SCPT September/October 2015

our 11th ye a r!

S eptember /O ctober 2015 · Volume 11 · Number 5

Knee-deep in summer

Walking the walk Enduring education Celebrating grandparents

For the birds Beating diabetes

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CONTENTS

We want to hear from you!

in every issue

Casinos are rapidly changing the landscape of our region. What are your thoughts? Will they help the economy? Are they a necessary evil? Or are they something more sinister? All respondents will be entered into a random drawing to win a prize.

Scan QR code to go to online survey

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From the publisher

20

24 In brief

by Elizabeth Morse Read

prime living

10 Aging not-so-gracefully

by Elizabeth Morse Read

16 Living right with Dr. Rocha

by Brian J. Lowney

18 Beating diabetes

by Jay Pateakos

or visit www.coastalmags.com and let us know what you think regarding the following questions:

prime season

With the New Bedford project shuttered, which of the two remaining proposals, Brockton and Tiverton, do you believe has the best chance to succeed?

20 Birding Fairhaven

1 2

What issues are you concerned about regarding a casino in our region?

3

Will you frequent a casino in our region that is not located in your city of preference? www.coastalmags.com

8

Walking the walk

by Joyce Rowley

by Dan Logan

22 Senior centers

by Sean McCarthy

good times

6

Grandparent’s day

by Michael J. Vieira

14 Never-ending education

8

by Stacie Charboneau Hess

30 Archipelago Andy

our 11th ye ar

by Paul Kandarian

!

S eptember /O ctOber 2015 · VOlume 11 · Number 5

on the cover: Summer hasn’t cast off quite yet! There are still

plenty of ways to make the most of the season, whether sitting, walking, or floating! For a real test, try the 10th Slocum River Challenge Regatta on September 19. Learn more by visiting www.LloydCenter.org. Photo credit: JoAnn Bernier Cornell

Knee-deep in summer

WalKing the walk enduring education Celebrating grandparents

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For the birds beating diabetes

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S ep tember /O c tober 2015

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FROM THE PUBLISHER September/October 2015 n Vol. 11 n No. 5 Published by

Coastal Communications Corp.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

This is the time of year when I can’t tell if the summer is ending or just beginning. Most of the hot days are behind us, but that only frees us to spend even more time outside.

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Editor

Sebastian Clarkin Online editor

Paul Letendre Contributors

Stacie Charboneau Hess, Paul Kandarian, Dan Logan, Brian J. Lowney, Sean McCarthy, Jay Pateakos, Elizabeth Morse Read, Joyce Rowley and Michael J. Vieira 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 October 14, 2015

For instance, we’ve reached the time of year when you can go for a walk without melting like a forgotten popsicle. If you’re looking for some reasons to get up and move, Joyce Rowley found some Fall Riverites who are doing their best to make the city walkable. Take a look at their work on page 8.

If you’re a more patient person, or have been looking for an excuse to get in tune with nature, then follow Dan Logan’s advice for birding in Fairhaven on page 20.

Don’t forget some of the fringe benefits of enjoying the season.

On page 18, Jay Pateakos researches how local doctors and health groups are making a stand against diabetes. You might be surprised by the small changes you can make that can have a huge impact on your health!

In the same vein (pardon the pun,) Brian Lowney’s article on page 16 is all about helping your heart to stay healthy.

That benefits the heart, but how do you nurture your mind? Stacie Charboneau Hess has you covered on page 14 with her article on the Second Half, the organization that specializes in providing fascinating classes to retirees looking to keep their brains as active as their bodies.

There’s more to learn and get excited about in this issue, so I hope you enjoy flipping through these pages as we finish (or start) the season strong!

Circulation 25,000

Subscriptions $19.95 per year

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

Ljiljana Vasiljevic Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Phone (508) 677-3000

Website www.coastalmags.com

E-mail editor@coastalmags.com

Our advertisers make this publication possible —please support them 4

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GOOD TIMES

New meaning for Grandparent’s Day When I was young, I remember asking my mother why there were days for mothers and fathers, but none for kids.

“Every day is Kids’ Day,” she said.

Michael J. Years later, when Vieira we had our own two children, I understood what she meant, and learned that she was right. When you’re a parent, it is – or should be – a 365-day responsibility and focus.

And that doesn’t end when they go through the “Terrible Twenties” or sometimes beyond.

So, I’ve relished Fathers’ Day, even when the death of my dad made it a bittersweet event, and appreciated Mothers’ Day a little more. Now, for the first time, I look forward to Grandparents’ Day. To be honest, even though our kids were blessed with excellent grandparents, we never really celebrated the day. I kind of looked at it like Valentine’s Day – a fake day to encourage greeting card sales – but it is a “real” holiday.

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A n official holiday Founder Marian McQuade wanted to set aside a special day not only for the lonely elderly, but also to encourage grandchildren to “tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents provide,” according to MentalFloss.com There’s even an official website, grandparents-day.com, and a non-profit corporation established by McQuade’s descendants called the National Grandparents Day Council, which named the Forget-Me-Not as the official flower and A Song for Grandma and Grandpa by Johnny Prill as the official song.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared the first Sunday after Labor Day as an official national holiday to honor grandmas and grandpas across the country, and the other Presidents since that time have continued to issue proclamations.

Although Barack Obama hadn’t issued

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the 2015 proclamation when this issue went to press, in 2014, he said, “On National Grandparents Day, we honor the anchors of our families and recognize the immeasurable ways they enrich our lives.”

He went on to not only point out how grandparents worked to build “better lives for their loved ones and a better future for our country,” but also volunteer in their neighborhoods and “serve as head of household, providing unconditional love and support” to more than five million grandchildren.

Obama is right. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2013, 7.2 million grandparents had grandchildren under 18 years old living with them. Sometimes, it’s not all fun and games for grannies.

Role models Growing up in Fall River back in the Sixties and Seventies meant, for the most part, living in a neighborhood that was very interconnected. My parents worked, and “Vo Downstairs” took care of us, but there were also a number of older, retired women who kept an eye on all of us kids.

At church, the black-clad, kerchiefed,

Portuguese-speaking avós whispered Ave Changing roles Marias and clicked their beads against Today, some grandparents are primary the bench almost in unison. They were caregivers, as the census numbers make the keepers of the bacalha recipes, the clear, while others live so far away that matrons of the malasadas at the feasts. programs like Skype and Facetime proThey were a power to be reckoned with. vide mostly electronic access.

Grandfathers, or avôs worked in the I know some grandparents who cuddle grapevines and gardens, made the wine up with their iPads to read their grandand sat in the neighborhood clubs or kids a story each night. Others fly or went fishing. They wore their soft hats drive great distances to spend precious and, in the summer, their suit jackets over moments, and others are so busy with their shoulders, which some say dates their own lives, the holidays may be the back to Moorish men’s capes. only time that the family comes together.

My grandparents were a little more modMany work hard to create special memoern. When the mill closed, my grandfaries. We have friends who’ve created ther started his treasure maps, own landscaping buried a chest business. If you full of goodies, D o you have a story asked, he’d say and made coshe cut lawns and tumes to have a you’d like to share trimmed bushes. family adventure. about your He was so good, Others fill in the I recall, that he gap – sometimes grandparents? had customers financially – to in the Highlands Email us at ensure that their of Fall River. Not grandchildren editor@coastalmags. quite Beverly have school supHills, but for an plies and winter com or check out Azorean immicoats. our website grant, a different Some are still world. nearby and What all of my others nearly grandparents had in common was a good forgotten in nursing homes and third work ethic. My mother’s grandfather floor tenements when the grandkids grow stoked the boilers on a Fall River Line and move onto new relationships, often ship, his son broke his back, literally, takin new communities. ing apart mill equipment and doing other We’re blessed to be minutes away from hard labor jobs. our grandson, Kyle Michael. He’s our My father’s parents met in the mill first grandchild and there are no words where he was a weaver and she worked to describe the feeling. Friends have said when her father remarried. Before that, you don’t appreciate the special love until she had to quit school in fifth grade to you experience it as a grandparent, and I take over her mother’s duties at home think they’re right. when she passed.

As much as you love your kids, a grandMy grandfather gave me my first job: child is an amazing gift. You get to play cutting Mrs. Souza’s grass across the with them, and send them home. You street. I was probably about 10 and the worry about them, but know that, in couple of dollars I earned provided the most cases, so do their parents. That takes funds for a 15-cent burger at the new a little pressure off.

McDonald’s on the avenue or a couple of It’s only been a couple of months, so I Coney Island hot dogs at Nick’s. won’t have had much experience with But from their example, I learned to grandparenting by the time the holiday work hard, to appreciate what I have, and comes around this year, but, to be honest, to keep family and faith first. They’ve all for my wife and I – and I suspect to many been gone many years, but I still miss others – every day is Grandparents’ Day. them and wish that I had asked more questions about their journeys and M ichael V ieir a , ph.d. has written struggles. for several newspapers and magazines including “The South Coast Insider” and “South Coast Prime Times”.

