Maine Seniors Magazine - Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016 • $5.95 MESENIORS.COM

A TRIBUTE to LEON GORMAN

of L.L.Bean

Plus: Two great ways to enjoy Maine's blueberry crop ...and so much more!

A

Taste

of

&

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Publisher's Note

• MAINE SENIORS

PUBLISHER

David. S. Nealley

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ellen L. Spooner

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ian J. Marquis

EDITORS

Catherine N. Zub Lois N. Nealley Mark D. Roth Clyde Tarr

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ian J. Marquis Victor Oboyski

SALES & DISTRIBUTION

Christine Parker Maren McGillicuddy George Holton Sam Rapaport Clyde Tarr Jim Gorham A. Peter Legendre Roseanne Bolduc Dale Overlock Fred Connell Shane Wilson Victor Oboyski

WRITERS

Paulette Oboyski Dr. Len Kaye Hunter Howe Ellen Spooner​ Barbara Kent Lawrence Jane Margesson​​​ Brad Eden Fia Marquis

BUSINESS OFFICE

87 Hillside Avenue, Bangor, Maine 04401 Phone: (207) 299-5358

Maine Seniors Magazine is published in the State of Maine

by Maine Seniors Magazine, L.L.C. in association with Maine Media Consulting, L.L.C. All information herein represents the views of individual writers and their understanding of the issues at hand, and may not represent the views of the Maine Seniors Magazine, its management, or editorial staff. For more information about Maine Seniors Magazine, visit www.meseniors.com.

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1 • MAINE SENIORS

Maine is a great place to be “In the Good Old Summertime”.

T

o add some summer flavor, we have two yummy blueberry recipes waiting for you in our Food for Thought column. In regard to our beautiful cover, I am sure you agree that L.L.Bean and blueberries are both fine examples of why so many of us love Maine.

Growing up in Maine, we knew that it was special when it came from L.L.Bean. It was always a treat to receive a gift of L.L.Bean boots or a chamois or flannel shirt, on a birthday or at Christmas. Now, years later, I can confirm that it was always a dependable premium quality product. I am sure that each of you have your own connection with L.L.Bean, yet you may not have known about Leon Gorman. Please read the Featured Contributor section and following that the great tribute article “Leon

Four Ways to be a Senior Partner!

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A. Gorman, A Look at the Life and Legacy of a Maine Legend”, by Paulette Oboyski.

At MAINE SENIORS Magazine we want to thank you… our “Senior Partners”. Our seniors are the volunteers and philanthropists who ensure a high quality of life with a community feel, which benefits all of us in Maine.

Please enjoy this copy of the magazine and have a “Good Old Summertime”.

—David S. Nealley, Publisher SUMMER 2016 • 2

MAINE SENIORS • Contributors

OUR CONTRIBUTORS HUNTER HOWE Hunter’s Maine roots run deep. He has written for the Cape Courier and penned a column called Senior Moments for the Senior News, a publication of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.

Brad Eden

Hunter Howe

DR. LENARD W. KAYE Dr. Kaye is the Director and Professor for the Center on Aging at the University of Maine. He has been in the forefront of promoting and planning elder issues at the state level.

IAN J. MARQUIS Ian is an artist, designer, writer, musician, and creative director. An avid creator, he has released 8 albums and singles of original music, (available on the web at ianmarquismusic. com). Born and raised in the state of Maine, he currently live in Portland with his wife, Fia, and their daughter, Lyric.

FIA MARQUIS Fia is a food writer, recipe creator, and member Paulette Oboyski

Barbara Kent Lawrence

of the Maine food scene. A Maine native and mother of one, she lives in Portland with her husband—Maine Seniors Magazine Creative Director Ian Marquis.

ELLEN L. SPOONER Ellen Spooner is a retired speech- language pathologist who lives in Brewer. Her hobbies include reading, knitting, cooking, sporting events, and traveling to the coast where she enjoys visiting lighthouses.

PAULETTE OBOYSKI Paulette retired early at 45 to

Dr. Lenard W. Kaye

Fia Marquis

a farm in Washington, Maine, and edited ten fundraising cookbooks for non profits in town and cocompiled the book, Washington, Maine People and Places, for the town’s bicentennial. She now lives in Brunswick with her husband.

BARBARA KENT LAWRENCE Barbara is a teacher, published author, active community member, and longtime lover of Maine. In 2015, she and her partner, Bob, moved to Camden, where her brother has lived since 1977.

BRAD EDEN Brad Eden is an artist, writer, and registered Maine Master Guide. He has lived in Maine for three decades, and is an avid outdoorsman and sportsman.

Ian J. Marquis

3 • MAINE SENIORS

Ellen Spooner

Contributors • MAINE

FEATURED

Contributor

SENIORS

BY DAVID NEALLEY

T

he Featured Contributor for this issue is Leon Gorman of L.L.Bean. Even though Leon was not a contributor to MAINE SENIORS Magazine, he influenced many of us here and many more all over Maine.

In the early ‘80s while I was attending a business class at the University of Southern Maine, we read a case study on the new efficient technology of automated phone service. In that text book was a reference to a man named Leon Gorman, CEO of L.L.Bean.

He had decided to not invest in the new technology. He thought that a person answering the phone was more in line with L.L.Bean’s core values.

The company values of L.L.Bean, the personal touch/friendly service, and dependable quality of its products, combined with the almost romantic view of Maine’s beautiful outdoors which they carefully wove into their marketing, have helped to promote an attractive image of Maine all over the world. Today, L.L.Bean does business in over 170 countries.

By the early 90s, I was seated in the waiting area in the headquarters where the business offices are located at L.L.Bean. As I sat with a Snow & Nealley Camp Axe Kit excited to meet with our product buyer, Leon stepped into the lobby. He approached me and made a kind comment about Snow & Nealley and the quality of its products. As I stood to shake his hand and thank him, I noticed that there was a small entourage with him. The Postmaster General and several folks from the United States Postal service were there to talk business. (Later, I learned L.L.Bean was the first and is still one of the few businesses in Maine to have its own zip code.) I was impressed that Leon had taken the time to stop and say hello to me, just a salesman sitting in the waiting area. You see at L.L.Bean they treated vendors as well as the customers… all part of the “Golden Rule” philosophy.

Over time, I learned that Leon was approachable and kind to everyone. He did not find the time, he made the time.

By the mid 90s, Forbes Magazine had an article suggesting that L.L.Bean’s “Backwoods Image” and its ways of doing business would have to change considerably if they were to survive against all of the competition in the years to come. Steamed about the article, I wrote a letter to the editor of Forbes defending this great Maine company. Fortunately, they printed a more thoughtful letter written by Leon. Since that time most of the outdoor mail order retailers,“the competition”, were bought out by other retailers… and Leon Gorman took L.L.Bean from a modest company with sales of around two million dollars per year, to a major global retailer with annual revenues in excess of one and a half billion dollars.

It seems that L.L.Bean did more to promote Made in Maine products and tourism than any other organization. Leon has passed away, yet his legacy lives on.

If you enjoy Maine, then you will enjoy our “Tribute to Leon Gorman” and his L.L.Bean.

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Page 7

SUMMER 2016 ISSUE Page 73

1 Publisher's Note

BY DAVID S. NEALLEY

3 Contributors 7 Prime Mover: Leon A. Gorman

BY PAULETTE OBOYSKI

29 Prime Mover: Lois Stackpole-Alley

BY BARBARA KENT LAWRENCE

35 Prime Mover: Katherine Pickering

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER

41 Legacy: Galen Cole

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER

45 Sage Lens: Living Well Research

BY DR. LEN KAYE

49 Around the Home: Don't Overlook Your

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53 Just Pondering: Eulogy Whopper

BY WALDO CLARK

55 The MAINE Point: Medical Loan Closets

BY JANE MARGESSON

57 Legacy Too: Senior Financial Challenges

BY THOMAS W. DUFF & JOEL M. WEST

61 A Trail Less Traveled: Summers at Loon

Call Camp • BY BRAD EDEN

65 From the Porch: Traffic Jam

BY HUNTER HOWE

69 Food for Thought: Blueberries:

Two Ways to Enjoy a Summertime Favorite • BY FIA MARQUIS

73 Here, There & Everywhere: Belfast

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER Page 69

SUMMER 2016 • 6

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

Leon Gorman Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman

7 • MAINE SENIORS

Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

Leon A.

Gorman A look at the life and legacy of a Maine legend.

BY PAULETTE OBOYSKI Photos by Victor Oboyski unless otherwise noted

L.L.Bean and lobsters are the first two images that come to mind when anyone thinks of Maine. Leon A. Gorman was the brilliant gentleman of few words who shaped L.L.Bean into the family-owned global giant that it is today.

H

e did this by nurturing the principle-centered way of doing business that his grandfather Leon Leonwood (L. L.) Bean had begun in 1912. Gorman took charge in 1967 and grew the business from a 2.2 million-dollar company into the over a billion-dollar retail business that it is today. In doing so, he sold the romantically rugged outdoor image of Maine to the world.

product line, the store in Freeport, and continued to merchandise and market through the catalog. L. L. guaranteed and had personally tested all of his products in the outdoors. He set the standard for L.L.Bean business culture from the very start with his Golden Rule: “Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they’ll always come back for more.”

Early Personal Life

Birth of L.L.Bean

Leon Gorman was born in Nashua, New Hampshire on December 20, 1934 and was raised in Yarmouth, Maine. His parents were John and Barbara (Bean) Gorman. His grandparents on his mother’s side were L. L. and Bertha Bean. He had two brothers: James Gorman Sr. and John Gorman Jr. (deceased).

Leon Leonwood Bean started the family business with the invention and sale of his iconic rubber-soled hunting boot. L. L. was an innovator and an entrepreneur. He expanded his outdoor

He attended Cheverus High School and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1956. He was active in the Navy for three years (1957 to 1960) and in the Naval reserves for three years.

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PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

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In 1960, when Gorman was twenty-five years old, he was discharged from active duty in the Navy and he began to work with his grandfather at L.L.Bean. His father, Jack Gorman, who worked for L.L.Bean as a clothing buyer, had passed away the year before Gorman started with the company. Gorman was given his father’s old desk because it was the only one available in the back office.

At the time, Gorman’s only retail business experience was when he worked at Filene’s in Boston right before he joined the Navy.

In his 2006 Harvard Press book, “ L.L.Bean, The Making of an American Icon”, Gorman describes how he helped grow the family business from under 100 employees when he started to over 5,000 employees today.

Gorman explained that his formal business education had been minimal. But, he was a studied man. He soon obtained marketing information from the traveling salesmen who came to the store, attended trade shows, read outdoor magazines and competitor’s catalogs, took business correspondence courses and read the Small Business Administration’s publications about all aspects of business. A few years later, he formally took business courses at

Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

the University of Southern Maine in Portland and took a Dale Carnegie public speaking seminar. All of his studies and practical experience at the store added to his business acumen and helped him, among other things, to figure out the cost of goods relative to overall profitability.

L. L. and his son, Carl, were running the company when Gorman began and were reluctant to change anything. In 1962, Time magazine quoted L. L.: “Why expand when you are 90 years old?

I get three good meals a day, and I can’t eat four.” Gorman said that he found himself working around his grandfather and uncle to help improve the business. During his first year at the company, he kept a black book of ideas, which grew to 400 items. He figured he would implement them at a later time.

