55 Plus of Rochester, #04: July – August 2010

EE

Al, Tipper & Late-Life Divorce: Can it Happen to You?

FR Marilyn Pinsky: ‘My Struggle with Aging Gracefully’

55 PLUS Issue 4 July/August 2010

For Active Adults in Upstate New York

Behind the Music Fred Costello celebrating 33rd season with the Red Wings

Meet the Ladies of Pittsford • Retired Men’s Club Turns 50

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But at St. Ann’s, we believe we’re caring for the most important people on earth.

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55 PLUS

55 PLUS

July / August 2010

9 Newsworthy 6 HealthWatch 7-8 My Turn 24 Golden Years 28 Financial Health 29 Aging 31 Long Term Care 33 Last Page 34 SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE TO 55PLUS

Only $15. Check to 55PLUS P.O. Box 585 Victor, NY 14564

12 9 STAYING YOUNG

• The Ladies of Pittsford— Keeping up with the grandchildren.

12 RETIREMENT • For (retired) men only.

Group celebrates 50 years of camaraderie, friendship

14 DIVORCE • Al & Tipper: Break-ups later in life more common than people think

15 HOME SAFETY • Aging in place: Getting your home ready

CONTENTS

SUBSCRIBE roc55.com Visit our New Web Site

25 17 COVER • Fred Costello celebrating 33rd season with the Red Wings

31 AGE DISCRIMINATION • More Rochester seniors in the job market means more cases of age discrimination

25 PROFILE • Entertainer brings joy to audiences as he plays Elvis

30 GARDENING • Growing your own food—the safe way July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+

newsworthy

Keep golf injuries from sending you to the clubhouse

S

winging the club on the open green, hitting the perfect shot and playing in the warm sun are just a few things golfers love about hitting the links. Golfing can be a treat for both the mind and body. However, an injury to the bones, muscles or joints can cast a big shadow over the day.

That is why the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends following the proper techniques to prevent golfrelated injuries.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 103,000 golf-related injuries treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms in 2007.

Many people consider golf a lowlevel physical activity without the possibility of injury ever happening to them. But, there is a potential risk of suffering serious injuries to the elbow, spine, knee, hip, or wrist.

One of the best ways to stretch your muscles and avoid injury might be considered old-fashioned. Before your round of golf, engage in some simple stretching exercises, and then get a bucket of balls and hit a few golf balls on the driving range. It not only will help your game, but will make you healthier in the long run.

Here are some common golf injuries and some preventive measures to protect yourself against injury.

Golfer’s Elbow — Leading the list of injuries is golfer’s elbow, and one of the best ways to avoid elbow problems is to strengthen the forearm muscles and slow the swing so that there will be less shock in the arm when the ball is hit by the golfer.

To avoid golfer ’s elbow, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests these simple exercises to help build up your forearm muscles.

Squeeze a tennis ball. Squeezing a tennis ball for five minutes at a time

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55 PLUS - July / August 2010

is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles.

Wrist curls. Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, and then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm.

Reverse wrist curls. Use a lightweight dumbbell. Place your hands in front of you, palm side down.

Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising above your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm.

Low Back Pain — Another common complaint among golfers, low back pain, can be caused by a poor swing. The rotational stresses of the golf swing can place considerable pressure on the spine and muscles.

Also, poor flexibility and muscle strength can cause minor strains in the back that can easily become severe injuries.

Here are some simple exercises to help strengthen lower back muscles and prevent injuries.

Rowing. Firmly tie the ends of rubber tubing. Place it around an object that is shoulder height (like a door hinge). Standing with your arms straight out in front of you, grasp the tubing and slowly pull it toward your chest. Release slowly. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

Pull Downs. With the rubber tubing still around the door hinge, kneel and hold the tubing over your head. Pull down slowly toward your chest, bending your elbows as you lower your arms. Raise the tubing slowly over your head. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at least three times a week.

55PLUS Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Writer

Mike Costanza

Contributing Writers

Deborah J. Sergeant Deborah Tewksbury, Beth Emley Aaron Gifford, Gina Roberts-Grey

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Susan Suben Bruce Frassinelli, Marilyn Pinsky Harold Miller, Edward Cain

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

Mailing Address PO Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Subscription: $15 a year © 2010 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Upstate New York.

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher.

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

HEALTH WATCH

Premium Quality & Workmandship Sets Us Apart

Study: Dance Therapy Improves Gait, Balance

F

or the 55-plus crowd, dancing isn’t just for fun; it also can be therapeutic. Two recent studies conducted by University of Missouri researchers found that participation in dance-based therapy can improve balance and gait in older adults. Improved functionality among seniors can decrease their risk of falling and reduce costly injuries.

“Creative interventions such as dance-based therapy have the potential to significantly reduce falls in older persons,” said Jean Krampe, a registered nurse and doctoral student in the Sinclair School of Nursing.

“In the studies, we found improved levels of balance, gait and overall functionality among seniors who

participated in regular dance-therapy sessions. ” The researchers used a dancetherapy program called The Lebed Method (TLM), which includes a combination of low-impact dance steps choreographed to music. Sessions were led by certified TLM instructors and adjusted to fit the specific needs of the seniors who participated.

“We found that many seniors are eager to participate and continue to come back after attending sessions because they really enjoy it,” Krampe said. “Among seniors that stand up and move during sessions, we found that dance therapy can increase their walking speed and balance, which are two major risk factors for falling.”

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Feeling Lonely Increases Blood Pressure for People 50 and Older

C

hronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.

A new study shows, for the first time, a direct relation between loneliness and larger increases in blood pressure four years later—a link that is independent of age and other factors that could cause blood pressure to rise, including body-mass index, smoking, alcohol use and demographic differences such as race and income.

“Loneliness behaved as though it is a unique health-risk factor in its own right,” wrote researcher Louise Hawkley in an article, “Loneliness Predicts Increased Blood Pressure,” published in the current issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.

Even people with modest levels of loneliness were impacted. Among all the people in the sample, the loneliest people saw their blood pressure go up by 14.4 mm more than the blood pressure of their most socially contented counterparts over the fouryear study period.

Lonely people’s apprehension about social connections may underlie the blood pressure increase.

“Loneliness is characterized by a motivational impulse to connect with others but also a fear of negative evaluation, rejection and disappointment,” Hawkley said. “We hypothesize that threats to one’s sense of safety and security with others are toxic components of loneliness, and that hypervigilance for social threat may contribute to alterations in physiological functioning, including elevated blood pressure.”

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55 PLUS - July / August 2010

HEALTH WATCH

Avoiding ‘Boomeritis’

The Achilles’ heel of a fit generation

O

rthopedic surgeons are seeing a wave of exerciserelated injuries among baby boomers — a phenomenon dubbed “boomeritis.”

Baby boomers, now in their 50s and 60s, are fitter and more athletic longer into their lives, compared with their parents’ generation, according to a recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource, which covers what’s behind boomeritis.

Boomers are running marathons, hitting the slopes, playing hockey, cycling the country, and more. While staying active promotes health, at age 55 and older the body is less forgiving.

Injuries can occur when people push beyond the body’s capability. Typical problems include tendinitis, bursitis, stress fractures and tendon tears (such as rotator cuff injuries).

The newsletter offers these tips to help avoid boomeritis: • Doctor approval: A doctor can offer advice when a person is considering a new sport or activity. In general, it’s wise to start slowly and increase gradually.

• Warm-ups: A warm-up prepares a body for activity by getting the blood flowing, raising muscle temperature and increasing the heart rate. Moderate activities, such as walking on a treadmill or cycling in a low gear, are good warm-ups. Cold muscles are more prone to injury.

