FPA April 2024

Explore AARP volunteer opportunities

By Mike Festa, state Director aarP Massachusetts

AARPMike Festa

Massachusetts can help you make a difference and make connections. When you volunteer with AARP, you can turn a lifetime of experience into the experience of a lifetime. Our volunteers are skilled, dedicated and passionate. They give back to their communities and help the 50plus population live their best lives.

Research has proven that volunteering can have a positive impact on our well-being. It can also help us feel less lonely and, with the right opportunity, even make friends.

AARP Massachusetts will be hosting our annual volunteer conference Thursday, April 25 at Holy Cross in Worcester. This year’s theme: Building Powerful Connections. We’ll run down ways you can get involved with AARP and help fulfill our mission of educating, empowering, and advocating for Massachusetts residents 50+.

There’s a volunteer role for everyone at AARP Massachusetts. Here are just a few:

Advocacy – AARP advocates for a range of issues that matter to older adults. We tackle topics from paying family caregivers to securing affordable housing. Volunteers learn about bills, attend hearings, testify and speak with their local officials.

Speakers Bureau – Volunteers give free virtual and in-person presentations about aging-related topics. Volunteers speak on topics such as Social Security, caregiving, fraud and brain health. You don’t need to be a speaker. You can help with marketing and coordinating logistics as well.

Fraud Watch Network – With new

scams popping up every day, AARP wants to help you protect your money. AARP Fraud Watch Network equips people with up-to-date knowledge. If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam. As a volunteer, you’ll help teach, give support, and help spread awareness.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program – Tax aide volunteers provide tax preparation, free of charge. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide helps people 50+ who earn low to moderate income. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest, free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service. Literations – Literations pairs trained volunteers (age 50+) with first to fourth graders in Boston and Framingham. They deliver evidence-based, one-to-one literacy interventions. Volunteers help students improve their reading and social-emotional skills.

AARP’s story is based in helping others. It begins back in the 1950s. Retired educator Ethel Percy Andrus found a retired teacher living in a chicken coop. The retired teacher couldn’t afford decent housing or health care. Ethel was committed to serving those around her. She got angry, then got organized. She went on to found AARP, setting in motion a new vision for aging that continues to inspire AARP’s work today.

Dr. Andrus lived her life by the motto, “to serve, not to be served,” which remains AARP’s motto today. Older adults have much to contribute. Whatever causes speak to you, whatever skills, or interests you have, you can find a volunteer opportunity with AARP. It will be fulfilling, and it will make an impact. Whether you volunteer from home or visit the State House, your voice matters. It doesn’t need to be a long-term commitment; every hour helps.

If any of these opportunities interest you, sign up at https://www.aarp. org/iwant2volunteer or send us an email at ma@aarp.org.

Binnall House is a residential community conveniently located in downtown Gardner.

(Photo/Submitted)

GARDNER – Binnall House is a residential community conveniently located in downtown Gardner, in the central part of the state. It is within walking distance to banks, shopping, medical facilities, and public buildings and is situated on a public transportation route.

Binnall House has an active senior population, weekly and monthly activities, many community rooms, on-site laundry facilities, and beautifully landscaped grounds with an outdoor patio area.

Binnall House offers spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments, individually-controlled thermostats and air conditioning, wall-to-wall carpeting, modern appliance kitchens, 24-hour emergency maintenance service, and an onsite Resident Services Coordinator.

It is professionally managed by Federal Management Co., Inc.,

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He’s a magic man

Steve Kradolfer stacks the deck and packs the room

By Matt roBinson contriButing Writer

BOSTON – In this era when reality is often too scary to face, the attraction of illusion and artifice can become stronger.

This may be one reason why the popularity of magic shows is on the rise. In Boston, one of the most popular is presented by Steve Kradolfer, who is one half of the comedy and magic show “Four-Handed Illusions” (https:// www.fourhandedillusions.com). It has been running for 10 years and has been consistently selling out at the historic Hampshire House in Boston.

A return to live performances

During the height of the pandemic, when getting close to people was often not possible, many magicians took their acts online and were able to share their tricks of the trade up close and personal with people all over the world.

Now that people are coming back

out of their shells, live shows are once again becoming a popular pastime.

“As technology changes in miraculous ways on a daily basis,” Kradolfer suggested, “seeing a live magic performance is so organic and so grounded in reality. I prefer my audiences forget about their screens and devices and just ‘let go’ and enjoy!”

When not performing above the place where everybody knows your name (the bar known to millions of fans as “Cheers”), Kradolfer also performs at the equally legendary Magic Castle in Los Angeles and has even been magically transported to MagiCuba in Havana.

“I perform as a solo artist as well,” Kradolfer noted, recalling an even wider range of performance venues and thousands of more mystified fans.

Childhood inspiration

He grew up watching Doug Henning on television and once got to go trick-for-trick with David Copperfield. But when asked who got him started in magic, Kradolfer mentions a name that

he admits to not knowing when they first met.

“I saw my first live magic performance in Holland,” he recalled, thanking his Dutch dad for the privilege. “At the age of six I travelled to the Netherlands with my family to celebrate my grandparents’ 25th wedding anniversary. There was a relative at the party who was walking throughout the hall doing the same two amazing tricks!”

Though others may have seen the redundant routine as boring, Kradolfer was mesmerized.

“I followed him around the party for hours watching him do these same two tricks,” he said.

In addition to learning the tricks, Kradolfer also learned the power of magic.

“I didn’t understand a single word he was saying,” he admitted, “but that didn’t matter at all. Simple magic tricks can be understood regardless of any language barriers!”

