Northeast Ohio Boomer & Beyond | March April 2020

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Manager Perrin Verzi tends plants at Rockefeller Park Greenhouse.

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WORTH NOTING

NEO GRANDPARENT

Spring Flings

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EDITOR´S NOTE

M

Making Time for Change

y friends have uncomfortably good memories — and that’s not an attribute I necessarily prize in a friend.

If I was the sort of person who finds fault with friends, an impeccable recall would be at the top of the Friends’ Bad Traits list. I say a lot of things and then I almost immediately forget what I said to them.

An example: A friend from middle school and her husband up and sold their lake cottage, ditched the ski boat and are making plans to put their empty nester house on the market when they retire in a few years.

They’re going to buy a big boat and do the Great Loop, motoring through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River, the Gulf and up the East Coast through the Intracoastal Waterway.

They put their plans in motion, in part, because of something I said last summer when we were sitting on the deck of their (former) lake cottage.

This is what she heard me say: “You don’t retire from something; you retire to something.”

This is what I thought I said: “When can we come back to your lake cottage?”

Miscommunication and my propensity to prattle aside, I envy my friends’ willingness to embrace change. They exemplify this issue’s theme: “Change It Up.” If you need a make-a-change nudge, dive into our stories starting on page 28 and see what happens.

I’m sad about giving up the free lake

cottage but the big boat will have extra bedrooms for visitors. Change can be scary but it’s always, eventually, good.

That’s something else I’ve supposedly said. I’ll have to take their word for it.

We’re doling out a double-dose of change this issue with our request for nominees for our inaugural Boomer Impact Awards. Tell us about someone in Northeast Ohio who has made a substantial difference or change in the lives of people 50 and older.

We’ll recognize the winners in our September/October issue to mark Boomer’s fifth anniversary.

Nominations may be submitted now through June 5 with our online ballot at northeastohioboomer.com. Read more about the awards on page 31.

Now that I think about it, our garden jaunt guide fits under the change theme, too. Nothing changes more day-to-day than gardens, as anyone who plays in the dirt knows. With our unpredictable spring weather, we guide you through some of the region’s best places to watch the season evolve, starting with the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse & Botanical Garden and a profile of manager Perrin Verzi. That story starts on page 24.

I’m going to embrace these seasons of change, both outdoors and within myself. Uncomfortable? Probably.

Necessary? Absolutely. Will I remember saying I’m going to do this?

Unlikely.

Maybe that will change.

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

VOL. 6 ISSUE 2

March/April 2020 Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond is a property of Mitchell Media LLC

PO Box 1088 Hudson, OH 44236 330-822-4011 NortheastOhioBoomer.com /NEOhio​Boomer

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PUBLISHER - Brad Mitchell brad@northeastohio​boomer.com 330-714-7712 EDITOR​- M​arie Elium​ ​marie@northeastohio​boomer.com COPY EDITOR/DIGITAL/ ASSISTANT EDITOR​ - Estelle Rodis-Brown estelle@northeastohio​boomer.com EDITORIAL SUGGESTIONS editor@​​northeastohio​boomer.com CALENDAR LISTING SUBMISSIONS calendar@​​northeastohio​boomer.com CONTRIBUTORS Margaret Briller, Ryan Fisher, Diane Jenks, Kathryn Kilpatrick, Breanna Mona, Cathy Morgan, Mike Olszewski, Jennifer Peck, Estelle Rodis-Brown, Brandon Smith, Kate Toohig Tak Sato, John Selick, Karen Shadrach, Dr. Scott Zimmer ART DIRECTOR- Laura Chadwick laura@northeastohio​boomer​.com ADVERTISING SALES Chris Geer, 330-614-8471 chris@northeastohio​boomer.com Janyse Heidy, 330-671-3886 janyse@northeastohio​boomer.com Sherrie Kantarovich, 216-299-5455 sherriek@northeastohio​boomer.com Samantha Olp, 330-636-6127 sam@northeastohio​boomer.com Yvonne Pelino, 440-971-0595 yvonne@northeastohio​boomer.com Michelle Vacha, 440-463-0146 michelle@northeastohio​boomer.com OFFICE MANAGER Kathleen Mitchell, 440-533-1208 kathleen@northeastohio​boomer.com EVENT MANAGER​ Tara Tonsetic tara@northeastohioboomer.com DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES info@northeastohio​boomer.com PUBLISHERS OF

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BOOMER EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Boomer Northeast Ohio

BETTER LIVING AFTER

50

and Beyond JANUARY/FEBRUARY

2020

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Sharon Dundee Director of Marketing & Communications Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Kathy M. Hirko Owner KAZ Company Jeanne Hoban Marketing Communications Director Benjamin Rose Institute

A new heart.

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A healthy future.

Raising Grandkids

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Special Section: Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living, Estate Planning

Kathryn Kilpatrick President Memory Fitness Matters, LLC

Stephanie Manning The American Heart Association, Cleveland

Susan Lieberman Director of Marketing & Public Relations Montefiore and The Weils

Steven Marsh Dr. Steve Marsh, DDS

Kelsey Loushin President Eldercare Professionals of Ohio

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Mindi Axner Executive Director National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland

Boomer Northeast Ohio

Fatima Perkins Director of Community Outreach Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

Bob Pontius Director of External Relations Danbury Senior Living

Candyce Traci Vice President All Media Design Group Nancy Udelson President and CEO Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter

Leslie Royce Resnik President Royce Public Relations Laurie G. Steiner Partner, Solomon, Steiner & Peck, Ltd.

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WORTH NOTING Compiled by Marie Elium

Cleveland International Film Festival

I SPY OUR MOVIE AND A COUPLE OF HUNDRED OTHERS

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Better Living After 50

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f you love movies, you probably already know that the Cleveland International Film Festival runs from March 25 to April 5 at Tower City Cinemas.

Quirky, creative and sometimes confusing, more than 200 films will be shown mornings, afternoons and nights during Ohio’s largest film festival.

Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond is proud to again be a CIFF media partner. We’ll be introducing the film, “Chichinette: The Accidental Spy,” a documentary about a feisty 98-year-old FrenchJewish woman who was a spy in Nazi Germany. The movie follows her around the world as she talks about her experiences.

You can see the film on Sunday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. and Monday, March 30 at 11:45 a.m.

Go to clevelandfilm.org for a full list of movies, showings and an easyto-follow guide.

Rock Hounds A Year of Celebration

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ot only is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony returning to Cleveland May 2, but Boomers also have plenty of other events coming up that will remind us that classic rock – and the people who love it – never go out of style.

You’ll want to grab a copy of Cleveland-area author Deanna Adams’ latest book, “Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Venues,” with a foreword by famed local rock photographer Janet Macoska. Hungry for more? You can watch the Rock Hall inductions live on HBO, the first time that option has been available for subscribers.

Speaking of the Rock Hall, it turns 25 this year, with special concerts and events planned for the 25th of each month. Learn the latest at rockhall.com.

On a more somber note, it’s been 50 years since the Kent State shootings. The 50th Commemoration Concert to Benefit the May 4 Legacy Scholarships takes place on May 2. Featured performers are Joe Walsh (with Barnstorm - Joe Vitale and Kenny Passarelli) and David Crosby (with his touring band). Both have ties to KSU and are members of the Rock Rall.

Tech Help 101 Become a Master of Your Electronic Domain

D

o you sometimes feel like a technology refugee, roaming from one underused device to another and notquite-at home with any of them?

We feel your pain. It’s not you, it’s them – Alexa, Siri, your phone, tablet, TV… the list is long.

But we’ve got good news. The 4th Annual Living in the Digital World Senior Expo is Thursday, May 21 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Rocky River Don Emerley Civic Center.

The expo is sponsored by the Center for Aging in the Digital World, founded by Boomer’s tech columnist Tak Sato and his wife, Mely. They have a

passion (and the patience) to run free Discover Digital Literacy! workshops throughout Northeast Ohio for older adults.

Visit EmpowerSeniors.org or call 440-787-2020 to learn more about the expo and workshops.

March/April 2020

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WORTH NOTING

Burning Brain Cells Trivia Experts on Fire

Suffragettes & First Ladies A Vote for Women’s History Month

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ot only is March Women’s History Month, but this year also marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. Oh, and did you notice, it’s a big election year, too?

Women fought for and earned the right to vote just a century ago, something that’s especially worth remembering during a presidential election year.

A trip to the National First Ladies’ Library, managed by the National Park Service in Canton, might be a fitting way to honor both the month and the anniversary. Days and times vary throughout the year. Find out more about the library and adjoining museum at firstladies.org.

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Better Living After 50

Mind Challenge for the New Majority trivia competition is getting intense, with senior recreation center teams inching toward the final competition and a $3,500 prize on May 6 at JACK Thistledown Racino.

Now in the event’s second year, organizers Phil Levine and Art Greenberg are thrilled with the response. More than 500 players (including alternates) joined 75 teams to compete in the trivia competition. Get updates at themindchallenge.com.

Justice Served Help for Abused Seniors The new Eliza Bryant Village Elder Justice Center is taking referrals from government or community organizations to help abused people 62 and older.

The center provides temporary safe space for older adults who are experiencing trauma, violence, abuse or criminal victimization.

They’ll help clients and their families get legal, financial and other support through the region’s network of social service agencies and other experts in the field.

The Elder Justice Center Hotline is 844-352-7233. Referral information is available at elizabryant.org.

Bookshelf

In the mood for a change or would you rather just read about it? Here are book recommendations that have “change” as their theme. They come compliments of Cathy Morgan, branch manager of Aurora Memorial Library (portagelibrary.org.)

The Spies of Shilling Lane

By Jennifer Ryan A recently divorced English busybody completely reinvents herself in this delightful World War II-era spy tale by the author of “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.” Mrs. Phyllis Braithwaite finds herself emotionally and socially lost following her divorce from her philandering husband. When she goes to London to visit her daughter, Betty, and to share a family secret with her, she discovers that Betty is missing and that she has a significant secret of her very own.

Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries.

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything

By B.J. Fogg Have you ever tried to make positive changes in your life, only to give up when the process seemed too difficult?

Behavior scientist B.J. Fogg, Ph.D., obliterates the myth that change is hard in this compelling new book. Each chapter contains practical, easyto-follow information that will help the reader learn how to transform their lives in a positive way. His method shows the reader how to feel good about their successes instead of feeling bad about their failures, thereby increasing their overall life satisfaction.

March Trilogy

By John Lewis and Andrew Aydin Illustrated by Nate Powell This award-winning autobiographical graphic novel trilogy highlights the life of Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and the birth of the American Civil Rights Movement.

This powerful series illustrates the personal growth of Congressman Lewis told as a parallel to the growth of the civil rights movement in the United States.

Beautifully illustrated, it demonstrates how positive change on a personal level can impact society as a whole for the greater good.

Daring: My Passages: A Memoir

By Gail Sheehy The author of the modern classic, “Passages: Predictable Crisis of Adult Life” (1976) writes a memoir about her fascinating career in New Journalism and her passionate relationship with magazine editor Clay Felker. Gail Sheehy famously wrote about the changes men and women face as they age; her memoir gives context to her previous definitive work.

March/April 2020

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Out of the Maze: An A-Mazing Way to Get Unstuck

By Spencer Johnson, M.D. Hem and Haw are back in this sequel to the bestselling motivational fable, “Who Moved my Cheese?” (1998). In the first book, mice Hem and Haw faced unexpected change when their beloved Cheese suddenly disappeared. Haw dealt successfully with the change; Hem did not. In the new story, Hem learns how to finally get out of the maze once and for all — a powerful parable for our times.

NortheastOhioBoomer.com

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“TexMex” foods, cumin might be the secret ingredient that keeps pulling you in.

Cumin is a rather common spice, widely available everywhere, and it’s used in a historic dish called Shakshouka that’s fun to say and is showing up on many popular restaurant brunch menus.

Shakshouka is a dish of eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce that usually is flavored with cumin, paprika and cayenne, similar to a Mediterranean version of huevos rancheros.

FOOD

Spice

Season

A PINCH OF THIS, A SPRINKLE OF THAT

By John Selick

F

or many years, I’ve supported fundraisers as a guest chef for charity events. I’ve cooked fancy multi-course dinners, contributed to elaborate hors-d’oeuvres parties and been the pastry chef when dessert is needed. One of my favorites is the Chili Cook-Off for the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, not only because it’s an organization that my family supports, but chili-making gives me a chance to bring the heat and get aggressive with spices.

SUBTLE ADDITIONS Liberal use of spices scares off many people who fear it makes a dish too hot and spicy, but not all spices add heat. Many common spices add complexity and great but subtle flavor, like using onion, garlic and paprika

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Better Living After 50

in a beef chili. Other spices not only add flavor but also incredible aroma, like a little dash of cumin will do in the same pot of chili. Cumin is great with chicken, as well. It’s used in many Southwestern-style recipes. If you’re a fan of the Southwestern region or

HARISSA, ANYONE? Another flavor profile getting a lot of attention is Harissa, a blend of spices that also hails from the North African-Mediterranean part of the world and is becoming a popular condiment. It’s deeply fragrant and often spicy, but if you make your own, you can control that. Harissa is often made with hot chili peppers (but you can use mild or sweet peppers if you don’t like the heat), fresh garlic, olive oil and dried spices like cumin and coriander. Harissa can be used on everything — a marinade for shrimp and vegetables, a flavorful sauce for grilled chicken or even mixed with some plain Greek yogurt and served as a dip for raw vegetables. It’s a healthy way to add exotic flavor to everyday ingredients.