• Stretching: Past age 40, joints, tissues and muscles may not be as flexible as they once were. Stretching after exercise, when muscles are warm, can help prevent injury and may improve performance.

• Cross-training: Alternating

different types of activities works various muscle groups, which helps muscles adapt to new activities. A balanced fitness program should include cardio work, strength training and flexibility exercises, such as yoga, and exercises such as Pilates that target the core muscles.

• Consistency: Compressing hours of heavy activity into the weekend sets the stage for injury.

A better approach is aiming for 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.

• Listening to the body: Boomers may not be able to tolerate the same sports or participate as long or as intensely as they could when they were younger. Significant stiffness or strain indicates too much intensity.

• Avoiding overdoing: A rest period or a rest day after an intense workout can help avoid injury. A good rule is to increase activity by no more than 10 percent each week, for example, adding one mile a week to reach a 10-mile-per-week walking regimen.

Correction In a series of stories about local centenarians in the last issue of 55PLUS, we misidentified the location in which centenarian Nana White lives. White resides at Legacy at Clover Blossom in Rochester.

staying young The Ladies of Pittsford 55+

Working the cell phones at Pittsford Senior Center, from left, Shirley Lawrence, Brighton (bead necklace); Martha Crumb, Pittsford (pink shirt); Jeanne Spiegel, Pittsford (blue); Joyce Moak, Pittsford (sitting); Mary Rootes, Pittsford (white sweater); Josie Markus, Pittsford (print shirt).

Keeping Up With the Grandchildren — R U Connected?

By Deborah Tewksbury

T

he ladies at the Pittsford YMCA know how to stay connected. After their Silver Sneakers fitness classes each week, they have coffee and check their cell phones. “I love my cell phone,” says Delores Munt of Pittsford. “I talk to my grandchildren all the time.”

Cell phones, computers, e-mail, texting, and more, technology usage is a global phenomenon, and how we connect with others is changing drastically. Plug in to the electronic world and you will find innumerable ways to interact with anyone, anywhere, anytime, as long as you know how to use the device and speak the language.

Over four billion people

worldwide use cell phones, but they aren’t just for talking. You can also use the keypad to send a written message called a text, which rings to the recipient and they read it right on their phone screen.

“My grandchildren don’t like to talk on the phone, they text. I never heard from my kids, they would call every few weeks, but if I text them I hear back in 30 seconds,” says Judy Thrasher, Pittsford. “I got a full keyboard texting phone before my grown daughter did.”

Texting is just one of the ways that the older generation is connecting with the younger. Another popular mode of connection is Facebook, an Internet social networking website. Users have

a personal “page,” where they can add friends, send or post messages, create and update personal profiles to notify others about themselves and what is going on with their lives. Users can include photos, mini-movies, and links to other people, places or things that they want to share.

“All I have to do is log in to my Facebook page and my kids and grandkids are there. I know exactly what they are doing, I see their photos, and even though I live far away, I can keep up with their day-to-day lives,” says Jeanne Spiegel of Pittsford.

Tw i t t e r i s a n o t h e r s o c i a l networking site that allows users to “tweet,” or type short messages that they send to their “followers,” July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+

staying young

those who sign up to read “My grandchildren don’t like to the posts. An estimated six million people are talk on the phone, they text. I registered Twitter users, up 1,500 percent in one year. never heard from my kids, they Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says, “Sharing would call every few weeks, but if information that otherwise I text them I hear back in might not make the news, and inventing new and 30 seconds.” interesting ways to use Twitter, you’ve shown us Judy Thrasher, Pittsford that Twitter is more than a triumph of technology.”

Some families set up their own moment, almost as if you are there websites to stay in touch with family in person. “We play cards with our members. Wedding pictures, vacation grandchildren once a week,” says images, new baby photos, can all be Camacho.

But there are pros and cons to posted online for grandparents to these newer forms of connectivity. see.

Julie Camacho of Fairport is Technology is ever changing and thrilled with her family’s website. you have to learn how to use it. From “I could read about my grandson’s cell phones with full keyboards and science fair project and I could even built in cameras, to computers with see pictures, something I could not do options that do everything but cook your dinner, there are features, styles, a few years ago.”

Live action webcam is now a shapes and colors for everyone. “The common way to interact with others hardest part is figuring out how it near and dear to you. These are works,” says Katie Ladd of Pittsford. real-time cameras built into most “I e-mail my grandchildren, but computers that allow you to see and would like to do more. I have gone to hear what is going on at that very classes. I have a webcam but gave up

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55 PLUS - July / August 2010

Pittsford residents Jeanne Corcoran (left) and Nancy Cole at the YMCA in Pittsford.

on trying to figure it out, it was too much trouble,” says Ladd.

Shirley Lawrence of Brighton had to take a technology course at the library, so she could learn how to use her computer and cell phone. “They were very informative,” Lawrence said. “And they provide technical support whenever I need it. But it’s complicated. I don’t text, so I just carry my phone around in case I have an emergency.”

You also have to learn the lingo.

Commonly used by the millions of people who “tech-talk” regularly, there is shorthand code that uses acronyms and single letters to spell words and form sentences. There are even books and websites dedicated to teaching this cryptic-looking language. Caution is recommended when sending any message through the airways, what you say is out there for the world to see.

The younger generation understands growing up with full visibility. Look around and you will find nearly every young person using some electronic device. Whether talking on their cell phone, texting, using an iPod to listen to music or utilizing wireless connections to use the Internet, Twitter, and Facebook, the youth know how to connect.

Mary Rootes of Pittsford is amazed at how much kids know. “I have seen youngsters at age 8 use these things.

They learn very quickly and they do it so fast. They are so adept and they have state-of-the-art phones,” she says.

Judy Thrasher remembers when she heard a beeping sound in the middle of the night. She got up to see what it was and it was her grandson receiving a text.

“He keeps the phone charged and right beside his bed,” she said.

“They are so busy, their time is more occupied with electronic things. It is interesting to see and hear what they are doing, but it is almost too much,” Thrasher says.

Whether you have latched on, or are like many who are still trying to stay on top of the everchanging techno-world, electronic social connection continues to be the forefront of communication. For some, like Nancy Cole of Pittsford, it’s almost addictive. “I couldn’t live without my computer. I get my email, play games, it’s very hard to live without it.”

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July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+

retirement

For (Retired) Men Only Members of the Retired Men’s Club of Greater Rochester meet one morning each week for nine months out of the year at at the Carlson MetroCenter YMCA. They have presentations, talks and other programs.

As it celebrates 50 years of camaraderie and friendship, group of retired men seeks more members

By Mike Costanza

I

n this throwaway age, the Retired Men’s Club of Greater Rochester is one of the few things that have lasted. For the past half-century, its members have regularly gathered to catch up, share a few stories, and do a little learning. Though most in the club are over 65, the camaraderie has never grown old.

“It’s just a good fellowship,” says 71-year-old Ken Scott, who joined the club in 1996. “We have a good time.”

The retired Kodak worker was one of about 30 club members who gathered at the Carlson MetroCenter YMCA in Rochester on a recent Wednesday morning.

The Retired Men’s Club has been around since 1960, when a group of local retirees began meeting regularly to socialize.

“It’s just a group to get people

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55 PLUS - July / August 2010

together and have somebody to gab with,” says Gerald Muhl, a retired Greece teacher who joined the club five years ago. The stories of the older club members help keep him coming back to meetings.

“I’m probably the youngest member there,” the 65-year-old says.

“I taught history, and here’s a bunch of folks that were in World War II and the Korean War.” Though the club doesn’t have a record of its first meeting, it plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary in September or October.