Moments of wonder and disbelief

As a result, Kradolfer has been able to take these two tricks (and many more) to venues around the world and enjoys the same stupefying success his mysterious relative had all those years ago.

“Being awestruck is universal,” he observed. “There isn’t a culture in the world that doesn’t share this phenomenon.”

In addition to working in any place, Kradolfer also maintains that magic takes people back to a universal time.

“Magic is all about creating moments of wonder and disbelief,” Kradolfer observed. “There’s a sort of giddy, child-like feeling of not quite understanding what your own eyes are showing you. Kids feel this all the time, but as we grow older, most of that goes away.”

Breaking into the business

Perhaps this is why his intimate performances at the Hampshire House continue to attract the area’s most eru-

dite entertainment seekers and why a fellow magic fan offered Kradolfer the opportunity to perform publicly nearly 30 years ago.

“In the mid-1990s,” he remembered, “a customer of mine [at the magic shop where I worked] approached with a terrific opportunity. He had a space in the restaurant he worked at and wanted to know if I’d be interested in having a weekly magic show there.”

That weekly gig in Cambridge turned into a 20-year engagement that came to represent the main magic meeting place in Massachusetts.

A two-man show

“It was after one of these shows in 2013 that my now co-producer and performing partner Joel Acevedo came to me with the idea of doing a two-man show,” Kradolfer recalled. A decade later, the dynamic duo is still at it and still packing the Hampshire House library show after show.

“The show itself is something we are extremely proud of,” Kradolfer stated, describing the comfortably upscale and intimate vibe of the show, which includes a pre-performance gathering in the nearby bar and a chance to debrief with other amazed guests after the two-hour show is done.

As there is no raised stage, each audience member has a clear and close-up view of what Kradolfer and Acevedo are up to. And yet, just as with Kradolfer and his Dutch relative, most leave the show just as gobsmacked as he did all those years ago in Holland.

“I love being fooled,” he admitted. “It doesn’t happen nearly enough for me these days, but I really appreciate it when it does.”

Kradolfer is apparently not alone in this sense of wonder and desire to maintain it. It makes sense that he is still doing what ignited this wondrous flame within him all these decades later.

“I’ve never tried doing anything else but magic,” he maintained, “and cannot even imagine having a different job. I love what I do!”

1. How did you make the decision to move into the willows?

There came a time when we decided we had taken care of a home for too long. We had a large house but we needed to downsize We wanted to have an easier life. It was also important for us to have convenient access to our existing network of medical providers, friends and family.

2. Are you still able to maintain your favorite activities?

Yes, I am an ordained Rabbi and I still go online every Monday with my group to study Rabbinic text. I have been doing that for 30 years.

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We are so glad that the management has an empathetic approach... they care. When we have a problem, they respond to it. As we age we know we will have additional needs. It’s great to know that someone is here looking out for us as our needs evolve.

5. What is a key lesson you learned by living at the Willows?

When we were considering moving to a retirement community, all of our friends told us not to wait too long. They urged us to take advantage of an active facility while we were still young enough to take advantage of all the activities - and I can tell you we have found this to be very true.

Steve Kradolfer’s “Four-Handed Illusions” magic and comedy show with performing partner Joel Acevedo has been running for 10 years and consistently selling out at the historic Hampshire House in Boston. (Photo/Submitted)

Sudbury’s Wayside Inn is still attracting visitors centuries later

By colin MccanDless contriButing Writer

SUDBURY – The Wayside Inn in Sudbury isn’t your typical accommodation. Believed to be one of the oldest inns in America, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It has been memorialized by a famous poet, operates as a nonprofit run by a foundation and was once owned by automobile magnate and industrialist Henry Ford. And that’s just for starters.

Early history

The earliest available documentation indicates that David How launched the first iteration of the inn, called How’s Tavern, in 1716, according to Wayside Inn archivist Lauren Prescott, who has worked with the property’s foundation department since 2021. Prescott said there is also documentation showing that How’s home, which would later become the tavern, was constructed around 1702. The How family ran the inn for four generations and made numerous additions over the years.

After that fourth generation, the inn was sold at auction and became

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private housing, with tenants renting the building for nearly 40 years. On Oct. 31, 1862, the esteemed New England poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited the inn, which he later immortalized in his popular 1863

compilation “Tales of a Wayside Inn.”

Although Longfellow only visited once, he had friends who summered there for years and their experiences inspired his collection of poems about Wayside Inn, which ironically wasn’t

an inn at that time.

Nevertheless, his work piqued people’s curiosity about Wayside. “So, even though we had tenants that were renting the building, we actually started having guests that would come visit the grounds,” explained Prescott. “And they would give tours. People could not stay at the inn. There was no food, but people were still giving history tours, which I find really interesting.”

20th century changes

Edward Lemon purchased the inn in 1897 and turned it back into what it is today: a tavern. Lemon changed the name to Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. He also built the Gate House in 1913. Henry Ford bought Wayside in 1923. He owned it until 1944 and spent $3 million expanding and improving the site. “A lot of what you see when you come onto our grounds is because of the Ford ownership,” conveyed Prescott. That includes the Grist Mill, Ice House, Cider Mill and Martha Mary Chapel. “And he really envisioned this colonial village. It was his first preservation project.”

Ford ultimately converted the inn into the nonprofit that it is today, run by the Wayside Inn Foundation, to

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The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, dating back to 1716, is believed to be one of the oldest inns in America. (Photos/Courtesy of the Wayside Inn Foundation)

help preserve the property as a living museum of American history.

Despite its rich history, Prescott clarified that some stories and legends surrounding Wayside are apocryphal. For instance, George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette never stayed there—they only passed by the inn. “If he had stayed here (Washington) we would have known,” asserted Prescott.

