South Coast Prime Times - May/June 2022 by Coastal Communications Corp.

M ay/June 2022 · Volume 18 · Number 3

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O n the cover: At The Residence at Cedar Dell in North Dartmouth, residents are treated like family, and engage in a full calendar of activities together to ensure both entertainment and relaxation. Learn more by turning to page 12, or visiting residencecedar.com.

Celebrating 20 Years of World-Class Cardiac Surgery

Since 2002, the Heart and Vascular Center at Southcoast Health’s Charlton Memorial Hospital has done More to help heal thousands of hearts in our community. Twenty years ago, Charlton Memorial became the first community hospital in Massachusetts to have an open heart surgery program approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since then, the Heart and Vascular Center at Charlton Memorial Hospital has been leading the way in advanced, comprehensive cardiac care, and our commitment to healing hearts in our community remains as strong as it was in 2002 — as does our gratitude for the support from all our friends and neighbors who are proud to call our region home.

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PRIME LIVING

Photo: Midori E vans

The winds of West port B y staff writer

ext flows into image, flows back out again. You stand in the gallery, drinking in the image of the supermoon rising over the water, then move to a poem capturing the beauty of an osprey, golden light on its wings. Magic photographic moments, poetic words, the water, trees, rivers of Westport – all this comes alive in the upcoming Meditations on Landscape. In this unique, innovative exhibit, the work of local writers and photographers answers the question: “What does your home landscape mean to you?” The public is invited to discover how local artists work to capture that beauty and meaning. One of the featured writers, Krista Allen, a relative newcomer to Westport, had already been finding her muse through the town’s natural landscape, “each idea branching like a head of Queen Anne’s Lace.” Participating in this show gave her a chance to share the gratitude she feels to those who have worked to preserve the quiet places here that she has fallen in love with. Midori Evans, founder of Midori Creativ-

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ity, conceived of this idea and started with a phone call to Dedee Shattuck of the Dedee Shattuck gallery to see if anything like this had been done before. Locating writers to participate was the next step.

What does your home landscape mean to you

She reached out to writers through Westport Facebook groups, chats with her writer-neighbor Margot Greene, a network at Groundwork, the co-working space in New Bedford, and through Elizabeth Lane at Partners Village Store, where they feature the works of local authors.

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Steve Connors, outreach coordinator at the Westport River Watershed Alliance, was an invaluable piece of the puzzle. He coordinated finding photographers for the show, all of whom were previous winners of a contest, their work gracing the calendars of the Westport River Watershed Alliance in years past. The exhibit is a true community endeavor, with funding from the Westport Cultural Council and help from lots of people. George Ripley at the town’s library has worked to expand services and increase programming at the library, so that partnership brings more art to the library for people to enjoy. Evans calls herself a creative explorer. Juggling creative projects, writing, photographic work, and the launch of her new business, she is a certified creativity coach with a deep love of the natural world. For her, community is “all about the people, the animals, the connections in your life. It’s about sharing stories and helping strengthen the bonds that connect us.” Laurie Wenham, one of the featured photographers who has since moved to

exhibit dates

April 22-24 Dedee Shattuck Gallery Reception 4/22 5pm - 7pm

May 1-31 Westport Library Reception 5/7 11am - 1pm

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– Opening: Saturday, May 7 – Featuring Unique Works by Local Artists Hours: Mon. thru Sat. 10 - 4, Sunday 12 - 4 Closed Wednesday

201 Horseneck Rd • So. Dartmouth, MA Duxbury, laughed when she thought about the time she captured her image of clouds over the Westport River. “It was just with my iPhone,” she said. But when someone said, “hey, you should really get into photography,” she took the praise to heart. Ten years later, she is an established photographer, looking back fondly at the Westport image that sparked her new career. There are two chances to view the exhibit. First, it will be hosted at Dedee Shattuck Gallery April 22-24 with a reception on Friday, April 22 from 5 to 7 pm. Then, it may be viewed at the Westport Library anytime in May. If you stop by on Saturday, May 7 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Wild Honey Cafe will be providing snacks and coffee. That open house is part of the ten-day-long South Coast Spring Arts festival, launched last year during the pandemic, which connects innovative, creative, and affordable art and cultural events in communities across the region. According to Evans, “If we are lucky enough to get funding to do this project again next year, we hope to expand it to even more writers of different genres and invite some new photographers to participate.” This program is supported in part by a grant from the Westport Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

