55 Plus of Rochester, #03: May – June 2010 by 55 Plus: For Active Adults in Rochester

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SPECIAL ISSUE: MEET 10 LOCAL CENTENARIANS

Hal Miller: Depression? Just ‘Snap Out of It’

SPECIAL Maintaining Your Financial Fitness in Turbulent Times

PLUS Issue 3 May-June 2010

For Active Adults in Upstate New York

ALSO INSIDE Aging Skin: Are Those Spots Normal?

Mary Taylor Creating award-winning metal sculpture at her Mendon barn

Traveling Cabaret Turning 20 in July TED FAFINSKI AFTER HEART ATTACK: LIFE WITH NEW DIET AND MORE EXERCISE

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55 PLUS - May / June 2010

55 PLUS

May / June 2010

9 Newsworthy 6 HealthWatch 8 Golden Years 23 Consumers Corner 30 Financial Health 31 Long Term Care 32 My Turn 33

11 28

9 STAYING YOUNG

• Traveling Cabaret, a 12-member troupe formed by 55-year-olds, is turning 20 in July

11 PROFILE • Chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors changes diet, exercise regimen after heart attack

14 CENTENARIANS SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE TO 55PLUS

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CONTENTS

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• Meet 10 fascinating people who are 100 and older—find out about their lives, their secrets to longevity

25 COVER STORY • Mary Taylor, 62, produces award-winning metal sculptures in her Mendon barn

28 ACTIVE LIFESTYLE • Bill Everett, 57, stays in shape thanks to martial arts classes he has attended for more than 20 years

34 LAST PAGE • Dr. Patricia Bomba, 59, talks about her career devoted to the care of the elderly and advocacy on behalf of seniors May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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newsworthy

Enjoying a Love Life In Your 80s

f you are hoping to keep the flames of passion burning into your 80s then a regimen of regular exercise may pay dividends. Those who keep themselves fit and healthy are still interested in sex in their eighth decade, a study has found. But their unfit counterparts give up on lovemaking up to 20 years earlier. And good health means people are almost twice as likely to be interested in sex as those who are ill or in poor health. The U.S. study, which examined the sex lives of more than 6,000 people, found that those who are healthy are also likely to have regular sex — once or more a week — and report better quality lovemaking. Researchers Stacy Tessler Lindau and Natalia Gavrilova, from the University of Chicago, looked at data from one group of men and women aged 25 to 74 and another group aged 57 to 85. Volunteers were interviewed and filled in questionnaires on their marital status and sex lives. They also rated their health on a scale between poor and excellent. Overall, it seems men are more interested in sex and report a good sex life than women. The difference between the

genders was most noticeable among the 75 to 85 age group, where 39 percent of men compared with 17 percent of women were sexually active. Seventy-one percent of men who were sexually active at this age reported a good sex life compared with 51 percent of women. Forty-one percent of men were interested in sex compared with 11 per cent of women. The study, published online in the British Medical Journal, also revealed how many years of active sex people have left at different ages. Aged-30 men can expect a sexually active life for an average of another 35 years while women can expect 31 more years of sex. Being married or having a partner makes this gender difference less obvious, the research found. The findings are published in March on the same day researchers f ro m E x e t e r a n d E a s t A n g l i a Universities in Great Britain reveal that those who live near a green space are more likely to be healthier than those who don’t — because they take more exercise. So people with homes near parks could find they enjoy an active sex life, even in their twilight years.

Seniors Wait Longer for Kidney Transplant One-third of people over the age of 65 wait longer than necessary for lifesaving new kidneys because their doctors fail to put them in a queue for organs unsuitable to transplant in younger patients but well-suited to seniors, research from Johns Hopkins suggests. Results of a study reported in March online in the American Journal of Transplantation show that older patients could be receiving kidneys 6

55 PLUS - May / June 2010

from older donors (called extendedcriteria donors, or ECDs), but instead are unnecessarily waiting longer for kidneys from younger donors. While older kidneys once were discarded in the belief that they conferred too little benefit, studies over the past decade, including the current one by Johns Hopkins researchers, show they have been widely and successfully transplanted.

55PLUS Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Writer

Mike Costanza

Contributing Writers Deborah J. Sergeant Dean M. Lichterman

Columnists

Eva Briggs, M.D., Bruce Frassinelli Harold Miller, Jim Terwilliger Susan Suben

Advertising

Marsha K. Preston, Ann Hare Marlene Raite

Office Manager

Laura J. Beckwith

Layout and Design Chris Crocker

Cover Photo

Chuck Wainwright 55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in Upstate New York is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–Rochester–Genesse Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper.

Health in good

Rochester–Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 3071

How to Reach Us P.O. Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Voice: (585) 421-8109 Fax: (585) 421-8129 Editor@GVhealthnews.com

For Some Elderly, Giving Up Driving Can Be Tough New guide helps seniors to test their driving abilities

or many Americans, driving equals independence — the ability to run errands, go to church or visit family and friends as you please. So the decision to hand over the car keys for good can be a difficult one. To help doctors, seniors and their family members spot the signs of someone who is too old and too frail to drive, the American Medical Association released in April the

Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. It includes screening tests, information about medical conditions and medications that may impact driving. Though largely directed at doctors, the guide is full of information that can help seniors and their families in determining if it’s time to park the car in the garage for good, experts say. “Most of the time, people

naturally change their behavior as they get older — they drive less, they only drive to familiar locations, they don’t drive at night,” noted Dr. James Goodwin, a professor of geriatrics and director of the Sealy Center on Aging at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “It only becomes a problem in those who don’t make that adjustment, but that is the exception.” Aging eyes can take longer to adjust to changes in lightness and darkness, making glare and night driving more difficult. Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and stroke can all impact visual perception. The guide is currently available online at www.ama-assn.org/go/ olderdrivers.

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Aging Skin: Are Those Spots Normal?

ver time, skin suffers from wear and tear, and wrinkles, spots and growths begin to appear. A recent issue of The Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers some of these normal changes and possible treatment options. Harmless growths include: • Age or liver spots — These flat, brown areas, also called solar lentigos, typically occur on the hands, back and face. Using a topical retinoid — often in conjunction with bleaching cream and a mild topical steroid — may gradually fade an age spot. • Skin tags — These flesh-colored growths protrude from the skin, often on a stalk. They’re often found on the neck or in the armpits. A doctor can remove them with surgical scissors, an electrical device or liquid nitrogen. • Cherry angiomas — These small, smooth, cherry red spots are commonly found on the torso. They

range from pinhead size to ¼ inch across. They can be removed with a laser, liquid nitrogen or an electrical device. • Seborrheic keratoses — These brown, black or pale growths look waxy, as if they were dripped on the skin by a candle. They usually appear on the face, chest, shoulders and back, often in multiples. Their size ranges from ¼ inch to 1 inch across. They can be removed with a simple surgical procedure or with liquid nitrogen. The cost of removing any of these harmless spots — considered cosmetic procedures — may not be covered by insurance. Not all skin spots are harmless. Skin cancer can look similar to a harmless spot or growth. Any spots that bleed and don’t heal should be examined by a physician. Other concerning symptoms are itchiness, pain or a changing outline, color or appearance.

Wii Games May Help Combat Depression in Older Adults

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55 PLUS - May / June 2010

esearch at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests a novel route to improving the symptoms of subsyndromal depression (SSD) in seniors through the regular use of “exergames” – entertaining video games that combine game play with exercise. In a pilot study, the researchers found that use of exergames significantly improved mood and mental health-related quality of life in older adults with SSD. SSD is much more common than major depression in seniors, and is associated with substantial suffering,

functional disability, and increased use of costly medical services. Physical activity can improve depression; however, fewer than 5 percent of older adults meet physical activity recommendations. The study, led by Dilip V. Jeste, a professor at UCSD School of Medicine, appears in the March issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. “The study suggests encouraging results from the use of the exergames,” Jeste said. “More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.”

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staying young

The Sounds of the Season Traveling Cabaret, a 12-member troupe formed by 55-year-olds or older, brings magic to stages around the area. It will turn 20 in July By Mike Costanza

illiam Gilbert sounded as if he would be right at home belting out a song in front of a church

altar. “I like to sing,” the 82-yearold said, in his rich bass. “I like to dance.” Gilbert stepped up to the microphone that Sunday as a longtime member of the Traveling Cabaret, a musical troupe that has brought its magic to stages around the area for nearly two decades. The Penfield resident is one of eight in the 12member troupe who are 55 years old or older. From the way he and the other veteran performers in the cabaret capered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rochester that day, you wouldn’t know it. “We feel like we’re all in our 20s,” says Phyllis Kravetz, who founded the

all-volunteer song-and-dance troupe with her 68-year-old twin sister, Sandy, in 1990. “We were born on the Fourth of July,” she said, a chuckle in her voice. “Just like George M. Cohan.” This Fourth of July, the troupe will celebrate its 20th birthday. (Cohan, the legendary entertainer, playwright, and composer was born on July 3, but who’s counting?) The cabaret performed before an enthusiastic audience of nearly 60 people of all ages that Sunday. The show was its sixth that week, and its 340th since it first formed. The Traveling Cabaret performs at as many as 20 public or private events each year, bringing a combination of musical revues from the 1920s to the 1950s, comedic skits and dance numbers to everything from Kodak functions to outdoor stages. It has

earned accolades from the Monroe County Legislature, the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester and other private organizations for its contributions to the arts, and helped many students realize their dreams of higher education. Though paid for its performances, government and private grants make up the bulk of the troupe’s approximately $10,000 annual budget. Phyllis and Sandy were on the board of directors of the Brighton Theatre Guild, a nonprofit amateur theatrical group, when the Traveling Cabaret was formed. According to Phyllis, times were a bit hard, and the Guild found itself unable to continue to donate part of its budget to local charities while funding its performances. The Kravetz’s saw the Traveling Cabaret as the answer to the dilemma. May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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staying young

In 2000, the troupe—which generally has 12 members—split off from its parent organization, but retained its charitable nature. “We raise money for scholarships for college-bound high school seniors who plan to pursue the arts upon graduation,” Phyllis says. The cabaret gives scholarships of between $500 and $1,000 to as many as four students each year. Additional, smaller donations have also gone to other worthy organizations. Phyllis is the Traveling Cabaret’s treasurer, booking agent, and spokesperson, and Sandy is its secretary. You can generally tell that the Traveling Cabaret is on stage by the energy and enthusiasm it brings to a performance, and the troupe’s signature red, white, and black evening wear—though for holiday shows they might don red, white and blue, or even sombreros. Each performance is packed full of lively numbers—Sunday’s show included 35 hits. “They’re visual; they’re happy songs,” Phyllis says. “We do group numbers, solos, duets; sometimes quartets.”

