Winning Balance
Nurse rides to victory
Also Inside: Meet Elissa Nadworny Learn about a teen entrepreneur Discover new hearing technology Here’s the dirt on gardening 2022
June 2022
2 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
#MADE IN ERIE
ERIE STRONG MADE IN ERIE EMPLOYING ERIE SAFE • SECURE • SEAWAY
CONSIDERING WINDOWS?
I’m more than satistied:
• They were more than polite and considerate • They make the experience comfortable and non-inavasive • They were kind and Professional • Quality of product and installation are excellent ~ Shawn
Made in Erie Great Products Employee Installers Warranty & Service WINNER References & Awards
EMPLOYEE INSTALLERS
• Great Products - Made in Erie • Employee Installers • Lifetime Warranty & No Service Fees • The Only Erie’s Choice Award Winner in Window Category
2240 East 33rd St. Erie
HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ALL INSTALLED BY OUR EMPLOYEE CREWS • Siding & Roofing
WINDOWS
(Erie’s Choice Award Winner)
• Sunrooms • Awnings
(Retractable or Aluminum)
• Doors
(Entry, Patio, Storm Doors)
4-SEASON & 3-SEASON ROOMS
SIDING
WHEN YOU CHOOSE SEAWAY, YOU CHOOSE ERIE! EVERY WINDOW INSTALLED MEANS JOBS! FREE VIRTUAL CONSULTATIONS FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATES
CALL TODAY!
814-841-1579
2240 East 33rd St. Erie
seawaywindow.com June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 3
June 2022 | Volume 15 Issue 1
Meet Erie native and NPR correspondent Elissa Nadworny p.6
Inside This Issue 6 Erie’s Elissa Nadworny connects Erie to NPR and the world
10 Hickory High School teen is CEO of her own beverage company
12 Millcreek Community Hospital nurse rides to victory
14 Four points to visit 16 Do you hear what I hear?
General Manager / Avertising Director Joanne Conrad-Turner jconradturner@localiq.com 814-870-1673 Contributing Editor Pam Parker lakeerielifestyle@gannett.com Creative Team Linda Skrypzak David Papesch Rich Angelotti Ava Checcio Laura Rush-Malencia Advertising Gretchen Armes Andrew Brown Doreen DeFabio Duska Dawn Goodwill Kristin Schuver
20 What to plant in 2022
Contributors Heather Cass interviews Elissa Nadworny, an Erie native who just returned from Ukraine at press time. Cass is a former reporter/editor and the current publications manager at Penn State Behrend. She has been writing for decades and she covers a lot of topics. Page 6 Melissa J. Dixon shares a great story about local nurse Cindy Poulson who excels at her job and her equestrian hobby. Dixon is the director of communications and marketing at LECOM Health, Corry Memorial Hospital, Millcreek Community Hospital and Medical Associates of Erie. Page 12 Pam Parker interviews audiologist Allison Keenan, garden guru Jim Potratz and young entrepreneur Cynthia Torrence. Parker is a retired reporter/editor and currently manages marketing for the Hagen History Center, serves as editor for Lake Erie LifeStyle magazine and is a scriptwriter for WQLN’s Erie Chronicles. Pages 10, 16 & 20
4 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Dear Readers, We are back, thanks to all our advertisers and loyal readers who missed us. As we plan out the next issues of 2022 and 2023, we will deliver the same kind of stories we started bringing your way in 2007: It’s all about the people and places that make living on Lake Erie the best. This first issue of 2022 introduces you to Elissa Nadworny, Allison Keenan, Jim Potratz, Cindy Poulson and Cynthia Torrence. If you don’t know these folks, you’ll definitely know someone who knows them because it’s Erie! You’ll also see some familiar writers. My pal Heather Cass shared a great story, and you’ll see some more favorites in the next issues along with some wonderful young writers we are proud to introduce to our audience. Where do we go from here? Right now, you can find this and the next print issues in homedelivered Erie Times-News and on newsstands. You can also find the digital version at goerie.com and in the e-edition. Follow us on Facebook at Friends of Lake Erie Style to keep up with everything we have going on. We’ll be back again on Aug. 28 and Oct. 30 this year. Next year’s dates will be announced soon. Thanks for reading!
