South Coast Prime Times – Nov./Dec. 2015

our 11th ye a r!

November /December 2015 · Volume 11 · Number 6

Happy feet Loving care Independent spirit

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Downsizing your digs

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CONTENTS 8

in every issue

4

From the publisher

24 In brief

by Elizabeth Morse Read

prime living

6

8

South coast newsmakers

by Elizabeth Morse Read Dance those blues away

by Joyce Rowley

18 Future-proofing

your finances

by Jay Pateakos

6 16

Prime Season

10 Family caregivers

by Elizabeth Morse Read

14 Independent at 80

by Sean McCarthy

Good Times

16 Downsizing your life

by Dan Logan

22 125 Years

22

of Patenaude Jewelers

by Greg Jones

30 Feels like teen spirit

our 11tH ye ar

!

by Paul Kandarian

sounDs

November /December 2015 · volume 11 · Number 6

on the cover: Carolers

at the Fall River Historical Society’s “Sights & Sounds of the Season” festival, which will be held on November 28 from 12 to 5 pm. To see how your friends and neighbors are celebrating the season, turn to page 24.

Photo courtesy of Swan Photography

of music

Happy feet Loving care Independent spirit

2

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N ov ember /D ecember 2015

Estate

pLanning

Downsizing your digs

The beautiful door Thirty years ago, the average homeowner could choose from just a few front door styles. If you look around your neighborhood, you will probably see a small assortment of fan lites, decorative oval glass, or plain 6-panel doors. These days there are so many design options that everyone can get a custom look at an affordable price.

BYE BYE DRAFT SNAKES Not only are newer doors more energy efficient, but newer frame technology allows for a self-adjusting weatherseal so you can retire those ‘draft snakes’ this winter and save on heating bills.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER November/December 2015 n Vol. 11 n No. 6 Published by

Coastal Communications Corp.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Facing this time of year always takes some psychological reinforcement on my part. On the one hand, I’m sad to see the warm weather go. On the other hand, this is probably the most beautiful time of year, and the sunsets never look better. Whether you’re hoping to get your mind off the chilly weather or looking for the best ways to embrace it, there’s certainly something in this issue to suit your fancy.

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Editor

Sebastian Clarkin Online editor

Paul Letendre Contributors

Greg Jones, Paul Kandarian, Dan Logan, Sean McCarthy, Jay Pateakos, Elizabeth Morse Read and Joyce Rowley South Coast Prime Times is published bi-monthly.

Copyright ©2015 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.

Next issue December 16, 2015

Circulation

No matter your opinion on the season, there’s no debating that we can all use an occasional pick-me-up. On page 8, Joyce Rowley puts on her most comfortable pair of shoes and learns about the benefits of taking some dance classes.

If you just can’t see yourself dancing, but are still looking to some fun activities with your peers, then make sure you read Sean McCarthy’s article on page 14 about some local organizations dedicated to investing Baby Boomers with some much-deserved independence.

But just because you’re independent, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need help. When it comes to moving and downsizing, things can get overwhelming fast. Luckily, Dan Logan found some professionals on page 16.

Whatever your age, personal finance can seem boring at best and downright confusing at worst. Of course, keeping abreast of your options, especially when it comes to Estate Planning, is crucial. For a short introduction and some top tips, turn to Jay Pateakos’s article on page 18.

And of course, turn to page 24 for all the happenings around the region.

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Now that I think about it, I’m ready for the season. I hope that after your read this issue of Prime Times, you will be too.

$19.95 per year

M ailing address South Coast Prime Times P.O. Box 3493 Fall River, MA 02722

Ljiljana Vasiljevic

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Our advertisers make this publication possible —please support them 4

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5

REGIONAL NOTES

South coast

newsmakers

by E lizabeth M orse R ead

Bristol Community College has received an innovation award for its solar carport and the new zero-netenergy science building by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Bristol Community College New Bedford’s Working Waterfront Festival has been named as one of the Top 100 Festivals in the US and Canada by the American Bus Association, a major touring industry association.

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has finally approved tribal reservation land for the Mashpee Wampanoag, including 152 acres in Taunton, where the tribe plans to build a $500 million gambling casino, hotels, and a waterpark.

New Bedford’s Working Waterfront Festival Don’t miss the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on Pier 3 on October 18! For details, visit www.destinationnewbedford.org or call 508-990-2777.

Sign up now for The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” conference on solutions-based sustainability and social justice on October 23-24 in downtown New Bedford. For full details, visit www.connectingforchange.org, www.marioninstitute.org or call 508-7480816.

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UMass Dartmouth has been ranked 24th in the nation by Washington Monthly’s College Guide for its excellence in social mobility (recruiting and graduating lowincome students), research (producing cutting-edge research and PhDs), and focus on community service. In a separate ranking, UMass Dartmouth’s online MBA in healthcare management was ranked 11th nationally by TheBestSchools.org.

Also, in fiscal year 2015, UMass Dartmouth was awarded 65 US patents, earning $34 million in licensing income from

commercialization of its patented faculty inventions.

The New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Mary Poppins” was chosen for the New England Theatre Conference Moss Hart Memorial Award, winning over all other professional theatre productions in New England.

Ann Cambra of Rochester has won the AARP’s (American Association of Retired People) highest state volunteer award, the 2015 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service.

L a Salette Shrine Attleboro is to the holiday season what Plymouth is to Thanksgiving and Bristol is to the Fourth of July. Visit the 62nd Annual Christmas Festival of Lights at LaSalette Shrine starting November 26! For more info, visit www. lasalette-shrine.org or call 508-222-5410.

Former Fall River Herald News reporter Grant Welker co-authored “We Are Market Basket: The Story of the Unlikely Grassroots Movement that Saved a Beloved Business,” while covering last summer’s dramatic events for the Lowell Sun. His book was selected as Business Book of the Month by Amazon, and is now required reading for UMass Lowell freshmen majoring in business management.

It’s harvest time on the South Coast!

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

A ndrea Tarrant Andrea Tarrant, owner of Fierce Fitness in East Wareham, was named New England Trainer of the Year by the American Aerobic Association International.

A nn Cambra Old Rochester Regional High School’s Josh Winsper was named a 2015 Paralympics Track and Field High School All-American for shot put.

New Bedford’s Samantha Johnson may not be going to the finals on “America’s Got Talent,” but she’s definitely headed for stardom. Her stunning vocal performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York City had the judges and audiences on their feet.

Stay tuned…

Josh Winsper New Bedford native Bruce A. Perler MD, MBA was recently elected president of the prestigious Society for Vascular Surgery.

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Samantha Johnson

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PRIME LIVING

D ance

those blues away

By Joyce Rowley

T

his time of year can be a real bummer. All that cooking, cleaning, shopping, fighting crowds at the mall, or endlessly circling to find a parking place leads to stress and depression. And if sitting down to your family holiday meals is more like the Meet the Fokkers than the Waltons’ Christmas Special, here’s a way to combat the blues: steal an hour or two a week and join Victor Fonseca’s line dancing classes.

Just watching Fonseca on the dance floor is enough to lift your spirits. Trim, precise, and styling, he can get a roomful of people up and upbeat in seconds flat.

“When I first started it was a class,” Fonseca said. “Now it’s a social hour.”

Steps in the right direction The class begins and he’s off, at the front of the room, his back to the 30 or so people who line up awaiting his commands.

“Left! Right! Now hands!” Clapping, moving, always moving, and with fancy footwork that looks easy and fun. The music is loud and fast-paced. Everyone

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keeps up. Everyone is smiling.

You can find the newly septuagenarian at Buttonwood Senior Center on Friday afternoons (a great way to start the weekend) or at Hazelwood Senior Center on Tuesdays. In between, he teaches his selfchoreographed line dancing at the YMCA on South Water Street in downtown New Bedford.

Fonseca began with Big Band music – think Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B – and at the request of the dancers, added to the repertoire disco, then funk, and then R&B. If you haven’t

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tried the Electric Slide, want to restart your jitterbug, learn the Tango line dance or the Cupid Shuffle, this is the time to do it. You’ll recognize the music and the steps, and travel back to your dancing days.

Duke of dance Fonseca started dancing as a teenager back when you could find loads of places to go dancing all weekend long in New Bedford: St. Killians, the Y, the Barn in Acushnet, and the pavilion at Fort Tabor in the summer, to name a few.

Like many teenagers, he learned his moves from watching Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, he said, and saw the Bandstand when it came to Lincoln Park. But Fonseca kept dancing, learning new dance steps and sharing his passion for dance.

“I saw him dancing downtown at the Joe Jesus ‘50s night five years ago,” said Gail Costa waiting for his class to begin. “I started the class for exercise. I have a very

Free Y membeship with Senior Whole Health.

For details inquire at the Membership desk.

It’s more than just people dancing in a line, but it starts there. It’s a series of choreographed steps that require coordination and focus. A dance is said to have “walls” or the number of directions that the dancers face as they go through the set of steps. Two walls is a dance that starts out facing the front and will face the back at the end of a set of steps. The Hustle, a 1970s disco favorite, is a four wall dance. Dancers go through step sequences facing each of four directions and end up facing a wall 90° to the left of the original wall.

