WINTER 2018 • $5.95 MESENIORS.COM
Inside: • Ruth Gray • Katie Ouilette • Johnny "Swisher" Mitchell • Owls in Winter • A New Man for a New Year • Comfort Food for a Cold Winter Night ...and so much more!
Maestro Robert Moody of the Portland Symphony Orchestra
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Cover artwork, Winter Magic, by Casey Johnson
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 Shelagh Talbot
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Victor Oboyski Joe Sawyer
SALES & DISTRIBUTION
Christine Parker Kimberly Reid Ellie Stengal Laurie Winslow Linda Coleman Leonard Russell Jim Gorham A. Peter Legendre Judy Legendre Roseanne Bolduc Stephanie Lachance Deborah Batting Clyde Tarr Diane Nute Jim Nute Paul Conley Laurie A. Poirier
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WRITERS
Dr. Len Kaye Jane Margesson Shelagh Talbot Ellen L. Spooner Hunter Howe Sheila Grant Larry Grard Chloe Jon Paul LC Van Savage Brad Eden
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Winter in Maine can be beautiful and it can also be a challenge. Is this not the case with life?
M
aybe this is why we enjoy reading about inspirational people who find the time and energy to improve the human condition.
Whether it is within an organization, a community, or statewide, the “Prime Movers” highlighted in Maine Seniors Magazine have done something extraordinary, to reach above and beyond. To go that “extra mile” seems to be the hallmark of so many of Maine’s seniors. Read about Ruth Gray, who reflects on her service in the Red Cross during WWII and credits her longevity, to “good genes”…although, we know that Ruth’s keeping very active has certainly helped, too. This Old Town Canoe descendant took a jet-ski across Cold Stream Pond at age 90. Ruth has hosted a summer outing at her camp on Cold Stream Pond for her church members for nearly twenty years, stating that, “They enjoy it, and many of them don’t have any place to go to celebrate or enjoy the water.” At age 101, Ruth tries to stay busy and rallies some of her younger friends, in their 80’s and 90’s, to visit often. Also enjoy the article on Katie Valliere-Denis Ouilette who took her passion for song and dance and resurrected Lakewood Theater. During this period in her life, she found the time to help veterans and their families in Maine as a member of the American Legion. Plus, she became the Director of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England. Recently she wrote a children’s book – Two Birds in a Box. At age 87, Katie has another book in the works. Dr. Len Kaye shares with us a renewed perspective on how fragile the human condition is, in his Sage Lens column this month,“A New Man, In A New Year”. This brings to mind our new column for Maine Seniors, Bucket List. We all have those things we would still like to do. Even if some of those things you have to experience by living vicariously through the pages of Maine Seniors Magazine… enjoy.
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.
—David S. Nealley, Publisher
SUBSCRIPTIONS
10 issues for $29.95 by making a check, payable to Maine Seniors Magazine. Mail to Maine Seniors Magazine, 87 Hillside Avenue, Bangor, Maine 04401.
Recycled paper made in Maine
WINTER 2018 • 2
Contributors
FEATURED
Contributor
The Featured Contributor for this issue is Shelagh Talbot.
S
helagh came to Maine Seniors Magazine by quite the twisty trail. She was raised in Bennington, Vermont and decided that she wanted to be an actress and singer. The acting thing didn’t work out except for a few minor roles in “Grade God-awful” movies, but she was fortunate in the singing department. She had regular gigs in Boston for a number of years and also headed up a lounge band in Las Vegas at the Sands Hotel. She traveled to Ireland, Japan and Taiwan and sang with house bands in clubs in those countries. Japan made the biggest impression – it was during the 1980s and American singers were all the rage there. Shelagh also had a career in children’s television
as Associate Producer for two shows – Rex Trailer’s Boomtown and Jabberwocky, the latter achieving acclaim on a national scale.
Page 5
Shelagh got into the movie industry shortly thereafter, working in the art department and as a set dresser. She worked on many films including Rushmore, Arlington Road, and an award-winning television series by Michael Mann – Crime Story. After that wild ride, she came to Maine and started working as a journalist for local newspapers. She ended up in Greenville and spent a number of years at the Moosehead Messenger before becoming editor of Up North magazine. She wrote most of the stories, took lots of photographs, and laid out the whole magazine in a PDF format for publishing. Unfortunately, Up North didn’t survive. Fortunately, Shelagh was recommended to Maine Seniors Magazine and we are delighted to have her as one of our exceptional writers. MSM
WINTER 2018 ISSUE 2 Publisher's Note
BY DAVID S. NEALLEY
3 Contributors 5 Prime Mover: Portland Symphony Orchestra
BY CHARLOTTE GILL
Page 17
17 Prime Mover: Ruth Gray
BY SHEILA GRANT
28 Prime Mover: Katie Ouilette
BY SHELAGH TALBOT
33 Prime Mover: Johnny "Swisher" Mitchell
BY LARRY GRARD
41 Sage Lens: A New Man in a New Year
BY DR. LEN KAYE
45 Just Pondering: Bolted And Booted Over 100 Artists
Independent & Assisted Living for Seniors
Serving the Community for 20 Years! Call Katelynn to take a tour!
BY WALDO CLARK
47 The MAINE Point: Aging in Place
BY JANE MARGESSON
Page 28
49 Chloe's Corner: The Choice Is Yours
BY CHLOE JONPAUL
51 Special: Bucket List
Art Supplies
Page 33
BY SHEILA GRANT
53 Special: Victoria, Norman & Mom
BY LC VAN SAVAGE
55 Legacy: Your IRA and the IRS
Art Classes
57 A Trail Less Traveled: Owls in Winter
www.LighthouseArtsCenter.com
3 • MAINE SENIORS
BY BRAD EDEN
59 Food for Thought: Comfort Food for a Cold
Maine Artists
86 Main Street, Bucksport
GUEST ARTICLE
Winter Night • BY ELLEN L. SPOONER
61 From the Porch: Kick the Bucket 550 College St. • Lewiston, ME • 207-786-7149 www.montelloheights.org
BY HUNTER HOWE
Page 57
WINTER 2018 • 4
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Portland Symphony Maestro Robert Moody.
A Centennial Celebration of Bernstein; The Portland Symphony, Robert Moody conducting ChoralArt Society The Magic of Christmas at Merrill Auditorium, 2017
THE PORTLAND
Symphony Orchestra BY CHARLOTTE GILL
Founded in 1923, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is the largest performing arts organization in Maine and regarded as one of the country’s top regional orchestras.
5 • MAINE SENIORS
T
he PSO is honoring Maestro Robert Moody in his 10th and final season as music director. At the same time, the PSO is bringing three finalists to Portland, Ken-David Masur, Eckart Preu, and Daniel Meyer, and each will conduct concerts as the final stage in the process to find the PSO’s next artistic leader.
We asked Carolyn Nishon, Executive Director of the PSO, about this energizing time: “This season, there is so much to celebrate and a promising future to look towards. Maestro Robert Moody has grown and strengthened the orchestra, welcoming all audiences to enjoy great music. In a decade’s time, the PSO has reshaped our mission – to serve our community by enriching lives through music; we have focused the limelight on our musicians and incredible music-making resulting in record-breaking attendance; and we have fostered the accessibility and transformative power of music by creating an arts-integrated program in the schools (“PSO Explorers”) as well as our Discovery series for young people, their families, and neighbors.” WINTER 2018 • 6
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Portland Symphony Bassoon
PSO Bass Section, Brahms First Symphony, 2017
“Classical music is dying,” Mical Hutson, Director of Marketing and Communications laughs.“I can’t even begin to tell you how often I hear this, but I guess Portland, Maine just hasn’t gotten the memo yet. I’ve gotten phone calls from other symphonies asking me how we’re selling out our hall repeatedly,” she shrugs. “It’s an alchemical stew that makes our ticket sales continue to trend higher and our Pops and Classical Subscriptions are breaking all-time records the second year in a row.” What’s in that stew? World-caliber musicians, many of whom are riding the freeways to play in the Boston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Rhode Island and other places in addition to their work in Portland. But the PSO also breathes their mission into everything they do throughout the community. From their ground-breaking early-literacy program in the public school system which is receiving national attention—PSO Explorers— to main stage performances at Merrill Auditorium that are electrifying audiences—there are thousands of people being 7 • MAINE SENIORS
WINTER 2018 • 8
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Portland Symphony
touched through wide-ranging education and community outreach programs. “We serve and steward people’s love of music outside Merrill Auditorium. In the hall, we make great music. When people say classical music is dead – and they have been doing it for centuries - they are forgetting that the only reason we’ve been able to debate it for centuries is because it endures. It’s quality. Portland loves quality. And they love watching Robert Moody. He’s a gifted communicator from the podium – and not in just creating music but telling us about it.” How will the PSO replace their Music Director Robert Moody who has been at the helm during the organization’s shift from a budget deficit to nine straight years in the black and the healthiest bottom line in its 93-year history? Ray Cornils, Municipal Organist,The Magic of Christmas concert, 2017. Photo by Mical Hutson
When seeking a new Music Director, 240 individuals from around the world applied. Over the last two years, it has been a pleasure and an education to work with our three finalists. Carolyn Nishon, the PSO’s Executive Director shared some insights.“When seeking a new Music Director, 240 individuals from around the world applied. Over the last two years, it has been a pleasure and an education to work with our three
finalists; the search committee has traveled across the country to connect with them, and now, we welcome them to Maine. We hope you join us to meet them in lectures, the concerts they have programmed, Q&A sessions, and luncheons. It is an honor to celebrate Robert and to steward this incredible orchestra into a very successful and music-filled future.” There is a palpable sense of excitement about the PSO as the community engages in the search. The Symphony provides ample opportunities for the community to meet these finalists as well as spend time with their outgoing Music Director. For every concert, there is a pre-concert lecture with the conductors and a post-concert Q&A; and if you provide an email address when you buy your tickets to the Finalists’ concerts, the Symphony will email a survey requesting feedback the following day.