Pam Parker
The Lake Erie LifeStyle team includes: Pam Parker, Joanne Conrad-Turner, Linda Skrypzak, Dawn Goodwill, Kristin Schuver, Doreen DeFabio Duska, and Laura Rush-Malencia. Missing from photo are: Dave Papesch, Ava Checchio, Andrew Brown, Gretchen Armes, Rich Angelotti
June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 5
Erie’s Elissa Nadworny connects Erie to NPR and the world By Heather Cass Photos contributed by Elissa Nadworny and NPR
Elissa Nadworny interviewed families who shared memories, recipes and meals with her in Ukraine.
E
lissa Nadworny, an Erie native and higher education correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR), may seem to lead a glamorous life in media – residing in Washington, D.C., traveling across the country to do interviews, guest hosting popular shows like All Things Considered – but she said it’s more low-key than you might think. “Most of the time it’s just me in sneakers 6 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
with a microphone,” she said. The simplicity opens doors. “Radio is a magical medium because people will really let you in,” she said. “I’m able to be so much more intimate with the people I interview because it’s just a microphone and not a camera.” That said, Nadworny, 33, is comfortable with a video camera, too. She thought she
wanted to be a filmmaker, something she was inspired to pursue after helping produce a weekly show at Collegiate Academy’s student-produced KING-TV. After high school, she went to Skidmore College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in documentary film. “As a young person, I didn’t really know much about journalism,” she said. “I learned a lot more about it in college and decided to apply to graduate school.”
She attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where as a recipient of the McCormick National Security Journalism Scholarship, she spent four months reporting on U.S. international food aid for USA Today, traveling to Jordan to talk with Syrian refugees about food programs there. “It was my first taste of true field reporting,” she said. “It was so rewarding, and I remember thinking, I have to figure out how to make this my job.” She took six months off school to do the Jordan experience and an internship at the Chicago Tribune. “When you’re in school, you have much more access to grants, scholarships, and other opportunities,” Nadworny said. “A professor told me to use my student status as long as possible. It was great advice.” Shortly after her graduation from Northwestern in 2014, she landed a job with Bloomberg News as a White House Correspondent when a mentor who was leaving the position passed her resume onto his editor. “On my first day, I remember sweating profusely from what felt like every pore of my body,” she said. “I mean, this is the White House! And so much of Bloomberg News reporting is about speed. So not only was the location intimidating, but the pace was, too. You were expected to be texting the news to your editor as soon as it was breaking.” Nadworny worked for Bloomberg for a few years, with some of that time overlapping with her new gig at NPR. She started as an editor on the education desk at NPR before moving up to her current role as a correspondent reporting on higher education and college access.
Elissa Nadworny, 33, suited up for her reporting duties for NPR while she was in Ukraine. which she tries to unravel the mystery of an educational skeleton at Collegiate Academy. It’s a work of art. “Ever since I found out the skeleton was real, I wanted to know who it was and how it got there,” she said. Most of Nadworny’s stories are ideas that she has pitched. “It’s nice to have such creative freedom. I always have a ton of ideas, though sometimes you can be overwhelmed by your own creativity.”
That’s why, as of late, she been enjoying guest hosting a variety of NPR shows, including Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. “It’s been a real treat because on those shows, there is a whole staff finding and pitching stories, so I just have to do the reporting,” she said. “And it’s nice to be back in the studio again.” Nadworny has been working remotely since March of 2020, though not
“There’s something about higher ed that is fascinating to me,” she said. “It’s job force training, so it’s important to the country, but it’s also a broad beat that allows me to dabble in a lot of different areas.” Nadworny likes to dabble, not only in what stories to tell, but how to tell them. Her background and experience make her a versatile journalist for NPR where she is a multiplatform storyteller able to incorporate radio, print, photos and video in her pieces. “It’s really fun to tell stories while playing in a variety of mediums,” she said. For a perfect illustration of Nadworny’s skill and joy in her work, go to YouTube and find her story “Whose Bones Are These? Investigating a Classroom Skeleton,” in
While reporting from Ukraine, Nadworny kept many notes alongside her coffee cup. June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 7
Hear her stories You can find links to some of Nadworny’s work at www.elissanad.com. To listen to pieces that she mentions in this story, search these show titles online: ■ “Myers
Chuck, AK,
99903” ■ “The
Legacy of the Mississippi Delta Chinese”
■ “Through
Performance, Miss. Students Honor Long Forgotten Heroes”
■ “Whose
Bones are These? Investigating a Classroom Skeleton” (YouTube)
■ “They’ve
spent a lifetime in Kyiv. Not everyone can flee Russia’s war in Ukraine”
Nadworny is also a host of NPRs Life Kit podcast, helping students navigate the college process.