The cabaret rehearses every Monday. Most of its members have trod the boards for years, generally for local amateur theater companies, and many have been with the troupe for at least 15 years. “We’re like this giant family,” says Linda Maloney. The 61-year-old teachers assistant has been with the group since it began. “I sing a lot of Barbra Streisand songs and Judy Garland songs,” the Rochester resident says. “That’s kind of my style.” Though she’s sung at weddings, been involved in television commercials, and appeared in other local theater productions, Maloney seems to particularly enjoy singing and dancing for older folks. The soprano remembers one older woman at a Penfield nursing home who had a smile on her face throughout the show. “She just had a glow in her eyes,” Maloney says. After the show, Maloney spoke to the woman. “She just said ‘I loved your performance, and I wish I could get up there and dance with you.’”

Gilbert and his son make an annual pilgrimage to New York City every year to take in Broadway shows. With just the slightest invitation, he raises his voice in song—he broke into the 1921 hit, “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” while being interviewed. “I like being on the other side of the footlights, in a tuxedo and top hat,” says Gilbert, who has been with the troupe for 15 years. Singing at a nursing home rings a poignant note—he remembers how much his mother would enjoy listening to musical performances at her nursing home before she died in 1979. “They used to have groups come in and sing,” he says. “These folks would just enjoy them so much.” If the reactions of the audience that Sunday are any indication, that performance should be a hit. Michael Bruni of Gates and his wife, Norma, were all smiles as the show ended. “I thought it was fantastic,” Michael said. “With all the things that are going wrong in the Rochester area, this picks you up. It gives you hope.”

William Gilbert, 82, one of the Traveling Cabaret members: “I like to sing, I like to dance.” Center photo is The Kravetz Twins during one of their presentations. 10

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profile

Ted Fafinski: Finding Time to Exercise and Eat Well The chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors had a heart attack last year, but still keeps a busy working schedule— always with time to exercise, rest and eat healthy By Dean M. Lichterman

o matter how busy his schedule becomes, Ted Fafinski always makes sure to make time for his health. Fafinski serves both as Farmington Town supervisor and chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors. Every day he saves space for exercise and rest, then backs that up with a healthy diet. “I’m probably in better physical shape than I have been in 10 years or longer simply because of the weekly exercise, and to a small extent the daily exercise,” said Fafinski. “Trying to eat healthy is real biggie.” The lifestyle decisions are due in part to a heart attack that he suffered a year ago on May 7. After rest and rehabilitation, he returned to his duties July 27. Fafinski’s dual role keeps him at work at an average of 45 hours a week. A week that contains both a meeting of the Farmington Town board and the Board of Supervisors can push that total up to 60 hours. A day with a town board meeting can start at 7:30 a.m. and end at around 9 p.m. A day with a supervisor ’s meeting can start at 8 a.m. and last until the meeting ends. Some of the meetings have 130 resolutions. Some weeks can last longer if Fafinski decides to attend a training session from the New York State Association of Towns and the New York State Comptroller’s office. The training sessions last from 8:30 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m., after which he still must

spend some time conducting town and county business. The supervisor has other informal duties like speaking at local organizations. “I have to do the exercises. I have to make room for that and you need to pace yourself in order not to overextend yourself and have anxiety about it so an anxiety attack does not set in,” said Fafinski. “You have to deal with irate people and you deal with people who are calm and just want basic information. You deal with all kinds of people. “You can run into people who would say ‘I am mad at so-and-so and I want to tell someone’ or just mad and you have to deal with it, but again, in order to maintain your health and healthy lifestyle, you’ve got to get enough rest and you’ve got to get exercise and eat properly.” Fafinski had his heart attack after doing exercise on a stationary bike. He was working out in an attempt to counter his type 2 diabetes. He has since discovered that his lifestyle changes are helping with both problems. “I did exercise on a regular basis because I am a type 2 diabetic and what I learned later on was that people who have high blood pressure and people who are diabetic, either type 1 Continued on page 13 May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+ Continued from page 11 or type 2, have a greater risk for a coronary problem than the general population,” said Fafinski. “The risk is also increased if you are a smoker. I’m not a smoker, I’ve smoked once in my life but it’s been 40 years since I’ve smoked.” He has progressed into phase three of his cardiac program. It now includes working out at Thompson Health two days a week. “The only difference between that and phase two is that I used to go three days a week,” said Fafinski. At Thompson, he works out while wearing a monitor. He also has his blood pressure checked before and after each workout and has his pulse recorded by a machine. Phase two of Fafinski’s rehab also included visits with pharmacists to understand the medications that he is taking and counseling sessions with what he calls “healthy living experts.” He has eliminated high-fat foods from his diet and has selected healthy alternatives, specifically mentioning an egg substitute and a product line called Morningstar. ‘It is a sausage, but is made with vegetables,” noted Fafinski. “I thought I would never eat that stuff, but it is a lifestyle change.” To augment his diet and exercise at Thompson, he works out at home on either a treadmill or a stationary bike. Fafinski also adds exercise by parking farther away from buildings to get more walking and, whenever possible, uses stairs instead of elevators. “It’s a lifelong process. If you have a cardiac or pulmonary issue, it isn’t a case that you go to exercise for 12 weeks or for 16 or whatever, then you go back to your normal lifestyle,” said Fafinski. “It doesn’t work that way. It’s a lifelong health program that is preventive in nature that enables you to go back to a normal life and it is important that you do this.” He keeps up the hectic pace despite his age of “older than 65 and

younger than 70.” Fafinski first got into government in 1990. He, his wife Rosalie, and two children moved into Farmington from the Syracuse area in 1985. Rosalie signed up the family to work on the town’s bicentennial celebration in an effort to meet people in the town. As a result of his work, he was asked to run for the town board three times before finally running for election in 1990. “ I t ’ s a f u n n y s t o r y, ” s a i d Fafinski. He served on the town board while holding a job in human resources for a Fortune 100 bank in Perinton, Fafinski retired from the position after winning the supervisor post via an election in1998. “I was pretty well in tune with the town and local government at the time and I had to make a career decision, the career decision is, do I want to be the town supervisor? Because I had basically said, if was going to be the town supervisor, I want to do that and do that alone,” said Fafinski. “That is the only way you can do justice to the job. It was the only way that you can do justice to Farmington.” Current Farmington Town Clerk Michelle Finley served as Fafinski’s confidential secretary for the first 10 years that he was supervisor. “I love working with him,” said Finley. “He’s a great boss he’s full of knowledge, both professional and personal. If I don’t know the answer, he does, or he knows the person that does.” Residents of Farmington elected Fafinski for another four-team in November of 2009. To fulfill his government duties, he relies on his experience in both the military and private sector. Fafinski served 22 years in the Air Force in both personnel and recruiting. He holds an associate’s degree in work center management from the Community College of the Air Force, a bachelor’s degree in business from Columbia College in Missouri and a master’s degree in human resources

profile

and development from Chapman University in California. He has also taught at Finger Lakes Community College in Newark. His goal as town supervisor is to make the town run more like a private-sector business. “I started realizing that town government should run more like business, like a public corporation. The taxpayers are stockholders, everybody who pays taxes is a stockholder, just like people who buy stock in a company,” said Fafinski. “The town board is sort of like a board of directors of this public corporation. What is the return on investment? Well the return on investment is services. “I got into that vein of looking at town government in maybe a different way than maybe a lot of people look at local government.” He uses his experience in human resources in his position as the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. In addition to presiding over the meetings, he also selects the chairpersons of the 11 county committees and decides which of the 21 supervisors should be on which committee. “ I want to know what you did in other parts of your lives,” said Fafinski “All of the skills are transferable and they can be brought into government and help the county in many ways.” Fafinski is not up for reelection until 2013. He has yet to decide what he is going to do at that time, instead he is working on projects in the town. And of course, he is keeping up with his health. “You have to take control of your life, take control of your health. Don’t rely on the doctor to fix you when you break,” said Fafinski. “Take control by living a healthy lifestyle. I’ve always said that until we have a major event in your life that people would say that we didn’t have time for it. “I learned to make time for exercise and that it’s very, very important.” May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

longevity Meet 10 Local

55+

CENTENARIANS For some Rochester seniors, 100 isn’t a count of years lived, but of the adventures, travels, travails and joys gained during years of living fully. Staff writer Mike Costanza in January interviewed 10 local men and women over that age, seeking to learn the stories, sights and silences that have been a part of their lives. Want to learn about life in the big city? Travel to distant places? A spouse’s enduring love? Read on...