Line dancing with Victor Fonseca classes meet every Friday from 1-2 p.m. at Buttonwood Senior Center on Oneida Street, Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. at Hazelwood Senior Center on Brock Avenue, and Thursdays from 10-11 a.m. at the YMCA. Classes cost $3 each at the senior centers and $7 each for non-members at the Y.

YMCA SOUTHCOAST · ymcasouthcoast.org

What is line dancing?

It’s happening every day at the Y — people of all ages are getting healthier and living better through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Join us.

community. He and 35 dancers visit nursing homes to entertain people with their dancing.

So boogie on down and shimmy off those holiday blues.

Each day at the Y, people of all ages are coming together to get and stay active. Seniors are engaging in social activities and meeting others who share common interests and passions.

They’re participating in group exercise and aquatics classes and learning about proper nutrition. And they’re working side-by-side with our Wellness Coaches to develop more active, productive lives.

bad case of arthritis and it helped.”

Joe Jesus’ 1950s-based annual event showcases classic cars, music, and dance of that era. Fonseca and his dancers are a cornerstone. So much so, you’ll find YouTube videos showing how his dance troupe draws in young and old.

You don’t see the arthritis now when Costa gets up to boogie. You see the energy and focus of a dancer.

Likewise Marie Monteiro said she started for the exercise five years ago. “It’s a lot of fun. [Victor’s] great.”

“I love Fridays, it’s such a warm, funfilled afternoon,” says Karen Main, Buttonwood Senior Center Coordinator.

“I love listening to Victor’s class. They’re always warm and welcoming. Everyone makes you feel like they belong, even if it’s your first time. And Victor is the catalyst. It’s because of Victor.”

In November, the Global Charter School students will attend the line dance class as part of their Big Brother/Big Sister program, Main said. The high school seniors decorate the center and the 10-12 yearolds dance with the seniors each month for the rest of the year.

“They really have a good time,” Main said. “It’s a testament to Victor that it works well.”

Victor and the Senior Steppers is yet another way Fonseca gives back to the

FITNESS FUN & FRIENDS

Victor Fonseca

Senior Membership Advantages

‘Everyone makes you feel like they belong, even if it’s your first time.

And Victor is the catalyst.’

J oyce Rowley is a freelance writer and regular contributor to “The South Coast Insider” and “South Coast Prime Times”.

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PRIME SEASON

Family caregivers: the unsung (and unpaid) heroes

Eliz abeth Morse Read

Back in the 1970s, when my very sick mother needed dialysis treatment, the nearest (and only) dialysis unit was in Boston and she lived about fifty miles away in Mattapoisett. My father would drive her up to the Boston dialysis unit three mornings a week on his way to work.

Then all the ladies at St. Anthony’s and the Congregational Church in town set up a rotating volunteer carpool to pick up my mother in Beantown at noontime, and bring her back home to Mattapoisett. It was a beautiful example of a community spontaneously banding together to care for the caregiver and his family, as well as for the loved one needing care.

November is National Caregivers Month, a time to show appreciation to the millions of family members, friends and neighbors who take care of our chronically-ill, elderly and disabled loved ones.

It’s also when we need to highlight the resources that are available to caregivers, so that they don’t shoulder the burden alone and burn themselves out.

‘There, but for the grace of God, go I’ We are all family caregivers at some point in our lives. We get called into action when it’s an “all-hands-on-deck” crisis – your sister gives birth to triplets, your father-in-law has a mild heart attack, your son breaks his collarbone, your wife needs cataract surgery, your buddy develops carpal-tunnel syndrome or Type 2 diabetes. Everybody cheerfully pitches

in to smooth things over until the situation stabilizes and everything goes back to normal.

But then there are those invisible family caregivers who deal with their loved one’s chronic, degenerative illnesses and disabilities that won’t ever have such a happy ending. The sister whose child is born with severe birth defects. The father-inlaw who develops Alzheimer’s disease.

The son who suffers from mental illness.

The wife who develops ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or has a stroke. The buddy who lost his legs in Iraq or suffers from PTSD. This is the kind of all-consuming, never-ending, soul-sucking caregiving that millions of people shoulder every day – and they deserve the same level of support 24/7 from the rest of us, from the extended family and local community, on up to the state and federal government.

This is when each and every one of us is “called into action” for the long haul.

Why aren’t family caregivers paid?

Good question. If we compensate foster parents for their supportive role in society, then why aren’t we compensating family caregivers? Family caregivers relieve the

healthcare system and governmental agencies of an enormous economic burden – estimated at $470 billion in 2013 – and yet, they do so largely out-of-pocket.

The vast majority of family caregivers receive no kind of financial assistance for their time and efforts. Driving to doctor appointments, picking up prescriptions, handling bills and paperwork, arranging for visiting nurses or meals-on-wheels, or hassling with landlords, the VA, or the Social Security office – being a family caregiver is an unpaid full-time job with no benefits, sick days, or vacations.

According to the federal government’s Administration on Aging (AOA), family caregivers provide almost $500 billion worth of uncompensated caregiving each year, almost twice as much the combined cost of home-care services and nursing homes. Close to 90 million adult Americans provide at least 20 hours each week devoted to caring for a chronically-ill, elderly, or disabled loved one, often while juggling full-time jobs and raising a family of their own. This puts an enormous strain on the individual caregiver physically, emotionally, financially, personally, and professionally. They need and deserve as much support and compassion as the loved ones being cared for.

Generations ago, spinster aunties and live-in grandmothers served as the family caregivers. In return, they were revered and embraced by the family and extended community. But in the post-Industrial Age, the traditional family structure has disintegrated, siblings scattered, parishes closed, and the role of family caregiver

Continued on next page 10

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Continued from previous page

Doing a mitzvah, doing a favor Whether you’re a friend, sibling, neighbor, or just a co-worker of a family caregiver, you can lighten their burden in small, simple ways. If you have a washer and dryer, volunteer to do the harried caregiver’s laundry or to pick up their kids after the soccer game.

Offer to cover those last ten minutes at work when they get an emergency call. Take Pops home with you for a weekend every month. Include the caregivers and the cared-for persons when planning family get-togethers, especially during the holidays. If you can afford it, offer to pay for summer fell to whomever got left behind, whether they were ready, willing, and able – or not. By default, they’ve been tasked with caring for aging parents, disabled spouses and chronically-ill children – with little help, relief or recognition.

Today’s family caregivers often feel isolated, financially drained, cut off from traditional support networks, and overwhelmed by the red tape of bureaucracy.

They need advocates in their financial and legislative corner.

But there’s some hope on the horizon.

For instance, MassHealth funds an Adult Foster Care program that pays non-spousal live-in caregivers a tax-free stipend for providing the care and supervision that can keep a chronically-ill loved one at home, instead of their being moved to a nursing home or assisted-living facility.

For more information, contact Beacon Adult Foster Care Inc. at 774-202-1837 or go to their website at www.beaconafc. com.

Caring for aging parents As the Baby Boomer generation ages, more and more people choose to live independently instead of moving in with an adult child’s family. But they will still need help as they get older, especially if they develop medical problems or have mobility issues. This creates a tremendous worry for those grown children who no longer live “right around the corner” anymore.

Fortunately, every town and city has a Council on Aging or a senior center, the starting place for helping an elderly parent to live as safely and independently as possible. Many towns offer daily wellness

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camp for your brother’s kids, including the special-needs niece. If you know of someone or some organization that could help your caregiver friend in any way, then go make that phone call or do the online research. Or, on your day off, bring some of your homemade kale soup or chili con carne and eat lunch with the grouchy old man who lives downstairs, so that his caregiver can run to the bank or take a shower. Random acts of kindness can make a huge impact on the world – be thankful for all the family caregivers and be a part of their caregiving team. check-in calls for seniors. The parent’s church/synagogue may offer services and activities – everything from koshermeal home delivery to bus trips for social activities, to transportation for doctor’s visits and holiday shopping.

But the cut-to-the-chase clearinghouse for information, services, referrals and advice will come from the elderly parent’s designated Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) (go to www.agingcare.com/local or www. n4a.org). Funded by federal, state and local government agencies, these organizations are a godsend for family caregivers, whether live-in, around the corner, or far away.

On the South Coast, contact Bristol Elder Services at www.bristolelder.org (508675-2101 or toll-free 1-800-427-2101) or Coastline Elderly Service at www.coastlineelderly.org (or call 508-999-6400).

In Rhode Island, contact the Division of Elderly Affairs at www.dea.ri.gov or call 401-462-3111.

Multi-lingual case managers can evaluate your family member’s situation and needs, develop a service plan, provide you with information about in-home care options, elder law services, financial/estate planning advice, alternative living and healthcare options in the area, social activities, and support services, all for free. If the loved one needs in-home medical care, you can contact the Visiting Nurses Association of the Southcoast Health System at www.southcoastvna.org or call 1-800-698-6877.

