FPA June 2024

(Photo/Hilary Scott)

Staying sharp: brain health & AARP

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By Mike Festa, state Director aarP Massachusetts

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Turn a lifetime of experience into the experience of a lifetime.

Become an AARP Massachusetts volunteer and make a difference in your community by supporting causes that matter to you, participating in local in-person and virtual events, reaching out to community members, and advocating for change.

A big concern for people as they grow older is staying mentally fit. We know this because our members tell us. According to an AARP survey, more than nine in ten (92%) U.S. adults 45 and over said that remaining mentally sharp is extremely or very important to them.

AARP offers research-based tools and information to help keep your mind active and healthy, so that you can live your best life yet.

The AARP Brain Health Resource Center provides information to help you understand brain health and build awareness through research, reports and tips.

AARP Staying Sharp is an online program that shows you how to build habits that support your brain health — and have fun doing it! How you spend your day can have a big impact on brain health, research shows. AARP Staying Sharp has life hacks to help you eat well, move often, see friends, get good sleep, manage stress and keep learning.

June Is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. So, AARP Massachusetts is teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Association® for a special online series of education programs on brain health.

Giving back. Making friends. Changing lives. Volunteer opportunities are open to people of all ages. Find your place at aarp.org/volunteeringma

Although the risk of dementia rises a great deal after age 65, it is not an inevitable part of aging. Dementia is an umbrella term for conditions that impair a person’s ability to think, reason and remember to levels that interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common form, causing 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The featured program in the series is a June 6th conversation with Dr. Andrew Budson, MD about normal aging and dementia. We will learn about the signs of dementia, and what to do if you’re worried about memory loss in yourself or a loved one. We will talk about risk factors for dementia, treatment options, and brain health. There will be time for questions from the audience. Dr. Budson is a neurologist and researcher at Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System and Boston University Alzheimer’s Research Center.

In a separate webinar on June 11, we’ll talk about ways to prevent brain injuries throughout the continuum of life. This is especially important as we age. The senior population has the highest rates of traumatic brain injury. Doreen Grasso from the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island will lead the conversation.

On June 18th, join us for a discussion with Kristen McGhee, a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist, about how to improve your sleep for better health.

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Studies have shown that just 15 minutes of movement every day is more beneficial than 40-60 minutes a couple of times a week. In this session on June 25th, Jazmin Averbuck, MS, exercise specialist, will discuss taking the movement you are already doing and incorporating new techniques to maximize benefits and maintain good exercise habits. Jazmin will share light exercises that you can incorporate daily. You don’t need to be a member to attend the webinar series, but you do need to register. You can find links to sign up and links to AARP brain health resources at aarp. org/ma.

For information about licenses, training and support, review the QR Code Guidance on InfoNet or contact BrandHelp@aarp.org.

Mike Festa is the State Director for AARP Massachusetts. For more articles visit www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

Mike Festa

Attorney digs deep into Boston history in new book

By Matt roBinson contriButing Writer

BOSTON – Each July, people come from all over the world to visit Boston in order to experience Independence Day in the city that spawned it. And attorney and author Dan Dain knows a lot more about Boston than the average resident.

As co-founder and chairman of the commercial real estate law firm Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, PC, Dain sees Boston as a series of properties. His understanding of and appreciation for the city go much deeper, however. In fact, they go far below the landfill that makes up so much of the city to the primordial plates that first shaped the city that has itself shaped so much of history.

A passion for his hometown

In his book “A History of Boston,” Dain shares his passion for his hometown through nearly 800 pages of lovingly-researched information and insights about the Athens of America and the ideas and people that shaped it and allowed and encouraged it to shape so many other people and places.

“I think you can make a compelling argument…that Boston has the most important history of any American city,” Dain maintained.

While he admits that Boston may no longer truly be what has come to be paraphrased from Oliver Wendell Holmes as the “Hub of the Universe,” Dain is keen to point out that Boston was and remains a leader in many realms. From the Industrial Revolution to abolition and civil rights to the scientific breakthroughs for which it is known today, Boston has been at the forefront of many of the movements that have moved the country and the world.

“So many important events happened in Boston,” he suggested, “that I think it deserves its place as the city with the most important history in the United States.”

In addition to being knowledgeable about Boston, Dain is also passionate.

“It’s a city I have always loved,” he affirmed. “I love the history!” When asked what encouraged him to turn his passion into a book, Dain cites his professional life.

Ups and downs

“My law practice represents real estate developers in the city,” he explained. “When my clients make investments in the city, they’re betting on the fact that the city is going to

Dan Dain’s book about Boston history, at nearly 800 pages, goes from the formation of the area’s land mass millions of years ago to the present day. (Photo/Submitted)

remain a place where people will still want to live, work, play, study, shop, and be.”

And while Boston may be “flying high” today, Dain cautions that this was not always the case. “When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s,” he recalled, “the best term to describe Boston was ‘basket case.’”

Citing what he calls an era of “stagnation” that lasted the better part of 70 years, Dain says that he was inspired to dig deeper into the city’s history to see what made the city “swing between these eras of success and failure.”

In the process of researching that question, Dain eventually realized that he had amassed sufficient materials to not only clarify the situation for himself but to also explain it (and the larger scope of the city) to others.

Writing the book

“It was really only a few years in that I thought I might take all these notes and put them into a book,” he said. While his research is evident, Dain poses his book as a “collection of stories” about Boston history that all have to do with what makes cities successful…or not.

Speaking of stories, Dain recalls reading over 250 books in the process of compiling his own. “I really wanted to learn the history,” he explained. Though many of his fellow researchers and Boston-philes suggested various starting and ending points for

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Keeping scores

Maestro Benjamin Zander of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

By Matt roBinson contriButing Writer

BOSTON – For nearly all of his 85 years, Benjamin Zander, the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, has been crossing concert stages and continents. He enjoys sharing the beauty and majesty and also the educational and emotional benefits of music.

“It started very young,” Zander began when asked about his long and storied musical career.

Roots in Europe

Citing the ancient German tradition of Bildung (which has to do with absorbing art and literature into everyday living), Zander recalled that his father was “deeply immersed” in the arts. Even after the family immigrated from Germany to England to escape the Nazis, his attorney father would come home from a hard day of working to establish Hebrew University and, as he sat down at the piano, his body would visibly relax and “change” in very positive and inspiring ways.

“I started to absorb the idea that music was life-giving, joy-producing, and healing,” Zander recalled.

Zander was playing cello and piano and composing by age nine and studying with legends like Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst at age 12 (when he also became the youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain).

Arrival in Boston

He arrived in Boston in the mid-1960s and quickly joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where he taught for 45 years.

“My sister Angelica married Neil Rudenstine,” Zander explained, mentioning the former Harvard president who at the time was a poetry instructor at the school. “I became fascinated by his work with poetry.”