In 1967, Gorman became president after the passing of his grandfather L.L. and his Uncle Carl in that same year. During his time as president of the company, from 1967 to 2001, he expanded the retail business, embraced new technology (such as a website presence and internet shopping), created world class “customer

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L.L.Bean Board of Directors meeting 1962. From left to right: Tom Gorman, Leon Leonwood Bean (Founder), Warren Bean, Carl Bean, Leon Gorman Photo courtesy of L.L.Bean

SUMMER 2016 • 1 0

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

room and instructors. There are exercise and nutrition classes available throughout the day.

In 2001, Gorman stepped down as president after holding that position for 35 years. He also was celebrated with the Bean’s Best Award—the highest form of employee recognition. Gorman became Chairman of the Board from 2001 to 2013 and then held the position of Chairman Emeritus in 2013.

In 2016, Stephen Smith was named the 4th President and CEO of L.L.Bean. Shawn Gorman, great- grandson of the company founder, and veteran employee of L.L.Bean for over twenty years, has been Chairman of the Board since 2013.

L.L. Bean Retail Store outside

first” service, and made sure that call centers and Bean Boot manufacturing remained in Maine, all the while staying true to L.L.Bean’s Golden Rule.

Leon Gorman’s Legacy Carolyn Beem is the Senior Public Affairs Manager for L.L.Bean and has worked for the company for nearly 30 years. Like many employees of L.L.Bean, she started part-time at the call center.

Soon after, she began working in Public Affairs full-time.

In 1992, L.L.Bean signed an agreement and partnered with two large Japanese companies, one being a major retailor. By 1995, L.L.Bean had four retail stores in Japan. There are now 23 stores and outlets in Japan, as well as a call center and distribution facility.

L.L.Bean catalogs are sent to over 170 countries.

In 1995, L.L.Bean launched its own website and in 1996, a secure ordering system. In 2000, L.L.Bean did $164 million in revenues on its website, 15 percent of that year’s total sales.

Through the years, Gorman conducted marketing research, streamlined the company’s operations, introduced an employee retirement plan and raised benefits and wages to boost morale and attract new employees. He grew the company from less than 100 people in the 1960’s to tens of thousands over the generations that he was in charge. In July 2000, L.L.Bean opened its first out-ofstate retail store in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Presently there are 26 U.S. stores outside of Maine and 10 L.L.Bean outlets.

Gorman was always committed to healthy living—evidenced by both the company’s product offerings as well as the corporate work culture. At the company, he created the “Healthy Bean” initiative that included an exercise health program. Every facility has a fitness

11 • MAINE SENIORS

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Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

By 1995, L.L.Bean had four retail stores in Japan. There are now 23

stores and outlets in Japan, as well as a call center and distribution facility. L.L.Bean catalogs are sent

to over 170 countries.

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Beem relates, “When you look at Leon Gorman’s beginning at L.L.Bean, he was just a kid when he started. Over the course of his career, he took a million-dollar company and turned it into a billion-dollar, world-class provider of exceptional, tested gear with a world-class reputation for customer service. It was Leon’s strategic focus on quality, customer service, standing behind our products and creating a work culture that attracted and retained long-term talent that has contributed to the company’s ongoing growth and success. With his encouragement, employees throughout the company used our products on outings and in all types of recreation

SUMMER 2016 • 1 2

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

Carolyn Beem and Janet Wyper

to bring meaningful information back to our product developers.

He took that seed that allowed L. L. to create the company and germinated whole fields of outdoor enthusiasts.”

“He was so low key and calm, was a great listener, was always interested, had a great sense of humor and was truly a pleasure to be around.” Beem continues, “I think L.L.Bean is L.L.Bean because of Leon Gorman. He embodied all that was good about the company, instilled his values in us all and made us proud of how special this company is. He was a hero for most of us.”

Gorman’s wife, Lisa said, “Leon’s lasting legacy is this company that he grew and all the multigenerational families that work there.

Leon loved his employees. They all knew him as ‘Leon’ – wherever he went, he was just, Leon. He was very respectful of them and he would do anything for them. He was very proud of them.”

As a result of a Forbes magazine survey of employees, L.L.Bean tops the 2016 Forbes magazine list of America’s Best Midsize Employers. This 104-year-old company drew high marks from its employees.

13 • MAINE SENIORS

Pit stop for lobster lovers and Freeport shoppers.

We are always experimenting with lobster to create new dishes.

In Freeport at my Maine Kitchen and Topside Tavern I’ve had fun naming them, too! Have you tried the new “Woo Woo Lobster Legs” potato cocktail? Or crispy lobster pockets? How about our Lobstickles? And our Lobster Trap raviolis? With creamy risotto our “Lobster Tails of Joy” might be your best bet for tonight!

Yes, our menu is one-of-a-kind.

Alongside these lobster creations are some family recipes for my grandfather L.L.Bean’s venison sausage and camp potatoes, my mother’s creamed breakfast eggs, and my own lobster roll that’s our biggest seller. Prepared with a light dusting of secret herbs I mix myself, over 2 million have sold so far. Try it with a Spicy Linda eye opener tomato juice cocktail.

See you in Freeport!

Across from L.L.Bean · Open 7 days/week 7:30am 88 Main Street, Freeport · 207.865.9835 LindaBeansPerfectMaine.com

SUMMER 2016 • 1 4

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman Leon and Buddy Photo courtesy of L.L.Bean

"Leon loved his employees. They

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Outdoorsman Before he worked at L.L.Bean, Gorman admitted that the only outdoor experience that he had was with the Boy Scouts.

He quickly grew to love everything about the outdoors and made sure that he became proficient in all the outdoor activities to which L.L.Bean catered: hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, cycling, and Alpine and crosscountry skiing. He did this in order to help advise customers on how to best use the company’s products. Gorman said an employee, Wid Griffin, the tackle buyer, taught him how to fly-fish on the roof of the warehouse.

Judge Daniel E. Wathen, retired Chief Justice of Maine, was a hunting and fishing buddy of Gorman’s for over 20 years. He recalls, “Every year we had an annual trout fishing trip around Father’s Day weekend. On that trip there were about 15 or so people. Our bird hunting trips in the fall included Jack Smart, Leon, his son, Jeff

15 • MAINE SENIORS

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Gorman, and me. Those were typical Aroostook County hunting trips, just going out and tramping around the woods with Leon’s Springer Spaniel dogs, recently with Sea Biscuit and Walley. We hunted for woodcock and partridge. One year, we were doing this and had gone all day. I flushed a bird and

Judge Daniel E. Wathen Photo courtesy of Pierce Atwood LLP

Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

it went across toward where Leon was. I heard a bang and I hollered, ‘Did you get it?’ Leon said, ‘I’m afraid we had a hunting accident’ because he actually got the bird. That was one of the rare occasions in which we actually had meat for dinner!”

Lisa and Leon at Lake Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman

Leon and Lisa Leon was married to Lisa Gorman for twenty-three years. His three children from a previous marriage are his son, Jeffrey Gorman and daughters, Ainslie Boroff and Jennifer Wilson. His two stepchildren from Lisa are Shimon and Nancy Cohen. Together they have seven grandchildren.

Lisa Gorman shared,“I met him in 1990 when I was a fundraising consultant in Portland. Leon hired me because he needed help to raise matching funds to establish a community based education initiative The Maine Aspirations Foundation at the Maine Development Foundation. We raised 2.2 million dollars together,

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PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

Lisa and Leon Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman

“Leon believed in supporting community because he felt

the company had a responsibility to do so.” Wyper recalled. everywhere together—all over the state of Maine and around the world on our bikes and hikes. For me, being married to Leon was an experience in healthy living, healthy outdoor activity, and then of course, he was kind and thoughtful just as he was at L.L.Bean with employees and anyone with whom he interacted.

fell in love and were married soon after. Our blended family of five children worked well. He was proud of each of his five children and gave them unconditional love. They all share his love for the outdoors and community service. He was a wonderful Grampie to each of his seven grandchildren.”

Lisa recalls, “When I met him I was turning 40 and I had never done anything outdoors. I knew how to ride a bike but otherwise I had never hiked, fished, hunted, cross-country skied or snowshoed.

So, being with Leon opened up a whole new world to me. We went

Leon and Lisa hiking Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman

17 • MAINE SENIORS

Lisa continued, “I inherited a wonderful company to become part of so that was also extremely exciting. I went everywhere with him— to meetings and speeches outside the company. He liked me to be with him. We traveled all over the world for business –Japan, Hong Kong, everywhere; we were a team. He wanted it that way. And it

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Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

was my pleasure. A lot of business people don’t do that, but it was very important to him. When he wrote his book, I was there. I read it and gave advice. He would take it; we complemented each other.”

She added, “He also loved to read. Leon read morning, noon and night. He couldn’t read enough and really absorbed everything.

He liked a lot of English authors. Some of his favorite reading was, Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brien and that whole book series.”

Philanthropy Community Relations Manager at L.L.Bean, Janet Wyper, has been with the company for over 28 years. She related, “Leon Gorman’s passion for Maine always showed through with his commitment to his Maine community.”

“Leon believed in supporting community because he felt the company had a responsibility to do so.” Wyper recalled, “He also

realized very early on that the strength of the company and the community were interwoven, and that the company’s long term success consisted of multiple stakeholders: community and environment being two that stand equally with shareholders, employees, vendors, and of course, our customers.”

Wyper continued, “With the company’s heritage being founded on Maine’s great outdoors, conservation and recreation are at the core of our community support, and we owe that direction to Leon. He and Lisa have offered leadership, guidance and contributions to a number of organizations to help ensure access to the outdoors and protection of these natural assets. Among those in our state are Maine Huts and Trails in Carrabassett Valley, the Nature Conservancy, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club and Natural Resources Council of Maine. Regionally and nationally, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Student Conservation Association and Trout Unlimited have been beneficiaries of their support.”

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PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

When it came to fundraising, Lisa Gorman said, “After we were married, he and I would co-chair fundraising campaigns. I would do the strategy and, of course, he would open the doors. Leon called people because he had the name and the respect. For instance, they wanted to build a YMCA in Freeport. We gave the lead gift and we were able to assist in their fundraising strategy. It was a wonderful community campaign, and the YMCA project was completed.”

Maine Community College System Dr. John Fitzsimmons recently retired after being the President of the Maine Community College System for 25 years. He knew Leon Gorman for over 30 years, but they became close when Maine Governor Baldacci asked Leon to join a task force in 2006 to help plan the future of Maine Community Colleges.

Dr. Fitzsimmons said,“That was when Leon seemed to fall in love with the community college system, its mission and the people who

Dr. Fitzsimmons, Leon and Lisa Photo courtesy of Maine Community College

21 • MAINE SENIORS

“An investment in Maine’s community colleges is the single most important investment we can make in the economic and social well-being of Maine Citizens.” ~ Leon Gorman

Maine’s community colleges thank

Leon and Lisa Gorman for their remarkable generosity and leadership in ensuring that our colleges have the resources they need to provide high quality, affordable education to Maine people.

Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

it serves. He and his wife, Lisa, got involved with the creation of the first statewide Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges. Lisa and Leon gave the first gift of a million dollars to kick it off, followed by another million-dollar gift to help purchase Kennebec Valley Community College’s new Alfond Campus. We just celebrated our 7th year anniversary and we raised 30 million dollars. But it was Lisa and Leon’s insight, which helped start the foundation and encouraged business people into funding this cause. Consequently, the couple have given more and recently, Lisa announced a gift of 1.6 million dollars to support student success and increase the endowed scholarship in honor of her husband, Leon.”