The club meets one morning each week for nine months out of the year—there are no meetings during June, July and August, when travel and other personal business beckons its members. Those at Wednesday’s meeting spent about 20 minutes

socializing, and then began the formal proceedings with the Pledge of Allegiance and a spirited rendition of God Bless America. From there, they went through announcements, discussions of important club issues and upcoming events, and news about members—10 of the club’s 44 active members were suffering from health issues of some kind. Then, Scott led the group in a few songs—oldtime hits drawn from the club’s own songbook—and told several jokes.

“You want to know how to prevent sagging?” he says. “Eat ‘till the wrinkles fill up,” came the punch line, to scattered laughter.

Art Mance, the Retired Men’s Club’s president, sang along with his fellow members and laughed at the jokes, though he might have had a little trouble following them. Mance

Art Mance

Gerard Muhl

joined the club just over two years ago.

“When they asked me to be president, I said, ‘I don’t see too good, and my hearing is bad,’” the 89-yearold says. “They said, ‘Will you take it?’” He chuckled at the response.

The Irondequoit resident retired after 50 years in the real estate business, but stayed physically active, exercising each week with his wife at a local gym until over a year ago, when his wife suffered a slight stroke.

These days, he walks their dog daily for exercise.

How’s Mance’s health? “It’s pretty good,” he says, with a smile on his face and the fingers of both hands crossed.

Each Retired Men’s Club meeting includes a talk or presentation by an outside speaker—the club’s slogan

John Griffin

Want to Join?

What: Retired Men’s Club of Greater Rochester.

Where: Carlson MetroCenter YMCA, 444 East Main Street, Rochester.

When: Wednesdays, 9:30-11:15 a.m.

Retirees of all ages welcome. For information on dues, or on joining the club, call (585) 336-9459. is, “Good Fellowship and Good Programs.” A slide presentation and talk on the lemurs of Madagascar took up the second half of Wednesday’s meeting. Muhl says that in April, the club hosted the director of the local office of the US Secret Service, and that Rochester mayor Robert

Ken Scott Duffy and Monroe County executive Maggie Brooks have also addressed the group.

“I’m sure when November comes, we’ll have every politician from the area,” Muhl says.

The Retired Men’s Club doesn’t spend all its time at the downtown Y. Once a month, they head out to have lunch together after holding their regular meeting.

“The lunch group is called the “ROMEOS,” Muhl says. “Retired Old Men Eating Out.” Membership in the club has been declining, and it’s looking for new blood, though the “old blood” still has its good points.

“I enjoy talking and trading stories with my peers,” says 91-yearold John Griffin, who retired form the US Department of Defense in 1971.

July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+ divorce Al and Tipper Gore Divorce.

Can this Happen to You? Incidence of “later-life” divorce higher than people think

By Edward Cain

W

hen Al and Tipper Gore announced to the world recently that they were separating after 40 years of marriage, many people were shocked. But such divorces, while once very rare, are becoming more commonplace. Blame this on the trend-setting baby boomers who have always been more likely to go against social mores. Divorce today after 30 or 40 years or longer is easier with less stigma. The U.S. Census Bureau does not tabulate divorce rates by age, but a 2008 American Community Survey asked people if they had divorced in the past year and one in four who said they had were married for more than 20 years.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about marriage and divorce, especially “later-life” divorce.

We tend to believe that once people get to a certain point in a marriage that they simply stop splitting up, but that’s just not true. Marriages are most likely to fail in the first 10 years, but once beyond that point the percentage of those divorcing every year is very similar throughout the years of the marriage.

Another myth is that most laterlife divorces are started by husbands who are leaving their wives for a younger “trophy wife.” This is simply not true. More than 66 percent of these divorces are initiated by the wife.

Still another surprising fact is that people over 50 who got divorced emerged from the ordeal of a laterlife divorce far happier than they expected at the outset. For all the pain of a later life divorce, left in its wake are generally normal, healthy and optimistic men and women.

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55 PLUS - July / August 2010

Contrary to what many believe, more than 66 percent of laterlife divorces are initiated by the wife People use words like “freedom,” “self-identity” and “fulfillment” to describe their feelings. As for regrets, 76 percent of those who initiated the divorce were confident they’d done the right thing.

There is also life after divorce.

While going through a divorce, especially a difficult one, it’s easy to assume that love will never resurface.

But an AARP survey revealed that more than 75 percent of women who divorced in their 50s enjoyed a serious, exclusive relationship within two years after a divorce. And 81 percent of men in their 50s did the same. In fact, 26 percent of both men and women were dating before their divorce was finalized. The study showed there is lots of hope for people who get divorced later in life. And with 40 percent of the people in this country single past 45, there’s lots of opportunity as well.

It’s often assumed that the greatest fear people have about divorcing later in life has to do with financial security.

This is not true. The No. 1 fear is actually the fear of growing old alone.

Some people do stay together because

of financial issues and find creative ways to stay married but live more separate lives. But often the financial issues can be resolved. For one thing, child support is seldom a factor with these divorces. Also, when assets are split up, some people (often the wife) end up with far more than they ever dreamed they would have. Financial professionals, such as a certified divorce financial analyst can help someone determine what sort of life style they can afford after a divorce.

There are many reasons why people divorce at any age. The AARP study revealed that for women in their 50s or older, the most common reasons were emotional or physical abuse, infidelity, and drug or alcohol abuse, and they put almost all the blame on their ex-husbands. On the flip side, most 50-plus men said they simply “fell out of love.” And a large number of men, though not the majority, said it was their fault.

More and more in the future there will be many long-term marriages like the Gores that simply and amicably end because people just grew apart. Learning about the Gores was shocking, but as we hear about more 40-plus year marriages ending, the shock will wear off to the point where (unfortunately) it will become “no big deal.”

Edward Cain is a Certified Financial Planner® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. He can be reached at (585) 3554238 or by e-mail at ed@edwardcain.com or visit www.edwardcain. com.

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home safety

Aging in Place: Getting Your Home Ready Outfitting your home with aging-in-place features can help you prevent accidents and make your home suitable for years to come

By Gina Roberts-Grey

A

bout one in six Americans 65 and older will suffer a fall in the next three months, with about a third of those people sustaining injuries such as a broken hip, according to a new report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, “Slips and falls are usually completely avoidable,” says Ruth E. Thaler-Carter co-author of “The Who, What and Where of Elder Care: A handy, stepby-step guide to help navigate the maze of caregiving” published

by LifeBridge Health.

To prevent you or a loved one from taking a tumble or having an accident, Thaler-Carter Thaler-Carter suggests increasing the wattage of light bulbs around your home. “As we age, we need more light to see clearly in hallways, stairways, basements and garages,” says Thaler-Carter, who lives in Rochester.

Increase the wattage of light bulbs throughout your house for better visibility. To reduce the chance you’ll trip or fall on your way to the bathroom, install nightlights to illuminate the route you travel.

Once your way is well-lit, turn your attention to your feet. Or more specifically, what might trip up your feet. Make sure your walkways and stairs are clear of debris and all paths in between furniture are wide enough to fit a walker, in case it’s ever necessary. Thaler-Carter says,

“Ideally, you should remove all throw rugs, but if you’re attached to them, secure them to the floor with double faced tape.”

Stay off step ladders, another cause of falls, by arranging closets and cabinets putting items most frequently used within reach.

“Ridding your home of many potential dangers can usually be done in a weekend,” says ThalerCarter, “time well spent considering it can save you months of recovering from a nasty fall.”

Getting your “place” ready— Preventing a slip or fall isn’t the only way to get your home ready for the coming years. Aging-inplace remodeling projects preserve independence, increase accessibility and convenience.