Now a historic district Today, the campus and grounds are known collectively as the Wayside Inn Historic District, consisting of nine historic structures and more than 100 acres.

Some buildings are only open on certain days or seasonally, such as the Redstone Schoolhouse and the Grist Mill. A sweet little trivia crumb to

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chew on: the Pepperidge Farm cookies logo is based on the Grist Mill at Wayside Inn, shared Prescott. During summertime you can enter the Grist Mill, learn about its history and observe the mill grind corn and wheat used in the restaurant’s baked goods.

The chapel is not typically open to the public, but occasionally it hosts programs and weddings. The Cider Mill and Cooling Plant are not open to the public. The Old Barn is rented to a small business open seasonally that sells flowers, plants, artwork and local goods.

In the main house, still referred to as Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, you’ll find the restaurant, while the Gate House is home to the Foundation offices and archive. Ford established the archive in 1927 and it has grown considerably over the past century, stated Prescott.

Their biggest collection, the Wayside Inn Collection, contains records spanning the early 1700s to the present. “So, it’s constantly evolving because we’re still an inn,” said Prescott. “Our most interesting collection is probably the How Family Collection.” Donated in 1995, it features records and objects related to the How family (the last name later changed from How to Howe), particularly those who ran the Wayside Inn, including fans belonging to Jeru-

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Diane Sabatini: 508-366-5500

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Fifty Plus Advocate is published monthly, 12 times annually by Bagdon Advertising, 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

sha How (the eldest child of the third innkeeper, Adam Howe) and a hunting sword owned by David’s son, Col. Ezekiel How. It also entails a bill of sale for one of Ezekiel’s slaves who lived on the property.

Additionally, there is a museum exhibit and gallery room on the inn’s first floor where people can learn about its history. In 2023, they presented an exhibit on the 100th anniversary of Henry and Clara Ford purchasing the inn. Prescott is currently working on a Longfellow exhibit tentatively slated to open in spring.

A community resource

Another unique facet of Wayside Inn is that you don’t have to dine at its restaurant or book a room to explore the tranquil property. The Innkeepers Trail loop provides walking trails for the public to stroll the grounds and observe the buildings. Scenic ponds, like Carding Mill Pond, allow public fishing. When the weather is nice, you can take a drink outside and soak up the pastoral surroundings.

“What’s nice is our site really attracts artists,” said Prescott. “So you will see people setting up by the Grist Mill, having a picnic that they just brought from home, or they’re painting. So yeah, we really encourage people to enjoy our grounds.”

11

Mary Ellen

Barbara Clifford: 508-769-6259

Fifty Plus Advocate accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and does not return them to sender. Retractions for any inaccuracies will be printed when necessary. Unsolicited letters to the editor become the property of this newspaper and can be reprinted in part or in whole unless otherwise stated. Fifty Plus Advocate columnists writing under a byline are expressing their personal opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper. For advertising or editorial inquiries, contact us at 508.366.5500

The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, shown here in 1904 with electric cars passing by, underwent numerous improvements in the early 20th century.

Wayside Inn |

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 25-mile paved bike and accessible walking path that runs from South Dennis to Wellfleet.

By sanDi Barrett contriButing Writer

REGION – Walking, one of the easiest and best exercises for every age and ability, is the perfect way to lift your spirits and commune with nature. You don’t always have to hike through rocky remnants of the Ice Age. A gentle hike also offers trekkers beautiful vistas and physical health benefits.

One of the best parts about a hike is the discovery or reward at the end. When you traverse a mountain, the panoramic view is your reward. Conversely, taking a walking trail around a pretty lake and enjoying the sun dancing off the water is great for your emotional well-being. No matter where your outdoor adventure day takes you, the scenery, fresh air, and physicality will simply make you feel better.

Below is a list of just a few of the many hiking trails across the state of Massachusetts.

Mount Greylock State Reservation

The mac daddy of hiking in Massachusetts can be found at Mount Greylock State Reservation in the western part of the state. The 3,491-foot summit is the highest point in Massachusetts. Be sure to visit the Veterans War Memorial Tower when you reach the peak. According to AllTrails.com, there are no less than 47 hiking trails in the reservation.

Six easy rated trails that range from one to two miles long are perfect for the new-to-hiking outdoor enthusiast. The 1.7-mile-long Glen Meadow Loop

Trail is a popular option. It offers everything you want from an easy hike; wooden bridges, well-maintained trails, and pretty scenery.

Two dozen hard rated trails include sections of the Appalachian Trail. The 11.6-mile Mount Williams, Mount Fitch, Mount Greylock, and Stony Ledge Trail is a beautiful, albeit challenging, hike to the Greylock summit. It passes by a beautiful waterfall (off the trail) and eventually joins up with the Appalachian Trail.

Wachusett Mountain State Reservation

Princeton is home to the 2,006-foot Wachusett Mountain, offering outdoor adventurers 31 trails traversing 17 miles through dense forests, pretty meadows, and small ponds in Central Massachusetts.

Hop on the Echo Lake Trail via Echo Lake Road for an easy 0.6-mile hike. The reward for this gentle walk is views of beautiful Echo Lake.

A more challenging hike is the Midstate Trail: Princeton Station

Wachusett Mountain State Reservation in Princeton offers outdoor adventurers 31 trails traversing 17 miles through dense forests, pretty meadows, and ponds.

To Barrett Lane, a difficult 13.8-mile point-to-point trail. Be prepared for uphill scrambling, but your rewards are the amazing panoramic views from the summit.