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GOOD TIMES

Nice pipes Michael J. DeCicco

“There isn’t a bad seat in the house as far as the sound is concerned,” says Ken Duffie. Duffie is a New Bedford resident and the vice-president of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society, and he is speaking with pride about the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ that delights audiences when its rich, loud melodies echo from the walls of the Zeiterion Theatre in concerts and to accompany silent films.

Duffie’s pride is an extension of the hard work he employed to help return the circa-1923 “Unit Orchestra” style organ to powerful working condition at the Zeiterion in 2006. He explains the organ console that sits near the orchestra pit during performances is only the visual part of the organ system. Behind the theater walls, acting as the speaker system, there are tall organ pipes and actual instruments activated by the organ’s different keys, tabs, and foot pedals. Alongside the pipes sit 37-note tubular chimes, a glockenspiel, and a 30-note xylophone. Also, its modern, computer-aided system can generate sounds similar to a trumpet, a concert flute, a violin, a clarinet, an English or French horn, a tuba, or a variety of other sound effects. And up to

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99 different artists can program their own sound combinations into the stop tabs of the organ. According to Duffie’s recent video tour of its features, the organ’s history resonates just as boldly as its pipes. In September 1923, the New York Wurlitzer factory shipped the Style F Orchestra Unit Theatre Pipe Organ to what was then the State Theatre to accompany silent films in New Bedford’s

Duffie worked

industriously to secure the financial resources to have it professionally rebuilt

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newest theatrical venue. It served that purpose until the introduction of sound films, at which point it sat in the orchestra pit in silence until the late 1970s. That’s when a Rhode Island man and member of a local organ society, Paul Downing, purchased it with the intent to install it in his home. Downing died before he could totally install the organ, but before he passed he bequeathed it to the New England Theatre Organ Society. Enter Ken Duffie. In 1985, he wrote to the theater expressing the society’s interest in re-installing the Zeiterion’s Wurlitzer. Duffie proposed a long-term, no-cost contract that would enable the organ to return to its original home but be technically owned by the organ society. A wealthy former New Bedford resident offered a $25,000 matching grant

M ichael J. D e C icco 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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that fundraising efforts were able to meet. The project cost roughly $125,000 due to the installation of an electronic relay system and replacing the original console with a state-of-the-art three-keyboard key desk. The organ made its re-appearance at the Z on June 28, 2006. “Duffie worked industriously to secure the financial resources to have the instrument professionally rebuilt,” said fellow Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society member Robert Evans. “The original two-keyboard console was replaced with the current three-keyboard key desk. But the original pipes and sound effects are in the organ chambers along with an additional set of pipes that imitate trumpets. We owe him our gratitude.” Duffie explained in his online tour video that the organ is nailed to its own floor, not the floor of the theater. And it’s on wheels so that it can be stored in a corner of the theater between performances. He said the society didn’t want to see the organ repossessed if the Zeiterion Theatre ever went out of business. That’s also the reason the society itself owns the organ. He also noted the organ plays the same volume all the time. Vertical venetianblind-like “swell shades” inside the walls open or close to control the volume audiences hear. Because of modern electrical codes, the system’s original 700 copper-wrapped wires had to be reduced to 50 telephone cables extending from the console to the wall chamber, and a new “blower room” had to be built on top of the sound chamber as the space under the stage for the original seven-plushorsepower blower became unavailable. These changes, he said, required expert architectural design, including design for soundproofing. “That alone ate up $27,000,” he said. “It was one thing after another that we had to overcome to get it in here.” “Basically, I suppose,” he added, “it became a labor of love.” The Zeiterion website boasts that it is one of only five theater organs in Massachusetts open to the public, and it is played by volunteer organists at no charge to the Zeiterion.