Many modifications are minor and include things like placing a bench or chair near all entrances to set down purchases or slip your shoes on and off, or using phones with buttons — like the Ameriphone P300 Picture Phone, which uses photos to represent speed dial numbers of family, doctors, etc, and make it easier to call loved ones or for help The phone is available though www.amazon.com from about $30.

Some of the easiest and most affordable aging-in-place projects, says Andrew J. Borislow, independent living strategist, and certified aging-in-place specialist, are designed to help you keep your balance. “Non-slip strips on your tub or shower floor, non-skid mats on the bathroom floor and ADA

approved (www.adaappliances.com) grab bars inside and right outside the tub or shower and by the toilet add steadying support in slippery situations.”

Another element to aging-inplace designs alleviates pain and discomfort in your home. Swap round, interior doorknobs with lever style ones and add easy-to-grasp handles and pulls to all cabinet doors and drawers to make it easier for arthritic hands to maneuver.

“Adding sliding shelves and lazy susans in your cabinets make tracking down pot lids and cooking easier,” says Borislow.

Borislow says in addition to minor changes, many boomers are opting to outfit their homes with amenities usually found in extended care facilities to remain in their home no matter what health issues may arise.

“Seniors are making over their kitchens, building countertops that July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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are wheelchair accessible, lowering stair riser heights and making stair treads wider to fit walkers and canes,” he says.

One essential aspect of an agingin-place kitchen design is raising the dishwasher approximately 10 inches higher than it traditionally sits. “It’s tough to reach down and to the back of a dishwasher, especially for people in a wheelchair or walker,” says Borislow.

Some other elements to consider when outfitting your house with aging-in-place features are installing hand railings on both sides of the stairs to ensure safe travel in either direction, non slip tile flooring made with a slight grit texture in the bathroom for preventing falls due to wet feet and raising electrical outlets so you won’t need to bend over to plug or unplug things.

Borislow says one new aging-inplace device gaining popularity with boomers is a barrier free shower that doesn’t require stepping up into a shower. “It enables wheelchair or walker use, and when paired

Preventing a slip or fall isn’t the only way to get your home ready for the coming years. Aging-in-place remodeling projects preserve independence, increase accessibility and convenience. with a handheld showerhead it accommodates just about any bathing need.”

In-home help—Despite home safety and aging-in-place modifications, it may be time to consider hiring an aide when everyday activities like bathing or showering, dressing, getting in or out of bed or a chair, using the toilet, and eating get difficult. “Many are reluctant to discuss these issues, but

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find once they do, they’re grateful for the assistance an aide provides,” says Gail Gazelle, a medical doctor and clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Aides help with hygiene tasks like bathing or shaving, light or heavy housekeeping and meal preparation.

Home care aides also provide care for your pet. With locations from coast to coast, FETCH! Pet Care (www.fetchpetcare.com) offers a full range of services that meet every need and budget, including boarding and daycare in the sitter’s home, overnight sitting or daily visits in your home, private and group dog walks, pet taxiing, yard pet waste removal and miscellaneous home care.

Regardless of what you do to get your home ready for your golden years, experts agree it’s best to start early. “It’s easier to make changes at your leisure, than when you’re rushed to do so because of an immediate need,” says Borislow.

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cover

Behind the Music T

Fred Costello celebrating 33rd season with the Red Wings

By Mike Costanza

he next time you’re jumping to the organ music at a Red Wings game, think of a man fingering three keyboards with a smile on his face. Fred Costello is in his 33rd season of cheering on the Red Wings and their fans with his eclectic mix of jazz, rock and pop organ tunes.

“I enjoy going to the ballpark today as much as I did in 1977,” says Costello, who puts his age at “60ish.”

Though some may think of Costello’s music only when they hear the crack of a bat, the musician’s many fans were in for a rare treat when baseball season opened at Rochester’s Frontier Field April 17. “A Lifetime of Nightclubs and Ballparks,” an autobiographical book of about 170 pages, came out that month.

“It’s about me growing up in Syracuse, and wanting to be a musician and wanting to be a ballplayer,” Costello explains.

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You might say that baseball and music are in Costello’s genes.

George Zingaro, his uncle, played minor-league ball for a team called the House of David. All on the team were members of a Michigan religious commune of the same name that was known its strict religious practices and unusual grooming.

“They all had beards,” Costello said. Pictures show them with hair down to their shoulder blades, as well.

Costello played neighborhood games, often manning third base and center field. As he grew older, he found a way to make money while getting closer to the game he loved—as a groundskeeper for the Syracuse Chiefs, the local AAA ball club. As a teenager, he used to bring the ballplayers home.

“They’d play cards with my mom and dad,” he says.

Music also figures in his lineage— many on his father ’s side of the family were musicians. Costello still remembers spending summers at his grandfather’s farm in Kingston, where his relatives split their time between working the land and jamming.

“We picked tomatoes in the daytime and pitched hay, and then at night we played music,” he says.

“They were all into jazz.” His choice of an instrument seemed to come naturally from growing up on the

north side of Syracuse.

“Part of being Italian on the north side is you had to play the accordion,” he says.

Costello started playing gigs with other young musicians at the age of 14, appearing at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, Italian weddings, and any other event they could, generally playing traditional fare. The pay wasn’t great in those days, but that didn’t seem to matter.

“Five dollars, and all the pizza we could eat,” he said, laughing. “We felt like we were kings.” As time went

on, he added blues and jazz to his repertoire, took up the organ, and played in more types of settings— even local strip clubs.

“For a kid growing up, it was great, because it enabled me to just play music for the rest of my life,” he said. “No matter what situation that came up, as I got older, I could play it.”

Costello went on to spend a total of 11 years on the road, playing in Frank Sinatra’s CalNeva Lodge in Nevada, the Playboy Club in Hollywood, and a host of other US, Canadian and Mexican clubs.

Wherever he went, he carried a baseball glove and bat. Grabbing a band-mate, he’d head to the local ballpark to hit a few when time allowed. During the early 1960s, he also played first base and outfield for the semi-pro Syracuse Mohawks when he wasn’t on the road.

While on a gig in the Bahamas, he and his wife, Cathie, found that she was pregnant. They decided to have their first child in Rochester, where her family lived. “Fred Costello & Co.,” played at Val’s Lounge (now the Otter Lodge) on Rochester’s Monroe Avenue for six nights a week for the next three-and-a-half years.

“That’s unheard for by today’s standards,” Costello says. “We were

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Monday nights were set aside just for jazz, and the band played with such greats as trumpeter Chuck Mangione, trombonist Slide Hampton and keyboardist Doug Duke.

In 1968, Costello played for the Red Wings for the first time, when Red Wing Stadium was renamed Silver Stadium. The name was changed to honor Morrie Silver, the founder of Rochester Community Baseball.

When the band’s gig at Val’s ended, it played for another threeyear stretch at a local club. For the next several years, Costello played in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Philadelphia, did some recordings, and opened a music studio. In 1977, he learned Don Labruzzo, whom he’d come to know when Labruzzo was the Chiefs’ general manager, had been hired as the Red Wings’ coach.

Costello called the new coach to see whether the team wanted an organ player.

“He said, ‘That’s a great idea,’” Costello says. “One phone call just changed our lives.”

From the beginning, he set out to keep his music fresh for the ballpark’s crowds.

“A lot of the teams around the country have gotten rid of organists because so many of them sound very dated, or like roller skating rinks,” he says. Instead, he gives Wings fans the same kinds of rock, blues, jazz and contemporary music he plays in clubs. “As a result, I think I’ve stayed fresh.” When the team went to its new digs at Frontier Field in 1997, Costello went with them.

Costello isn’t the only one in his family to love baseball—or work for the Wings.