So when he was awarded the Harkness Commonwealth Fellowship, Zander came to Boston to study more poetry and to try to work it into the study of music.

“That was the start of my pre-concert talks,” he explained, citing the popular pre-performance gatherings that he consistently hosts to help listeners get more out of the music. “I want to teach people how to listen to music so they can get more out of it and that came from the study of poetry and

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“When you can’t hear, we listen.”

“We musicians have the power to unlock the spirit that all human beings are born with that gets suppressed in most cases,” says conductor Benjamin Zander. (Photo/Hilary Scott)

my father’s love of all of art.”

Founding of local orchestras

In 1978, Zander founded the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, which has since grown from an amateur assemblage to one of the premier orchestras in the region and around the world. In 2012, he created the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BYPO) to gather the best young (ages 12-21) musicians in the Northeast in an orchestra that members can join tuition-free.

“I’m into providing the best opportunities to people regardless of their wealth,” Zander explained. “Give people an opportunity and they will give you back more love and glory than you ever expected!”

Having taken the BYPO to Africa and South America (where they played side by side with the El Sistema–inspired youth orchestra Sinfonia Por el Peru, which also supports low-income musicians), Zander is currently preparing for a tour that will include some of the world’s finest music halls, including those in Basel, Prague, Hamburg, Vienna, and Berlin.

“We are not playing in normal youth orchestra venues,” Zander clarified, noting that people can support the tour by visiting https://www.bostonphil.org/support. “We are playing at some of the finest halls in the world and

“We musicians have the power to unlock the spirit that all human beings are born with that gets suppressed in most cases,” says conductor Benjamin Zander.

many of them invited us to perform there.”

No slowing down

While most maestros have retired by the age of 85, Zander continues to seek new ways of bringing more music to more people.

“I recommend the middle eighties,” he beamed. “I’m having the best time I ever had!”

Zander holds the record for views of a music-related TED Talk (over 20 million at last count) for his transformative lecture on “the Transformative Power of Classical Music” (www. ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_ the_transformative_power_of_classical_music). He also maintains a record of his award-winning recordings, popular pre-piece lectures, and other educative and entertaining elements on his robust website, www.benjaminzander.org.

“The website is where my life is

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captured,” Zander admitted, noting the recent addition of being named the very first recipient of the Titan Award from the Mahler Society of America.

When not touring with his own orchestras, Zander is a sought-after guest conductor who has led such other notable note-makers as the Israel Philharmonic, the Scottish and Irish National Orchestras, the London Philharmonia, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Malaysian Symphony. And while he embraces every opportunity to perform, Zander is especially eager to engage younger players and serves often as the conductor of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the National Youth Orchestras of New Zealand, Australia, and Venezuela.

“The youth orchestra is an example of that part of life where you search for possibility and do not get caught in selfdoubt,” Zander noted. “The younger players tell a different story―a story of exploration and excitement and love.”

In order to take their focus off grades and keep it where it belongs― on the music―Zander has his music students write him a letter in which they discuss who they will be at the end of the year.

“This unlocks the passion of their true selves,” he suggested, “and their soaring possibility.”

Inspiring and engaging listeners

Even when the world was locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Zander found ways to make music possible by hosting concerts in his driveway that were streamed internationally. “Everybody loves classical music,” he quipped. “It’s just that some people haven’t found out about it yet.”

“We had musicians who had nothing else to do and who were happy to play with each other,” he recalled. “We had some of the best players in town and it was great fun!”

In addition to inspiring his students, Zander strives to inspire and engage listeners through music.

“We musicians have the power to unlock the spirit that all human beings are born with that gets suppressed in most cases,” Zander suggested. “There is so much competition these days, especially among musicians. We reject all that! For us, it is about love and music. Music is a wonderful environment to express love.”

100-year-old Isabelle Chang says reading is the secret to a

By evan Walsh contriButing Writer

SHREWSBURY – Sitting at her kitchen table, Isabelle Chang hears the back door swing open. It’s her neighbor delivering a Tupperware full of homemade soup.

Moments later, the door flies open again, this time revealing a Meals on Wheels driver, who greets Chang and drops off lunch.

Alice Canty, Chang’s longtime friend, sits close to the living room. The space is lined with cards, well-wishes, and awards: her 2013 Spirit of Shrewsbury Grand Marshal plaque, medals, citations and proclamations from every level of government, and, centrally located near the mantel, a sign that reads, “Happy 100th Birthday, Mrs. Chang!” created by a local kindergarten class.

Chang is a woman well-cared for.

A centenarian’s start

Though Chang would hit the 100-year mark on Feb. 20, her road to

become a centenarian started in Boston’s Chinatown in 1924. A first-generation American, Chang was the fifth of nine children. Although her father, a tea merchant, and mother had no post-secondary education, Chang al-

100-yearold Isabelle Chang of Shrewsbury’s love of reading led her into her career as a librarian and author.

(Photo/Evan Walsh)

and that’s when I first started to get thinking about books. If you don’t know something, you can probably find it in some book somewhere,” Chang said, noting how she’ll give almost any book a chance.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Chang — following her parents wishes — went to Yale University to study Chinese culture. That’s where she met Min Chueh “M.C.” Chang, who would later co-develop the birth-control pill and in-vitro fertilization.

M.C. Chang brought Isabelle Chang to Shrewsbury after getting married in 1948, conducting research at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, now the UMass Maple Avenue facility, which includes the Chang Building.

ways loved to learn. In particular, she loved books. In 1946, she graduated from Simmons College with a degree in library science.

“I was always a dreamer. My father always had a book in his hands,

Throughout his research, Isabelle Chang helped raise her three children, — Francis “Poncho” Hugh, Claudia, and Pamela, so M.C. could make scientific advances. M.C. Chang died in 1991 at the age of 82, and he is buried at Mountain View Cemetery.

But at Yale, M.C. Chang wasn’t the world-renowned scientist he’s remembered as today: To Isabelle Chang, he was just a mutual friend. Yet, the two friends of friends would eventually meet, even though Isabelle Chang was skeptical at first. “My friend said, ‘I have a friend I want you to meet’,” Chang remembered, “I said, ‘Oh whatever.’ It didn’t matter to me. I thought he was another one of those eggheads. I said, ‘I’ll be polite.’”

Making Shrewsbury home

While Isabelle Chang never meant to call Shrewsbury home, she quickly settled into the community. Isabelle and M.C. Chang befriended the Borgatti family — including Antonio and Brigida, and children Bobby, Olga, Elsa, and Anthony “Spag.” When Chang was away for conferences, Brigida Borgatti would leave food in the Worcester Foundation refrigerator. The Changs and Borgattis would often partake in spaghetti dinners. Isabelle Chang became close with Olive Borgatti, Spag Borgatti’s wife, and she started serving on the Shrewsbury Public Library Board of Trustees with her in 1958. But, after one year, Chang was asked to resign from the Board of Trustees: She hadn’t done anything wrong, she was just the only trained librarian in town, and they needed a new library director.