exactly “at home.” She travels frequently for work. In the fall of 2020, she traveled to more than two dozen campuses to see how colleges were functioning during the pandemic. “I’m most comfortable in a rental car and I get the best sleep in hotel beds,” she said. “I love being on the road.” Among the most memorable places she’s visited: Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. “One of my favorite stories we have done is one about the Chinese American population in Mississippi. I kind of fell in love with the Mississippi delta,” she said. “We did another story there about a high school teacher who took his classes to a graveyard every year to choose a person to research.
In her free time, she enjoys reading and running. She’s signed up to do her third marathon this fall. At just 33, her list of accomplishments is impressive. She is as surprised as anyone. “A lot of my career has been a combination of talent and serendipity with thing just falling into place,” she said. “My goal was to be an NPR correspondent in my 40s and I’m already here, so I think I need to dream a little bigger now.” Shortly after finishing the interview for this story, Nadworny certainly went big.
“I’m most comfortable in a rental car and I get the best sleep in hotel beds … I love being on the road.” They spent their whole year learning about this person’s life and then would do an oral history of that person at the graveyard in costume.” (See sidebar for a list of some of her favorite work.) Wherever she travels, she thinks of her hometown. “I love Erie,” she said. “It’s the greatest place to live and the quality of life is so good there. You have it all with four seasons. You can go sailing or cross-country skiing or go to the beach. I have always loved Erie but traveling has solidified my love for it.” Nadworny returns to Erie whenever she gets the opportunity and to visit her par-
Traveling thoughout the world to cover stories, Erie native Elissa Nadworny said her favorite place to visit is home in Erie.
8 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
ents. Her father is Dr. Howard Nadworny, an infectious disease expert. Her mother, Dr. Jan Brydon, is a dermatologist.
She went to Ukraine for a month to cover the war for NPR. At press time, she had returned safely back in the states and offered a few reflections on her time in Ukraine. “Covering war seems different from covering education, but there is a lot that is translatable. Education is a beat that encompasses so much of life,” she said. “At the core of most of my stories are people navigating the world they find themselves in, and that’s really the same wherever you point your microphone.” She said one of the biggest challenges of reporting in Ukraine was the scope of the
Covering a variety of topics for NPR, Elissa Nadworny enjoys creating her own stories and running with ideas that others suggest.
job itself: “I had to do stories about the broad geopolitical and strategic issues, such as sanctions and troop movements, and I had to do stories about the human impact of war,” she said. “We worked many, many hours a day: setting up interviews, making calls, arranging drivers and fixers, then doing the interview and getting the tap, then coming back and writing and going through the tape and doing the production. Throw in the nightly air raid sirens and we got very little sleep.” Their movements in the country were fraught as well: “With shelling and missile attacks, you didn’t always know what areas were safe and which were not,” she said. “Every story was a conversation with our security team on the ground and back at NPR headquarters in D.C.” Ukraine was a fascinating country with an interesting history and she was surprised at how modern and tech savvy they were. “On public transport, metro or tram, you could pay using your smartphone and, even during war, the postal service was delivering and quite efficient, too!” On social media, she shared what an emotional experience it was. She interviewed families, people who escaped the horror and those who stayed. She wrote, ”When you’re reporting all this, it takes a toll. An editor told me covering this, you’ll never unsee these things, never unfeel these emotions.” To read more about her experience and Ukraine and get a link to the stories Nadworny worked on, visit: https://twitter.com/ ElissaNadworny/status/1517471309562789888?s=20&t=gcmuELxEBFGxtgGtiDsG0Q LEL
Most of the time, Nadworny says, “it’s just me in sneakers with a microphone.”