“The Wings is just like family,” he says. Cathie, whom he calls “My one and only,” has worked as a night game secretary for the ball club for 30 years, and the couple’s two sons and daughter all worked for it at one time or another. Terry, their youngest son, still runs the Wings’ visiting team clubhouse.

Nowadays, Costello can look back on a life filled with memories

of baseball and music. Signed pictures of legendary ballplayers and musicians line the walls of the office of his Brighton home, along with awards and accolades from local organizations. Here hangs a picture of him with singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, there Joe DiMaggio stands poised to hit one out of the park, and on another wall comedians Tom and

cover

Dick Smothers seem ready to clown around. Interwoven with the artifacts are his memories of the Wings, like that of the season in the early 1980s when future Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. played with the team and Costello’s son, Chris, was a batboy.

“I can remember sitting in my organ booth and looking down and watching Cal Ripken hit ground balls

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to him,” he says. Then, there was the old timers game he played in 1983 with baseball legend Johnny Antonelli and other Red Wings alumni. Eight thousand fans were in the stands, Costello was playing third, and Antonelli was on the mound getting ready for the first pitch.

“He looks over and says to me, ‘Are you ready, Fred?’” Costello says.

“I said, ‘I’ve been ready for 30 years!’”

The memory still brings a laugh.

Costello has also played the organ for the Rochester Amerks and the

Buffalo Sabres hockey teams in the off-season, but these days plays only for the Wings. For many local baseball fans, his music conjures up a warm afternoon, the smell of hot dogs, and the crack of a bat.

“The organ is a big part of that,” says Naomi Silver, chief operating officer and board chair of Rochester Community Baseball. “Everyone knows that’s not canned music. That’s Fred Costello.”

Costello also has seven recordings under his belt, runs his own music

studio, and operates a band instrument rental company with his youngest son, Terry. Though he doesn’t do as many gigs as he used to, his band, Fred Costello & Co., is a regular on the jazz circuit, and will appear at the upcoming Rochester International Jazz Festival. He’s turned down job offers from several professional teams, including the Yankees and the Mets, but was behind the keyboards for the Red Wings’ season opener.

“I played, ‘This could be the start of something big.’”

Five things you didn’t know about

Fred Costello Mobster love denied — Back in the mid-1960s, when Costello’s band was booked into Sinatra’s Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe for a month, he looked forward to meeting his hero, but love—and the Nevada Gaming Commission—intruded. Chicago mobster and Sinatra friend Salvatore “Sam” Giancana and his mistress, singer Phyllis McGuire, were staying at the casino as the crooner’s guests.

Gaming commission rules barred Giancana, a convicted felon, from being on the casino’s premises, but Sinatra fought back.

“He wanted to have who he wanted on the premises,” Costello said. The fight kept Sinatra too busy to come to the Cal-Neva while the organist played there. Eventually, the singer lost the battle—and the Cal-Neva.

“The commission was bigger than Sinatra,” he said, with a smile.

“He didn’t think so, but it was.”

What’s in a number? — To Costello, age is only a number—not a barrier.

“I hate age, because everybody puts you in a category,” he said.

“They associate you with what you should be doing at that age.” When asked how old he is, Costello has a ready answer.

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“I just say one of two things: ‘I’m ageless,’ or ‘I’ve reached the age of elegance.’”

If his lineage is an indicator, Costello still has many years of playing for the Red Wings, recording, and writing ahead of him. His mother, who celebrated her 99th birthday last year, still lives in the house his father built for them.

A gleam in his father’s eye — Costello’s love of baseball seems to carry all through his family. All three of his children and his wife, Cathie, have been or are involved with the Red Wings, and his eldest son, Chris, is the communications director for the Tampa Bay Rays. After the team took the American League pennant in 2008, Chris presented his father with his diamond-encrusted pennant ring.

“I have great rapport with my kids,” Costello says, proudly.

A different scene — Coming to the Rochester area in the early 1970s, Costello found a much more vibrant and varied live music scene than that of today. Before DJs, synthesizers and karaoke proliferated, music lovers could step out to The Tiffany Room, Pithod Club, Clarissa Room, Top of the Plaza, Ugly Mug, Blue Gardenia, Depot, Pittsford Tavern,

Roundtowner, Mr. Mikes and other local clubs for several days a week for live performances. Count Basie, George Benson, Buddy Rich, Buddy Greco, and other world-famous jazz greats performed here, and local musicians drew their fans for as many as six days a week for years.

Costello reminisced about that part of his life.

“It was a great time for us musicians, who could make a living just playing music every night and doing something we loved,” he said.

While the local music scene still has some of that vibrancy, some of those venues closed their doors long ago, and a six-day gig is unheard of.

Good memories — As entwined as Costello’s life is with the Red Wings, he met Morrie Silver, the founder of Rochester Community Baseball, only once. That was in 1968, when the club re-named the old Red Wings Stadium on Rochester’s Norton Street Silver Stadium in its founder’s honor. Costello was called to play at the celebration on the spur of the moment, and found himself playing his accordion on the field.

While there, he met Silver.

“He was as nice, and gracious, as everybody said he was,” Costello said of Silver, who died in 1974.

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trends

Age Discrimination on the Rise in Rochester Area As more adults return to workforce, officials say they see more cases of age discrimination

By Aaron Gifford

W

ith this major recession, age discrimination claims are rising across the country, throughout the state, and in the Rochester area.

Last year, there were 117 age discrimination complaints registered with the state Division of Human Rights from people in Rochester, Ontario and Orleans counties. That’s up from 103 the previous year and 102 in 2007, when the first signs of economic slowdown were reported.

For Monroe County alone, the number of age discrimination claims filed with that state agency increased from 93 in 2008 to 105 last year. Twenty-two claims were filed in the first four months of this year.

Statewide, the number of claims with the Division for Human Rights increased from 1,296 in 2007 to 1,423 last year.

The state Division of Human Rights handles complaints through a multi-faceted process that can involve negotiations between the two sides or a final hearing and a decision through an administrative law judge. Not every age discrimination claim in the state is brought to that agency; some matters are handled entirely in the civil court system.

A federal agency, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, deals with claims in a similar fashion. And those who allege age discrimination can still pursue their case in court if they are unsuccessful with either agency. Cases cannot be brought to a federal court unless the litigant

first submitted a claim to the EOEC or a similar state agency, but there is no such restriction for filing an age discrimination suit in state court.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects individuals 40 and over from being laid-off, fired, demoted, or not promoted or hired solely on the basis of their age. That federal law does not apply to those younger than 40.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, age discrimination allegations reached a record-high last year as 22,778 claims were filed

with state or federal agencies. That’s up from 18,103 two years prior (2007) and 14,141 a decade prior (1999). Those totals don’t include cases filed in state courts with no involvement with a state Division for Human Rights agency.

Steven Modica, a Rochesterbased attorney who specializes in employment law and formerly chaired the Monroe County Bar Association’s labor and employment discrimination committee, said despite the recession, an increase of age discrimination cases should be expected as people are living longer and working longer.

Last year, there were 117 age discrimination complaints registered with the state Division of Human Rights from people in Rochester, Ontario and Orleans counties. That’s up from 103 the previous year and 102 in 2007.

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trends

“Consequently,” he said, “there are a lot more people in the work force 55 and older than there was 10 years ago.”

This trend could continue past the recession. The existing work force is aging as employees are retiring later due to decreasing investment funds during the past several years. To cut costs, companies often target older workers who have larger salaries and compensation packages due to raises and benefits like sick time and vacation pay accrued during a career.

“If it’s for economic reasons it’s not illegal,” Modica said. “It’s not illegal to want to take out the fewest number of people. Companies may get rid of those who have built up seniority and years of pay raises.”