To get to 100, It’s just a matter of one step in front of the other. If you want a life as long as hers, she suggests you do three things: eat properly, exercise and read. Read. Read. Read.

Olive Borgatti persuaded Chang to take the role, with adapted hours that allowed Chang to care for her children. When she started the job, the Borgattis donated $25,000 to the library, enough to buy a new bookmobile, which brought books throughout town.

The donation was of great importance to Chang, who had always loved reading. After roughly five years at the town library, she spent 17 years at school libraries throughout Shrewsbury, cataloging books, dealing with students and passing on her love of reading.

“When I moved to the schools, all the teachers who couldn’t handle the brats sent them to the library. They’re shooting paper airplanes and cutting up my encyclopedia. I sent them back, and these teachers had nowhere else to put them. They didn’t like me. I told the superintendent, ‘You’re paying a lot for a babysitter,’” Chang said from

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For Chang, there was nothing more satisfying than helping students learn.

“If you want to know the truth, go to the library. The world is full of opinions, but if you’ve read enough books, you can form your own opinions. I think that’s really important. I really think that. I tried my best to teach the kids how to find the proper reference books,” she remembered.

Chang has also published several books, including Chinese folktales, cookbooks and pieces about Shrewsbury history. Her work “Artemas Ward: A Fictionalized Account of An Unsung Hero” was published by Harvard Press in 2022. She has also published “The Spirit of Shrewsbury: Exemplary Lives,” which details M.C. Chang’s journey, her family’s relationship with the Borgattis and more on Artemas Ward.

Why did she start writing? Simple.

She said, “You have to focus on something. If that’s your truth, speak it.”

100-year-old Shrewsbury celebrity

Early in the morning on Feb. 20, 2024, Chang saw four police cruisers parked along the road. Slowly, officers began to leave their cars and head toward her front door. She couldn’t help but be slightly suspicious.

“They had four cruisers. I said, ‘Did I murder someone and didn’t know it?’ I thought they’d maybe arrest me,” she said.

Instead, the police arrived with a cupcake and sang “Happy Birthday” to Chang. The Shrewsbury Police Department posted the interaction on Facebook, where it garnered nearly 1,000 likes and over 100 comments from community members. Chang knows the police department well; she calls the station at 6 a.m. daily as part of the police’s R.U.O.K. program, designed for citizens living alone.

To get to 100, Chang said, “It’s just a matter of one step in front of the other,” she said. If you want a life as long as hers, she suggests you do three things: eat properly, exercise (Chang still walks outside daily) and read. Read. Read. Read.

“Just be a good human being — just as much as you can. Try to make this a better world,” she said.

Framingham recognizes its ‘senior heroes’

By nance eBert contriButing Writer

FRAMINGHAM – In every community, there are unsung heroes. Framingham is ensuring some of its seniors get the recognition they deserve. This year’s recipients of the Framingham Senior Heroes Awards for Diversity and Inclusivity, which were presented at a May 23 event, are Maureen Dickey, Carol Lach, Cynthia Villanueva and Judith Grove.

Improving community health

Dickey was given this award for Health/Healthcare. She has volunteered in hospice, a money management program and at a blood pressure clinic each Wednesday for almost eleven years.

“When I first started volunteering there, we would see about fifteen or so people come each week. In January, when I left, there were over thirty people who would come. Some would just simply come to socialize,” said Dickey. She had not heard of this award before being nominated and emphasized that volunteering is such a rewarding thing to do. Most people when working full-time are not able to volunteer.

“Volunteering is such a joyful and welcoming gift. Often, the person volunteering gets more out of it than the recipient. It is wonderfully exciting and a great honor to be nominated for this award. I am truly overwhelmed,” said Dickey.

Helping marginalized communities

Villanueva received the award for Social Development and could not be more humbled. She retired from her high school teaching position in June 2022 and was the ESL department chair.

“About 10 years ago, I worked with a colleague to write grants to get money from local businesses,” said Villanueva. “We were able to purchase desktop computers, which we were able to refurbish and gave 150 of them to students that could not afford them. We also gave them flash drives, so they were able to transport their homework.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and members of her faculty would reach out to their immigrant families to make sure they understood the seriousness of the disease and assess their needs. They worked until eight or nine o’clock in the evening.

“There were a lot of families working late and we needed to reach them after they returned home. There was a lot of COVID among this population as English was not their native language,” said Villanueva.

Villanueva also worked to give turkeys to families as a surprise for holiday dinners and got the school to recognize the LGBT community and the importance of a gender-neutral bathroom in the high school. Working with the city, she advocated to get flags placed at all the schools during Pride Month and with the help of fundraising efforts, bought two LGBT books for all of the elementary schools and three LGBT books for the middle school libraries as well.

“My best work was after turning 69. Your experiences can truly lead to change. I wish we could all pay it forward,” said Villanueva.

Advocating for youth

Grove was recognized for Public Service. She joined town meeting, having lived in the area for thirty years. She was contacted by Herb Chasan (founder of non-profit Hoops for Homework) who asked her to come with him to see one of the town parks on the south side of town that was being neglected. It be-

came her mission to focus on environmental justice and build a skate park where kids could enjoy fresh air, exercise, and socialization.

There was a lot of skepticism but after much research and lengthy persistence, Grove managed to get hundreds of signatures on a petition. She faced pushback as others at town meeting wanted to improve Loring Arena, Cushing Park and other properties first. It was finally decided that a skate park would be built at Farm Pond. It was completed in 2018 and is easily accessible to many of its users.

She was on the first city council representing District Eight. She was a teacher in a minority community, a foster parent for abused children, a teacher’s aide, a chair of a United Way campaign, and retired at the age of sixty-three from a career in ophthalmology. She is passionate about her community, and not intimidated by those who try to stop her efforts.

“What I’ve done is so important to me,” Grove affirmed. “Age is not the issue, it’s the experiences you have. If I hadn’t taught in that school or been a foster parent, I wouldn’t have had the background and the determination to change things.”

Josephine L. Veglia, Esq.

The senior heroes

“Volunteering is such a joyful and welcoming gift,” said Maureen Dickey, who was recognized for her role in improving community health.

“Your experiences can truly lead to change,” noted Cynthia Villanueva, who was recognized for the help she provided to marginalized communities.

Embracing diversity in the arts and culture

Lach was recognized for Culture/Arts. She retired in 2013 from the State Department of Education. She traveled all over the state looking at technology and math and didn’t realize how diverse different towns were.