Every year, the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland Chili Cook-Off competition brings more than 30 professional and amateur chefs together to flex their cooking skills and raise money for a great local organization. I’ve participated for more than a decade and every year, I try to bring something exciting and unexpected. This year, I’m hoping Shakshouka of Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Chili takes home the victory. The Cook-Off is April 22 at the Holiday Inn on Rockside Road in Independence. Learn more at asgc. org/chilicookoff.

John Selick is the senior culinary manager at Sodexo Healthcare Services for University Hospitals in Cleveland.

Where Compassionate Caregivers Find Their Home Sponsored content provided by Ohman Family Living You know the power of personal touch… warm eye contact, a genuine smile, a gentle hand or assuring hug, just when you need it. At any time, it can transform an ordinary day into an extraordinary one. When you’re ill and aging, it makes all the difference in the world.

So when Roy Johnson, a state-tested nursing assistant (STNA), greets residents at Ohman Family Living at Holly in Newbury Township every morning with his beaming smile and warm touch, he gives each one of them a great start to a new day. He helps them dress, accompanies them to breakfast, and assists them throughout their day with friendly encouragement. Since Roy knows each resident by name, his personal touch includes honoring their particular preferences while keeping them happy, healthy, safe and well-cared for.

“We talk to them, have fun with them, get to know them and their life story,” he says. “The residents depend on us and we’re here to serve them.”

Roy’s outgoing presence sets the tone for his coworkers, too. As an instructor who provides on-thejob training to newly-licensed nursing assistants, he teaches fundamental clinical principles and best practices to new employees through hands-on coaching in compassionate, hands-on care.

The mission, “we are called to serve those entrusted to us,” is the guiding force at Ohman Family Living, which operates three communities in Geauga County plus at-home healthcare services.

In each capacity, four core beliefs are at work: The Supremacy of Love, Striving for Excellence, Creating a Homelike Environment and Celebrating Life. The region’s leader in senior living and post-hospital recovery, Ohman Family Living weaves healthcare into the fabric of senior living to promote health and wellness. The organization was founded in 1965

by George Sr. and Joan Ohman. Today, it is owned and managed by the second and third generation of the founders, who reinforce the “Ohman Family Standard of Living” set by their parents.

“This is a family setting; not a corporate setting,” says Christina Duncan, a nursing assistant at Blossom community for the past six years and a nursing scheduler for the past six

“Right attitude transcends talent any day.”

Christina Duncan, STNA

Roy Johnson, STNA

Brenda Goelz, STNA

months. She knows the difference. Over her 23 years in the field, she has worked in corporate-style healthcare facilities where administrators distanced themselves from the staff and patients, and employee turnover was excessive.

At Ohman Family Living, “We match the same nursing assistants to the same residents as much as possible, the residents know us by name, and the administrators are out on the floor a lot more, involved and in touch.”

Since administrators regularly ask residents if they are satisfied with their care, they bring that feedback to the staff and empower the team to live out the Ohman Family Standard of Living and core beliefs through their work, ensuring that residents are comfortable, safe and happy.

Nursing assistant Brenda Goelz exemplifies the Ohman Family standard at the Briar community, where she treats each resident like they are her own mother or father. “I think, what if I was their daughter, coming to visit today? I would want to see that my parent was shaven, clean, brushed and well-cared for. Beyond that, I would want to see that caregivers take a personal interest in them, ask them questions and know their stories.”

With a background in retail, Brenda admits, “Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I would be doing this for a living. But I love it! It’s hard work but I gave up the stress of retail for the honor of being able to hold someone’s hand when needed. This is so much more meaningful.”

As Ohman Family Living grows, the organization is also expanding its team of like-minded caregivers. Noting that working in senior healthcare is more of a calling than a job, Christina says, “Your heart has to be in it. You need compassion, patience, understanding, an open mind and the willingness to learn.”

Co-president George Ohman Jr. recently commented, “Right attitude transcends talent any day.”

So, if you’re looking for a workplace that values the Supremacy of Love through the personal touch, you should consider Ohman Family Living, where compassionate caregivers find their home.

www.OhmanFamilyLiving.com

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he beauty of nature encourages self-expression provides the healing through art, music and sharing backdrop for two unique with other kids who have also summer camps for children experienced the death of someone who have experienced the they love. The environment creates death of a loved one. Both are a “safe zone” where kids can feel led by trained grief support comfortable sharing emotions and specialists from Western asking questions. Registration for Reserve Grief Services.

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Children’s Grief Support Camps “The children engage in activities day camp offered June 22-26, 9 Hope and Healing a.m. to 12 noon, in collaboration to express feelings, support coping with Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic skills and honor their special Presented by Hospice Riding Center, 16497 Snyder person,” says Karen Hatfield, Team of the Western Reserve Road, Chagrin Falls, for children Leader. “We have offered drum ages 8-12. Through riding and working with horses circles, yoga and karate through the years. They also on a 45-acre farm, children explore their feelings in a have time to enjoy the gorgeous outdoor setting and supported environment. The gentle, nurturing feedback have fun with the other kids. There is swimming, rock of therapy horses in a tranquil environment has a healing climbing, archery and kayaking in the afternoon. They effect. Registration for Riding Through Grief is due by learn they are not alone, they are not going crazy, and May 31. The camp fills quickly, so early registration is other children their age are coping with some of the recommended. same kinds of feelings.”

Together We Can takes place August 4-6, 9 a.m. to 3 To request a registration packet for one of the camps, p.m., at scenic Red Oak Camp, 9057 Kirtland-Chardon call 216-486-6838. More information is available at Road, Willoughby. Designed for ages 6-13, the camp hospicewr.org/camps.

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Grand Northeast Ohio

Let the Fun In! (Yes, We're Talking to You)

Raising Readers

Supplement to

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

Out & About with the Grandkids March/April 2020

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d n a r G

Relax

When the Right Touch is a Light Touch

By Marie Elium

A

bowl of whipped cream. That’s all it took to catapult my grandfather to the top of the Most Fun Grandparent list.

I was 6. A big man with a jaunty auburn toupee, Poppop asked my cousin and me what our favorite food was. “Whipped cream,” we said. He pulled out a box of Dream Whip and minutes later, we were at the kitchen table with spoons and bowls of whipped cream. Nothing’s ever tasted better. day-to-day obligations of parenting, have more time to play and explore, Macek says.

Fun grandma Debbie Kennedy with Jackson and Davis.

Being a fun grandparent comes naturally to some people. For others, it’s learned. Daily bowls of whipped cream and piles of gifts aren’t the key to light-hearted grandparenting.

As with most things, too much of anything is just too much, says Judith Macek, a licensed professional clinical counselor in Portage County.

“Balance indulgence; too much teaches them that the world revolves around them, and it doesn’t, and that leads to disappointment in adulthood. You want to respect the parents’ values,” she says.

Overindulgence aside, fun grandparenting is a good fit for many. Grandparents, free from the

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Better Living After 50

A DO-OVER Time, which most parents have in short supply, is a gift for grandparents.

“There’s not as much laundry, mess or tasks when kids aren’t living in your home. As grandparents, you kind of go with the flow. It comes more naturally because, for most of us, we tend to relax more as we get older. We don’t have to keep schedules like parents do.” Macek says.

“Grandparenting can be an opportunity for a do-over, learning ways to appreciate what’s going on in the moment,” she adds.

Debbie Kennedy, “Mimi” to her grandchildren, spends two days a week with her Medina-area grandchildren, Jackson, 5 and Davis, 3 ½. It’s a treasured time for the grandmother who makes fun a priority. Two others live in Pennsylvania.

“In place of gifts, I try to have gifts of experiences with them,” Kennedy says. She and her husband buy Akron Zoo passes for the boys each year.

Regular outings to the local library to see a guinea pig, picnic lunches at a park, trips to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and simple walks together build memories.

“I’m very lucky because these two little guys are perfect. I guess that’s a grandma talking,” she says. “There’s something magical. You can ignore everything else and you just want to take those hugs and kisses.”

Macek says it’s possible to develop into a fun grandparent, even if it doesn’t come naturally.

“I don’t know if someone needs to go against who they are as a grandparent,” she says. Try keeping classic games around the house to play, if that suits your personality.

Silly games like Twister and Don’t Spill the Beans are popular choices for more rambunctious play.

“If you’re not (naturally silly), it’s going to be exhausting because you’re putting effort into being something you’re not. It’s not a competition. Kids are good at seeing things. Be genuine by being yourself.”

Marie Elium hopes to continue her family’s legacy of fun grandparenting.

John Joseph Elium was born March 6.

Fun with the Grandkids

THROUGH 8/2 Chagall for Children. A multi-sensory, hands-on exploration of one of the best-known and best-loved artists of the twentieth century, Marc Chagall.

Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, 216-5930575, maltzmuseum.org. FREE-$12 3/21 Nassau Astronomy Night. Join members of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society to take in the wonders of the night sky using a newly restored telescope. 7-11 p.m.

Observatory Park, 10610 Clay St., Montville Township, 440-279-0820, geaugaparkdistrict.org. FREE Super Science Saturday: Mineral Madness. A hands-on learning opportunity for the whole family.

10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Akron Fossils & Science Center, 2080 S. Cleveland Massillon Road, Copley, 330-665-3466, akronfossils.com. $10 Family Film Fest. Award-winning, family-friendly short films from the 2019 New York International Children’s Film Festival. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Akron Art Museum, 1 S. High St., 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org. FREE-$12 3/22 Superheroes on the Train.

Entertainment from superhero characters on an hour-and-a-half long trip. Departs at 12:55 p.m. from Peninsula Station. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Cvsr.org. $35 3/24 Grandparents in the Park: Spring Break. Grandparents and their grandchildren are invited out for a day of fun indoor and outdoor Nature activities for all ages. 1:30-3 p.m.

Big Creek Park, Meyer Center, 9160 Robinson Road, Chardon, geaugaparkdistrict.org. FREE 3/26-4/19 I-X Indoor Amusement Park. This annual springtime event offers a full day of smiles, thrills and family fun, all at a budget-friendly price. 1 I-X Center Drive, Cleveland, ixamusementpark. com. $12-26 3/28 Wildwood Micro Con. Enjoy a multigenre entertainment and comic micro-convention. Local comic and

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gaming vendors, kids activities, costumes and more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wildwood Cultural Center & Park, 7645 Little Mountain Road, Mentor, cityofmentor.com. $2 All Aboard the Akron Express.

Fun-filled family event which features a large model train display, “Be an Engineer” where you take the controls, build your own railroad and much more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Akron Children’s Museum, 216 S. Main St., akronkids.org. $10-12 3/28-29 22nd Annual KidShow. Hours of fun for the whole family. Anything and everything about kids. Great Lakes Mall, 7850 Mentor Ave., Mentor, shopgreatlakesmall.com. FREE Girls Take Flight. NASA’s Glenn Research Center and Case Western Reserve University have teamed up to offer this day of fun geared at aerospace science. Hands-on activities, demonstrations and more. International Women’s Air & Space Museum, Burke Lakefront Airport,1501 N. Marginal Road, Cleveland, iwasm.org. $0-10 4/19 Alice Goes To Oz. Meet larger than life flowers, a mysterious caterpillar, and many more enchanted creatures on a trip through the Land of Oz. Akron Civic Theatre. 2:30 p.m. 182 S. Main St., Akron, akroncivic.com. $7-12 5/1-9 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. It’s the trial of the century with the Big Bad Wolf having his day in court. Did he really huff & puff and blow the houses down?

Magical Theatre, 565 W. Tuscarawas Ave, Barberton, 330-848-3708, magicaltheatre.org. $15-19

Making a Difference, One Person at a Time Presented by Greater Cleveland Volunteers Volunteering efforts are sweeping across our nation, according to a survey conducted by the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS).

The CNCS indicates the first and biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country. The intangible benefits alone — such as pride, satisfaction and accomplishment — are worthwhile reasons to serve.

If you’d like to discover how you can connect to others and transform lives (including your own), contact Greater Cleveland Volunteers at 216-391-9500 x 2116 or go to greaterclevelandvolunteers. org to see the ways that volunteers connect with the community.

5/8-17 The Kid from Kittlerumpit. Mac is faced with a Pa who has mysteriously gone missing, a wily old witch, and a Ma who has been turned into a sheep. When she meets a helpful house elf, will the two of them be able to get her parents back and return things to normal?

Talespinner Children’s Theatre, 5209 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, talespinnerchildrenstheatre.org. $10-18

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Grammy on the Go Karen Shadrach takes a book break with her grandchildren.

to look at black and white books, which provide high contrast of shapes, making it easier for them to see images with their developing eyes. Reading helps to calm children and provides a time of de-stressing.

Before bed, reading is encouraged as a quiet time prior to sleeping.

B

lessed are the children who have grandparents who read to them. Share your love of books with your grandchildren.

Reading a book aloud, snuggling and bonding over a story benefit the child’s early learning of the language and stimulates their imagination.

When is the best time to read?

Anytime. Very young children love to hear your voice and look at pictures.

It has been shown that babies like

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SHUSH-FREE ZONES Northeast Ohio has great library systems; Cuyahoga County Library has 28 branches and Akron-Summit County has 19 library branches.

Making a trip to your local library can become a great adventure.

Traveling to different libraries will uncover unique activities and programs to grab your grandchildren’s attention.

All of the libraries have infant, toddler and preschool storytimes.

By Karen Shadrach

These weekly storytimes create opportunities to meet and play with other children their own age.