Nationally, 62.3 percent of age discrimination cases filed last year were closed on grounds of no reasonable cause. About 9.4 percent of the 22,778 complaints filed that year with state or federal agencies were settled, according to the EEOC. Stefan Berg, a Syracuse lawyer who represents age discrimination plaintiffs all over the state, cautioned that some of those figures may be misleading. He estimates that 95 percent of age discrimination claims are settled “before an official decision (judge) maker gets involved.”

The EEOC also reported that $72.1 million in awards was paid out to age discrimination complaints last year who filed cases with state or federal agencies like the EEOC or New York State Division for Human Rights. That figure doesn’t include litigation awards determined by courts.

Berg said he was involved in a recent case where 4,000 employees at a large upstate New York employer proved instances of age discrimination, though he said terms of the litigation restrict him from naming the company or other details about the case. He believes age discrimination is widely underreported, though many employers and personnel managers may not be 22

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“A lot of companies are still getting away with age discrimination, but I think we’re getting better — the impressions about older workers are improving.“ Attorney Stefan Berg aware that they’re breaking a federal law.

Code words for age discrimination, he said, include employees who are deemed “not up to date, not current, or not computer literate.” Berg adds, “A lot of my clients hear things like that often.”

Age discrimination is a common problem in the application process.

In these tough financial times, Berg said, “a lot of people who apply for jobs have great resumes and they’re being rejected without knowing why.”

But it’s very difficult to prove that age was the sole reason that you were not selected in a competitive pool of applicants, Berg said.

“There are so many applications for every position now,” he said.

“In order to make your case, you would need the resumes of everyone else who applied. That could be 75 resumes. The litigation would be quite costly.”

A 2007 decision involving a Cornell University employment dispute provides a good example of the difficulty in proving age discrimination. In that case, a 63year employee who had a PhD from Cornell applied to serve as curator of the South Asia Collection after having served as a serial assistant in that department for over 20 years.

The position became available in 2002 when a senior curator ended a

long career there after a dispute with other department heads.

The claimant, Omar Afzal, was not recommended for an interview but was later granted one after he complained about it.

Ultimately, the person hired was 28 years younger than him.

That candidate, Adna Malik, who came from the University of Chicago, hadn’t yet completed his master’s degree at the time of hire.

And one of the hiring committee members admitted that when the job was posted he told others that he “was looking for half the (retired) incumbent’s age with twice the incumbent’s energy,” according to case documents.

Hiring committee members testified that Afzal was hired because of the excellent work he did as the curator of the University of Chicago’s Asian Studies department. They testified that he is “a team player, easy to work with and willing to take on new assignments.” They said Afzal was “ornery, prickly and combative.”

After Malik was hired, Afzal was given a pay increase and an “equity payment.” Cornell officials also offered to create a new position for him within the department, but he declined the offer and later resigned, according to case documents.

The case was dismissed two years after Afzal’s resignation.

Decision papers noted that even though Afzal’s resume included his date of birth, 11 of the 13 applicants for the job did not note their ages.

Committee members also testified that age was not discussed when they weeded out applicants.

“The complainant did not establish that his age or Malik’s age was a factor in the decision to recommend Malik,” wrote Administrative Law Judge Christine Marbach Kellett.

Moreover, a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court Decision (Gross vs. FBL Financial Services) makes it more difficult for a plaintiff to win an age discrimination case. In the past, courts required the worker

to prove that age was one factor in their dismissal or demotion. But the Supreme Court’s 5-4 vote reversed the long-standing rule, and requires the worker to prove that their age was the main reason for their dismissal or demotion.

And yet, even as ago discrimination cases became harder to prove with that federal decision, the number of cases is still rising.

“Most people are aware of the laws that prohibit age discrimination,” said Modica, the Rochester-based employment law attorney. “People who do discriminate are going to be subtle about it. There’s not going to be any smoking gun. They may not even keep any employee (performance) reviews. So yes, it can be very tough to prove.”

He said successful age discrimination lawsuits usually include comparative information with younger workers who fared better with the company or institution, “but that information isn’t always available to the person who is suing.”

Attorneys say it’s tough to avoid including clues to your age on a resume or application. It may be OK to leave out the year you graduated from college, but at the same time an application may ask for specific dates at a previous job and the applicant would otherwise be encouraged to note having several years of experience in their field.

“But when you walk in you

can’t hide that you’re not 25 years old,” said Berg, the Syracuse attorney. “I think employers should realize that there are a lot of plusses to hiring older workers. They are more reliable and they’re experience can’t be duplicated. And they probably have fewer excuses for not showing up.”

“A lot of companies are still getting away with age discrimination, but I think we’re getting better — the impressions about older workers are improving.

Still, we’re living in a society that is youth driven. There is still a premium on looking younger and being younger.”

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my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli

‘I’m not Going to Take it Any More’ Customer service has deteriorated to unprecedented low levels

C

ustomer service seems to have become an oxymoron.

Too often when I come back from a shopping encounter, I feel as if I have just been in a skirmish. I am agitated and riled. I want to rush to the window, throw it open and shout to my neighbors, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it any more.”

It seems as if every other day, I encounter uncaring customerservice representatives who, I swear, seem oblivious to solving my problems or, for that matter, even acknowledging my presence.

I’m a polite shopper: I say please, thank you, and I’m respectful.

I went into a convenience store the other day to buy a newspaper.

When I went to the counter with my dollar bill, the woman muttered without looking up or greeting me, “Be right with ya.” Nearly a minute went by while she continued to do some chore she apparently had started before I arrived at the counter.

I put down the paper on the counter and walked out. I didn’t make a scene; I voted with my feet.

No sale. Her competitor down the street was going to get this sale.

I don’t believe these providers are intentionally trying to tick me off or disrespect me. Instead, they are the thoughtless actions that come from a lack of training or not understanding that the customer comes first. Without the customer, you don’t have a job. So whatever that task was that superseded taking care of the customer, it becomes irrelevant if you don’t have a job.

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The next day, I was checking out at Price Chopper in Oswego where I had stopped by to pick up a few things for breakfast. The cashier was engaged in a spirited conversation with a bagger about a previous night’s date.

The cashier scanned my 10 items without so much as a “hello,” “how are you” or any other niceties. In truth, she didn’t even acknowledge that I, a valued customer, was standing there in front of her. In the middle of a sentence about where she and her date had gone, she sandwiched in a number which I was quick enough to pick up as the total of my bill. Along with an enthusiastic remark about how she had been asked out again by this dream date she was discussing, she managed a “sign this” as she pushed a credit-card receipt and pen my way.

There was no “thank you,” no “have a nice day.” Nothing. I walked away shaking my head. I wasn’t feeling very special.

When you call by phone to make a complaint, your first challenge is to make it through the sequence of prompts. When our daily newspaper stopped coming one day without notice, my wife, Marie, called the newspaper office to find out what happened. A customer service representative told us we hadn’t paid an $11.97 bill.

But we had. Marie gave the rep the information on the payment, and it appeared everything was OK. But we never got a paper. A few days later, Marie called back and asked to speak to someone in the circulation department. She found

out she was talking to a customer service representative in the Philippines, who refused to connect her with the circulation department at the newspaper. It wasn’t policy to do that.

It took three layers of bureaucracy to crack, but, finally, she was able to find someone who could undo whatever had been inputted incorrectly into the computer. By the time she was done, Marie was shaking with anger.

One of the main problems of poor customer service is that the reps are not empowered to solve issues. When reps are given authority to do whatever it takes to make the customer happy, customersatisfaction rises exponentially.