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PRIME LIVING

Two women, one shared passion This article is about two artists from different eras and with divergent backgrounds. One has had her career uplifted by her consistent drive and work ethic. The other is an accomplished woman and professional artist in the early stages of dementia who has broken through barriers.

Enter Catherine Carter, one of the hardest-working artists in the South Coast, by my estimation. Carter began her career as a student at the School of Fashion Design in Boston. After pursuing a career in fashion, she received her MFA in painting from the Ron University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Fortier Catherine Carter has taught art for more than 25 years at Lasell University, the Community College of Rhode Island, and Framingham State University. Add to that her experiences as an instructor at art museums in Attleboro, Framingham, New Bedford, Newport, and Worcester. In 2018, she opened her school of art at the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford. She offered realistic drawing classes to children including mixed-media classes and workshops for adults as well. 2022 represents a new start for her. Although catherine will continue to offer classes, her studio work remains her primary direction. For an artist, the creative process, “specifically, artistic inspiration and how that translates directly into such decisions as color choices, materials” is what it really is all about, Carter says. Carter’s new opportunity allows her “to focus on creating my artwork,” she says. “I have been fortunate enough to be represented by an art consultant who places a lot of work in residential homes.” Art consultants work with interior designers and others working in the private or public sector to secure artwork and often commissioning artists to produce specific works for their clients.

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Catherine carter offers art classes at H atch Street Studios in New Bedford

Vivian Lewis (left) with her artwork

Our other artist, Vivian Lewis, is in her early 90s. She is a Swain School of Design graduate. Lewis was a graphic designer for Jordan Marsh, and later, the art director for the Bradlees Department Stores chain. Her late sister, Janice Fernandes, was a self-taught artist. She was a Kinyon-Campbell graduate and an executive secretary at the Goodyear Tire plant in New Bedford. More than that, she was also a crafter, painter, an avid bird carver, and, like her sister, a scrimshander. When Fernandes passed, it fell to Heidi Lewis, Vivian’s daughter, to clear out her things from the home the two sisters shared. Vivian and Janice’s home held more than just seventy-plus years of memories. It held more than two lifetimes’ worth of art – more than either sister could ever sell. There were paintings in Vivian’s studio, in the eaves of the house, in the basement, and hung on the walls throughout their very stately home. Heidi has been left with the same gargantuan task that other friends and family members of artists, known and unknown, and those successful and otherwise have faced: to deal with the unsold and unfinished paintings whose destiny may be a dumpster. Heidi Lewis says her mother, who is battling against growing dementia, is always entreating her, “we must have more yellow.” She believes her mother, like Vincent Van Gogh before her, understands yellow to evoke hope. Hope has always sustained Vivian Lewis. The life of any artist is filled with struggle, and that was especially true for her as a woman of color living through the last century. Today, Lewis lives with her daughter in Philadelphia because she can no longer live alone. Heidi says, “There are good days and days that are not so good.” And yet, there must be more yellow! Learn more about Cartherine Carter’s school catherinecarterpainting.com or see her work at catherinecarterfineart.com. For more information about Vivian Lewis, contact the author at rfortier@umassd.edu.

Ron Fortier is an international artist who emigrated to the Silver

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Coast of mainland Portugal where he lived, painted, and exhibited. S ou th C oast P r ime T imes

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GOOD TIMES

Assisted freedom Searching for a senior living residence can feel like one of the most challenging decisions you face – whether it’s for yourself, a friend, or a family member. But senior living can also be the start of a wonderful new chapter full of joy and enriching experiences. The Residence at Cedar Dell understands this because they’ve helped dozens of seniors and families through the process. Sean McCarthy With experienced leadership and an extensive team of tenured associates, they focus on residents’ individual needs and desires, while providing personalized care and service. And they are a part of LCB Senior Living’s network of communities that has done the same for over 25 years. At The Residence at Cedar Dell, the assisted living experience is tailored to the unique needs and interests of each individual senior – a vibrant and engaging atmosphere in a comfortable and caring environment. From restaurant-style dining, to social activities and outings, to professional around-the-clock care, The Residence at Cedar Dell is the South Coast’s premier location for senior care and assisted living. Located on the manicured grounds at 628 Old Westport Road in North Dartmouth, The Residence at Cedar Dell