• Hearing Evaluations • Hearing Aid Sales & Service • Specializing in Nerve Hearing Loss 30276734
Erie 814.454.9777
Meadville, PA 814.724.6211
Titusville, PA 814.827.7304
1-800-475-9192 ~ Accepting Most Insurances ~
June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 9
Hickory High School teen is CEO of her own beverage company By Pam Parker
Photos courtesy of Niu
G
raduating from high school is a big deal this time of year, and Cynthia Torrence, 18, is more than a graduate. She is a teen entrepreneur with quite a resume – one she started building even before she hit double digits. If you Google her or look her up on Linked In, prepare to be amazed. She created a low sugar fruit beverage called Niu, which means coconut in Hawaiian, and her product’s flavors include Tropical Berry, Tropical Flamingo and Tropical Eden. “In 2011, I was 7 at the time, we were having a block party and fundraiser for our church, and we had a lemonade stand, but I used a pina colada recipe that our family liked,” she said. Sales were $46, but that was just the beginning. The church pastor, who had diabetes, couldn’t drink the beverage because it was high in sugar and he wondered if the budding entrepreneur could come up with a lower-sugar version with fewer calories. Torrence and her family crafted several recipes and eventually settled on a stevia and fruit-based version. “You really can’t taste the stevia. The fruit overpowers it, and it has a delicate sweetness,” she said. The business started rolling along in the family kitchen. By 2016, the eCenter@ LindenPointe business incubator in Hermitage encouraged Torrence to take some business classes during her summers Cynthia Torrence was named to the 2022 Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania Class of 18 Under 18. off from school, and she learned to develop networking skills and much more. The 18-year-old has had multiple honors operated by April’s husband, Kelvin, who is including being named to the 2022 Junior a pipe hauler. The center also introduced the Torrence Achievement of Western Pennsylvania family to Metabrand of New Jersey. Cynthia Torrence also has two older Class of 18 Under 18. She has been involved The firm took Niu to another level with siblings Brandyn Blackwell and Temarah in ribbon cuttings when Dean Natural production and national expertise. Harrison. Vending machines started selling Niu and when GetGo started selling the drinks along How does someone so young create a Erie connections with Whole Foods Co-op and Fat Lenny’s brand and keep it going? She comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Niu is just part of Torrence said she’s been to Waldameer “a Ice Cream Shop. the family business called Torrence Avery billion times when I was kid,” and she had What do her friends think? Lemonade Logistics Scholastic (TALLS). some pretty important product launches in It includes Zion Education Center Inc., in Erie in 2019 thanks to Brian Slawin, of Ben Everybody is “pretty chill and the teachers Farrell, which her mother, Dr. April Torrence Franklin Technologies, and Selena King. are impressed,” she said, but she’s now operates, and a steel-hauling company moving into the role of a mentor at age 18.
10 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Cynthia Torrence poses with cases of the beverage she and her family invented.
She met with Leave No Girl Behind partners in South Africa, thanks to her mom’s connection in a global sisterhood group. “It was inspiring to hear these young women have so much energy and motivation,” she said. What’s next? In August, Cynthia Torrence will be attending one of the top historically black colleges and universities as a history major. She also plans to study abroad and expand her company. In her spare time, she loves to read, watch movies and research. “I’m a knowledge girl. I’m a learner,” she said. According to a news release, Niu is featured in more than 100 stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana and Maryland. It can also be found in Dean Natural Vending machines across Ohio and Pennsylvania, and restaurants and grocery stores throughout western Pennsylvania. LEL For more details, visit www.niubytalls.com
3835 W 12th Street Erie, PA 16505 (814) 836-1827
relishinc.com Cynthia Torrence introduces Niu at Whole Foods Co-Op in Erie.
#shoplocal June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 11
Millcreek Community Hospital
Nurse Rides to Victory By Melissa J. Dixon
Poulson competes with her horse named Regalia, affectionately called Reggie. Photo contributed by Cindy Poulson
and Prix St. Georges enable them to earn a silver medal. Her secret to winning? “I’ve had good, correct training for me and my horse. And I keep it fun.”
Cindy Poulson, an R.N. at Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH), is an award-winning equestrian. Photo by Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News
W
orking as a registered nurse requires stamina and is charged with challenges. Cindy Poulson, an R.N. who currently works in outpatient surgery endoscopy at Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH), operates on adrenaline. She also thrives as an award-winning equestrian. Poulson’s been competing for 11 years on her current horse, Regalia, affectionately called “Reggie.” Her daughter, Caiti, who also works at MCH, was the first to take lessons. Poulson’s husband, Randy (who consequently also works at MCH), encouraged Cindy to participate after witnessing the joy it brought Caiti. Now the equestrians run three generations deep because her granddaughter rides, too.