Carol Butler, 101 Fun part of life started in her 70s. Still plans to write a book Words are woven through the fabric of Carol Butler’s years. “I’ve kept a diary all of my life,” the 101-year-old says. The colorful record of her experiences reaches from an Upstate New York farm to Europe to her

55 PLUS - May / June 2010

current residence at St Ann’s Home in Rochester. It fills an entire shelf of her closet with diaries, scrapbooks and family records, and spatters the other parts of her room with pictures, objects and treasured needlepoint. Butler was born in Cape Vincent, a town on the St. Lawrence River north of Watertown. “My parents lived on a farm,” she says. Butler’s mother gave birth to her there, with the assistance of a nurse. The family moved to Watertown soon afterward, where Butler went on to graduate from Watertown High. She took a job in the offices of the Watertown school district, and while there became re-acquainted with one of her high school classmates, William Butler. “I knew him in school, and then we had friends who introduced us,” Butler says. William worked for one of the local railroads. The two married in 1931, and quickly started a family. Then, the Depression struck, and William joined the millions without jobs. The couple moved to a cheaper area to live in Central New York—Butler doesn’t remember where—and found whatever work they could to make ends meet. “ We d i d o d d s a n d e n d s — whatever was available,” she says.

William, who loved railroad engines, was even forced to work on a farm. “He hated it.” With the odd jobs and the help of relatives, they made it through nine years of financial hardships, until William found railroad work again. The couple bought a house in Brownville, near Watertown, and moved there with their five children. William worked a great deal of overtime, while pursuing his interest in locomotives. He’d bring home pictures of locomotive motors, and spread them out on the floor. “He was known through all of the North Country as an expert on diesel electrics,” Butler says. She stayed home to take care of the children, regularly noting the passage of the days in her diary. “I can tell when my children had the measles,” she says, with a touch of pride. After 48 years in Brownville, they moved to Irondequoit to be closer to the three children who live in the Rochester area. It was in those later years that the real fun started. ”All of the good times I’ve had, surprising times, were when I was old—70 and up,” Butler says. Two of the couple’s sons treated their parents to trips to faraway places. They spent five weeks traveling

55+ around Europe, visiting London, Paris and other exotic places. “I thought I was too old, but I certainly enjoyed it,” she says. They also visited Hawaii, Alaska, and many national parks, and made several trips to California. William died in 1995, and Butler lived alone until about four years ago, when she moved to St. Ann’s. Now a grandmother of 10 and greatgrandmother of 15, she’s drawn to another kind of writing. “I would like to write a book.”

Eleanor Jelline, 100 A professional life with Macy’s that included 28 trips to Europe Eleanor Jelline credits good genes and a positive point of view for helping her reach 100. “I have a very upbeat outlook,” she says. That outlook has helped her live a rich life, colored by travel, the arts and her relationships with relatives and friends, and a career in fashion. Jelline was born in New York City, in a house that she says was “across the street from where President Eisenhower lived when he was the president of Columbia University.” The daughter of a furrier, she gathered

friends at school who shared her disposition. “We had good families,” she says. “We saw things in a happy light.” She grew up in a house in Bayside, Queens, on Long Island. At a high school graduation party, she met Mitchell Jelline, a Columbia University law student. “He was very handsome,” she says. “I married him four years later.” By that time, Jelline had graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Latin and Greek. She trained for fashion retail with Macy’s, and then in 1941 was hired by Saks Fifth Avenue. She spent the next 35 years with Saks, working her way up to a position as a buyer for the famous fashion retailer. “Our headquarters were in Paris,” she says. “I made 28 trips to Europe.” She and Mitchell spent their first 15 years living in New York City. “ We h a d f i v e d i f f e r e n t apartments,” Jelline explains. Where they lived depended upon whether they’d received a raise—or not. In 1945, the couple moved with their two children to a house in Westchester County. It was north of New York City, but close enough to partake of its many cultural benefits. They’d often go straight from their day jobs to the concerts, operas and the theater. “My recollection of New York City is very fond,” she says, a touch wistfully. They also had other interests—he golfed, she walked a great deal and gardened, and they both enjoyed the company of others. “We had a lot of friends, and we socialized,” Jelline says. When they reached their 90s, the couple decided they wanted to live closer to their daughter. In 2000, they moved to The Village, a residential facility for independent seniors in Greece, which is part of the Unity Health System. Mitchell died in 2002. “I had a wonderful husband for 71 years,” she says. She’s now a grandmother of five, and a greatgrandmother of four. Jelline enjoys much of her life these days. She plays duplicate bridge three

longevity times a week with other residents, and regularly listens to performances of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera over the radio. Sometimes, she just enjoys being alone. “At my age, a lot of fun is sitting quietly after dinner and reading or listening to music.”

Herman Hofstetter, 101 Helped build the Rochester airport; enjoys listening to German radio broadcast When Herman Hofstetter speaks, you can hear the sounds of oldworld Germany. The 101-year-old came to this country in 1927. After disembarking from the Prince Albert, the ship that brought him, he headed to Jackson, Minn. “I had a cousin there that brought me over,” he says. “They had a farm.” He worked there for about a month. “I put a new roof on for the farmer, and I built fences for the cows,” he says. Hofstetter then headed to Rochester, where he had a friend. His first job in the city was helping to build its fledgling airport—now the Greater Rochester International Airport. “I worked for a carpenter,” he May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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says. From there, he moved to other jobs, each of which touched upon the area’s unique history. In 1935, he signed on with the now-defunct American Brewery. “I ran a bottling machine,” he explains. For extra money, Hofstetter worked part-time for Crosman, the well-known air gun manufacturer that still has a factory in nearby east Bloomfield. Hofstetter joined Crosman full-time in 1944, and helped produce air pistols and rifles and other goods for about 20 years. After leaving Crosman’s, he worked at another well-known company, Nalge Nunc International. “I was a toolmaker,” he says. Nalge Nunc makes a wide range of containers and other goods that are used in laboratories, for camping, and for other purposes worldwide. Hofstetter retired in 1971. Hofstetter married his wife, Elisabeth, back in 1931. The couple moved into an apartment, and then a house, on Rochester ’s Delevan Street. Their daughter, Anita, was born in 1939. Seeking wider spaces, they bought a house on a big piece of property on Route 250 in Penfield. “I planted trees in the backyard,” Hofstetter says. “ I had about 1,200 pine trees.” The property attracted lots of wildlife. “I had pheasants, ducks,” Hofstetter says, with a touch of joy. “Sometimes, I had 10-12 deer in my backyard.” When an ice storm struck in the early 1990s, pulling about 50 trees down, the couple cut up the downed trees, and planted replacements. Hofstetter and his wife also enjoyed socializing with friends. “We used to get together and play cards,” he says. “Pinochle, mostly.” They also liked to travel—Myrtle Beach, Virginia was a favorite vacation spot. The Hofstetters lived in Penfield for about 50 years, until they sold the house. In recent years they’ve lived in residential facilities for older adults or nursing homes in the Rochester area, finally choosing to stay at Perinton Park Manor, an assisted living facility 16

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in Fairport. They occupied the same room there until recently, when 99year-old Elisabeth needed a higher level of care, and had to move to another local facility. Nowadays, Hofstetter has slowed down a bit. The grandfather of three no longer plays cards, but stays in touch with some parts of his past. He listens to and records radio broadcasts sponsored by the Federation of German-American Societies. “They have German music every Saturday,” he says.

Mildred Keller, 103 Professional career at Kodak ended when she got pregnant M i l d re d K e l l e r re m e m b e r s watching women come to her mother’s house on Saratoga Avenue in Rochester, each bearing a length of cloth. “My mother was a dressmaker,” the 103-year-old says. “They would drop it off, and she’d make a blouse.” Keller was born on Frankfort Alley, but raised on Saratoga. While she was a baby, her father died, leaving her mother, Mary Sullivan, to fend for her eight children. “They were always after her to

get married again, but she always said, ‘Once is enough,’” Keller says. “She was quite a woman, my mother was.” Keller attended a local Catholic school until the eigth grade. She still remembers the dress her mother gave her for her graduation. “I wore a white dress,” she explains. “It wasn’t new, but it was very beautiful. Plain, with ruffles.” After graduating, she headed down to Kodak to apply for a job— though she was underage. “Told them I was 16—but I wasn’t,” Keller says, with a grin. She took home $18.75 a week for doing quality control work on the production line. “I was out to make money.” While there, she met Frank Keller, who worked as a machinist for her brother Edward’s company, Sullivan’s Coal and Coke. Keller admits that she wasn’t set on getting married. Being the youngest child in a family with six brothers had kind of put her off the idea. “They pretty well watched me,” she says. “I can remember my brother chasing me around the block because I did something.” At the same time, she found Frank to be a good man. They married in 1926, and moved to an apartment in Rochester, then a house on Falstaff Road in East Irondequoit. “He was a wonderful husband,” she says of Frank. Back then, many businesses required that women who became pregnant quit working. When Keller was about seven months pregnant with her first child, her supervisors called her in. “They said they couldn’t keep me any longer,” she says. She gave birth to three more children in the following years, staying home to take care of them. The family moved to Ontario, Wayne County, where they lived from the late 1940s to the mid 1960s. They then returned to East Irondequoit, where Frank died in 1979. Keller lived alone until 2005, when she moved into Legacy at Cranberry Landing, an independent living facility in

Irondequoit. Keller uses a walker to get about now. A grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of nine, she once enjoyed searching the library near her parent’s home for books, but is now unable to read much. She does enjoy watching talk shows—particularly “Oprah.” She’s been very successful, for someone who “didn’t have anything.”