Dr. Fitzsimmons recalled, “What was fascinating was to be at a meeting where Leon was present. We had meetings with some of the biggest names in Maine and we would be talking about issues as they related to the foundation. Everyone would be jumping in with their ideas while Leon quietly listened. Then he would ask the most insightful questions. After that there would be dead

silence in the room and everyone would feel like he nailed the most important points.”

Natural Resources Council of Maine The non-profit, Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), has been protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine’s environment for more than 50 years. Brownie Carson was the Executive Director at NRCM for 27 years, from 1984 to 2011. He declared, “Leon and Lisa Gorman both served on the NRCM National Advisory Board while I was Director. I met with them regularly over the years, discussing our work and asking for their support.

Under Leon's leadership, L.L.Bean made significant annual grants.

Leon and Lisa were also generous personal supporters of NRCM's environmental advocacy."

Carson remembered, “Leon was always intensely interested in what the major projects were: river restoration, forest conservation,

SUMMER 2016 • 2 2

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

Leon Grillmaster at Preble Street Photo Courtesy of Preble Street

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Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

clean air, or cleaning up power plants. He wanted to know who was with us in partnerships and coalitions, who was supporting the conservation position, and whom we had reached out to. He always asked a lot of questions in our meetings, and his interest led to a really engaged conversation. He was never passive, and wanted to know what progress we were making and what the obstacles were.

His questions signaled a genuine, serious depth of interest, and I know that he cared deeply about protecting Maine's environment.”

to his community in this way was meaningful to him. He was a brilliant man and a focused strategist who helped advise and grow our organization with his right to the point solutions. When he passed, the L.L.Bean family announced that donations could be given in Leon’s name to Preble Street. Hundreds of people donated in his name along with heartfelt notes. Leon and Lisa have been very generous financial donors to Preble Street for over 20 years.”

Preble Street

Former Senator George Mitchell attests, “I have known Leon since we attended college at Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine and were fraternity brothers together. Leon was a terrific guy whom I admired greatly. He was a good student, a great friend, softspoken, did not talk a lot, and was a great businessman. He will also be well known for his philanthropy and his concern about the environment.”

Mark Swann, Executive Director of Preble Street Resource Center, stated, “Leon was a humble and gracious man. Starting at 6 AM every Wednesday for twelve years, he helped serve breakfast at Preble Street Soup Kitchen in Portland and became our Grill Master. He almost never missed a day and would schedule his trips away so that he would be home on Tuesday night. No one there knew that he was chairman of L.L.Bean. Direct service

Friends

2012 Beach to Beacon Race left to right: Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Leon Gorman Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman

SUMMER 2016 • 2 4

PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

Senator George Mitchell

"L.L.Bean would not be the iconic Maine company that it is today

without Leon’s leadership."

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The Senator founded the Mitchell Institute in 1995. Since inception, the institute has awarded 2,446 Mitchell Scholarships, totaling $12 million, to deserving students from every community in Maine. Mitchell affirms, “Lisa and Leon Gorman were big supporters of the Mitchell Scholarships and attended our Gala fundraising dinners from the very start. In my area of Maine, Leon initiated the free Island Explorer bus fleet on Mt. Desert Island, which uses clean, propane-powered vehicles to transport people around the island and helps cut down on auto emissions. Leon helped initiate Maine Huts & Trails, which is a series of trails in western Maine with cabins every twelve or so miles where people can hike in the summer, cross-country ski in the winter and

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PRIME MOVER • Leon A. Gorman

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then rest in the huts after their day is done.” L.L.Bean still supports both initiatives.

Senator Susan Collins Photo courtesy of the Office of Susan Collins

Senator Susan Collins, said, “Leon Gorman was a great friend of mine for decades. He was a true visionary for the State of Maine and for the company that he helped to build. L.L.Bean would not be the iconic Maine company that it is today without Leon’s leadership. He created thousands of good jobs and he cared so deeply for the State of Maine and its outdoor heritage.”

“Leon and his wife, Lisa, were very quiet in their philanthropy.”

Senator Collins continued, “They contributed to educational institutions, trail and conservation groups, and never sought recognition. They always just quietly made life better for the people of our state.”

Leon Gorman Tribute Joan Benoit Samuelson, from Freeport, is the first-ever women’s Olympic gold medal marathon champion. She has run the L.L.Bean 4th of July 10K race since 1985. She shared, “I want to keep this (running) streak alive because Leon brought life to people

27 • MAINE SENIORS

Leon A. Gorman • PRIME MOVER

in so many ways. I have known Leon since the 1980s. I felt like he was a mentor in my early years. He and I were kindred spirits who shared many of the same passions including: love of Maine, the outdoors, recreation, and physical fitness. We are both Bowdoin graduates and we served on the Bowdoin Board of Trustees at the same time. I have always had the deepest respect for Leon.”

This year’s L.L.Bean 4th of July 10K Race and 1-mile family fun run/walk will be held in honor of Leon Gorman.

His Legacy Lives On When Leon Gorman died on September 3, 2015, he was one of the most respected and well-known men in Maine. He was a kind, generous man and was beloved by family, friends, employees, customers, and acquaintances alike.

He left the State of Maine and his family a tremendous legacy

and laid the foundation for the company’s enduring success.

He left the State of Maine and his family a tremendous legacy and laid the foundation for the company’s enduring success. The Maine made L.L.Bean hunting boot is still a fashionably chic accessory for many people in the U.S. and the world. In the fiscal year ending February 28, 2016, the company reported annual net sales of $1.6 billion.

MSM

The Gorman Family (left to right): Jeff & Sonya Gorman, Jennifer & Bennett Wilson, Leon Gorman, Ainslie Boroff, Lisa Gorman. Painting by Jon Friedman. Photo courtesy of Lisa Gorman SUMMER 2016 • 2 8

PRIME MOVER • Lois Stackpole-Alley

Lois with one of the residents at MCH

LOIS STACKPOLE-ALLEY

BY BARBARA KENT LAWRENCE

For the past forty-six years, Lois Stackpole-Alley has been working wonders for people living in the 48 units of congregate housing at the Methodist Conference Home (MCH) in Rockland, and neighbors throughout Knox County who receive Meals on Wheels.

A

s Director of Food Services, Lois plays a key role in the health and comfort of almost 200 low-income seniors and people who are disabled. Fortunately for them she’s had a lot of experience, she is exactly the right person for the job, and she loves her work.“Every day is a new day, and I greet it with excitement,” she says.

29 • MAINE SENIORS

Lois grew up in Massachusetts, but when she was a young woman, she worked for Tanglewood at the Ocean Park Baptist Retreat Center in Saco, which welcomes guests and campers including those with disabilities. After Lois graduated from college, she met her husband who worked for the Camden-Rockland Water Company. When her three children were older, she worked at the Knox Hotel, and was one of the first non-family employees at Dorman’s Ice Cream in Thomaston.

Lois also worked at Oceanward, the summer camp in Friendship run by the Perkins School for exceptional children and adults aged 7 to 90. The experience opened her eyes to the extraordinary needs of the people they served, some of whom were also isolated

Lois Stackpole-Alley • PRIME MOVER

This is the rock paperweight the campers made for Lois years ago.

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Lois loves her work. “Every day is a new day, and I greet it with excitement,” she says.

from their families. The program’s primary goal was to help these students become as independent as possible, which is the same goal that underlies Meals on Wheels. Some of the students worked in the kitchen, which gave Lois a chance to know them better. “Five siblings from one family adopted me as their special friend and ally.” They would walk her to her car, check on her throughout the day, and to this day, some still call her. At the Captain’s Dinner to celebrate the end of the camp session, these children gave Lois a hooked rug, which she treasures, made with grasses they had gathered and dyed, and a painted rock paperweight that sits on her desk.

David Perkins, Director of the Perkins School, taught Lois that varying the menu was critically important for both the physical and mental health of the people she served. As much as possible,

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he believed, institutional food should not seem institutional. That principle still guides Lois’ work today and everything that comes from her kitchen is cooked “from scratch”, never a mix. She was hired in 1968 by the director, who knew her personally, to take charge of food and nutrition services. Until 2015, Lois arrived at MCH at 4 am five days a week, cooked three meals for MCH’s residents, and noon dinner for Meals on Wheels recipients. Now she arrives at 8:00 to plan menus and buy food, and supervises staff and about 75 volunteers.

Lois also does all the assessments of applicants for Meals on Wheels.

She visits each person at home to evaluate his or her situation and capacity to contribute. She knows making a donation not only helps the program survive, it helps the recipient of a meal feel good as well. Some people are able to pay the asking donation of $4.00 per meal, while others are living on extremely tight budgets, some below $750.00 per monthly. Each of them gets Lois’ undivided

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Lois Stackpole-Alley • PRIME MOVER

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attention, respect and compassion. She knows each client by name and voice, and many call her during a day just to have a conversation with a person they know and trust.

As we talked, a young man approached Lois and explained he had just been visiting an elderly woman because his aunt, who was away, asked him to check on her. He told Lois he didn’t know what to do, but he was concerned. He had come to MCH to see Lois because the only name the elderly woman could remember consistently was Lois Stackpole-Alley. Lois listened carefully, assured him that he had been a good neighbor, and said she would visit the woman, who received Meals on Wheels, later that day.

Before Lois joined MCH, women from Pratt Memorial Methodist Church provided casseroles and other food for people who came to the church at noon. This became unsustainable, however, and MCH affiliated with Meals on Wheels. At first Lois provided lunch for a small number of homebound people in Knox County, but that number has grown to over 120 recipients each day. In 2014 alone, MCH served over 39,000 meals and volunteers gave over 6,122 hours.

SUMMER 2016 • 3 2

PRIME MOVER • Lois Stackpole-Alley

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Volunteers tending and harvesting vegetables at Aldermen Farms in Rockport

33 • MAINE SENIORS

Food is not the only support people receive. Lois wrote a clear, thorough and specific pamphlet for volunteers last year that explains their duties, and each volunteer gets at least one hour of orientation before visiting her first client. As Lois points out, “We build community. It’s not just a meal we give in a visitation.” Meals on Wheels volunteers help isolated elderly and disabled people stay in their own homes, and survive on very limited means. They also provide emotional sustenance, and let Lois know if they see a situation they think needs her attention.

Food costs are very high, and Lois struggles to stay within her budget yet meet the requirements of Title 3 to offer palatable and nutritious meals. Unfortunately, a large chain grocery store no longer donates food, but Aldemere Farm in Rockport gives vegetables in season, and the farm program at the County Jail and local farmers do as well. Lois is always exploring other sources for donated fresh fruit and vegetables. Other organizations, including Kiwanis and Rotary and many individuals, contribute to MCH’s

Lois Stackpole-Alley • PRIME MOVER

programs in a variety of ways. This support is vital to the program, which cannot be self-sufficient given the limited incomes of the people it serves, and Lois says they always need more volunteers.

The day I visited, Ernie and Robin were preparing a lunch of rich beef stew, cabbage, and noodles, which Ernie topped with a little parsley, while Lucy sliced and buttered homemade bread, and portioned out Apple Brown Betty, and fruit cups for diabetics.