Libraries also have a large assortment of toys and puzzles. Before going home, let them check out a few books for you to borrow and read to them later. It seems we can never leave the library without at least five or more books.

All children are drawn to and love computers. Library computers give you free access to ABCmouse, which is a learning module that you can set for the specific age of your child. The children think they are just having fun playing a game, but they are actually learning their ABCs and numbers. ABCmouse is an online, award-winning curriculum for 2-8-year-olds. The program can be purchased for a monthly fee to run on a home computer.

PHOTO BY KAREN SHADRACH

Libraries

Pages of Love & Plenty to Do

Storytime at the library.

Most libraries also have a large catalog of toys to borrow. This allows you to take out and see if they really like the toy or game before purchasing a similar item for a gift. Also, many are learning toys that teach new skills. Toys may be borrowed for up to three weeks before returning and each one also includes a storybook, often relevant to the toy.

In addition to toys, you can also borrow puppets, movies, music CDs plus a vast digital collection of eBooks and videos. Our grandchildren love the flannel board stories at library storytimes. I have made my own flannel board (a simple piece

of flannel draped and glued over a painting canvas), and then borrowed these different stories to perform at home. The children like to hear these stories over and over and even perform the story themselves while playing library storytime with their siblings and friends.

Libraries host events such as puppet shows, magic shows, zoo animal visits and other types of family entertainment. Some locations host kindergarten readiness programs, where children listen to a story then go to stations for hands-on learning.

Libraries may print a free program guide that lists the many activities available.

If you haven’t taken your grandchildren to the library in a while, take the time to go this spring and enjoy some great books together.

Karen Shadrach is an on-thego, in-the-know Northeast Ohio grandmother of two sets of twins. Read her grandparenting blog at northeastohioboomer.com.

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HEALTH

Ask the Orthopedist: Finger Pain

By Dr. Scott Zimmer

QUESTION: My fingers sometimes ache, and it’s gotten harder to open jars or pill bottles. What causes this?

ANSWER: This is an extremely common complaint that I hear from my patients over 50. The likely culprit is osteoarthritis. Arthritis is essentially the breakdown of cartilage in your joints over time. This can occur through normal wear and tear of the joint as we age but can be accelerated by other causes.

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Factors such as obesity, injuries, surgeries and genetics can all increase the speed at which the joint breaks down. Overuse of your hands and fingers, or the repetition of specific movements, is often the cause of cartilage loss, as well.

As a simple analogy, think of your cartilage like the tread on a tire.

Over many miles, the tread wears down, based on the load placed on the wheels, the alignment of the vehicle, daily impact and its type of use. As the cartilage breaks down, eventually the bone and nerve endings are exposed and can be painful. As the joint space narrows, osteophyte or bone spurs may form.

In some cases, the finger joints become enlarged and you may lose some functionality.

It’s likely that we all will get some form of osteoarthritis of the joints as we get older. The severity of arthritis will determine how much

intervention may be required to ease your pain and keep you comfortable.

The first line of treatment with osteoarthritis is to manage the pain, starting with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Physical therapy can be helpful to strengthen the weakened joint and improve range of motion. Many patients find short-term relief with cortisone shots for pain and/or gel injections that lubricate and increase the shock absorption of the joint.

When conservative measures no longer work, you may need to consider surgical interventions such as fusion or joint replacement.

Dr. Zimmer is the founding director of Ohio Hand to Shoulder Center with locations in Beachwood, Chardon and Concord.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 844-542-6363 or go to ohiohandtoshoulder.com.

A Garden Under Glass Rockefeller Park Greenhouse Brings the Outdoors In

By Marie Elium Photography by Kim Stahnke

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C

omfortable spring weather is teasingly sparse and fleeting in Northeast Ohio.

Deep into the first months of the year, the temperature persistently demands the detritus of winter coats, hats and gloves. But at the historic Rockefeller Park Greenhouse, it’s always comfortably warm with a gentle filter of sunlight through the glass ceiling panels.

The starkly striking cactus are thriving, fat bulbs hint at blooms to come and the lush greenness teases to the promise of outdoor gardens. It’s a good place to be.

Greenhouse manager Perrin Verzi has overseen this one-acre garden of glass for two decades, her job expanding to include the sprawling 290-acre Rockefeller Park adjoining it on East 88th Street. Both are owned by the City of Cleveland. Getting a dose of summer year-round is free.

PLAYING FAVORITES A plant tender for most of her 51 years, Verzi’s garden interest was nurtured by her mother, who took her along to garden centers near their Dayton home to see what was growing.

Verzi studied horticulture at the University of Minnesota, and eventually landed the job at the greenhouse. She says her own home gardens on a large lot in the city of Cleveland are limited to areas close to where she can enjoy them. She leaves the large-scale gardening to her workplace, where city employees primarily maintain the grounds and greenhouses. Volunteers tend the popular Willott Iris Garden and two vegetable plots.

One of Verzi’s favorite areas of the greenhouse is the Tropical House, with its intoxicating fragrance of citrus blossoms in February and exotic banana plants and fruit trees. Outdoors, she’s partial to the recently renovated Japanese Garden. “It’s very serene and green and you just feel calm when you’re walking there. It’s right next to the street but you don’t know it.”

GARDEN VISIT TIPS Gardens are second nature to Verzi, but if you’re new to garden tromps, she has a few suggestions. “Take time to sit and take time to take it in. Notice not just the canopy above but also what’s at your feet as well, the color, the insects. Allow your senses to take in what’s there.”

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And More We asked members of the Emerald Necklace Garden Club (emeraldnecklacegardenclub.com) for their favorite local gardens. Club member Donna Hessel writes a garden blog for Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond, “Gardening Sweet Spots.” You can read it at northeastohioboomer.com.

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland Cbgarden.org 216-721-1600 The large herb garden created and managed by Western Reserve Herb Society is outstanding, featuring labeled plants. Hershey Children’s Garden is great for kids. Beautiful rose and Japanese gardens are mesmerizing. The Glasshouse features both a spring desert of Madagascar and butterflies-filled rainforest of Costa Rica. Admission fee.

CLEVELAND CULTURAL GARDENS 750 E. 88th St., Cleveland Clevelandculturalgardens.org Each garden is a tribute to the area’s ethnic heritage. Free.

CLEVELAND METROPARKS LAKEFRONT NATURE PRESERVE portofcleveland.com/ environment-infrastructure/ cleveland-lakefront-nature-preserve 8701 Lakeshore Blvd. NE, Cleveland 216-377-1348 Well-maintained grass trails; benches; great views of downtown Cleveland; birdwatching; ENGC member recommendation: Go in spring and summer for native perennials in a natural setting. Free.

DAFFODIL TRAIL 3100 Brush Rd., Richfield Summitmetroparks.org/furnace-run 330-867-5511 40,000 daffodils in bloom in the spring. Free.

F.A. SEIBERLING NATURE REALM summitmetroparks.org 1828 Smith Rd, Akron 330-865-8065 Hiking trails in wooded areas; lectures by various groups; rock and herb garden. Free.

HEMLOCK CREEK PICNIC AREA/ BEDFORD RESERVATION – CLEVELAND METROPARKS Clevelandmetroparks.com

14800 Button Road., Walton Hills ENGC Member recommendation: Walk the trail along Tinkers Creek for an unbelievable display of native spring wildflowers and ephemerals. Free.

HOLDEN ARBORETUM holdenarb.org 9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland 440-946-4400 Gardens, trails, Murch Canopy Walk and Kalberer Family Emergent Tower. Canopy walk and tower open April 1-November 1. The arboretum is open year-round. Don’t miss the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom in June. Admission fee.

Turtlehead - These grow in the Peace Garden near the greenhouse. A lush, unusual, easy-to-grow perennial that tolerates shade and partial shade, it always garners a lot of questions from visitors when it blooms each summer.

Bear’s Breeches -This is a large, spiky perennial with shiny green leaves and white and purple blooms. Sculptural, dramatic and bold, it grows in full sun and part shade.

Sunpatiens - A showy annual with brightlycolored blooms, it’s a seasonal showstopper each summer in a flowerbed near the greenhouse parking lot.

Kingwoodcenter.org 50 N. Trimble Rd., Mansfield 419-522-0211 Opens April 1.

Blooming dates for various flowers are listed on the home page. Admission fee.

MILLER NATURE PRESERVE Loraincountymetroparks.com 2739 Center Rd., Avon 440-937-0764 Conservatory plants, scenic gardens, wooded areas. Free.

The spring bulb display is April 3-May 1.

Friends of Greenhouse spring plant sale is May 14-16. Free.

SCHOEPFLE GARDEN Lorainmetroparks.com/ schoepfle-garden 11106 Market St., Wakeman 440-965-7237 70-acre botanical garden and woods bordered by Vermillion River.

Collections of rhododendron, roses, lilies, hostas, and others plus trees.

Free.

SECREST ARBORETUM ROCKEFELLER PARK & GREENHOUSE Rockefellerparkgreenhouse.org 750 E. 88th St., Cleveland 216-664-2512 Opened in 1905, this greenhouse features seasonal floral displays. The Betty Ott Talking Garden for the Blind provides audio descriptions for sight-impaired visitors. Also visit the Willott Iris Garden, the Latin American Garden, the Japanese Garden and the Peace Garden and The Mall formal garden.

Cleveland’s Garden Walk – usually in July – private homes, self-guided touring – “good ideas on smaller/realistic scale.” Admission fee.

Outdoor retail areas: Eaton Square (Woodmere), Pinecrest (Orange), Legacy Village (Beachwood); and Crocker Park (Westlake) all have imaginative container floral displays throughout the open-air shopping areas. Free.

Better Living After 50

Rockefeller Park Greenhouse manager Perrin Verzi says these are some of her favorite Northeast Ohio plants.

KINGWOOD CENTER GARDENS

AND CONSIDER...

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PLANTS TO PUT ON YOUR RADAR

Secrest.osu.edu 2122 Williams Road, Wooster 330-263-3761 110 acres; outdoor lab and landscaped gardens, theme garden. Open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. Free.

STAN HYWET HALL & GARDENS stanhywet.org 714 N. Portage Path, Akron 70 acres; themed gardens.

Admission fee.

Marie Elium inherited both her name and her love of gardening from her grandmother. She tends her own sprawling beds on a village lot in northern Portage County.

Change it Up

Why Change?

Why Not?

Let's not kid ourselves; change can be scary. The fear of change is called metathesiophobia - even the word is intimidating. The good news?

Little changes can make a big impact. We've got several stories that may be just what you need to Change It Up. Go ahead, conquer your metathesiophobia.

What’s an App? GOOD QUESTION; PULL UP A DEVICE

By Tak Sato Everyone talks about apps, but if you’ve missed the boat on these handy — and free — smartphone and tablet accessories, you don’t know what you don’t know. Take a deep breath and be patient.

Depending on who you ask, the answer to when the first smartphone arrived is separated by a decade.

The iPhone, introduced by the late Steve Jobs (Apple) in 2007, takes the cake as the first widely available

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smartphone.

Smartphones do more than just make calls. They are like chameleons, or a Swiss Army Knife, morphing on demand into what you need.

APP CHAT Smartphones don’t shape-shift like aliens in a “Star Trek” episode.

Apps (short for applications) are what make a smartphone or tablet acquire multiple uses. Apps like Dialer, Camera and others come pre-installed from the factory. Dialer,

for example, is your telephone app.

Tapping the telephone handset icon will enable you to enter the phone number or name of the person you want to call. Hit the green handset icon to call, red handset icon to hang-up.

WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE APPS? Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems (iPhone and iPads use Apple; other phones and tablets use Android) have their own

apps. Just like Walmart Superstores carry everything in one place, “App Store” (for iPhone and iPad devices) and “Play Store” (for Android-based devices) exist in the digital world, also known as the internet or the cloud. Each carries more than two million apps in their inventories.

HOW DO YOU GET THEM? Both App Store and Play Store apps also come factory-installed. Tapping the respective store’s icon (see sidebar) will have you window shopping for apps to install on your device in no time.

Most apps fall into these pricing categories: free, freemium and premium. If I had my druthers, most apps are either freemium or premium-priced because, you know, nothing is truly free these days. So… “Freemium” is the combination of words “free” and “premium” — a type of business model. It’s free to install but you will see advertisements cycling on the screen. If the ads annoy you, most freemium apps will offer to permanently remove ads in exchange for a fee. At least you’ve test-driven the app before paying.

If users tolerate the cycling ads, developers of the apps still make money by selling advertising space to the ad networks controlled by Apple and Google respectively. Tip: Search using the keywords “open source” while window shopping in either store to receive a shortlist of truly free apps.

Most premium apps are priced from 99 cents and higher. Tip: Freemium apps in the Play Store will not only say “Free” but also display “Contains Ads” so you can set your expectations. Unfortunately, Apple’s App Store does not currently give you hints – sorry iPhone and iPad users!

Store or through an iTunes gift card that you can buy wherever you buy gift cards.

TIP: To minimize exposure if victimized, I recommend the gift card route because damage is limited to the gift card balance and you can always buy another gift card for more purchasing power. This might also curtail impulse buys as both stores additionally sell eBooks, movies and music.

WHERE ARE THE BEST SOURCES FOR APP REVIEWS? In each app “store” (the App Store for iPhones and iPads or Play Store for Android devices) there are reviews, screenshots and sometimes a video with each app so you can see what you’re getting. Try a Google search for a particular category of

an app to get started in the right direction. Most apps are in both stores. The Facebook and Gmail apps, for example, are in both Play Store and App Store.