12 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Poulson’s goals are to receive a gold medal in the Grand Prix and to qualify for regionals at the Intermediare level. But she’s no stranger to winning. She’s been the grand champion every year for each level she entered in the NODA Championship Show. “The biggest highlight of my equestrian career happened in the 2019 show season,” Poulson said. “I moved up to the Intermediare level, and we were having some trouble with some of the movements in that test. I was frustrated ... until my trainer, Wendi Skelly, surprised me and told me I earned half of my gold medal – and qualified for the regional horse show!” As competitors advance levels, they receive medals from the United States Dressage Federation. They have to earn a certain amount of scores from a certain amount of judges. For the first through third levels, they can earn a bronze medal. Fourth level
In addition to riding horses and working as a nurse at the LECOM Health hospital, Poulson babysits her 8-month-old grandson. Juggling schedules and stress can be a challenge, but having a good support system makes everything possible. “If it weren’t for my husband, it would be really hard,” she said. “And riding my horse is absolutely therapeutic. It’s as if all the stresses of a workday just melt away as I’m driving to the barn. By the time I get there, no matter the weather, it’s a bright, sunny day. Riding Reggie brings such peace. I have a strong partnership with her.” This September will mark 29 years that Poulson has worked at MCH. She started in the original emergency room, transitioned to the new emergency room, then started giving stress tests in the heart station, and eventually moved to endoscopy where she has been for the past 20 years. During the last four years she’s cross-trained into endoscopy outpatient surgery and the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. Poulson graduated from Purdue University in 1986 with an associate degree in nursing and an associate degree in English.
Cindy Poulson, R.N., rides her 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, named Regalia, at a stable in Greenfield Township. Poulson, 59, regularly rides dressage, described by the International Equestrian Foundation as “the highest expression of horse training” where “horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.” Photo by Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News
Cindy’s equestrian awards:
Interested in lessons?
■ Grand Champion of the 2021 NODA Championship
Cindy recommends:
Show and High-point Award (+ grand champion each year at every level). ■ Adult Amateur Dover Saddlery Medal for Dressage
at Second Level in (2014) - twice in one weekend!
Three Point Farm 9039 Williams Road North East, PA 16428 (814) 873-9409
■ 2nd place Adult Amateur and 5th place Pro Am at
Fourth Level at the Region 8 horse show (2018) in Saugerties HITS, in New York. ■ Bronze & Silver in the first through fourth levels. LEL
Photo contributed by Cindy Poulson
June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 13
Tall Ships Erie August 25-28, 2022 It’s back and better than ever! This bayfront celebration welcomes a fleet of 10 tall ships, festival activities, live music and entertainment, children’s activities. And don’t forget rides aboard the ships. Admission prices are available for single day passes, weekend passes, sailing tickets with a range from $10 to VIP passes for $199 per person. Check tallshipserie.org for more information.
Photo by Chris Millette/Erie Times-News
Four points The Big Butler Fair July 1 – July 9 This fair calls itself the largest agricultural fair in Western Pennsylvania, and it dates back to 1895. The Big Butler Fair includes fireworks, bike nights, a midway, games, square dancing, demolition derbies, concerts and truck pulls. It’s held at 1127 New Castle Road in Prospect, Pennsylvania. General Fair gate admission tickets are $8 and children under age 6 are free. Patrons would need to purchase carnival ride tickets. Visit bigbutlerfair.com for details.
Photo by getty images
14 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Here are just a few of the many fun things happening in Erie or within an hour or two over the next few months. Please make sure to contact these sites to verify times and dates before you go.
GARLIC FESTIVALS
No vampires here! If you can’t get enough of these aromatic bulbs, cloves, crowns and seeds, you can breathe in the festival atmosphere in a few places:
The Smelliest Food Festival in America May Be in Cleveland – August 27 and August 28 That’s what Food and Wine Magazine says about this one. It includes food, craft beers, live music and entertainment, a kids’ area, rock climbing wall, tractors and more. It’s sponsored by the North Union Farmers Market,13200 Shaker Square. For more information, call 216-751-7656. Saturday, hours are noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday hours are from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Here’s the schedule of events http:// clevelandgarlicfestival.org/?msclkid=1ef131 8fd09511ecb3c61db65d741b8e
Photo courtesy of clevelandgarlicfestival.org
Cuba Annual Garlic Festival – September 17 and 18 For 15 years, Empire City Farms, 102 South Street, Cuba, New York, has held this familyfriendly event with a host of contests, kids’ activities, pony rides and more. Admission is $7 at the gate and this includes free parking. It is sponsored by the Cuba, New York Chamber of Commerce. For details, call 585-968-5654 or visit cubanewyork.us/ cuba-garlic-festival.html (pickyourown.org) Courtesy of Cuba NY Garlic Festival
Photo courtesy of cubanewyork.us/gallery.html
Our ice cream is full of chocolates, cakes, cookies and fudgy, caramelly swirls. We use real Madagascar vanilla, fresh fruit, roasted nuts and incredible flavors. And we make some jazzy, fruity sherbets.