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provides both individuals and couples with the care and accommodations they require, from independent and assisted living to memory care and respite stays. The community and associates provide for every facet of the senior living experience. Each individual or couple enjoys their own self-furnished apartment as well as a robust daily offering of social events and a variety of programming. The monthly menus and engagement activity calendars are designed with the input of the residents, who may also involve themselves in opportunities ranging from

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art classes and book clubs, to yoga and exercise, to musical entertainment and religious services. Vans provide for regular outings such as shopping, or excursions such as museum visits, beach trips, and holiday light tours. “We treat our residents like our family. There’s a home-like feel here,” says Eva-Marie Fey, Sales & Marketing Director at Cedar Dell. “There’s a full array of activities and programming to encourage socialization and engage with friends and form new relationships. It gets them away from the isolation of a home setting

and watching tv all day. There’s quality nutrition and high-end dining instead of Meals On Wheels.” When a family and a senior decide to make the transition to assisted living, Cedar Dell takes the steps necessary

“There’s a full array of activities and programming; it gets them away from the isolation of a home setting and watching tv all day ”

Cedar Dell features gourmet dining from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with chef-prepared meals and a restaurant experience led by a professional chef. There is also a bistro on the campus with soups, salads, and beverages.

to create a smooth, safe transition and foster new friendships upon their arrival. Highly trained staff members assist with customized care that may include daily assistance, medication management, and physical therapy. They also look into the senior’s personal history and preferences, including their likes and daily routines, and they facilitate relationships with existing residents who have similar backgrounds and interests.

“We work with the families, not just the residents – we want them to feel like they’re part of the team, and that all of their questions are answered prior to moving in ”

“We pride ourselves on making people feel at home and comfortable,” says Brittney Jones, Senior Executive Director at Cedar Dell. “We try to alleviate any stressors that they may have during their transition time. We work with the families, not just the residents – the family interacts with the team from their first visit. We want them to feel like they’re part of the team, and that all of their questions are answered prior to moving in.” Cedar Dell features gourmet dining from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with chef-prepared meals and a restaurant experience led by a professional chef. There are daily home-made specials and soups, which are often featured on a collective Instagram account (@thesterlingchefs). There is also a bistro on the campus with soups, salads, and beverages.

At Cedar Dell, a resident can be as active as they choose to be. “Our days are busy,” Fey says, “The day may start with coffee and conversation and continue with social opportunities throughout the day. We want to contribute to our residents cognitively, emotionally, physically, and socially with a wide mix of programming. A resident doesn’t have to tailor themselves to Cedar Dell, we tailor ourselves to them.” “Our goal is to maximize independence but we’ll provide support whenever needed,” Jones says. “Our staff is very accessible. If someone needs something they’re going to get a response quickly no matter what time of the day it is.” The Residence at Cedar Dell opened in September of 2004. They can be reached by phone at (508) 300-9634 or online at residencecedar.com.

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PRIME SEASON

can tell by the music I play and write, and the instruments I use. I love the sound of drums, guitar, and bass – they have so much dynamics between them. I’ve listened to three-piece power trios like Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience for 50 years, so if I can sound like them, that’s great. When you have a good guitar player over a great rhythm section there’s nothing better.” From the blues to psychedelia, to rock and pop, “Blue River of Dreams” is a smooth blend of Barnes’s lifelong influences. Whether it’s B.B. King or the Beatles, Pink Floyd or Santana, Barnes’s inspirations are on display throughout the record. There is the Latin-infused track, “Ooh Baby,” the dreamy atmospherics of the title track, and the pop rock of “Let Love Go” and “Peace, Love, and Rock ‘N Roll.” “I’m a blues guy at heart and I love the psychedelic era,” Barnes says. “The blues are about feeling; it’s soulful, it’s from the heart. They’re telling stories that teach you something about real life. I love the early blues of Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, and Buddy Guy.”