Surveys show that more than 70 percent of complaining customers will return to a store or business if the problem is resolved in their favor. That number grows to 95 percent if the issue is resolved on the spot.

What infuriates me and other customers is when customer service reps pass the buck by pointing fingers at a computer, a new employee or some internal issue.

How many times have you written a letter and never even gotten the courtesy of a reply? Many customers just throw up their hands in disgust and resignation. Rather than duke it out, customers figure it’s easier to take their business elsewhere.

While service providers should have a keen eye when a customer is exasperated, most have the sensitivity of a block of ice, or, many just don’t care.

Alf Nucifora, a customer-service consultant, tells owners and general managers of businesses that they have become a nation of pussyfooters. “We’ve encouraged staff to behave like wimps,” Nucifora says. “It’s time to empower our employees to take a stand, to let them know that they can never do wrong by doing right for the customer.”

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profile

Life as Elvis

Entertainer is a hit among residents at senior communities

By Beth Emley

T

hough he’s taller and leaner than the real Elvis Presley, Elvis tribute artist Harv Evans, 63, has got the moves and the sound of The King down pat.

He’s also got a sense of humor.

On a recent visit to the Pinehurst Senior Living Community in Honeoye Falls, he and his wife Mary, 56, who plays Priscilla Presley (and also Marilyn Monroe), got the crowd laughing.

“We all gotta have a good time baby and I’m back,” declared Evans, who was clad in Elvis’ signature white suit and a cape.

Then, gesturing toward Priscilla’s sparkly black dress, he said many people had asked him why he was back. “I had to come out of retirement.

I have a high-maintenance lady.”

Evans, who sings and plays guitar accompanied by stand-up bass player Neil Dreger, includes a wide variety of Elvis tunes in his repertoire. That afternoon, he sung everything from “It’s Now or Never” to “Love Me Tender” to “Blue Suede Shoes” to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” Evans said the concerts have become a hit with the senior citizen community and that afternoon was no exception.

Betty Swick had seen Evans perform before and decided to come back. “I’m an Elvis fan and my sister named her little boy after Elvis,” she said.

Victor Lozada said he’d seen

Evans’ Elvis two years ago and had followed him ever since. “We’ve become good friends and I go to all his shows,” Lozada said. “He’s really good.”

Evans lives in Webster and is retired from retail sales at Sears.

He now works part-time at Home Depot when he’s not doing his Elvis routine.

Evans is no stranger to Elvis or his music. He’s been performing since he was 9 years old.

The lanky musician said he had a “rough upbringing” and learned music on his own. He recalls watching Elvis on television and says that in those days, “there was not a guy around not trying to comb his hair like Elvis.”

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55+

profile

where he can find Vegas-style outfits to present the Elvis image.

Evans said he has traveled to Graceland and even recorded in Sun Studios. “It’s nice to get the vibes of being there,” he said.

He said one of the best compliments he’s received is that he’s “convincing” as Elvis.

“I try to present it that way and my whole thing is to keep what I do fresh and try to bring some new material to Elvis to different venues. Every show can run differently,” he said.

Evans said he’s pleased by the reception he’s received in the community and for the groups who have invited him back year after year. He recalls having fun at cruise nights in Fairport and as performing as Elvis for one couple’s wedding.

He said that’s how he measures his success — by the enjoyment and the reception Elvis in the background (Harv Evans) with Marylin Monroe, played by Evans’ wife, he receives from all the special Mary. Photo taken recently at the Pinehurst Senior Living Community in Honeoye performances.

Falls.

One of the groups he’s He recalled standing in line for a re a , r a i s e s m o n e y f o r s e n i o r performed for was Camp Good Days and Special Times and he says “they three hours to see the movie “Jailhouse communities and veterans.

Rock” and says he performed “Blue The Elvis routine had been part were really overwhelmed by it.”

“There are a few really important Suede Shoes” at age 9. of the 2 Steps Back shows. However, Evans said he attended various Evans decided to take it out on its own shows that have given me personal music classes in to the senior citizens rewards,” he said. “I don’t think his youth and then communities and you see too many 63-year-old Elvis Want to See Elvis? learned to play the VA hospitals. That Presleys. That kind of sums it up.”

Added Evans: “They tell me guitar. He started out Here are some upcoming was three years they enjoy what I do. From my own playing Beatles music Elvis shows that are open to ago. with a friend and “It’s something perspective I do it for the enjoyment the community: then later switched I r e a l l y n e v e r in bringing it back to the communities.

• Aug. 3, Fairport Cruise to Elvis. thought would be They are not fighting over the scarves,” Night, 6:30 p.m.

He played Elvis this popular and it he laughed.

Does he think he’s a good in various bands in • Aug. 6, Legacy Erie Station has been. It’s been entertainer?

Evans said he hopes so.

Senior Community, 7 p.m. the 1970s and 1980s a joy to do it,” he “It’s all in how you do it. I’m a and and later formed said.

• Aug. 19, Greece Senior an act called 2 Steps Evans said his tribute artist. If I can compliment what Community, 12:30 p.m.

Back, which focuses Elvis is an “earlier Elvis was and what he did” then I’m on a variety of music look” and he likes to doing something right For more information from classic artists such as Frank perform the music from Elvis’ earlier about the Elvis shows, e-mail Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond days to the Vegas shows. and Buddy Holly.

“I’m a little taller Elvis and I can’t invitealegend@yahoo.com. For Evans said 2 Steps Back, which fit into clothes off the rack,” Evans information about 2 Steps Back, e-mail plays regular shows in the Rochester said. He said he often turns to eBay musicbrother1@yahoo.com 26

55 PLUS - July / August 2010

Is Mom Still Driving at Age 80-plus? Is it Safe?

W

i t h m o re a n d m o re Americans driving well into their 70s, 80s and beyond, there are lots of programs, tools and resources that exist today to help older drivers and their concerned family members. Here are some good ones to check out along with a few tips.

Still Driving — To help keep your mom safe while she’s still driving, see to it that she gets her eyes checked every year to ensure her vision is up to par, and that she isn’t taking any medications that could impair her driving.

A few simple driving adjustments can also go a long way in keeping her safe, such as not driving after dark or during rush hour traffic, avoiding major highways or other busy roads, and not driving in poor weather conditions. It’s also good to know the older driver ’s license renewal laws—in New York, the driver ’s license needs to be renewed every eight years.

Self-Assess — To help you and your mom evaluate her driving abilities, a do-it-yourself assessment is a good way to start. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has some great resources on its website to help with this. Just go to seniordrivers.org and download “Roadwise Review,” a free screening tool that will test your mom’s physical and mental abilities that are important for safe driving. Then click on the “DriveSharp Calculator,” another short test, created

by Posit Science that will rate her crash risk. AAA also offers an online self-survey called the “Drivers 55-Plus Self Rating Quiz” that she can take at aaafoundation.org/quizzes , or call 800-305-7233 and have them mail you the brochure. Also see aaaseniors.com and safedrivingforalifetime.com, two new sites dedicated to helping older drivers.

Get Refreshed — Another option that can help tune-up your mom’s driving skills is a driver refresher course. AAA and AARP both offer inexpensive older driver courses that

may also earn her a discount on her auto insurance. To locate a nearby class contact your local AAA (aaa.com) or AARP (aarp.org/drive), 888-2277669). Most courses can be taken in the classroom or online.

Find a Pro — If you feel your mom could use some extra help, get a professional assessment done by a driver rehabilitation specialist — they can cost several hundred dollars up to $1,000. They will evaluate her driving skills along with how well she and her car fit together, and provide recommendations and solutions based on her needs. To locate a trained professional, contact the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (driver-ed.org, 866-672-9466) or the American Occupational Therapy Association (aota.org/olderdriver).