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Virginia Mathony, 100 Canandaigua native made history in Whittier, Calif. Virginia Mathony’s timeline runs from Upstate New York through Kansas to the West Coast, with stops in Europe and other parts of the world. The 100-year-old’s journey began with her birth in Canandaigua, the fourth in a line of five sisters. She and her family soon moved to Rochester, but regularly returned to the shores of Canandaigua Lake through 1938. “We’d spend summers there,” she says. She and her siblings gathered firewood, hiked up Bare Hill, dipped their paddles in the lake, and in other ways enjoyed the season. After graduating from West High School, Mathony worked in the Rochester area and, then, satisfied

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her wanderlust by traveling to Kansas City. There, she worked as a secretary for a private school and attended business school. She graduated, returned to Rochester where she worked until 1943, a time when she joined the US Navy as a WAVE. The acronym stands for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, the name of the only US Navy unit in which women could serve in uniform at that time. After training, she headed to Washington, D.C., for top secret work, with the rank of Specialist Q. “We were doing cryptographer work,” Mathony says. Until the end of the World War II, she and the other WAVES helped decipher Japanese military codes—though the details of their work were kept from them. “We never did find out what the ‘Q’ was for,” Mathony says. Discharged at the end of 1945, Mathony returned to Rochester, though she continued to travel. In 1948, she visited her sister and brother-in-law in California. She didn’t like what she saw until they took her to the nearby Whittier, a city about 12 miles from Los Angeles. The charming community and its friendly people won her over the day she arrived. “I went home and packed my suitcase and quit my job and moved up to Whittier,” she says. Mathony found a position as a secretary for the local high school, though her duties transcended her job title. At different times, she wrote the school’s press releases, managed its student paper, taught night classes and took on other duties. She also indulged her passion for history, becoming a driving force behind the creation of the Whittier Historical Society and of the Whittier Museum. The society has published three books written by Mathony on the history of Whittier. As she approached retirement, Mathony learned of “World Campus Afloat,” a semester-long Whittier College program that took students to far-off places to learn. Whittier is a private liberal arts college. “They thought it would be 18

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necessary to have a university that traveled around the world,” she says. “I thought they ought to have a secretary.” Mathony took a leave of absence from her regular job, and visited Middle Eastern and Asian countries with Whittier students and their professors as the program’s paid shipboard secretary. Right before she retired, she signed up with World Campus a second time—though this trip was by bus. “We spent two months traveling through Europe,” Mathony says. They also visited Russia. Mathony has received many accolades for her devotion to Whittier and its history. In 2003, the city named her grand marshall of the Founders Day parade, in honor of the time and energy she’d given to her beloved second home over more than 50 years. In 2004, Mathony returned to Rochester again, this time to recover from a broken neck suffered during a fall. She joined her only surviving sister, Helen Pancoast, at The Village, a residential facility for independent seniors that is part of the Unity Health System. Still drawn to Whittier, Mathony continues to work on the historical files gained down through the decades. She also enjoys the concerts, trips and other social events that the Greece facility in which she lives provides, and takes time to read. What does she like to read? “Histories.”

Elizabeth Miller, 101 Danced all over the world; “I’m never bored” When Elizabeth Miller and her family moved to Rochester from their home in Oneida near Utica in 1920, they thought they’d arrived in the middle of a celebration. “We thought there was a wedding, because there was so much traffic, compared to Oneida,” she says,

remembering how the city looked to her 11-year-old eyes. Since then, the 101-year-old has seen a great deal more of Rochester—and the world. Miller ’s father, William Olney, was in the canning business in Oneida until 1920, when he merged his business with about three other small canning businesses to form the New York State Canning Association. Olney took a sales executive position in the association, which was headquartered in Rochester’s Temple Building. “That’s why we moved to Rochester,” Miller explains. Miller attended Rochester ’s No. 23 School, which was within walking distance of her family’s home on Culver Road, but spent the 10th through the 12th grade at private schools in Rochester and Massachusetts. After completing high school, she attended Smith College in Northampton, Mass. “I was very happy there,” she says. One of her suitemates was Anne Morrow, who went on to marry the famous aviator Charles Lindberg. “She’d only just met him in her junior year.” Returning to Rochester with an undergraduate degree, Miller acquired a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Rochester. Upon finishing her degree, she took a job as an assistant teacher at Rochester’s No. 7 School. The small nursery school had only about 20

55+ students and two professional staff— Miller and the teacher in charge. “I loved the job—and of course, there were vacations,” she says. In February 1941, a pair of chance events brought her together with Frederick Samuel Miller, Jr., who was a salesman for a local company. She soon found that she and the man she came to call “Fritz” shared interests in hiking, skiing, the arts and other subjects. “I didn’t meet him until I was 32, but we hit it off right away,” she says. They married that December, and moved into an apartment on Rochester’s Barrington Street. Miller continued working, and when her supervising teacher left for another position, ascended to that role. She became pregnant, but suffered a miscarriage, for which she blames her job. “That ended my working career rather abruptly,” she says. The couple kept trying, and Miller gave birth to a son. When pregnant with her second child, she and her husband moved to a house on Berkeley Street. “We were very happy there for 46 years,” she says. Fritz retired at the age of 58, and the couple traveled the world. “My husband was a good dancer; we danced all over the world,” she says. They visited Africa twice—photos of Mt. Kilimanjaro adorn her walls—

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and viewed India’s Taj Mahal by the light of the full moon. In 1991, the couple moved into Valley Manor, an independent and assisted living community for seniors in Rochester. They continued to play bridge, attend Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, and in other ways enjoy themselves, and even volunteered to run trips to outside events for other residents. “We went to Artpark, [and] to Elmira for the model train shows,” she says. Artpark is one of Western New York’s premier entertainment sites. “We had to get a bus—it was a big job.” Fritz died in 2002. Miller confesses to slowing down a bit. “I do not have the energy to go out on a lot of expeditions,” she says. She no longer plays bridge, but still enjoys socializing with her friends. “I have people that I have dinner with,” she says. “I’m never bored.”

Nana White, 100 Recalls riding a horse to school in Oklahoma Nana White has a new twist on the old story about walking miles to school.

“I rode horseback to school,” says the 100-year-old. Things changed a bit by the time her younger brother was old enough to attend the school in Bluejacket, Okla. “Then, we had a cart.” White remembers the years she lived on the family farm with parents and three siblings. Back then, porches were much more common. “We had porches almost all the way around—three sides,” she says. Folks could take their ease in the shade after working hard, watching the sun go down. One even served as a “sleeping porch,” perfect for keeping cool on hot summer nights.

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The roads were more made for hooves than tires. “We had an uncle that had a T-Model Ford, but lots of times he couldn’t travel in it because the roads—they were just lanes, really cow paths,” she says. When she was 9 years old, her father became ill, and the family had to move to Tulsa. As a young woman, White worked in the offices of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. While there, she met Louis Van White, who went by the initials “LV.” “I knew his family, but I had never met him,” she says. They connected right off. “I met him in September, and we were married in November.” It was 1930. LV’s work carried him around the Midwest, first for the General Motors Acceptance Corp., and then for large box manufacturers. His wife went right with him. “I moved a lot of times, and I always made up my mind that I was going to like where I moved,” White says. “I’ve never been disappointed.” White remembers the time they lived in Keokuck, Iowa. By then, the couple had adopted their first child, a baby they named Diana. Every afternoon, she and several girlfriends would dress their children up and take them out for fresh air. Preparing Diana seemed to be part of the fun. “[I] always dressed her up and took her in her buggy, and went to the store for a Coke,” she says. In 1946, the

couple opened its arms to a second child, and adopted David. Eventually, they settled into a house in Brimfield, Ill., which she thought would be her last residence. LV retired in the 1980s, but suffered declining health. White cared for him until he died in 1990, close to their 60th wedding anniversary. She lived in Brimfield alone until 2006, when she moved to the Rochester area to be closer to her daughter. She now lives in St. Ann’s Home, an assisted living facility in Rochester. White says that the location change has been a bit difficult to accept. “I lived in my house for so many years, and lived alone,” she says. “I was used to that.” Still, the grandmother of six enjoys the mornings. “I like my newspaper—and my cup of coffee—and I read it, or part of it, before I have my breakfast,” White says. She can’t imagine anyone not liking being 100. “I have been very fortunate, and I had fairly good health.”