New Bedford blues

Johnny Barnes has the blues Johnny Barnes’ life has been a cornucopia of roles and experiences. He has been behind the wheel of a taxi cab and behind the wheel of a police car. He has sat in a classroom at the Harvard Extension School and in front of his Sean McCarthy keyboard as he’s typed up multiple murder mysteries. He has been the manager of a popular Boston nightclub and has run a detective agency out of the city’s Chinatown district. And while he has evolved through a variety of identities, one thing has been a constant throughout: his love of making music. At the age of 69, this Fairhaven resident has just released “Blue River of Dreams,” an eight-song collection of his own musical creations, backed by a group of local performers and recorded at an area studio. This will be another piece in an extensive catalog of recordings he has amassed since leaving New Bedford to

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emerge onto the Boston music scene in the early 1970s. It is a career that has put him in the company of some of the music industry’s foremost figures, building a resume of experiences and inspirations that culminates in the unique feel of his sixth full-length record. “I’m stuck in the 60s,” Barnes says. “You

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But “Blue River of Dreams” is somewhat of a departure for Barnes. A New Bedford native, he built a reputation for his brand of hard-driving blues rock when his groups took to stages and airwaves throughout New England. His numerous singles would find their way onto Boston radio stations such as WBCN and WCOZ. His 1976 single, “Steel Rail Blues,” received airplay around the world. His followup, “Sudden Death Overdrive” was at the top of the local charts on WBCN for 11 weeks. “Steele Rail Blues” showed its staying power when it was re-released as part of a compilation record in 2020 by Easy Rider magazine, on an album named “Brown Acid.”

“I got to jam with a lot of cool people who became my friends” Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Barnes was part of a vibrant Boston music scene. He fondly recalls members of the band Mother’s Milk (which would go on to become Boston), marveling at the fact that his music had found its way to local radio. He would also find himself in the company of future esteemed rockers such as Aerosmith, The Cars, The J. Geils Band, Billy Squier, Extreme, Til Tuesday,

and others. Barnes would also team with Producer Jimmy Miller who had achieved fame for his work with The Rolling Stones and Blind Faith.

“There’s a lot of top-notch musicians in this area, a variety of great players “I got to jam with a lot of cool people who became my friends,” Barnes says. “I was surprised that a lot of the stars that I met were really nice people and very friendly.” Barnes’s music is still being played on radio stations across America, including satellite radio stations such as Little Steven’s Underground Garage Channel, B.B. King’s Bluesville Channel, and a channel helmed by Rolling Stones’ producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Barnes’s big city odyssey began when he relocated to Boston shortly after graduation from Marlboro Academy in Great Barrington, MA. The move north led to a variety of occupations that would support his passion to make music. His early jobs included selling newspapers on street corners, followed by work as a taxi driver, something he describes as “an education in life.” With some background in paralegal investigations (thanks to work he had done with his brother Donald Jr.’s Cape Cod law firm), he was eventually able to find work as a Boston detective. His detective career advanced to the point where he was able to open up his own investigation company in the Chinatown district of the city, American Detective Agency, and American Patrol and Security. Late night poker games with friends translated into the opportunity to become Head of Security at The Channel, Boston’s premier location for live music. The job lasted for three years and opened the door for him to play his music at high-profile shows as the opening act for numerous national artists, including Thin Lizzy, Stray Cats, Ten Years After, Blue Öyster Cult, Eric Burdon & The Animals, and George Thorogood. Eventually the club gave him the chance to be their manager. Living across the street from the venue, Barnes would often find himself at late-night jam sessions with performers who had been at the club earlier in the evening. But as the club was about to change ownership, Barnes saw it was time to

move on. He used his detective and security backgrounds to land work as a police officer in Sanford, Maine, a job he held for 11 years. He would eventually return to the South Coast as a patrolman for the Rochester Police Department, a job that lasted for another 11 years, until his retirement from the force due to injuries he sustained while attempting to apprehend a bank robber. During his tenure with the Rochester Police Department, Barnes began taking an interest in creative writing, using his personal experiences and real life crimes to craft stories of murder mysteries. To date, he has self-published four books. He says he writes the books with the goal of having them become feature films one day. Also on Barnes’s life resume are a stint at the Harvard Extension School where he studied psychology and astronomy, and a semester at the Berklee School of Music, where he studied guitar. With the exception of Berklee, Barnes is a selftaught musician.