Family caregivers and aging parents are not alone.

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A dvocating for caregivers For too long, family caregivers have been unacknowledged within their own communities, invisible to social service/ health agencies, and overlooked by the government. But with the ever-increasing elderly population, the homecoming of wounded warriors, and the growing number of children with special needs, the public has become much more aware of the need to take better care of the caregivers. They need training, counseling, easier access to support services for themselves and their loved ones, and advocates in the government at all levels.

The National Family Caregivers Association (www.nfcacares.org) and the Caregivers Action Network (www.caregiveraction.org) want caregivers to have greater input and political influence – right now, caregivers are largely invisible within the national healthcare system.

Medical intake forms rarely note whether or not a person is a family caregiver, a critical health factor which automatically puts them at much higher risk of developing depression and chronic illnesses. Organizations like this offer a wealth of information on support groups, creating a caregiver team, training and access to local resources, as well as updates on political action initiatives in support of family caregivers.

Family caregivers are now being recognized as the backbone of long-term care in this country. Through their selfless devotion, they are keeping their loved ones out of institutions, hospitals, and nursing homes. The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (www.rosalynncarter. org) empowers and supports caregivers worldwide by promoting tailored training programs and counseling for caregivers, including military caregivers.

And a PBS website “Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America” (www.pbs.org/inthebalance/archives/whocares/resources) provides a portal to caregiver-support networks for disease/disability-specific national organizations and agencies.

The hidden heroes According to some estimates, almost one in three American adults serves as a family caregiver in one capacity or another.

And of those, almost 6 million are “military caregivers,” a class unto themselves – young military families (or aging parents) caring for a wounded warrior.

A recent RAND Corporation study

Help for the helpers In 2014, President Barack Obama released a proclamation declaring November to be National Family Caregivers Month, including those family members caring for veterans, and pointing out that as our aging population grows, so too will the numbers of family caregivers. To read the full text of the proclamation, go to www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2014/11/01.

National Family Caregiver Support Program www.aoa.gov/AoA-Programs National Alliance for Caregiving www.usa.gov/citizen/topics/health/ caregivers American Society on Aging www.asaging.org Family Caregiver Alliance www.caregiver.org CareGiving.com www.caregiving.com

(www.rand.org/health/projects/militarycaregivers) created a sweeping overview of the programs, benefits, services, and support available to our military caregivers. Elizabeth Dole, wife of WWII-disabled veteran Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, started her own foundation to provide help for military caregivers (www.elizabethdolefoundation.org).

Grassroots organization websites like www.militaryfamily.org/getinfo/caregiver, and www.operationfamilycaregiver. org provide even more information and support. [see sidebar] One third of the US adult population now provides unpaid care for a loved one, whether they’re live-in, part-time, or long-distance caregivers. It’s time we all pitched in to help them, in whatever way we can. Pay it forward – if we don’t take care of the caregivers, then who will take care of us when we’re old, sick, or disabled.

THE MOST AWARDED AND FASTEST GROWING

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PRIME SEASON

Independent at 80 It’s a difficult decision for all involved – putting a loved one in a nursing home. But steps can be taken that may prevent or postpone that decision.

Sean McC arthy

Throughout the South Coast are organizations that help seniors function more successfully at home and in the community, giving loved ones peace of mind knowing that their family member is in a setting that will enable them to address their disabilities, engage in social interaction, and prepare for life as they transition into their later years.

Don’t wait until it’s too late – tomorrow’s problems may be able to be prevented today thanks to adult day services for elders, also known as “adult day health centers.”

Project Independence “People need to know that they don’t have to live alone with their limitations and disabilities,” says Karen Maciulewicz, Executive Director at Project Independence at 250 Elm Street in New Bedford.

“At day health centers, people can focus on their strengths and abilities, participating in activities and socializing with others. Project Independence has been providing services to elders and individuals with disabilities for over 33 years.

We’re a reason to get up in the morning.”

Participants can attend a health center from one day a week to six days a week.

They spend six hours per day there. Transportation is usually provided and is the most common method for participants to arrive at a center.

“These centers often give participants back something that they have lost,” Maciulewicz says. “It gives them a sense of purpose and they get to make new friends. It often prevents hospitalization and nursing home placement.”

Centers can supply education as well as entertainment. Participants can get direction and information on health, nutrition, and medication. Each center has a Registered Nurse who disperses medications and provides medical supervision

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and interventions as needed along with staff members who assist in the guidance of the activities.

Most centers serve a light breakfast and a lunch, along with opportunities for snacks. Local centers feature people who speak Portuguese, Spanish, or other languages such as Creole.

Each day offers participants different activities such as bingo and game playing, baking, light exercise, music performances, pet therapy, seated tap dancing, aromatherapy, relaxation techniques and more. Having a variety of activities is important to maintain the interest of the clients.

“We want people to have fun and stimulate their minds at the same time,” Maciulewicz says. “We’re not babysitters. Our activities are intended to be therapeutic.”

Brandon Woods “Nobody’s twiddling their thumbs here,” says Marjory Helger, Director of Adult Day Health Care at Brandon Woods in Dartmouth. She has worked for more than 35 years in the field of medicine, beginning as a nurse. Her mother is currently enrolled in a local day health program.

“Our staff will have fun along with the clients,” Helger says. “It’s a great atmosphere.”

When Clara Carvalho’s husband passed away six years ago, she found herself alone. Eventually she began attending Brandon Woods in Dartmouth. Today she is usually there five days a week.

“I used to sit at home by myself all day waiting for my daughter to come home from work,” she says. “But this is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever done for myself, There’s a wonderful atmosphere and I’ve made a lot of friends. I look forward to this every day – it’s my second family.”

Patricia Fredette of New Bedford had her husband Arthur begin attending Project Independence last year after he left a re-

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habilitation center. He suffered a massive stroke in 2014. He is 68.

“There’s connection and communication,” Fredette says of the staff at the New Bedford facility. “If there’s any kind of question or problem they’ll call me immediately. It’s a chance for me to feel at ease knowing that he’s cared for while I catch up on things. He’s always in a great mood when he comes home.”

“This is better than watching tv all day,” says Nancy Collins of New Bedford who also attends Brandon Woods.

“They pick me up at my door and drop me off there. We share a lot of laughs and the staff has a lot of patience.”

Some clients at the centers are accompanied by a friend or family member, but for those who have someone in their life being able to receive such care and attention is vital to them. It can give a person some time to themselves when they can take care of appointments and do errands, or just relax and recharge their batteries.

There are many ways in which someone can become a participant at a center. Recommendations may come from families, a person may be leaving a hospital and is in need of assistance, local Councils on Aging, doctors and visiting nurses can recommend centers.

Two other major services that request clients to attend centers are the local social services organizations – Coastline Elderly and Bristol Elders. It is not uncommon for people to come into a center on their own inquiring about getting services after they were informed of the centers by word of mouth.

“A disability doesn’t mean your life is over,” Maciulewicz says, “but families can become distraught. When they’re caring for a loved one on their own they can get to their wits end and burnt out. That’s where we can step in. We provide a secure and happy environment and it brings a relief for the family. It becomes a win-win situation for family and participant.”

For more information call 508-997-1441 or visit www.piadhc.org

S ean M c C arthy has been a freelance journalist for 25 years.

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enerosity of spirit and giving during the holiday season is a wonderful thing. However, this is also the time of year when scams abound. Elder fraud is an act targeting older adults in which attempts are made to deceive with promises of goods, services, or financial benefits that do not exist, were never intended to be provided, or were misrepresented.

Two of the more common and recent scheme tactics include: The Health Care Scam – Scammers will call pretending to be health insurance or Medicare representatives to gain access to personal information.

Then, they will use the information to call seniors back at a later date and say they spoke with their daughter, son, or other relative and that it’s okay to give them Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers or other personal information. Scammers might also offer help getting seniors medical insurance.

In many cases, they use the personal information they provide to bill Medicare and pocket the money.

The Grandchild Scam – Scammers will call pretending to be a grandchild or other loved one and try to get money from the senior. Before paying them, the senior should make sure the person is the actual relative. A scammer will place a call to a senior citizen and when the call is picked up, the scammer will say something like: “Hi, Grandma. Do you know who this is?”

When the unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of a grandchild the scammer most sounds like, the scammer has established a fake identity.

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PRIME LIVING

Getting help downsizing your life

Dan L ogan

A post-retirement move from one home to another is inevitable for many of us. Moving at any time in one’s life rates as a major emotional event. Doing it when one is 70 or 80 years old is likely to be even more wrenching.

“Most of my clients don’t make the decision ‘till they’re put in a corner,” says Patricia Cusson, owner of Senior Transition in Coventry, Rhode Island (SeniorTransitionLLC.com, 401-828-5020). Senior Transition is one of a growing number of small companies that help seniors downsize to a more manageable lifestyle. Those new lifestyles will fall somewhere on a wide spectrum of possibilities, as clients run the gamut from aging baby boomers with a few physical limitations to people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s who are having difficulty taking care of themselves.