Blue Hills Reservation

This gorgeous urban green space in the Boston area is a popular respite from the city congestion. Offering scenic views over 125 miles of trails, there is an option for everyone.

The most challenging hike is the 15.2-mile iconic Blue Hills Skyline Trail. Not the trail for novice hikers, it is long and difficult. A gentler option is Tucker Hill Green Dot Trail Loop. The easy and enjoyable walk covers 2.9 miles passing by Houghton’s Pond and Tucker Hill.

Worlds End

In Hingham, Worlds End is a charming 251-acre undeveloped South Shore peninsula spreading out into Hingham Harbor. The gentle rolling coastal drumlins meander through the property providing peeks of the Boston skyline and pretty water views. The property was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in preparation for a residential subdivision that never came to pass.

Advanced parking passes are required on weekends and strongly rec-

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ommended during the week due to the small parking lot.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

If you find yourself vacationing on Cape Cod this summer, spend a little time walking the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT). The 25-mile paved bike and accessible walking path runs from South Dennis to Wellfleet where

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you pass by charming towns, ponds, fields, and wooded areas.

With parking locations scattered along the trail, there are lots of interesting sections to explore.

Accessible hiking trails and paths

Every year more hiking areas have increased accessibility. Whether

you are pushing a stroller or require a wheelchair, you can find a list of accessible hiking trails on AllTrails (https://www.alltrails.com/us/massachusetts/ada).

Massachusetts is blessed with a natural beauty. From hiking gentle trails to summiting mountain peaks, you can find a hike perfect for your fitness level all year round.

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Worlds End in Hingham is a charming 251-acre undeveloped peninsula of walking trails spreading out into Hingham Harbor. (Photos/Sandi Barrett)

Senior cheerleading squads delight audiences in three communities and beyond

By nance eBert contriButing Writer

REGION – With pom-poms in hand and a brightly colored uniform, these cheerleaders delight the crowd. Their enjoyment is evident as they go through their well-rehearsed routines. The one thing that makes this group, known as the Pomtastics, so special, is that they range in age from 68 to 85.

Founded by former Patriots cheerleader

Joie Edson, who founded the senior cheerleading squad in 2020, was a New England Patriots cheerleader for a couple of years beginning in 1977 when the Sullivan family owned the team. They were known as the “Spirits of New England.” She has always been interested in fitness and dance and taught physical education in Needham and Wakefield. In 2018, she was recruited to teach classes at a couple of senior centers and introduced classes like Sit and Tone, and Dance and Tone. Group exercise is her passion, and she also currently teaches kickboxing.

“Linda Nacarra, the director of the Lynnfield Council on Aging, reached out to me and asked if I had ever seen

the movie ‘Poms,’” Edson recalled. “It was a ‘feel good film’ that showcased some older cheerleaders and starred Diane Keaton. She asked if I would be interested in starting a group like that. I didn’t hesitate to reply with a ‘yes,’” she said.

Edson relishes working with the senior population. She loves their enthusiasm, their eagerness to learn, their willingness to try and more. This cheerleading squad is about so much more than just cheerleading.

“Participating in our Pomtastics group makes me feel so young while exercising and establishing new relationships,” said Rosemarie DeBenedetto. “The laughter and chatter at each class uplifts all of us and we look forward to our next lesson and performance.”

Squads in three communities

There are currently three Pomtastics cheerleading squads. Lynnfield, Wakefield and Reading have

all formed a group. Lynnfield started with about 12 women that participate, and they wear a blue uniform to pay homage to the school colors. Wakefield has a larger group of about 25 women, and they wear red, and both of those groups have performed at various locations and functions.

The Reading Council on Aging started their Pomtastics group recently, in December 2023, explained Edson. “They had such an incredible response that it had to be closed out with 25 people. There is a wait list of women who want to participate. This group is in their ‘infant’ stage and has not performed yet,” said Edson.

There are many benefits to participating in a group like this and for seniors, in particular, the socialization component is important. Each group gets to know one another and becomes tightly knit. They even socialize outside of the Pomtastics. The physical exercise required is demanding, sometimes reaching 5000 steps per class. There is also weight training and choreography to learn and memorize.

“There is great joy while moving to music and using pom-poms,” Edson noted. “This is very dance-based.

The Lynnfield Pomtastics squad performed at last year’s senior center Christmas show. (Photos/Submitted)

These women are great examples of active seniors. They might be older by number but not by the way they move.”

“Soon after we started this cheerleading class, we realized this was going to be something very special,” she said. “We ordered t-shirts and pompoms, gave our group a name and have not looked back.”

“Pomtastics is a fun way to be active and engaged in a group setting. At all ages, exercise is important, and a Poms class is another great option,” said Susan Cullen. “I joined the Pomtastics because I love music and dancing and this class combines both things. Also, I take other classes with

Joie, and she always brings the energy and the fun.”

Performances are a high point

There are a few upcoming Pomtastics performances scheduled. There will be a performance at the Lynnfield Senior Center in early May to honor the armed forces. On May 18 they will perform at the Lynnfield Common for Healthy Lynnfield Day.

“We performed at the Celtics game on March 1 and we could not have been more excited,” said Edson. “I am still not giving up trying to reach Robert Kraft as well to perform at a Patriots game. How fun would that be?”

Sudbury’s Wayside Inn is still attracting visitors

Wayside Inn | from page 7

Because the inn is located on the border of Sudbury, Framingham and Marlborough, they serve people from all three communities. Summer and fall are peak times for visitors, especially leaf lookers coming to glimpse the dazzling autumn colors.

They do need to stay busy, stated Prescott, since they are not federally funded and rely on income from the inn, private donations or their membership program.