This brings us to my “driver’s license” analogy: Once you have a driver’s license, you can drive any make, model and category of an automobile because driving is a transferable skill. “Digital literacy,” the necessary life skill for the 21st Century, is also a transferable skill.

Becoming digitally literate enables you to use Apple devices or Androidbased devices.

Tak Sato is the founder of the Cleveland-area nonprofit Center for Aging in the Digital World (empowerseniors.org).

IS IT SAFE TO PAY FOR AN APP? Whether you buy a premium version of an app outright or go the freemium route, you need to pay to get rid of the ads in one of two ways: Link the Google Account or Apple ID you used to initially set up your device, to a credit card or link it to the Play March/April 2020

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Change it Up

Fingertip Convenience THERE’S A (LOCAL) APP FOR THAT

By Margaret Briller From food to finance, news to games, health and more, mobile apps have only been around for a dozen years, but there are now millions to choose from. Here are some popular apps offered locally that can streamline your life with the touch of a fingertip.

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WHOLE FOODS SUPERMARKET: This supermarket chain exclusively sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

Its app shows weekly deals just for Amazon Prime members, from organic produce to Animal Welfare Rated meat to grocery staples. Plus, Prime members get an extra 10% off hundreds of sale items.

Retired business owner Millie Sretenovic of suburban Cleveland is an app Prime member. “I always show my app whether there is a discount or not,” she says. “Many times, I am surprised to know that I have saved money. I’m very sold on the Whole Foods app and others that make my life more convenient.”

GIANT EAGLE: This useful app helps you shop at Giant Eagle or Market District for all your grocery needs. Use it to find your favorite products, track your perks, shop and store gift cards, view weekly specials and schedule a curbside pickup or home delivery. Clip your eCoupons and add them to the Giant Eagle Advantage Card®. You can even use the app to order your favorite made-to-order foods at select GetGo locations.

HUNTINGTON BANK: Huntington’s The Hub and Heads Up apps provide real-time insights about spending and saving to help customers make more informed decisions about their

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money. The addition of Zelle on its mobile and online banking platforms enables customers to send personto-person payments to friends and family.

“At Huntington, we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to enhance our customer experience in line with our purpose to look out for people — and we’re proud to bring Zelle’s capabilities to our customers,” says Andy Harmening, Huntington’s Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Consumer and Business Banking. “Offering Zelle in our app provides our customers with another convenient payment management tool, making it fast and easy to move money.”

CLEVELAND CLINIC: MyChart and Health Records app users can view their personal health information, including test results, medications, immunizations, past and future appointments, physician notes and details about hospital admissions. When you need to find care, Cleveland Clinic Express Care® Online app brings a healthcare provider to you live through your phone for an on-demand visit right away or to schedule a virtual followup visit.

“When patients have direct access to their personal health information, they have the opportunity to live healthier lives,” says Amy Merlino, M.D., Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Medical Information Officer. “They are able to track important health factors, such as weight or cholesterol or blood sugar, to determine their own personal trends over time. They are able to easily see a combined view of their information from multiple health systems, as well as have the ability to share their healthcare history with other providers.”

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: The UH Now app lets you find a doctor, find a location, log in to your UH Personal Health Record and schedule an appointment. The app lets you explore health topics that are important to you and your family so you can get health information delivered right to your fingertips — at the time and place you need it most.

CLEVELAND METROPARKS: This trails app is useful for planning visits to any of 18 park reservations.

Interactive GPS maps show where you are in the parks and detailed directions to get to trailheads, picnic areas, food, beaches and more. For other county parks or national parks, use AllTrails free app.

Margaret Briller is a freelance writer in Northeast Ohio. Her favorite apps include Sky Map, Waze and Shazam.

In celebration of our 5th-year anniversary:

Seeking nominations of those who make a positive impact in the lives of people 50+ in our region

INNOVATORS. PLANNERS. TRAILBLAZERS. Tell us about the people who make a transformative difference in the lives of our region’s older adults. Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond wants to recognize individuals who are leading the way for Better Living after 50.

From housing to healthcare, employment, recreation and more, nominate someone who creatively addresses the needs of older adults, improving expectations and outcomes throughout Northeast Ohio.

Since our magazine’s founding in 2015, we have met inspirational people who not only work to achieve this kind of impact but also pursue it passionately as their life’s calling.

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! Learn more at NortheastOhioBoomer.com/IMPACT

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Change it Up

Life Hacks to Build Your Brain & Rock Your World

By Estelle Rodis-Brown Predictability breeds boredom. f you take the same route to work every day, buy the same groceries every week and order the same food every meal out, it’s time to change up your old routines.

These little daily habits accumulate to create a stuck-in-the rut lifestyle. But you can rock your world, one habit at a time.

While one of the upsides of maturity is being able to choose exactly what you want to do whenever you want, the downside is that you start self-limiting choices, becoming rigid and shrinking the scope of your world. Do you really want to go the rest of your life without the thrill of new discovery?

Besides, taking the path of least resistance leaves us slip-sliding into premature aging. The lack of resistance or challenge in our daily life can make us weak and flabby, both physically and mentally.

“One of the challenges of aging is rigidity,” says clinical psychologist Mary Malek, Ph.D., of Healing Space LLC in Twinsburg. “Change is increasingly difficult unless we face that.”

i

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WHAT’S NEXT? Once you follow through with basic change-ups like these, you can take on bigger challenges, like joining a new organization, traveling to a new destination, participating in a new contest, interviewing for a new position or finally organizing that spare room stuffed with clutter.

On the other hand, you can float down the lazy river of habit and convenience, only to find yourself stuck in the eddy of complacency and rigidity. This could lead to boredom, isolation and addiction, Dr. Malek says.

Think about those who seem able to breeze through life’s changes and take on new discoveries, compared to those who got frozen somewhere in time, unable to move forward or away from home base. Which describes you better? How easy is it for you to do something spontaneous? Can you try something new without using alcohol as a crutch? Are you a control freak who limits choices in order to avoid vulnerability?

There’s always a certain momentum in life, either moving you forward or shrinking you backward.

Have you reverted or grown in the past few years? Put forth whatever effort it takes to paddle upstream. It will build internal resilience.

“Resiliency is our best friend,” Dr. Malek says. ”Why should life be easy and comfortable and within our control? That doesn’t build much muscle or flexibility. Where do you really want to go? Shoot for it.”

Tackle the first roadblock that keeps you from taking the first step. If it’s clutter, clear it. If it’s your internal scold, listen to an encouraging voice instead. Dr. Malek advises following the approach described in this portion of a David Whyte* poem:

t

SMALL STEPS Start with little daily habits and move on to bigger things. Getting out of your comfort zone and into a new exercise class, hobby club, place of worship, social group or vocation can be intimidating at first but are ultimately rewarding.

Research points to the fact that neuroplasticity — growth potential in the brain — is not just a part of childhood development but can continue into maturity if we exercise our brains with intentionality, Dr. Malek says.

“It is so beneficial as we enter into the later decades of our lives — when we feel out of control and at the mercy of decline — to instead move upstream with simpler,

fun, exciting things that keep us in the flow of life. Then when true challenges come, we can meet them head-on.”

Dr. Malek recommends the following little life hacks to spice up your day and stretch your mind, building new pathways and fresh growth in your brain: Change the route you take to work, the store or a friend’s house.

Or change your standard method of transport. If it’s a short jaunt, try walking, bicycling or taking public transportation for a change of pace.

Go old-school if you typically communicate digitally. It takes time and effort to rustle up a pen and stationery to handwrite a note. When was the last time you licked a stamp and sent out snail mail? Or used a fold-out paper map instead of your turn-by-turn digital map?

Integrate new movement into a routine chore. Use your imagination and lighten your spirit while reaching to a high shelf as if you were a dancer or a basketball player. Have fun getting your tasks done.

Switch it up. If you hang your purse over your right shoulder, switch to the left. If you carry your wallet in your back pocket, switch to the front. If the staff at your favorite restaurant know your order before you place it, it’s time to try new cuisine at that place you’ve been meaning to visit.

“These are deceptively simple change-ups but they will light up different parts of your brain,” Dr. Malek says. “It’s a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Wherever these neurons fire, you wire new, stronger pathways in the brain. The more lanes and tributaries you open up will keep your brain young and allow you to flow with change fluidly, without disruption.”

Start Close In Start close in, don’t take the second step or the third, start with the first thing close in, the step you don’t want to take.

Start with the ground you know, the pale ground beneath your feet, your own way of starting the conversation.

This is your world. You can rock it, one life hack at a time.

Estelle Rodis-Brown is a freelance writer from Portage County who serves as digital/assistant editor of Boomer magazine. She also writes Boomer’s Dad Said it Best blog. *(Read David Whyte’s full poem here: pathwriter.wordpress. com/2012/03/19/start-close-in-david-whyte/ )

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Change it Up

Spring Change HOW ABOUT AN eBIKE?

By Diane Jenks

e

eBikes are changing the way we think about bicycling — and it’s all good — especially for anyone with mobility issues.

WHAT MAKES THEM AWESOME? What makes an eBike awesome is that it gets those people back on a bicycle who might have hung up their wheels because of issues like hip or knee replacements, back problems, and/or breathing difficulties. That extra boost up hills smooths out the road and brings the joy of cycling back.

If you are living close to your grocery, dry cleaner, post office, library and restaurants you like to frequent, it’s a cleaner, healthier, and hassle-free way of traveling those short distances.

If you’re considering commuting to work, saving gas, protecting the environment and getting some endorphins pumping before you get there, an eBike will deliver you to the door in less time and you probably won’t need to shower when you get there.

THEY AREN’T A NEW IDEA Just for the sake of the back story: the idea of an electric-assist bicycle

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dates back into the late 1800s, with patents that have increasingly refined the concept until the lithium-ion battery, first developed in 1912, was made popular for commercial use by Sony in 1991.

That development, probably more than any other, has led to a lighter and more reliable product and now, the eBike is becoming almost ubiquitous.

PREFERENCES There are essentially three classes of eBikes, each depending upon the speed that can be attained when riding and whether there is a throttle on the bike.

The Class I eBike must be pedaled for the motor to engage, has no throttle, and will cease to provide assistance when a speed of 20 mph is attained. It is considered a “low-speed pedal-assist” machine. You can pedal it faster than that; but, it won’t give you any more “boost” from the motor.

The Class II eBike is a low-speed throttle assist machine that allows you to motor up to 20 mph without pedaling by using the throttle. You can pedal the bike the same way you would any normal bike.

The Class III eBike is a “speed” pedal-assist bicycle that will attain 28 mph and has a speedometer. This eBike does not need a license or registration, but it is also not permitted where the lower speed eBikes can go. It’s meant for the street.

Where you ride, how long you want the battery to last* on one charge, and how much you want the bicycle to BE a bicycle has a lot to do with which eBike you might want to choose. * The range on one battery charge is about 60 miles.

WHAT ABOUT A CYCLING VACATION? As eBikes have been refined — better motors, lighter weight overall, and new disc brake systems — the touring companies are beginning to add them to their rental fleets.

Mixing eBikes with regular pedal bikes in a group of travelers helps to “level the playing field” so that even a novice rider can hop on his/her bike in the morning, keep up with the group, and ride more miles each day, no longer have to stop, get in the van and miss the expansive views of the landscape that can be so unparalleled from the saddle of a bike.

I’m Too...

At the end of a riding day, you will arrive with enough energy to enjoy the evening, too.

WHAT ABOUT THE COSTS? This is a tough question. You can order an eBike online or pick one up at a bigbox store like Walmart or even Costco, for anywhere from $400 and up.

However, it has never been as true that you get what you pay for when it comes to a bicycle — especially an eBike — AND, more importantly, your satisfaction with your purchase will be exponentially better when you buy a bike from a reputable shop.

An eBike is still a bicycle — it needs to be sized, fit, and assembled properly. The quality of the components will make a huge difference in how the bike operates with companies such as Shimano and Bosch investing huge amounts of money on R&D for the motors and drive systems. A lot of what you experience and will find satisfying and FUN will depend upon what the bike feels like under you and how easy it is for you to understand how it operates — all in the realm of what a bike shop is there to offer you.

So the answer to the question? The price range to get what you want and what you will love to ride is probably between $1500-$2500.

WHAT’S THE END GAME? Finally, one of the goals of those who advocate for the use of bicycles for short trips, commuting, recreation, and health and fitness is to get “more people on bikes.” And eBikes are doing just that.

Also to that end, virtually every community has some advocacy organization working to get more protected bike lanes, more bike paths and more connected stretches of existing infrastructure.

If you’re interested in trying out an eBike, see what your local bike shop has. Then, put on some sneakers and a pair of shorts, and head on out for a test ride.

Diane Jenks is the OutSPOKEn Cyclist blogger for Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond and a 45-year veteran of the bicycle business in Northeast Ohio. Diane authored the “HubBub Guide to Cycling,” a practical how-to and humorous guide about taking a bicycle tour, available online for Kindle.

EXCUSE-FREE FITNESS FOR EVERYONE

By Kate Toohig

I

s your pathway to fitness filled with excuses? Change is a big part of better living after 50. We’ll be running fitness columns throughout the year in print and online at northeastohioboomer. com that we hope will make your fitness journey a little bit easier.

TOO OLD Whether you’re 30 or 80, if you believe you’re too old, you are too old. Setting beliefs that limit the ability to change becomes the biggest obstacle to change.