Sometimes the senior isn’t able to plan and carry out the move himself or herself, and the family or caregiver must make arrangements, often under time pressure, which tends to be bred of financial pressure. Hence the need for the services of a move manager, whose 16

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specialty is serving as the driving force for getting a move done efficiently, compassionately, and within a reasonable timeframe. “I try to be that resource. I try to be a one-stop shop,” says owner of Wittz End Relocation Concierge Service in Norton, Massachusetts (508-285-4802 or 978-618-4180). Others in her line of work express similar goals.

Senior relocation specialists or move managers usually offer a complimentary consultation beforehand in order to give an accurate estimate of the cost of the work to be done, and to get a fix on the situation they’re dealing with. One person’s idea of a lot of belongings may be minimal, while another’s idea of a little is a hoarding situation, says Ingrid HeathRuss, owner of Plymouth-based New Leaf Transitions (508-747-9861, www.

NewLeafTransitions.com). “You have to go and look.”

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Move management Many of these services charge by the hour but also offer blocks of time for set prices, once they understand what has to be accomplished. Ultimately, move managers are a boutique service that provides as much handholding as the client needs to minimize fear or anxiety. “Diplomacy is foremost,” Patricia Cusson says.

There are many variations on the need for a senior to restructure his or her living arrangements. Downsizing might entail a move to a smaller house, to a family member’s home, to assisted living, or to a nursing home. “Mostly, they’re looking for a more supportive environment, something simpler,” explains Cusson.

The participants in the downsizing vary from one situation to another. Sometimes it’s the family, sometimes it’s some other caregiver. Ideally, someone close to the client who is willing to and capable of making key decisions is enlisted to speed the downsizing process, which also helps keep costs down. Families, particularly family members who live inconveniently far away, frequently hire move managers if a senior passes away. “It’s often true they need to get it done quickly,” Ingrid

Heath-Russ says. An example of a time limitation might be rent being due at the end of the month.

If a proactive senior has the luxury of planning a move over time, giving thought to the next home, to their future care and to every discard, that person still has control over his or her life. Still, for someone who has been in their home for 50, 60, or even 80 years, “it’s a grieving process, and it takes a while to work through it,” warns Claire LeSage, If they decide they need help, prospective clients must trust the relocation service and believe it’s going to make a quick and efficient job of the downsizing. Many of the services are bonded and insured to help prospective clients make the choice.

“We can do a responsible cleanout,” says Ingrid Heath-Russ, meaning she often deals with a client’s most personal information and possessions – tax information, wills and other paperwork, prized memorabilia, and antiques. Sometimes she must quickly hunt down key items to move things forward; she recalls needing to find a set of car keys, which turned out to be buried under a pile of papers.

an eye toward establishing the client’s instant familiarity with the new place by developing a floor plan to help the client visualize how his or her belongings will fit in the new space.

If the old house is being sold, the relocation service will keep furnishings in the house that will give prospective buyers a sense of how their belongings will fit, and get rid of any clutter that makes the place look smaller than it is.

Sometimes the individual will move into the home of a family member.

“That’s sort of ideal,” Cusson says. “The whole family has to have a give-and-take attitude.”

A senior’s age and health issues eventually force changes that may go beyond simply downsizing. “When you hit 80, 85, it’s a hardship handling a house.

Medical issues have started to overcome them. [And] as you grow older, your house is growing older,” Patricia Cusson points out. “Invariably it’s losing the ability to travel, the ability to get around even in your own house. For a lot of my clients it’s dangerous for them to live alone.”

With older clients, the circumstances may be more serious than simply moving

‘I’m a cross between Judge Judy and Dr. Phil. I do a little bit of tough love’ - Claire LeSage Onwards and upwards Some situations may require the efforts of specialists. Move managers sometimes coordinate with realtors, attorneys, elder care facilities, physicians, appraisers, or funeral directors to get the job done.

If the job entails moving a senior to a smaller home, the move manager often gives clients a better perspective on what they need to keep, and what they can get rid of and not miss. She provides a disinterested eye to weed out the extraneous stuff.

“I go in as a kind of an arbitrator. It’s a job that demands quite a bit of tact,” says Claire LeSage. “I’m a cross between Judge Judy and Dr. Phil. I do a little bit of tough love. I constantly try to remind them they have to pare down.”

The relocator will develop a plan for cleaning out the old place quickly, and setting up the new place quickly, with

to a smaller home. “The kids have moved away, or they have no kids, friends are unavailable to help,” Cusson says. “I like a term coined by AARP: ‘the elder orphans.’”

How quickly the job can be finished depends on many factors, but an experienced move manager doesn’t waste time. Many moves can be finished in three days, Ingrid Heath-Russ says. As an example, she says her company once cleaned out a house and staged it for sale during the week, and the realtor sold it that weekend.

We live longer now, and we all get older in different ways. At that point we need such options as move managers who can reduce the stress we face as when we need to move on to the next stage of our lives.

Dan L ogan is a freelance writer and photographer from Fairhaven, MA. E-mail him at dlogan@thegrid.net.

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PRIME LIVING

Futureproofing your finances Jay Pateakos

People don’t think much about Estate Planning or its close relatives – wills, healthcare proxies, or power of attorney. It’s not just the younger generation thinking they will live forever.

The Baby Boomers have been thinking along those lines for years as well. But as the attorneys below will tell you, there are so many heartbreaking scenarios that they deal with on a daily basis – ones that could have been avoided if people just planned ahead.

Future planning Fall River Attorney Jane E. Sullivan, who specializes in Estate and Medicaid Legal Services, recently took a call from an attorney doing a Medicaid application for a 62 year old son of one of her clients, who is in nursing home. Both the 62-year-old son and his mother have Alzheimer’s and the son is the beneficiary of his mother’s trust. What parent ever considers that their child will end up in a nursing home at the same time they do? So what should or could the mother have done differently in her planning?

“I guess my advice would be for clients to really step back and look at their planning from a more global perspective, thinking of different contingencies.

Sadly, sometimes children do predecease parents, and children can end up requiring care before or contemporaneously with parents, as this case illustrates,” said Sullivan.

“Everyone, regardless of age or financial circumstances, needs to have the basic

‘I always emphasize that first and foremost, the clients need to take care of themselves and worry less about the kids,’ said Sullivan

documents in place (Health Care Proxies, HIPAA Authorizations, Powers of Attorney) but also incorporate more of that “what if” contingency planning, which is what I strive to do. The more comprehensive and thoughtful the planning, the better the result.”

Should you put your kid’s name on your deed?

Sullivan said her clients are mostly afraid of “Irrevocable” Trusts – a trust that can’t be modified or terminated without the permission of the beneficiary – but she warns that putting your children’s names on your Deed is just as irrevocable an act, if not more, as she works with a client who wants to take her greedy grandson off her Deed, but can’t.

“First and foremost, clients need to understand the alternatives and make an informed choice. So many clients have done planning and really don’t understand what their documents say and what the ramifications are. I always emphasize that first and foremost, the clients need to take care of themselves and to worry less about the kids,” said Sullivan.

“They need to plan for their own care, safety and security, and maintain as much control and flexibility as possible. In the long-term care context, this may mean purchasing some long-term care insurance rather than locking assets away in an Irrevocable Trust or adding names to their deed.”

Fine print When it comes to refinancing your mortgage, Sullivan said there may be fine print in the mortgage that may still wipe out an existing Declaration of Homestead, which provides $500,000 of creditor protection.

Sullivan suggests asking the closing attorney if you need to sign a new Declaration of Homestead, and if so, if can that attorney do it for you.

Many closing attorneys will prepare one as a courtesy (no charge) and just charge the $35.00 recording fee.

“For someone who has already refinanced, pull out their closing documents and read the fine print of the mortgage (the release or waiver language is usually towards the end of the document), and if

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PRIME SEASON Continued from page 18

T

Case studies

o hit some of these points home, we’ve asked Attorney Beneski to share some of the heart-wrenching stories she deals with in order to shed a better light on the need to think and plan ahead, no matter how old you are or how healthy you feel.

– A husband loses capacity and can’t handle his finances. He has a $100,000 IRA, from which he is required to take out $4,000 this year. His wife is the beneficiary of the account so she calls the company to request that they mail the required minimum distribution.

The company won’t do it because she doesn’t have the legal authority to withdraw money until the husband dies. The wife has to seek conservatorship of her husband to get permission to make the withdrawal. This costs several thousand dollars. Worse yet, because the process takes a while, the money isn’t withdrawn by the end of the year, so the husband had to pay a 50% penalty to the IRS. – Some time after this, the wife is ill and in the hospital. The family is told that she cannot go home and needs nursing home care. The hospital wants to discharge her to the nursing home the next day, but the couple had not done any planning and therefore her husband did not have authority to admit her to a nursing home.

The husband has to seek guardianship of his wife and ask special permission to admit her to a nursing home.