The Magic of Christmas holiday concert Photo by Mical Hutson
BUY TICKETS: 207.774.0465 www.portlandstage.org
25A Forest Ave, Portland ME
9 • MAINE SENIORS
WINTER 2018 • 1 0
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Portland Symphony
ECKART PREU is Music Director of the Spokane Symphony (WA) and the Stamford Symphony (CT). He is also the newly appointed Music Director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Like the other two finalists, he has a long resume of international performances around the world. He also has a background in chorus. Eckart Preu’s early musical training was in piano and voice. At the age of 10, he became a member of the Boys Choir Dresdner Kreuzchor and went on to work with them as soloist, rehearsal pianist, and Assistant Conductor. He subsequently served as a vocal coach with the Altenburg Opera and the Erfurt Opera House in Germany. Recognizing music as tool for outreach, Eckart Preu conducted concerts in a unique collaboration with the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Wellpinit.
Eckart Preu conducting Summermusik
Ken-David Masur by Beth Ross Buckley
Life is good here. The 2017-18 season is a time to celebrate the growth of our hometown orchestra over the past ten years while looking forward to building on the quality and accessibility of its programs through new artistic leadership. WHO ARE THE FINALISTS: KEN-DAVID MASUR has been hailed as "fearless, bold, and a life-force" (San Diego Union-Tribune) and "a brilliant and commanding conductor with unmistakable charisma" (Leipzig Volkszeitung), is currently the Associate Conductor of the Boston Symphony. He and his wife, pianist Melinda Lee Masur, are founders and Artistic Directors of the Chelsea Music Festival, an annual two-week long multi-media production of music, art, and cuisineThe New York Times called this celebration of the arts and senses a “gem of a series.” 11 • MAINE SENIORS
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PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Portland Symphony Moody thanking the appreciative audience Photo by Mical Hutson
DANIEL MEYER is the Music Director of the Asheville Symphony and Erie Philharmonic. At Boston University, Mr. Meyer received the Orchestral Conducting Honors Award and at Aspen was awarded the prestigious Conducting Prize from David Zinman. He also received an honorary doctorate last year from Edinboro University, serves as the Artistic Director of the Westmoreland Symphony and Director of Orchestral Activities at Duquesne University. MSM
An exciting season of music and events continues! A 2018 Concert Guide by Music Director Finalist Ken-David Masur, Music Director Finalist Oscars’ Biggest Hits Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 7:30 PM Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 2:30 PM Merrill Auditorium Hollywood classics from Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Pink Panther and James Bond! Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 7:30 PM Natasha Paremski, piano Eckart Preu, Music Director Finalist
Daniel Meyer
The Blue Danube Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 2:30 PM Caroline Goulding, violin Joshua Roman, cello Daniel Meyer, Music Director Finalist Rodgers & Hammerstein on Broadway Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 7:30 PM Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 2:30 PM Lisa Vroman, soloist Swan Lake Sunday, May 13, 2018 at 2:30 PM Kim Chee-Yun, violin Robert Moody, Music Director Mozart and Strauss Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 7:30 PM Henry Kramer, paino Ravel’s Boléro Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 2:30 PM Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 7:30 PM Mahler – Resurrection Symphony ROBERT MOODY’S FINAL Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 2:30 PM Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 7:30 PM
13 • MAINE SENIORS
WINTER 2018 • 1 4
HISTORY
HISTORY
Presidents Day is observed on the 3rd Monday in February in most states in these United States of America.
Presidents Day
Up until 1971, February 12th was for celebrating President Lincoln’s birthday and February 22 was for celebrating Washington’s birthday. It was President Nixon, who then proclaimed one single federal holiday to honor all past Presidents. Many states still celebrate Presidents Day as Washington and Lincoln’s Day.
President Lincoln’s Birthday observance has it roots in Maine. Please read below a letter taken from a transcript of Lincoln’s Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin in 1887. (read more at www.shapell.org)
Hannibal Hamlin Calls for Making Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday a National Day of Observance TRANSCRIPT • BANGOR ME • FEB 7, 1887 James P. Foster Esq. V. Prest. of The Republican Club N.Y. Dear Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 2d inst inclosing an invitation to me to attend the First Annual Dinner to be given February the twelfth, the anniversary of Lincoln's Birthday at Delmonico's. I regret exceeding[ly] my inability to be present on that occasion. I would be glad to testify by my presence my high appreciation of Mr. Lincoln and pay homage to his memory and worth, but my engagements are such that I cannot do so. Your club has well and wisely acted in making this the commencement of an annual observance of Mr. Lincoln's Birthday. The day should be made national like the Birth day of Washington. Let each be appropriately observed, as one of the best things to inculcate upon upon [sic] those who, in the ages, shall come after us. It is patriotic to do so, and it serves to promote a love of country and keep alive and fresh a memory of Patriotic men.
Hannibal Hamlin
In haste Yours truly,
15 • MAINE SENIORS
WINTER 2018 • 1 6
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Ruth Gray Ruth Gray, at home in Orono, remembers her days as a photographer for Holiday Magazine. Grant photo
RUTH GRAY A life well lived is its own reward
At first glance, it might seem that the most
interesting thing about Ruth Gray, 101, is her advanced age, and that she still lives alone and prepares her own meals.
O
r maybe, it’s that her grandfather founded the Old Town Canoe Company, which later flourished under her father’s leadership. While those things are certainly of interest, Ruth is also a world traveler, a published photographer, an author, an eye-witness to much of WWII across Europe, and a woman who remains to this day very involved with her family and her community.
17 • MAINE SENIORS
• BY SHEILA GRANT
Ruth got into photography because, “I wanted to travel and see the world, and I thought that was a good way,” she said.“I got to see all except the Pacific.” While Ruth said “everywhere” was the most interesting country she traveled to and that she didn’t have a favorite, she did think her time in Nepal was fascinating because, “it was so different from our lives, up on the border with China.” Ruth sold her photography directly to publications, and also sold pictures through an agency in New York City. Many of her photographs appeared in Holiday Magazine, which was in publication from 1946 to 1977. Ruth’s photographs also appeared in National Geographic.
WINTER 2018 • 1 8
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Ruth Gray
Well-being & Peace of Mind.
Genealogy is another of Ruth’s interests. She has published
It’s Our Mission.
several books, including
her own family’s history.
hand, with designs including native plants, mythological creatures, and Southwestern kokopellis. “I didn’t sit and wonder what I was going to do like I do now,” Ruth said. Living through history
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Ruth Gray became an American Red Cross volunteer during WWII. Photo courtesy of Ruth Gray.
Photographic subjects varied. “It depended on whether it was for me or for the agency,” Ruth said. Through the agency, “I did a lot for an architect.” And for herself? “Anything that would take me visiting some different country,” she said. Many of her photographs captured the plant life in far-flung places.
The changes in technology over Ruth’s lifetime have been too numerous and far-reaching to imagine, including not only digital photography, but computers themselves, along with advances in transportation. A lot of history has marched by during Ruth’s lifetime, and she’s had a front row seat for much of it. “I served with the Red Cross overseas during WWII,” Ruth said. She was a member of Clubmobile Group C, one of many such units fielded by the American Red Cross to offer coffee, American Red Cross Clubmobile Group C landed at Omaha Beach during the second wave. Ruth Gray photo.
The self-taught photographer still remembers having to develop her own negatives and prepare and overlay four individually colored images to produce her first color photographs when that technology came along. Genealogy is another of Ruth’s interests. She has published several books, including her own family’s history, a series entitled Maine Families in 1790, and other genealogies. She has been active in the Old Town Historical Society for decades, and is an avid reader of historical documents and letters. Ruth also used to do a lot of needlepoint. All the dining room chairs in her home, at the family camp, and at the homes of several family members feature themed needlepoint by Ruth’s WINTER 2018 • 2 0
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Ruth Gray
cities in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The hardships of living in the field were compounded by the danger. The women learned to weave camouflage nets to cover the Clubmobiles, which traveled with paint over the headlights to reduce the risk of enemy fire. The women were present at the Battle of the Bulge. They also experienced life just 500 yards from the front line at times. Ruth writes about nearby buildings getting shelled in some cities. “Some shells were close,” she writes.“We were holding a meeting in the basement of the hotel when a blast damaged our hotel. It was fortunate we had not gone to bed.” Accompanying the entry is a picture of a hotel bed covered with debris.