“Framingham has a Gifted Ed Program and I as-

“Our humanity of understanding other people depends on our ability to stop and listen to them,” said Carol Lach, who was recognized for embracing diversity in the arts and culture.

(Photos/Submitted)

sumed it was statewide, but it wasn’t. In some of the tiny towns, there are no Advanced Placement classes,” said Lach.

She began volunteering with the Framingham History Center and worked with third graders while in period costume as the “Old School Mom.” She had a show with Access Framingham TV where she would interview authors, many of whom were Latino. She

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“What I’ve done is so important to me,” said Judith Grove, who was recognized for her advocacy for youth, with James McCarthy, one of her collaborators on the Framingham skate park she championed.

joined the Latino Americano Group at the Callahan Center and has become fast friends with many who participate.

“Our humanity of understanding other people depends on our ability to stop and listen to them,” said Lach. “I am honored, flattered and excited to be getting this award. The whole idea of it is that being kind to others doesn’t cost anything.”

By sanDi Barrett contriButing Writer

REGION – June 6, 2024, is the 80th anniversary of Operation Neptune, the naval component of World War II’s Operation Overlord, and often referred to as D-Day. The Allied invasion of Normandy included five beach landings by over 156,000 Allied soldiers slogging through ocean waves, running across soft sand, carrying heavy packs and weapons through a barrage of gunfire. It remains the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

Changing the course of the war

These troops changed the course of World War II, in which nearly 3,000 Massachusetts service members died, with their heroic courage. In one day, 4,415 Allied troops were killed. It was a staggering loss of life, yet set the Allied forces on a path to victory.

While thousands of Allied paratroopers and glider troops dropped behind enemy lines to secure bridges and exit roads, the amphibious portion got underway at 06:30. Gold, Sword, Juno, and Utah beach forces faced less severe battle engagement than the troops landing on Omaha

Beach encountered. It was not until June 11 that Normandy was secured and the Germans were pushed out. By the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River and liberated Paris.

The five landing beaches were assigned code names. The two U.S. Operations were named for the hometowns of random NCOs — Utah and Omaha. The three British and Canadian beaches were named for types of fish: Goldfish, Swordfish, and Jellyfish. Sword and Gold stuck, but Jelly needed to be

scratched and replaced by Juno.

Normandy American Cemetery

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer is located on a cliff high above Omaha Beach. The almost 9,400 American graves, marked by gleaming white crosses and Stars of David are a sight that give you pause. Lined in military precision, the makers seem to extend into infinity. They evoke a solemnity that is reflected in the quietness even when filled with hundreds of visitors.

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The Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-surMer, France is the final resting place of nearly 9,400 fallen American service members.

Higgins Landing Craft in Hudson museum

Andrew Higgins, a Louisiana boat builder, designed the LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel) making landing on an open beach possible. The tactical advantage of moving machinery and personnel from ship-toshore changed the entire strategy of World War II.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense 34,000 Allied troops landed on Omaha Beach. Altogether, around 160,000 Allied soldiers were to land

Call Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5 pm for

across the French beaches.

At the American Heritage Museum (AHM) in Hudson, you can view a Higgins LCVP. It was discovered in Normandy and is most likely a transport used during the D-Day invasion. We are fortunate to have an important piece of D-Day history in our own backyard.

The AHM has an extensive World War II exhibit with a variety of vehicles. One experience is a replica of time in the trenches. As you walk into a deep, dark trench, a video with surround sound puts you into the heart of battle action. The trench floor vibrates, gunfire, and fire flashes around and above you while a medic narrates the immersive encounter.

Omaha Beach

As you approach Omaha Beach, the massive Les Braves Omaha Beach Memorial fills your view. This captivating sculpture honoring the military personnel storming the beach is a

At the American Heritage Museum (AHM) in Hudson, you can view a Higgins landing craft discovered in Normandy and likely used in the D-Day invasion.

(Photos/Sandi Barrett)

lasting tribute to their bravery. When you face the high cliffs and seawall of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer with the ocean to your back, you can imagine the impossible feat of securing this sandy frontline.

Visiting Normandy

If you want to visit Normandy, one of the easiest adventures is on Viking River Cruises’ Paris & The Heart Of Normandy sailing (https://www. vikingrivercruises.com/). When the ship is docked in Rouen, the U.S.-centric excursion will take you to the Caen Memorial Museum, Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, and Omaha Beach. The tour guide will organize a private ceremony for Viking passengers, with retired military fellow passengers laying a wreath at The Spirit of the American Youth Rising from the Waves statue. It is a moving tribute to all fallen soldiers.

For more information about D-Day, visit https://www.dday.org/.

Attorney digs deep into Boston history

Boston history | from page 3

the narrative, Dain decided to go as far back and as far forward as possible.

“I start 580 million years ago with the formation of what is called the Avalonia Belt,” he said, citing the land mass that shaped the one we live on today. When asked how he decided to end it, Dain recalled adding information from every day’s newspaper until he finally decided that the election of Mayor Michelle Wu would be a good place to stop.

“I needed an end-point,” he admitted, “and thought that the election of the first woman and the first person of color to be elected the mayor was a good way to end the book.”

Challenges remain

While the presence of a new face in the corner office is refreshing and important, Dain says that Boston has a lot of work to do and that, as was true when the city was founded, others are watching.

“I’m concerned about the challenges that the city faces today,” he

“Boston has the most important history of any American city,” says attorney and author Dan Dain. (Photo/Submitted)

said, noting that the book has taken him to many other cities not just around the region but across the country. “I wanted to look to the past to learn lessons…that other cities can learn.”

For more, visit https://daintorpy. com/a-history-of-boston/.

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A great place to start is get your free “How to Use Your Home to Stay at Home” 36-page book. This is the official reverse mortgage consumer booklet approved by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and published by the National Council on Aging.

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*Alain Valles was the first designated Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional in New England. He obtained a Master of Science from the M.I.T. Center for Real Estate, an MBA from the Wharton School, and graduated summa cum laude from UMass Amherst. He is the senior reverse mortgage loan officer MLO#7946 at Powerhouse Funding Corp. NMLS #1740551. He can arrange but does not make loans. Alain can be reached directly at (781) 7246221 or by email at av@powhse.com

Block Island

A beautiful and convenient island getaway destination

By sanDi Barrett contriButing Writer

NEW SHOREHAM, RI – It’s the smallest town in the smallest state. New Shoreham doesn’t have perhaps the name recognition of Nantucket or Oak Bluffs, its Massachusetts island neighbors to the north, but it’s the municipality that encompasses all of Block Island, a popular summer tourist destination just nine miles off the coast of Rhode Island.