This costs several thousand dollars. In the meantime, the wife is in the hospital racking up a large bill that Medicare won’t pay because she doesn’t need to be in the hospital any longer.

– Once the wife is in the nursing home she tries to protect the home for

the husband’s use and leave it to the children after his death. Usually in this situation we take the name of the nursing home spouse off of the deed and have the community spouse own the home.

This is allowed under Medicaid law because there is no five-year “look back period” between husband and wife. The husband then leaves the house to the children in his will. However, because the wife had not signed a durable power of attorney, the husband does not have the legal authority to take her off the deed.

In this case, you must go back to court and ask special permission to change the deed in a conservatorship process. This costs several more thousands of dollars. Still worse, the husband dies while all this is in process and the home becomes the wife’s as the surviving joint owner. Medicaid puts a lien on the house and when wife dies, the amount owed to the state exceeds the value of the home so there is no inheritance for the children. With proper planning this could have easily been avoided.

– Another situation I have seen is one of a grandparent or parent who is going into a nursing home private pay until all of the parent’s money is gone. The person’s entire savings of $120,000 was spent.

The family thought it was too late to do anything to protect that money, so they spent it all. The family had a disabled granddaughter with autism. The funds could have been put into a trust for the grandchild’s benefit without incurring any Medicaid penalty. The grandchild could have had a nest egg to help with future care.

The kids are alright Before sending your kids off to college, Sullivan suggests making sure they sign a Health Care Proxy, HIPAA Authorization, and Durable Power of Attorney. If they have assets in their individual name like a bank account or car, they should have a Will as well. Why the push to do this that young? Because you just never know.

Sullivan notes that at 18, a child becomes an adult in the eyes of the law, even if not in the eyes of the parents.

“No one can make healthcare decisions, access medical information, or make legal or financial decisions for an adult without the delegation of such authority.

So if your son in school 500 miles away is in the infirmary, you cannot get information without a HIPAA authorization. If your daughter needs you to assist with straightening out her overdrawn checking account, you cannot access that information without a Durable Power of Attorney (unless your name is on the account),” said Sullivan.

‘Many married couples assume they have the right to make decisions for a spouse who no longer has capacity -

This is not true’ “Or, worst case scenario, if your child is ill or has an accident, you have no authority to make medical decisions on his behalf without a Health Care Proxy.

Scary to think about, of course, but as the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Definitely true across the board in the estate planning arena.”

Estate planning it is there, do a new one. The Registries of Deeds have a fill-in-the-blanks Homestead, so if you’re doing one on your own, you must get all the information correct.

Otherwise, a creditor may be able to challenge it,” said Sullivan.

“I think it is worth having an attorney prepare it to make sure it is done right.

Otherwise, if the mortgage includes lan-

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guage releasing a prior Homestead, and I am a creditor who has a judgment against you, I am going to attach your house and force you to sell it to get my money.

A Declaration of Homestead protects $500,000 of the equity value, which in this area, is likely to cover the full value of your home. Important protection for every homeowner.”

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Like Attorney Sullivan, Attorney Michelle Beneski, Partner at New Bedford’s Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. who specialize in Estate, Tax, Medicaid, and Special Needs Planning, also has many lessons to share on how to go about the planning for your or your children’s future needs.

“A major issue in estate planning is the unrealistic expectations that we will die

quickly at home and not need any longterm care services. People fail to plan because they think they are not old enough to plan or they are never going to get sick.

Many married couples just assume they have the legal right to make decisions for a spouse who no longer has capacity. This is not true,” said Beneski.

“Estate planning is just as much planning for living with disability or incapacity as it is planning for death. People are living longer and that usually means that they need some additional help to remain at home as they age. “ Beneski said Estate planning is something you do for your family – a gift that allows the person or persons you want to care for you as you age the ability to do so without court involvement. It makes the job of caring for someone much less burdensome because you have given the caregiver the tools to legally take care of things, she noted.

Probate, power of attorney,

and health care proxy Many clients think that if they have a Last Will and Testament their estate will avoid probate and that their executor can make decisions for them while the person is alive. Neither of these statements is true, Beneski stressed.

“Probate is the process of transferring property from a decedent to whomever the property was left to by filing the will in the probate court. Probate only applies to property that is in the decedent’s name alone and does not transfer in any other way such as a beneficiary designation.

Executors have no power until you die,” she said.

“Prior to your death you need a durable power of attorney giving someone the legal authority to handle your affairs if you cannot do so yourself. You need a Massachusetts health care proxy to allow someone else to make medical decisions if a doctor says you are not capable of making them for yourself. These are the tools caregivers need to do their job.

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GOOD PRIMETIMES SEASON

L-R: William (Bill) Reis, Marianne Record and Denis Tetrault

125 years of family pride In 1890, the United States flag had 43 stars, and nearly half of the citizens of Fall River were foreign-born. A full third of the populaGreg tion of 75,000 were Jones French-Canadians, and among this group was John Patenaude, who established Fall River’s first jewelry store. Patenaude Jewelers was located on a 60-foot wide dirt road in the Globe Village, 1473 South Main Street.

After 125 years, this family-run business is going to celebrate in style, with a special customer appreciation sale from now to Christmas. Patenaude Jewelers will pay the sales tax on anything you buy, and they are also featuring deep discounts on their full line of jewelry, watches, gemstones, and precious metals.

South Main Street, now paved, has seen a lot of changes over the years, but Patenaude Jewelers is still there, 125 years

later. One of John Patenaude’s eight sons, Leo Patenaude, stepped into the family’s business in 1927, and he and his wife Juliette became the second generation of jewelers. Leo and Juliette hired their niece and nephew, Yvette and Edward Tetrault, to help run the store.

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We offer diamond and gemstone remounting while you watch - it’s an exciting process to witness Walk into Patenaude Jewelers now and you will meet Denis Tetrault, who, together with his wife Renee, now owns the business.

“I started working with my father, Edward Tetrault, when I was 14 years

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old,” said Denis. “I learned watch repair from my father – that’s how I got into the business.”

A store out of time Back in 1890, a watch was a treasured item, and even the best watches needed regular service. The selling and repair of watches was a significant part of the business. Men carried pocket watches and women had lapel watches.

The introduction and growing popularity of quartz watches, beginning in the 1960s, slowed sales of mechanical watches. Keeping the watches of Fall River ticking became a smaller part of Patenaude Jewelers’ business. But, says Denis, mechanical watches are enjoying a renewed popularity.

Whether the watch is quartz or mechanical, battery or self-winding, the time may come when it needs repair.

“You can bring in any type of watch, of any period, we can fix it,” said Denis.

“That’s what the business was built on.

“Besides having a full array of merchandise including gold and silver jewelry, diamonds and precious stones,” said

Denis, “we also offer custom designing of jewelry, special order work, and recutting of diamonds.”

The mountings of precious stones and diamonds can sometime begin to look dated. Patenaude Jewelers has a cure for that.

“We offer diamond and gemstone remounting while you watch,” he said adding that, “it’s an exciting process to witness.”

“The business is in our blood,” said Denis, “but we really enjoy the business.

People come in for happy occasions, engagements, birthdays.”

“We’ve grown very close to our clientele.

Because of the friendships we‘ve enjoyed, we have generations of customers,” he said. “It’s so wonderful when people come in and say their grandfather came in here. They come in because they trust us – they enjoy coming here,” said Denis, with obvious pride.

Timeless service So how did Patenaude Jewelers survive, even prosper, for 125 years?

“Making the customer satisfied is the most important thing, customer service…” He paused a few seconds. “You can have the fanciest store, but without customer satisfaction you don’t have a business. We strive for customer satisfaction.”

Denis and his wife Renee took over the business in 1981.

“We expanded the business in 2000. We did some renovation, enlarged the store,” he said, but one thing hasn’t changed.

“We will always offer the same full service, the same customer satisfaction.”

After 125 years in the same location, this family business is in the mood for something significant to mark the occasion.

“We’re going to have a special sale until Christmas,” said Denis. “We’ll pay the sales tax, and as a special thank-you for our customers, we are also offering deep discounts on anything in stock.”

With the discounts, and the sales tax paid, that diamond necklace I’ve been looking at has just gone from “Wish I could buy it” to “Wouldn’t that look good on my wife.”

For more information call 508-672-6421 or visit www.PatenaudeJewelers.com

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

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“Sleep in Comfort at a Price You Can Afford”

G reg J ones is a local writer who lives in Dartmouth.

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E xtra! E xtra!

In brief…

The weather might be frightful, but life on the South Coast is delightful this time of year!

Don’t forget to turn back the clocks on November 1! There are still plenty of things to see and Eliz abeth do outdoors, but social life is moving indoors.

Morse Read Be mindful of those less fortunate as you give thanks with family and friends for what you’ve got.

‘Lights, camera, action!’

Indie filmmaker Jerry Orzel has started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to produce “Defending Lizzie,” a movie about the events leading up to the infamous murder in Fall River. For more info, go to www.defending-lizzie.com.

