January 2023, the monthly membership for this center will drop to $5 per month from what was $10 per month. And a re-investment of revenues has allowed the addition of a new Concept II rowing machine and two new exercise bicycles. The equipment room is supervised by a fitness room monitor certified in first aid and CPR, whose salary is paid through the Senior Community Services Employment Program at Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.

There’s even more available outside this room. There are Tai Chi & Qigong and Tai-Yo-Ba classes that are funded through a grant from the SouthCoast Community Foundation and a “Strength

and Stretch” class funded through a Title III Grant from Coastline Elderly Services. As with other area COAs, the cost for these classes is a voluntary donation but they don’t turn people away with limited funds.

The most popular health and exercise program in Rochester is currently its Zumba Gold class which attracts up to 30 participants at one time (the charge is $5 per person); “Strength and Stretch” brings in up to 15 seniors at any one time; and line dancing classes on Tuesdays and Fridays can bring up to 15 seniors each time.

Line dancing has been so popular that the senior center has split the activity in two – one for beginners and the other advanced (the cost is a $3 donation).

Elsewhere on the Rochester COA’s health and wellness calendar, the town nurse offers a regular Blood Pressure clinic on Wednesdays, and the center has medical

supplies for those in need of them, from blood pressure cuffs to oxygen monitors. It runs a medical equipment loan program, offering walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and canes, etc. Rochester shares this program, Poulin said, with other area senior centers. Rochester will loan a piece of equipment in its stockpile that another COA’s senior needs. “There’s good camaraderie among senior centers,” Poulin said.

The feedback from town seniors is just as good. “They love our programs,” Poulin said. “They’re very grateful we’re here. They love the new rowing machine. We’ve gotten some good feedback. It’s helping them with their flexibility and motion. They always say that they are sorry when they miss a class because they realize how much it benefits them.”

The Rochester senior center’s web site is townofrochestermass.com/council-aging.

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The Dartmouth Council On Aging’s Program/Volunteer

Coordinator Nancy Miller boasts about the variety of that town’s senior exercise programs. “We have a very well-rounded assortment of exercise classes. All are a little bit different from each other and be can be modified to fit anybody.”

Dartmouth’s bi-weekly “Cam’s Body” class, for example, focuses on mobility, posture and breathing techniques, Miller said. It attracts up to 15 participants at any one time. “It’s functional fitness,” she said.

The center’s bi-weekly “Strength and Flex” class involves working with free weights and focusing on each body part or muscle group. It has been so popular that it had to be moved to a larger room, for an average size of 27 participants (the cost is $2).

But all classes are walk-ins; you don’t have to be a Dartmouth COA member,” Miller said, “and are free or charge or only two to three dollars. There’s no real commitment, like with joining a gym. If you are unsure about a class you can just observe before participating if you want to.” For those not comfortable with using weights, there’s the

resistance band class, which uses the fluid plastics used in physical therapy to strengths seniors’ muscles gently. This one too attracts 12 or more each time. Then there’s the “Osteo Exercise” class, which is free and twice a week. It features seated weight exercises to promote bone growth.. This one attracts 30 seniors each week.

Miller said Dartmouth’s exercise programs have been so popular that they still attracted large numbers when they were conducted outside during the COVID pandemic. As another example of their popularity, its Tai Chi class costs $30 for eight weeks but most senior participants continue with it beyond the eight weeks. “I tell people to come to all of then and then decide which one is the best for them,” Miller said. Find these programs at the Maria Connor Center for Active Living, 28 Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth. The website is dartmouth.ma/us/ council-aging.

M i C hael j. d e C i CC o has worked as a writer for over 30 years. He is also the author of two award-winning young adult novels, Kaurlin’s Disciples and The Kid Mobster. He lives with his wife Cynthia in New Bedford.

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Family Furry

enee Dumont, shelter manager for the Animal Rescue League, d.b.a.Faxon Animal Care & Adoption Center of Fall River, at 474 Durfee Street, said there’s a lot more to pet ownership than the desire to do it.

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The League takes in unwanted animals and totally vets them in both senses of the word. The shelter workers clean the animals of dirt and disease, check for rabies, de-flea them, even note their emotional temperament. Only then will these new shelter tenants be available for adoptions through the Pet Finder app, the League’s Facebook page, and walk-ins.