Getting there

While you can take a quick flight from the Westerly airport or pilot your own boat, most visitors hop on the Block Island Ferry. The ferry sails from Newport, Fall River, and Point Judith, and in under an hour (30 minutes on the high-speed ferry) you can be wiggling your toes in invitingly soft sand. Reservations are recommended and necessary if you plan to bring your car. The ferry docks at Old Harbor, New Shoreham, where your destination may be walkable or just a quick taxi ride away.

Things to do

Block Island has 15 beaches for you to explore, swim, surf, and sunbathe.

A hip and busy beach is Ballard’s

Beach, part of Ballard’s Beach Resort. The gorgeous soft sand beach is ringed with bright blue cabanas, a tiki bar for your libation pleasure, and a full-service restaurant. Non-resort guests are

Newly Remodeled Apartments with a contemporary flair

Within the building amenities include:

• A Theater-like media center

• Handicap-accessible lounges on every floor

• Library equipped with two computers and free internet access

• Physical fitness center

• Game room with billiard table

• Community room with bingo board and large screen TV

Green Hill Towers

27 Mount Vernon Street, Worcester, MA

• O ffice O pen D aily 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

To receive an application please call 508-755-6062 TDD# 508-755-0228

Now accepting applications for 62 years of age and older and those who are under 62 years of age and are permanently disabled.

Applicants must meet HUD annual low income guidelines. Preference is given to individuals 62 and older.

Spectacular sunsets are just one of the many charms of Block Island.

(Photo/Sandi Barrett)

welcome to join in the lively party atmosphere.

Crescent Beach (Fred Benson Town Beach) is a classic white sand beach just a short walk from Old Har-

• Contemporary styled 1 & 2 bedroom apartments

• New kitchens with built-in microwaves and granite-like countertops

• Small pets welcome

• Heat and Hot water included

• Bus route / ample parking

• Beautiful landscaped grounds with gazebo

The Spring House Hotel conjures memories of a summer season spent reveling in quiet elegance. The striking red mansard roof is visible from the ferry and beckons you in for a closer look.

bor. It offers a concession stand, restrooms, and umbrella and chair rentals. Crescent Beach is family friendly and a wonderful spot to spend a relaxing, toes-in-the-sand day.

A quiet, more secluded beach is Mansion Beach. Situated on the northeast part of the island, this big-wave beach is popular with locals who are within walking distance—there’s little parking availability.

Two lighthouses grace the shores of Block Island. North Light, built in 1867, guides ships around Sandy Point. Southeast Lighthouse, built in 1875, offers stunning panoramic views from the bluffs behind the lighthouse. The newly-renovated Southeast Lighthouse includes a museum and a guided lighthouse tour.

Hikers will enjoy over 32 miles of nature trails weaving around this delightful little island. Walking the trails that offer pretty vistas is a wonderful way to enjoy the island’s natural habitats.

An easy hike is Clay Head Trail, a three-and-a-half mile out-and-back trail that traverses beach, dune, and forest grove. More intrepid hikers will enjoy the Mohegan Bluffs Trail. A nearly seven-mile out-and-back trek, this rugged hike is rated difficult by AllTrails. Mohegan Bluffs is one of the must-visit spots on the island. The 200-foot cliffs offer stunning panoramic views. Take the 141 steps descending to the beach and back up when the day is done.

You can bring your car across on the ferry, but there are other options that beg you to slow down and enjoy the view.

Heros

I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.

~Maya Angelou

By Marianne Delorey, Ph.D.

On a clear sunny day in the fall of 2014, my aunts, my mother, brother and I sat in the thin Colorado air to honor my dad, who was being inducted into the International Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial for those lost in the line of duty. He had died of cancer 15 years earlier, but his cancer was finally being recognized as a job-related death. And so we went to see his name written on a slab of black slate along with so many other names, hear his name called, and receive the recognition and honors we never earned on his behalf.

Biking is one of the most popular ways to traverse this small island. Bring your own from the mainland or rent. The island is a bit hilly, so be prepared for some ups and downs if you are going to pedal around. Alternatively, mopeds are an appealing mode of transport. A half-day rental will allow you to explore the island without dealing with the undulating island terrain.

There are over a dozen taxi companies on the island offering point-topoint transportation and guided tours.

There are bike rental shops all around town. Island Moped and Bike Rentals is conveniently close to the ferry landing.

Where to stay

There is a wonderful variety of accommodation options on Block Island. From charming B&Bs to beach-centric hotels, you will find just the spot to relax and unwind.

Ballard’s Beach Resort is a beachfront hotel that offers an onsite restaurant, entertainment, and a lively atmosphere. The resort is located right on the sand and adjacent to the ferry landing, an easy beach life vacation destination.

The Spring House Hotel conjures memories of a summer season spent reveling in quiet elegance. The striking red mansard roof is visible from the ferry and beckons you in for a closer look. Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, enjoy an evening beverage on the white Adirondack chairs gracing the sloping lawn that offers sweeping ocean views.

Just a quick trip from most of eastern and central Massachusetts, Block Island may be the perfect spot for your next getaway stay.

After a beautiful and moving ceremony, we had a chance to walk around the site. There were names from every state and over so many years that they all blurred together. I turned a corner and stopped short when I saw the slates holding the names of the firefighters from NYC who all died on 9/11. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of names. A lump formed in my throat as I realized that each of those names represented a family, who was, like me, missing their own personal hero. Each name became a dad with silly jokes, a buddy at card night, a confidante. I think I actually stopped breathing for a bit. Out of nowhere, a stranger, a slight, older woman with thin brown hair, approached me, and soundlessly opened her arms and held me tight. Neither of us spoke. She smiled and walked away. It was likely the kindest gesture by a stranger I will ever experience.

I think a lot about what it means to be a hero. And I think about the heroic acts of eldercare and healthcare workers during the pandemic. Maybe we cannot all put our lives on the line for someone else. Maybe that is okay. Maybe we can all do small, heroic acts like we all, as eldercare workers, do every day.

Psychologist Steve Taylor talks about heroes as “extreme altruists” who take action when there is a crisis. Many of these people do not see what they did as heroic. These people are often transformed by traumatic events and develop a deeper sense of purpose in life. However, he also described serial altruists:

“Those who engage in serial acts of altruism and kindness are often driven by an overarching goal that provides a sense of motivation, direction, and meaning. We also become more resilient and able to overcome obstacles that would normally defeat us.”

Perhaps this is a better way to define eldercare workers. Maybe (except during pandemics) we are not heroes, but serial altruists. Certainly, just like that woman in Colorado, we are all making the world a better place, one small act at a time. If we cannot save another with our lives, perhaps we can save another with our hearts. It is truly the best way we can honor the heroes among us.

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.

The Spring House Hotel on Block Island offers sweeping ocean views.

(Photo/Sandi Barrett)

Things that go ‘Beep’

By Janice linDsay contriButing Writer

A traditional prayer from the British Isles begs, “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties/ And things that go bump in the night/Good Lord, deliver us.”

Ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties are scarce these days. I would be content to be delivered from things that go “beep.”

Our lives are full of mechanical creatures that beep. Some buzz, gack, or ding, but they all fulfill the basic principle of beepism: to get your attention by being annoying, though they are sincerely trying to help and sometimes they do.

Long ago, on one of his daily walks, my husband found a man’s watch. It was battered, but it kept correct time. There was no way to locate the owner who, whether he had lost the watch or tossed it, had thoughtlessly failed to include the owner’s manual. Every day, at 7:31 a.m. and 7:31 p.m., for ten years until it finally died, the watch cheerfully invaded our quiet home with a steady beep.

My oven speaks two beep types: one beepish

beep as I push each button; a dingish beep when it reaches the chosen temperature.

My microwave speaks three beeps. First, a classic single beep as I push each button. Second, a beep trio when the time is up. Then, if I don’t open the door in what it considers a timely fashion, a tiny polite “bip” says, “Excuse me, dear, don’t forget me.” This is more considerate than my previous microwave that went “Baaap!” as if to say, “Hey! You! Can’t you remember anything?”

My dryer speaks no beeps until the clothes are getting ready to be almost dry, then it goes, “Gack!”

In the next few minutes, it gacks a couple of times to tell me I may remove the clothes. Then, mysteriously, when the cycle is totally done and dryer stops, it says…. Nothing.

My cell phone beeps when a text message arrives. If I don’t read the message in what it considers a timely fashion, it beeps again. I don’t like to turn it off, in case of actual emergencies. The phone cannot (yet) differentiate between a trivial message and a serious one, nor assess whether I’m awake or asleep.

My printer beeps when the power is interrupted. My computer beeps when an email arrives. My refrigerator beeps if I don’t close the door in what it considers a timely fashion.

After our house was burglarized, we installed (admittedly too late) a security system. It beeps gently each time I press a button to set it. But when it’s set and I come in the house, it screams loud hysterical beepbeepbeeps. If I don’t reset it in what it considers a timely fashion, it starts the siren, apparently in an attempt to deafen the intruder who, it assumes, I am.

A fairly common beeping challenge is smoke detectors. According to the manual, they “chirp” when they need new batteries. The chirp is simply a beep with a cute name. It’s not cute when it wakes you in the middle of the night. I’ve been known to get up from my cozy bed to disconnect a chirping detector and bury it and its chirp somewhere in the garage until I could change the battery. One such detector, after receiving a new battery, issued random screaming beeps that could be heard in Canada. We replaced that one.

I remember one September night when we had a patch of unusually warm weather that brought out a confused spring peeper or two. I was startled awake by their “Peep! Peep! Peep!” In my sleepy haze, I panicked: Which appliance was talking to me?

Even Mother Nature beeps.

Contact jlindsay@tidewater.net.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

The chocolate chip cookie was created in a Whitman inn

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

WHITMAN – Crowned the official state cookie of the Commonwealth in 1997, chocolate chip cookies have been satisfying the sweet tooth of millions of people since their creation by Walpole native Ruth Graves Wakefield in the 1930s.

Created at a well-known inn

After Wakefield graduated from Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts, she went on to work as a dietician. In 1930, she and her husband Kenneth Wakefield purchased a Cape-Cod style house in Whitman on Route 18, a busy state highway that wends its way down much of the South Shore. Historically (or mythically) it was noted as a lodge where passengers would pay a toll, feast on home-cooked meals and change horses. Reportedly, the inn was never a “toll house” and the term was used as a marketing strategy. Nevertheless, the couple named their tourist lodge The Toll House Inn. Not long afterwards, the inn gained popularity for Ruth Wakefield’s desserts, with then-Senator John F. Kennedy among its frequent visitors.

Sometime around 1938, Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie. There were sources who claimed the invention was all a happy accident after Wakefield ran out of nuts for a recipe. Another version that floated around was that a chocolate bar broke and fell in the dough. However, Wakefield disputed the rumors and stated it was no accident but a deliberate effort.

According to “The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Scrumptious Recipes & Fabled History from Toll House to Cookie Cake Pie,” by Carolyn Wyman, Wakefield said, “We had been serving a thin butterscotch nut cookie with ice cream. Everybody

The chocolate chip cookie was invented during the 1930s at an inn that once stood on this spot in Whitman.

seemed to love it, but I was trying to give them something different. So, I came up with a Toll House cookie.”

Popularity grows Wakefield’s now famous mix of melted chocolate chunks and crispy cookies first appeared in her cookbook “Tried and True” and was meant to complement a serving of ice cream. The recipe became so popular it was featured on Marjorie Husted’s (aka Betty Crocker) radio program in her “Famous Foods from Famous Eating Places” series.

After America’s entry into the Second World War, Toll House cookies were often part of care packages sent to boost the morale of soldiers from Massachusetts who were serving overseas. Word of the delicious cookies spread after being shared with other GIs. In fact, hundreds of soldiers wrote home asking their families to send them Toll House cookies, and Wakefield received letters from around the world asking

for the recipe. Before the war, the cookies were largely an East-Coast based treat. By 1939, Wakefield sold the rights to use her recipe and the Toll House name to Nestle for one dollar, which she later said was never received. Also, as part of the bargain,

she was given free chocolate for life and worked as a paid consultant for Nestle.

From homemade to mass-produced

During the postwar years, the chocolate chip cookie traveled the same route as other culinary innovations: from homemade to mass-produced, from kitchens to factories and from fresh to franchised. Other brands like Nabisco’s Chips Ahoy, Famous Amos, and Mrs. Fields were launched. Nestle did include Wakefield’s recipe on the back of their semi-sweet chocolate bars and created Toll House Morsels to make it easier for bakers to help fuel the growing trend of baking chocolate chip cookies in the home.

The Wakefields successfully ran the Toll House inn and restaurant from 1930 to 1967. Sadly, the Toll House burned down on New Year’s Eve in 1984 and the site is marked by a sign and plaque nestled between a Walgreens and Wendy’s. Ruth Wakefield, who likely never imagined her recipe created in a Massachusetts inn so many years ago would see worldwide fame, died in 1977 at age 73.

Boston Tea Party concert venue featured iconic 1960s rock bands

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

BOSTON – During the late 1960s, The Boston Tea Party concert venue was ground zero for the city’s rock and roll subculture. Jonathan Richman of the proto-punk band The Modern Lovers remembered the crowd as a very diverse one.

“Wall-to-wall hippies, bikers, Harvard students, Northeastern stu-

dents, fashion models, professors, drug dealers, art teachers, groupies, MIT students,” recalled Richman, who grew up in Natick. “Photographers, local thugs, local disc jockeys, skinny-bohemian-artist girls, visiting dignitaries from the New York art scene, and the royalty of the Boston music set — the local singers and guitar-players in their mod suits strolling around with their beautiful girlfriends.”