Ruth was one of five siblings who grew up playing at the feet of their grandfather and father, who founded and grew the Old Town Canoe Company. Photo courtesy of Ruth Gray. In this 1920 Christmas card photograph, Ruth (far right) is seen with siblings Deane, Braley, George Alexander, and Eleanor Gray. Photo courtesy of Ruth Gray.
doughnuts, and cheer to troops as they took a day’s rest from front-line battle. Even though Group C landed on Omaha Beach during the second wave and advanced with the troops from France all the way into Germany, Ruth said she was not afraid. “I wouldn’t have gone if I’d been too scared,” she said.“I thought it would be interesting, and that time was an important part of my life. I enjoyed being where something was going on.” Upon her return home, Ruth used her war-time photographs and notes to create a booklet for her parents, “to give them a little idea of the trip.” In 2003, with that booklet deteriorating, she worked with Scott Gould, who provided the computer know-how, to transform the booklet into a book recounting her experiences. Ruth recalls seeing the lights of artillery fire while waiting aboard ship to land at Omaha Beach. The next several months would see the women of Group C travel through war-torn 21 • MAINE SENIORS
But there were enriching experiences, too. Highlights included rides on tanks and lessons on their operation, horse-drawn buggy rides down the Champs-Élysées amid the armored vehicles parked along the roadside, meeting celebrities like Dinah Shore who came to entertain the troops, and most of all, getting to see so much of Europe.
Ruth recalls seeing the lights of artillery fire while waiting aboard ship to land at Omaha Beach. In June, 2012, the U.S. Senate recognized the volunteer service of the women who operated Clubmobiles. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), said from the Senate floor,“A visit from a Clubmobile was one of the most significant events for a young G.I. in combat far from home, and the women of the Clubmobiles, young women from every state, acted as friends and sisters to the troops with whom they interacted. These women were trailblazers. The dangers of war were real. During the war, 52 Red Cross women lost their lives, some of them from the Clubmobiles.” Adventures closer to home
That drive to “be where something was going on” is a life-long trait, according to Ruth’s nephew, Seth Gray, who speaks fondly
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PRIME MOVER
After a hospital stay, we know your goal is to return home and it is our job to help get you there.
to, and of, his aunt.“You always enjoyed being where something was going on,” he said. Ruth, now with the help of her family, has hosted an annual summer outing for the families from the St. James’ Episcopal Church at their camp on Cold Stream Pond for nearly 20 years. “They enjoy it, and many of them don’t have any place to go to celebrate or enjoy the water,” said Ruth, who still attends the event. Ruth never married, but lights up when asked about her many nieces and nephews, and their children. The family was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a great-great niece or nephew in December “out west,” and is already planning a big party to greet the new arrival next summer. Ruth is not a fan of computers, and never learned to use a digital camera, but much of her own photography has been scanned and saved digitally for the next generation. And she does enjoy the connectivity with family that technology provides. “She thinks digital cameras are the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Seth said. Ruth can immediately see pictures of family members via a Facebook page her family created for her to commemorate a Jet Ski ride she took at age 90.
Our highly qualified Skilled/Rehab Team will work together to get you back home, doing the things you enjoy as soon as possible. • • • • • •
Never one to miss out on an adventure, Ruth Gray takes a spin around the pond at age 90. Photo courtesy of Seth Gray.
Ruth never married, but lights up when asked about her many nieces and nephews, and their children. The family was eagerly
awaiting the arrival of a great-great niece or nephew in December.
“These kids were all watching me, afraid I’d fall off,” Ruth says with a chuckle. “They stationed themselves at intervals, on the diving board and out in the water.” Ruth attributes her longevity to “good genes”. She claims to have lived a normal life and not taken any special steps to reach beyond the century mark. Seth, however, is quick to point out that his aunt has always been a very active person. “Not every 70-year-old wields a chainsaw,” he said.“She always told us,‘As long as I can touch my fingertips around a tree, it’s not too big.’ She dropped anything you’re looking at out this window and was never afraid of doing that. She had the family camp with some acreage and she was constantly trimming.” Ruth does have a woman come in to help around the house twice each week. Last April, that household helper suggested trimming one doorframe with all of Ruth’s birthday cards, which are still hanging. “I rather like it,” Ruth said, admiring the many colorful well wishes. 23 • MAINE SENIORS
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PRIME MOVER • Ruth Gray Ruth’s nephew Seth Gray with his son Alex at Cold Stream Pond in Enfield Maine
on an ori k y ng a ou ll for Veter a you r ser n s vice
Ruth relies on some frozen dinners, but also cooks from scratch. “I did like to bake, but it’s very hard for me to get things in and out of the oven now,” she said. When a sheet full of cookies slid onto the floor, she decided,“I’ve outgrown it.” Making cookies is something she’s done for two generations of nieces and nephews. One often-shared memory is that of Carl,“who was such a little guy he could hardly reach the door knob,” Ruth said. “He’d look at me and say,‘Aunt Ruth, I’m starrrrvinggg.’ And I’d say ‘Well, I guess you need a cookie.’ He’d say‘Yes!’ and he’d grin.”
H
T
The heritage of Old Town Canoe
“My Great Aunt Ruth has always been there for me. She has given me great advice throughout my career and even today with Waterfront Concerts. I got my work ethic from her and my father. I am very fortunate to have her as an aunt and as a business resource. I hope I am able to achieve half of the amazing things Ruth has achieved in her lifetime. She has been an amazing role model.” —Alex Gray
Nate, Molly and Addison Briggs, Hampden
“It looks like a whole new airport inside.”
Ruth, who said she is “in good shape”, bemoans her reliance on a walker to get out for daily strolls. She still goes to camp one day each weekend during the summer, though she gave up driving herself there when she was nearly 90. She doesn’t think getting old is all that interesting because lifespans have been increasing. “But I figure you have to get up and walk about every 35 minutes,” she adds.
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Ruth was one of five children. One brother died of meningitis at age 10. The rest made it to their 70s and 80s, but only Ruth survived to see 90 and beyond. She does still have several friends who come for lunch, but “they’re all younger than I am,” Ruth said.“They are in their 80s and 90s.”
ALLEGIANT • AMERICAN • DELTA • UNITED
Ruth’s grandfather, George Gray, owned a hardware store and eventually began building canoes. Her father, Sam Gray, took over the company and took advantage of mass marketing to grow the Old Town Canoe brand. When Ruth returned from WWII, she took over the marketing photography and transitioned the company catalogue from black and white to color. That’s all in the past now, the company having been sold in 1974. Ruth’s memory is still sharp, however, and she shared a few childhood recollections. Her grandfather used to drive a team of horses home after work each day. “We would go down to the corner and when he turned the corner he would stop and let us get on the wagon and finish the ride home,” she said. “Oh, that was a big deal!” Her father, who worked every day, would often take the children with him to the shop on Sundays.“We were allowed to take any of the old wood that was in the waste barrel,” Ruth recalled. The children would whittle ships, sleighs, and other toys from the wood. Seth still has some of these creations. Being a child now is different, she said. “I think we had more homemade toys. Now you just buy things.” Another difference is that, with the advent of nylon outer gear, “mothers no longer have to take snow-caked children down cellar and sweep off their wool garments,” Ruth said. Ruth enjoys her memories, her family, and her friends.“I’ve had a good life,” she said,“And I’ve had an interesting life.” MSM
WINTER 2018 • 2 6
PRIME MOVER • Katie Ouilette
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he shows no signs of stopping any time soon. She has intimate knowledge of the Skowhegan area, its history and its people, where she has made her home for many years. She has made it her business to become deeply acquainted with any place she has called home – there have been a number of them – and always, she leaves that place better than when she found it.
It all started when Katie (christened Kathleen) Valliere was three years old, and her mother arranged for her to have tap dancing lessons – she was always dancing about the house as it was. Without an ounce of self-consciousness, she became a darling at clubs and organizations throughout the Skowhegan area. She was their Shirley Temple before she was four, having added singing to her repertoire. People were enchanted with this little moppet. A regular performer at movie theaters during the 1930s, she relished hopping on stage and singing and dancing while the projectionist changed the reels. As she grew older, singing took precedence over dancing – she had a high pure soprano voice with range and timbre. Katie loved classical music and was guest soloist for several symphony WINTER 2018 • 2 8
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Katie Ouilette
Her husband Joe Denis worked for Sylvania on a job that took them to a number of towns in the eastern United States. The newlyweds started their married life in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; thereafter, they moved to Towanda Pennsylvania (Sylvania’s home), then Sudbury, Massachusetts, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Little Falls, New York and two towns in New Hampshire before finally returning to Maine. Along the way three children were born – Craig, Russell and Lynn. While she raised her little family, Katie continued her singing and joined church and women’s organizations in each town. She was passionate about helping those less fortunate, even though times were not easy during the years right after World War II. She organized clothing drives, food drives, visited the sick and elderly and did her best to be a good citizen of every community in which she lived.