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PRIME SEASON

Brian Moses, K athy Lowney, K athy Duclos and Julie Kelly at A ndrews Produce

Walking the walk: Mass in Motion Fall River

By Joyce Rowley

T

he cool weather is coming and it’s time to get moving! That’s the word on the street in Fall River, as Mass in Motion Fall River senior champions hit the streets mapping out routes to healthy markets.

“We’re looking for more volunteers in September,” said Julianne Kelly, the driving force behind this healthy activity. Earlier in the summer, half a dozen senior champions made walking maps for three neighborhood stores within five to fifteen minute walks of elderly housing complexes.

Kelly, coordinator for Mass in Motion Fall River for the past seven years, pulls grants from all sources to keep people moving. A $10,000 Massachusetts Council on Aging “Healthy Aging through Healthy Design” grant helped start up last year’s senior champions program.

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Their first project was to conduct streetscape audits and talk to city departments about improvements needed to make the streets safer and more pedestrian-friendly.

“We trained 15 to 20 senior champions to audit the Flint neighborhood and North Park area,” Kelly said.

For four weeks, they walked the streets identifying tripping hazards, crosswalk conditions, signage, and vehicle-pedestrian safety issues. At the end of the audit, they presented their findings to a team of the city’s department heads.

“Now, every time the city puts in pedes-

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trian crosswalks, they use zebra striping to make it more visible, for example,” said Kelly.

“That’s one of the great things about working in Fall River: how receptive the department heads are to Mass In Motion activities.”

“I learned a lot,” said Kathy Lowney, a retired teacher and reading specialist in the Fall River school system who volunteered to be a senior champion. “I like being active, I like exercise, so it sounded like a good fit.”

Lowney said that she spotted the piece in the paper looking for volunteers because she was looking for something new to do.

Retirement is a time for exploring new activities, she said, now that she has the time.

A resident of Fall River for 43 years (most of them spent in the South End) Lowney

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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.

In the second Healthy Aging grant, Kelly’s core group of five senior champions surveyed 120 seniors at elderly housing complexes on their shopping preferences and walking patterns. Then they mapped out short, safe routes to neighborhood healthy markets. The result is a set of “Five to Fifteen Minute Walks to Healthy Markets” maps.

Many of the seniors surveyed said they were walkers already, and many more said that walking was recommended by their doctors.

Kelly pared down an original listing of 100 healthy dining places prepared in 2010 by Fall River Healthy Living to an even dozen based on whether they had ingredients to make a complete meal.

Then three markets were selected for the first round of mapping: Ventura’s Meat Market, Andrew’s Produce, and Amaral’s Market.

In June, the senior champions brought seniors out to test the maps. “We walked with them after the survey to help

Senior Membership Advantages

Walking to the market

them get out and walk a little more,” Duclos said.

“It’s been a learning experience for me and a benefit for the agencies that need volunteers and for the population that needs the help,” Lowney said.

“There are places where people are struggling and it’s not easy getting advocates.

They need help – they need support.

Mass in Motion is really trying to make a difference.”

Like Lowney, Duclos finds Mass in Motion Fall River has a ripple effect of positive energy in the community.

“Through this I got involved with UMass Dartmouth professor Andrea Klimt’s project,” Duclos said. Klimt, a cultural anthropologist, provided cameras to the senior champions, UMass Dartmouth students, B.M.C. Durfee High School students, and Resiliency Preparatory School students last September and asked them to photograph Fall River people, culture, and neighborhoods from October to May. Duclos said she started photographing an exercise class in the Niagara Senior Center on Pleasant Street, then shot the Jambalaya Jammers, a group of retired musicians that play at the center every Thursday. “They use shake instruments, they dance, they move.”

The Jammers played at the project’s show at The Narrows Center for the Arts art gallery in June. The art exhibit is now hanging at the Staircase Gallery at the Fall River Government Center for public viewing.

Duclos, whose photograph is featured on the Narrows’ webpage for the show, is in the process of donating digital versions of her work to the senior center.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Duclos said.

“We’ve seen some beautiful places I didn’t know existed in Fall River. And the work just grows and grows.”

If you’d like to volunteer as a senior champion, contact Julianne Kelly at Mass in Motion Fall River at 508-324-2405.

FITNESS FUN & FRIENDS

saw access to handicapped curb cuts as being critically important.

“There’s a huge pedestrian population, and many of them are people who are blind or who use wheelchairs or walkers.

It’s important that the curb cuts are there and in good condition for them.”

Connecting up with Lowney was one of the unexpected perks for Kathy Duclos, who also spotted the small piece in the paper looking for volunteers. Duclos worked with Lowney in the Fall River school department when Lowney first arrived.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. I met up with someone I hadn’t seen in years,” said Duclos. “And it doesn’t take a lot of my time. We meet only once a week, but we’re helping the community and helping the seniors.”

Another perk is the sense of accomplishment.

“By all of our input, we’ve got a lot of things done. They’ve striped a lot of crosswalks with zebra striping, and sidewalks are repaired.”

Free Y membeship with Senior Whole Health.

For details inquire at the Membership desk.

‘We meet only once a week, but we’re helping the community and helping the seniors’

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

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Be here now:

PRIME LIVING

a boomer’s guide to aging

not-so-gracefully Eliz abeth Morse Read

September is National Healthy Aging Month. Unfortunately, “aging” is a word that is only used when describing people of a “certain age” (i.e., mine).

But everybody “ages,” from the second they’re born – it’s a function of lifespan, not a developmental milestone or demographic. Babies become kids, kids become teenagers… getting older is normal. And nobody ever gets younger, right? So you might as well get the most out of getting older, no matter what your chronological age.

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation Okay – so you’re at the tipping point of being “over-the-hill,” in one way or another, and you’re none too happy about that. But it is what it is, my friend, so you may as well enjoy the trip. We can reminisce about our younger selves (the “good ol’ days”) – but would you really want to revert to your former high-school self?

Or to your Mad Men years? Don’t ride on your past laurels like a drugstore cowboy, or let your past control your future – get out there and do something different! Being of a “certain age” definitely has its advantages.

Out with the old fantasies and in with the new! The chances are not good that you’ll become Miss America or climb the Himalayas next year, so it’s time to get real about your unfulfilled dreams. But there’s no law that says you’re too old to get a college degree or to start a home-based business or to learn how to tango or to finally get your teeth straightened. Set new goals.

It’s not cheating to revise your bucket list. Live for today in the here and now.

What a day for a daydream It’s time to get off the Type-A adrenaline-junkie train, my friends. It is such a blessing not having to run around with carpools, or to burn the candle for a proposal or exam, or to hassle with cranky people all day. Getting to be a “certain age” means you can finally catch some uninterrupted sleep and recover from the jet-lag of your previous life.

Sleep, rest and relaxation are as important to your physical, emotional, and mental health as is eating nutritious foods. A rest period is when the body-and-brain repairs itself from stress, illness and trauma. Going through life chronically rest-deprived is as damaging as being malnourished. If you are tired or stressed out, take a break – whether it be by stepping away from the computer, walking the dog, meditating, catching a cat-nap, listening to music, or praying. You don’t have to be plugged in 24/7

Live for today

in the here and now

Continuedon page 12 10

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Continued from page 10 around such a Debbie Downer? Go get some fresh air, eat some fresh Takin’ care of business food, and think some fresh thoughts.

Okay, so your retirement “savings” and pension You’re stuck in the rut of looking aren’t going to cover your current extravagances… backwards – ditch the nostalgia so now’s the time to downsize your lifestyle and choose optimism and curiosity. and spending habits. You now need to husband Smile more, even when you talk on the phone. Find the humorous side your finances – get rid of the McMansion and of everyday calamities. Spread good second car, refinance your loans, stick to a budget news and funny anecdotes instead of that focuses on what you really need, not on rumors, complaints, and suspicions. what you frivolously want. And remember that Let go of grudges, regrets, disappointcharity begins at home – start saying “no” to the ments and wounded pride – that was deadbeats, the freeloaders and the telemarketers. way back when, and this is now, so Equally important are your health numbers – don’t waste it. your weight, your blood pressure, your blood Don’t be afraid of the roads less travcholesterol and sugar. Walk more instead of elled or familiar. Focus more on “Yes, driving and cook at home more instead of eating I can!” when you’re faced with an out – you’ll get healthier while also saving money. unwelcome choice, instead of on “No, Sgt. Pepper’s lonely I can’t.” Okay, so you’re little nervous hearts club band about learning to ski after knee reWe are social beings, depenplacement surgery, but there’s nothing that says you can’t choose dent upon the company of others and the kindness of strangers to learn oil painting or chess. You can take online classes, even throughout our lives. The cast of characters may shift as our life if you can’t drive at night anymore. You can have friends over circumstances change, but you’re never too old to make a new for Sunday brunch, even if you can’t get all your family together friend. Smile at a stranger. Compliment the cashier on her new for Thanksgiving. You can choose to try something different, haircut. Congratulate the new parents. Offer to take in the mail instead of clinging to old habits and ways of thinking. for your vacationing neighbor. Send someone a birthday card.