Scenes for the upcoming “Ghostbusters 3” movie were filmed inside the Ames Mansion at Borderland State Park in Easton during August. Locations in Bos-

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ton and Weymouth have also been used.

Fall River native Jerri Kaplan Sher, who now lives in Hollywood, received two Emmy Awards for a documentary on homelessness that she produced and directed for Santa Monica City TV. Watch a video at www.stepuponsecond.org.

Good neighbors

Sign up now for The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” conference

N ov ember /D ecember 2015

on solutions-based sustainability and social justice on October 23-24 in downtown New Bedford. For full details, visit www.connectingforchange.org, www. marioninstitute.org, www.zeiterion.org or call 508-748-0816.

Free trolley rides to-and-from Fall River’s Senior Centers are now available – for a schedule, contact the Council on Aging at 508-324-2401.

Make the holidays brighter for families in need by attending the 10th Annual Kickoff Dinner to benefit the Salvation Army of New Bedford and Fall River on October 17 at White’s of Westport.

For tickets, contact Manuela Cimbron at ela@tetreaultinsurnce.com or 508-995-8365.

The Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) needs Portuguesespeaking volunteers for its Hospice and

Palliative Care programs. For more info, contact Mary Harrington at 508-973-3219 or at harringtonma@ southcoast.org.

The Samaritans of Bristol County needs crisis hotline volunteers. Training is provided. For more info, call 508-679-9777 or 508-673-3777.

“My Brother’s Keeper” of Easton and Dartmouth is looking for volunteers and gently-used residential furniture for families in need. Free pick-up. Call 774-3054577 or visit www.MyBrothersKeeper.org.

Meet your friends on Saturdays at the Oxford Book Haven and Café at the Church of the Good Shepherd in North Fairhaven. Fresh soups and desserts, great used books on sale, and WiFi. To learn more, call 508-992-2281 or visit www.goodshepherdfairhaven.com.

Day trippin’ If you’re 50 or older, check out the trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program. There’s a day-trip to a Beantown Trolley Tour on October 14, a Fall Foliage Mystery Tour on October 22, and the Christmas Festival at Boston’s World Trade Center on November 6, the Providence Performing Arts center for “Motown” on November 7, Wrentham Village Christmas Shopping on November 16, Berkshire Museum Festival of Trees on December 2, Brightnights at Forest Park on December 9. For details, call 508-991-6171.

Find out what’s happening in Fall River! For info, go to www.ahafallriver. com or call 508-294-5344. Or find out what’s happening in New Bedford! For details, visit www.destinationnewbedford.org or www.downtownnb.org or call 508-990-2777.

There’s a holiday season event every day in December in Newport! Plan ahead visit www.ChristmasinNewport.org.

Veterans and active military get free admission to Battleship Cove in Fall River on Veterans Day November 8! Pearl Harbor Day will be commemorated on December 7 – and experience a 1940s Navy Christmas dinner on December 9!

Call 508-678-1100 for info or visit www.battleshipcove.org.

With Thanksgiving coming soon, plan a day-trip to Plymouth to visit Plimouth Plantation (www.plimouth.org or

508-746-1622) and also the nearby Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II.

eri/eastbay.

The Marion Council on Aging will sponsor a trip to the Fall River Maritime Museum on October 19. Call 508-748-3570.

Return to the Middle Ages at King Richard’s Faire in Carver through October 25! For more info, call 508-866-8600 or go to www.kingrichardsfaire.net.

Take a Sunday drive to the Raynham Flea Market, voted the Best Flea Market in the state by Yankee Magazine. For info, call 508-823-8923 or go to www.raynhamflea.com.

The great outdoors If you’re a runner, sign up now for the Pell Bridge Run in Newport on October 25! For more info, go to www.pellbridgerun.com.

Explore the trails, wildlife and scenery of the Mattapoisett River Reserve – leashed dogs welcome. Hike, fish, picnic, bird-watch – and it’s a great place for cross-country skiing, too! For more info, go to www.savebuzzardsbay.org.

Talk a stroll through Ballard Park in Newport! For more info, go to www.ballardpark.org.

Wander through the stunning urban greenspace of the Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens in the north end of New Bedford! Learn more at www.thetrustees. org or call 508-636-4693.

Take a Newport harbor/lighthouse cruise through October 31! Visit www.rhodeislandbaycruises.com. or call 401-295-4040.

Enjoy the Fall Family Fun-Fest at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth! Try your hand at canoeing or kayaking. For details and dates, call 508990-0505 or visit www.lloydcenter.org.

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

Stroll, jog, or bike through the monuments and gardens of Providence’s Swan Point Cemetery, voted the state’s Best Open-Air Museum by Yankee Magazine. Go to www.swanpointcemetery.com or call 401-421-1314 for details.

The East Bay Bike Path from Providence to Bristol was voted the Best Bike Trail in Rhode Island by Yankee Magazine. Learn more at www.dot.ri.gov/community/bik-

Time travel

Take the family to the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol for “Home and Hearth” workshops to experience 18th-century life. The Coggeshall Farm Museum is rated a “Best Living-History” farm by Yankee Magazine. To learn more, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org or call 401253-9062.

Japanophiles! If you’re interested in the history of Japan-America ties, visit the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House in Fairhaven, where it all began. Go to www.wmfriendshiphouse.org or call 508-995-1219 for details.

Check out the largest collection of Titanic memorabilia in the US, including the one-ton model used in the 1953 movie, at the Fall River Marine Museum in Battleship Cove. For more info, call 508-674-3533 or visit www.marinemuseumfr.org.

Spend a Sunday afternoon exploring the colonial-era Lafayette-Durfee House in Fall River! Call 508-873-8230 or go to www.lafayettedurfeehouse.org.

Visit the whaling-era mansion and gardens at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford! For more info, call 508997-1401 or visit www.rjdmuseum.org.

Explore 18th and 19th-century living at the Handy House in Westport! For more info, visit www.wpthistory.org or call 508-636-6011.

Visit Newport’s Museum of Yachting (www.iyrs.edu/museum or 401-847-1018) and visit Rhode Island’s Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry (go to www.ohpri.org or call 401-841-0080). And don’t miss the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, home to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame.

Learn more at www.herreshoff.org.

Take a walking tour of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park! For more info, go to www.nps.gov/nebe. And while you’re there, explore New Bedford’s evolution from a whaling port to an industrial giant at the new exhibit “Energy and Enterprise: Industry and the City of

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Flashdance, the Zeiterion

Providence M andolin, Sandywoods

roomful of blues, the N arrows

Listen to the music If you’re a fan of Americana and roots music, check out the monthly Salon Concerts at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford. Jane Rothfield will perform on November 7, and Flynn Cohen & The Blackthorne Publick House on December 2. For more info, go to www.wamsuttaconcerts.com.

Listen to the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s performances of “West Side Story” selections on November 13-14!

For info, go to www.ri-philharmonic.org.

Mark your calendar for the monthly Paskamansett Concert Series at the Dartmouth Grange Hall. Grace Morrison will perform on November 14. For info, visit www.paskamansettconcertseries. weebly.com or call 401-241-3793.

Get back to your musical roots at Common Fence Music in Portsmouth! There’s Mary Gauthier October 17, Malcolm Holcombe October 24, Parsonfield November 7, The Horn of Plenty Music on New Bedford” at the Whaling Museum.

For more info, call 508-997-0046 or visit www.whalingmuseum.org.

Spend some time at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro – don’t miss the Unscary Hallowe’en Party, rain or shine, on October 24. For more info, go to www.soulehomestead.org or call 508947-6744. And visit the nearby Robbins Museum of Archeology – call 508-9479005 or go to www.massarcheology.org.

Food, feasts and festivals

Don’t miss the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on Pier 3 on October 18! For details, call 508-990-2777 or visit www.destinationnewbedford.org.

Cheers! Don’t miss the International Oktoberfest at India Point Park in Provi-

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November 21 – and plan ahead for Aine Minogue’s 21st Annual Winter Solstice Celebration December 19! For more info, visit www.commonfencemusic.org or call 401-683-5085.

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River has a fabulous line-up – there’s Forever Young October 17, Muddy Waters Tribute October 23, Dave Davies of The Kinks October 24, Tom Rush November 7, Dave Douglas Quintet November 12, Iris Dement November 14, Roomful of Blues November 27, The Weight December 4 – and much, much more! For a complete schedule, visit www.narrowscenter.com or call 508-324-1926.

The Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton will present Louis Leeman & Chuck Williams on October 16, Gong Sound Bath October 24 & November 21, the Providence Mandolin Orchestra October 30, and contra dancing on the third Wednesday of every month. For a dence on October 17 & 18. For details, go to www.riwaterfrontevents.com.

Get ready for Newport Restaurant Week November 6-15! For more details, visit www.discovernewportrestaurantweek.org or call 401-845-9123.

Biz buzz

The new Southcoast Behavioral Hospital, a 120-bed inpatient mental health treatment facility on Faunce Corner Road in Dartmouth, will open officially in November.