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orchestras throughout New England. Her exquisite delivery brought chills of delight to her audience. “I sang for every occasion I could,” she laughed. “And I loved every minute of it!” One special time Katie recalled was being asked to audition for the Metropolitan Opera. It would have changed the arc of her life dramatically, but Katie had other obligations. “I was to be married in three weeks,” she said, a tinge of remorse clouding her voice.“I had to turn the opportunity down.” 29 • MAINE SENIORS
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lighting filaments. They called their new company ZD Wire – ZD standing for Zero Defects. They were a busy couple – running their business and raising children but then, another opportunity presented itself: the owners of a local theater approached them. The theater, Lakewood, had been a summer home for Hollywood and Broadway actors and actresses for decades. Joe and Katie, who shared a love of the entertainment world, were asked if they’d be interested in buying the venerable organization. The answer, a resounding “Yes!” Now, as if their plate wasn’t full enough, they had two businesses to run. Lakewood Theatre has a remarkable past. It began as a Spiritualist Camp in the late 1800s, and then eventually morphed into an amusement park, with a roller-skating rink, two bowling alleys, a dancing bear, some monkeys and a café. It was ideally situated at the end of a trolley line on the shores of Lake Wesserunsett and by 1898 the rink was transformed into a theater with removable seats. Vaudeville troupes began showing
WINTER 2018 • 3 0
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Katie Ouilette
back. The Denis’s tried their best to find what he wanted, but no Limo could be located in time. So they settled on the next best thing: a green Chevy Vega with a cold six-pack perched on the back seat. Instead of being angry, Mickey got a huge kick out it. He spent his afternoons cruising around Lakewood in the tiny car, with the requisite chilled beer.
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up and in 1901, Lakewood became the legitimate summer stock theater it still is today, with cottages added later for the visiting actors and actresses. Katie’s grandmother Zelia Valliere was an actress in the opening comedic play, The Private Secretary, written by William Gillette. She played the part of a young boy. How extraordinary that seventy years later, the theater would be in Valliere family hands, with everyone pitching in to make the place a success. Under their stewardship, Lakewood became known officially as Maine’s State Theatre and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) thanks in large part to Katie’s efforts. Almost anyone who shone in the bright lights of Hollywood had a start or an adventure at Lakewood. There’s not enough room in this article to even begin to cover this special chapter in Katie’s life but one stands out as my favorite. Mickey Rooney was coming to town and at the time, the early 1970s, he was still a noted star and had a reputation of being occasionally volatile – he liked to get his way! Mickey’s agent called Lakewood and left a message for Katie and Joe. The star expected to be picked up in a nice Limo and it better have an equally nice wet bar in the 31 • MAINE SENIORS
After the frenzy of the Lakewood years, Katie concentrated on being a benefit to the Skowhegan area. She joined the American Legion and poured her energies into making life better for Maine veterans and their families. It wasn’t long before she was promoted to Lieutenant Governor Division 4 of the New England District and Director of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England. She traveled the state during that time, visiting almost all of the 170 offices in Maine. “You could say I’m a life member,” she chuckled.
For the past decade Katie has been writing If Walls Could Talk, a popular column in a weekly community newspaper, The Town Line, serving folks around Somerset County. When Roland Hallee became managing editor in 2005 and Katie came on board shortly thereafter. “She does a great job covering events and history in the Skowhegan area,” Hallee said. “I knew her when she contributed to another paper. She’s one of a kind!” Katie also wrote and published a well-received children’s book – Two Birds in a Box. The story is true, and written with humor and insight, of how she and her three children cared for a clutch of baby sparrows until they were ready to fledge. Animals always played a prominent role in the Denis household and she has another book in the works about the family raccoon, goat, rabbit, dog, cat and parakeet all living under their roof, more or less harmoniously, while the children were growing up. Hmm… I wonder how that worked out! MSM
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WINTER 2018 • 3 2
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Swisher Mitchell Johnny "Swisher" Mitchell was inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
Johnny
"Swisher" Mitchell BY LARRY GRARD
Seventy-four years ago, Johnny “Swisher” Mitchell
led Waterville High School to a New England High School Basketball Championship and a 27-0 season.
Cruise...
I
n addition to Swisher, a junior, older brother Paul, Len Saulter, Ted Shiro and John and Norman Jabar were the team leaders. Paul Mitchell was the first player Coach Wally Donovan called upon off the bench. The little kids who had spent every possible minute shooting hoops at the Boys Club had grown into a team that was playing a new brand of basketball. They ran, and they pressed. Donovan, a Waterville coaching legend in both basketball and football, would have Swisher back the next year to lead the Purple Panthers to a repeat state title. Mitchell’s Waterville High School teams of the mid-1940s compiled a 70-2 record. That 1944 squad went 27-0 en route to the state and New England Championships. Swisher, a little shy of 5’9”, was a dynamic point guard who handled the ball like a pro, and could shoot. “We beat Portland the second straight year for the state title,” he recalled. “I just went out and played, and Wally didn’t take me out often. I could dribble the ball very well, and I was the top scorer. But it was an easy team to play on.” In the New Englands, played in Providence, Rhode Island. Waterville clobbered the New Hampshire state champion by 30 points, then defeated La Salle Academy of Rhode Island prior to whipping Somerville, Massachusetts 47-34 for the championship. A huge greeting party, including Governor Sumner Sewall and Mayor George Doyle, met the Waterville champions at the train station. Decades following that huge 1944 triumph, Johnny remained the celebrity of Waterville’s Mitchell family. Younger brother George was taking his first steps toward a career that would include a judgeship, Senate Majority Leader and gaining international respect as the primary architect for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland – and more.
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But on the campaign trail for his brother, Johnny “Swisher” Mitchell – a member of both the New England and Maine Basketball Halls of Fame and still regarded by some as the greatest basketball player Waterville High ever produced – remained the toast of the town.
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PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Swisher Mitchell
"I enjoyed basketball for two reasons," Swisher says. "No. 1, I just liked the game, No. 2, we didn’t lose many games in my career—and that’s
how I met my future wife."
“When we used to go shake hands with people at the mills,” Johnny Mitchell said from his Waterville home “they’d ask George,‘are you Swisher’s brother?’” The friendly banter between the Mitchell brothers continued in 2016, when they attended a dinner at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church. George Mitchell, there to kick off an endowment campaign, said he was once known as Swisher’s younger brother. As George Mitchell found fame, Johnny said he became known as George’s older brother. George Mitchell, of course, is respected around the world as an accomplished statesman, United States Senator and founder of The Mitchell Institute, which provides financial support for deserving Maine students who otherwise might not make it to college. “George Mitchell is known all over the world,” his proud brother said.“He’s been a good statesman. The best thing he’s ever done is the Mitchell Institute. Do you know how many kids have gone to UMaine because of that?” Today, Swisher lives in the same home on West Street, two years after losing the love of his life, wife Prin. They had three daughters, Jane, Susan and Rebecca. Swisher still attends weekly Mass at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church, and daughters Jane Bolduc and Susan Mitchell are at his home often, helping with housekeeping and sometimes staying the night. Tony Hamlin, chairman of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame board and a former UMaine starting guard, told Maine Seniors that, from all he has heard and knows, Mitchell was extra special.
35 • MAINE SENIORS
WINTER 2018 • 3 6
PRIME MOVER
PRIME MOVER • Swisher Mitchell
we didn’t lose many games in my career. And that’s how I met my future wife, playing at Winslow.” In his Boys Club days, they set up obstacles so that young basketball players could become adept at dribbling. Mitchell was at the head of the class. “I probably became one of the best dribblers in New England,” he said,“because I didn’t look at the ball.” Following high school, Mitchell attended the University of Rhode Island (URI) where he was an All-Yankee Conference selection two years and an All-New England and All-Boston Garden selection his senior year. Waterville High School teammates hoist star guard Johnny "Swisher" Mitchell in the air following the team's triumph in the 1944 New England Basketball Tournament championship in Providence, R.I.
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Hamlin recalled comments made during that 2014 induction “They all remarked that there wasn’t a better point guard in New England when he was playing,” Hamlin said. “Everybody in the state knows him, and everybody has nothing but good to say about him. At his size, he had to be quick and he was smart. He was a floor general.”
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URI, then known as“Rhody,” also happened to play Maine eight times when Mitchell was there. The Rams won all eight games, and Swisher still smiles when he thinks of that Maine coach. Swisher returned to Waterville and served as Dick Whitmore’s assistant coach at Colby College for 44 years, retiring in 2011. Whitmore and Mitchell worked together to lead great Div. III basketball teams at Colby. Year after year, the White Mules were among the best in New England, and they were even able to beat Maine.
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“I enjoyed coaching at Colby very, very much because I worked with Coach Dick Whitmore,” Swisher said. “I enjoyed that tremendously.”