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Former house of worship

It was a far cry from the political protest at Griffin’s Wharf in 1773 in which angry colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor because they were frustrated with Britain’s taxation without representation. This tea party was instead associated with the psychedelic movement that swept the country in the late 1960s.

First

In 2005, Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler, told Rolling Stone magazine, “The two shows I remember where I just sat with my mouth open was that Yardbirds show (in Connecticut which his first band Chain Reaction opened for) and Led Zeppelin at the Boston Tea Party in 1969.”

The Boston Tea Party venue opened its doors in January 1967 in a building that was built as a synagogue and later served as a Unitarian meeting house. The land it stood on was donated by Boston merchant John Gardner, whose son Jack married famed art collector and socialite Isabella Stewart. Initially, the venue was home to Filmmakers Cinematheque, which featured “underground” movies by Andy Warhol and others. However, to support the film programs, the decision was made to hold a series of weekend dance concerts. Before long, it became a favored destination for rock and blues artists as well as a must-play spot for bands on their first U.S. tour.

Although Warhol managed the Velvet Underground as the house band for his New York City studio The Factory, the band used The Boston Tea Party as its home base for several years. One night in 1968, guitarist Lou Reed announced on stage, “This is our favorite place to play in the whole country.”

Iconic bands and wild times

For only $3 or $3.50, concertgoers could see acts like Cream, the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Jimi

Hendrix, The Who, Pink Floyd, and Sly and the Family Stone. Reportedly, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac was there so often many thought it was his second residence. There are numerous stories of some wild times at The Boston Tea Party.

One night Little Richard danced vigorously on top of a piano and stage manager Stanley Kastner had to hold onto it so that it would not fall over. According to Kastner, Little Richard went backstage during the midst of a 45-minute ovation for his performance to get paid. The “Good Golly, Miss Molly” singer proceeded to retrieve a pistol from a metal briefcase, counted the money, and left. The crowd was out front still applauding.

In 1968, radio station WBCN-FM, the first album rock station in Boston, began broadcasting out of a back room at The Boston Tea Party. It later went on to becoming the rock station with the highest ratings in Boston and lasted over 40 years as “The Rock of Boston.”

Unfortunately, The Boston Tea Party was not everyone’s cup of tea. Some local politicians and law enforcement officers had a problem with the racially-mixed crowd of rock and roll fans and rumors of drug use. One night when the Scottish rock band The Cloud was performing, dozens of Boston police officers stormed into the hall looking for drugs. Leading the group of officers was Boston Licensing Commissioner Albert L. “Dapper” O’Neil, who brought along a Boston Herald-Traveler reporter who was hoping for a story. No drugs were found but the police arrested management for an expired license to sell soft drinks. The Herald-Traveler’s headline read: “Soda Pop Raid Fizzles.”

Unable to compete with the rise and popularity of large rock concert arenas, The Boston Tea Party closed its doors in December 1970.

Led Zeppelin was one of the many soon-to-be-famous bands that rocked The Boston Tea Party concert venue in the late 1960s.

By WenDi coMey contriButing Writer

WESTBOROUGH – Traveling in one direction, it’s about 1,500 miles from Westborough to Key Largo, and if I walked in that one direction starting last Jan. 1, I’d be on the beach there now!

Two years ago, in October of 2021, I shared my story of walking 1,000 miles around Westborough. I completed that year with 1,340 miles. In 2022, I was not paying attention to my total, and missed 1,500 by about 30 miles. But in 2023 I was committed to reaching that lofty goal, and so, on Dec. 31, my 68th birthday, I crossed that finish line, covering 1,501.2 miles last year.

To give some perspective, even if I walked every single day last year, I would have had to average over 4 miles a day!

The biggest challenge with walking in New England is the seasons. Most people think that walking is a low-cost type of exercise, but that’s sorely incorrect in a place with lots of weather changes. Sure, everyone knows you need a good pair of sneakers, but that’s just the start.

Summer is easy — shorts and a t-shirt or tank top and you’re ready to go. For early autumn and late spring, just add a sweatshirt, though differing weights are helpful. But, the real challenge is November through April, when lots of choices are essential. A simple variance of five degrees can require a total change in wardrobe, and wind can alter the feel of the temperature dramatically.

For the colder months, my choices have multiplied considerably. Long sleeve t-shirts and some with three-quarter length are basic. Capri leggings, full leggings, and fleecelined leggings all have their purpose. Outerwear can range from heavy fleece up to bulky coats, and need to

Westborough resident Wendi Comey celebrates her 68th birthday by completing her goal of walking 1500 miles in 2023.

(Photo/ Submitted)

cover all lengths and varying thicknesses in between. Over the years, my winter wardrobe has expanded to six different coats, with each covering best for a certain temperature. And it doesn’t end there, but rather needs the supplement of accessories — hats, headbands, scarves, a fur-lined hood/scarf combo, light gloves, heavy gloves, and even heavier mittens. I often carry several items with me in a multi-colored bag I designed, in case the temperature — outside, or within my coat — fluctuates. And if rain is in the forecast, I need an umbrella in the side pocket of my special walking bag, and a baseball cap hanging off the side.

Not everyone I know is on board with multi-season walking, and on extreme weather days through the year, I certainly heard comments about my decision to walk. Most people have no interest when it’s in the 20s, or less. And on a 95+ degree humid day this past July, a wonderful, lovely, older neighbor of mine, stopped her car near me on our street and shouted: “are you f…en kidding me?!” (She did actually use the full word.)

In 2023, I was out there every day but 13. Though I walk faster now, most things have not changed since 2021. When my husband, Greg, is not walking with me, he still keeps an eye on my track through the “Find my...” phone app. I still pop into the Boro Sugar Shack and Yummy Mummy for the occasional sweet, and Dunkin’ or Westborough Nutrition for liquid refreshment. My errands still include the Post Office, Stop & Shop, Roche Bros., and the library - anything within a three-mile radius… as long as there are sidewalks. And I still walk to my nail and hair appointments, and my gym, “Get in Shape for Women.” I still have lots of “walk and talk” dates with friends. And I am still extremely grateful for our responsive DPW (thanks Derek!) who I bother from time to time

with crosswalk, sidewalk and street issues. I always get a quick response and a helpful explanation or timeline. Everyone knows that walking is an excellent exercise, but it’s also a great way to connect with neighbors and friends, meditate or think, or just enjoy the outdoors. So, in 2024 , I have no plans to stop, though some modification may happen. Oh, I’ll still be out as often as possible, pounding out as

many miles as I can, and maintaining a good pace — but maybe, just maybe, I’ll skip an occasional single-digit or triple-digit day. Happy walking everyone!