As long as you are above ground and breathing, you are not too old to get fit.

A late start into fitness still reaps many health benefits.

A Journal of American Medical Association study found that starting an exercise program in your 50s may offer many of the same rewards as if you started as a teen.

So, as long as the brain and its limits can be bypassed, it’s never too late to start getting in shape.

Just look at 78-year-old powerlifter Willie Murphy, who began working out at 56. Her philosophy for getting in shape was, “Life, life, life.” Fitness helped empower her, make her more independent and allowed her to enjoy her grandchildren to the fullest.

AM I TOO FAT? Some may think that trendy workouts or fitness offerings are only for those already in good physical

Kate Toohig is Assistant General Manager, Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood (mandeljcc.org.)

shape, but exercise is healthy for everyone of every size. As long as you’re able to participate in physical activity, finding your fit is more important than your fat.

Finding an activity where you feel comfortable is of the utmost importance when trying to create a habit that will stick. Whether it’s walking, aqua jogging, biking, joining a group fitness class, strength training or going to yoga, finding something that you enjoy is the key to success.

AM I TOO OUT OF SHAPE? The biggest misconception about fitness is that you have to be in shape to do it.

Everyone was a beginner at some point in their fitness journey and felt nervous and scared of the unknown (or maybe the known).

Whether you’re brand new to fitness or just getting back to it after a break, any physical activity will be

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beneficial to you if you stay consistent and take it slow. Studies show physical activity, such as increasing your daily number of steps, can help you live longer. Though health guidelines suggest a minimum of 30 minutes of activity a day for adults, meet yourself where you are with your fitness. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

Local recreation centers offer opportunities for group and personal training and a wide variety of classes for all fitness levels, from beginner to senior Olympians.

When you’re ready to be more active, make sure that you work with professionals to reduce the possibility of injury.

Staying healthy and staying in shape does get harder as we age, but it is possible and it is important. Choose an activity you like, grab a friend, set a goal and get going.

NortheastOhioBoomer.com

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Change it Up

Could Your Home Use A Facelift?

HGTV often has us believing we need buckets of cash to liven things up around the house. But the secret is, all you need is a vision, some professional advice and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

HERE AND NOW For second-generation landscaper Greg Nied, it’s all about “casual elegance at a glance.” Nied’s father started Nied Garden Center in 1952 in Northfield, and he plans on keeping his hands in the dirt well beyond retirement.

Nied isn’t a big proponent of landscaping solely for resale value, but for quick curb appeal, he says, “Plant some flowers, edge and mulch your beds, trim your shrubs and green grass is key.” More than anything, Nied says your choices should spark joy. “Whatever you do in your yard, you should do it because it makes you happy.”

But for increasing value, you’ll need a budget to play with and a vision to chase after.

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Better Living After 50

YOUR GO-TO GUIDE

By Breanna Mona

NOT LOOKING TO SELL? Even if you’re not looking to list your home, Barb Scozzie, a HomeSmart Real Estate Momentum Realtor in Mentor, suggests trying neutral colors but tossing in some new accents to brighten up your space. New bedding, throw pillows, throw rugs or even replacing or taking down curtains will get a new vibe going fast.

MARIE KONDO-ING You had to see this one coming.

Scozzie uses the 70/30 rule. “Pretty much 70% of your stuff is going to go into storage. So, when it’s summer and you’re not using your winter clothes, put them in clear bins and stack them in the garage or basement,” she says. This makes your closet spaces look bigger.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Consider low-voltage lighting. “It just adds rich character and charm because of the shadows you can cast on the points on your house that are key — arches, peaks, valleys, bay windows,” Nied says.

You don’t have to go with the most expensive brands on this trend, though. “If you’re on a budget, you can go to the box store. Once it’s in the ground, no one knows what it is. The point is to get light on the house, enhance what you’ve got. It gives curb appeal and value. To not take advantage of it would be a sin.”

CHANGE IT UP: OUTDOORS CLEANING, PAINTING, FLOORING, OH MY! Staging is huge. When your house is on the market, think of the prep work as if it’s getting ready to go on a date with prospective homebuyers.

Scozzie is also a certified staging consultant. She tells clients that their home will either make them money or make them lose money.

“You could have a $200,000 home that may go for $185,000 because buyers may look at it and go, ‘Oh my gosh, I have so much to put into it.’ You can make that small 1-3 % investment and a lot of times, you go into multiple offers,” she says.

According to Scozzie, the easiest and most common areas to update are flooring and paint. Replace that old shag carpeting and scrap the ratty linoleum. Scozzie suggests luxury vinyl planks, in neutral grey tones, for a sleek, modern look.

Neutral greys are the golden rule for paint, too. Vibrant colors are usually a turnoff to buyers. Scozzie says neutral greys make your home a blank canvas for buyers who don’t relish tearing down old wallpaper or painting over lime green walls.

Scozzie suggests replacing old or unflattering light fixtures, too. These can be relatively inexpensive to replace, and the results tend to dazzle buyers.

Nied wants folks to enjoy their home while they’re still living in it. He says spending money on a memorial garden after a loved one has passed is less satisfying than enjoying a creative space — like a patio or firepit — with them in the living years. “Create a little space where you can go and have a conversation. It’s all about enjoying the here and now.”

Nied recommends adding water to the landscape.

He has a pond at home. “It just makes me so happy to sit there and listen to the water. It keeps me calm and focused. It costs, but quality always costs. If you get a patio that looks professionally done, you’re making it more exciting and appealing (for buyers).”

CHANGE IT UP: INDOORS If you’re looking to sell, there are a few things you should know about getting your home move-in ready. If you invest 1-3 % of the value of your home in staging, updates and repairs, you could make or save 8-10 %, according to the National Association of Realtors.

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Change it Up SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB Having owned and operated a cleaning company, Scozzie tells her clients that the least expensive and the most important upgrade is a professional deep clean. “Give it a good, deep clean and you can move into anything, even if it’s a little outdated,” Scozzie says.

“When they’re not looking at dirt, they’re looking at the property,” Scozzie says. It may feel overwhelming

to keep your home show-ready while living in it, but Scozzie has some simple pointers.

“The easiest thing you can do is keep some towels nearby. Once you’re done in the sink, wipe it out. Have a plastic bin outside of the shower and when you leave in the morning, just throw everything in there and put it under the sink. Just have a spot for everything.”

AND BACK OUTSIDE ...

If you’re coming up empty on ideas, Nied says to start at local garden centers, “not at box stores because box stores have people who can tell you where to find something and how much it costs, but they really can’t give you good ideas, in my opinion.”

“Do some Googling. Talk to your neighbor. If you’re driving down the road and you see a sign that says ‘landscaped by,’ that sign is there for a reason.

If you like what they’ve done, then reach out to them. If you see good landscaping, even knock on the door.” The best work speaks for itself.

If you’ve cruised around your neighborhood and still don’t have any ideas, Nied suggests picking up a few home and garden magazines for inspiration.

Breanna Mona is a Northeast Ohio freelance writer.

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Better Living After 50

Boomer h s a B ´ West

Thursday, May 14, 2020 4:00 - 6:30 PM

LaCentre Conference & Banquet Facility 25777 Detroit Road • Westlake, OH 44145

Tickets ONLY $10.

Get your tickets today!

440-971-0595 boomerbashwest2020.eventbrite.com Presented by

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

40 Better Living After 50

Come Dressed In Your Best Hawaiian Attire

Are you ready to learn how to Hula Dance?

We are thrilled to be back at LaCentre for Year #3 of Boomer Bash West 2020! The night will include a mix of Hawiianthemed entertainment by Hawaiian Island Entertainment, education, raffle/giveaways, complimentary small bites, happyhour priced cocktails, photo-booth fun and much more.

It is truly Celebrating Better Living After 50!

The entertainment includes hula dancing, games and lessons!

Get ready to Limbo for fun!

Silver Sponsors

We are excited to be partnering with The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs. Proceeds from the raffles will benefit this amazing organization. The Sanctuary for Senior Dogs is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, adoption, and lifelong care of senior dogs abandoned in shelter and pounds.

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LEGAL

Spring Cleaning Time Dust Off Your Estate Plan

By Jennifer E. Peck

A

h, spring ... a time of renewal, new life and a fresh start. When you start your spring cleaning this year, think about “cleaning up” your important papers, too.

Your estate planning may need to be updated from time to time. Laws change, your assets change, your situation changes. Let’s say you named your spouse and then your mom as beneficiaries of your life insurance and as your executor. Your children were young at the time and you figured, if you and your spouse died, your mom could take care of the children and use life insurance for them. Unfortunately, children grow up too fast. Now your children are no longer minors and they may be the ones who take care of grandma.

It’s probably time to consider a change.

Where There’s a Will…

What if you don’t have a will? Lots of people have good intentions but life gets busy and they keep putting it off. Do you know where your assets go if you don’t have a will? The State of Ohio has a statute that takes care of your probate assets. Rather than rely on state law to dispose of assets, consider taking control and creating a will so you control who inherits what.

Estate planning isn’t just about wills. It also addresses what happens if you become incompetent. Who will make medical decisions for you and pay your bills if you can’t? That’s where the Financial Power of Attorney and Health Care Power of Attorney come into play.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to handle your finances. This can include paying bills, cashing checks and even selling your

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Better Living After 50

home.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney isn’t just for the elderly.

Anyone can have a health crisis, even if it is shortlived and you may temporarily need help with these decisions.

We never know when a medical decision will need to be made. As we age, we may become more dependent upon our loved ones. While we are competent, we may invite a child or other loved one to come to doctor visits with us to be an extra set of ears.

However, if we are incompetent and can no longer make our own decisions, that person has no authority to make medical decisions, just simply because they went with you on doctor visits.

To give legal authority to them, a Health Care Power of Attorney is needed. This document allows someone to be appointed (and successors, if you so choose) to make medical decisions for you in the event that you cannot do so. This is also a very powerful document and should only be given to someone trustworthy who will respect your health wishes.

The best way for this to happen is to not only use a Health Care Power of Attorney but also to talk to the person or persons you name about what your wishes are, including end-of-life care.

As with most things, there is no one-size-fits-all. Take a deep breath of that fresh spring air and consider spring cleaning your estate plan so it fits your needs.

Jennifer E. Peck, Esq. is a member of the law firm of Solomon, Steiner & Peck, Ltd. She is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. She practices in the areas of Elder Law, Medicaid, Estate and Trust Planning and Administration.

Site Seeing

D

id you know that the Social Security Administration provides online services? Here are the top websites to manage benefits, learn the latest news and access helpful resources. .

• Open your own personal my Social Security account, which will enable you to verify your earnings, get future benefit estimates, obtain benefit verification letters, update your Social Security information if

THE BEST ONLINE SOURCES FOR A BENEFIT CHECKUP

By Brandon Smith

you receive benefits, and more at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

• Need answers to your Social Security related questions? Our Frequently Asked Questions page is the authoritative source at socialsecurity.gov/faq.

• The hub for Social Security news and updates is the blog Social Security Matters at blog. socialsecurity.gov. You can use social media to share articles with friends and family.

• Knowing how much money you may get in the future can help you plan your finances. Get instant, personalized estimates of your future Social Security benefits at socialsecurity.gov/ estimator.

• In many states and the District of Columbia, you can request a replacement Social Security Card online at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/ replacement-card.

• Complete and submit an online application for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes at socialsecurity.gov/benefits/ retirement.

• Apply for disability benefits online at socialsecurity.gov/ benefits/disability.

• Find online booklets and pamphlets (including audio versions) on key subjects at socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

• A good way to get Social Security news is through the Instagram account at instagram.com/ SocialSecurity.

• Like our Facebook page by going through facebook.com/ socialsecurity.

Brandon P. Smith is the author of Northeast Ohio Boomer & Beyond’s Social Security & You blog. He is a Social Security public affairs specialist with the Cleveland office of the Social Security Administration.

44 Better Living After 50

Sponsored Content

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Presented by NorthShore Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Centers

C

olon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. However, it is considered one of the most preventable cancers.

There are approximately 150,000 cases of colon cancer diagnosed each year; it’s expected to cause about 50,000 deaths in 2020.

HOW AND WHY SHOULD I GET SCREENED? A colonoscopy is considered the gold standard in screening and, more importantly, in preventing colon cancer. For this procedure, a physician uses a flexible, lighted tube with a camera on the end called a colonoscope. The scope is used by the physician to view the entire colon and rectum and is capable of removing precancerous polyps or abnormal growths in the colon or rectum before they progress into cancer.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COLON CANCER? The list below identifies symptoms you should have checked by your doctor. However, it is important to know that the early stages of colon cancer may not show symptoms.

• Change in bowel habits lasting more than a few weeks • Rectal bleeding, dark stool or blood in the stool • S tomach discomfort, bloating or regular abdominal pain • Unexplained weakness, fatigue or weight loss General recommendations to reduce your risk of colon cancer include drinking plenty of water, eating a plantbased, high-fiber diet and limiting red and processed meats. Regular exercise has also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

It is also recommended to limit alcohol consumption and avoid all tobacco products.

WHEN SHOULD I GET SCREENED? The American Cancer Society has recently dropped the recommended age for a colonoscopy to 45 as a result of the increasing incidence of colon cancer among young adults. Knowing your family history is also very important, as any history of colon cancer may require you to get screened at a younger age.

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Sponsored Content

Changing It Up DENTALLY!

Presented by Dr. Steve Marsh

O

n a recent Tuesday morning, we met a young woman in her early 40s who had found us on a Google search for “Cleveland cosmetic dentist.”