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Hometown harmony

But Barnes’s return to the South Coast would prove beneficial. After decades in the competitive music scene of Boston, he was pleasantly surprised to discover what the area’s music community had to offer. “There’s a lot of top-notch musicians in this area, a variety of great players,” he says. “The musicians are very nice people, they respect each other and help each other out. People aren’t battling with each other for recording contracts. When I wanted to record this album I knew I wanted to do it with musicians from this area at a recording studio in the area. The engineers around here are dynamite.” “Blue River of Dreams” was recorded at Feedback Studios in Freetown with Ron Poitras engineering. The album includes performances by bassist Rick Rubin Pacheco, drummer JB Borges, percussionist Dan Schwartz, Sax Gordon Beadle on saxophone, Skip Mahler on keyboards, and cellist Ian Legge. The record is available on CD’s, and is being released on vinyl by Purchase Street Records out of New Bedford. “As a guitar player and singer I love the interaction with the rhythm section,” Barnes says. “If there’s a nice back beat and a walking bass line I’m just thrilled to add my guitar. When I’m playing a guitar solo it takes me to another place, and hopefully people listening get taken to another place as well.” For more info, visit johnnybarnes.com.

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S ean M c C arthy has been a freelance journalist for 27 years. He lives in New Bedford.

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Fort Barton Woods, Tiverton

PRIME SEASON

Walking the path of

wellness After more than two claustrophobic years of coping with the pandemic, we all need some fresh air and healing. The sudden enforcement of Eliz abeth stuck-indoors, Morse Read sedentary living triggered an increase of stress ailments and worsening chronic health conditions like anxiety, diabetes, depression, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. As a result, medical systems have been overwhelmed with people suffering from health problems caused by delayed preventive care and inadequate exposure to the outdoors. But what if an antidote for all of the above were as simple as a walk through the woods? It’s an elegantly uncomplicated remedy – just spending time walking in natural settings can help people of any age manage their stress and chronic health conditions. Research from around the world has proved that walking in a forest (called shinrin-yoku in Japan) produces quantifiable mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Likewise, taking a

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leisurely walk down a leafy boulevard, eating your bag lunch on a shady park bench, or even just staring out a window overlooking a tree-filled garden can soothe frayed nerves, lower stress levels, and promote healing.

What is “shinrin-yoku”? The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing” (i.e., absorbing the forest atmosphere), means being mindful, opening all of our senses to immerse ourselves in the forest atmosphere – the unique sounds (including silence), the different tactile sensations beneath our feet and at our fingertips, the array of smells, the interplay of light and shadows. When we leave behind the noise and chaos of everyday life, shinrin-yoku calms our mind, allowing it to be refreshed and refocused, which lowers our stress and anxiety and heals our bodies.

The benefits of “forest bathing” Studies have shown that exposure to natural settings, especially forests, boosts

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our immune system; improves our mood and energy level; increases our ability to focus, concentrate, and be creative; improves our sleep; lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, and stress hormones; and accelerates healing after surgery, illness, or trauma. How, you may ask, can all of that possibly be true? Birch, pine, oak, cedar, and locust trees, along with many other plants, emit aromatic chemicals called phytoncides to defend themselves against insects, bacteria, viruses, and decay. And when we

“Walk with a doc” Not everyone is ready to walk alone through the woods, or else they can’t find a walking buddy to join them. If that’s the case, then check out the free “Walk with a Doc” program, sponsored by the New Bedford Wellness Initiative (nbewell.com). On Saturday mornings at New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park Zoo, you can join health care professionals and other people like you for a healthful walk through the park.