Will was sealing meals neatly with plastic wrap, and packing them into insulated containers donated by the Rotary for volunteers to take to clients. Though they can only provide one choice of meal per day because of budgetary constraints, MCH tries to meet the needs of its elderly population by cooking without salt, and serving meals appropriate for people with dental issues, and those who use blood-thinners, or have high blood pressure.

Lois also ensures that meals at MCH are served in an inviting setting because meals are an important time for people to socialize.

The attractive dining room holds different sized tables each with

a tablecloth, china, glass and cutlery, and a vase of flowers. Lois knows that some of the residents have never dined in a formal setting before, or tried some of the different foods MCH provides, and she wants them to feel special. Noon dinner is the most popular meal, but MCH also serves residents breakfast and supper.

MCH is raising money to extend and refurbish the kitchen. This is a project Lois has worked on for years because she knows it is critically important so they can increase the number of meals they provide. Lois estimates that at least 25% more residents of Knox County need Meals on Wheels than she can serve now. This important addition will make the kitchen safer, and much more efficient and workable.

Lee Karker, executive director of MCH describes Lois as the face of MCH and Meals On Wheels, and it’s not hard to see why. To the many residents of MCH, and recipients of Meals On Wheels, Lois is also the hands and heart of MCH, working wonders day after day.

MSM

SUMMER 2016 • 3 4

PRIME MOVER • Katherine Pickering

The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

—Jacques Cousteau

Belfast Harbor Master Kathy Pickering

KATHERINE PICKERING

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER

Mention Belfast Harbor Master Katherine Pickering’s name to anyone who knows her and it is greeted with a warm smile, followed immediately by glowing praise for this exceptional woman.

B

elfast City Manager Joseph Slocum refers to Kathy as the “Joan of Arc of public waters.” He says, “Kathy has one of the toughest jobs going. She is conscientious, has high standards and really cares that everyone gets to use the harbor.

There is no better harbor master in the state of Maine.”

35 • MAINE SENIORS

So, how does a young girl, born and raised in Western Massachusetts, grow up loving the ocean so much that she devotes her life to preserving its accessibility for all to enjoy?

Kathy lived in Northfield, Massachusetts, however, she spent each summer with her grandmother in South Harpswell, Maine. She says, “One of the highlights in my life was going to Maine.” It was there Kathy’s love of the water blossomed.

After she graduated high school, Kathy attended college for two years, then moved to Maine. She married a young man who was in the Coast Guard and they lived in the Portland-Biddeford area, Rockland and finally, Searsport . . . always near the water.

Katherine Pickering • PRIME MOVER

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As a young mother, Kathy worked at Union Stoneware for two years, where she says, “I really wasn’t into pottery, but I liked working with my hands.” She also worked for a boatbuilder in Lincolnville, both on the boats and in office management and the parts department.

In 1993, Kathy and her husband divorced and she moved to Belfast with her two children. The City of Belfast had experienced a major economic slump during the 70s and 80s and was just beginning to recover, but it had a long way to go. Kathy recalls,“My brother was an air traffic controller at the airport in Bangor and we were going to visit him. I can still remember going across the Rte. 1 bridge and looking down at Belfast Harbor. It was just this depressed gray. I remember thinking,‘Who would want to live there?’”

However, Kathy did want to live there and she had visions for the future of Belfast and its harbor. At first, she worked at the Belfast Boat Yard, but since she really wanted to work outside, she soon became dock attendant, then part-time dock master in 1994, to full-time in 1997. The job has not been without its challenges.

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PRIME MOVER • Katherine Pickering

Kathy’s first, and perhaps most obvious challenge was being a woman in a traditionally male job. When she attended her first training session of the Maine Harbor Masters Association, Kathy was the only woman among 80 or so men. She was accepted into the group without reservation. As of 2016, Kathy remains one of only a handful of female harbor masters in Maine.

“My greatest challenge has changed over the years from just being a woman in the job to rebuilding a facility that was useful. For a long time, Belfast was so out of the way from most of the cruising routes. You know, people would go from Camden to Bar Harbor and just skip Belfast. a cruising guide that once printed, ‘don’t go to Belfast because all you’ll see is chicken fat floating around’. It was a horrible article, but now I can laugh at it. So trying to get the boaters here was a challenge for a while. Now, I think my greatest challenge is that we have so much focus on the harbor, how do you balance it with maintaining public access and making it friendly for everybody to use with the limited space we have? We have recently talked to the Army Corps about putting a breakwater

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The Boat for the Belfast Harbor Master

Katherine Pickering • PRIME MOVER

BRYAN ADAMS GET UP! Top: Harbor Master’s Office on City Landing Middle: One of Front Street Shipyard’s buildings adjacent to foot bridge (old Rte. 1 bridge) that connects to East Belfast Bottom: Some of the boats moored to floats at Front Street Shipyard

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PRIME MOVER • Katherine Pickering

Regarding Mrs. Kathy Pickering, where to begin...

Upon acquiring the charter of the Schooner Timberwind and building Maine Day Sail, LLC in the winter of 2015, a decision on where to operate from was obviously an immediate priority.

While conducting expansive research of suitable Maine Harbors, I reached out to a Maine Maritime Academy classmate of mine, Wells, Maine Harbor Master, Capt. Chris Mayo, to ask his advice.

After listening to my business plan and objectives, he was quick to recommend exploring Belfast as an option. He told me that he had been working with Kathy for a while and always respected her approach to the job. He also stated that among the rest of the Harbor Masters in the state, Kathy is regarded as ‘one of the best’.

Quick to follow his recommendation, I met with her and instantly concurred with his assessment of her character, knowledge, and approach to the job. It is an extremely challenging position that requires a vast skill set. The Harbor Master is tasked with maintaining a safe marine environment while meeting the needs of a wide array of users. Beyond that, it is a highly political position that must optimize all of the town’s harbor assets to ensure 39 • MAINE SENIORS

Captain Lance Meadows

budgetary success. Mrs. Pickering handles this with a grace that not everyone is blessed with. Ultimately, for me as the Captain of the Schooner Timberwind, it is her ease and humor that makes operating in Belfast such a treat. I always feel like I have an ally in Kathy; from providing us pertinent navigational information, helping tourists find us, assisting with town relations, or simply sharing a sea story on a rainy day—she runs the show but she does it cool.

Katherine Pickering • PRIME MOVER

out here which would allow more space to be used—allow more development, if we want that.”

especially Kathy, really worked with the company to redesign the inner harbor so Front Street Shipyard could operate from there.

Kathy says, her biggest accomplishment is “maintaining a harbor that is diverse. That has always been my goal. I don’t say that consciously to myself every day. It’s just that I see so many people down here everyday and I enjoy seeing them.”

Belfast City Manager Joe Slocum, Mayor Walter Ashe, members of the Belfast City Council and the Harbor Committee, boat owners, business people and all citizens who have contributed to this gargantuan task—especially, Belfast Harbor Master Kathy Pickering—should be proud of what they have accomplished in bringing Belfast’s waterfront back to life.

Front Street Shipyard, which extends over a large portion of the waterfront, moved its facility to Belfast in 2011. According to Kathy, Front Street’s presence has escalated the overall development of the waterfront. “It started ‘a new era’. They do so much on this harbor and provide such good service. It has helped bring forward the changes that Belfast is going through. What else could you ask for that would be better on the harbor than a really good marine service business. It’s brought a walkway and we’re getting Front Street rebuilt—that’s historic in itself. It’s kind of given me a boost, thinking about what we can do now that will make Belfast a better place.”

As for Front Street Shipyard, President JB Turner says that Belfast couldn’t have been more receptive to the business and everyone,

Kathy lives in Belfast with her husband Alan, who is retired. When will Kathy retire? Not for a very long time, I hope. For as a wise man once told me,“When your avocation is your vocation, you are very fortunate.” And, Kathy is very fortunate. For over twenty years, she has devoted herself to making a proverbial ‘silk purse out of a sow’s ear’ and has done it successfully. Motivated by her love of the ocean and using her exceptional ability to work with people along with her never-ending flow of constructive ideas, she has made Belfast Harbor a warm and welcoming place for all.

Thank you, Kathy.

MSM

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LEGACY

Galen Cole relates events of April 2, 1945 to students from Greenville as they look into the interior of a half-track identical to the one in which his comrades perished.

Chapter Two: Seventy-One Years Later

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER If one were to create a list of Bangor’s most illustrious citizens, Galen Cole would certainly be among those named.

H

is dedication, tireless effort, and multitudinous accomplishments have and continue to have a significant positive impact on a countless number of people of all ages as he strives to fulfill a promise made more than 71 years ago.

Cole Land Transportation Museum, the WWII Memorial, the Viet Nam War Memorial, the Veterans Walking Stick Program, 41 • MAINE SENIORS

the Veteran Interview Program, and the Cole Family Foundation represent some of the many means through which he has achieved his goal. The museum and its services are destined to continue for generations to come.

Cole’s life and work have been chronicled in so many books, articles, and interviews over the years that it would seem redundant to add more. The story has been told, right? Perhaps, not completely.

There definitely will be new stories and new chapters added to familiar ones.

Four years ago this summer, Maine Seniors Magazine featured Galen Cole as one of our Prime Movers. In that article, we wrote about the horrendous event that determined the course of his adult life.

LEGACY

Cole was a graduate of Bangor High School in June of 1944 and, less than a month later, he and many of his classmates were inducted into the army and sent off for basic training.

Cole was a graduate of Bangor High School in June of 1944 and, less than a month later, he and many of his classmates were inducted into the army and sent off for basic training—as were hundreds of thousands of young men of his generation.

In the early Spring of 1945, Cole arrived in Huls, Germany and was assigned to Gen. Patton’s 3rd Army, Gen. Oliver’s 5th Armored Division, Lt. Henry Stevens’ 1st Platoon, Company B, Sgt. Claude Newton’s Squad.

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Galen Cole and grandson Bryan place flowers at Golladay’s grave while Henk Didericks watches.

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Left: Galen Cole sitting on half-track in Erfurt, Germany Below: PFC William Golladay

JOE FRANCIS, Sales Agent • 207-270-2940 417 Main Road • Bradford, Maine 04410 francisj257@aol.com • www.lhlic.com SUMMER 2016 • 4 2

LEGACY

William Golladay’s nieces, Laura Long, Emma Drummond, and Nan Langhorne, with Galen Cole

Cole’s squad rode in a 13-passenger half-track—a military vehicle with tires on the front and a track in the rear that made it more maneuverable over rugged terrain. Late in March, William Golladay, a young soldier who had just returned to the squad after being hospitalized for frostbite, told Cole that he was in his “lucky seat” and asked him to change places with him. Having been raised to believe that if a person makes a reasonable request, it should be granted, Cole willingly moved to an empty seat on the opposite side of the vehicle.

Then, on April 2, 1945, while their convoy of Sherman tanks and half-tracks was proceeding slowly through the German countryside near Munster, they were struck by an armor-piercing shell. The shell missed its target—one of the tanks—and proceeded to rip through the passenger side of Cole’s half-track killing all five men seated there: Staff Sgt. Claude Newton, George Blackard, Simon Brewer, Alfred Southard, and William Golladay.

Once outside the battered vehicle, Cole, wounded and in shock 43 • MAINE SENIORS

LEGACY

When Cole returned home after the war, he attempted to reach the families of the five soldiers who had died, but to no avail.

Here is where the next chapter in this story begins . . .