Lillian Sukert, 100 “God’s been good to me,” says Jewish Home resident Lillian Sukert seems to have taken the years in stride. “I drove a car until I was 92,” she

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says, with a touch of pride. Though she’s just broken 100, you get the idea she’s ready for more. “We were all long-livers in our family.” Sukert was born on Nov. 24, 1909, the youngest of seven girls born to Hillel and Libby Goldstein. “They were all born in Russia,” Sukert says of her parents and siblings. Like many who came to this country at that time, Hillel worked to earn passage for the family he’d left behind. “He was a tailor,” says Sukert, who was born after the rest of the family joined her father in the US. They settled into a home on Rochester’s

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55+ Nassau Street. As a child, Sukert attended Rochester’s School No. 18, and then Washington Junior High School. From there, she headed to the Rochester Business Institute for the kinds of skills that would land her a job. At the age of 16, she started work. “I worked for a sugar broker, the American Sugar Refining Company,” Sukert says. The broker distributed sugar to buyers in the area. About four years later, on her 20th birthday, she married Philip Sukert, and the couple moved to a home on Gladys Street in Rochester. Soon after, the Depression struck, and unemployment skyrocketed. “My husband was out of work for two years,” Sukert says. “Things were tough.” Though Sukert continued working for the sugar broker, the couple moved in with Philip’s parents in order to make ends meet. He found parttime work at a vocational school, and eventually found a job with a local machine tool company. Sukert continued working until her first child, Jerry, arrived. “I worked until almost the time that he was born,” she says. “Then, I stayed home.” Barbara, her daughter, followed a few years later. “She was a little doll,” Sukert says. Sukert retained her ties to school friends, as a member of a group called the Washington Minutemen. “It was a group of young men who organized when they were in Washington Junior High School,” she explains. “After we all got married, the whole group was still in existence.” She was the Minutemen’s president for 30 years. “We used to get together have a lot of good times.” Sukert is also a member of Temple Beth El, and a lifetime member of Hadassah. In about 1972, Sukert moved to an apartment in Irondequoit, where she lived with her husband until he moved into the Jewish Home of Rochester, a local facility that provides long-term care and other services. He remained there until his death about 18 years ago.

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Intent upon being independent, Sukert continued living alone until she moved into the Jewish Home about one-and-a-half years ago. Now, the mother of two and grandmother of five proudly displays a treasured gift: a quilt that depicts her nine greatgrandchildren. “God’s been good to me,” she says.

Helen Tobin, 100 Positive attitude helped in good, bad times Things were a bit different for Helen Tobin when she was a child. “It was the days when milk came in bottles,” she says, with a little grin. Now 100 years old, she remembers good times—and hard times without regrets. “We weren’t raised with silver spoons in our mouths, but we were happy,” she says. Tobin was born in Rochester, and raised with her brother and sister in a house on Brown Street. Her father died when she was still a toddler, and her mother worked as a secretary. Tobin and her family worshipped at the St. Peter and Paul Church on nearby West Main Street, where church rules prevented her from becoming an altar boy, though she did help out. “If the altar had to be cleaned, I’d climb up,” Tobin says. “I was part tomboy.” She also attended St. Peter and Paul’s school through the eigth grade. At that point, her mother became ill, and Tobin had to forego the rest of her formal education in order to help care for her siblings. Though she wished she’d been able to continue her education, she seemed to shrug off the interruption. “We didn’t feel that we were making a mistake, or being imposed upon,” she says. “We were grateful for what we had.” She and her brother, Carl, would sing along with the songs they heard on the radio. Tobin studied typing and other

business skills in night school, then found a job in the offices of Rochester Gas and Electric, where she was a big hit with the engineers. “They would have an argument about ‘Who will take her out,’” she says, laughing. In 1939, she married John Tobin, one of RG&E’s salesmen. “I stayed there until one week before marriage.” Her new husband was what she calls “a joiner.” “He used to join a lot of clubs,” she says. “He was a joiner of the fire department, the chamber of commerce, etc.” His job took him around the area, and they lived in many homes. “I liked walking into a new place, and saying, ‘This is my new house,’” she says, laughing. They also traveled, vacationing in Florida and other places. The couple eventually moved to a house in Canandaigua, where John died. Nowadays, the mother and grandmother enjoys looking out of the large windows of her room at The Heritage, a residential, skilled nursing facility in Rochester that’s part of St. Ann’s Community, at which she’s stayed for about 12 years. “You should see it at Christmas time, with all the lights that come out, and the people shopping,” she says. Tobin attends chapel every day, and May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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retains the attitudes that have kept her smiling all these years. “I’m an optimistic person,” she says.

Elsie Wood, 102 Kodak job brings Canadian family to Rochester Elsie Wood smiled as she looked at the “Happy Birthday” balloons hanging over her head. The floating congratulations heralded the birthday she celebrated on Jan. 13. Though her memory isn’t what it used to be, the 102-year-old still remembers when her family headed south from their native land to start a new life. “We had to get on a boat to come to the US,” she says. “I came here when I was 4 years old.” Wood was born in Canada, “right

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down on a farm,” as she puts it. Her family later moved to Rochester, where her father took a job at Kodak. Times were a bit hard. “I had to work when I was younger,” she says. “I worked in a coffee shop.” Once in a while, she’d head to Lake Avenue to splurge on a movie. Wood married and divorced twice, the last time to Clarence Wood, and gave birth to two daughters. “They visit me once a week,” she says. Now a great-grandmother, she’s lived at St. John’s Home in Rochester for about the past six years, where she receives skilled nursing care. These days, Wood gets around with a walker. Though birthday celebrations are fun, she also enjoys doing her crossword puzzles, and playing games with the other residents at St. John’s. “We play bingo,” she says, with a gleam in her eye. “The last one wins the most.”

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golden years By Harold Miller E-mail: HMillerMOD@aol.com.

Dealing with Depression: Snap Out of It

harles Schulz was a genius and philosopher whose wisdom came out of the mouths of babes, which he created for his iconic comic strip “Peanuts.” Schulz deals with the heavy psychological subject of depression in a lighthearted way. (We suspect he had his own demons to deal with). My favorite Peanuts cartoon depicts Lucy Van Pelt prescribing her insightful remedy for depression to Charlie Brown. Of course, true depression is not a laughing matter and many of us have had to deal with it at some time or other in our life. Seniors are particularly vulnerable when life throws its inevitable curve balls to our minds and bodies. Retirement can be a minefield of depressing incidents triggered by a myriad of maladies, including diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often follows the loss of a spouse or other loved one. Another cause of depression is just plain boredom, which many elders experience because of inactivity, which, in turn, gives them plenty of time to dwell on their aches and pains. Clinical depression is usually the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain and, like alcoholism, is very much an inherited condition. When the demons invade our mind they can reside in us for months, years — or a lifetime.

They bring with them: • Agitation, restlessness and irritability • Dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss • Extreme difficulty concentrating • Fatigue and lack of energy • Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness • Feelings of worthlessness, self hate, and inappropriate guilt • Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities; a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed (such as sex) • Thoughts of death or suicide • Trouble sleeping, or excessive

sleeping According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression affects approximately 14.8 million American adults (6.7 percent of adult population) in a given year. It is our country’s leading cause of disability. Because of the stigma associated with this debilitating condition, few people seek treatment and those who do, more often than not, receive inadequate care. The days of lying on the couch and talking things out with your friendly psychiatrist is largely a thing of the past. Today, changes in psychiatry, the influence on both

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patients and physicians of drug industry promotions of medications, and the greater comfort of doctors in prescribing these medications have led to antidepressant drug therapy as being the major tool of the psychiatrist. However, unless depression is severe, there is little evidence that antidepressants work, and in some patients drug therapy results in a zombie-like existence. Let’s return to Lucy’s suggested therapy. Certainly not everyone can talk their way through depression, but my own personal experience proves that it can be done and so it stands as a possible alternative. Depression is a mental condition — it starts and ends in the mind. The mind is like a bucket: if you fill it with depressing thoughts then there is no room for positive thoughts. The trick is to fill your mind with positive thoughts and actions and not give negative thoughts a chance to fill your bucket. The demons usually strike at dawn. If you lay in bed and think of all the potential problems of the day,

you will want to pull the covers over your head. Alcoholics Anonymous calls it ‘stinkin thinkin.’ If, on the other hand, you rise with a positive attitude for handling anything that comes along, the problems will melt into the sunrise (my favorite time of day). You need to get your mind off your own problems — real or imagined. The best therapy is to help a friend or relative in need, to mentor someone who has gone astray or help someone that has a worse problem than you. I think volunteering for aid at a hospital or nursing home will soon put your problems in perspective. My wife Janet spends a part of almost every day visiting or checking with friends or family who are ill, infirmed or depressed. It brightens her day and those she shines on. In the final analysis, it takes the same effort to be happy as it does to be melancholy — you choose. If the demons try to return just remember Lucy’s wise words, “snap out of it.”

CURRENT AND PREVIOUS SMOKERS AGE 40 AND OLDER NEEDED FOR STUDY Participants Must: • Have breathing difficulties • A smoking history of at least 10 years Qualified Participants Will Receive: • Investigational medication for your breathing at no cost • Study related medical care and testing at no cost • Compensation available for time and travel