EVERYBODY JUST NEEDS TO
Now Available in Erie at: GetGo,, Fat Lenny’s y and Whole Food Co-op
www.niubytalls.com
CHILL
2624 W. 8th St. Erie • 814-838-6749 Mon - Fri 10:00 - 5:30, Sat 10 - 5 June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 15
Do you hear what I hear? Q&A compiled by Pam Parker Photos provided by Oticon
Some hearing aids can work with smartphones and other devices to listen wirelessly to music and offer additional services.
Allison F. Keenan, owner of Erie Audiology is celebrating 20 years in business, and many of us at Lake Erie LifeStyle remember our visit with her in 2016 when she and her dog, Max, were on our cover. Writer JoLayne Green interviewed her about all the updates in hearing technology. Since that time and throughout Keenan’s career, many things have changed and improved. We recently asked her a few questions we all want to know about hearing issues and how to deal with them: Q: Can you tell us the most important improvement you’ve seen in the past 20 years? A: That’s an easy one! “Brain Hearing Technology.” Hearing loss significantly burdens our ability to cognitively process sound and meaning, especially in noisy or complex acoustic environments. When someone is unable to perceive all of the speech cues, or
16 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
other environmental sound cues, it is much harder for them to make sense out of what is being heard and can result in fatigue or feelings of chronic stress. If, in addition to hearing loss, individuals are also contending with low vision, stress, or memory loss, the challenge is increased. Cutting edge Artificial Intelligence hearing aid technology now has the intelligence and capability to automatically and adaptively presort and prioritize key speech sound cues at incredibly fast speeds before they enter the ear, freeing up and easing the brain’s cognitive load and making understanding much easier in a wide range of sound environments. This technology is only the tip of the iceberg, when considering all of the advances that have been made in the past 20 years: Smartphone connectivity and streaming capabilities, rechargeability options, real-ear measurement evaluations to verify accuracy of
hearing aid prescriptions, and more. What I love about these incredible advances is that they have enabled me to take better and better care of my patients every year. Q: How can I comfortably watch TV with my loved one who has challenges hearing the television? A: This is an easier question to answer once the hearing problem has been properly evaluated and diagnosed. There are lots of possible solutions! In some cases, we need to optimize the sound source: many new televisions are all about the high-definition picture but not highdefinition sound! If you’re relying only on the small, rear-facing speaker on the back or bottom of the typical television, consider getting a good quality speaker system or sound bar to get that sound out in front. Closed-captioning, now available for most programming, is a fantastic option and far too underused, in my opinion. This is a feature that can be activated through the TV menu options using your TV remote and transcribes all of the dialogue. For most, using the closed captioning simultaneously along with the sound adjusted to a comfortable loudness is the best approach. A similar option (and sometimes better) is to check to see if the show or film that you’re watching offers English subtitles, and to activate this feature.
Those who are using Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can also obtain a compatible TV adapter. Using one of these devices will allow direct streaming of the audio signal into the user’s hearing aids … with the added advantage being that the hearing aids will optimize the signal based on the user’s unique pattern and degree of hearing loss. Q: When we notice that we are having hearing loss, can you walk us through what to do and who to see first? A: There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but it’s typically best to see a professional who deals with hearing-loss patients every day. A nationally certified and state-licensed Doctor of Audiology is the most appropriate first point of contact. These are professionals who have received six to seven years of rigorous academic and clinical training to conduct comprehensive diagnostic assessment and rehabilitation of the auditory and balance systems. Start by doing some research. Ask family members and friends who have used audiology services who they recommend. Most of our patients are referred to us by the patients we already have. We also have many who are referred by their primary physicians. Do an online search of audiologists in your area. They may be in private practice like we are at Erie Audiology or working with a local hospital or Ear, Nose & Throat office. In our practice, we are often sought out as a first resource for patients with hearing loss, tinnitus, advanced technology hearing
Some people notice they have a lot of trouble hearing in crowded, noisy spaces.