Hamlin remembered Whitmore saying there wasn’t a better player to come out of the state.“ And he’s a true gentleman, with dignity and integrity,” Hamlin said. Some photographs show Swisher playing with a near smile on his face, right in the middle of heated action. Swisher allowed that he had fun, but with a caveat.“I never smiled until we were about 20 points ahead – in Winslow,” he quipped. “I enjoyed basketball for two reasons. No. 1, I just liked the game, No. 2,
Swisher played four years at URI and was team captain as a senior. I knew I could play basketball at a high level.” Swisher and Prin also got to know Bob Cousy, the future Boston Celtics great who was playing his college ball for Holy Cross at the time. URI and Holy Cross happened to be on each other’s schedule. Swisher had the unenviable task of guarding Cousy.“There was a huge crowd at the Boston Garden for the Holy Cross game with Bob Cousy,” Mitchell recalled.
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Great as he was on the hardwood, Johnny Mitchell translated his leadership skills to a life of great community involvement. He and the late John Winkin,“Mr. Baseball” in Maine circles, started the city’s first Little League baseball program in 1950. Ken Walsh, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth Center,
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PRIME MOVER
The legend of Johnny “Swisher” Mitchell lives on as both a role model and through his gifts to the youth of the Waterville region, and throughout Maine.
speaks enthusiastically of Swisher’s leadership in the community. “In addition to being a point guard in basketball, Swisher was a quarterback in football and a shortstop in baseball – all leadership positions,” Walsh said. “I truly believe his philanthropy stems from his family and the Boys Club activities, and relationships with people like John Jabar and Ted Shiro.” Walsh arrived in Waterville 25 years ago, and came to know Swisher at once.
“He was the Boys Club executive director,” Walsh recalled. “Swisher introduced me to Mr. (Harold) Alfond back in 1993, which opened up the doors to $30 million worth of support. Swisher was the catalyst to open that connection. That was a magical moment for us.”
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Johnny Mitchell always involved himself with youth sports programs, and the Alfond connection led the way toward Waterville’s status as a major center of youth baseball. The community has the only two genuine mini baseball field replicas —the Harold Alfond Little Fenway Park, built in 2007 at Camp Tracy in Oakland, and Purnell Wrigley Field, built in Waterville in 2016.“Those connections help bring in major tournaments to Waterville,” Walsh said. “We just won the bid for the 2020 Cal Ripken World Series for 12 & Under.” The legend of Johnny “Swisher” Mitchell lives on as both a role model and through his gifts to the youth of the Waterville region, and throughout Maine. MSM
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I now, more than ever before, have
come to appreciate the advice of others, especially those who have had experiences similar to my own. blood is pumped by the ventricle into the aorta. Many people live with this condition without symptoms as I did for many years. Regurgitation occurs, when a prolapsing valve results in blood leaking back into the atrium. A regurgitating, (or leaky) mitral valve may need to be treated, as was the case for me.
a new man
With this surgery, I got the “full monty” – an endotracheal tube, nasogastric tube, mediastinal tubes, pacer wires, intravenous (IV) lines, urinary catheter, cardiac monitor, support stockings – quite a sight, to be sure. And afterwards, lots of pain, especially around the chest incision (which really looks quite cool I have to say). I’m delighted to report that the surgery went along quite beautifully and a repair was successfully accomplished rather than a valve replacement.
IN A NEW YEAR BY DR. LEN KAYE
Now to the point of my sharing the details of this experience with you. Invasive surgery like this can have a significant impact on the patient, not only physically, but psychologically and emotionally as well. And, so it did with me. Going into surgery, I was confronted with my own mortality, realizing that while the chances were minimal, I might not survive. It reminded me that my body is imperfect no matter how healthy I had thought I was. I also discovered during the course of my preparation for surgery and in the recovery phase, that there are a lot of people who care about me and openly expressed it in so many ways. For a man who always prided himself in living an independent life (you know, the whole “I am a rock, I am an island” thing), and being only minimally in need of assistance from others, this was a new experience indeed. While intellectually I knew that having a stiff upper lip mentality can create powerful barriers to receiving the help one needs to live a decent life, I had always applied that principle to others and not me. Now the tables had turned and I was compelled to finally listen to my own advice. Well, I have learned a number of lessons from this experience
Funny how one’s perspective on life can be altered by the impact of significant life events. For me that event appears to have been open heart surgery that I underwent in November.
I
finally decided to have a leaky mitral valve repaired. It was a condition I had been aware of for the past twenty-five years or so, but had put off surgery largely because I was asymptomatic. Of course, these things always seem to catch up with you and I had begun experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath in the last several months. So, as much as I hated the thought of my chest being sawed apart and people messing around with my internal body parts, I succumbed to the advice of my cardiologist Dr. Robert Hoffman, and agreed to the procedure being performed by a highly respected surgeon, Dr. Robert Clough. For those who don’t know, the normal mitral valve leaflets meet to prevent blood from flowing back into the left atrium. When the valve is weakened it may prolapse, or balloon back, into the atrium as 41 • MAINE SENIORS
We know that the desire may be strong to create an endowment that will keep your dream, your legacy, alive for years to come. We can help make that happen. The Catholic Foundation of Maine administers over 112 endowments that support Catholic ministries in the State of Maine. If you wish to give to any of them or open your own in memory of a loved one, or for a special purpose, please contact the Foundation in confidence. Charitable gift annuities, gifts of life insurance, stocks, proceeds from a retirement account, and real estate may also be given to the endowments as well as outright bequests. For more information, please call Elizabeth Badger, Executive Director, at (207) 321-7820 or email elizabeth.badger@portlanddiocese.org.
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“One of the world’s leading ensembles of piano, violin and cello.”
to be sure. I realize that learning to both ask for and accept the help of others is essential because, lo and behold, none of us is invincible. In fact, we are all rather fragile creatures whose autonomy and independent lifestyle can be compromised at a moment’s notice. And just as importantly, accepting help is not an admission of failure nor tantamount to admitting to a flaw in one’s character. I now, more than ever before, have come to appreciate the advice of others, especially those who have had experiences similar to my own. And finally, I realize that admitting that one is scared of the unknown and what may be faced in the future is OK, and very much part and parcel of the human condition. To those who stepped up and lent their support during my time of need, I sincerely thank you. You taught me lessons that I will carry forward into the future and for that I am very grateful. And, oh yes, I expect to be back in circulation (pun intended) very soon. MSM
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I noticed something else, when people clapped they held out their left hand, palm up, and patted it with the fingers on their right hand. Suave technique, for sure. I banged my palms together like an enthusiastic kid at his birthday party. Stern Face frowned and growled. That was it. I got up to a chorus of sitdowns, scrambled over bony knees, walked up the aisle with my best sophisticated swagger, and bolted. With me?”
Bolted and
Booted
BY WALDO CLARK
I nodded. “There’s more. I attended an author’s lecture at a bookstore. She’d written a best seller about the Civil War. Boy, the cookies and cider were some good. The writer, a well-coiffured lady, shapely in a stylish black suit, galloped through the first three years of the war in thirty minutes. Exhausting! The crowd surged in anticipation as she spit out battle details in rapid succession. Her snake-like gestures caused me to duck several times. People leaned forward as tactical moments evolved into strategic movements. I wondered if this was a room full of Civil War buffs or was I woefully ignorant? With me?”
Why do some folks crave self-importance?
T
ired of wearing baggy gray sweatshirts, hanging around the fringes of parties, and eating at one-star restaurants, they want to keep up with the Joneses, whoever they are.
Last September, I visited my buddy “Seaweed” who lives down Boothbay way. Although he’s a character and like all of us possesses some quirks, he never lacks for self-esteem. Or so I thought. I made the age-old mistake of asking how he was doing?
“Waldo, I’m some boring. I decided to spruce up, tone the tummy, slip on a sleek pair of wraparound sunglasses, don pleated tan chinos, and dust off the old MG. You know, new spark plugs please.” He paused and eyeballed me. “Like a Louis L’Amour novel, I’d blow with the wind and discover new frontiers. Time to saddle up. With me?” My wary internal barometer soared—oh, oh, here it comes … “Waldo, I decided to try culture first, the Portland Symphony. I got some excited thinking about a kaleidoscope of instruments producing a beautiful seamless quilt of interwoven sounds. Pretty good, huh? Anyway, after a few minutes, I noticed everyone near me moving their heads up and down in a knowing fashion, their 45 • MAINE SENIORS
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I nodded.
eyes squinting in acknowledgement, their fingers tapping the armrests as if they understood the synchronous sounds of the orchestra. With me?”
“The man sitting to my left looked familiar and when he uttered an‘Ahhh,’ I froze. During the Gettysburg Address, I sneezed, my cider spilling on his walnut-colored wing tips. His eyes locked on me in distasteful recognition. His ‘Ahhh’ became a ‘YOU’! The author, her lecture disrupted, glared at me and pointed toward the door. Stern Face said ‘Good Riddance.’ Booted, I grabbed a handful of cookies and bolted. With me?”