The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth may be shut down if its owner company finds the safety upgrades required by federal regulators to be too expensive.

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complete schedule, call 401-241-7349 or go to www.sandywoodsmusic.com.

It’s all happenin’ at the Z! Head for the Zeiterion in New Bedford for Peter Frampton on October 13, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra performing Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” October 18, The Marion Institute’s 10th “Connecting for Change” conference on October 23-24, Nosferatu and Rocky Horror Picture Show October 31, Tedx New Bedford: uNBound November 6, Alice’s Restaurant’s 50th Anniversary with Arlo Guthrie on November 13, the NBSO’s performance of “Paulus, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven” on November 21, and “Flashdance: The Musical” November 27. Plan ahead for A Celtic Christmas Sojourn December 17, the NBSO’s Holiday Pops Concert on December 19 and “A Christmas Carol” December 22. Go to www.zeiterion.org or call 508-999-6276.

The former Walmart building in East Wareham has been purchased by Ocean State Job Lot. The Greater New Bedford Community Health Center has received $1.3 million in federal grant funding to expand its services and facilities.

The Town of Westport is considering satellite parking lots and shuttle busses to the beaches on weekends next summer.

Sights to behold

Check out the “Summer Whites” vintage clothing exhibit through October at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford. For more info, call 508-997-1401 or visit www.rjdmuseum.org.

Get ready for Comic Con November 6-8

at the RI Convention Center and Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence! For info, go to www.ricomiccon.com.

info, go to www.cmgfr.org or call 508672-0033.

Explore New Bedford’s evolution from a whaling port to an industrial giant at the new exhibit “Energy and Enterprise: Industry and the City of New Bedford” at the Whaling Museum. For more info, visit www.whalingmuseum.org or call 508-997-0046.

for everyone

When the kids are bored

Take the kids to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence! Don’t miss Santa’s Arrival and Holiday Parade on November 28, with daily “visits with Santa” through December 6. For info, go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Check out the RI Festival of Children’s Books and Authors on October 17 at the Lincoln School in Providence! For info, visit www.lincolnschool.org or call 401331-9696.

Enjoy FREE family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford -- The November 12 theme is “No Place Like Home,” and the December 10 theme is “Made in New Bedford.” Go to www.ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253.

It’s time for AHA! Night in Fall River!

Head for City Hall on October 15 for “Fables and Folklore.” For details, go to www.ahafallriver.com or call 508-294-5344.

Halloween fun Don’t miss the Harvest Festivals at the Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet on October 17-18, or the Great Pumpkin Festival on October 24, a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of MA and RI. For more info, call 774-2021027 or visit www.thesilverbrookfarm.com.

Mwah-ha-ha! Head for the Factory of Terror in Fall River!! For dates and info, call 508-324-1095 or visit www.MAHauntedHouses.com.

• Health Care Proxies and Living Wills • Durable Powers of Attorney

Kids of all ages will love “Spooky Sundae” events on weekends at Simcock Farm in Swansea in October. For details, call 508-944-1775, 508-673-5721 or visit www.simcockfarm.com.

• Homestead Protection • Wills and Trusts • Medicaid Planning • Medicaid Applications

Jane E. Sullivan, Esq. 624 Brayton Avenue • Fall River, MA

508-679-0535

Don’t miss Dr. Handy’s Spooky Skeleton Hunt at the Handy House in Westport on October 24! For more info, visit www.wpthistory.org or call 508-636-6011.

It’s All About Doing What’s Best for You and Your Family

www.janesullivanlaw.com

Boo! Visit the Ghoulie Manor on Galleria Mall Drive in Taunton this Halloween season. For dates and info, go to www.ghouliemanor.com.

Don’t miss the Pumpkin Palooza activities on Wednesdays at Frerich’s Farm in Warren! For more info, visit www.frerichsfarm.com or call 401-2458245.

Treat the little ones to Edaville Railroad in Carver for Dino Land or Thomas the Tank Engine train rides! The Festival of Lights begin on November 20. For more info, visit www.edaville.com.

Do you dare visit the Lakeville Haunted House? For tickets and info, go to www.lakevillehauntedhouse.com or call 508-923-0053.

Check out the Children’s Museum in Providence! Call 401-273-5437 or go to www.childrenmuseum.org. Or the Children’s Museum in Easton! For info, visit www.childrensmuseumineaston.org or call 508-230-3789. Or the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River! For more

FREE Caregivers Seminars Call for info.

Take the little ones to downtown New Bedford on October 24 for “Halloween Treats (no tricks!)” – for details, go to www.downtownnb.org.

Plan ahead for Fairhaven’s multi-event “Old-Time Holiday Weekend” on December 12-13! Learn more: call 508-9794085 or go to www.fairhaventours.com.

Head for the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford! Don’t miss Boo at the Zoo! For details, call 508-991-6178 or visit www.bpzoo.org.

Estate and Medicaid Legal Services — For You and Your Family —

Head for Portsmouth and find your way through Escobar Farm’s famous 8-acre corn maze! Don’t miss the Halloween Party on October 25. For details, visit www.escobarshighlandfarms.com, www.cornfieldmaze.com or call 401-8641064 or 401-683-1444.

Scare yourself silly on a night-time Providence Ghost Tour through the historic East Side throughout October. Learn more at www.providenceghosttour.com.

Michael McGreavy Registered Representative & Investment Advisor Representative

• IRA Rollovers • Retirement Planning • Life and Long Term Care Insurance • College 529

Helping You Do Smart Things With Your Money

Call Rolli Financial, Inc. 508-997-6100 651 Orchard St., Ste. 308-A • New Bedford, MA

www.rollifinancialinc.com

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Securities & Investment Advisory Services offered through Cantella & Co. Inc., Boston, MA — Member FINRA /SIPC —

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All the world’s a stage Find out what’s on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center! Plan ahead for Disney’s “Newsies” October 20-25, “Motown: The Musical” November 3-8, the “Solid Soul” Tour with Mavis Staples on November 8, “An Evening with Bill Maher” November 15, “The Book of Mormon” November 17-22, and the Boston Pops Holiday Concert on December 6! Call 401-421-2787 or go to www.ppacri.org.

Watch a performance of “Glengarry Glen Ross” through October 25 or “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” on selected dates between December 4-20, performed by the Attleboro Community Theatre!

For details, call 508-226-8100 or go to www.attleborocommunitytheatre.com.

Catch a performance of “Cain & Abel” October 22-November 1 or “Passing Strange” November 19-December 6 performed by The Wilbury Theatre Group in Providence. For info, call 401-400-7100 or visit www.thewilburygroup.org.

Fall River’s Little Theatre will perform “Fiddler on the Roof” October 15-18 and “Nunsense A-Men” December 3-13. For details, go to www.littletheatre.net or call 508-675-1852.

Fiddler on the Roof, Fall River Little Theatre

Don’t miss “Dracula” performed by Your Theatre in New Bedford on November 12-16, 19-22. For info, call 508-993-0772 or go to www.yourtheatre.org.

Plan a dinner-theatre night out at the Newport Playhouse! “The Odd Couple” will be performed through October 18.

“Remember Me?” will be performed October 22-November 22, “Always a Bridesmaid” will be performed November 27-December 31, and a special “Christmas with the Stars” will be performed December 12-15. For more information, go to www.newportplayhouse.com or call 401-848-7529.

Don’t miss Halloween Movie Night at Ballard Park in Newport on October 17.

For info, go to www.ballardpark.org.

go to www.ahafallriver.com or call 508294-5344.

Celebrate Halloween at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence!

Don’t miss the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular throughout October, Spooky Zoo October 23-25, or Boo at the Zoo Family Overnights October 24-31. For more info, go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Enjoy the centennial season of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra with its performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah at the Zeiterion in New Bedford on October 18, “Paulus, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven” on November 21, and the NBSO’s Holiday Pops Concert on December 19, all at the Zeiterion! For more info, call 508-999-6276 or visit www. nbsymphony.org.

Take the kids to the Unscary Halloween Party, rain or shine, on October 24 at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro.

For more info, call 508-947-6744 or go to www.soulehomestead.org.

Check out the Haunted Railyard through October 25 at the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad Museum and don’t miss the classic Bela Lugosi horror movie “Phantom Ship” on October 29 at the Fall River Marine Museum. For info,

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Classical acts

Listen to The Manhattan String Quartet perform at Goff Memorial Hall in Rehoboth on November 14, part of the “Arts in the Village” series. For details, visit www.carpentermuseum.org.

The South Coast Chamber Music series will perform on November 7 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion, and on November 8 at Grace Episcopal Church

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Don’t miss “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep in Providence November 7 through December 31. Plan ahead for “The Heidi Chronicles” December 3 through January 3. For more info, call 401-351-4242 or go to www.trinityrep.com.

2nd Story Theatre in Warren! will perform “Dangerous Corner” through October 18. “Neighborhood Watch” is on stage November 13-December 6, “Story Theatre” November 20-December 20. Call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

in New Bedford. For more info, call 508999-6276 or visit www.nbsymphony.org/ southcoast-chamber-music-series.