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Toll Free 1-855-848-8226 www.AdvancedModifications.com from what he had just experienced, realized that had he not changed seats with Golladay, he would be dead. Believing that he had been spared for a reason, it was then he vowed that, if he were allowed to survive the war and return home, he would work: “. . . to leave my fellow man and my community better than I had found them.”

The five squad members were buried in the American War Cemetery in Margraten, Holland (Netherlands), although two were later returned to the United Stated for burial. As is the custom in European countries where military cemeteries are located, local citizens volunteer to care for the graves. For the past 35 years, the graves of Cole’s three fallen comrades, including Golladay, have been faithfully decorated and watched over by Henk Didericks.

He and Cole have become good friends over the years. Cole, along with family members, has visited Margraten many times, and Didericks has been to Bangor.

In December of 2015, almost 71 years after the event, Cole received a phone call from Henk Didericks. Didericks informed Cole that he had been contacted by one of Golladay’s nieces, Nan Langhorne of Gibsonville, North Carolina. Cole called her immediately establishing a long-distance relationship that would lead to a visit to Bangor by Nan Langhorne and two of her three sisters, Laura Long of Edinburgh, Virginia and Emma Drummond of Staunton, Virginia. Their sister, Caroline Lowman of Staunton, was unable to make the trip but did speak with Cole via Skype.

Nan, Laura, and Emma and her husband George arrived in Bangor on June 15 and spent the afternoon with Cole at the Cole Land Transportation Museum. Golladay’s family knew he was buried at Margraten but, other than that, they knew nothing of the circumstances surrounding his death. Cole was able to relate the details for them.

While in Bangor, the women shared some family history. Although they had never met Uncle “Billy”, as the family called him, their family spoke of him often. Their mother Jane was one year older than Golladay and the two siblings were very close. According to Emma Drummond, “Our mother never got over his loss.” It was her greatest wish that a family member would visit her brother’s grave at Margarten one day. That wish will be realized as Nan is planning a trip to visit her son who lives and works in Germany, during which they both will go to Margraten.

A reception and luncheon for the family was held at the Museum on Thursday, June 16, prior to their departure. Over 50 volunteers and staff members attended.

This visit between Golladay’s family members and Galen Cole represents another chapter in the life of a man who has touched so many lives, and for Bill Golladay’s nieces, perhaps some closure. MSM More information about this and other museum artifacts and exhibits can be obtained at the Reception Desk of Cole’s Land Transportation Museum at 207-990-3600, or visit www.colemuseum.org.

SUMMER 2016 • 4 4

WHAT'S NEW

on the Living Well Research Front?

BY DR. LEN KAYE We are living in exciting times when it comes to the pace of new discoveries that have strong implications for living a healthier and more satisfying old age.

R

esearchers are working overtime in order to uncover the secrets of achieving optimal physical, mental, and social health as we grow older. Much of this information, unfortunately, never reaches the general public through the popular news outlets unless someone claims to have found a revolutionary cure for a devastating disease or stumbled upon a little known fruit, vegetable, or exotic herb with seemingly mystical healing powers.

So, I thought I would review some of the recent issues of the professional research journals that reside on my bookshelves and share with readers the results of my investigation. In no particular order of significance, consider the following: 45 • MAINE SENIORS

Do you like to dance or paint? Well, apparently that is a very good thing for reasons you may not have realized. Researchers at Elmhurst College and the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign recently reported on an exhaustive review of some 31 studies in the scientific literature on the enhancement of healthy aging in older adults through their active participation in the arts – namely dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts (painting, pottery, and textile art). They found that results of these published reports consistently underscored the positive impact these activities have on a person’s level of social engagement, their sense of empowerment, their cognitive function, and their psychological health. In one study, older adults taking a four-week course in acting showed significant

Researchers at Purdue University discovered that

frequent volunteering was associated with lower levels of inflammation especially in people 70 years of age and older.

increases in memory, comprehension, creativity, and problemsolving ability. Getting involved in these kinds of participatory art forms and activities enriched participants’ mental lives, and their sense of purpose and meaning in life. The researchers conclude that the participatory arts represent important additions to the “senior health toolkit.” They are apparently good for the body, mind, and the soul.

How about volunteering in the community – is that your cup of tea? Researchers at Purdue University investigated whether

productive activities by older adults (like having a job, volunteering, caregiving, and attending meetings) reduce bodily inflammation (measured by a particular protein which is associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and strokes).

They discovered that more involvement in these kinds of activities (especially frequent volunteering) was associated with lower levels of inflammation especially in people 70 years of age and older.

They also believe that it may protect individuals from inflammation associated with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Seems like lowered inflammation can be added to the growing list of benefits that can be derived from volunteering, employment, community participation and the like.

Do you own a tablet computer? It turns out that the benefits of ownership may extend beyond increased access to all kinds of cool information and being able to e-mail with friends and family.

University of Texas at Dallas researchers trained older adults who were computer novices in the use of iPads. Lo and behold, they discovered that the iPad learners (compared to groups of older adults who were not trained in their use) showed greater

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SUMMER 2016 • 4 6

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improvements in two cognitive activities in particular—episodic memory and processing speed. So, not only does use of computers enhance the technical skills we need to assist us in our everyday activities like paying bills and banking, it also improves the performance of our brains. Who knew!

Depression is known to be a serious issue among older adults in the United States. Investigators at Michigan State, the University of Montevallo, and Harvard University wanted to determine if use of the Internet among retired older adults was associated with improved mental health. They discovered that Internet use contributed positively to mental well-being by reducing the probability of depression by one third in the older adults who were studied. The reduction in a depressive state was greatest among those users of the Internet who lived alone. They strongly encourage the use of the Internet among older adults to help reduce isolation and depression.

And, finally, did you know that your personality can affect how well you age? It seems to be the case. Researchers at the University of

47 • MAINE SENIORS

California at Riverside reviewed the available studies on the topic and discovered that conscientious and easy going people tend to live longer. They also found that folks living to be 100 or more tended to be more laid back and optimistic about the future. The obvious takeaways include learning not to sweat the small stuff, becoming a bit more responsible and disciplined in terms of living our lives, and losing the gloom and doom mentality. Perhaps easier said than done—but look at what we have to gain!

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AROUND THE HOME

Don't overlook your

Garage Door When was the last time you thought about your garage doors? Garage doors used to be an afterthought when designing or building a new home. That has changed!

T

oday garage doors are often a major design feature in the home. When you drive up to a house, you will most likely be facing the garage doors and they will be the most prominent feature you see. Replacing your existing garage doors with upgraded doors has been consistently rated the number 1 or number 2 home improvement project for return on investment.

Carriage house style doors used to be a very pricey option, but today there are many more options that can offer high “R” value, low maintenance and cost half or even less than they once did.

The all wood carriage house doors still have their place but wood over steel insulated door sections, composite door faces and steel door faces painted to truly look like wood are some of the options 49 • MAINE SENIORS

available that offer style, lower maintenance and higher “R” value.

Decorative hardware on the face of the door can really dress up your garage doors. Some can be expensive but some manufacturers include basic styles of exterior hardware in the base price of their carriage house style doors.

The most popular new contemporary door style is an aluminum framed full view glass door. Colors, framing and glass options are easily altered to give you the look you desire. These are modern style doors that also have been used to close in outdoor dining areas and porches, a great feature in smaller spaces. Simply open the door to convert 2 small rooms into one larger room for entertaining.

Choosing your design is just the first step. You’ll then want to consider the insulation value, color, what type of glass (if any), maintenance, durability, warranty, price and who you will get to install.

A door’s “R” value is the measure of its insulating material to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.

Guest Article

AROUND THE HOME

Choosing your design is just the first step. You’ll then want to consider

the insulation value, color, what type of glass (if any), maintenance, durability, warranty, price

and who you will get to install.

The industry standard for publishing “R” values is to calculate the “R” value of the materials used, usually at the thickest point.

Uninsulated doors are the least expensive way to go but some degree of insulation will help stiffen the door and usually costs less than $100 per door. The next step up is lightly insulated, “R” 5-8, these models have no joint seals or thermal breaks and usually have a plastic covering over the insulation instead of a steel interior. Midrange insulated generally has steel inside and out with an“R” 10-12.

Generally, the price goes up about $100 per door. Then at the top you have“R” 14-18 with thermal breaks and joint seals; about $100 per door more. More important than“R” value are the weather seals and quality of installation. For higher energy efficiency look for doors with seals between the joints and for doors with sections that have thermal breaks. The bottom weather seal normally comes mounted on the bottom section of the door but no weather seal comes for the jambs or headers. Your installer needs to add a brush seal, single bladed vinyl seal or, for maximum thermal efficiency, a double bladed vinyl seal. The installation is critical because if the door is not properly adjusted to fit tight to the floor you could have air and water infiltration issues. If the door is installed to tight to the jambs it can cause the door to run roughly or even can rub the paint off the door. If the door is installed far from the jambs you can have air and water infiltration.Garage doors under the home and in heated garages absolutely need the higher “R” values. The mid-range doors are good for unheated attached garages, unheated workshops and in detached garages where children are present (they tend to damage the plastic interior covers on doors without a steel back.)

Warrantees vary greatly and are only as good as the installer. Always read the fine print. Manufacturers’ warrantees are often pro-rated and only cover parts. If something goes wrong it can be very easy SUMMER 2016 • 5 0

SPECIAL THE HOME AROUND

for them to say the doors were not properly installed or maintained.

Your best bet is to work with a well-known garage door professional.

If the problem is truly a manufacturing issue they have a lot more clout with manufacturers and they have the knowledge to describe the issue in terms that the manufacturer understands. Be careful picking the garage door company you are going to work with. Look them up through the Better Business Bureau and online. Run the owners through online services that check criminal records and credit histories. If you have a well-known local company with good reviews and ratings, why not support a local business that can then support your business or place of work. This also helps them support your local schools, charities and athletics.

Color options today are virtually limitless. Eighty percent of the steel garage doors sold today are white but most manufacturers offer several colors at no extra charge. All your neighbors probably have white doors so why not stand out with Evergreen, Gray or even Black doors without spending any extra dollars. Factory staining and painting of garage doors is becoming very common because it allows for finishing under controlled conditions, takes the finishing away from the jobsite and allows door companies to install a fully finished product. If picking a custom factory paint you should be sure you are getting a“powder coat” finish and not a basic sprayed on finish because the powder coat finish is much more

51 • MAINE SENIORS

durable. Some manufacturers even offer doors with your favorite Major League Baseball logo or company logo on them and will soon have the ability to print your favorite picture on the inside or outside of your new garage doors.

Glass can be as simple as you want or as fancy as you want.

Insulated glass is a must with well insulated doors and even in midrange doors it will help reduce sweating and frosting on the glass.

Glass for garage doors may be frosted or seeded to name a couple of options, and the trim over the glass offers many design choices as well. More energy efficient glasses such as Argon filled Low-E glass are also available.

Garage doors are no longer an afterthought when building or renovating a home. They have become a focal point because of their design flexibility, increased “R” values and lower pricing. You can change the appearance of your home in less than a day by replacing your old basic garage doors with something truly unique and different.

Don’t forget, replacing your garage doors is one of the top home improvement investments you can make.

MSM Give MSM a call at 207-299-5358 to find out how you can tell your story to our readers in your very own Guest Article.