That’s when it’s time to vet the potential adopters in the other sense of the word

RThe League’s executive director, John Panaeses, said right now the shelter at its busiest times handles one to 200 calls a day. The shelter currently holds around 30 cats but no dogs.

– as in making sure the pet and the pet owner are a good match.

Pet adoption candidates must fill out an application and the League will conduct background checks. The League will want to know who the adopter’s veterinarian is if they are already a pet owner. The League will talk to the animal control officer in the area, as well as the tax assessor if they are a homeowner, or the landlord if they are a renter.

Then the family comes in together to

meet their selected pet. The animal has to get along with everyone in the family. If there’s another pet in the family, that pet should go “dog-to-dog”’ with the new one.

“We will tell them everything we know about the animal,” Dumont said. “And they must pass a meet-and-greet test.”

Here is when they get crucial answers. Will the animal get along with the family? Is it good with children? Will it chew the furniture or bite its owner?

Sometimes love is not enough. Animal lovers seeking to become pet owners should know that.

“We can’t and we won’t put our staff or our pet owners in danger,” Dumont said emphatically.

Potential pet owners should also know there will be adoption fees, and it will not be a first-come, first served process, she said. “We adopt out based on the best fit.”

A crucial vetting question is whether a new pet owner will have the time necessary to dedicate to their new furry friend. If you work 12 hours a day, some dogs will become bored and destructive because they are not getting what they need from their owner.

“Listen to the people at the shelter,” she advised. “Some will say ‘I want a pet that’s a challenge.’ We love those people. But adopting a challenge is not for everybody.”

The League’s executive director, John Panaeses, said right now the shelter at its busiest times handles one to 200 calls a day. The shelter currently holds around 30 cats but no dogs.

That’s partly due to what its staff can handle. Prior to the COVID pandemic, there were 26 employees, including one full-time vet, one full-time customer service person, and two full-time vet techs in the clinic. Now no vets are part of the full-time staff as the clinic is closed, and there are only seven daily personnel.

Panarese added that the reason why there are so few dogs specifically is that spay and neuter programs have been so successful that there are less strays out there locally. “There are shortages of dogs in the Northeast thanks to this,” he said. “As a result, it is common for shelters and rescues to transport puppies/dogs from other parts of the country and even overseas. Potential adopting pet owners should know that some available pets have been shipped from outside of the local area.”

For that reason alone, Dumont said, it is never a good idea to adopt from an online source, sight unseen. It’s another example of how important it is to meet the animal from any shelter or adoption place or pet store in person before you take it home, she said.

The above advice is a natural outgrowth of the Fall River shelter’s goal, which Panarese said is “to take care of the health needs of its animals and work tirelessly to find a new forever home for each of them.

“Pet owners typically want the companionship of a pet,” Panases said, “and these animals become family members. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is rescuing who: the pet or the owner. But the end result is good either way.”

For more information or to donate call 508-676-1061 or visit arlfr.com.

M i C hael j. d e C i CC o has worked as a writer for over 30 years. He is also the author of two award-winning young adult novels, Kaurlin’s Disciples and The Kid Mobster. He lives with his wife Cynthia in New Bedford.

HIGH PEDIGREE

The Faxon Animal Care & Adoption Center, a no-kill shelter, has such a storied history. In 1914, Lizzie Borden, an animal lover, became one of the original contributors to the League after Helen Leighton, a nurse, and her friend Gertrude Baker, a schoolteacher, met in Borden’s parlor a year before to discuss how to care for and what to do with the abused draft horses in the Fall River area. The League sustains itself on the generous donations of donors through grants, adoption fees, the fundraising efforts of its Board of Directors, its fundraising volunteers, and the local community. It does not receive any federal, state, or local government funding.

Panarese added that the reason why there are so few dogs specifically is that spay and neuter programs have been so successful that there are less strays out there locally.

My new normal

The new normal. That’s a pretty popular phrase in recent years. The pandemic? The new normal. Brutally divisive politics? The new normal. Warmer winters, rising tides, the end of civilization as we know it? The new normal.

medicine. Cortisone for example. I’ve had two shots in my right knee and so far (knock wood) so good.

paul K a Ndaria N

We adjust and move on, except in the case of global warming because that’s a keeper, sadly.