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Mary Taylor Working out of a barn in Mendon, award winning metal sculptor brings birds, wolves, foxes, rabbits and other wild creatures to breathtaking life By Mike Costanza

or Mary Taylor, metal has a vitality all its own. “I take a powerful heating torch to it and wait, and then all of a sudden, it starts to move,” the Mendon artist says. “It’s like coming alive.” T h e a w a rd - w i n n i n g m e t a l sculptor has brought birds, wolves, foxes, rabbits and other wild creatures to breathtaking life for close to 40 years. Born in Rochester as one of four children, Taylor studied art at several colleges in California

and Washington. Though working with two-dimensional media was intellectually satisfying, once she’d painted or drawn a subject, the subject no longer held her interest. “It’s like I know it and I don’t want to do it again,” the 62-year-old says. “Sculpture is much more holistic—it’s like a full-body experience.” Moving to California, Taylor, by then a 20-year-old, married mother of one, began designing for a ceramic tile company that she owned with her husband. While there, she took lessons from a local welder, learning to cut,

shape and join metal in the garage underneath her family’s apartment. She still remembers the special feel of that experience. “It was a dark space to work in,” she says of the garage. “The glow of the steel like the fire in the dark room, and the hiss of the torch—it was primitive.” By the time she’d completed her third metal sculpture, of a golden eagle with a 10-foot wingspan, she’d bonded with the shaping of metal. “I just knew that after I finished that piece, it was like, ‘This is what May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life,’” she says. Taylor now creates her striking works in the shop of a renovated barn, which sits alongside her home on 36 acres of Parrish Road. When conceiving a new sculpture, she draws upon her love and extensive knowledge of woodland creatures, as well as shelves of books on them. Though she has created insects and nudes, most of her works depict what she calls “four-legged creatures” and “winged creatures.” She’s particularly fond of the latter. “The birds are so incredible; they’re so magical,” she explains. “There’s an aesthetic about them that’s just so captivating.” That love of winged life might run in the family—both of Taylor’ parents were ornithologists, and her father even wrote a birding column for a local publication. Still, feathers, fur and steel don’t go together in most minds. For Taylor, that connection starts with her view of

all living things. “We’re all part of nature,” she says. “We’re just different shapes, in terms of molecular structure.” With her electric welder, oxy-acetylene torches, metal grinders and other tools, she seeks to connect us to the spirit of an animal, bird or other subject. Steel is her favorite media. “I like the steel because it’s so permanent,” she explains. “It’s [also] forgiving—you can make a mistake, and then burn it away and start again.” A sculpture starts as an armature of bar steel that helps the final structure to retain its shape. To that, Taylor welds thin rods of steel shaped into the form of the subject. “They’re separated by a small space, so that when there’s light behind the piece, you can see twinkling through the piece,” she says. She likes working in dim light. “To go into that space—it’s very focused, very private, and wonderful,” Taylor says. At the same time, she has

Mary Taylor speaks of… Her art… “The wildlife sculptures I create are more than art made of steel or bronze rods. They represent a powerful connection to and understanding of the grand forces of nature — the natural movement and growth that are so vital for our imaginations to grow and reach out toward our dreams. From interior natural images, to exterior sculptures, all of my works are based on unique and intricate patterns of realistic animation that capture a timeless strength of spirit and intensity of aliveness.” Bringing life-like qualities out of cold steel… “If you go up to any of these big sculptures, or if they’re outside with the sunlight and you walk past them, they twinkle. It gives a lightness and animation to the whole experience.”

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The special place of birds in her life… “Even the crows—I love the crows. I think of them as my friends, when I see them in the morning, and they’re flying around.” Her larger-than-life sculptures… “They’re bigger than me, so they have that kind of godlike quality.” On playing the bagpipe… “I love to be hired—weddings, funerals, parties. I compete solo, and I’m also in a band, “Feadan Or.” I’ve been in a really serious commitment for the past 10 years.” On retiring from her work… “I don’t intend to. If I can’t weld any more, I will draw.”

to bear in mind that she’s working with flaming torches and red-hot metal. “You cannot fool around, doing something else when you’re welding, because you’re going to get burned.” As her hands work, giving the sculpture its initial shape, Taylor looks for a special line or curve of steel rod in the piece that will help her feel connected to it, and with the spirit of its subject. “There’s a certain line that tells me whether or not the shape is right,” she explains. “When the line is right, that’s the connection between me and what I’m making.” Thinner metal rods comprise the subject’s fur, features or other more delicate parts. The feathers of the 9-foot-tall whooping crane in Taylor’s showroom appear soft and light enough to ride the wind, contributing to feel of an animated bird ready to take wing. That effect caught the eye of Brighton town councilman Jim Vogel. Vogel led the process by which Taylor was commissioned to create

55+ an American eagle for the veterans’ memorial that the town plans to build in Buckland Park. “The gleam of the sun would reflect off that stainless steel in a magnificent way,” Vogel says. “We just felt it would be so symbolic of what this country and what the armed forces are all about.” Brighton hopes to break ground on the memorial by spring 2011. While her birds seem to float on stainless steel wings, “The She-Wolf,” Taylor ’s 150-pound sculpture of a timber wolf, fixes you with a gaze bound to make you stop in your tracks. “What is fascinating about Mary’s work in general is how she expresses the spirit of each animal she creates,” says Karen Trueheart, who once coowned the piece with her siblings and Taylor. “To see this sculpture in firelight is mystical.” Trueheart first saw “She-Wolf” in 1993, just after their parents died. “That brought back stories of my father’s youth, and his time in the Idaho wilderness, and the wolves out there,” the Pittsford resident says. “There was a definite connection, a definite heart connection.” “She-Wolf“ is so striking that when Trueheart’s dog first encountered the work, he skidded to a halt with his hackles raised. As physically powerful as the sculpture is, it also conveys a sense of wisdom that figures prominently in some Native American beliefs. “In the Seneca tradition, the significance of the wolf is in teaching,” Trueheart explains. Learning that members of the Wolf Clan of the Seneca Nation live west of Rochester, Trueheart brought the sculpture to a clan matriarch for a traditional blessing. After spending time in communion with the sculpture and all it represented, the matriarch said that “She-Wolf” needed to travel. The sculpture subsequently appeared in shows and galleries around the country, before its owners decided to donate it to the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in Oradell, New Jersey. Trueheart and Taylor bid farewell to “She-Wolf” in March, as it stood in the light of one of Taylor’s woodstoves.

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Awards 2009—Best in Sculpture, Manhattan Arts International, online CelebrateHerStory, New York, NY Medal of Excellence, The Filly, Artists for Conservation, Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, Oradell, NJ 2000—“Addy” award, Rochester Advertising Federation 1997—Certificate of Recognition, “The Rhino”, Monroe County Legislature, Rochester, NY 1994—Leonard Meiselman Award, Society of Animal Artists,“The She-Wolf”, Bennington, VT 1992—1st Place, Redlands Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, “California Condor”, Redlands, CA 1991—1st Place Sculpture, “With Kindness”, Of Times and Places, Montana Art Institute, Dillon, Montana Judges Award, “With Kindness”, Klamath Open, Klamath Falls, OR 3rd Prize Sculpture, “With Kindness”, Pacific Rim Wildlife, Tacoma, WA National Award, “Turtle Island”, National Small Works, Cobleskill, NY

“We properly thanked her for her time with us, and wished her well,” Trueheart says. Life Outside Arts—When not working on a sculpture, Taylor often likes to tramp the woods surrounding her home. “I like to listen for the periods of time when I don’t hear anything man-made,” she says. At other times, Taylor might make some noise—she took up the bagpipes at the age of 16,

after her 17-year-old brother, Henry, died in a rock climbing accident. “I felt really close to him,” Taylor says. The bagpipe was part of her grieving. “You know how much it is a plaintive sound.” She also enjoys walking in warmer weather, and riding her bicycle. You can learn more about sculptor Mary Taylor by visiting her Web site at www. marytaylorsculpture.com. May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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active lifestlye

Workouts with a Kick Bill Everett, 57, stays in shape thanks to martial arts classes he has attended for more than 20 years By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ill Everett claims that his sons Ben and Mike, then ages 8 and 10, “dragged me into it” when referring to practicing martial arts. But more than 20 years have passed and Everett, now 57, still works out at Kuk Sool Won of Williamson. “They wanted me to join them,” he said. “I’ve just kind of ambled along till I got where I am.” He’s far too modest. Everett has earned a fourth degree black belt and he anticipates that in October, he’ll reach fifth degree. That represents a repertoire of a few hundred self defense techniques. Kuk Sool Won is a comprehensive martial arts system that uses curriculum developed by Grandmaster In-hyuk Suh. It incorporates ancient 28

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tribal martial arts (SahDoh MuSool), Buddhist martial arts (BoolKyo MuSool), and royal court martial arts (KoongJoong MuSool). In 1958, Suh established Kuk Sool Won, recording the 3,500 techniques into a standardized, trademarked curriculum that is now used by 1.3 million martial artists who belong to the more than 800 Kuk Sool Won schools in 27 different countries. Everett’s wife, Cathy, has earned her third degree black belt. Their daughter, Regina (now 25), also joined in the fun. Until joining Kuk Sool Won, Everett had never been particularly athletic or active; however, he believes that his participation over the past two decades has kept him “a lot more flexible than I would have if I had not

been doing this,” he said. Especially considering that his work as a senior safety analyst for Ginna Nuclear Power Plant east of Rochester isn’t particularly physical, regular workouts help keep Everett in shape. Kuk Sool also challenges him mentally. He has mastered about 450 techniques of self defense, plus weapon handling techniques, several “forms” (practiced routines of specific techniques and stances), and how to safely fall in a variety of ways. Remembering all of those in both right-handed and left-handed stances adds to the difficulty. “The fun part is when you start working with two swords, one in each hand,” he said. “It’s hard developing the dexterity and teaching your non-

55+ favored hand to do stuff, especially with a piece of three-foot steel in a hand you’re not comfortable using.” N o K u k S o o l s t u d e n t s a re permitted to handle swords until they have achieved first-degree black belt. Even then the swords, like the two dozen or so other weapons used, are handled with gravity and respect despite the fact that they are dull practice weapons. The weapons include double short sword, staff, short staff, jointed short staff, fan, cane, rope, throwing knives and more. Everett prefers empty-handed techniques over weapons. “They teach you a different aspect of the art, but if I ever had to defend myself I’d prefer empty hand,” he said. Everett currently leads two classes at the school and joins a weekend class occasionally to further his own martial arts education. He has never sustained an injury from his workouts or tournaments except for once years ago when “my son got lucky and broke my nose,” he said with a laugh about the mishap.