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Just Pondering

Eulogy

WHOPPER

BY WALDO CLARK

Ever sit in a pew listening to a funeral eulogy and wonder if you’d come to the wrong church?

W

ell, a few weeks back, I attended a service for my good friend, Old George. A steady stream of loved ones, family and friends, and the pastor, who followed their script, ascended to the pulpit and spoke in glowing accolades about my buddy.

Homage cheerleaders.

Here’s what I heard: He never complained.

He’d do anything for anyone.

He always had a smile on his face.

He was loved by all.

He always told the truth.

He never spoke an unkind word.

He never fought with his wife.

He never went to bed mad.

He avoided alcohol.

He never cheated on his taxes.

He gave generously to the poor.

He volunteered on many church committees.

He pulled pranks enjoyed by all.

He cooked gourmet meals with the best of them.

He knowingly overpaid for Girl Scout cookies.

53 • MAINE SENIORS

Got all that? Gee, I thought if that kept up any longer I’d get bench blisters on my kiester. And I thought about what Anon once said, “Praise that is too much and too late.”

George was a good guy, but my word. After listening to all that acclaim, I wondered if he’d been chosen for sainthood. Holy Moly!

I remembered overhearing this at a gravesite, “Sam stopped smoking, drinking, overeating, and chasing women all at the same time. It was a lovely funeral.”

I looked around the church. Some mourners wept although I thought I detected uneasy laughter. A bored teenage girl with distracted eyeballs, wearing torn dungarees, texted.

I popped a purple gumdrop, tiptoed down the aisle, sat on the granite steps outside, and called my friend Rosie in Florida.

Originally from Brooklyn, she possessed great insight and suffered no fools. I told her about George’s eulogies. She asked me if the

Just Pondering

Pope had passed on and hung up.

I knew this, I’d never measure up to George’s eulogy. In fact, I’d have a subpar one. And I realized that if I didn’t write my own, like some folks write their obituaries, people might learn about Waldo’s Little Weird World. Oh, my.

While pondering all this, I remembered that Garrison Keillor said, “They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad I’m going to miss mine by just a few days.”

I smiled. That’s it. I’d request no church services—that’s right, no

eulogy; instead, I’d ask that my friends gather round my gravestone, say a few swell words, and read the following epitaph: Here lies Waldo Clark He wandered in and he wandered out Who was he? Does it really matter?

That said, he wrote a bit of wit But worn out by beating time He gulped down seven gin and tonics And left, quite stiff.

Amen. MSM

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Medical Loan Closets

Offering a Treasure Trove of Free Equipment

As many of my readers know, I have been a family caregiver for a long time.

M

y partner and I have been providing in-home care to my now 93-year old mother in law since 2008 and it hasn’t been without its challenges. However, we have also stumbled upon services and supports that were most unexpected and have made a world of difference along the way.

A few months ago, we were in our town of Windham purchasing a new shower seat which we hoped would enable my mother-inlaw to sit more comfortably in her walk-in shower. A woman on the check-out line said, “Why don’t you just go to the Windham Loan Closet? It is managed through the Town of Windham and you can get a seat just like that for free.” We had never heard of the Loan Closet, and asked for more information. She explained that right next to our public library, there is a small, one-room building

55 • MAINE SENIORS

BY JANE MARGESSON

where we can borrow medical equipment. We were incredulous – free medical equipment? We bought the seat anyway, just in case.

The next day, we called the Township and left a message. A volunteer, Barbara Hall, called us back and we made an appointment to visit the Loan Closet. When we walked in, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Walkers, a hospital bed, scooters, wheel chairs, shower seats, and more filled the room. Barbara explained that people donate equipment they no longer need for the benefit of those who do need them either short or long-term. One simply “checks out” the item, just like a book at the library, with the understanding that the item will be returned to the Loan Closet when no longer needed.

Not only did we find a shower seat, we found one that swivels and slides – just right for my mother-in-law’s needs.

Barbara is one of seven volunteers who manage the Loan Closet on a two-week cycle year-round. While local residents need to make an appointment with a volunteer to enter the Loan Closet, physical therapists and other professionals can obtain a key through the public library which is right next door.

THE MAINE POINT 

for a high-school or college graduation,” says Kristi.“This can make it more comfortable for everyone in the family.”

Some clients choose to make financial donations when they return the equipment and this money is used to purchase other items that are harder to find.

For more information about Loan Closets in Maine, go to www.211maine.org and search for “loan closet.” For a copy of AARP Maine’s new Caregiver Resource Guide, send an email to me@aarp.org.

MSM If you are interested in starting a Loan Closet in your own community, contact your Town Manager and talk to them about developing a plan.

With 178,000 family caregivers in Maine, this is a great opportunity to share much-needed medical equipment for the benefit of others.

There are approximately

15 Medical Loan Closets in Maine, all offering free medical equipment to the community.

Answering your questions, connecting you to the right resources, and assisting in the process as needed

There are approximately 15 such Medical Loan Closets in Maine, all offering free medical equipment to the community. Some require that borrowers be residents of that specific community, but some, like the one in Windham, are happy to lend equipment to anyone who needs it.“People who use the Loan Closet are already under a lot of stress,” says Windham Loan Closet volunteer Kristi MacKinnon. “They may have suffered an injury or they might be a caregiver, but with the Loan Closet, we can alleviate the anxiety about buying expensive medical equipment. Everything we have is free and people really appreciate that.”

• Medicare counseling • Meals on Wheels and Around Town Cafés • Caregiver support and education • Planning ahead for aging in place • Serving Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin Counties

The Loan Closets in Maine are also good for families when older relatives come for a visit.“Many people ask to borrow a wheelchair or walker for just a few days when, for example, Grandma is coming

Supporting independent living and healthy aging

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Aging Well Living Well Expo

Friday, October 7, at Sunday River A full day of interactive learning for older adults

SUMMER 2016 • 5 6

LEGACY TOO

Thomas W. Duff, Branch Manager

Joel M. West, Financial Advisor

Senior Financial Challenges

BY THOMAS W. DUFF & JOEL M. WEST In an ever increasingly complicated world, it is no wonder that today’s Seniors face more financial challenges than previous generations.

Here are the top 4 financial challenges we see today’s Seniors facing and what to do about them: 1. Not having a realistic retirement income budget

While it is not necessarily fun, a realistic budget is likely one of the most important items a Senior needs today, preferably before they start retirement. While it should be obvious that our retirement income needs to be consistent with our retirement spending, this basic task is often neglected. Usually, the more accurate the budget, the more meaningful retirement is likely to be. Why? Because an accurate budget helps reduce or eliminate the anxiety that

57 • MAINE SENIORS

comes with not knowing how we are going to pay for everything.

When working on the retirement budget, not only do the details matter, they are likely the most important part. Nearly everyone can quickly tell you what they spend on rent or a mortgage on a monthly basis, but what did you spend in veterinary care for your beloved four legged friend last year? Did you budget that in to your monthly income? Most people cannot accurately answer the first question, or others like it. If you can’t accurately answer the question, then you are not adequately factoring in the same to your monthly budget. When budgeting, the details are critical.

One easier way to work on this is to get a receipt for every purchase, especially cash transactions. Over the period of several months, or better yet a year, most people will find this to be an eye opening experience on just how much they are spending on the“little things”.

Guest Article

LEGACY TOO

2. Spending too much too soon

3. Historically low interest rates, rising costs & risk aversion

Especially when we first start retirement, the amount of retirement savings we’ve accumulated may seem large. The perception that we have this large asset can lead to people spending too much, too soon. Nearly every Maine Senior would enjoy the warm weather, winter retirement home. But can you really afford it? While it is tempting to use a portion of that seemingly large retirement savings to do “some things”, we frequently see people who spend too much, too soon, only to later realize that they overspent and jeopardized their future retirement years. The retirement income budget your financial advisor helped you prepare was, at least in part, likely based on distribution rates on your total retirement savings. Quickly spending down your retirement savings, without planning, is a sure way to derail your retirement income plan. If you desire large expenditures early in your retirement just make sure you and your advisor have planned for them.

Many seniors are understandably leery of being invested in the stock markets, especially given the drastic market sell offs of 2001 and 2008. However, interest rates have been at, or near zero, for over 7 years. These historically low interest rates have made the returns on most traditional fixed income investments, such as CD’s (certificates of deposit) not as meaningful. Seniors who retired 10 to 15 years ago and were relying on fixed income interest to help supply retirement income, have found those incomes dramatically lower. Unfortunately, we know that our real buying power is eroded every year through inflation. We believe that health care costs will increase faster than most other expenses. We also know that 80% of a person’s lifetime healthcare costs occur in their senior years. It is clear to us that health care costs in general, and for seniors in particular, will be an ever increasing expense. Further, we do not believe that long term interest rates will be returning to their historical norms anytime soon, meaning we expect the yields

SUMMER 2016 • 5 8

LEGACY TOO

on most fixed income investments to stay lower for much longer than some may expect, and likely longer than any of us would like. Especially younger seniors should work with their financial advisors to see if some or more‘stock’ market risk may be warranted for a portion of their long term assets to potentially offset the yields, or lack of yield, in their fixed income investments that are no longer providing as much income.

4. Too much debt

Today’s seniors are retiring with more debt than ever before and that increased debt and debt obligation is a major source of stress, and possibly more. The Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances, found that older adults’ median debt has increased from $18,385 in 2001, to $40,900 in 2013, a whopping 220% increase. As our debt burden increases, of course, so do our debt servicing requirements. Because of compressed investment returns and increased debt burdens, something has to give. Too often we see Seniors foregoing home repairs, skipping meals and/ or medications as well as missing opportunities to spend time with friends because they do not feel as though they can afford those things. A skipped home repair may very likely mean an increased chance of fall or injury. Obviously skipping meals and not taking medications in a prescribed manner can be very dangerous. And while a missed meal with friends at your favorite restaurant may not seem like much, over time that lack of social interaction can have a really negative impact on overall well-being.

This information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation.

Any opinions are those of Thomas W. Duff and Joel M. West and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Past performance may not be indicative of future results.

You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.

MSM Duff and Associates, An Independent Firm, 470 N. Main St., Brewer, ME (207) 989-6082. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC

Develop Realistic expectations

Today’s seniors are facing more financial challenges than ever.

A key starting point to address these challenges is developing realistic expectations about the future. These expectations include recognizing increased longevity and the subsequent need to make investments and income derived from investments last longer; recognizing the historically low interest rates, which may stay low for much longer than most savers would like and are not likely to provide as much predictable income as in years past. Also being realistic about how much of a debt burden we can effectively service without sacrificing other critical elements of our life. All of these items could be summarized as developing a realistic retirement income plan in conjunction with a financial advisor who addresses these concerns as well as any others you may have.

59 • MAINE SENIORS

Give MSM a call at 207-299-5358 to find out how you can tell your story to our readers in your very own Guest Article.

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HEALTHLess TREASURES A Trail Traveled

Summers at Loon Call Camp We all should have the opportunity to experience owning a camp on the water, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy.