Life is what happens while you’re busy doing other things Everyone needs to feel needed, whether at work or at home or Your lifespan is not a dress rein society-at-large. But too many hearsal – you get one shot at doing people dwell on what’s missing it right and leaving your mark. You in their lives – the children have Be the change you want to see can choose to either appreciate every flown the nest and moved away. moment or aroma or emotion or Instead of waiting for a pharmaceutical or You’ve relocated to a new comchallenge, or you can get sidetracked, late-night-TV cure for whatever ails you, try munity. You’ve got too much ignore it or use it as an excuse for not preventing disease, depression, and disability idle time on your hands. You’re moving ahead. Don’t be in such a from consuming your over-the-hill years by eating suddenly living alone. You start constant rush to get to tomorrow that properly, staying physically and mentally active, feeling redundant or irrelevant. you miss the scenery – enjoy your and by getting age-appropriate medical tests, But there are so many people journey, even the traffic jams. and worthy causes out there immunizations and checkups. Plastic surgery, Don’t waste your allotted lifespan – who really need and want your mega-vitamins, and online dating sites are no if you’re bored with your life or have energy and talents and spare substitute for staying in shape from the get-go. nothing to look forward to, go do time – become a volunteer!

Don’t be the fool showing off your long-gone something else. Clean out the garage.

Mentor a student, work for a poprowess and youthful agility. Rugby and cleaning Join the local version of the Peace litical campaign or social cause, Corps. Get reacquainted with your the gutters is for someone else to do now – try teach a craft to kids, deliver local library. Attend a festival in the golf or surf-casting or raking the leaves. Falling meals to shut-ins, help somenext town. Stroll through the nearest and breaking a hip will make you feel very old one with their taxes or college park. Carpe diem. overnight, so it’s crucial that you keep your body financial aid form or resume, September is National Healthy Aglimber and your reflexes sharp. Find the time or comfort stray kittens at an ing Month. Be here now, no matter and place to practice exercises like yoga or tai animal shelter. Getting older how “old” you are. doesn’t mean becoming useless. chi or even Pilates. You may not want to use a Stairmaster anymore, but you definitely need to I can’t get no E lizabeth M orse R ead is an use the stairs to keep your leg muscles strong – satisfaction award-winning writer, editor and artist there’s no shame in holding onto the railings. And It’s too easy to start feeling who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 pessimistic and complaining years of working in New York City and you can improve your overall coordination by nonstop about your aches and traveling the world, she came back home walking, cycling, dancing, or swimming regularly. woes. But who’d want to be with her children and lives in Fairhaven. anymore.

On the other hand, like other body parts and bodily functions, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Your brain will deteriorate and your memory and cognitive ability will start to erode if you don’t stay mentally active and socially engaged every day. If you sit in front of a TV or computer all day, never reading or learning or talking or thinking, your brain will slowly shut down. Exercise your brain every day, just like the rest of your body. Think. Learn. Plan.

Teach. Converse. Do. Keep on keepin’ on.

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Dealing with siblings who don’t help with aging parents

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When elderly parents start to decline, usually one sibling becomes the primary caregiver.

At first care is easy but as care demands more time and money, stress and resentment can build. Fights are usually over money and time, causing caregiver stress. So, what can be done?

Here are some helpful tips: 1. Accept that there is no such thing as “fairness” when it comes to care giving. Someone always shoulders a disproportionate amount of the load. Should it be that way? No, but wishing for something different makes matters worse.

2. Communicate with every family member, even those you don’t get along with. Let them decide how much they want to be involved.

3. Have a family meeting to get everyone’s viewpoint on elder care needs. Having other viewpoints can be helpful.

4. Do it now. Waiting makes matters worse.

Don’t assume someone else in the family will take charge.

5. Put aside your “shoulds”. Focus on the taking care of your parents. It doesn’t matter what you think they “should” do. What matters is getting help for your parents, whether it’s from siblings or outside the family. You can’t change someone else. Obsessing about it makes your life more stressful.

6. List all of the support your parents may need like: meals, bathing, bill paying, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, picking up meds, checking out caregivers or living facilities, etc. When you need help be exact: “I have a doctor’s appointment next Friday. Can you sit with mom for about 2 hours?”

7. Contact help within the community. Start with your local Council on Aging. If you live in a large city, dial 2-1-1. If you work for a larger corporation, ask your human relations department what elder care resources they offer.

8. Accept whatever help your siblings are willing to provide. No one knows how another person thinks and feels or what’s going on in their life. They very well may have problems of their own that you are unaware of.

9. Your attitude is key. Yes, it’s hard not to be mad when no one helps but you are only hurting yourself. Focus on the positives. Be thankful for those who do help.

10. Consider turning to a professional elder care mediator. This specialty is relatively new but growing. They offer solutions to family conflicts over the care of an aging parent. They offer a pathway to peace and family healing.

Remember to focus only on what you can accomplish for your parents. Resenting siblings makes you feel worse and accomplishes nothing. Do what you know you can do and find outside help for the rest.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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GOOD TIMES

Never-ending

education Stacie Charboneau Hess

Retirement can mean a lot of things – time to slow down, enjoy family, travel. After a few months of adjusting to the new lifestyle, however, perhaps you realize that there is something else you yearn to do.

Perhaps you never learned to swim and realize that now is the time! Perhaps you have always been interested in art, and would like to learn more about art history and how it has affected contemporary artists. Are you traveling soon? How about picking up a little Spanish for your upcoming trip?

You don’t have to go far or spend a lot of money or even time to satisfy your love of learning in retirement. Enter: The Second Half Lifelong Learning Institute. Second Half, based at 205 Bedford Street in Fall River, engages qualified instructors to teach a wide range of topics, from history to gardening to astronomy.

Though most classes (they call them “study groups” or “workshops”) are held in Fall River, the organization offers courses throughout the South Coast; Westport, Dartmouth and New Bedford, including new courses at the Whaling Museum and Art Museum. Classes run in six to eight week sessions, and are held dur-

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ing the day, targeting a retired audience.

Of the 37 course offerings available this fall, some sound particularly enthralling, such as “Jewels in the Night Sky” taught

by Roger Menard, amateur astronomer and member of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England. “Stories from New Bedford” is offered at the Whaling Museum and features well- and littleknown stories about New Bedford’s nautical and whaling history, taught by a variety of speakers and experts in their field.

for this important aspect of our lives.

Sometimes retirement is the time to discover or enhance creative talents.

Whether it is photography, art, or music, there is a group for you at Second Half.

In the Ned Daniels “Art Appreciation Workshop” participants study specific artists and then try their hand at using their techniques. By using materials and techniques, students gain a better understanding of the artist’s methods and skill.

Susan Hankins, a student of this course, says, “Ned has taken simple materials like melted crayons, strips of construction paper, collage, and has us engage, create and explore the process, style, and feel of the artists we have talked about. We critiqued our works (no judgment.) He has enabled us to connect with the artists we studied and get a clearer understanding of their work in the times they lived and their

The Second Half provides its members with stimulating learning opportunities through a variety of study groups, workshops, and tours Another course, “Photography in the Golden Hour,” explores the intricacies of nature photography, while “Estate and Financial Planning” offers practical advice

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place in history.”

Hankins continues, “He has given us new insight into visiting Museums and seeing the studied artist’s works. He al-

ways claims he is ‘not an artist’ but truly he is indeed a very creative soul.” She says Daniels teaches in a way that is “always very enjoyable and inspirational.”

Field tripping If you would rather venture to new lands for inspiration, Second Half hosts tours abroad as well. In May of 2016, a group will head to Normandy and Brittany in France. To prepare for the trip, a course on the region is offered starting in September. Group travel is a perfect alternative for the reticent or new traveler who does not want to navigate a foreign country on his or her own.

Sometimes, all it takes is doing one thing differently to have a positive influence on every aspect of one’s life. Second Half admits that although anyone who loves to learn is welcome, sometimes the impetus for taking a course is simply to “make new friends” with people of shared interests.

Registration is easy and the deadline is September 4th to sign up for fall courses.

Keep in mind that the study groups are offered on a first come, first served basis, and popular courses fill up quickly.

Become a member today for only $35, and then the fee for two study groups is just $150, with $30 for additional groups.

Considering the quality of instructors (in many cases former university professors or working artists), that is a bewilderingly low investment with vast potential for return!

As Greg Stone, Communications Chair asserts, “The Second Half provides its members with stimulating learning opportunities through a wide variety of study groups, workshops, and tours. If you like to learn in a non-traditional, relaxed environment, exploring new ideas and new places while making new friends, you’re welcome to join. Study groups meet during the day, which is especially convenient for members who are retired.”

He adds, “There are no admissions requirements, exams, grades, or credits, and the program is geared toward people in the ‘second half ’ of life who simply love to learn!”

For more information about classes or to view a catalog, go to the Second Half website at www.SecondHalfLLI.org

STACIE CHARBONNEAU HESS is a mother, a graduate student, and a freelance writer based in New Bedford, Massachsuetts, where she lives with her husband, three children, and too many pets to mention.

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15

PRIME LIVING

Living right with Dr. Rocha Brian J. Lowney

Dr. Michael J. Rocha is on a vital mission to encourage people of all ages and from all walks of life to enjoy happier, healthier, and more productive lives through diet and exercise, as well as by practicing relaxation techniques and never forgetting to always smile and enjoy a good laugh.