I nodded.
I nodded.
“Well, I wondered if these high-brow people had graduated from prestigious music schools or was I woefully ignorant? I tilted my head with the others but my neck muscles hurt, hummed but got shushed. A stern-looking gentleman to my right threw me a polished annoyed glance and then uttered a satisfied, “Ahhh” attributed to the third violinist. I leaned over and asked him if he was OK. He leaned away like I had bad breath or passed gas. With me?”
“There’s more, Waldo.”
I nodded.
“Hold on, Seaweed. Have you considered reverting back to your old boring self”? He squeezed his lips together, thinking …“But letmetellya about the yacht club fiasco.” I bolted.
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THE MAINE POINT Aging in Place Specialist Tim St. Hilaire shows the author how to install a bathroom grab bar, often a key element of safety for older adults.
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When we were caregivers for my mother-in-law, my partner and I understood that we would need to modify the apartment we had created for her in our home to make it both safe and comfortable.
W
e thought we had considered everything: wide doors for the day she would need a walker or power chair, kitchen cabinets that were lower, tough carpeting with no possibility of causing a tripping hazard, and a walk-in shower with not one, but two seats. However, as my mother-inlaw aged, more accommodations needed to be made. The threeinch step to enter the shower eventually became insurmountable; the bed was too far away from the bathroom and the entire apartment had to be rearranged.
This is not uncommon and don’t be discouraged if this happens to you. We can only plan so far ahead whether for our own needs or for those of a loved one. Aging in place has become a familiar term. It is no surprise that
47 • MAINE SENIORS
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most Mainers desire to stay in their own homes and in their own communities for as long as they possibly can. I recently spoke with Portland resident, Tim St. Hilaire, about this very issue. Tim is an AARP Maine volunteer, but he is also a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). With this designation, Tim adheres to a strict code of ethics and has a broad understanding of the common problems that can create a barrier to aging in place successfully. Tim told me that one of the simplest features to address in a home is adequate lighting. “This is often overlooked,” he said. “Many falls in the home occur at transition points where the bright sunlight outside and a poorly lit interior space meet.” Poor lighting also inhibits our ability to judge changes in flooring such as when one moves from a tiled surface to carpeting. In fact, busy patterns in carpets can themselves be distracting and make it difficult to distinguish a safe route, especially if one has
There are more than a dozen “medical loan closets” in Maine where you can borrow items such as a walker, shower seat or wheelchair for as long as you need them.
compromised balance. (I’m recalling that my mother-in-law was prone to dizziness and said the carpet pattern we thought was so wonderful made her feel “swimmy”). Stair railings can also spell trouble if they aren’t installed thoughtfully. Tim has seen stair railings that are just a 2x4 piece of shellacked lumber and likely unhelpful if someone lost their balance on the staircase. It is essential that a person – no matter their age – be able to grasp the handrail all the way around. I will say this is one feature in our home we considered very carefully and we actually took staircase safety a step further. After my mother-in-law had one of her shoulders replaced, she had more strength in one arm than the other. When we had the railings installed, they were installed with one slightly higher than the other to make up for the difference in arm strength. This was an easy adjustment that proved to be important in the years ahead. Tim and I also discussed the fact that, often, local assistance is available to help keep you or a loved one safe. For example, many local police departments or the county sheriff’s office offer a “sand bucket program.” An officer or volunteer will deliver and spread sand in your driveway for safety during the winter months. There are also more than a dozen “medical loan closets” in Maine where you can borrow items such as a walker, shower seat or wheelchair for as long as you need them. (Go to www.211maine.org to find one near you). If you are looking for ways to make your home or a loved one’s home safer, look for CAPS trained and certified individuals through the NAHB (www.nahb.org or www.aarp.org/me). They can support you in developing a strategy for aging safely at home, in the Maine community you love. MSM
280 Maine Ave. • Farmingdale, ME 04344
WINTER 2018 • 4 8
Chloe's Corner
On Valentine's Day
The choice is
yours!
BY CHLOE JONPAUL
How Do You Plan To Spend Your Retirement?
Based on a U.S government publication
that combined 2003/2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, interesting data turned up showing how people between the ages of 65-74 spent their time on an average day.
A
nother study, the American Time Use Survey analyzed more specifically how different age groups spent their day and their results for persons 65 + were somewhat disheartening. So... let’s take a look and see. The studies showed that people 65+:
• • • • •
Spend 0 hours a day on educational activities. Watch too much TV – nearly 4 hours daily compared to 2 - 1/2 hours for the rest of the population. Spend about 38 minutes a day turning pages while those 75+ read a book for nearly an hour. Exercise roughly 19 minutes for those 65-74 and 13 minutes for those 75+. Spend about 30 minutes daily interacting with friends and neighbors.
Take a look at some popular retirement ambitions. Here is what many retirees hope to do: • •
Spend more time with family and friends. Read.
49 • MAINE SENIORS
The gift that • • • • •
Travel. Experience another culture. Commemorate their retirement with an expensive gift. Take on a home improvement plan or garden project. Write a book (said by 12%).
Now let’s take a look at what you can/should do for a happy retirement: • Learn something new. • Volunteer. • Exercise regularly. • Travel. • Improve your personal care. • Have specific plans for each day. Plan to retire to something, not from something. Can you dream BIG? What is your vision for the rest of your life?
keeps on giving.
Give a subscription of MAINE SENIORS Magazine to someone you love.
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"In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other." —Linda Ellerbee, Move On: Adventures in the Real World "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." —Aristotle "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow." —Swedish Proverb "You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." —Frederick Buechner "Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." —Oprah Winfrey "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." —Helen Keller "Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age." —Anais Nin "If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?" —Stephen Levine
MSM
WINTER 2018 • 5 0
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Bucket
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“After my treatment, this was the best I have felt in years!” —KC, age 73
I’m not saving my Bucket List for retirement—it’s too long! BY SHEILA GRANT
M
any items on my list are typical. I want to travel to Costa Rica, Italy, Greece, and Spain. I want to learn ballroom dancing. I want to publish at least
one novel.
Other Bucket items may be more unique to me. A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to see the wild horses. We saw a stallion on the foggy beach, and several other horses further inland, including one mare with a colt. Now I want to travel out West, to see the herds roaming free there. Another aspiration is to learn Spanish and work my way toward some type of official certification in English as a Second Language. I was involved in Literacy Volunteers of America many years back, so have some experience helping people understand our very confusing language. Recently, I learned about a program which allows people to take free college courses online. I’ve registered at the site, and plan 51 • MAINE SENIORS
to begin my first class early in 2018. Eventually, I would love to either take a volunteer vacation or a temporary job in some tropical country, teaching English while learning about the local language, culture and lifestyle. I am also fascinated by sharks. I think the release of “Jaws” when I was 15 had a lot to do with that! Any time I am near the ocean I keep a sharp eye out for fins. I’ve spotted a lot of dolphins, and captured an image of a pilot whale off the beach on Sanibel Island last fall, but so far, no sharks. My husband did find a fresh great white shark tooth as we walked the beach last year. That was thrilling, and getting to email back and forth with Dr. Greg Skomal, a Massachusetts-based marine fisheries biologist, about whether or not the tooth might belong to one of his tagged great whites out of Cape Cod was even more thrilling! I would love to be involved in shark research/photography – from the safety of a bigger boat. MSM
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SPECIAL
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prised of ponderous, stately rooms, fern filled and choked with shadows, statuary and mystery, and far too much furniture, including grand pianos which, for many families who did not play the instrument, served as a display shelf for dozens of baroquely framed family photos. The ornately carved furnishings were painted black, covered with silk cloths, vivid afghans, collections of everything, and dozens of photographs. The walls were covered with oil paintings of pompous family members in heavy, deeply carved frames. The chairs, never designed for comfort but always for pain, were impossibly hard and many caused intense itching. (Horse hair covers. Remember them? Poison Ivy felt lots better.)
VICTORIA, NORMAN, & MOM
Tiffany lamps, both faux and unfaux spilled out dim light. Men and women dressed for the evening meal, (children ate earlier in the nursery) and multiple-course dinners were always served by a stuffy butler or an obsequious housemaid frequently named, I'm sorry to say, "Elsie". Dinner conversation was for adults only, manners were impeccable, properness a way of life, and no one ever faltered in the pursuit of noblesse oblige, grace and courtliness. There were rules back then, and it was unthinkable to break them. Everyone knew his or her place which made life easy; one always knew exactly how to behave. This era did not cotton to humans ever having any fun, but it was a fascinating period, and I loved being in it.
BY LC VAN SAVAGE
I found a snippet of a poem the other day, and my, oh my, it really gave me one of those throat-lump moments.
I
t was written by one Elizabeth Akers Allen in 1860, and the lines from her tender verse "Rock Me To Sleep" which had such a strong effect on me, went like this;
Ah, but those gentle and powerful lines from her poem. Do you ever yearn to be a child again, just for tonight? For today? For ten minutes? Me, too. I truly understand how you feel.
"Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight Make me a child again just for tonight!"
Sometimes it would be good, I think, to go back, to once again experience those mellow, sweet feelings of childhood, of not knowing, not having to know, of trusting, of the inexpressible bubbling joy of just being.
How's that for evocation? Now don't tell me you weren't immediately affected by those words. The entire poem describes Ms. Allen's yearning to be rocked to sleep again by her mother who had obviously died long before. She misses her and misses that simple, sweet act, that pure, ingenuous time in her life when her mother rocked her to sleep and made her feel warm and, most of all, safe. Can any feeling on earth be as good? At the moment, I can think of none. 53 • MAINE SENIORS
I was lucky to have been born when I was, in 1938. I got to see, in my childhood, the last vestiges of a couple of different eras, got to live in them, see, hear, smell and touch them. The Victorian era was just about gone when I was a child, but enough of it was left for me to occasionally get to sit in huge, hushed, shrouded, brica-brac filled Good Parlours. Victorian living quarters were com-
The other era I got to see and be a part of was the Norman Rockwell epoch. A dream world by today's standards. Just as in Rockwell's paintings, people really could leave their doors unlocked, did put pies to cool on windowsills, did take in hobos and transients who exchanged work for food, were fiercely patriotic, loved going to the drive-ins with the kids in pajamas, and never missed a Fourth of July parade. It was a time when kids actually did go to malt shops after school and danced and shared ice-cream sodas, a time when kids swam in clean water in the summers, when belonging to the Boy and Girl Scouts was important, when people were safe, when roles were defined, when church and education mattered, and when church suppers and Saturday night square dances were important social functions, never to be missed. Norman Rockwell painted life as it was then, and those of us who saw his paintings easily understood that. Rockwell's
works simply depicted life as it was and as we understood and wanted it to be. We are moved now when we see them, because today they show us how life was and will never be again, and we are tugged with regrets. In the Norman Rockwell years, my life, my friends’ and relatives’ lives in nearly all ways paralleled his paintings, and that's why they amused us, why we loved them so and could relate. We could easily step into and become them. We were his paintings. And it is not only we who mourn this lost way of life, but also those who were born much later, way after that kind of life existed. They would like to have known it. Alas, they never can. Poetess Elizabeth Akers Allen was born in 1832 and she died in 1911. Because of her poignant poem, it's clear that during her 79 years here she yearned to be again rocked to sleep by her adoring mother, to be a child again in her beloved mother's arms, just for one precious night. Like her, I too would love for time to turn back, to be a little child again, just for tonight. Tell the truth, wouldn't you, too?
MSM
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LEGACY
LEGACY
deceased spouse’s IRA into their own IRA or keep it as an inherited IRA. There are significant IRA benefits with each option. Third, make sure the inherited IRA is properly titled in the spouse’s name only. If the spouse chooses to treat it as an inherited IRA, the account will be titled in the name of the deceased spouse “for the benefit of the surviving spouse”. Fourth, the surviving spouse must make sure to take their first required minimum distribution. Failure to do so will result in the drastic 5-year payment option. This option results in the IRA funds to be paid out and claimed as ordinary income, causing significant tax liability and loss of the tax deferment benefit.
IR A Turn into an IOU to the I R S
A non-spousal beneficiary should know four basic rules as well. First, “touch nothing” until he or she has talked to a knowledgeable advisor. The wrong move can mean the end of the inherited IRA and a large tax bill. Second, the beneficiary must not move the inherited IRA into his or her own name. The inherited IRA must contain the original owner’s name “for the benefit of the beneficiary”. Third, receiving the inherited IRA money and putting it into another IRA is not permitted. Once
Don’t Let Your
You worked hard all your life. You saved your money and you did everything the right way when planning for your retirement.
Y
ou may have had retirement funds at your place of employment as well as your own personal IRA. You did everything you could possibly do to build and grow your “tax free” retirement accounts. But did you plan for what will happen with your money when you pass them on? Have you properly protected your retirement funds so that when you go to pass them on to your heirs, half of it doesn’t get eaten away by income and/or estate taxes? There are some steps you can follow to be assured you’ve set up your IRA correctly so that when that time comes, your spouse, your children or your grandchildren will receive the funds that you worked so hard all your life to save.
55 • MAINE SENIORS
the beneficiary receives a check payable to the beneficiary, the funds are taxable. They cannot put the funds back into an IRA account. The tax deferment benefit of the IRA is forever lost. Fourth, if more than one beneficiary is named, the IRA must be timely split. This allows each beneficiary to use their own life expectancy for calculating their required minimum distribution. If the IRA is not timely split, the age of the oldest beneficiary will be used to calculate the required minimum distribution and when it must be taken. In summary, IRAs and other retirement accounts are subject to certain and complex IRS rules. Using them to your advantage can result in substantial tax-free growth. Making a mistake by withdrawing too early or too late or failing to name a “qualified beneficiary” could turn your IRA into an IOU to the IRS. Get professional help. 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.
BY JOHN NALE
As the owner of the IRA you should know four basic rules. First, an IRA is tax free going in, but it is not tax free coming out. Second, you will pay a tax and a 10% penalty if you take the money out too early, before 59 ½. Third, you’ll pay an even bigger penalty (50%) if you don’t take out what you’re supposed to take out when you’re 70 ½. Fourth, always name a“designated beneficiary” to inherit the account. If a designated beneficiary is not named, the account will have to be paid in after 5 years. The tax free growth benefit is lost. Failing to follow these four basic IRA rules could result in your IRA becoming an IOU to the IRS. A spousal beneficiary of an IRA should know four basic rules as well. A spousal beneficiary should first,“touch nothing” until he or she has talked to a knowledgeable advisor. Second, the spousal beneficiary must decide whether to “roll over” the WINTER 2018 • 5 6
A TRAIL LESS TRAVELED
A TRAIL LESS TRAVELED
I suspect the supposed Sasquatch recordings from the northwest are actually Barred Owls whooping it up.
Owls in Winter BY BRAD EDEN
PHOTOS BY JUNE LEDUC
In Maine, the best time to listen for and see the Barred Owl is during the cold winter months.
or call the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife office to check and see if they may want specimens for study.
S
Upon roadside inspection I expected some heft when I picked it up but it was literally light as a feather. This startling lightness allows them to fly and swoop slowly and quietly when on the hunt. After admiring its sharp beak, talons, broad wings, short tail and its understated yet distinctive plumage, I reluctantly left it for the gathering crows overhead.
This was no partridge but was a freshly killed Barred Owl. My first notion was to bring it home, and to salvage some feathers for display or for fly tying. But I knew that was highly illegal. All raptors, which owls are classified as, are protected by state and federal regulations. You cannot possess a raptor alive or dead, or any pieces or parts, not even a feather, without special permits. Those permits can be obtained, but normally only if the bird is to be displayed for educational purposes such as at a school or museum. It’s best to just leave any raptor you come across alone,
Barred owls are year round residents to Maine, and are large birds with a wingspan of almost four feet. They have round heads with no ear tufts and distinctive dark brown eyes rather than yellow like other owls. But like all owls they cannot move those large eyes in the sockets so rely on their ability to rotate their heads 270° to the left or right. They have horizontal brown barring on their feathers and upper chest, over creamy gray that contrasts with the vertical streaking on their lower breast and underbelly. They prefer older forests near water and swamps and reside in hollow tree cavities or abandoned tree nests made
ome years back I was out and about doing my daily errands when I spotted a dead bird on the side of the road. The coloration made me think it was a ruffed grouse. I have been known to pick up road kill, much to the chagrin of my family, so I stopped for a closer look.
57 • MAINE SENIORS
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by other animals. They are nocturnal and hunt mostly at night relying on superior eyesight and hearing to find and dive down on their prey. Barred owls are proficient and opportunistic predators with a diet including mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, bats, insects, snakes and other birds and the occasional domestic cat. They are known to wade in water in search of frogs, crayfish, and fish. In other words they will kill and eat whatever they can get their sharp talons into.
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Barred Owls are also called Hoot Owls because of their varied and distinctive vocalizations. They will hoot all day but particularly in early morning when they apparently wake up the roosted wild turkey gobblers who instinctively gobble back. This call has the garbled cadence of a drawn out “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you aaaaalllllll”. Turkey hunters, myself included, always carry an owl hooter call to replicate that sound and locate gobblers at dawn. But that’s not all the Barred Owl has to say. During mating season in late winter they will chatter back and forth producing various hoots, cackles and whines. The leafless woods allow the sound to travel and they are often mistaken for animals fighting, or even humans hysterically laughing. I suspect the supposed Sasquatch recordings from the northwest are actually Barred Owls whooping it up.