As we do with all of our new patients, we gave her a tour of our office and took some photos of her and her smile. We sat down together in my office to get to know one another, and I asked her what brought her to our facility and what we could do for her.

She explained that, as a teenager, she broke off one of her front teeth in an accident and for the past 28 years has worn a “flipper,” a removable partial denture to replace it.

“Susan” explained that it was time to “change it up,” as she was embarrassed by her appearance (it had a couple of metal “hooks” to hold it in) and her reliance on an old dental technique. She said that she had done her due diligence by reading all she could on the internet and had met with a number of dental

professionals with differing opinions on replacing her tooth “permanently.”

We, too, explored the various options that modern materials and techniques offer. When evaluating the changes that could be achieved, I mentioned that with our new porcelains, we would be able to do a bonded bridge to close the space with very little tooth reduction (think of a butterfly, with the body of the butterfly resembling the missing tooth and the wings connecting the tooth to the adjacent teeth on the palatal side so that they are hidden).

Susan liked the idea, and the conservative treatment was within her budget. Importantly, with a family event on the horizon, it could be done within a two-week timeframe.

This past Tuesday, we completed Susan’s treatment.

When we handed her a mirror, she began to cry. Our team members asked if she was okay, and she said that she couldn’t be happier. Her only regret was that she “hadn’t found us sooner.” We were thrilled for her and her decision to move forward with our care — after nearly three decades of waiting. Like Susan, regardless of your dental situation, with today’s materials and techniques you, too, can make a “change for the better!”

Dr. Steve Marsh focuses on cosmetic dental procedures and general dentistry. Visit ClevelandSmiles.com for more information.

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Better Living After 50

CAREGIVER CORNER

A Loving Decision IS A NURSING HOME RIGHT FOR AN AGING FAMILY MEMBER?

By Ryan Fisher

M

oving a family member into a skilled nursing facility can be a difficult and wrenching choice. It can feel like a failure to honor a parent’s wishes to stay at home; others see it as an act of love and responsibility toward their parent’s safety.

Most long-term placements are made after hospital stays but sometimes the decision makes sense for your situation.

Whatever your circumstance, it pays to be proactive. If you notice your parent starts to decline, talk with your family instead of ignoring signs with the hope that something will change for the better.

The occasional messy hair or forgetting to apply deodorant isn’t a massive red flag. But when there are multiple functional declines, it might be time to address the topic.

A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DECLINE When a loved one suffers a fall, stroke or other serious medical complication, it can trigger a move into a skilled nursing facility. Look for multiple falls that result in bruises or broken bones. If your elder has dementia, you need to honestly consider how safe they may be in their own home. In later stages of dementia, wandering becomes more pronounced and poses greater risks for falls or injuries.

Also, watch if an older loved one stops paying bills, becomes socially withdrawn or less interested in their usual activities.

YOUR CAREGIVING CAPACITY The need to move an elder into a full-time care facility could depend on your ability to help. There are numerous considerations in becoming a primary caregiver for an older family member. You may not live in the same state as your parents; you may not be able to take time off of work. Or you may have caregiver burnout — you shouldn’t feel guilty, because it happens more than you think.

Be honest with yourself and your family members about what you can and cannot reasonably provide. If your health begins to suffer, it can be harder to care for someone else’s health.

Ryan H. Fisher is a partner of the law firm Lowe Eklund Wakefield, and is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. His legal practice is focused on Nursing Home Abuse, Nursing Home Negligence and Wrongful Death.

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Active adult communities and independent living On the Move How to Find Your Fit By Marie Elium We know the grass is always greener on the other side. Now imagine if someone else was cutting it.

No longer tethered to suburbia, a school district or a work commute, many folks 55+ find that an active, older adult community is a good fit as they age. Not sure where to start? The American Academy of Family Physicians has put together an extensive checklist to make the search easier. Go to familydoctor.org for the complete list. continued on page 50

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Better Living After 50

Sponsored Content

Where You Live Matters: Life in a Senior Community Presented by The McGregor Foundation For some, your day starts off with a group hike on the grounds among nature or breakfast with friends and ends with an afternoon shift as a volunteer. Life in a senior living community is about what matters.

Who’s able to enjoy this kind of lifestyle? A lot of people like you!

Whether you visit an independent living community, an assisted living community or a PACE center, you’ll find people participating in a host of activities, programs, clubs and committees. This is not about simply keeping busy but about opportunities designed to give residents choices to do what they want, to do what they enjoy and to find fulfillment.

Each community has a culture shaped by the people who live there.

People come from all backgrounds – small business owners, big business CEOs, housewives, nurses, lawyers, teachers, engineers, musicians, professors — all making the choice for a Life Plan Community (also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community).

Ohio’s 60-plus population is expected to grow 30% by 2030, suggesting that one in five adults will be over 65. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a landmark grant to awardees in the State of Ohio — one of whom was McGregor — to build new homes for low-income seniors.

McGregor is growing dramatically, serving seniors in the community through PACE (the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly)

helping qualified seniors in Cuyahoga County. It serves as an alternative to residential homes by allowing participants to enjoy the comfort and security of familiar surroundings, neighborhoods and their community. With access to three PACE Health Centers — PACE at Forest Hill, PACE at Warrensville Heights and PACE at Old Brooklyn — participants have the option of being picked up and transported one or several times a week to a center for social engagement, cultural activities and meals while giving peace of mind to family members.

McGregor is a recognized leader of innovation and high-value services while continuing its mission of philanthropy, workforce development and total quality of life programming.

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Showcase

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Morning, Noon and Night, The Weils Embraces Your Life Presented by The Weils Care, support and peace of mind…The Weils, an active senior living community in Chagrin Falls, provides all this and much more. The Weils offers a continuum of care to meet individualized needs while promoting independence and healthy living. Our care is renowned for its compassion and quality and our staff is available around-the-clock.

Registered nurses and support staff provide comprehensive care and worry-free living. Our assisted living services include spacious one- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens and washer and dryer. Also included are three chef-prepared meals, transportation services seven days a week, exercise classes, life enrichment programs and outings for every taste, happy hours and more. With month-to-month leases, it’s easy to move in!

Rehabilitation therapy also is available for post-hospital care should the need arise, as well as memory care services.

Come for a tour. Call 440-543-4221 or visit theweils.org. The Weils campus is located at 16695 Chillicothe Road in Chagrin Falls.

continued from page 48 Consider these when you tour a neighborhood or over-55 housing development: KEEP IN MIND...

• Proximity to family and friends • Safety • Senior-friendly floor plans • Cleanliness • Common areas for socializing • Outdoor areas for gathering • Visit at different times of the day to evaluate traffic, noise and other issues OTHER CONSIDERATIONS...

Talk to residents to hear what they like and don’t like about the neighborhood or complex.

• Ask about the staff-to-resident ratio.

• Are the building and grounds well-maintained? Are exterior lighting, sidewalks, pool and other amenities in good shape?

• Are there organized social activities, clubs and outings?

• Are pets allowed?

• What are the restrictions on guests, parking and use of facilities?

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Better Living After 50

Showcase

+ + ++ + ++ + ++ + ++ + Hot Trend: High-End Senior Living Arrives in Beachwood Submitted by Rose Senior Living Upscale, resort-style communities have emerged as one of the hottest senior living trends over the last few years. It’s easy to see why. The sites offer fine dining, state-of-the-art fitness centers, graciously appointed living spaces and more.

Now the trend has come to our area. Rose Senior Living Beachwood, which opens on April 1, features luxury-style amenities along with a continuum of care options — Independent and Assisted Living, and Memory Care. And it’s only minutes away from shopping, dining and recreational opportunities.

Looking for the good life? You’ll find it here. Contact us at 877222-9724, info@roseseniorliving. com, or go to beachwood. roseseniorliving.com.

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87TH ANNUAL SERIES OF SPRING BIRD WALKS Watch as migrating spring birds return or travel through to their summer breeding grounds.

Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. River Styx Park, 8200 River Styx Road, Wadsworth, medinaparks. com. FREE

CLASSES

THURSDAYS Exploring Watercolor. Learn to paint with watercolor following Clela Neale’s step-by-step directions and demonstrations. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. French Creek Reservation, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, loraincountymetroparks. com. $15

WHAT’S

Happening

3/24 Maple Leaf Windchime Workshop. Celebrate sugaring season by joining Brigitte Fiorille from the Fairmount Center for the Arts to create a maple leaf wind chime utilizing ceramic leaves, beads and acrylic painting techniques.

6:30-8:30 p.m. The West Woods, 9465 Kinsman Road, Russell, 440-286-9516, geaugaparkdistrict.org. $30

3/27 & 4/17 Hook, Line & Thinker. Learn the new fishing regulations for 2020 and enjoy a perch dinner. 6-8 p.m. Liberty Park Nature Center, 9999 Liberty Road, Twinsburg, summitmetroparks.org. $20 4/1 Senior Arts & Crafts Evening. A relaxing evening of crafts where you’ll make a spring grapevine wreath

for your door. Ages 50 and over. 6-7:30 p.m. Painesville Twp. Park, 1025 Hardy Road, Painesville Twp., lakemetroparks.com. $30 4/4 Pruning for Homeowners.

Learn basic pruning techniques of young ornamentals and woody plants, essential equipment for everyday, tree health and more. 9:30 a.m.-noon.

Submit an event listing to Calendar@NortheastOhioBoomer.com or go to NortheastOhioBoomer.com

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Better Living After 50

4/4 & 4/18 Wine Workshop. Learn about wine from a pro. Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond writer/blogger Wanda Haynes will be teaching a two-part seminar on red and white wines. DeHoff Memorial Library, 216 Hartford Ave. SE, Canton. FREE 4/18 Introduction to Seed Saving.

Join the Cleveland Seed Bank to learn the basic information and techniques you need to start saving your own seeds in this introductory course.

2-3:30 p.m. Jefferson Branch Library, 850 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland, 216-623-7004, cpl. org. FREE 4/20 Poetry Workshop. Celebrate National Poetry Month with us by participating in a free verse poetry workshop.

7-8 p.m. Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, 440-871-2600, westlakelibrary.org. FREE 4/27 Balloflex for Beginners.

BalloFlex is a seated workout that incorporates the elements of dance and fitness together in a safe, low impact and fun system. 10-10:30 a.m. Firestone Metro Park, Coventry Oaks Area, 40 Axline Ave., Akron, 330-865-8065, summitmetroparks.org. FREE 4/30 Publisher in a Nutshell.

Learn the basics of Publisher including adding text, pictures, and shapes, as well as working with templates, saving and printing publications. 7-8:30 p.m. Noble Neighborhood Branch Library, 2800 Noble Road, Cleveland, 216-2915665, heightslibrary.org. FREE Spinning. Elevate your knitting or crochet artistry by making your own yard. This

introductory level spinning class examines types of fiber, preparing to spin, creating twist, and using a hand spindle to make enough wool yarn for a small project.

2:30-4:30 p.m. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, 330-666-3711, wrhs. org. $36 5/2 Spring Warm-Up Golf Clinic. Full swing, short game and putting will be covered, professionals available for golf club fitting, range balls included, and demos.

1-4 p.m. Washington Golf Course, 3841 Washington Blvd., Newburgh Heights, clevelandmetroparks.com/ golf. $20 5/14 Bees in Your Garden. 6 p.m. Hiram College Field Station, 11305 Wheeler Road, Garrettsville, portageparkdistrict.org

CLUBS

TUESDAYS Knit & Lit Book Club.

Share your passion for great literature and show off your knitting, crocheting, counted cross-stitch, embroidery and quilting works-in-progress.

Second to last Tuesday of the month. 7 p.m. Lakewood Public Library, 15425 Detroit Ave., 216-226-8275, lakewoodpubliclibrary.org.

FREE WEDNESDAYS Fishing Club. Meets year round with seasonal fishing activities. Third Wednesday at 11 a.m. Contact Don at 330-225-2205. Brunswick Library, 3649 Center Road, brunswick.oh.us/recreation/ senior-programs. FREE Senior Strong. Supporting emotional health & combating loneliness 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10:00am. North Olmsted Senior Center, 28114 Lorain Road, north-olmsted.com/ senior-center. FREE

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WHAT´S HAPPENING THURSDAYS Singing Seniors. Do you enjoy singing? Come share your talent with others like you. Patterson Park Community Ctr., 800 Patterson Ave., 330-3752819, akronohio.gov. FREE

CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO ONGOING Meet animals from around the world and create unforgettable memories.

Tour the zoo and the RainForest for an afternoon or the entire day. 3900 Wildlife Way, 216-661-6500, futureforwildlife.org

Shutterbugs. Photography enthusiasts gather the first Thursday of the month to explore photography techniques, give and receive critiques, and enjoy field trips. 6:30 p.m. Chardon Branch Library, 110 East Park St., divi.geaugalibrary.net.

FREE FRIDAYS Spotlight On: Shuffleboard.

Want to join a group that hoots and hollers into the weekend? This group of shuffleboard enthusiasts meets every Friday and all are welcome. 11 a.m.

Willoughby Senior Center, Field House, 36939 Ridge Road, ourseniorcenter.com. $5/month SATURDAYS Short Story Book Club.

Instead of a whole book, read and discuss a short story with your neighbors. 3-4 p.m.

Lorain Branch Library, 8216 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216623-7011, cpl.org. FREE North Ridgeville Writers.

Come and join this pressurefree and friendly writing group. Engage in writing exercises and peer critiques, as well as support for whatever project you are working on. 1-3 p.m. Two Saturdays each month.