I’m turning 70 this year, and can live with that because you ain’t living if it’s the alternative. But since I hit 65, it’s like my body said, “OK, that’s it, we’re done, time for more aching joints and constant pain! You’re welcome, former stud.”

And that’s exactly what’s happened. I’d wake up in years past when this or that hurt but confident by the next morning it would pretty much be gone. I could count on it. I remember a pain I’d get in my lower back that hurt like hell for maybe an hour or so when I was in my 40s and 50s even, and not sweat it because it wouldn’t last.

Now everything lasts. Except the confidence it won’t.

I have arthritis in – hell, name a body part – but mostly in both knees and both shoulders, a double header of constant pain that can make walking a challenge and reaching for anything high on shelf damn near impossible and an exercise in creative profanity.

The new normal.

And that’s the sucky part. It’s so routine it’s normal that I walk in pain, wake up in pain, work in pain, try to sleep in pain and know it ain’t going anywhere. Carly Simon didn’t have time, room, or need for the pain, but then again I didn’t either when she first sang that because I was 21 at the time.

Temporary pain is now permanent pain and youth isn’t the cure any more, it’s

But now, just for the hell of it and who knows, arthritic companionship, my left knee got lonely and decided to join the pain parade. It’s killing me now. So I’m scurrying for a cortisone shot in that knee, but those docs make appointments months out because us old folks are lining up for shots like we used to line up for tickets to a Carly Simon concert.

The new normal.

I fully realize the alternatives and probably will do them sooner than later. Knee replacements, for one thing. Make that two, in my case. As I understand it, hips are the easiest things to replace and recover from.

Knocking wood on that one; my hips don’t hurt yet, which is surprising because they’re halfway between my bum knees and shoulders and it would provide a nice symmetry.

Oh, here’s a lovely bit of irony. I’m an actor and about eight or nine years ago, I did patient education videos for New England Baptist Hospital, the go-too ortho spot in the area. I played a patient undergoing a knee replacement. I joked at the time that I hoped not to be back doing it for real and have to watch myself in the videos.

My knee doc is at New England Baptist. Art imitated life and damned if it didn’t just trade places.

I also go to a top shoulder doc at Mass General (how lucky are we with arguably the best medical care in the world right up the road?), a guy a lot of my friends use and swear by his ability to fix them up without the last resort of total shoulder replacement.

“What can you do for me doc?” I eagerly asked when I went to him a couple years ago before the pain really set in.

He sighed. “Nothing, sorry to say. It’s bone on bone. You need replacement.

Try cortisone if it starts to really hurt. I warn you, it’s a pretty serious recovery from replacement surgery, some take to it well, some don’t. If you don’t, you’ll hate me so I tell my patients there’s two kinds of pain: tolerable and unbearable. When it’s unbearable, it’s time.”

The new normal.

I take ibuprofen, get massages, ice things down, heat things up, wear a knee brace, do physical therapy, exercise, take natural supplements, and realize that the pain that was fleeting 50 years ago decided to finally come home to roost.

And speaking of a half-century: I’ve played ice hockey, as a goalie, for the past 50 years or more, which may be responsible for some if not all of this. Flopping around with 40 pounds of gear on is finally taking its toll. Now I face the very likely option of quitting the only sport I love and has been a huge part of my life even as it lapses into a new normal of exhibiting a lot less of the old goaltending skills I used to have and a whole lot more of the new normal pain I have now.

On the day I wrote this in late January, it was beautiful, sunny, fairly mild, and I’d just come back from a rigorous hike over mucky, marshy wetlands to do something else I love: rooting in the cold mud for oysters, clams, and mussels and then hiking to look for edible mushrooms and greens in the forest. I wore a brace on my bum knee. I have an ice pack on it now. I just downed 800mgs of Ibuprofen and am pounding my shoulders with the pulsating power of a Theragun.

And that’s also my new normal. Grateful and happy for it.

paul K a N daria N is a lifelong area resident and, since 1982, has been a profession writer, columnist, and contributor in national magazines, websites, and other publications.

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