I

owned a rustic camp on a Maine trout pond back in the early 90’s. The camp was just over an hour drive from home. It had one main room, a second floor loft, and a small screened in porch I built on the front. It was just a stone’s toss from the water’s edge. There was no electricity or indoor plumbing. We drew water from the pond with an old hand pump for washing dishes and carried in drinking water. The outhouse doubled as a storage shed

61 • MAINE SENIORS

STORY AND PHOTOMONTAGE

BY BRAD EDEN

and depending on wind direction proved to be placed a tad too close to the camp. It had a wood stove, a propane range, and an ancient Servel gas refrigerator that I never really trusted. Once you navigated the half-mile stretch of camp road, which was basically impassable during winter and spring mud season, you parked above the camp and poked your way down a steep path strewn with rocks and roots. The blue of the pond would begin to filter through the trees and soon the red stained siding would come into view and you knew you had made it to Loon Call Camp.

I had always dreamed of owning my own hunting and fishing camp, and a place for my young family to spend time together outdoors.

But, it soon became apparent that the only camps we could afford

A Trail Less Traveled

Guest Article

There were no TV’s, video

games, iPods, tablets or smart phones; just a radio playing hushed music or a Red Sox game in the background.

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were remote and rustic ones available on paper company leased lots. The ambiguity of owning a building but not the land took some getting used to, but for many families, like ours, it was the only option. In essence we bought the structure but had no firm hold on the rocky slope it was built upon.

We just spent sevenbut summers at Loon Call Camp.

Our two not louder, more clear and natural sounding.

Thisyoung is an daughters were drawn to the water likeaid otters whileyou the important part to making sure thatand theswam hearing is giving dogsprecise paddled in worried you circles around them. the amplification need to hear yourBoth best!kids caught their first ever fish off the rickety dock, and learned to paddle a A process called "real ear measurements" is the only way you can canoe and a kayak under our watchful eyes. We built a fire pit know if the amplification is right for your individual needs. This along the water’s edge, and cooked hot dogs on sticks, and toasted

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HEALTHLess TREASURES A Trail Traveled

I had always dreamed of owning

my own hunting and fishing camp, and a place for my young family to spend time together outdoors.

Loon Call Camp paid dividends

The natural choice in retirement living

not found in a bank account.

marshmallows and made s’mores. We played marathon scrabble and card games under hissing Coleman lanterns, and scribbled the scores on paper plates, and pinned them on the rafters. There were no TV’s, video games, iPods, tablets or smart phones; just an old radio playing hushed music or a Red Sox game in the background.

We would read books by flashlight in the loft and laugh and talk and fall asleep to the lapping of the water and the call of the loons.

Offering a maintenance free lifestyle in our cottages and our rental suites

Like everything in life, things change and the kids grew older and less interested in going “upta” camp. My wife and I would spend

You’ll getatmore You’ll get more 304!at 304! weekends at camp but it wasn’t the same without the pitter-patter of little human feet. I continued to hunt and fish there, and snow shoed in every winter to shovel snow off the roof and slide in fresh propane tanks over the frozen pond.

I’m not sure if the Maine tradition of owning affordable camps on leased lots is popular or even feasible these days. Back then, the paper companies that owned the land surrounding the myriad of ponds and lakes throughout much of northern Maine tossed the properties between themselves like a hot potato, until finally selling much of it to Boston investment firms. Some camp owners were offered the land for sale. We weren’t one of those lucky ones and decided it was time to sell.

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Looking back now, I don’t remember as much the brook trout I caught or the partridge I bagged, but I think of my children when they were young, and we were all together at camp. Loon Call Camp paid dividends not found in a bank account. It was much more than just a small, ramshackle building perched on a hardscrabble hillside overlooking a pond. It was family.

MSM

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SUMMER 2016 • 6 4

FROM THE PORCH

traffic jam In a moment of time, your life your normal routine ripped apart.

can change,

O

n a Friday afternoon in late January, I received a call from our family’s accountant and friend. She informed me that my younger brother lay in a hospital bed dying; the following day, he passed on.

He’d lived in Massachusetts, closer than I to where my 89-yearold mother resided alone. I knew immediately what this meant. I’d assumed the commanding role of long distance caregiver.

Battle tested, I donned my General Caregiver’s helmet, hustled to my den, and prepared my War Room. You see, I’d earned this lofty rank through experience. From 1996 through 2002, I plugged 65 • MAINE SENIORS

BY HUNTER HOWE away with my mother caring for my dad who progressed from one assisted living facility to another, finally moving into a nursing home. A long struggle.

And now the sequel to this, the “Return of the Caregiver.”

Like a triage doctor in a medical tent on the front lines, before making any hasty decisions, I needed to assess my mother’s condition. Frail and tired out, yet determined and adamant, she wanted to remain in her home. Who wouldn’t? I understood that.

Therefore, I relied on seasoned medical soldiers to advise me.

For the next two months, I employed a massive frontal assault. A steady stream of skilled professionals paraded through her home.

I received daily updates from a clinical director, a case manager/ nurse, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and a

FROM THE PORCH

Logistics reigned. My caregiver

command post overflowed with notes, folders, schedules, and lengthy follow up to do lists.

My landline and smart phones banged incessantly.

grief counselor. I supplemented the skilled help with private duty assistance, coordinating with a director and various aides. Meals on Wheels provided the necessary nourishing food. Also, I ordered a combination shower seat/hand-held faucet and a walker from a medical supply company. Finally, I insured that contractors made repairs to a variety of neglected household items.

The battle raged on, the flurry of activity nonstop, no end in sight.

I felt like I’d parachuted into a John Wayne movie, the Viet Cong

charging from the jungle, crashing over barriers, in wave after wave.

Crises occurred with regularity, decisions made on the run, tactics and strategies employed. Skirmish after skirmish. Situation dire.

Logistics reigned. My caregiver command post overflowed with notes, folders, schedules, and lengthy follow up to do lists. My landline and smart phones banged incessantly, sometimes at the same time. Emails arrived with regularity, most requiring action. In short order, I added 3000 miles on my odometer and a new Maine E-Z Pass Program limiting the toll damage. Gas bills soared. My mother’s care now assumed all my time. Under siege.

Writer Will Lavender said, “What if you were always stuck in one place, your mind spinning and unable to go forward like tires clenched in the mud because the answers won’t reveal themselves to you?”

His words resonated with me. I felt like I was stuck in a traffic jam, trapped in time, little movement forward, no exit ramp on the horizon.

Perhaps old friend “Pooh” captured my feelings best: “Oh help!” said Pooh.“I’d better go back.”

“Oh bother!” said Pooh.“I shall have to go on.”

“I can do either!” said Pooh.“Oh, help and bother.”

My medical team, who exceeded my expectations, made it abundantly clear that my goal to keep my mother home for the short term, failed the reason test. She required the safety and security of an assisted living facility. Abort mission.

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Acknowledging this setback, I counterattacked by researching facilities in the area. My reconnaissance included talking with directors, reviewing detailed brochures, formulating questions, and making a decision. In addition, I studied my mother’s long term health care policy and started the claim process. Unfortunately, early on, I spotted a possible “glitch” in the broad wording of a key definition. As an aside, I urge all of you who consider a policy to use extreme due diligence—work with an agent well-versed in this specific topic—do your homework.

During this time, complications arose. Prone to falls, early on a Monday morning, an ambulance rushed my mother to the emergency room. After finding nothing but bruising, they released SUMMER 2016 • 6 6

FROM THE PORCH

her at 4:30 AM. For five days, she endured significant pain. Then, another ambulance transported her to a different hospital. There, doctors found a fracture in her sternum and in the pelvic area, both missed at the first hospital. Think about that!

correspondence course complete with a “Caregiving for Dummies” guide. To insure I stayed physically fit, I walked briskly for an hour every day with my dog, Dash. Most nights, I hunkered down in my bunker and enjoyed a glass or two of wine.

She remained in the hospital for six days and a rehabilitation facility for fifteen days. All this caused a delay in moving into the assisted living facility, cost thousands of additional dollars, and added considerable time and energy to her care.

No time to crawl in a foxhole, duck down, and feel sorry for myself, I had a job to do. My mother depended on me. I knew better than to draw attention to myself, that I had to push on, secure the fort so to speak, persist in the sludge, all the while stuck in the traffic jam.

I often thought of the Chicago lyrics, “Does anybody really know what time it is?”

I suspected that many of my friends had grown weary of War Correspondent Hunter sending gloomy reports from foreign outposts. There were no travel or restaurant sections in my scribbled missiles, just raw, unblemished accounts of turmoil in the trenches. I decided to give them permission to retreat back to their“normal lives with normal problems,” a place all caregivers long for. I’d contact them when I returned from the war.

I knew all about the plight of the “Forgotten Caregivers.” On many internet sites, I read basically the same information, “Often called the ‘silent partners’, family caregivers are largely ignored by the health care system, and thus are at risk for depression and illness— that many caregivers experience physical illness, emotional stress, anxiety, and poor sleep.”

To combat battle fatigue, I sought refuge in stray humorous thoughts such as contemplating whether there was a cheap

And I grew insensitive to all the clichés of well-meant advice, such as the“roses will come up,”“keep a smile on your face,” and“I’ve been through it” with a bland voice and vacant eyes. My internal response

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207-660-4888 67 • MAINE SENIORS

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FROM THE PORCH

Be a Foster

To that, I applaud all who have

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some for many difficult years.

to the latter, no you haven’t—we all go through it on different levels in different ways.

I suppose I’d become my own landmine, overly sensitive to what I called the unwelcomed Distracters. I knew better. I can hear the experts reading this, groaning—they’d say, never shoot yourself in the foot, seek help and solace. Of course, they’re right. But, this was my choice. Like Coach Bill Belichick of the Patriots storming the sidelines during a Sunday game, I had to focus.

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No doubt, the caregiver finds himself in a battle, with himself.

On May fifth, the rehabilitation facility released my mother; a nurse wheeled her across the parking lot to her final home, the assisted living facility, not the home she wanted. Devoid of hope, unhappy, and mad at me, she pleaded, “Take me home, take me home.” That day, we’d sign no peace treaty.

I wondered how many other caregivers remember those exact same words, an excruciating distant memory echo, clanging on their eardrums, not forgotten.

You see, here I was, looking down at my mother who had taken care of me for so long, now telling her that she wasn’t safe to live alone, that she couldn’t go home. I could only muster a flat, “Sorry mom.”

It fell on deaf ears.

Maine Seniors, I learned that if you show up, stay the course, fight the good fight, and try to accomplish the best you can for your mom, pop, or other, then you should not feel the self-induced burden of gut-wrenching guilt.

To that, I applaud all who have waged much tougher and longer battles than I can ever imagine, some for many difficult years. I shake my head in total admiration over your unwavering dedication and devotion to those you cherished.

This is my heartfelt acknowledgement, to all you courageous caregivers.

MSM

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Blueberries

two ways to enjoy a summertime favorite

BY FIA MARQUIS

Anyone in Maine will tell you there is no comparison between the big, highbush blueberries that start coming in from other states and wild Maine lowbush berries.

T

he big ones are tempting, plump and juicy, and they are very inexpensive once summer arrives, but we all know the little guys are worth waiting for. Not that you have to wait—thanks to companies like Wyman’s of Maine, you can find wild Maine blueberries in the frozen aisle of the grocery store all year round.

When I was little, my parents bought fresh Maine blueberries by the flat, and my mom would have to put the flat of berries in the farthest reaches of the back of our station wagon, or a significant

69 • MAINE SENIORS

number of them would mysteriously disappear on the ride home.

My sister and I, with our purple-stained mouths, would claim ignorance of their fate. The majority of the surviving berries were painstakingly processed into jam that would grace our toast and our peanut butter sandwiches, but it just wasn’t summer unless my father had at least one homemade blueberry pie, and he’d sing my mother’s praises to the last slice.