TV appearances and programming

While funding can be a challenge, the Wayside Inn has managed to promote itself in other ways. The historic site appeared in a 2011 episode of “Ghost Adventures,” when the show filmed a Valentine’s Day special at the inn to investigate claims that the spirit of Jerusha How still resides there.

Prescott was interviewed for a 2023 episode of the PBS series “Treasures Inside the Museum,” which discussed Wayside’s museum and some of its collections.

They also offer programs throughout the year, including on April 19, when the Sudbury Companies of Militia & Minute (SCMM) march from Sudbury to Concord and Lincoln. The event reenacts and commemorates the first day of the American Revolution (April 19, 1775). SCMM then stops by The Wayside Inn for the flag-changing

The Wayside Inn in Sudbury’s Old Grist Mill is a popular destination for painters and photographers.

ceremony.

“A lot of people do enjoy coming to the inn for that,” said Prescott.

Another popular program is the foraging walk and workshop, held twice a year during spring and fall, which wanders the grounds and teaches participants how to safely identify wild edibles. When Halloween rolls around, the inn hosts Jerusha’s Halloween Ball, a “spirited” costume party and the biggest fundraiser supporting the Wayside Inn Foundation, with over 200 attendees.

For more information about Wayside Inn, visit wayside.org.

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The Wakefield Pomtastics squad performing at the senior center holiday party.

By DeBorah Burke henDerson contriButing Writer

MILFORD – For the average person, it might seem a stretch to move from educational training and professional work as a biomedical engineer onto the yoga mat, but Mary Green’s lifelong interest in health and wellness has brought her right here, albeit through a circuitous route.

“It’s been a kind of dot-to-dot experience,” Green quipped with a smile.

Childhood introduction

Green recalls an introduction to yoga when she was just eight years old. Although she refused to attend a class with her mother, she and her younger brother did try to copy the contorted postures pictured in “The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga,” a 1970s style how-to book that was kept on the coffee table. Some of the postures made such an impression that Green has been practicing yoga, on and off for decades, but most seriously engaging in the work in her mid-twenties.

As the fifth of six kids growing up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Green was fascinated with the creative

process and building things, starting with her brother’s LEGO blocks. She credits her mother’s artistic nature and supportiveness as key influences in allowing her to develop this innate passion of making things—even

Mary

when things got messy—which has also carried throughout her life.

“I was always drawing, painting and creating silly cartoons,” Green recalled. “I loved being funny and making my siblings and friends laugh.”

Newly Remodeled Apartments with a contemporary flair

Drawn to both art and engineering

Green credits her older brother, an engineering student at the time, with engaging her interest in math and problem-solving skills while she was in middle and high school. Later, when facing decisions about college, she felt drawn to both art and engineering and wondered how she might combine the two.

“Classes in biology, anatomy, and physiology intrigued me and stimulated my passion for the workings of the human body and health and how technology might support that in terms of wellness,” Green stated.

After graduating with a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from Syracuse University, Green established herself in the health industry. Green worked initially as a medical research assistant in an eye-care unit at a Boston hospital and then as an engineer for a medical device company where she worked on innovative optical technology creating devices for lab instrumentation.

“The company I worked for had a terrific fitness center and provided offerings in yoga, tai chi, and aerobics,” Green noted. “At the time, I was more

• Contemporary styled 1 & 2 bedroom apartments

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Green of Milford is enjoying her encore career as a yoga teacher after her earlier work in engineering.

Ghosts of yesteryear

By Marianne Delorey, Ph.D.

Wheninterested in fast-paced exercise, but I kept coming back to yoga.”

It was there that she met her future husband, a fellow engineer. They started a family and after the twins were born, Green chose to become a stay-at-home mom. As their children grew, she discovered the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Mass., and took workshops and trainings in yoga and mindfulness.

“I had an ‘aha’ moment there, realizing these teachings could be the perfect segue to maintain my passions and continue helping others,” Green stated.

Becoming a yoga teacher

She went on to receive certification from Kripalu as a yoga instructor. Additionally, in an eight-week curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, she experienced Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction technique which she found to be transformational.

For the past 16 years as a matbased yoga instructor in workplace, educational, and community settings, Green has encouraged people to take care of themselves through mindfulness and mindful movement.

“Movement implies you are in your body,” Green stated. “I offer guidance and instruction about making different shapes with our bodies, and always doing so with awareness of one’s own experience, noticing the sensations each movement brings.”

Ten years ago, the Community Center in Ashland hired Green to sub for a chair yoga instructor, and shortly thereafter, she took the position over. A typical class has 25-30 participants, ranging in age from 60 to more than 90 years old.

you work with elders, you get used to death and dying. You occasionally get bummed out that someone’s smile isn’t there to greet you. Heck, you are human; there are times when you are glad their suffering is over or you felt like it was time. As an eldercare worker, you build walls around your heart so you can continue doing what you do. Humans just can’t feel each death as deeply, our hearts were not meant for that level of loss. And so we brace for it. We keep our residents/clients/customers at arm’s length.

But there is always one that slips through the cracks. That one differs for all of us. If you are new to the field, they are often the first person whose death you experienced. Sometimes, they remind us of someone special. They may wear a silly hat that reminds you of your grandfather or use the same perfume as your great aunt. Sometimes you just can’t explain why someone leaves a mark on your soul, but they do.

When I think back on my career, my mind’s eye sees an amalgamation of white hair and walkers. But when I slow the reel down, I see each person for the gifts they gave—the kindness,

“I sing Mary’s praises,” Bea Riordan said. “She is very welcoming and makes you feel good, no matter what your ability. I have been coming for nearly two years and find relief from my chronic back pain while I am here.”