North Ridgeville Branch Library, 37500 Bainbridge Road, 440-327-8326, lorainpubliclibrary.org. FREE

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5/7 Fruit and Vegetable Gardens 101 Learn about different methods of creating fruit and vegetable gardens. 2-3 p.m. Miller Nature Preserve, 2739 Center Road, Avon, 440-937-0764, loraincountymetroparks.com. FREE

EXHIBITS

AKRON ART MUSEUM THROUGH 5/24 Elias Sime: Tightrope.

The first major traveling survey dedicated to the Ethiopian artist’s work, features numerous largescale tableaus. Sime draws from a range of influences, including linguistics, botany, artistic movements and topographic photography.

1 S. High St., 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org AKRON ZOO ONGOING Get up close to 700 animals 361 days a year.

Explore Komodo Kingdom, Grizzly Ridge, Penguin Point and much more. Pride of Africa now open. 500 Edgewood Ave., 330-3752550, akronzoo.org

CLEVELAND HISTORY CENTER ONGOING Cleveland Starts Here. A place for Northeast Ohioans to locate their own stories and place themselves in the rich story of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. A place for schoolchildren to experience, firsthand, the history of Cleveland and the region.

10825 East Blvd., 216-7215722, wrhs.org CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN THROUGH 4/26 Rainforest Adventure. An interactive and engaging exhibit that explores the diversity, fragility and adaptability of the flora and fauna of the rainforest. 11030 East Blvd, Cleveland, 216721-1600, cbgarden.org

THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART THROUGH 4/12 PROOF: Photography in the Era of the Contact Sheet. The photographer first saw positive images on the contact sheet. Digital technology has put an end to that era: the photographer now sees the image instantly, and systems of storage, retrieval, and editing have become increasingly sophisticated.11150 East Blvd., clevelandart.org THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY THROUGH 4/26 ‘Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Bite.’

Explore the dinosaurs of the Southern Hemisphere who evolved in isolation from the dinosaurs we know and love.

1 Wade Oval Drive, cmnh.org GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER BEGINNING 3/20 Body Worlds Rx. Through the process of Plastination, a complex preservation method that removes the fluids from the body and replaces them with reactive resins and elastomers, the specimens in this special exhibition offer guests the unique opportunity to be inspired and amazed by the

inner workings of the human body. 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, 216-694-2000, greatscience.com GREATER CLEVELAND AQUARIUM ONGOING Aquarist for a Day, Stingray Art Experience, Zzzs in the Seas Overnights.

2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium. com HOLDEN ARBORETUM BEGINNING 4/1 Canopy Walk and Emergent Tower. The Canopy Walk, a 500-foot-long elevated walkway built 65 feet above the forest floor, will give you a unique perspective on forests and the animals. The Emergent Tower will take you above the trees to a height of 120 feet, where on a clear day you can see all the way to Lake Erie. 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, 440-946-4400, holdenarb.org INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S AIR & SPACE MUSEUM ONGOING Amelia Earhart, Ruth Nichols, Bessie Coleman, Harriet Quimby, Katharine Wright, the WASP, Jackie Cochran and more. Burke Lakefront Airport, 1501 N. Marginal Road, Cleveland, 216623-1111, iwasm.org LAKE ERIE NATURE & SCIENCE CENTER ONGOING Schuele Planetarium: Twinkle Tots, Stellar Stars, Family Adventures in Space, Sky Tonight and Full Dome Show.

28728 Wolf Road, Bay Village, 440-871-2900, lensc.org

STAN HYWET HALL & GARDENS BEGINNING 4/1 ‘The Winds of Change.’

Both dynamic and nuanced, the theme will be captured in a colorful garden exhibit of the same name, “Winds of Change,” comprised of whimsical wind catchers and designed by an all-female group of local artists. 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330836-5533, stanhywet.org

MUSIC FRIDAYS Concerts in the Barn. See some great bands in a truly unique setting. Fridays through May 1st. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Mapleside Farms, 294 Pearl Road, Brunswick, mapleside.com. $15-20 3/24 Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Chilis have never been more in demand for their infectious style of feel good music which appeals right across the age range to people all over the world. 8 p.m. Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron, 330-5353179, akroncivic.com. $33 3/29 Eagles Brunch: With Out of Eden. Take it easy with Ohio’s Best Eagles Tribute.

Enjoy brunch or a delicious Bloody Mary while you’re at it. Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., Cleveland, 216-242-1250, musicboxcle. com. Noon. $10-12 4/1 Rock Hall Nights: Play it Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll. A special

celebration of their newest special exhibit. Grab a drink and a bite to eat, request your favorite song from the DJ, put your musical fandom to the test and get a special look at an artifact from their vault. 6-9 p.m. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, rockhall.com. $18-28

music and dance. 7 p.m.

Gamble Auditorium in Kulas Musical Arts Building, 96 Front Street, Berea, bwcommunityarts.bw.edu 4/4 Cleveland Pops: Fiesta Latina. Get ready to fiesta with the Cleveland Pops.

Witness different styles of dance performed by championship dancers and The Oblivion Project. 8 p.m. Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandorchestra.com. $24-107

4/3 Blue Creations. BW’s Symphonic Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Community Arts School join forces to present an unforgettable evening of

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WHAT´S HAPPENING 4/8 Lara Driscoll Trio: Woven Dreams CD Release. Lara is a French-American pianist, composer, and educator known for her “captivating style and uncluttered finesse” and her “magical touch...musical solos.”

7-9:30 p.m. BOP STOP at The Music Settlement, 2920 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, themusicsettlement.org. $15 4/22 50th Anniversary of The Music of Cream. Honoring the original band’s landmark recording of Disraeli Gears, concerts will feature the album performed in its entirety, followed by a set of additional hits and rarities from Cream, Clapton and Blind Faith, that fans have been asking for. The Kent Stage, 175 East Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, thekentstage.com. $35-45 4/26 Cuyahoga Valley National Park Concert Series: La Vent du Nord. The highly acclaimed, award winning band is a leader in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. 8-10 p.m.

Happy Days Lodge, 500 W. Streetsboro St. State Route 303, Peninsula, conservancyforcvnp.org.

FREE-$21 4/29 Adult Guitar Jam. Bring your acoustic guitar and plan on playing and singing a variety of songs from the ‘50s, ‘60s & ‘70s. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Avon Branch Library, 37485 Harvest Drive, 440934-4743, lorainpubliclibrary. org. FREE

OUTDOORS

TUESDAYS Geauga Walkers. Join other active seniors on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month for hikes in Geauga County and the surrounding area. Hikes are typically 1 to 1.5 miles. 1-2:30 p.m. 440279-2137, geaugaparkdistrict. org. FREE

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4/24-26 Mohican Wildlife Weekend.

Wild edibles walk, vernal pool study, muchroom hike, kids’s activities, birding hike and more. Malabar Farm, 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, mohicanwildlifeweekend. com. FREE 4/28 Adventurer Bike Ride 14.0. Take a 14-mile ride beginning at Craig Pittman Trailhead, riding south to the aqueduct bridge and back. This is a group ride for more advanced riders, with a faster pace and inclines.

9 a.m.-noon. Craig Pittman Trailhead, Congressman Ralph Regula, Navarre, starkparks.com. FREE

4/23-26 Geauga County Maple Festival Four days of fun, food and “everything maple.” Events include arts and crafts, bathtub races, concessions, continuous grandstand entertainment, and more.

Chardon Square, 111 E. Park St., 440-286-3007, maplefestival.com Hiking Seniority. Folks aged 55 and older meet year-round every Tuesday at nearby parks for nature appreciation, exercise and camaraderie. 10 a.m.-noon. 440-256-1404, lakemetroparks.com. FREE SATURDAYS 87th Annual Series of Spring Bird Walks. Watch as migrating spring birds return or travel through to their summer breeding grounds.

7:30 a.m. River Styx Park, 8200 River Styx Road, Wadsworth, medinaparks.com. FREE 4/14 Hiking for the Young at Heart. Get your heart pumping, talk a little history, and enjoy the company of fellow hikers. 9:30-11:30 a.m. West Drive Parking Lot, clevelandmetroparks.com.

FREE

4/15 Mindfulness in Nature: Walking Meditation.

Enjoy a peaceful morning in nature while sharpening your awareness of the world around you. 10 a.m.-noon.

Hampton Hills Metro Park, 1940 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls, summitmetroparks.com.

FREE 4/20-29 Bird Banding. Join expert birder Julie West to observe as her team safely captures, bands, and records valuable data about migratory birds in Northeast Ohio. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 S. Park Blvd., 216-231-5935, shakerlakes. org. FREE

Nature Journaling Walk. 6 p.m. Headwaters Trail, 10647 Freedom St., Garrettsville, portageparkdistrict.org 5/3 Season Opener Fiesta Bike Ride. Enjoy 25 miles of paved roads followed by a Mexican meal at Los Compadres. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Los Compadres, 1410 Hubbard Road, Madison, lakemetroparks. com. $20 Spring Photography Walk. Join Ohio landscape photographer, writer and educator Ian Adams for a photography walk in the gardens at Stan Hywet during spring. 2-4 p.m. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron, 330863-5533, stanhywet.org. $25-34

SPECIAL EVENTS

3/21 Maple Syrup Tour & Pancake Breakfast. Take a wagon tour of the Fulton family’s Maple Valley Farm sugar woods and see the entire syrup-making process from gathering the sap to boiling and bottling in the sugar house. 8708 Hubbard Valley Road, Seville, medinacountyparks.com. $6

3/21 & 22 Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast. Enjoy a pancake breakfast and then head out into the Sugaring Camp to learn about tree tapping, the maple sugar process and experience oxen demonstrations. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath, halefarm.org. $12-17 3/25-4/5 44th Cleveland International Film Festival. The Cleveland International Film Festival promotes artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition to enrich the life of the community. clevelandfilm.org 3/27 Canvas & Wine on the Rails.

Onboard, you will receive step-by-step instruction from a talented artist while you sip wine and ride the rails through the National Park after dark. 7 p.m.

Rockside Station, 7900 Rockside Road, Independence, cvsr.com. $50 3/28 Chocolate Stroll. Stroll across the Gervasi estate, stopping at multiple venues for treats along the way. 1 p.m. Gervasi Vineyard, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330-497-1000, gervasivineyard.com. $34

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3/28-29 Buckeye Alpaca Show. Vendors with luxurious garments made from alpaca, custom jewelry and toys for children and tack for alpaca owners.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Summit County Fairgrounds, 229 E. Howe Ave., Tallmadge, buckeyealpacashow.com 3/31 28th Annual Celebrity Cuisine.

Enjoy a feast of local flavors, including unlimited access to appetizers, entrée samples, beer, wine and desserts. Proceeds benefit Community Harvest of the AkronCanton Regional Foodbank. 5:30-8 p.m. Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1101 Market Ave. North, Canton, akroncantonfoodbank.org. $40.

4/4 & 4/18 Wine with Wanda. Wine expert and NEO Boomer and Beyond columnist/ blogger Wanda Haynes will teach about white and red wines. 1-3 p.m., DeHoff Memorial Library, 216 Hartford Ave. SE, Canton, starklibrary.org.

FREE

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WHAT´S HAPPENING 4/4 Spring Fling. Visit with lambs, ducklings and bunnies, watch the flock be sheared, see sheep herding demonstrations and see a short theatre performance. Noon-4 p.m. The Spicy Lamb Farm, 6560 Akron-Peninsula Road, Peninsula, thespicylamb.com Rain & Garden Show. Learn about indigenous plants, meet with local vendors, watch demonstrations, enter drawings, and more. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Market Square at Crocker Park, 239 Market St., Westlake, crockerpark.com.

FREE 4/20-29 Bird Banding. Join expert birder Julie West to observe as her team safely captures, bands, and records valuable data about migratory birds in Northeast Ohio. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 S. Park Blvd., 216-231-5935, shakerlakes.org. FREE 4/25 Beachwood Medical Center Orthopedic Expo. Free health screenings and presentations, light refreshments, raffles and gift cards.

9 a.m.-1 p.m., Embassy Suites, 3775 Park East Dr., Beachwood. Registration encouraged. tinyurl.com/orthoexpo./25. FREE 4/30 Get Refreshed. A clever gathering to inspire self-care filled with a yoga/ movement class, speakers, art tours and much more. 78th Street Studios, 1300 West 78th Street, Cleveland, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. northeastohioparent.com. $60

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WHAT´S HAPPENING 5/3 Pull Back the Curtain: The Art of Being An Orchestral Musician. This is your opportunity to go behind the scenes with local experts. Fairmount Center for the Arts, 8400 Fairmount Road, Novelty, fairmountcenter.org.

FREE Adult Swim: APL Fur-Ever Home Wine Tasting. Sample summer wines, support a cause and say hello

to lovable pups and kittens looking for their “fur-ever” homes. 7-10 p.m.

Greater Cleveland Aquarium, 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland, 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com. $20-40 5/9 38th Annual Plant Sale. Check out one of the area's largest selections of hardto-find natives, edibles, perennials and annuals. 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park

Boulevard, Cleveland. 216-321-5935. shakerlakes.org.

Senior Summit 2020. Learn about age-friendly initiatives through local booths, an enriching art activity, a volunteer opportunity and more. 9 a.m2 p.m. Woodridge Elementary School, 4351 Quick Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 877926-8300. FREE 5/14 Boomer Bash West 2020. Presented Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond.