June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 17
LAKE
ERIE
10 ANNIVE
LifeStyle NOVEMBER 2016
aid fittings, industrial hearing conservation programs, and specialty protective earmolds or sound monitors used by musicians, athletes, medical professionals and other custom applications. Q: Can you tell us what to expect during an initial exam?
RSARY
issue
SOUND EFFECTS
Audiologist links hearing, health
PLUS: GENERATIONS:
A: A typical initial evaluation should include discussion of relevant hearing health history and current communication challenges that are impacting social interactions or interfering with academic or professional needs. It begins with having your audiologist examine your ears with an otoscope, just to be certain that there is no blockage from earwax or other foreign object, or any sign of infection or other ear disease. From there, tests that assess perception of sounds across different frequencies, speech comprehension testing, evaluation of middle ear status and functionality of hearing and understanding in noise should be completed. Patient education should be an important part of the appointment. Hearing loss impacts many aspects of life and may be a long-term or lifetime challenge. We find that patients who understand their hearing test are better able to effectively manage their challenges and to benefit from technology when appropriate.
Meet the class of 2020
It's holiday home tour time
Allison Keenan and her dog Max appeared on our 2016 cover.
You can read our earlier article with Allison Keenan at https://www.goerie.com/story/lifestyle/lakeerie-lifestyle/2016/10/30/sponsored-content-hearing-well-is/24681916007/ For more information: Erie Audiology 2550 W. 8th St., Erie 814-833-9533 www.erieaudiology.com Allison Keenan is certified by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), and the Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology. Prior to entering private practice in 2000, she was on staff with UPMC Hamot Medical Center and specialty physician groups.
18 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Doctors of Audiology receive training in the differentiation of causes of hearing loss, and the selection and administration of appropriate diagnostic test procedures. Because hearing problems can arise for many different reasons (heredity, high noise exposure, certain neurological conditions, toxic chemical exposure, the use of certain medications, other health conditions like diabetes or heart disease), it is important that a qualified professional be consulted in order to be sure that a contributing underlying medical condition isn’t overlooked. Q: Many of us think that hearing aids are very expensive. Can you give us a range of prices? A: Costs can vary from hundreds of dollars for very basic over the counter “do it yourself ” devices that can be found online or in big box stores, up to $6,000 to $7,000 for a pair of high technology, high quality devices that are prescriptively fit and managed by your hearing care provider. Some health insurance benefits may be available, or an individual may be eligible for Veteran’s benefits or Vocational Rehabilitation programs. An individual seeking excellent quality and ongoing care (which includes cleanings, reprogramming, troubleshooting, and audiology services) and advanced devices from a well-qualified provider might expect to invest $5,000 to $6,000 for a pair, if paying privately. A number of health advantage financing plans with low or no interest are now available from most providers. We assist patients in navigating these options as we assess their needs. Q: Are exams covered by insurance, Medicare? A: Typically, yes. Our practice is fully credentialled by Medicare and we participate with most other insurances for evaluations. Our staff can assist with verifying coverage so that patients know what to expect at the time of their appointment. LEL
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary! Join Us
Open House Patient Appreciation Event Wednesday, June 15th, 2pm-6pm
More clarity. More hearing.
30221132
More life. Introducing Oticon MoreTM a life-changing hearing device with BrainHearingTM technology.
Science shows that we hear with our brains and not our ears. Oticon More helps your brain decipher intricate details of relevant sounds for better speech understanding with less effort and the ability to remember more. All in a rechargeable hearing aid that delivers direct streaming from iPhone®* and Android™* * devices. And with the sound clarity of Oticon More, you will hear the sounds that shouldn’t be missed. Now that’s More.
*Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android™, Google Play, and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. **Android devices need to support ASHA to allow direct connectivity to Oticon More. Please visit Oticon.com/support/compatibility for more information.
2550 West Eighth Street Colony Plaza • Erie, PA 16505
(814) 833-9533
Here’s the dirt on 2022
gardening O
ne thing we all learned during the dreaded pandemic is to find stress relief. And about 21 million of us, according to a Forbes article, turned to gardening. Digging in the dirt and watching things grow gave everyone some muchneeded happiness. Jim Potratz, of Potratz Floral Shop and Greenhouses, says people love to talk about (and to) their plants. This summer, we’re still talking about butterfly bushes, perennials and houseplants.