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He has never needed to use his martial arts knowledge to defend himself, except, he jokes, against 5year-olds. Seriously, he does enjoy children, and especially teaching to them martial arts. “It’s fun when you get a point across,” he said. “It’s cool when the student gives you an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Interaction with the students and teaching what I know and giving it back is the best.” He has also enjoyed taking trips to Kuk Sool headquarters in Tomball, Texas for worldwide tournaments (he has won a few awards but has modestly “forgotten” for what). He also journeyed to the Korean headquarters with Cathy, Regina (who was then a teenager) and other Kuk Sool practitioners in 2003. His martial arts experience has taught him that some limitations are really only mental barriers. “I can push myself further than what I initially thought,” he said. Sometimes, new students think that martial arts are somehow magical, but Everett said that it takes more

than a few months’ study to achieve proficiency. “They want to jump in and say, hand me a couple swords and I’ll play,” he said. “They want to walk in here and after a few months be able to walk on walls.” He spent about four years of semi-weekly classes and many hours practicing at home to earn his first degree black belt. He advises anyone else in the 50-plus set who is considering becoming more physically active to “not impose something that isn’t a limitation. Try it and go at your own pace and not be intimidated by the whippersnappers that are doing handsprings around you.” “There are some things as I’m getting older that hurt that didn’t used to hurt, but it’s that way with any age,” he added. “As you get older you feel there are things you can’t do, but you shouldn’t limit yourself in your mind.” As for Everett, he hopes to earn his fifth and then sixth-degree belts. In addition to martial arts, Everett enjoys computers, traveling, and watching an occasional movie.

Twenty years ago, practicing martial arts helped Bill Everett spend more time with the kids. Working out at the do jang continues to help him stay fit.

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consumers corner By Eva Briggs

When Drugs Don’t Play Well Together Some combinations of herbal supplements and drugs for heart conditions can be deadly

he older you get, the greater your chance of being treated for a cardiovascular condition, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure and heart rhythm abnormalities. Fortunately there are many medications available to treat these conditions. But many patients—and their doctors—aren’t aware that many of these medicines interact with over-the-counter herbal supplements. And some of those interactions are deadly. What is an herbal supplement, anyway? Simply defined, it’s any part of a plant or a plant product. They are not subject to the same regulations as drugs. The only requirement is that the manufacturer sends a copy of the label to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The ingredients are not tested for safety or efficacy. The ingredients can be new and experimental. A lack of quality control means that labeling can be inconsistent and the actual amount of ingredients can vary widely from lot to lot. Repeated studies have shown that contamination with heavy metals, adulteration with pharmaceuticals and prohibited ingredients are often found. Even though herbal products are touted as “natural,” they may still cause adverse reactions in some patients. The true incidence of such reactions is underreported for several reasons. First, patients who assume that herbal supplements are always safe often don’t recognize that a problem that they experience may be due to a supplement. So the patient doesn’t report the event to the FDA,

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the manufacturer or the doctor. Patients often don’t think to report supplement use to their health care providers, and providers often fail to specifically ask about supplement use. Two common medications in particular that are susceptible to interactions with herbals are the blood thinner warfarin (coumadin) and digoxin used to treat failing heart muscle and certain abnormal heart rhythms. If an herbal medicine increases the metabolism of warfarin, the drug will be less effective, and the patient may experience the unwanted blood clotting that warfarin is supposed to protect against. This can cause stroke, as well as blood clots in the legs, lungs or arteries of the heart. Conversely, some herbals slow the metabolism of warfarin, which permits higher levels to accumulate, leading to increased risk of bleeding. This can cause strokes due to bleeding within the brain, gastrointestinal bleeding and other unwanted bleeding. Herbals that alter the metabolism of digoxin can cause heart rhythm abnormalities and other heart problems. If an herbal raises the digoxin level, a patient can develop the signs of digitoxicity: confusion, nausea and vomiting, palpitations and serious abnormal heart rhythms, and vision changes. Herbal products can affect other drugs used to treat cardiovascular conditions. This includes, but isn’t limited to, beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics, and cholesterol lowering drugs. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any herbal supplements.

One common herbal preparation is St. John’s wort, purported to treat depression, insomnia, anxiety and other conditions. This medicine affects an enzyme called CYP3A4, which metabolizes approximately 50 percent of all prescription medications. St. John’s wort increases this enzyme, hastening the elimination of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, and reducing their effectiveness. St. John’s wort markedly decreases the level of the anti-rejection drug cyclosporine, used after organ transplant, and has caused organ rejection. Another popular supplement is ginkgo. It’s claimed to alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but there is no convincing evidence yet that it is effective for this disorder. But when taken along with many medicines used to decrease the risk of blood clots, it can increase the risk of unwanted bleeding. Bleeding has been reported in the brain, in the eye and the abdomen. Echinacea is popular because it is alleged to stimulate the immune system and prevent infections. Evidence so far shows no benefit in treating or preventing infection with rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold. But if used for long periods, it can increase the risk of liver damage due to certain medications, especially those used to lower cholesterol. While herbal medicines are growing in popularity, remember that their purity, effectiveness, and safety are often unknown. Until these products are better studied and regulated, wise consumers should be aware that they are using them at their own risk. If you take any prescription medications, be sure to let inform your prescriber about use of herbals. It could save you from a dangerous drug interaction, or even save your life. Eva Briggs, a board-certified physician, works on the staff at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, in its two urgent care centers: one in Ithaca, and the other in Cortland.

financial health By Jim Terwilliger

Maintaining Your Financial Fitness in Turbulent Times

hese have been, and undoubtedly will continue to be, unsettling financial times. The comforting fact is that boomand-bust market cycles have been with us since records have been kept. On a regular basis, the capital-market system drives itself into periods of excess, followed by periods of correction to re-achieve equilibrium. What should we do to protect our financial wellbeing during these downward correction periods and during boom times, as well? First, we need to understand what history has taught us — that upand-down capital-market cycles are normal, that the long-term historical return on equities (stocks) is positive, and that historical stock returns exceed inflation. Second, we need to acknowledge what we can and cannot control. We cannot control the markets. We can control how we design and manage our personal financial strategies in a way that protects us from unnecessary risk and from ourselves in the form of emotions. Easier said than done! Here are some suggestions: Stick with your plan—If you have a sound investment plan — one that has an appropriate stock/ fixed-income-cash allocation, is broadly diversified, and reflects your investment time horizon, risk tolerance, and goals — the standard advice is to hold steady. Do not let concern lead to fear, which can then lead to panic. Selling equities to avoid further “paper” loss may be tempting, but it is allowing emotion to drive the investment strategy. It is easy to establish a vicious

cycle. For example, when is the best time to reinvest in equities following a decision to flee to cash? History shows that recoveries occur in short bursts. The March-to-December 2009 market rally is the most-recent demonstration. Folks who engage in such in-andout timing tend to feel comfortable re-entering the market only once a substantial recovery has been realized and sustained, thereby missing a major portion of the recovery. It is equally tempting to invest more heavily in stocks when markets are up. Not a good idea either! Continue regular contributions— If you are in the final pre-retirement accumulation phase of your financial life, continue to contribute regularly to your 401(k), IRA/Roth IRA, and other investment plans. Don’t let down markets scare you. Low stock and stock fund prices mean that you are buying more shares for each contribution dollar. This method of saving a fixed amount of money on a regular basis is called “dollar cost averaging.” With it, your actual long-term cost per share becomes lower than your average cost per share. Yes, that sounds like double talk. But if you go through the math carefully, that is how the numbers work out. Periodically Rebalance Your Total Portfolio—Over time, various asset classes in your portfolio stray from their intended target percentages. Regular rebalancing, say, annually, will shift money from asset classes that have over-performed (on a relative basis) to those that have underperformed. This is a good example of “buying low” and “selling high” and ensures that your portfolio allocation stays true to its intended

design, maintaining a constant level of risk. Review Other Key Aspects of Your Financial Picture—Achieving and maintaining a healthy financial picture involves much more than the savings and investment pieces. Other key elements include cash flow management, income tax and charitable-giving strategies, helping grandchildren pay for college, choosing a health insurance plan that gives you needed benefits at the least cost, deciding how best to prepare for possible long-term care needs, and making sure your wills and related estate planning documents are in order. And, if you are not yet receiving Social Security benefits, making the right decision about when to start can have a huge financial impact on your household. This is particularly true for couples where the interplay of individual vs. spousal vs. survivor benefits and the potential sequencing of these benefits should be part of a deliberate strategy. Work with a Trusted Financial Adviser—Going it alone is always dangerous, particularly these days when it is easy to let emotions o v e rc o m e re a s o n , p o t e n t i a l l y subjecting you to irreversible, lifelong financial damage. Seek out a knowledgeable professional who has your best interests at heart, not someone whose incentive is to sell you a product. James Terwilliger, CFP®, is vice president of Financial Planning, Wealth Strategies Group, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at (585) 419-0670 ext. 50630 or by e-mail at jterwilliger@cnbank.com. May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

long-term care By Susan Suben

Promises to Plan For

hat are the consequences to your family if you do not plan for long-term care or decide to selfinsure or just take your chances? Ask yourself these questions. If you think you can self-insure, where will the funds come from to pay for your care? Today, the average daily cost of nursing home care in the Rochester area is $344 or $125,500 per year. Home care can cost approximately $4,800 per month. Most individuals do not have assets set aside specifically for longterm care. That means you might have to liquidate assets that could result in capital gains taxes, ordinary income taxes if money for care is needed from an IRA or 401(k), or surrender charges. If your spouse is relying on your assets to provide income in retirement, what will happen to his or her standard of living if those assets are invaded to pay for long-term care services? Will he or she still be able to live a financially comfortable life? How much do you want to rely upon your family to receive proper care? Caregiving is very emotional and stressful. A spouse might not be prepared or equipped to handle the physical rigors of long-term care. Often, family members become

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55 PLUS - May / June 2010

frustrated, angry or guilty that they are not doing their best. Sometimes responsibilities are not shared equally. Adult children try to help but are also caring for their own children. If you answered these questions honestly, it may have come to light that planning for long-term care cannot be haphazard but requires thoughtful planning that takes into consideration the wellbeing of your family. Long-term care insurance may likely be your solution. It addresses all these consequences by providing a properly funded plan and an array of care services and settings your family can choose from. Long-term care insurance does protect your assets but, more important, it protects the income derived from those assets so that your family can manage its day-to-day affairs. It provides a “pool of money” to pay for long-term care expenses so that you do not have to liquidate your asset base or ask your spouse or children to make financial sacrifices. By shielding your assets from being liquidated or reallocated for long-term care, there is a greater likelihood that those assets can be invested and grow, and you will be able to use them for what they were intended — retirement, a legacy or charitable giving.