The New Bedford native is the founder of The New Bedford Wellness Initiative, a program that sponsors a monthly wellness walk and educational programs, and supports local farmers’ markets in an effort to afford shoppers the opportunity to purchase fresh, quality ingredients that are the mainstay of a healthy diet.

Rocha, a cardiologist at Hawthorn Medical Associates in Dartmouth and Director of Heart Failure Services at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, emphasizes the importance of exercise for individuals of all ages and abilities.

“Movement is incredibly important for both heart health and mental health,” the physician begins, noting that in Britain, exercise is used as a means of treating depression.

“The goal is 20 to 30 minutes of walking per day,” Rocha continues, noting that a walking program can be broken up into several shorter periods of five or ten minutes, each enjoyed at different times throughout the day. This can include

walking up and down a flight of stairs in the house, or taking a walk around the yard or neighborhood.

A mbulatory story “Incorporate exercise into your daily routine,” Rocha suggests, adding that pursuits such as dancing and gardening also provide moderate exercise. He adds that folks don’t have to go to the gym and spend money to find a form of exercise that they enjoy.

“Exercise can help decrease blood pressure, help control blood sugar levels, and decrease the risk of heart disease,” adds the University of Massachusetts Medical School graduate.

“You are never too old to exercise,” Rocha observes, noting that he has a 90 year-old patient who lives

Rocha, who regularly shops at local farmers markets,

is a tireless advocate for sustainable agriculture and buying fruits and vegetables grown on area farms.

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in an assisted living center and looks forward to regular exercises classes. He adds that another patient who has cardiac issues keeps moving by attending weekly dances.

For individuals with limited mobility, the cardiologist recommends chair yoga, which helps with stretching and strengthening muscles and improves mental well-being.

Rocha shares the advice offered by noted journalist and food writer Michael Pollan who suggests that individuals “eat food –

not too much – mostly plants.”

Discerning diets The cardiologist urges people to explore the Mediterranean diet as a good way to reduce the risk of heart disease. He suggests that individuals decrease the amount of salt and sugar in their diet, and eat nuts, fresh fish, and avocados, and to cook with good-quality olive oil.

“Healthy fats need to be increased in our diet,” he says.

Rocha, who regularly shops at local farmers markets, is a tireless advocate for sustainable agriculture and buying fruits and vegetables grown on area farms.

“The quality of the produce found in a farmers market is so much better than food shipped from 2,000 miles away,” he says, noting that these outdoor markets have many hidden benefits.

“It brings a sense of community which is important for our sense of well-being and health,” Rocha says.

The respected physician believes that we need to pay more attention to preventative medicine, which he asserts is “undervalued.”

“Sick care is our predominant mechanism of healthcare,” Rocha emphasizes.

He urges people to pay more attention to their “fingers, forks and feet,” explaining that individuals should stop smoking, watch what they are putting on their forks, and use their feet to become more active.

Rocha also says it’s important to reduce stress and emphasizes the importance of humor and laughter in our lives.

“Don’t get anxious about the future and depressed about the past,” he suggests.

“Live in the moment and concentrate on the things that you can do.”

He adds that stress reducers can be as simple as a cup of hot tea or a good conversation with a friend, a walk on the beach, lunch or dinner with a family member or friend, meditation, a relaxing hobby such as carpentry, painting or knitting, music, and prayer.

“People should get seven hours of sleep per night,” Rocha concludes. “Too much or too little is bad.”

For more information, visit the New Bedford Wellness Initiative on Facebook.

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PRIME LIVING

Beating diabetes Nearly ten percent of America’s population has diabetes – a staggering 30 million children and adults – and eight million of them are undiagnosed.

Jay Pateakos

Type-2, the most common kind of diabetes in which your body doesn’t use its insulin properly, is a disease that could be prevented if diagnosed early enough.

While we are certainly better at preventing Diabetes than we were five years ago, there is still much more that needs to be done. With a new YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program hitting the South Coast this spring, as well as ongoing initiatives at Southcoast Hospitals and St. Anne’s Hospital, officials are hoping to curb the increasing numbers of diabetes diagnoses in the area.

Not-so-sweet steps The YMCA implemented a Diabetes Prevention Program that commences at YMCA Southcoast in April. [Commences April 2016? Or commenced April 2015?]

Program Coordinator Dara Midwood said that with one out of every three adults in the country with prediabetes, only ten percent of whom know they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, this kind of programming, using a Center for Disease Control-approved curriculum, was more vital than ever for the people of the South Coast.

Midwood said the Diabetes Prevention Program was created roughly 4-5 years ago and is now in 165 YMCAs across the

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country, helping the more than 30,000 people who have gone through the program so far. Initiated at the Wareham facility, Midwood said the program started out with ten participants. She said the evidence-based programming helps to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes by 58 percent overall and by 71 percent in those over the age of 60.

“You are more prone to diabetes the older you get and this has proved to be an effective program,” said Midwood. “The goals are simple and attainable.”

Participants are asked to increase their physical activity to 150 minutes per week and to reduce their body weight by seven percent. Midwood said people at risk could be anyone with an escalating blood glucose level, are overweight, 45 years or older, or have a family history of diabetes.

She said those at risk are given a sheet with seven yes or no questions and if they score a nine or above on the questions, they are at high risk of contracting type-2 diabetes.

The Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a one-year program in which the group meets for one hour per week during the first 16 weeks, where they go over the CDC curriculum, discuss lifestyle changes including increasing physical activities, finding ways to decrease fat intake even while eating out, making healthy choices

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that don’t include dieting, tweaking and making small changes that provide big rewards. After that, they meet once a month for the other eight months.

“Reducing 7 percent of your body weight is very attainable, especially in a group setting where everyone is helping each other,” said Midwood. “They bond together, they exercise together – it’s a very supportive environment.”

Midwood said opting into the Diabetes Prevention Program also provides participant’s access to the Y membership and its facilities and exercise programs and other offerings. She said that while some insurances do cover the program or at least contributes to part of the gym membership, the cost of the program at $429 per year is less than a full year gym membership with no initiation fees.

Midwood hopes the Y program will help create more awareness in the community of diabetes and ways to prevent it long before the point of no return. “This is a great stepping stone,” said Midwood.

See-ing the future Michael See, a Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Certified Diabetes Educator for Southcoast Health Systems’ Diabetes Management Program, said that with a growing department offering five offices that handle diabetes from Wareham to Portsmouth, awareness is rapidly increasing, but more can be done, such as reimbursement for diabetes prevention programs.

“We’re seeing more patients but the resources are a concern; where do you send them?” Said See.

While Southcoast Hospitals has a similar diabetes prevention program for their employees, they don’t have a formalized one for patients yet, but that may change soon. See said there are a number of benefits to programs like the one at the YMCA. “We see a lot of patients at the early stages, at prediabetes. In fact, I saw one this morning. We are trying to be proactive about this, trying to ID people early and get them into programs like the Y’s,” said See. “Southcoast is leading the way in that, but there are still problems with out-ofpocket costs for patients. However, there is national and state legislation that could eventually help that barrier. It’s just not there yet.”

See finds that those with high blood pressure, smokers, and who are overweight are diabetes time-bombs, but the educational component, more than just simply losing weight but in being more active, is the key to overcoming it.

‘

‘

The reality is diabetes is avoidable

“There seems to be a higher prevalence of diabetes in the South Coast but does it resonate with people?” said See. “For some people it does, but for others, they may have other issues that take precedence. The reality is diabetes is avoidable.”

He said someone at risk for diabetes who weighs 190 pounds could simply lose between 8-15 pounds to reverse the course on diabetes, a moderate amount of weight loss to accomplish instead of being prescribed medication for it.

See hopes to one day soon roll out a group program like they have for employees that they can use as a resource for patients, allowing for a more beneficial group setting instead of individually.

He hopes to see similar programs being incorporated in company wellness programs, at the Council on Aging’s, churches, and the like.

“The resources are out there, initiatives for prevention screening and counseling patients, and progress has been made,”

said See, who noted that he sees a far greater awareness and more resources in place for diabetes within the next five years. “It just takes time.”

E arly choices Rose Couto RN, certified diabetes nurse educator of the Steward Diabetes Education Program at Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River said with type-2 diabetes at epidemic rates throughout the world with research indicating it is preventable, Saint Anne’s is taking steps in assuring the community gets screened.

“We provide free screening through the year. These screenings include blood glucose screening as well as risk factor screening. One of the greatest myths behind diabetes prevention is that if the blood glucose is normal then prevention is achieved,” said Couto.

“I like to look at diabetes as a progression from something else like insulin resistance. By the time the blood glucose rises, you already have a problem. We need to make sure we catch people before that time.”

Saint Anne’s offers “Eat Healthy, Be Active” workshops which offer the information needed to achieve prevention and set up to be ongoing support to help people achieve their goals. Saint Anne’s partners with a local farm to provide a farmer’s market which is available to the community as well as our employees. Saint Anne’s has also changed the environment of its cafeteria to offer healthier options and availability of sugar-free beverages as the easy choice.