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Yes! Humans evolved on grasslands, surrounded by trees and plants, so “Your Small Local Business with Big Customer Service” recreating an ”at home in nature” zone indoors has definite beneficial 2211 Pleasant Street ~ Fall River, MA 02723 ~ Fax: (508) 324-4805 ~ www.PonteAssociates.com effects on physical and mental health. RE ALTORS For starters, houseplants purify the indoor air of common toxins and pollutants. Simple acts of plant care (like watering) distract us from stressful thoughts, improving our Nate Eleuterio Sil Pavao Nelia Affonso concentration and productivity. And We are pleased to announce the 774-488-4757 774-930-9558 508-944-8728 studies have shown that hospitalized opening of our 2nd office located at patients recover faster when there are plants in their rooms – their blood pressure and heart rate are lower, and they require less pain medication.

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walk through a forest, we are enveloped by that protective microclimate. When we breathe in these natural chemicals (aka essential oils), our bodies automatically start producing an increased level of white blood cells called “natural killer” (NK) cells, which target tumor- and virus-infected cells in our bodies. Phytoncides also inhibit the production of human stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline when inhaled. As a result, “forest bathing” also significantly reduces our levels of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and fatigue.

A prescription for good mental

health Our overloaded, multi-tasked and sedentary lives, where we spend so much time staring at screens, create a phenomenon called “directed attention fatigue” [see sidebar]. We become irritable, frustrated, and short-tempered – even aggressive – when we’re pressured by deadlines and constant interruptions. But taking a daily greenspace break can help us declutter the cognitive portion of our brain, allowing us to focus better, refresh our thinking, and be more creative and patient. It allows us to disconnect from all the technology and renew our relationship with nature and the simple sense of awe we had as children. Increasingly, healthcare providers are teaming up with organizations like the National Park Service (nps.gov) and other environmental groups to create initiatives promoting regular outdoor activity for

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“Shinrin-yoku” and children

We do rehab right.

Many cases of depression, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety in children can be linked to “nature deficit disorder” – a lack of nature in their lives. Many children who were homeschooled during the pandemic had great difficulty concentrating and learning. Studies have shown that children with ADHD and behavioral disorders definitely benefit from taking frequent “nature breaks” to play outside and walk through the woods so that they can relax and refocus.

Tell your physician you want to reserve your room with us.

Choose Right!

all ages (parkprescription.org, savebuzzardsbay.org/discover, nbewell.com). Together, they’ve created informational websites, programs, and activities that help people find walking trails, parks, woodlands, bird sanctuaries, wildlife refuges, and other nearby natural locations. And research has shown that spending just two hours per week in nature (or 20 minutes a day), even for those with chronic illnesses, has significant and measurable health benefits. Not only that, but walking in a natural setting is free, fun, and has the lowest drop-out rate of any type of exercise. Seeing as 85% of the US population lives in suburban or urban areas, it’s important that we preserve or create pockets of greenspace wherever possible. Leafy urban and suburban locations, like public gardens, parks, and even tree-lined streets, are just as healing as rural forested areas.

Short-Term Rehab Stroke Rehab Pulmonary Rehab Post Surgical Care Ostomy Care, IV Therapy State-Of-The-Art Equipment

Find an enchanted forest near you Every town or city on the South Coast has a Parks and/or Recreation Department, and counties and states have Departments of Natural Resources/Environment/Public Recreation, so it’s easy to find wooded natural resources near you. There are also many regional and national websites like alltrails.com, landtrustalliance.org, and parksrx.org that can help you locate peaceful natural settings around the country. Here in the South Coast, we have an amazing array of green places to visit for a mindful stroll or a lunch break, ranging from the sprawling Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve in Fall River (savebuzzardsbay.org/discover) to an urban oasis like the Haskell Gardens (thetrustees.org) in New Bedford or even the Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. There are also beautifully cultivated gardens and public parks where you can walk and immerse yourself in nature. Explore the Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion and Gardens in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org); Ballard Park in Newport (ballardpark.org); Green Animal Topiary in Portsmouth (newportmansions.org); Roger Williams Park in Providence (rwp.org); Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org); or Buttonwood Park in New Bedford (bpzoo.org). Here are some other great resources for finding a natural retreat in the region: trailsandwalksri.wordpress.com, exploreri. org, thetrustees.org, lloydcenter.org, riwalks.org, riparks.com, stateparks.com/rhode_island, massaudubon.org, and asri.org.