Long-term care insurance will allow you to stay in your community, in your own home. Your spouse or children will be able to supervise your care without having to be the main providers of services. You will have access to all levels of home care — nurses, therapists, home health aides, and homemakers — to meet your needs, and you will not have to deny yourself adequate care because of lack of funds. Family members make promises to each other. A promise might be helping your son or daughter have that wedding he or she always wanted. It may be helping your children or grandchildren pay for college, or paying off your mortgage. When a long-term care illness occurs, promises are usually broken because the money you set aside to keep those promises is now needed for long-term care expenses. Long-term care is a risk that affects everyone around you. Planning for it should be thoughtful and thorough, not arbitrary. Too much depends upon it. Susan Suben, a certified senior adviser, is president of Long Term Care Associates, Inc. and a consultant for Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. She can be reached at (800) 422-2655 or by e-mail at susansuben@31greenbush.com.

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my turn By Bruce Frassinelli

Technological Wonderland Remembering when video and audio changed the entertainment landscape

y 15-year-old granddaughter e-mailed me the other day, saying that her English teacher assigned her and her classmates a project: Contact your grandparents and ask them about significant technological changes in their lives since they were children. I thought about the question awhile, then decided to give her several specifics rather than a long laundry list. The year 1950 was a technological wonderland in the life of this then 11-year-old. Two major events — one video and one audio — changed the entertainment landscape in the Frassinelli household forever. The first started with the arrival of a delivery truck from the local furniture-appliance store. I had been waiting all morning and into the afternoon for the two employees, who carried into our home in a big box a 12-inch RCA television set. We were going to be the first ones on our block to have a TV. They also connected an antenna to our roof so we could see the three channels that were offered. Finally, after about three hours — although it seemed as if it were three days — they finally turned on the set. It was midafternoon, and after about a minute (that’s how long it took for the set to warm up) a test pattern accompanied by a high-pitched whistle occupied the screen. In the first few weeks after we got our set, I would watch the test pattern for minutes on end, fascinated by the interesting designs. There were no programs on TV during the earlier part of the day. We had just three channel selections, all from Philadelphia, where I lived in central-eastern

Pennsylvania — KYW (Channel 3), WFIL, now WPVI, (Channel 6) and WCAU (Channel 10). Later, we were able to get a New York City channel, which was the old Dumont network affiliate. This compares to more than 200 channels I have access to today with my local cable system. There were only about eight hours of programming a day, starting at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Some of the early programs I enjoyed watching were “The Howdy Doody Show,” “Red Buttons,” “the Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” originally known as “Toast of the Town,” and “What’s My Line,” a quiz show featuring a celebrity panel and moderator John Daly, in which the panelists had to identify contestants’ unusual occupations. The highlight of my TV viewing, however, was on Friday night when my father and I would watch the “Friday Night Fights,” sponsored by Gillette, the razor and shaving cream company. (“To look sharp…to feel sharp…to be sharp…”). This continued the tradition my father and I shared before we had our own TV when we would walk four blocks to our local rod and gun club, sit on long benches in front of the club and watch the boxing matches every Friday night on the club’s set, which was set up for townspeople, most of whom did not yet have TV. The audio revolution in my home occurred when I received an RCA 45-RPM (revolutions per minute) record player for my 11th birthday. Prior to this new technology, which was offered to the public for the first time in 1949, we either had to listen to breakable 78 RPM records, which were often scratchy, or the relatively

new (and expensive) 33 1/3 RPM, an unbreakable record that had six selections on each side. The automatic RCA 45 RPM record player took technology a step further by allowing me to stack 12 45s on a distinctive red spindle in the middle of the compact player, which would change and play automatically. It was like having my own personal jukebox. Today, by comparison, I have nearly 1,300 songs on my iPod, which is about one-fiftieth the size of the 45 changer and, unlike the records, which ultimately got scratchy and wore out, iPod selections sound as fresh and new on the 1,000th playing as they did the first time. The other audio marvel improvement has been the telephone. When I was a kid, every call I made required my talking to a real operator. My parents had a grocery store, and the store’s number was 42-R. If someone wanted to call my parents’ store, he or she would have to pick up the phone, wait for an operator to say, “Number please,” then ask for 42-R. Our home number was 432-J. There were three other residents who were part of our four-party line. They had the same prefix — 432 — but a different letter. If we wanted to, we could listen in on each other’s calls and, sometimes, as kids we did. We also incurred the wrath of these partyline residents. If they knew we were listening in on their conversations, they would scream at us to hang up. If someone had an emergency, partyline protocol required those with lessurgent calls to relinquish the line. Compare that to the smart phones of today. We are never out of touch with our cell phones, which double as computers, entertainment devices, cameras and so many other applications. May / June 2010 - 55 PLUS

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By Mike Costanza

Dr. Patricia Bomba, 59 Geriatrician (and vice president and medical director for geriatrics for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield) has spent her life treating or advocating for older adults Q. When you entered medical school, you weren’t focused on the treatment of older adults. What brought you to geriatrics? A. I was initially going to be a hematologist-oncologist—a cancer blood specialist. After I finished my residency in Rochester, I ended up staying here. I was basically working at a clinic at Rochester General Hospital, and was also faculty at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. At the time, we had 350 people that were in hospital beds [who] could’ve been cared for outside of the hospital. There was a community project that focused on trying to do geriatric consultations on those patients. I was asked, as the junior faculty member, to arrange a grand rounds on geriatrics. What I learned from doing that work is that it’s really what I enjoy doing. Everything you do takes you to where you are. Q. What did you like about treating older patients? A. I enjoyed the challenges. The patients that we were looking at, and the patients that I ultimately cared for during private practice, had multiple medical problems. They also couldn’t take care of themselves on their own at home, and so needed help with activities of daily living—dressing, eating. Back in 1981 we didn’t have today’s community resources. Q. What drew you to trying to improve end-of-life care? A. I grew up in a small coalmining town, Lansford, Pa. My initial inclination to become a physician actually was when I was leaving the cemetery after my grandmother ’s death. I was 10 years old at the time, and this was pre-hospice, pre-home health care—it was probably in the early ‘60s. She died at home, and I was 34

55 PLUS - May / June 2010

sort of a nurse’s aide who helped take care of her. Her end-of-life experience was less than desirable. Q. You lead the community-wide end-of-life/palliative care initiative, which is dedicated to addressing end-of-life care issues. How did that come about? A. In the late ‘90s, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on the approach of death that spoke about huge gaps in care for patients at the end of life nationally. A group of physicians, that included myself, who was still in practice at the time, formed a professional advisory committee. Our first step was to do a community survey. We found that we needed to do better in this community, in terms of completing advance directives [health care proxy], getting patients to hospice sooner and having a better, longer length of stay; and essentially getting better pain management. At that time, only 20 percent of people in home care had health care proxies. I brought that information and that data to the [now-defunct] Rochester Health Commission in early 2001. That’s what really launched the community-wide initiative. Q . One outgrowth of the community-wide initiative is the Web site “compassion and support.org.” What is it? A. Compassionandsupport.org is the community Web site dedicated to educating and empowering patients, families and professionals on advance care planning, MOLST (the medical orders for life-sustaining Treatment program), palliative care, pain management and hospice care and related topics. More than 150 community volunteers developed the site in 2002. We had key leaders— physicians, nurses, social workers; folks at different sites of care,

folks from emergency rooms, ICU physicians, as well as people in leadership from the community. We also included consumers. Each one of us is a consumer—we will all end up with end of life care needs. The Web site was enhanced in 2007 through the generous funding of the Medical Society of NYS and Excellus. Excellus provides ongoing support for it. Q. You were instrumental in the passage of the Family Health Care Decisions Act, which Gov. David Paterson signed on March 16. Why was its passage important? A. That was 17 years in the making. The act gives family members the right to make decisions for loved ones who do not have the capacity to make medical decisions, and have not completed a health care proxy or had any discussions with their family about their end of life wishes. Before March 16, New York families could not make those decisions. Sometimes patients would be subject to burdensome treatments that they might not have chosen to accept if able to express their wishes. Q. You have a very busy life. What do you do for fun? A. I love to cook, read, and go on vacation and do things with my family. Q. Retirement? A. I am happy, and I love what I’m doing. I don’t plan to retire anytime soon.

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