Wendi Comey and her husband, Greg, have lived in Westborough since 1983. Wendi volunteers around town, and serves as the Treasurer for the Friends of the Westborough Public Library.

Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

BOSTON – Imagine living through the 1775 Siege of Boston, fully aware of the historical accounts of food scarcity. In fact, food shortages during that era were often the root cause of many heartbreaking and violent events such as food being blockaded by the British or requisitioned by the colonial army.

Between 1776 and 1779, 30 food riots broke out in colonies. These riots were frequently led by women in Boston and Beverly who were struggling to feed their families while the men were off at war.

Roots in colonial times

First Lady Abigail Adams reported on one that occurred in 1777 wherein an angry crowd of Boston women

demanded the keys to a warehouse from merchant Thomas Boylston. He refused. Adams wrote, “a number of females, some say a hundred, some say more, assembled with a cart and trucks, marched down to the warehouse, and demanded the keys, which he refused to deliver.” When Boylston stood up to the women, “one of them seized him by his neck and tossed him into the cart. Upon his finding no quarter, he delivered the keys, when they tipped up the cart and discharged him, then opened the warehouse, hoisted out the coffee themselves, put it into the trucks and drove off.”

Adams also repeated a rumor that the women had spanked Boylston, her husband’s first cousin once removed. Despite all the upheaval, there was one food staple many depended on for sustenance — beans. The specific ingredient used that separates Boston baked beans from all the rest is molasses. Initially, the sugary substance was shipped to Boston to make rum. However, it was not until the 19th century, when famed culinary expert Fannie Farmer included Boston baked beans in her cookbook, that molasses was considered an accepted ingredient, along with ground mustard and salt pork. Boston was the epicenter of molasses and rum production in the U.S.

Cultural influence

Food historians tend to debate the origin of baked beans. Nevertheless, Boston’s version of the recipe is certainly beloved and is the reason Boston is called “Bean Town” even though other nicknames include “The Athens

of America,” “The Cradle of Liberty,” and “The Hub of the Universe.” According to legend, merchants and sailors on the triangular route began calling the city “Bean Town” after more and more taste buds were enlightened by this method of preparation. The popularity of Boston baked beans is the reason there are four major U.S. ice hockey teams who compete in the annual Beanpot tournament. It is the basis behind the 1920s tourist slogan, “You don’t know beans until you’ve bean to Boston.” In 1993, the Massachusetts General Court determined the Navy bean had been the original bean used in the venerable Boston Baked Bean recipe.

As for the origin of baked beans, some claim that indigenous people taught Puritan settlers how to bake beans in an earthenware pot. Since Puritans did not work on the Sabbath, they would bake the beans for Saturday night supper, along with brown bread, then take the beans, still warm from staying inside the oven, and serve them for breakfast the next morning. New England has a rich history when it comes to the background of baked beans with each region having its own story. Many in New Hampshire and Vermont prefer to add maple syrup to their recipe. Deemed an ideal source of protein for hungry lumberjacks, folks in Maine prefer the beanhole baked beans method of cooking the beans over hot coals in a hole in the ground. Nonetheless, when you add it all up, Boston baked beans are clearly celebrated. So celebrated, they even named a candy after it.

Boston baked beans, with a side of brown bread, have been a signature Massachusetts dish for four hundred years.

By sharon oliver contriButing Writer

REGION – When it comes to pranks, jokes, and outrageous shenanigans, the people of Massachusetts can give or take it with the best of them.

False volcano eruption report

Well, in most cases, that is. There has been a joke or two that had gone awry ― case in point ― the 1980 Blue Hills April Fool’s Day Panic. On April 1, 1980, WNAC-TV Channel 7 (now WHDH) reported that the Blue Hills in Milton were erupting, sending some people in the streets out of fear of a volcanic eruption. There are no volcanoes in the state.

The report claimed lava and ash were spraying onto homes and used edited clips from President Jimmy Carter and Governor Edward J. King, calling the situation serious. Keep in mind, that the eruption of Washington State’s Mount St. Helens five days earlier was still fresh in the minds of many throughout the nation. Making matters worse, the Massachusetts Department of Civil Defense fielded dozens of calls from people wanting to know if they should evacuate.

At the end of the broadcast, reporter Jim Harrison held up a sign that read: “April Fools.” Residents were not amused. Angry viewers called into the station and executive producer Homer Cilley was ultimately fired the next day for “his failure to exercise good news judgment” and for violating Federal Communications Commission’s rules on showing stock footage without properly identifying it.

State House “codnapping”

Another example of hijinks for the record books is Harvard Lampoon’s 1933 abduction of the “sacred” cod from the Massachusetts House of Representatives chamber. The shocking “codnapping” was carried out by three staff members of the Lampoon who pretended to be tourists. Demand for the mascot’s return was high and the sentiment was deep since it symbolized how cod fishing fueled the colony’s growth since the early 1700s. Police even dredged the Charles River and a manhunt (or fish hunt) had spread down to New Jersey. The story made national news and the Los Angeles Times printed a poem about the fishy crime:

From Winthrop Beach to Bunker Hill,

From Cambridge to Revere, The voice of happiness was still, One heard no note of cheer. A pallor whitened every face. All eyes were red and swollen; A dreadful crime had taken place — The Codfish had been stolen.

Accounts vary as to how Charles Apted, Chief of Harvard Yard Police, came into possession of the cod but he was able to bring it back to its rightful place in history.

Of course, not all pranks caused Bay Staters such angst. Take the time when the “Candid Camera” TV show came to town, for example. The show’s “There Goes the Neighborhood” is a classic 1960s episode featuring the hilarious reactions of Boston residents when they are tricked into believing a disco is moving in next door.

MIT “hacks”

Not to be outdone, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) brainiacs have a longstanding penchant for jaw-dropping pranks. These “hacks”

are designed to demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness, along with commemorating pop culture and historical topics, and have garnered national attention over the years.

Some of their most famous creations include placing a replica of a campus police cruiser on the roof of the Great Dome and using a remote-controlled device to move bulletin boards up and down whenever the calculus

professor approached the board. The day after AMC’s hit television series “Breaking Bad” finale aired, students turned the school’s Alchemist into an homage to Heisenberg, an alias of the show’s main character, Walter White. More recently, this year Newton native and “The Office” actor B. J. Novak was pardoned for a prank he pulled at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston while he was in high school in 1997.

The Sacred Cod hanging above the chamber of the Massachusetts House of Representatives was once “codnapped” by staff members from the Harvard Lampoon. (Photo/Wikipedia)

In 1994, MIT students placed a replica of a campus police car on the roof of the Great Dome. (Photo/Michael Bauer - hacks.mit.edu)