Saint Anne’s also provides nutrition services for people who have a medical risk for diabetes. At-risk people are those have elevated body mass index (BMI), cholesterol abnormalities, and high blood pressure.

“Our children are the key to prevention.

The nutrition clinic does partner with the Boys and Girls Club to offer a healthy eating program to some members there,” said Couto.

“The people at the nutrition clinic can offer better details on that. We also participate in the family fun nights at the local schools, providing nutrition education for the kids and their families.”

St. Anne’s also partners with communities programs such as the Diabetes Association at People Incorporated as well as the YMCA in their efforts at prevention.

“Our program uses an individualized assessment to determine the best tools

for each person. We use written materials as well as food models, pictures, and interactive meal planning guides,” Couto added.

She views being overweight as a major risk factor.

“The issue with why people have that problem is very variable. Inability to access to nutritious foods, whether it be due to cost or transportation, is a common one,” said Couto. “Certainly people’s relationship with food is complicated, and it’s often the driver of behavior.”

Activity is another contributing factor to how successful a person is at prevention, Couto noted. There are many barriers there as well, but activity can be so very flexible they can easily take down those barriers; an area she feels is an underutilized strategy.

“Stress management is another area that contributes to how well we manage other areas of our lives including health and wellness,” said Couto.

“Teaching healthy coping to both adults and children is a key opportunity going forward. We incorporate problem solving and healthy coping in all our programs; it can be the most effective tool for many.”

In the end, Couto said she believes the key to prevention lies with our children.

Changing the consumption of processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages and instead replacing them with fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk, lean protein, fish, and healthy fats as well as incorporating more physical activity through play and structured activity is the key.

“Believing that nutrition and activity is important and necessary for our children and grandchildren is the first step. Helping our community find the opportunities to achieve that is what we as health care providers or those in government need to work on,” Couto said.

“I am hopeful that the incidence of type-2 will level off. Research is promising for new treatments that are focused on prevention. The greatest responsibility, however, falls on us – the people who make choices every day on what is best for our health and well-being. Making a healthy lifestyle a priority in our lives and the lives of our children is imperative.”

J ay Pateakos has been a freelance writer for more than 10 years including daily and weekly newspapers and monthly magazines.

A native of New Bedford, he currently lives in Marion and has three children.

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PRIME SEASON

Birding Fairhaven Birding is fun, and it’s even more fun if you don’t have to travel far to find something other than feeder birds.

I do a lot of big glass bird photography, parDan ticularly birds in flight, L ogan and it helps not to have to lug that heavy gear too far to reach the birds.

Thanks to Carolyn Longworth, Director of the Millicent Library, avid birder and informal clearinghouse for birding information in Fairhaven, I’ve realized my compact hometown of Fairhaven is wellsuited to easy-access birding.

Fairhaven isn’t widely known for its birding resources, but it draws birders from all over eastern Massachusetts, and such clubs as the South Shore Bird Club regularly schedule visits.

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Egypt L ane A good place to start birding in Fairhaven is at the dike on Egypt Lane, which is kitty-corner to the police station on Washington Street. Cross the Phoenix Bike Path (carefully) and you can park on the grass strips along the road. What we call “Egypt” usually refers to the area that includes the dike itself, Egypt Lane, and the nearby bike path.

The dike here is about 15 feet above sea level, giving you a commanding view of the Acushnet River’s outer harbor, the nearby marshes, and a stream-fed pond bordering the dike.

You can walk across the dike to get close to the pond. The dike is a flat surface, but surprisingly irregular when you’re actually on it. If you’re a klutz like me, either

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walk and focus on planting your feet carefully, or stop and look around. Walking while scanning the surroundings might result in a painful fall.

So what birds might you get to see?

The Egypt Lane pond is best in September and October as resident birds are supplemented by migratory birds.

If you’re a fan of mute swans, a pair has been regularly producing broods here for at least three years, and their flight lessons by early fall are reaching the dramatic stage as the big birds madly flap and splash their way across the pond.

Mallards and Black Ducks are always there in abundance. Osprey stands in the marshes are producing greater numbers of the big raptors, and you’ll often see them going by with an identifiable fish in their talons.

American Wigeon, American Coot and Gadwall are regular visitors in fall.

In fall you may encounter a small retinue

of avid birders who patiently scan the reeds with their binoculars, sure that a member of yet another species will move slightly and give itself away. For these most determined birders, the rewards in the last couple of years have included a Sora (apparently the same one returning for the last three Septembers), American Bittern and Common Gallinule.

In summer there are all the common small birds plus flickers, flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, hummingbirds, Pied-billed Grebe, Orchard Orioles, Green Heron, Great and Snowy Egret, and a Wood Duck family.

A couple of Yellow-crowned Night-Heron logged some time at the pond in July, challenging birders to differentiate them from the regular contingent of Blackcrowned Night-Heron.

In spring, after sunset, there were Woodcock unconcernedly cruising the grass within 20 feet of Nasketucket Bird Club members at the foot of the dike on Egypt Lane. And Black Vultures made several appearances over the remaining Atlas Tack building.

If you like bird photography, Egypt is a good place to practice photographing birds in flight. If you’re patient, you’ll get flybys from hawks, osprey (often with fish), swallows, mallards, Great Blue Heron, egret and gulls.

The bike path near Egypt Lane can also be fertile ground for spotting Cedar Waxwings, warblers during migration, Eastern Towhee and other small birds, not to mention the hawks that chase them.

West Island Town Beach West Island pokes well south into Buzzards Bay, making it a natural spot for birds to take a breather en route to somewhere else. The best birding at West Island Town Beach involves some walking, but you can do quite well from the parking lot if you’re patient.

If you’re willing to walk, turn left at the beginning of the boardwalk before you get to the beach. There’s a sand path along the west side of the sand ridge that parallels the shoreline. After about ten minutes of walking you’ll reach an open area of the marsh that’s particularly good for birding when the tide is down.

Here you’re likely to find American

Oystercatchers in spring, terns and Piping Plover in summer, and shorebirds in September. Common and Least Terns will hover at eye level, looking for fish, making them good candidates for practicing your bird photography. In fall this is a reliable site for finding Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper and other shorebirds.

Shaws Cove Road might yield a Greater White-fronted Goose or Snow Goose foraging among hordes of Canada Geese, a kestrel on a wire, Peregrine falcons, Killdeer, Horned Lark, Red-tailed Hawk and Savannah Sparrows.

The short stretch of Shaws Cove Road before it turns into a private way serves up the occasional gem. Particularly in spring, water pools in the field alongside the road after heavy rains, and the birds take full advantage. A halfdozen Wilson’s Snipe might scare the daylights out of you as they burst out of the grass right under your nose.

American Golden-Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper can also be seen here. And my friend Henry Zimberlin, amazingly, spotted a Lapland Longspur working its way along the field, often hidden by the tiny ridges that barely register if you’re not trying to track a small bird.

If you like bird photography, Egypt is a good place to practice photographing birds in flight The Roseate Tern is one of the most interesting birds you can get at the town beach. Bird Island in Marion is a very important nesting ground for Roseate Terns in the United States, and some of these birds can be seen cruising past the Town Beach in May and June.

I’ve discovered a reliable way of spotting Roseate Terns here. When the tide is down a bit, stand on the southern point of the town beach (off to the right as you step off the beach end of the boardwalk).

Terns usually work their way south, just offshore. Perhaps one quarter of them will cut across the point rather than flying around it over the water, and I find of those that take the shortcut, a pretty good percentage are Roseate Terns. It’s not a scientific approach, but I’ve gotten a fair share of Roseate photos from this location. And you can often spot Piping Plover in the adjacent roped off areas while you’re waiting for terns to pass by.

From this same spot in winter you’ll see lots of ducks. My nephew and I have also spotted Northern Gannet working in the middle of Buzzards Bay from here.

During the summer, parking at the town beach for residents is $6 for vehicles and $3 for bikes and walk-ins ($20 and $10 for non-residents, but if you get there before 8:45 a.m. or after 3:45 p.m. there’s no charge). Fairhaven seniors get in free, and non-resident seniors pay $5. Toilets are hauled in each day in summer but otherwise there are no facilities.

Shaw Road and Shaws Cove Road In East Fairhaven, Shaw Road and Shaws Cove Road are two good spots where you often don’t even have to get out of your car to see some fairly unusual birds.

In winter and spring, carefully checking the pastures all along Shaw Road and on

Fort Phoenix Fronting the Acushnet River, Fort Phoenix is a good winter spot for a surprising variety of ducks, geese and other hardy species. My favorites are Snow Bunting that flit around the parking lots, looking for seeds in the cracks in the pavement.

From the high vantage point near the cannon or from the dike itself you can spot Brant, Long-tailed Ducks, Common Goldeneye (and the infrequent Barrow’s Goldeneye), Red-breasted Mergansers, loons, Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, Common Eider, scoter and scaup.

In winter this is one cold location because it’s wide open to the wind, so put on your warmest winter gear.

Walk the tree line in Grimshaw Park and you’re likely to find Carolina Wren, Brown Creeper, Tree Sparrows and Whitethroated Sparrows.