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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GOOD TIMES

Do the hustle A man’s gotta know his limitations, Clint Eastwood once famously hissed. That’s true. But sometimes you gotta look past ‘em, said no Paul K andarian one famous (me). I’m an older actor trying to make a living at an insanely uncertain career, and as such, am always on the hunt for more work. Ask any consistently working actor – not an A-lister who doesn’t have to look for gigs – what the secret to getting jobs is, and they’ll invariably say “hustle.” I hustle every waking moment. I get up, go online, search for work on five different acting sites, through my agent, and word of mouth. There’s never down time, no nine-to-five, monday-to-friday existence for an actor. There’s just hustle, hustle, and hustle. And when you’re worn out from all that hustling, you hustle some more. I got an audition notice from my agent a couple months ago for a spot that called for an older person who can dance. In fact, it said pointedly, “dancing talent strongly preferred.” I saw that and shrugged and thought while it looked like a fun, really well-paying gig, why bother? Honestly, I’m the epitome of every old white guy you’ve seen dancing at weddings. Sober. Drunk, it’s even worse. As bad as Elaine Benes in Seinfeld? Put it this way: I make her look like Ginger Rogers. Two left feet? I’d settle for one. Trip the light fantastic? Yes I do, and there’s nothing fantastic about it. Dance like nobody’s watching? They can’t not watch like people can’t not watch a train wreck. Think I’m kidding? I did “Annie” several months ago playing Warbucks and our choreographer was working with the girls, and I had a dancing scene using a cane and wearing a top hat and told her I was bad at

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it. She scoffed and said with absolute confidence, “Don’t worry, I can teach anybody to dance.” She tried and said minutes later, “You know what? Just stand there and tap the cane while the girls dance.” Which I managed to do with the grace of a blind man taking a walk across a busy street. I think she went on to become a jewelry maker.

So when they asked if I’d audition, I thought long and hard about how pathetic and truly lousy I am as a dancer. And I said “sure!” So this audition notice I got called for someone to dance with a robot. No, really, it was this CGI thing and it looked really funny and clever, but I figured if I did it, I wouldn’t be dancing with the robot, I’d be the robot. I saw some test footage of it dancing and that robo-dude was smooooth, I tell ya, way better than me. So I told my agent I’d have to pass. Why bother, right? Why waste time? Why make a fool of myself. Why try? Next day, I got a call from the casting agency asking if I’d be interested in auditioning for it. I figure they must have found it hard to fill the job and asked me even though nowhere on my resume do I dare list “dance” as a skill. “Zamboni driver,” sure, because that I can do. So when they asked if I’d audition, I

M ay /J une 2022

thought long and hard about how pathetic and truly lousy I am as a dancer. And I said “sure!” I won’t drag out the punchline: I did not get the job and dazzle everyone on set and am now a finalist on Dancing With the Stars. Nor was I expecting to. So why did I put my iPhone on a tripod, play a jazzy version of “It Had to Be You” on my laptop and film myself rumbling and bumbling across my living room with a smile on my face and a song in my heart, if not my feet? Why, for the love of Terpsichore, why did I try? Because as I tell everyone who gets nervous or shy or indecisive about auditions or performing, what’re they gonna do if you fail? Shoot you? No. They’ll say thanks but no thanks and you’ll shrug and move onto the next opportunity – because there will always be a next opportunity. I took my own advice and did exactly what the casting instructions said to do. Just not quite as “strongly” as they might prefer. But what the hell, no one shot me. It felt great to dance out of my comfort zone into something I never would have tried before. I didn’t get the job, but trust me: in acting, unlike baseball, you hit on two out of 10 jobs, you’re an MVP by batting just .200. Not getting the job wasn’t the point. The point was trying to get the job. And in this business, if you don’t try, you die. Me and Clint, we’re just full of pithy little expressions like that. If you see me, I’d be happy to lay some more words of wisdom on you. But don’t ask me to dance. This man knows his limitations. And how to dance right past ‘em when he has to.

Paul K andarian 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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South Coast Prime Times - May/June 2022

Articles inside

Johnny Barnes has the blues

Assisted freedom

Do the hustle

Two women, one shared passion