Fellow chair yoga enthusiast John Palmer, in his mid-eighties, admits he spends an inordinate amount of time sitting at his computer but finds this class a great relief.

“Mary’s got a playful personality and keeps us smiling,” said Palmer who started attending in mid-December. “After completing just five consecutive classes, I noticed improvement both in my flexibility and balance.”

Value in community and friendship

Beyond the crucial benefits of dynamic stretching and strengthen-

You don’t protect your heart by acting like you don’t have one.

~ Anonymous

the lessons, the laughter, and the tears.

The first was Nora, at 106 and with a gangrenous leg, she lay dying in bed the first day I started work in a nursing home. They asked me to sit beside her, and I did. She was still alert and answered simple questions. I was terrified. What if she died on my watch? What if I failed to give her what she needed? And what would you know, she reassured me that it would be OK. I can still hear her saying, “Yes, dear.” And “No, dear” in a sweet brogue when I asked if I could do anything for her. Watching her suffer was a hard first lesson. Her death was a relief for both her and me.

Jack was the most recent one who slipped through my steely defenses. He will be remembered for a long time because of who he was, but also how he was. He was a resident, a member of a staff person’s family, a neighbor, and a previous staff member. But it isn’t because of this that he meant so much. He will be remembered because he acknowledged you in ways that other people could not or did not.

I’m sure all of our staff here have a Jack story. He used to write me notes

and slip chocolates under my door. He would stop me and let me know he noticed something I did—always a positive, encouraging comment. In all the years I knew him, I think he complained once.

And so for the eldercare workers, take a moment to remember who has slipped through—the one you let into your heart. Allow the memory of that one to fill your soul. Remember their smile, their expressions, their mannerisms. Remember the lesson they taught you. Remember how you touched them. And just for one more moment, allow yourself to remember how it felt to have your walls breached. How good it felt to care, to laugh, and to love with abandon. Now, I know you will have to rebuild that wall again. Do not feel bad about that. We need to care for ourselves, too. Your heart will be protected again, but you will have a break from holding that gate shut so tightly.

Marianne Delorey, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Colony Retirement Homes. She can be reached at 508-755-0444 or mdelorey@colonyretirement.com and www. colonyretirementhomes.com.

ing one’s overall muscles and joints during her hour-long class, Green sees great value in the community and friendship these seniors experience.

“It warms my heart to see these folks care for one another,” Green said. “They are warm and welcoming with each other. It is a community of like-minded people who are discovering new ways to care for their bodies, find stillness, and experience life-affirming attitudes.”

Green notes that the benefits of chair yoga are the same as a traditional practice: people physically get stronger, become aware of the breath and their bodies, and experience the psychological benefits of discovering a calmness in moments of stillness and gentle movement.

Recently, she was asked to teach

a class in mindfulness and meditation at the center, and ten chair yoga students immediately signed up.

“Even in the first session, I realized this practice will help still my racing mind and help me pay better attention to my body,” Steve McCormick said. “I thank my wife, Carol, for getting me here, but I’m here to stay.”

How does Green do it all? She credits her own daily practice.

“My favorite time of day is early morning when I engage in some stretching movements and find stillness in a short meditation. I also make time to do a quick sketch, all of which sets my compass for the day. That and a good cup of coffee gets me going.”

Green’s advice to her students: “Open and grounded, that’s how we should walk in the world.”

“Open and grounded, that’s how we should walk in the world,” says yoga teacher Mary Green of Milford. (Photos/Submitted)

In search of a piece of toast

By Janice linDsay contriButing Writer

Hopeful Consumer Lady needed a new toaster. She thought this would be easy.

She splurged for a nifty-sounding high-tech model from a reliable catalogue company. Expensive, but it promised “perfect toast.”

This toaster had a defrost cycle, a special mechanism for toasting bagels, a lever to lift the toasting grid when the toast was done, a warming tray, a slide-out crumb tray, etc.

There was only one thing this toaster couldn’t do: Make toast.

If the top of the bread toasted well, the bottom remained raw. If the bottom browned, the top blackened.

Hopeful Consumer Lady phoned Toaster Customer Service. Eric ex-

plained that bread varies in thickness and toastability. Whole grain toasts differently from white. As frozen bread thaws in the toaster, condensation sinks toward the bottom, so the bottom takes longer. This high-tech toaster was calibrated for never-frozen, commercial white bread, except not for a specific popular brand that is often heavier at the bottom. Hopeful Consumer Lady speculated that Eric might be a few slices short of a loaf.

She tried toasting again: whole grain, white; homemade, storebought; never frozen, frozen bread that she lay flat to thaw; frozen bread thawed vertically that she toasted upside down to test the condensation theory; bread toasted half-way, then flipped to toast the other half. The result: not even middling toast, never mind perfect toast.

She wrestled the toaster into its original box and shipped it to Toaster Repair.

Three weeks later, she phoned Toaster Repair. They didn’t possess the necessary parts. Toaster Company would send her a new toaster.

Two weeks after that, she was thrilled to receive a carton from Toaster Company, labeled “warranty replacement.” Inside, was a brand new, shiny, programmable, 1,100-watt, 12cup coffee machine.

Hopeful Consumer Lady thought, “I have cooked with many appliances, but I don’t think I can figure out how to make toast with a coffee machine.”

She phoned Toaster Customer Service. Oh, dear, they would ship her a new toaster right away, plus postage to return the coffee machine.

The new toaster arrived. It looked just like the first one. Acted like it, too.