Fairhaven is such a good a birding spot that there’s a lot I haven’t covered. Other productive locations in Fairhaven include Mill Road around the pond and stream, Long Road, the Winsegansett Marsh, Riverside Cemetery, and Arsene Street along the Phoenix Bike Path and the path to Little Bay. They’re all worth a try.

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

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PRIME SEASON

Members of Fairhaven Senior Center

Setting sights on senior centers Sean McC arthy

Seniors you are not alone. From Swansea to Wareham and every town in between, Senior Centers are giving those in their upper ages the opportunities to socialize and partake in activities that keep them energized and involved in a community setting.

From biking to bingo, meals to medical education, Senior Centers make it a priority to assist seniors in as many ways possible. Participants who visit the centers may go strictly to get meals or to attend a specific activity, where they can stay from the morning and into the afternoon. The majority partake in multiple activities each day.

“We want people to feel welcome,” says Anne Silvia, Director of the Fairhaven Council on Aging. “We reach out to a new person and take them under our wing. We want this to be a very friendly, happy place to be.”

Seniors are not bound to one specific center – visitors can get a copy of the activities and programs going on throughout the region and choose from what interests them. Transportation is available thanks to vans located at each site. Interested people who require a ride can call the location that they wish to attend.

Doing something different Clients at the centers range in age from 50 to 100. They may service tens to hundreds of people a week.

“Sometimes you wouldn’t know you’re in a Senior Center,” says Karen Main, Director of the Buttonwood Senior Center in New Bedford. “Sometimes we’ll get as many as 30 people doing Zumba Gold, enjoying lively dancing to current popular music. Sometimes we’ll have disc jockeys or bands.”

offer relaxing exercise such as yoga and Tai Chi. “People are surprised by the variety of activities going on - it’s more than bingo,” Main says.

“These centers keep me active,” says 73year old Marie Monteiro of New Bedford, a retired nurse. “We have a lot of fun. If you don’t want to be involved in an activity you can sit and have conversations with others. We laugh and joke with each other.”

“The benefits of going to a Senior Center aren’t just physical,” says Karen Costello, Quality Improvement Education Manager at Coastline Elderly Services in New Bedford. “There are proven psychological benefits for those who are socializing. They offer services that aren’t just entertainment. There’s education on health and wellness, and there are often speakers on topics that are important to seniors.”

Informative programs can include a blood pressure clinic, a flu clinic, information on hearing and maintenance, advice on healthy eating, fire safety in the home, and more.

‘People are surprised by the variety of activities going on - it’s more than bingo’

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But not all activities are geared towards raising your blood pressure. There are opportunities for those interested in something more relaxed such as knitting, cribbage, card games, painting, and other laid-back entertainments for people of all abilities and interests. Some centers

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Second home Many of the centers provide personal care for their clients. They are paired with case managers who find out what services

they need such as groceries, medications, and rides to appointments. They may also help with applying for food stamps, and acquiring Medicare and Medicade benefits.

The New Bedford centers sponsor a Weekly Senior Travel Program which may include a day of sightseeing throughout the region such as the White Mountains in New Hampshire, or the Foxwoods facility in Connecticut. They also have occasional extended trips to locations such a five-day visit to Washington D.C. Senior centers are free, as are most of their activities. Some activities require a small fee. They mostly rely on financial support from federal, state, local, and private sources. Senior Centers are managed by their local Council on Aging.

The majority of people who work at the centers are volunteers, many of whom are also seniors.

“Volunteers are our backbone,” says Debra Lee, Director for the New Bedford Council on Aging. “They all undergo training before they start working at the centers, and they’re very helpful.”

Oftentimes activities are run by other seniors while the staff and volunteers partake in the entertainment.

“Many times seniors take instruction better from their peers,” Costello says.

“They are often able to educate others better.”

George Reul is 78 years old and he volunteers at the Buttonwood Senior Center.

Reul spent 25 years in the Air Force and after the passing of his wife he soon joined the center. He spends 35 hours a week at the location, working from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week, taking care of anyone who walks through the door, getting them food and beverages and other assistance.

“It’s a good feeling to help others,” Reul says. “I greet them at the door and let them know that if they need something I’ll be happy to get it for them.”

Reul immediately found a home for himself at the center.

“Two years ago I came for the Open House and I never left,” he says.

Main describes her facility as a “family with a sense of purpose. Everybody knows everybody and we encourage a positive spirit.”

Monteiro is encouraging.

“Come and give it a shot,” she says.

“There’s fun to be had.”

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

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508-679-0535

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Tel: 508.675.2101 Fax: 508.679.0320 TTY: 508.646.9704

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Fall River, MA 02723 www.bristolelder.org Over 30 Years Experience

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Coastline is looking for volunteers and job seekers for a variety of programs we offer in the community.

This would be a rewarding experience for both you and the program participants you will be helping so please consider donating your time today!

www.coastlinenb.org 508.999.6400 1646 Purchase St. New Bedford, MA 02740

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E xtra! E xtra!

In brief…

We’re heading into the most beautiful time of year of the South Coast – the gradual slide of summer into autumn. The temperature may start to drop – but the events and activities do Eliz abeth not! It’s harvest time, the kids are heading back Morse Read in school, and the summer traffic is slowing down. Celebrate!

Regional Notes

In a stunning 11th-hour reversal, KG Urban dropped its bid to build a $650 million gaming casino in New Bedford, exactly one month after a city-wide election that overwhelmingly approved the proposal.

Get ready for the Massachusetts sales tax holiday on the weekend of August 15-16!

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Legislation is pending in Congress that could make attending local community colleges across the country free. Rep. William Keating (D-Mass.) is a co-sponsor of the bill.

New Bedford songstress Samantha Johnson wowed the “America’s Got Talent” judges and audience in July during the “Judge Cuts” round – next stop, live at Radio City Music Hall!

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Massachusetts has been recognized as a leader in clean energy, especially solar power, by the national non-profit organization The Clean Energy States Alliance.

The country’s first locally-sourced year-round public market has opened in Boston, and “Eat Drink RI” is hoping to open a similar market in Providence soon.

South Coast homeowners can expect a 9% increase in their home insurance premiums this year, due to last winter’s brutal weather.

There’s long-range movement afoot to either build a third bridge across the Cape Cod Canal or to replace the narrow, 80year old Bourne and Sagamore bridges.

Despite the introduction of CapeFLYER train service, the predictable four-fold

increase in summer vehicular traffic at the two bridges creates a logjam that reverberates throughout the entire South Coast.

If you really need a bigger boat, head for the International Boat Show in Newport on September 17-20. For info, go to www.newportboatshow.com.

It’s harvest time on the South Coast!

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

There’s music everywhere

Head for the free WBRU Summer Concert Series at Waterplace Park in Providence on Friday evenings, through August 21. For more info, go to www.wbru.com.

Don’t miss Jonathan Edwards at Westport Town Farm on August 22, presented by the Westport River Watershed Alliance and the Westport Land Conservation Trust. For details, go to www.westportlandtrust.org.

Don’t miss the Summer Sound Series in the New Bedford Seaport Cultural District! Free Audubon Classical Summer Series on Thursday afternoons in the Main Library courtyard, and free concerts on the waterfront! For a complete schedule of events, go to www.downtownnb.org or www.destinationnewbedford.org.

And don’t miss the free Evenings in the Park Concerts on selected Thursday nights at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park! For info, call 508-996-4095 ext. 6105 or go to www.nps.gov/nebe.

Pack a picnic and enjoy the Sundown Concert Series at Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence on August 22. For complete details, go to www.hearinrhodeisland.com.

Enjoy the free “Summer of Love Concerts” at the Onset Bandshell in Wareham! (Don’t miss the Kite Festival September 5!) For more info, go to

www.onsetbay.org.

Don’t miss the last of the Summer Concerts on Taunton Green – “Oldies Night and Car Show” – on August 14.

Find out who’s on tap at the Sunset Music Series at Westport Rivers Winery through September 12. Pack a picnic and a corkscrew. $10/carload. For info, visit www.westportrivers.com or call 508-636-3423.

More than just another jeweler.

Check out the 10th season of the Cranberry Coast Concerts in Onset.

For a complete schedule and info, call 508-491-8888 or go to www.cranberrycoastconcerts.com.

Relax with live jazz and a glass of wine at Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth – for a schedule of events, call 401-8473777 or go to www.greenvale.com.

Enjoy free concerts on Thursdays in August at Wareham Crossing! For more info, visit www.warehamcrossing.com.

Don’t miss the free Sunday Night Concerts at Pierce Beach in Somerset! For details, go to www.somersetrecreation.com.

Head for the free concerts and the beer gardens on Thursday nights at Burnside Park in Providence! For more info, go to www.kennedyplaza.org.

Pack a picnic for “Music at Sunset” every Wednesday during August at Blithewold Gardens in Bristol! For a complete schedule, call 401-253-2707 or go to www.blithewold.org.

Repairs • Restorations • Engraving Diamond Recutting • Custom Designing Estate & Insurance Appraisals Watch Repairs & Battery Replacements Estate Jewelry Purchased and Sold

Yacht-a, yatch-a, yatch-a…

Portugal’s Tall Ship Sagres made a twoday visit to New Bedford in July.

Get your outboard motors runnin’!