Don’t miss the stunning performances at Rhode Island College – the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China on October 15, the Compania Flamenca Jose Porcal on October 27, “Spirit of India” on November 10 and The Muir String Quartet November 16. For info and tickets, call 401-456-8144 or visit www.ric.edu/pfa.

The Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton will present The Providence Mandolin Orchestra on October 30. For a complete schedule, call 401-241-7349 or go to www.sandywoodsmusic.com.

Concerts at the Point in Westport will present the Handel & Haydn Society on November 22. For more info, visit www. concertsatthepoint.org or call 508-6360698.

Mark your calendar to hear the St. Petersburg Russian Men’s Ensemble sing at Emmanuel Church in Newport on December 13! For details, call 401-847-0675 or visit www.EmmanuelNewport.org.

cember 5-6, the Santa Sightings Fun Run (TBA), the NBSO’s Holiday Pops Concert at the Zeiterion December 19 – get the details at www.downtownnb.org or call 508-990-2777.

The South Coast Community Chorale will perform its Christmas Concert, featuring Schubert’s “Mass in G Major,” on December 13 at Good Shepherd Parish in Fall River. For more info, go to www.sccchorale.com.

Mark your calendar for the Holiday Boat Parade on November 27 at Bowen’s Wharf in Newport, or the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting on December 5! Get details at www.bowenswharf.com.

Don’t miss the Island Moving Company’s annual performance of “The Newport Nutcracker” at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport on November 27-29 and December 1-4! For more details, visit www.islandmovingco.org.

T’is the season Attleboro is to the holiday season what Plymouth is to Thanksgiving and Bristol to the Fourth of July. Visit the 62nd Annual Christmas Festival of Lights at LaSalette Shrine starting November 26.

For details, visit www.lasalette-shrine.org or call 508-222-5410.

Mark your calendar to hear the St. Petersburg Russian Men’s Ensemble sing at Emmanuel Church in Newport on December 13! For details, call 401-847-0675 or visit www.EmmanuelNewport.org.

Buy your holiday goodies, gifts and greens at the Silverbrook Farm in Acushnet! For more info, call 774-202-1027 or visit www.thesilverbrookfarm.com.

Take the little ones to the Nativity of Christ Puppet Show at the United Congregational Church in Middletown on December 2-4! For details, call 401846-3515.

Stroll through the splendor of “Christmas at the Newport Mansions” starting November 21! For more info, go to www.newportmansions.org.

Take the kids to Santa’s Arrival and Holiday Parade on November 28 at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence!

Daily “visits with Santa” through December 6. For info, go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Don’t miss the “Made in Lakeville” Holiday Crafts and Gifts Sale on December 5! For more info, go to www.lakevillearts.com Get ready for all the holiday events in downtown New Bedford! There’s the family-friendly Holiday Stroll on De-

Don’t miss the Christmas Cantata and Sing-Along on December 7 at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Parish in New Bedford! For more info, go to www.saintanthonynewbedford.org.

There’s a holiday season event every day in December in Newport! Plan ahead at www.ChristmasinNewport.org.

SOUTHCOAST FUNERAL SERVICE, INC. Independently Owned and Operated

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William J. Allen and Justin B. Souza, Funeral Directors

Affordability you can count on Special Funeral for Veterans and Their Spouses

The Island Moving Company will perform “The Newport Nutcracker” at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport on November 27-29 and December 1-4! For details, visit www.islandmovingco.org.

South Coast Funeral Home, Est. 2003 1555 Pleasant Street, Fall River 508 672-0291 www.SouthCoastFuneralHome.com

The South Coast Community Chorale will perform its Christmas Concert, featuring Schubert’s “Mass in G Major,” on December 13 at Good Shepherd Parish in Fall River. For more info, visit www.sccchorale.com.

Boyko Memorial Funeral Home, Est. 1934 709 Broadway, Fall River 508 678-5121 www.BoykoMemorial.com

Discover Newport’s colonial traditions by taking an evening Holiday Lantern Tour on December 4-5, 11-12. For more info, go to www.newporthistory.org or call 401-841-8770.

Over 30 Years Experience

Enjoy the award-winning holiday display with dazzling themed trees and experience the splendor of a grand Christmas past at Fall River Historical Society’s Annual Open House, taking place from November 21 to December 30 at 451 Rock St. Open 9 to 4:30 Monday - Friday and 1 to 5 on weekends. Admission is free. Call 508-679-1071, ext. 1 or 2.

Medical Adult Day Services

Professional, Bilingual Staff Rehabilitation Services • Activities Medical Monitoring • Safe Environment Make New Friends

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Check out the Holiday Fair on December 5 at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro! For more info, call 508-947-6744 or go to www.soulehomestead.org.

Plan ahead for Fairhaven’s multi-event “Old-Time Holiday Weekend” on December 12-13! For info, call 508-9794085 or go to www.fairhaventours.com.

Stroll through the Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol! Don’t miss “Christmas at Blithewold” starting November 27. For info, call 401-253-2707 or go to www.blithewold.org.

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GOOD TIMES

Feels like teen spirit Meteorologists have this maddening thing they’ve done in recent years, as technology has vastly increased their odds of getting a forecast right to 50-50, Paul K andarian which it’s been since the TV weatherman days of rudimentary maps with stick-on clouds and smiling suns.

They’ve rolled out the “feels like” temperature, maybe as a way of justifying ridiculous salaries they are paid for basically reading any weather map we can get online and then flipping a virtual coin to see what’s going to happen.

So with “feels like” temperatures, you may think it’s 80 degrees, but what do you and your thermometer know? That’s not what it feels like. Depending on many variables, it feels warmer or cooler.

Feeling confused, I looked up the definition for “feels-like temperature” at www.

Intellicast.com. Which left me more confused.

“The Feels Like Temperatures,” (they capitalized it, I didn’t), “map shows what the outdoor temperature will feel like for the current day. Feels Like Index,” (apparently another important thing to capitalize), “is a factored mix of the Wind Chill Factor and the Heat Index.”

It goes on to say the combination of heat index and wind chill are “denoted collectively by the single terms ‘apparent temperature’ or ‘relative outdoor temperature’ or simply ‘Feels Like.’”

Well, that certainly clears that up.

It says the heat index derives from the work of R. G. Steadman, who in 1979 wrote, and I kid you not, The Assessment of Sultriness, Parts 1 and 2, which I can only assume was the inspiration for 50 Shades of Grey, and could have been titled 50 Shades of Holy Crap It’s Hot or Cold Out There.

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This all leads me to believe meteorologists must have a lot of time on their hands after flipping that coin to predict the weather.

And all of which makes me think we should have a “Feels-Like Age.” I get out of bed in the morning, not so much in a bounce but more like a slowmotion lunge, and feel great, refreshed, eager to face the day. I mentally plan things, thinking of what people I need to contact for what stories I’m writing, what trips I have coming up to faraway places, and depending on the day of the week, getting ready to play ice hockey.

My mind and body are constantly moving, and never for an instant do I feel 62.

My mind and body are constantly moving, and never for an instant do I feel 62.

Until I go in the bathroom and look in the mirror and wonder who the hell that old guy is with the bald head, wrinkles and slight stoop.

Rule number one as we age: never believe the mirror.

At 62, it would be a stretch (along with the sounds of bones creaking and tendons squealing) to say I feel 22. Physically, I do not. Physically, I don’t feel that much different than I did in my 30s, say, or maybe early 40s.

Mentally is another story. Mentally I feel 10, 12, and on a good day, 13. I think that’s the case with most men. Men are stuck in puberty. Men always have and always will laugh at farts.

Rule number two as we age: always laugh at farts.

This is not to say I have the brain of someone that young; I like to think in the

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past 50 or so years I’ve picked up a formidable amount of usable information that my brain stores for just the right moment, like remembering where the car keys are.

But my mind, my heart, my soul, my essence, is a good 50 years younger.

Has to be. If we start thinking like old people (perhaps drawing upon seeing our parents’ decline in their older years), we become old people, in age, body and mind.

I will have none of that. None of us should.

Rule number three as we age: love your aging parents, but don’t believe what you see, unless they run triathlons.

Or as Dylan Thomas famously wrote, “Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at the close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Which Thomas wrote in 1947 when he was 33. And in Florence with his family.

And may have been in reference to his father. Who was 71 at the time, a mere nine years older than me. Whatever, I’ll take the message to heart.

So we need a feels-like index for age.

And lo and behold thanks to the allknowing Internet, we have several. I took one test that asked things like do you have trouble getting up from a chair (nope), what do you do waiting for a bus (check Facebook? Check), and who that young beautiful woman is in the photo they put up (no clue.)

I got 30, not quite the spring chicken I once was, it said, but “sophisticated, responsible and intelligent enough to feel like a mature, functioning adult.”

Bingo, spot on, that is so me. Well, maybe not the mature part. I mean really, farts are funny.

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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