With the replacement toaster, she made a sample piece of toast, with store-bought white bread, at the medium setting; or rather, she made a piece of untoast. Once the toaster had cooled, she made another piece at the high setting; the unscathed bottom crust contrasted smartly with the charcoal top. She slid each piece into a sandwich bag, packed the bags in bubble wrap inside a sturdy carton, and mailed them to Toaster Company.

With the toast, she enclosed a

letter that said, in part, “Could you please send me a toaster that works? Or just tell me that you can’t provide me with a decent piece of toast. I’ll sell the coffee machine to whoever will take the toaster off my hands and buy a $25 toaster at the hardware store.”

Hopeful Consumer Lady did not hear from Toaster Company again, though she received the return postage for the coffee machine.

But she heard from a helpful Customer Service lady at the original catalogue company, to whom she had sent a copy of her letter (without toast, but with a photo of the toast). Customer Service Lady said she would phone Toaster Company and see what they would do for Hopeful Consumer Lady. She phoned back a few minutes later with instructions for returning the toaster directly to the catalogue company, which would refund both the purchase price and the shipping cost.

Hopeful, and now Grateful, Consumer Lady bought a $25 toaster at the hardware store. It does only one thing: Make toast. Perfect toast.

Contact jlindsay@tidewater.net

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

BOSTON – Thinking back to nights at the legendary 1980s Boston nightclub The Channel will likely unleash a flood of nostalgic memories and, for some, reveal facts unknown or forgotten. Perched on the waterfront at the edge of the Fort Point Channel that separates the Financial District from South Boston, the club’s location on Necco Street was in a desolate semi-industrial area when it opened in 1980.

Wide variety of musical acts

The hot spot consistently brought artists and audiences together for a musical gumbo mix that included head-banging metal, punk and new wave, vintage blues, reggae, Afro-pop, hip-hop, soul, jazz, and everything in between. And oh, the legends—James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Alice in Chains, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, the Ramones, the B-52s, Metallica (whose gear was stolen from parking lot behind the club in 1985) and rappers 2 Live Crew, who almost sparked a riot in 1990. Early rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performed there in 1984 and Iggy Pop did a live album there in 1988.

The club’s wall of sound was provided by British soundman Dinky Dawson, who had done some road work with bands like The Byrds, The Kinks, New Kids on the Block and Fleetwood Mac. In fact, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie were known to visit Dawson at The Channel whenever they were in town. Dawson’s suspended acoustic sound system was rumored to contain the same sound cabinets used in a London recording studio for Manfred Mann’s hit song “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” in

1964. In addition to twelve bar stations, the 1,700-person capacity club had a concession stand/store which sold hot dogs, popcorn and soda to help keep stomachs full of something besides booze as well as official club apparel for fans to rock. The semi-private game room held a half dozen video games. In the rear of the back bar area was a small lounge known as the VIP room, which regularly catered to the desire for privacy for visiting artists like Aerosmith, Jimmy Page and U2.

When The Channel closed in 1991, it was a sad day for Boston-area clubgoers. Furthermore, its overall history involved a story just as hair-raising as the days during the eighties when shows had to be stopped due to patrons getting too violent and bouncers with notorious reputations for being brutal.

Alleged mobster connections

Reportedly, the son of mob boss

Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme took an early interest in the club. According to the club’s last manager, Harry Booras, things started to unravel one day when the FBI came knocking on his door wanting to discuss previous manager, Steven DiS-

arro, whose 1993 disappearance they were investigating. DiSarro’s body was eventually found in 2016 when a Rhode Island man directed law enforcement to a corpse buried near an old mill in Providence.

The Channel nightclub in Boston, which was situated on the Fort Point Channel, was one of the city’s leading live music spots in the 1980s.

Channel nightclub | 19

Cambridge’s Joyce Chen was America’s queen of Chinese cuisine

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

CAMBRIDGE – Born into a wealthy family in Peking (Beijing) China in 1917, Joyce Chen grew up in a household with a family chef who later left to cook for her father’s friend. This left her mother and governess in charge of cooking every meal, all under the watchful eye of a young Joyce. By 1949, Chen, along with her husband Thomas and their children, left China and settled in Cambridge.

First restaurant

Harvard and MIT students craving authentic Chinese food prompted Chen to open her first restaurant, Joyce Chen Restaurant in Cambridge in 1958. A bilingual menu of American and Chinese dishes attracted Asians and notable Americans like Harvard president Nathan Pursey and President Eisenhower’s cardiologist, Paul Dudley White. According to her son, it is Chen who introduced the all-you-can-eat Chinese dinner buffet, which was a sales boost idea for those often-slow Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. She also taught cooking lessons in the early 1960s at the Cambridge Adult Education Center. Her classes were so legendary there were waiting lists to enroll.

Cambridge’s new chef believed in healthy Chinese cooking and did not use artificial dyes or other food coloring and used healthier ingredients like canola oil. She introduced northern Chinese (Mandarin) and Shanghainese dishes like Peking duck, hot and sour soup, potstickers, scallion pancakes and moo shu

Cambridge chef Joyce Chen was credited with introducing savory Chinese dumplings to the United States. (Photo/Pixabay)

In 2014, Chen joined an illustrious group of other culinary legends— James Beard, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi—when the U.S. Postal Service immortalized their portraits with their “Celebrity Chefs Forever” stamp series.

pork to Boston. After her divorce in 1966, Chen sold the restaurant to her ex-husband, who converted it to a Japanese restaurant called Osaka in 1972.

In 1967, she opened a second restaurant in a retail and industrial area near the NECCO (New England Confectionary Company) factory called The Joyce Chen Small Eating Place. Although the eatery seated 60 diners, people still lined up for Chen’s Chinese food. According to Chen’s son, Stephen, it was at this restaurant where his mother introduced the Northern style of dim sum (savory dumplings). Renowned chef and fan Julia Child was another regular at Chen’s restaurant.