The night will include a mix of entertainment, education, raffle/ giveaways, complimentary small bites, happy hour priced cocktails, photo booth fun and much more. Come dressed in your best Hawaiian attire.

4-6:30 p.m. LaCentre, 25777 Detroit Road, Westlake, eventbrite.com. $10

TALKS

3/23 Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters. Learn how to recognize early signs of Alzheimer’s and take necessary treatment action to help loved ones. 6-7 p.m. Pierce Streetsboro Library, 8990 Kirby Lane, Streetsboro, 330-6264458, portagecounty.lib.oh.us 3/25 The Long and Winding Phone.

For years, journalist Helen Marketti has conducted interviews with famous musicians and television personalities. She shares some of her most memorable interviews. 7-8 p.m.

Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, 440-871-2600, westlakelibrary.org. FREE 3/28 Author Talk: If Walls Could Talk.

Author talk and book signing with local artists, Karen Starr and Shane Wynn and their new book, If This Wallpaper Could Talk. 2-4 p.m. Akron Public Library, 60 High St., 330-643-9050, akronlibrary.org 4/16 Retired: What Now? Retired and maybe disillusioned? Life coach and author Anja Sassenberg-DeGeorgia will share important steps to turn retirement into a rewarding time based on her book On the Edge of Something Bigger. 2-3:30 p.m. Solon Branch Library, 34125 Portz Pkwy., 440-2488777, cuyahogalibrary.org. FREE

60 Better Living After 50

Downsizing and Decluttering. Are you a packrat? Get the leap on spring by learning how to downsize and declutter

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WHAT´S HAPPENING with Stephanie from Transitional Designs. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Buckeye Library, 6625 Wolff Road, Medina, 330725-4415, mcdl.info. FREE

a result of the natural aging process.

6:30-8 p.m. Willoughby Public Library, 30 Public Square, 440-942-3200, we247.org. FREE

4/17 Introduction to Social Security Benefits. A representative from the Social Security Administration will discuss what people should consider when deciding to file for social security benefits. 2-3 p.m. North Ridgeville Branch Library, 37500 Bainbridge Road, 440-327-8326, lorainpubliclibrary.org.

FREE

5/7 Saving Money with Little Effort.

Discover cash-back apps, grocery pickup, using cash, and more. 6-7 p.m.

Lodi Library, 635 Wooster St., 330-9481885, mcdl.info. FREE

4/20 Successful Aging. Join the Cleveland Clinic as they explain how they work with adults over 50 to uncover the “secret sauce” that keeps them feeling good. 6-7 p.m. Independence Branch Library, 6361 Selig Drive, 216-447-0160, cuyahogalibrary.org. FREE 4/30 Keeping us Safe: Practical Solutions for Older Drivers and Their Families.

Developed to help family members when they become concerned about a loved one’s ability to drive safely as

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5/13 Shadows on the Porch: Author Visit. What is it like living with people who have mental illness? What is it like writing a book about it? Beverly De Angelis will answer both those questions. 6:30-8 p.m. Mentor Public Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., 440-2558811, mentorpl.org. FREE 5/18 Live Well: Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body. Covers the four areas of lifestyle habits that are associated with healthy aging: cognitive activity, physical health and exercise. 5-6 p.m.

Cuyahoga Falls Library, 2015 Third St., 330-928-2117, cuyahogafallslibrary.org.

FREE

5/21 Medicare 101. This seminar will help you to understand Medicare Parts A and B, what they cover and what they don’t. 6-7 p.m. Twinsburg Public Library, 10050 Ravenna Road, 330-425-4268, twinsburglibrary.org. FREE

THEATER & ARTS WEDNESDAYS Senior Matinee Series. All programs include a cookie-and-punch reception following the performance. 1 p.m., The Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, 440-951-7500, ext.

103, fineartsassociation.org. $10-15 THROUGH 3/29 Jesus Christ Superstar. Set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. $10-110 3/19-4/12 Hoodoo Love. A tale of love, magic, jealousy, and secrets. Young Toulou escapes from the Mississippi cotton fields in the 1930s to pursue her dream

of singing the blues in Memphis.

Karamu House, 2355 E. 89th St., Cleveland, karamuhouse.org. $20-45 3/26-4/5 Radium Girls. In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, and luminous watches the latest rage - until the girls who painted them began to fall ill. Weathervane Playhouse, 1301 Weathervane Lane, Akron, 330-836-2626, weathervaneplayhouse.com. $14-17 3/28-4/19 Antigone. In a dystopian near future, a war-torn nation struggles for peace and unity. The newly appointed leader, Creon, stands for law and order. But her niece Antigone kneels for justice.

Neither will yield, and a fatal battle of wills rages. Cleveland Play House, Outcalt Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandplayhouse.com. $20-85 4/17-19, 5/1-17 Matilda the Musical. Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. Fri & Sat 7:30 p.m. Sat. 2 p.m. Geauga Theatre, 101 Water Street Chardon, geaugatheater.org. $15-18 4/24-5/10 And Then There Were None. Ten strangers arrive on an isolated island after receiving mysterious invitations. Stranded by a violent storm, their holiday soon turns deadly as scandalous secrets are revealed, and one-by-one they begin to die. French Creek Theatre, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, loraincountymetroparks.com/theatre. $16-18 4/28-30, 5/1-15 My Fair Lady. The story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.� But who is really being transformed? KeyBank State Theatre,1501 Euclid Avenue, 216-2416000, playhousesquare.org. $10-110 5/1-5/17 Parade. Parade is filled with soaring music and a heart-wrenching story, offering a moral lesson about the dangers of prejudice, and ignorance that should not be forgotten. Near West Theatre, 6702 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, nearwesttheatre.org. $10-25

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MIND MATTERS Sponsored By

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WE’RE SEEING DOUBLE WITH THIS PUZZLE; THAT MAKES IT TWICE AS FUN! Each word begins and ends with the same letters. Find the letter or letters missing in the middle of each sequence of letters. Looking for a challenge? Try to complete some of them without looking at the list of options.

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Better Living After 50

Boomer Northeast Ohio

and Beyond

ACTIVITIES

ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES Boomer Bash West northeastohioboomer.com See our ad on page 40-41 Cleveland International Film Festival clevelandfilm.org 216-623-3456 See our ad on page 22 Cleveland Metroparks clevelandmetroparks.com 216-635-3200 See our ad on the back page Cleveland Play House clevelandplayhouse.com 216-241-6000 See our ad on page 61 Cleveland Senior Expo cleseniorexpo.com See our ad on page 58 Fairmount Center for the Arts fairmountcenter.org 440-338-3171 See our ad on page 62 French Creek Theatre loraincountymetroparks.com/theatre 440-929-5200 See our ad on page 62 Great Lakes Science Center greatscience.com 216-694-2000 See our ad on page 21 Lake Metroparks lakemetroparks.com 440-639-7275 See our ad on page 60 Nature Center at Shaker Lakes shakerlakes.org 216-321-5935 See our ad on page 60 Summit Metro Parks summitmetroparks.org 330-865-8065 See our ad on page 63 The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake thelodgeatgeneva.com 866-806-8066

HEALTH & WELLNESS Digestive Disease Consultants mygidocs.com 877-891-3636 See our ad on page 39 Dr. Steven Marsh General & Cosmetic Dentistry clevelandsmiles.com 440-461-1003 See our ad on page 3 Hospice of the Western Reserve hospicewr.org 800-707-8922 See our ad on the inside front cover Lake Health Beachwood Medical Center lakehealth.org 800-454-9800 See our ad on page 7 Ohio Hand to Shoulder Center ohiohandtoshoulder.com 844-542-6363 See our ad on page 7

The Essential Directory

Mandel Jewish Community Center mandeljcc.org 216-831-0700 See our ad on page 61

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

NorthShore Gastroenterology & Endoscopy northshoregastro.org 440-808-1212 See our ad on page 45

HOME HEALTHCARE/CAREGIVING McGregor PACE mcgregorpace.org 888-895-7223 See our ad on page 49

LIVING OPTIONS/FACILITIES Arden Courts Memory Care Community arden-courts.com 216-385-1610 see our ad on page 64 Danbury Senior Living danburyseniorliving.com 440-596-3047 See our ad on page 5 Eliza Jennings Health Campus Elizajennings.org 440-235-7112 See our ad on page 46 Judson Smart Living judsonsmartliving.org 216-545-5351 See our ad on page 23 K. Hovnanian Homes Ohio khov.com/FSChestnutRidge 866-601-9464 See our ad on page 27 Mulberry Gardens Assisted Living seniorlivinginstyle.com 234-200-5524 See our ad on page 59 Ohman Family Living ohmanfamilyliving.com See our ad on pages 14-15 Rose Senior Living beachwood.roseseniorliving.com 877-222-9724 See our ad on page 51 The Enclave of Newell Creek enclaveofnewellcreek.com 440-840-8872 The Normandy Breakwater Apartments thenormandy.com/independent-living 440-333-5401 See our ad on page 48 The Weils theweils.org 440-543-4221 See our ad on page 50 The Village at Marymount villageatmarymount.org 216-332-1100 See our ad on page 57 Westwood Place Senior Apartments westwoodplaceapts.net 440-238-1021 See our ad on page 51

Hickman & Lowder Co. LPA hickman-lowder.com 216-861-0360 See our ad on page 57 KAZ Company medicareplansneo.com 216-901-9300 See our ad on page 54-55 Keller Williams Elevate realestateagent.kw.com 440-552-7842 See our ad on page 38 Lowe, Eklund & Wakefield lewlaw.com 216-781-2600 See our ad on page 47 Lincoln Moving & Storage Co. movingClevelandOh.com 216-741-5500 See our ad on page 38 Pro Seniors proseniors.org 513-458-5523 See our ad on page 58 Security Plus of Northeast Ohio securityplusneo.com 216-226-1800 See our ad on page 37 Solomon, Steiner & Peck Ltd ssandplaw.com 216-765-0123 See our ad on page 42 Summit DD summitdd.org 330-634-8000 See our ad on page 44 T-Mobile t-mobile.com See our ad on page 13 UnitedHealthcare myuhcagent.com 800-468-5001 See ad on page 43

SERVICE AGENCIES Autism Speaks autismspeaks.org 216-524-2842 See our ad on page 55 Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging benrose.org 216-373-1797 See our ad on page 58 Encore Cleveland greaterclevelandvolunteers.org/encore 216-391-9032 See our ad on page 67 Greater Cleveland Volunteers greaterclevelandvolunteers.org 216-391-9500 See our ad on page 16 Summit County Public Health scph.org 877-687-0002 See our ad on page 59

Would your organization or business like to reach Boomers and seniors through our directory? Contact one of our sales consultants on page 6 March/April 2020

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HOMECOMING Cleveland Gets to Show Off Its Rock Hall Roots

N

ortheast Ohio is buzzing with the return of the Rock Hall inductions to Cleveland, and with good reason. I’ve covered this event since the very first ceremony back in 1986 and many of the artists have made it clear how much they love visiting this area. I got the impression that the only folks who griped about coming to Cleveland were New Yorkbased record executives, the old guys with young dates wearing little black dresses who would rather take a limo ride than getting in a plane for an hour’s ride to the city.

NAILING IT Trent Reznor returns to his one-time home to be honored for his work with Nine Inch Nails. Few realize that the first NIN tracks were recorded at Right Track Studio at East 22nd and Payne Avenue. Reznor traded work as a handyman and engineer for time in the studio, where he mostly played all of the instruments on the initial recordings.

NIN also did a small hall show at the Empire Concert Club near the stadium and, at one point, Reznor threw a huge cloud of white powder over the audience. Famed local

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Better Living After 50

artist Derek Hess was at that show and the cloud was itching powder.

It was a long ride home for a lot of people. On the topic of other early appearances, folks in this area could have seen two of this year’s inductees play on the same bill, and only a couple hundred did.

AND OTHERS… Marc Bolan and T. Rex had taken over the European airwaves.

“T.Rexstacy” rivaled Beatlemania; even Ringo Starr joined up to film a documentary about the band. In late 1971, the album, “Electric Warrior” got a good amount of airplay, and there were two sold-out shows at Last issue, I mentioned the “Lost in Space” TV series. The Robinson’s robot was described as a Class M3 Model B9, and they simply called it the “robot,” but in the episode titled “Time Merchant,” it was revealed it had another name. You had to look close, but on its packing crate back on Earth, you saw the name Gunter, which stood for General Utility NonTheorizing Environmental Robot.

For next time, name the charttopping local band that got its name from “The Little Rascals” comedies.

BOOM TRIVIA

BOOM! POP CULTURE CHRON ICLES MIKE OLSZEWSKI

Parma’s Yorktown Theater. That’s right; the Yorktown, but the reviews were tepid at best. It was the final days of the tour, Bolan was not catching on like overseas and he wanted to get home.

That next summer, the band’s album, “The Slider” was released and T.Rex went on a fall tour that brought the band to the Allen Theatre. The singles from the album stiffed, and despite visits to local radio, an embarrassingly small crowd showed up for the concert. Bolan was visibly miffed and dropped plenty of f-bombs during the show. The opening act was fellow inductee The Doobie Brothers in their Cleveland debut. Bolan would return to this area a couple of tours later to pack the Agora, but by this time he had discovered carbohydrates and the excesses of the rock star life. He died in a car crash a short time later. Part of that Agora show ended up in a live album compilation which is now a prized collector’s item.

Mike Olszewski is a veteran award-winning radio, TV and print journalist, and college instructor. Contact him at jannmike1978@gmail.com.

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