Watch the Offshore Powerboat Association races on the Taunton River on August 15. There’ll be plenty of free spots to watch from on both sides of the river, but there will be a great view from Big Mamie as part of Battleship Cove’s 50th anniversary celebration!

Sign up for the 10th Slocum Challenge Regatta on September 19, or the

Celebrating 125 Years

Same Family, Same Location

1473 South Main St., Fall River, MA (508) 672-6421 www.PatenaudeJewelers.com

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Mon-Fri 9:30-5:00, Sat 9:30-4:00

ACCEPTING ALL CREDIT CARDS 

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Listen to the music…

Get ready for The J. Geils Band on September 5 at India Point Park in Providence! For details, go to www.riwaterfrontevents.com or call 888-900-8640.

Mark your calendar for the monthly Paskamansett Concert Series at the Dartmouth Grange Hall in Russells Mills – Four Bridges will perform on September 19. For more info, call 401-241-3793, or visit www.paskamansettconcertseries. weebly.com.

The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River has a fabulous line-up – Good Company August 19, Amy Black Band August 28, Judy Collins September 10, Quinn Sullivan September 25, Paula Cole October 10, Forever Young October 17–– and much, much more! For a complete schedule, visit www.narrowscenter.com or call 508-324-1926.

Slocum River Sunset Kayak Tour on September 10, at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth! For details, visit www.lloydcenter.org or call 508-990-0505.

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, visit www.marinemuseumfr.org or call 508-674-3533 Calling all boaters! 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.

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South Coast newsmakers…

Taunton native Kyle Morrison, now a movie director in Hollywood, is trying to develop a pilot for a TV sitcom set in the Silver City called “The Plaza.” He’s seeking online crowdfunding for his project through IndieGogo.

Day trippin’…

If you’re 50 or older, check out the trips sponsored by the New Bedford Senior Travel Program. There’s the Provincetown Carnival Parade on August 20, and the Thimble Island Cruise on August 26.

Plan ahead for the RI Wine & Garden Tour September 9 and “The Odd Couple” at the Newport Playhouse September 16, On Golden Pond Cruise and Tilton Outlets on September 23. A multi-day trip October 4-6 will head for the Sands Bethlehem Casino in Bethlehem PA. For details, call 508-991-6171.

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The Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton will present Session Americana on August 21, Louis Leeman & Chuck Williams on October 16, and contra dancing on the third Wednesday of every month. For a complete schedule, go to www.sandywoodsmusic.com or call 401-241-7349.

Enjoy the humor and music of the Scottish “North Sea Gas” at the Wamsutta Club in New Bedford on October 14. For more info, call 508-509-2670 or go to www.destinationnewbedford.org/event/ north-sea-gas-concert or www.wamsuttaconcerts.com.

It’s all happenin’ at the Z! Head for the Zeiterion in New Bedford for Joan Armatrading on September 25. For info, to to www.zeiterion.org or call 508-999-6276.

Catch a ferry to Block Island from Fall River! For a schedule, call 866-783-7996 or go to www.blockislandferry.com.

The Marion Council on Aging will sponsor a Canal Boat trip on August 17, a trip to Isaac’s in Plymouth on September 21, and the Fall River Maritime Museum on October 19. Call 508-748-3570.

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.

Cruise the Open Studio Tours through Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport and Dartmouth on August 15-16. For details, visit www.southcoastartists.org.

Take a scenic cruise of New Bedford Harbor aboard the Whaling City Harbor Tours from Pier 3, daily through Septem-

ber. Call 508-984-4979 or go to www.whalingcityexpeditions.com.

Sign up now for a special Fairhaven Senior Center day trip on August 19 – “La Cage aux Folles” at the Goodspeed Opera House on the Connecticut River and Gillette Castle Tour. For details, call 508-979-4029.

Take a Newport harbor/lighthouse cruise! Call 401-295-4040 or visit www.rhodeislandbaycruises.com.

The great outdoors…

Time travel…

If you’re interested in the history of Japan-America ties, visit the WhitfieldManjiro Friendship House in Fairhaven, where it all began. And don’t miss the 15th Manjiro Festival on October 3! Go to www.wmfriendshiphouse.org or call 508-995-1219 for details.

Take a tour of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park! For more info, go to www.nps.gov/nebe. And while you’re there, visit the Whaling Museum and Seamen’s Bethel.

Calling all cyclists! Sign up for the 9th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride from Westport to Woods Hole on October 4! Register for “Bike for Clean Water” at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/ride.

Enjoy 18th- and 19th-century crafts at the Handy House Artisan Fair in Westport on September 26! For more info, visit www.wpthistory.org or call 508-636-6011.

After a seven-year delay, work has resumed on completing Fall River’s Quequechan River Rail Trail, which would eventually link up with the South Coast Bikeway and the East Coast Greenway.

Experience pre-Industrial Age life at the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, rated the “Best Living-History” farm in Rhode Island by Yankee Magazine. Don’t miss the Harvest Fair on September 19 & 20! To learn more, call 401-253-9062 or visit www.coggeshallfarm.org.

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

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

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

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.

Take a free tour of the Rhode Island State House! For info, call 401-222-3983 or visit www.sos.ri.gov/publicinfo/tours.

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

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.

Return to the 17th century and visit Plimouth Plantation, the nation’s premier living-history museum! Visit Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II while you’re there. Visit www.plimouth.org.

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/bikeri/eastbay.

Spend some time at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro. 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.

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Continued from previous page Find out what’s on display at the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum on Wed.-Sat. afternoons. For more info, visit www.mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org or call 508-758-2844.

Food, feasts and festivals…

Stroll through the free Newport Art Festival on Bowen’s Wharf on August 29 & 30. Live music, hundreds of artisans and food booths. For more info, call 401942-2800 or go to www.festivalfete.com.

Get ready for New Bedford’s Working Waterfront Festival on September 26!

Free, family-friendly events, food and entertainment. For details, visit www.destinationnewbedford.org or call 508-993-8894.

Don’t miss the Apple-Peach Festival in Acushnet on September 12 & 13! For details, visit www.acushnet.ma.us.

Enjoy 18th- and 19th-century crafts at the Handy House Artisan Fair in Westport on September 26! For more info, visit www.wpthistory.org or call 508-636-6011.

Japanophiles!! Mark your calendar for the 15th Manjiro Festival on October 3 in Fairhaven! For details, call 508-995-1219 or go to www.wmfriendshiphouse.org.

Check out the Kite Festival in Onset on September 5! For more info, go to www.onsetbay.org.

Don’t miss the Rhode Island Heritage Day Festival at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence on September 12. For info, call 401-2224133.

Take the family to the Harvest Fair at the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol on September 19 & 20. For details, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.

Don’t miss WHALEs 25th Annual International Wine Festival and Auction on October 2 at State Pier in New Bedford! And stay for the next day’s event – the 10th Annual New Bedford Oktoberfest on October 3! For more info, visit www.waterfrontLeague.org and www.destinationnewbedford.org.

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Prosit! Don’t miss the Oktoberfest in Marion on September 12 – for info, go to www.oktoberfestmarion.com or call 508-758-2345.

Serious food-and-wine lovers! Make your reservations now for the 10th Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, September 25-27. (Martha and Jacques will be there!) For complete details, visit www.newportmansionswineandfood.org or call 401-847-1000.

Cheers! Don’t miss the International Oktoberfest at India Point Park in Providence on October 17 & 18. For details, go to www.riwaterfrontevents.com.

It’s “Brew at the Zoo” on August 29 at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence!

For details, visit www.rwpzoobrew.org.

If you’re looking for ice cream or Del’s lemonade on Pier 3 in New Bedford, head for Dorothy Cox on the Waterfront, in the former harbormaster shack.

Don’t miss Battleship Cove’s 50th anniversary celebration through August 16!

The 70th annual reunion of Big Mamie crew members will be held on August 15, and these Greatest Generation veterans will serve as grand marshals in the citywide parade on August 16. Call 508-6781100 or visit www.battleshipcove.org.

Head for the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford to enjoy local food at “Feast in the Wild” on August 15. For details, call 508-991-6178 or visit www.bpzoo.org.

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels September 5-7 in North Fairhaven! For more info, call 508-990-0502.

Plan ahead for the Farmstead Feast at Sampson Farm in Westport on September 5. For details, visit www.farmfresh.org or call 508-674-2733.

Don’t miss the Rhode Island Seafood Festival in Providence on September 12 and 13. For details, go to www.riseafoodfest.com.

Mark your calendar for the New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival on Pier 3 on October 18! For details, visit

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www.destinationnewbedford.org.

Plan ahead for Oktoberfest at the Fall River Country Club on October 23. For info, call 508-678-9374.

Biz buzz…

International traffic at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal got off to busy start this summer, with 400-footlong cargo ships off-loading turbine components for a wind farm in Plymouth.

Uh oh… after a two-year tuition-and-fee freeze, costs may be going up by 5% at UMass campuses in September.

The New Bedford Regional Airport has received $3,000,000 in federal grant money to upgrade its runways. (The Plymouth and Barnstable airports also received substantial funds.)