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The best time to see and particularly hear Barred Owls is in late winter. I sometimes snowshoe into the moonlit woods after midnight on a listening foray. Once you get past the unsettling silence of the cold night woods its magical to hear owls hooting. You can use an owl hooter call and even better a mouse squeaker call often used by coyote hunters. With those calls you can trigger a response from the Barred Owls in the area, and if you keep still and pay attention you might be rewarded with a shadow swooping in on silent wings. MSM
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Featured Recipe SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW (SERVES 6–8) INGREDIENTS:
Comfort Food for a Cold Winter Night BY ELLEN L. SPOONER
Now that the holidays are over, we Mainers can settle down for our “long winter’s nap”. Before we do, however, we should probably give some thought to the things that will sustain us during our waking hours.
S
ince I no longer enjoy “outdoor” winter activities . . . can’t seem to overcome the cold temperatures no matter how many layers I wear, I guess I have to make a list of “indoor” activities. Maybe I’ll clean out a few drawers and closets. You know, the ones I stuffed all those odds and ends into to get them out of sight during the holidays. Or, I could catch up on my knitting . . . finish a few of the sweaters I’ve started, perhaps the baby blanket I was hoping to complete before my last grandson was born. 59 • MAINE SENIORS
(He just turned thirteen!) And, of course, there’s all that reading I planned on doing when I retired. Whatever I do, there will be comfort food involved. That always helps me avoid thinking of the howling winds and ever-increasing snow banks. Oatmeal for breakfast, hot cocoa and fresh-baked cookies by the fireplace, hearty soups, and beef stews (my husband’s favorite). My beef stew is very simple, a real meat and potatoes dish. I always make it in a crock pot, although, if you prefer, it can be done in a casserole in the oven. I think, however, that the slow cooking results in more depth of flavor. Here’s the recipe. Give it a try. Don’t worry about exact amounts or specific vegetables. I never do. In fact, I had to “guesstimate” because I never use a recipe when I make it. MSM
2 1/2 lbs. chuck stew meat cut in 1-inch cubes 8-10 small red potatoes (with skins), quartered 1 lb. pearl onions 8 large carrots 6 stalks of celery 1 small rutabaga (optional) 2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with liquid 1/3 cup Minute tapioca 3 bay leaves Salt and pepper to taste
Baby, it's cold outside...
DIRECTIONS: 1. Wash and prepare all vegetables by removing skin from onions and cutting carrots, celery and rutabaga into 1-inch cubes, Potatoes should be a bit larger as they will cook faster. 2. Place stew meat and vegetables in crock pot (slow cooker) and add diced tomatoes, tapioca and bay leaves. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 3. Cook on Low for 6-7 hours.* (Cooking times will vary since not all crock pots are the same. I use a 6-quart crock pot that has two settings - Low or High. I suggest that the first time you make this stew you monitor it, stirring it several times after the first few hours, until you can gauge your crock pot’s power.) 4. Check vegetables for doneness - fork tender, but not mushy.
So why not kick back and relax inside, where it is warm and enjoy a copy of MAINE SENIORS Magazine —only $29.95 for 10 issues! To start getting your favorite magazine mail your check (payable to Maine Seniors Magazine) to 87 Hillside Ave, Bangor, ME 04401.
5. Remove and discard bay leaves. 6. Serve with salad and/or warm rolls (or freshbaked bread). Yum . . .
Don't delay—subscribe today!
7. Enjoy!
WINTER 2018 • 6 0
FROM THE PORCH
Kick
Enjoy the ride to Maine.
THE
Bucket BY HUNTER HOWE
In early retirement, we realize there’s more time to accomplish goals, to tackle those “To-Do” lists with renewed gusto.
R
emember the movie The Bucket List? A wealthy businessman, played by Jack Nicholson, and a bluecollar mechanic, played by Morgan Freeman, both terminally ill, share a hospital room. They discover a mutual desire to complete a list of things they want to do before dying, that is, before they kick the bucket. Breaking out of the hospital, they embark on a globe-trotting adventure. Many of our own bucket list goals revolve around travel, some seniors even retiring abroad. Retiring abroad requires much deliberation, the thought checklist fraught with many obstacles; wandering into uncharted waters saps the emotional and physical energy. These folks make a move for different reasons such as a lower cost of living, more desirable weather, a less stressful life, and perhaps a last gasp of excitement. Questions abound. Answers confuse: How about accessibility to quality health care, access to the stability of banking institutions, understanding the tax implications, learning a new language and adapting to a new culture, missing family and friends, living in a safe political climate, studying the crime rate, and researching the likelihood of natural disasters? Hey, how about snakes and wild boars? That’s the short list. Get the point, voyagers, before pulling up anchor and seeking permanent foreign destinations, beware of the warning buoys. 61 • MAINE SENIORS
Undaunted, those serious about permanent relocation, Google the subject, only to find a perplexing maze of information like The Best Places to Retire, Inexpensive Places to Retire, 5 Countries with the Best Health Care in the World—all containing a lot of fluff. It reminds one of analyzing the welcome benefits of many drugs, then scanning the downsides, like swollen tongue and death. Buyer beware.
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Augusta
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The hopeful traveler finds that maneuvering from dream to reality opens up the old eyeballs a bit. You see, this is not the time of your life to make a big mistake. The other option senior travelers pursue involves fewer lifemenacing decisions. They travel at will, here and there, as they choose, especially while they’re healthy and financially able. It’s here, though, that I ask a pertinent question, WHY do they travel? The upsides, many. However, I’d ask how many travel to just check off the obligatory travel bucket list? I wonder, do they travel for the right reasons? A Wall Street Journal piece,“It’s time to rethink the bucket list,” said,“For many seniors, the bucket list has become the ultimate adventure of traveling. As they travel the world to soak up experiences, too many seniors inevitably lose track of what really matters—their connections to family, friends, and community. They feel like strangers in their own homes. Eventually, the bucket list becomes an addiction: The high from an adventure doesn’t last, so seniors find themselves piling on the experiences, alienating them from real lives back home.”
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FROM THE PORCH
To point, instead of encountering momentary happiness, the piece suggests traveling for the right reasons, those important to you, such as making memories, getting out of your comfort zone, and embellishing the true joy of new experiences. A Merrill Lynch retirement study, “Leisure retirement: beyond the bucket list,” said,“While most retirees have dream vacations they’re hoping to take, peak experiences they’re hoping to have, and leisure they’re hoping to fulfill, only 15% of retirees expect having a Bucket List. Many don’t even like the phrase. In fact, 67% of retirees have not budgeted for travel in retirement.” The article continues with this insightful observation— “Chasing Bucket List thrills ignores a deep psychological truth. You don’t need to make yourself happy in old age. We get happier naturally as we grow older.” I’ll admit, the last quote caught my attention. Anyone want to jump in here? Let the debate begin. However, our own “Sage Lens” columnist, Len Kaye, the Director of the University of Maine Center on Aging, wrote in the October issue, “Research indicates that optimism increases with age.” In 2011, I met with two couples, friends for many years. One couple had just returned from a cruise on the Danube, the other from a tour of Italy. I’d just returned from a week on Green Lake near Ellsworth. My timing stunk. You see, I knew what was coming, the dreaded photo blitz, iPads spewing ancient castles and churches, dirty cobblestoned alleys, and hordes of noisy tourists on crowded piazzas. My fears materialized. After three hours of mind-numbing, seizure-inducing 1500 plus photos, my head throbbed. Say, whatever happened to those 50 Polaroid shots of yesteryear! Through the photos, I saw what the couples saw, not hearing what they felt or learned, if anything. Captive, I wanted to escape the photo assault. I imagined myself lying on a gurney, hemorrhaging, yanked off life support. Like a little boy waving his hands for attention, I attempted to engage them about my own trip to a Down East lake. My futile pleas yielded blank stares. Now I knew how a bug-eyed football coach feels when ignored by an impassive referee.
63 • MAINE SENIORS
Maine seniors, before you grab that travel bucket list, think about what really makes you happy and how you want to feel. Here’s what I wanted to say. My rented cottage stood situated on an isolated, pine-filled peninsula off a secluded cove. One gloomy, rainy day, I’d had quite enough of reading. Donning my foul weather gear, I hustled to the shore, hopped into my kayak, and paddled to the center of the lake. The skyline, free from cell towers and clear-cut land, surrounded me. With Labor Day over, many owners had closed their camps, pulled in wharfs, and racked boats. Serenity reigned. Placing my paddle across the cockpit, I leaned back, drifting aimlessly. I’d created a castle on my own private island swept by a wandering wind and a soft drizzle. Drawbridge up. Black-faced loons joined me acting as sentries, my own Homeland Security. No, my castle wasn’t in Budapest or Naples but right there in “Hunterland,” a special soul-searching place on a Maine lake. I’d discovered gripping richness in the refreshing quality of scrumptious solitude, looking inward while experiencing the whispering peace of nature. An electrical surge of pure joy flowed through me. My eyes captured one big natural photograph. Just one. Delightfully happy, I pumped my fist. Maine seniors, before you grab that travel bucket list, think about what really makes you happy and how you want to feel. Louisa May Alcott wrote, “Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” Maybe, just maybe, your travel aspirations will end with a heartfelt fist pump too, right here in Vacationland. It’s something to think about. MSM MaritiMe energy rockland 800-333-4489 maritimeenergy.com
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