Cooking show debut

That same year, Chen landed her own cooking show, “Joyce Chen Cooks,” on National Educational Television (NET), now known as Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Making history as one of the first non-Caucasians to host a cooking show, Chen’s

Cambridge chef Joyce Chen was honored in 2014 by the U.S. Postal Service when she was included in the “Celebrity Chefs Forever” stamp series.

throughout the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

During the 1960s, the popular chef self-published her first cookbook after a publisher refused to include full-color images of her recipes. The strategy resulted in over 6,000 copies of “Joyce Chen Cook Book” being sold to her restaurant customers before it even got to the printer. Aside from recipes, Chen included tutorials on the basics of cooking rice, eating with chopsticks, and making and serving tea. The cookbook sold over 70,000 copies and was reprinted many times over.

A successful restaurateur, television cooking show host and cookbook author, Chen branched out even further by launching a company called Joyce Chen Products, which included Chinese utensils, cookware and a patented crafted flat-bottomed wok with a handle, called the “Peking Wok” in the early 1970s. Her wok is still as popular today for its ability to retain and spread heat evenly.

Immortalized on a stamp

In 2014, Chen joined an illustrious group of other culinary legends—James Beard, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi—when the U.S. Postal Service immortalized their portraits with their “Celebrity Chefs Forever” stamp series. The stamps were unveiled at an event in Chicago. But Cambridge’s mayor David Maher, and postmaster Katherine Lydon held another reception to honor Cantabrigians Joyce Chen and Julia Child on October 29, 2014. A picture book about her life, “Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge” was published in 2017. Joyce Chen died in 1994 after being diagnosed with dementia.

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‘Candlepins for Cash’ was a strike for Boston area television viewers

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

BOSTON – When “Candlepins for Cash” made its debut on television station WHDH in 1973, Bay Staters quickly embraced the opportunity to watch the bowling action from home.

As is evident by the comments in response to a YouTube video clip, the campy game show still holds a special place in the hearts of those who cherish their proud tradition of knocking down those tall skinny pins.

DerekPelton3124 wrote: “It would be super cool to see this show come back. And with the lucky pin! I think it would be a success.” Stephensevenpounder5447 added: “I feel as though this may become a niche that #DiscoveryChannel should look into. We are very passionate.”

Start in local bowling alleys

The local bowling show first aired on WNAC-TV (now WHDH) from 1973 to 1980 and was hosted by Bob Gamere, originating from area bowl-

ing alleys using WOR-TV’s remote truck before moving to special lanes built in the basement of WNAC-TV’s Government Center studio. From 1980 to 1982, “Candlepins for Cash” was hosted by retired Red Sox player Rico Petrocelli from Wal-Lex lanes in Waltham.

Both editions of the show required contestants to roll a strike for the jackpot. In the last two seasons of the show, the player would get $30 for a spare

plus one bonus ball, worth $2 more per pin knocked down. When a person threw a 10-box (all pins knocked down on the third ball) they received $20 plus one bonus ball. Payouts may not have been all that attractive or made anyone rich, but fun was always the bottom line for avid bowlers.

As for the Wal-lex Recreation Complex, the old landmark is another missed blast from the past. The complex, with well over 20 lanes in

Affordable Living at its Best

the candlepin bowling alley, was a huge area attraction. It also housed a roller-skating rink, mini golf course, billiard tables, kiddie rides and an ice cream and snack bar.

Candlepin unique to New England and eastern Canada

Primarily played in the Canadian Maritime provinces and the New England region, candlepin bowling has found its way onto film and television. There is one episode of “The Simpsons” where the family travels to Boston and Bart takes Homer out for a little candlepin bowling. The sport is also featured in a scene in the 2023 Christmas comedy film “The Holdovers.”

“Candlepins for Cash” attracted a 40% share of the 5:30 p.m. viewing audience when it first aired in Boston, providing the news on WNAC with such a strong lead-in that it moved from last place to first in the local ratings.

Invented in 1880, the only US bowling alley outside of New England currently offering candlepin is

Photo/Rene Schwietzke/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0 DEED)

Channel nightclub | from page 15

Whitey Bulger pal and Mafia killer “Cadillac Frank,” along with another man named Paul Weadick were convicted of the strangling death of DiSarro and hiding his body with the help of Salemme’s late son, Francis Salemme, Jr. Allegedly, the Salemmes feared DiSarro was a federal informant and wanted to keep him from testifying.

Oddly, and even though there has never been a connection established between Booras and the mob or the murder, two cars mysteriously caught fire outside the Booras family pizza shop during the same week Salemme went on trial in 2018.

Memories of wild nights

Mob rumors aside, many wild tales have come out of people’s memories of The Channel.

Perry Paolucci wrote on The Channel Rock Club FaceBook page: “Was anyone at the 1981 New Year’s Eve show at The Channel, with Wendy O and the Plasmatics? It was crazy!”

Said Jim LeBarron of a 1990 show by the industrial/ metal band Ministry, “Amazingly chaotic show. Onstage chain link fence was torn down during the show,” and it was crowdsurfed away from the stage by the fans down front.

“I remember going to this show, because of the rumored riots,” said Doug Melcher, of a 1985 gig by the Scottish band The Jesus and Mary Chain. “Instead of riots I got hooked on a great band.”

The Channel will always be remembered as both an iconic club which played host to music legends and the home of many intriguing stories.

The summer 1990 lineup at The Channel featured local rock acts, Jamaican reggae bands, British new wavers and classic rockers like Foghat and Steppenwolf.