“There are some unusual varieties of butterfly bushes out there, and some are pretty large, but a few years ago, the Pugsters came out,” he said. “They are only about 2 to 3 feet in width and not very tall, so you can put them in a lot of places.”
By Pam Parker
Photos gettyimages.com
Colors include multiple shades of orange, rose, pink, red and even white. They will get 12-36 inches wide and up to 4-feet tall, depending on the variety. They will also reseed, and according to HGTV, they are native North American wildflowers.
Potratz said a newer echinacea variety is According to Proven Winners website, the butterfly shrubs definitely attract butterflies, also available and grows well in shade. bees and hummingbirds and resist deer and Grandma’s plants make a rabbits.
What’s hot right now? Another popular outdoor plant, Potratz says, is echinacea, or the purple coneflower. These perennials produce large flowers that bloom from June until a frost hits, and they are hardy. “It’s a pretty plant and many new colors are available,” Potratz said.
comeback
If you think you’ve seen some of the more popular current plants before, it could be that another generation of your family had them. A national trend is blooming that brings back the plants our parents and grandparents had both outside and inside. Some tried and true growers are more popular than ever. The National Garden Bureau named the tulip as flower of the year, and it said gladiolus, verbena, lilac and phlox are also plants of the year. You can read more at ngb.org/year-of-plants-2022.
20 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Potratz said the Bloomerang lilac is one of the many shrubs that now reblooms giving the lovely and aromatic but short-lived lilac blooming season a lot more time to shine. Phlox can be a great ground cover, but Potratz advised that gardeners want to choose mildew-resistant varieties. “And make sure it has plenty of air circulation,” he said. Gladiolus are time-tested. “Gladiolus are perfect for height in a garden,” Potratz said. But he warned that the bulbs can freeze, so it’s best to dig them up and replant.
Phlox are among the National Garden Bureau’s plants of the year.
103 Years & Still Blooming!
INDOORS & OUTDOORS
Call us or stop in for all your floral and plant needs
30262049
1418 Buffalo Road Erie, PA 16503 Floral Shop 814-454-1549 Greenhouse 814-453-5501
Echinacea, or coneflowers, are available in many colors.
30262049
www.potratz.com
flowers@potratz.com June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 21
In addition to the trendy plants, many of the 21 million of us who love to garden, often want something unique. Can we find it? “There are a lot of people who want something specific that might be hard to find, but we can often get it. It just depends on availability,” Potratz said. LEL
Gardening is something entire families can enjoy together. Hardy indoor plants are also multigenerational. “The philodendron was one of the hottest plants at the time of the Great Depression,” Potratz said. “If people were going to spend money on something, they wanted to be sure the plant would survive, and they are so easy to take care of.”
And how about the rubber plant? The National Garden Bureau named Peperomia Obtusifolia the plant of the year. It has been nicknamed the Baby Rubber Plant. According to the National Garden Bureau, the plant is a member of the pepper family, and is low maintenance.
Gladiolas are tall additions to any garden.
32 N. Center St. Corry, Pa
HOURS: Mon.-Sat.10-5 • Sunday 12-4
8 14- 664- 3053
www.paintedfinchgallery.com 22 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
"On the Mark" by Cole Johnson
Rubber plants and philodendron are popular indoor plants that many of our parents or grandparents have grown.
A variety of lilacs are available and some will bloom more than once.
OPEN Mon. - Sat. 8am-7pm Sun. 8am-6pm at the farm 839 Peninsula Drive 814-833-9933 • 8603 West Lake Road 774-8592 • 4115 Old French Rd. 864-7276
WWW.MASONFARMS.COM June 2022 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • 23
AN ERIE LEADER IN HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT
A Patio Home Condominium Community For Active Adults
AGE IN PLACE: • Buyer Satisfaction • New Construction Warranty • OPEN 2 and 3 Bedroom Floorplans • Current Pricing from $315,000
“FRIENDLY AND RELAXED LIVING AT ITS BEST.” DIRECTIONS:
814.835.6757
JOEPAL ERMO.COM Our homes feature the warmth and comfort of natural gas heat. Natural gas offers quiet comfort and low operating costs. “Natural Gas, Your Most Energy Efficient Choice.”
24 • Lake Erie Lifestyle • June 2022
Upper Peach St. (Splash Lagoon) Oliver Rd. to Hamot left/south approximately 1,000’ on left
Dennis
Porto
814.434.1145