The tiny East Branch Library in the Flint section of Fall River has closed its doors for good. But, after being closed for a year, the Spinney Library in Onset Village has reopened.

UMass Dartmouth’s Charlton College of Business will begin offering a Ph.D. program in Business Administration next spring.

Good neighbors…

Calling all Fall Riverites, past and present! Stay in touch with your hometown, no matter where you live now, by checking out www.fallriveralumninetwork.com.

Both Middletown and Newport, RI have banned smoking on their public beaches.

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, WiFi. To learn more, visit www.goodshepherdfairhaven.com or call 508-992-2281.

Beautify your property with free shade trees! If you live in the Sandy Beach or Maplewood neighborhoods of Fall River, call 617-977-1795 to schedule a visit from a professional forester from the MA Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

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.

Be amazed by WaterFire in downtown Providence at sunset on September 12 & 26, October 3. Get all the details at www.waterfire.org.

Check out the free exhibit of Depression-era WPA paintings at the Cherry & Webb Gallery, sponsored by the Greater Fall River Art Association. For more info, go to www.greaterfallriverartassoc.org.

When the kids are bored…

Take the kids to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence! Ride a camel, feed a giraffe, climb a rock wall! And don’t miss the “Flutterby!” exhibit. For info, go to www.rwpzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

Treat the little ones to Edaville Railroad in Carver for Dino Land or Thomas the Tank Engine train rides! For more info, visit www.edaville.com.

Head for the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford! Don’t miss the American Superhero Zoo Night on September 11!

For details, call 508-991-6178 or visit www.bpzoo.org.

Make a big splash at Water Wizz in Wareham, the South Coast’s best aquatic amusement park! For more info, call 508295-3255 or go to www.waterwizz.com.

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 info, go to www.cmgfr.org or call 508-672-0033.

There’s always something to see or do at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro.

Go to www.capronparkzoo.com or call 774-203-1840.

Fun for the whole family…

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

The September 10 theme is “Festa, Fiesta, Fete: Celebrating NB Cultures.” The October 8 theme is “Down on the Farm.” Go to www.ahanewbedford.org or call 508-996-8253.

Check out the free “Movies on the Rocks” at Ballard Park in Newport on Wednesdays at dusk in August. For more info, visit www.ballardpark.org. And watch movies on the lawns of the Newport Mansions on Thursdays at sunset!

For details, visit www.newportfilm.com.

Watch free “Movies on the Block” every Thursday at dusk through September at Grant’s Block in Providence. For details, visit www.moviesontheblock.com.

Take the family to Fairhaven’s 3rd Annual Harvest Fun Day on October 10!

Visit www.fairhaventours@aol.com or call 508-979-4085.

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All the world’s a stage…

Find out what’s on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center! There’s Eddie Izzard on August 29 – and plan ahead for “Beautiful: the Carole King Musical” September 15-20. Don’t miss “An Evening with Neil DeGrasse Tyson” on September 24. Call 401-421-2787 or go to www.ppacri.org.

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Curtain time! “The Horrors of Doctor Moreau” will be performed by Your Theatre in New Bedford on September 10-14 and 17-20. For info, call 508-993-0772 or go to www.yourtheatre.org.

Head for 2nd Story Theatre in Warren!

“Die, Mommy, Die!” will be performed through August 28; “I Hate Hamlet” through August 30. Call 401-247-4200 or go to www.2ndstorytheatre.com.

“Et tu, Brute?” Watch Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” performed at Trinity Rep in Providence from September 10-October 11. For more info, call 401-351-4242 or go to www.trinityrep.com.

Plan a dinner-theatre night out! “Flamingo Court” runs through September 13 at the Newport Playhouse. “”The Odd Couple” will be performed September 17-October 18. For more, information, go to www.newportplayhouse.com or call 401-848-7529.

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GOOD TIMES

Archipelago Andy A typical day of a travel writer is anything but. And that’s why I love it. Travel writing is technically work but hardly qualifies as heavy lifting.

Paul K andarian

What follows is a long story about a short flight; a day-in-the-life of a travel writer. It’s the sort of thing that keeps me going, satisfying a curiosity that never will be. Nor should it, for any of us. The “new” is its own reward.

I’m at tiny Union Island Airport in the Grenadines, on the way home from Petit St. Vincent, a gorgeous private island. It is hot and humid because that’s what the Caribbean is. Natives sweat from conception to grave. Air conditioning doesn’t exist. I truly believe if the Carrier people dropped down and offered everyone free A/C, they’d say “No, thank you. We are a sweaty people and we are OK with that.”

Nearby is the open-air Dina’s Dee Bar & Restaurant. Sitting here is a sassy little number I presume to be Dina Dee, a coffeecolored, round-faced elderly woman with a giant smile who asks how I am.

“I’m fine,” I say. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Dina Dee grins hungrily. “I’m looking at you.”

Wow. So what I find out she’s the mother of eight, including her youngest, 40-something Roland, who it turns out in that magical small-world way, was my waiter the night before at Petite St. Vincent. So what she is a grandmother of 13, greatgrandmother of three. I’ll take the shameless flirtation.

I have soda and talk to her before a bunch of locals come by to talk and laugh like they’ve known each other forever, which clearly they have. Dina Dee holds forth like she’s the mayor, the town sage, everyone’s mama. She is made for the role.

Nearby is a typewritten sign entitled “Gossip,” reading “gossip is the most common form of verbal attack among black women.

Passing stories around, betraying confidence, embellishing situations to make yourself look good. So if you are going to gossip about me, remember: I’m a success.”

I hope my dear Dina Dee was never hurt by gossip. But knowing her as well as I have for the last 10 minutes, I’m guessing Dina don’t let no hurt happen.

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I go to the tiny security area of the tiny airport wondering if their TSA is like our TSA. I suspect so because they do not smile.

They want to hand-search my bag, asking me to unzip it. This is not our TSA. If our TSA sees you reaching for your bag, they scream, “Sir! Do NOT touch the bag!” as if doing so would cause the H-bomb they’re sure you’re hiding to detonate.

They say I can’t take my lighter. I’m like “what?” TSA is like “No.” I smoke. To a smoker who has his lighter denied him, it’s upsetting. You can lose my luggage, steal my money, find an H-bomb bomb in my bag, but you take my lighter, you are seriously tipping my emotional scale to “dour.”

I should have left it in my pocket because the metal detector I walk through is so old, I’ve no doubt I could have a bazooka strapped to my leg and it wouldn’t utter one peep. Live and learn.

My plane, flown by Mustique Air, leaves at 11. Which it does not. Caribbean time is quite flexible. In a humid closet known as the “lounge,” there are posters touting Chinese destinations.

I somehow think there are no flights to China from here. On a door is a Unicef poster warning about inappropriately touching or molesting young children. The poster is old and fraying. It makes me wonder if Michael Jackson once had “Neverland: the Caribbean” here.

My plane arrives. I get on, the only passenger. It is a twin prop J8-Kim and quite roomy for a tiny plane, with a fold-away table at which I imagine a James Bond scene of evil people going over a plot to take over this small country of sweaty people.

My plane has one pilot. I think “What if he dies? Suppose he’s suicidal? It’s happened before.” But this guy is young, hale, healthy, handsome. To be safe, though, I watch his every move in case I have to duplicate them. Then I realize I couldn’t even

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

JOAN remember to put my lighter in my pocket. Plan B is to radio for help and be “talked down,” the way they do in the movies. It is a far more realistic plan.

Andy is the pilot. I do not know this, but it’s the name I use. I like naming things and people I don’t know – it makes me feel better. Andy hits the throttle and the plane thunders down the tiny runway. I think I should record this, either a happy takeoff or the precise moment of my watery death should the runway not be long enough. Instead, I will the plane to lift off. It does, but not before it makes me wonder about taking a helicopter the next time I have to fly off a Band-Aid-sized island.

We fly over Tobago Cays, an archipelago where the day before I’d snorkeled, swam with turtles, and had an onboard barbecue with three extremely powerful rum punches. Which is unusual because on most charters you get way more punch than rum. But these made me tipsy, hoping I wouldn’t hurl on the way back the way a sweet young girl on her honeymoon did. I did not.

For the record, I don’t know if the Tobago Cays are indeed an archipelago. I just like the word. It makes me feel better. Call this archipelago my Andy of the ocean.

We land in Barbados, and while taxiing in Andy holds the door open to let in some of the stifling hot air that’s at least moving.

I notice the door and his hand seem very close to the spinning propeller.

Now I’m worried about Andy. I don’t want to see his left arm get caught in the prop and unleash a horrific spray of blood and bone all over the place. For one thing, I’m wearing a white shirt.

But my worry is for naught. We taxi safely and get out.

And that’s my long story about a short flight. Except to add that when I got out of the plane I say “Andy, that was a really smooth landing.” To which he says, “Well, I gotta get one right every so often...and my name isn’t Andy.”

Yeah sure, and I don’t know an archipelago when I name one.

SEPT 25

ARMATRADING SOLO WORLD TOUR

IT BEGINS WITH A TICKET...

zeiterion.org

508-994-2900

Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

NEW BEDFORD

parking available adjacent garage

PAUL KANDARIAN 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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