I would probably eat blueberries for every meal when they’re fresh and ripe and in season, and with these recipes, you can do just that. I started off with a blueberry cream cheese coffee cake that will make your next Sunday brunch even more incredible.

It’s basically a hybrid of a traditional coffee cake and a rich blueberry cheesecake. Ice cream is the perfect ending to a summer day, and what could be better than homemade blueberry

ice cream made with wild Maine berries? Blueberry ice cream infused with the floral complexity of lavender, that’s what!

We brought this ice cream to a family picnic and not only did it meet with rave reviews, there were no leftovers. Pro tip—serve them together for an indulgent blueberry double-whammy.

My first job when I was a kid was raking blueberries, so I know first-hand how back-breaking and laborious harvesting them can be. I think I lasted about three hours on my first (and last) day before deciding there had to be better ways a twelve-year-old could earn a little spending money, and if there weren’t, maybe I didn’t really need money after all. The workers who harvest Maine’s acres of blueberry fields produce about a hundred million pounds of blueberries each year; I’m not sure how many pounds I managed before my friend and I called our mothers to come pick us up, but I’m pretty sure we barely made a dent in their figures for the season.

My first job when I was a kid was raking blueberries, so I know first-hand how back-breaking and laborious harvesting them can be.

I think I lasted about three hours on my first (and last) day.

Blueberries are such a beloved part of Maine culture that several communities around the state have their own blueberry festivals. You can join together with fellow blueberry lovers for food, music, parades and celebration in Wilton (August 5-6) Rangeley Lake (August 18) Machias (August 19-21) and all week long (August 20-27) at the Union Fair & Wild Blueberry Festival.

MSM Pictured: Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream with Maple and Honey. Armed with your trusty ice cream machine (I recommend an electric one), you can make quick work of a treat head-and-shoulders above store-bought versions.

SUMMER 2016 • 7 0

Featured Recipes BLUEBERRY LAVENDER ICE CREAM INGREDIENTS:  ¼ cup maple syrup  ¼ cup honey  1/8 cup dried lavender blossoms  1½ cups whole milk  1½ cups heavy whipping cream  7 egg yolks  ¼ and ½ cup sugar, divided  2 cups fresh or frozen Maine blueberries DIRECTIONS: 1. In a saucepan on the stove, combine maple, honey and lavender blossoms. (You could use all maple or all honey, but I liked the combination.) Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and allow to steep for an hour before straining off the flowers.

2. Whisk eggs together with ¼ cup sugar in a heatsafe bowl. In a second saucepan, bring milk and cream to a boil. With a ladle and whisk, slowly whisk some of the hot milk into the egg to temper it before adding the egg mixture back to the milk. Whisk slowly over low heat until thickened, strain through a fine mesh strainer, stir in lavender syrup and chill for several hours or overnight.

3. In yet another saucepan, simmer blueberries and ½ cup sugar until berries have burst. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and puree in a food processor or blender.

4. Combine lavender custard and blueberry puree in your ice cream maker, according to the ice cream maker’s instructions.

71 • MAINE SENIORS

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE INGREDIENTS:           

3 eggs 1 cup and ¼ cup sugar, divided ½ cup milk 2 cups and 1 tablespoon flour, divided ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon melted butter, divided 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup sliced almonds 4 ounces cream cheese 1 cup fresh or frozen Maine blueberries

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, ½ cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, baking powder and ¼ cup melted butter. Pour into a greased 8-inch cake pan.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine blueberries, cream cheese, 1 egg and ¼ cup sugar and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth.

Pour on top of the coffee cake batter. Swirl with a knife (if desired.)

3. With a fork, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, almonds and 1 tablespoon each flour and melted butter. Evenly distribute over the top of the cake.

4. Place cake in oven and bake 40 minutes. The top will still be a little jiggly, but not totally liquid. Refrigerate and serve.

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HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

Schooner Timberwind, Belfast Harbor Photo Courtesy of Neal Parent Photography

Renaissance of a Coastal Community — —

BY ELLEN L. SPOONER “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch—we are going back from whence we came.” —John F. Kennedy

I

f you have never lived, or even spent extended time, in one of Maine’s coastal communities, you cannot begin to imagine what you have missed. Belfast is one of these quaint, yet thriving, places that is worthy of a visit. I know because I lived there for much of my youth and young adult life before moving inland.

So trust me when I say that frequent jaunts back to my hometown only reinforce how much I miss it.

Belfast is located on Penobscot Bay at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River. It was first settled in 1770, became a town in 1773, and incorporated as the City of Belfast in1853. During the late 19th century, Belfast became a burgeoning center for shipbuilding and sea commerce. As a result, prosperity abounded enabling wealthy citizens to build many mansions and municipal buildings in a variety of impressive architectural styles, especially

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73 • MAINE SENIORS

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

TIMBERWIND The Timberwind was built in Portland, Maine and launched in 1931. Christened the Portland Pilot, it worked as a pilot boat in the area until World War II when it was requisitioned by the Coast Guard and used to patrol Casco Bay. After the War, it returned to its role as a pilot boat. In 1969, it became a passenger vessel operating out of Rockport harbor until it was purchased by Capt. Lance Meadows in 2015.

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Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate. Many of these remain today and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

My family moved to Belfast in the early 1950s, long after the era of shipbuilding and sea commerce had passed. At that time Belfast was a relatively small New England city with a population of approximately 5,000. It offered almost everything its residents could need or want; beautiful tree-lined streets, well-maintained homes, excellent schools, churches of many denominations, a compact business district where most necessities could be purchased, a city park where families could picnic or enjoy an afternoon swimming in the pool that overlooked scenic Penobscot Bay . . . Yes, almost everything you would expect to find in a quaint New England coastal community, with the exception of a picturesque waterfront.

By the 50s and beyond, Belfast Harbor was a blight on the community. Its shore was dominated by two poultry processing plants, a sardine factory, and other businesses that, while vital to the city’s economy, polluted the harbor with their run-off. Fondly referred to as “Puddle Dock”, it was an area few frequented unless they worked there. If you wanted to enjoy Maine’s waters, you had to head south toward Bayside (Northport), Lincolnville, or Camden to find more visitor-friendly conditions.

Launching of 39’ power yacht Webfoot, built by French & Webb, Belfast

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SUMMER 2016 • 7 4

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE Tugs in Belfast Harbor

JENNIE FLOOD KREUGER The 245-foot Jennie Flood Krueger was the largest ship ever built in Belfast and the only five-masted schooner. Launched in 1919, she was truly impressive. Of interest is the fact that the “Jennie” was built by Matthews Brothers Company of Belfast, which was founded in 1864 and is still a major window products manufacturing presence in Maine. * *Belfast Historical Society

In 1960, U. S. Route 1, which used to go right through the center of Belfast’s business district, was rerouted around the city and a new bridge to East Belfast was built. Many saw this as a real negative since tourists would no longer have a reason to travel through the heart of the city and frequent its businesses; and they didn’t.

I moved to the Bangor area in 1970 leaving my hometown behind, but returning often to visit family. Nothing much changed there for the next ten years or so, but then the bottom fell out. Belfast’s economy “tanked”. One after another, shoe factories, the sardine factory, poultry processing plants, and other businesses closed.

Unemployment was rampant. Many residents left the city to seek employment elsewhere. It appeared as though our city was about to fade into oblivion.

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HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

Top: View down Main Street from Post Office Square 2014 Inset: The same corner as seen in 1951 Photos Courtesy of Belfast Historical Society

Our Place is at The TOP Rumford Hospital receives a nationwide award among best rural and critical access hospitals

But not for long . . .

Slowly, but steadily, new people moved to the area; people in search of a less expensive and less complicated way of life. Artists and artisans “from away” brought with them their talent and opened galleries and gift shops in abandoned downtown buildings.

Corporate giant MBNA established a call center in the city providing several hundred well-paying jobs with excellent benefits.

And, as it had done in many Maine communities, MBNA enhanced the city with its modern buildings. Fortunately, these buildings, along with many other business—McDonald’s, Duncan Donuts, Pizza Hut, etc.—were located off the Route 1 bypass and did nothing to change the face of the historic downtown area.

Standing in Post Office Square and looking down Main Street, as it slopes down to Belfast Harbor, the view is essentially the same as it was 100 years ago.

MBNA continued to spread its wealth in Belfast by providing total funding or making generous contributions to the city that led to

Rumford Hospital takes its role in your health seriously. We strive to provide exceptional care, and we’ve recently been recognized for our efforts.

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Rumford Hospital ranked in the top 20 out of 1,300+ critical access hospitals from across the country.

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207-369-1000 www.rumfordhospital.org

the establishment of the University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center, The Belfast YMCA, and significant waterfront improvements including the purchase of land on the water and building the Belfast Boat House, which is available for special events, and a park with a gazebo.

SUMMER 2016 • 7 6

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE View of outer harbor from Heritage Park at City Landing

And so the “rebirth” began . . .

Visitors to Belfast will now find a city with a variety of excellent restaurants with offerings appealing to all tastes. Browsing and purchasing items in its retail stores that line Maine Street and beyond is increasing. Self-guided tours of Belfast’s Historic Districts, as outlined by the Belfast Historical Society are becoming an attraction for tourists and residents alike.

People are coming to Belfast, whether by land or by sea. Yes, by sea, because Belfast, once again, boasts a pristine, easily-accessible harbor. Numerous floats are available for visitors and residents making loading and unloading boats more convenient.

If you don’t own a boat and would like to experience the scenic beauty of Penobscot Bay, you can book a cruise on the 96’, twomasted Schooner Timberwind which sails from Thompson’s 77 • MAINE SENIORS

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

Wharf every day from mid-June thru mid-October.

American Cruise Lines’ 104-passenger ship Independence, sailing from Portland, also makes weekly stops in Belfast from June thru September, bringing tourists who flood the city’s restaurants and shops.

You can stroll along the waterfront on the recently completed Harbor Walk and over to East Belfast on the old Route 1 bridge (Armistice Bridge) which is now a handsome foot bridge that spans the inner harbor. And, there are plans to extend the Harbor Walk.

As for the waterfront itself, shipbuilding, refitting, and repair have returned. It is now home to the massive Front Street Shipyard—far more attractive and much cleaner than the sardine factory which much of it replaced. French & Webb, Inc., which recently built and launched the incredible 39’ power yacht“Webfoot”, is located at the opposite end of the waterfront.

Tractor Tug Company, Marshall Wharf Brewery and numerous restaurants, including the Nautilus which is located on the City Landing.

Perhaps you’d like to attend or participate in one of Belfast’s many annual celebrations—Arts in the Park, Maine Celtic Celebration, New Years By the Bay, Belfast Harbor Fest . . .

There is much more to tell about the new and improved Belfast, but it is far better to experience it for oneself. So, for a truly enjoyable excursion, visit Belfast this summer.

And, consider this: Were Belfast to adopt a theme song, it definitely would be,“If My Friends Could See Me Now”, from the Broadway musical and film Sweet Charity.

“What a step up! Holy cow!

They'd never believe it If my friends could see me now.”

MSM

The waterfront is also home to the stately tugs of Penobscot Bay

You’ll see the

difference!

663 Stillwater Ave, Bangor Mall | Bangor

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SUMMER 2016 • 7 8

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