Another good resource to check out is CarFit, a free assessment program that will help your mom adjust her vehicle for a better fit, making it easier and safer to drive. See car-fit.org to find an event near you.

Keeping Watch — If you’re concerned about your mom’s driving, a good way to keep an eye on her without impeding her driving is through the howsmydriving.com Senior Driving Program. This program puts a big How’s My Driving ID sticker on her back windshield so other drivers on the road can report improper driving, which can be e-mailed to you. A similar service is available at backseatguardian.com.

Time to Quit — If you find that your mom’s driving is not safe anymore and she needs to give it up, the Hartford Financial Services Group and MIT AgeLab has a resource that can help called “Family Conversations with Older Drivers.” At http://thehartford. com/talkwitholderdrivers/ you can find worksheets for evaluating your mom’s driving, tips for talking to her about quitting driving and what to do if she refuses to stop.

Rich Vogelzang, CRS, SRES Associate Broker in NYS with 27 years of real estate experience Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Certified Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES)

Since you DESERVE specialized professional services designed for SENIORS … call Rich!

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golden years

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

After the Battle is Won “Playing golf and sitting on the beach is not usually a formula for happiness in the case of a person who has spent a life creating, motivating and directing.”

L

eon Danco, the famed industrialist said, “Company founders look upon retirement as something between euthanasia and castration.” Harold Geneen, the former head of International Telephone and Telegraph, said, “If you keep working you’ll last longer.

I’d hate to spend the rest of my life trying to outwit an 18-inch fish.”

On the other hand, Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “It is very grand to die in harness but it is very pleasant to have the tight straps unbuckled and the heavy collar lifted from the head and shoulders.”

A businessman who is used to traveling through life at 80 MPH cannot slam on the brakes and sit there with the engine idling — frustration is sure to follow. This syndrome is called, “the frustrated executive with nothing to exec.”

We see this happen often in our Florida community. Playing golf and sitting on the beach is not usually a formula for happiness in the case of a person who has spent a life creating, motivating and directing.

Something has to fill the void — at least to a partial degree. Yes, there are exceptions but the majority of us need a creative outlet for self esteem and happiness in retirement.

Reasonably good health is also an important part of the equation and it becomes even more important to maintain a healthy mind and body

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as the aging process puts a strain on our faculties.

First of all we recommend easing into retirement if your business circumstances allow for this flexibility. Instead of slamming on the brakes — shift to a lower gear. Cut your work schedule, either by taking off a day or two a week or by leaving early. During our final working years we escaped some of the brutal winters by spending three weeks in Florida and three weeks back here in the office. At this juncture it is usually advisable to turn over control, at least partially, to your designated successor.

This not only tests the mettle of whomever you have designated to carry on the business, but it offsets the feeling of a rudderless ship. The biggest problem for those who have options is determining when to let go completely. Avoid the ‘one-footin-the-stirrup and one-foot-on-theground’ situation indefinitely — it only produces frustration for all involved.

As you approach complete retirement, plan for your ‘retirement career.’ Many business leaders find pleasure and fulfillment in passing their considerable knowledge to others, either by teaching, writing, lecturing or consulting. However, don’t consult for your own company. Remember that a castrated tomcat makes a poor consultant.

One of our neighbors laid plans

to travel the world with his wife and friends via organized tours. They started doing this at 65 years of age and are still going strong 20 years later. They do as many as three trips a year and, so far, have visited most of the major countries and romantic spots on the globe. Of this my friend says, “One third of the pleasure is in the planning, one third in the doing and one third is in the memories.”

Many of us have artistic talent that has been subdued by the demands of making a living. It is said that everyone has at least one good book in them. Grandma Moses started painting at the age of 80.

Most of us have hidden talents and ‘stretching’ our minds as well as our bodies has great rewards as we settle into the later part of life.

Another important aspect of life for retired couples is for the man of the house to get out of the house on a regular basis. Absence makes the heart grow fonder but familiarity breeds contempt. One of the horror stories among our retired friends is about the guy who followed his wife around the kitchen as she put dishes in the cupboard. A housewife acclimates to retirement much better than her husband because her daily routine changes little but a man experiences a sea change in his life. Often this causes angst and sometimes divorce.

We have all known the tragedy of a friend or relative who went downhill soon after retirement — it is almost proverbial. This is usually the outcome of failing to plan a retirement career to augment a successful working career.

Harold Miller is a retired local businessman. He may be reached at hmillermod@aol.com.

financial health

By Jim Terwilliger

Does an IRA-to-Roth IRA Conversion Make Sense for You?

S

The right strategy for folks in their 50s or older?

tarting this year, individuals are eligible to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, regardless of income. Additionally, the IRS is offering taxpayers a one-time option for 2010 conversions: 1) pay taxes related to the conversion in the 2010 tax year, or 2) defer taxes to the 2011 and 2012 tax years, payable at 2011 and 2012 tax rates.

For a retiree, having money in a Roth is more valuable than having the same amount in a traditional IRA, given the tax-free nature of the Roth.

And the new federal rules now allow everyone to transfer money from a traditional IRA to a Roth.

But the downside is the income tax consequence associated with most conversions.

What is the right strategy for folks in their 50s or older? Like everything else, the answer is, “It depends!” Let’s explore some factors to consider: The Income Tax Hit — Income taxes associated with a conversion are a key factor for most people.

Federal taxes on the pre-tax portion of the conversion are paid at ordinary rates.

For New York state taxpayers age 59-1/2 or older, the first $20,000 of IRA and qualified employer plan distributions, including conversions, is exempt from state taxable income.

If a taxpayer is not in an IRA/401(k) distribution mode or is not receiving a private-employer pension, the first $20,000 of a conversion is tax-free for state tax purposes. Taxpayers in this situation should consider making conversions in increments, over time, to avoid New York state taxes on conversion amounts entirely.

A conversion should be strongly considered if you expect your overall tax rate (federal and state) to be

higher when you ultimately expect to take distributions from your IRA compared to today’s rate.

Other Tax Consequences — The income tax picture turns out to be more complex than just paying additional taxes at your marginal rate.

Some other, unintended consequences of a higher adjusted gross income in the year(s) of conversion include the possibility of: • Higher tax rate on Social Security benefits • Reduction in allowable itemized deductions and personal exemptions (beyond 2010) • Suddenly finding yourself in Alternative Minimum Tax territory or in a higher marginal tax bracket • H i g h e r M e d i c a re P a r t B premiums Converting prior to taking Social Security benefits might lower taxes on Social Security down the road.

Why? Such taxes depend on other income. If taxable income is ultimately lowered by taking post-conversion distributions from a Roth vs. from a traditional IRA, there may be a favorable ongoing tax impact on SS benefits.

A Situation Favoring Conversion — Some taxpayers have been making non-deductible (after-tax) contributions to IRAs over the years.

In this case, taxes are paid only on the growth and earnings (pre-tax) portion of the conversion, not on the original principal or basis. Given the recent 2008 market meltdown, it is possible that little to no tax might be owed on a conversion. For such a situation, now is the time to make a conversion, at no or a modest tax cost, before markets rise further.

Two Watch Outs! — Folks who have a mix of before (deductible) and

after (non-deductible) tax money in their IRAs must be mindful of the “cream in the coffee” rule when determining the taxable portion of any conversion. If you have multiple IRAs but choose to convert only one (or a portion of one) IRA, you must calculate the taxable portion of the conversion based on the aggregate allocation of before and after-tax money across all your IRAs. You cannot just consider the taxable portion of the IRA undergoing conversion.

Also, note that required minimum distributions are not eligible for conversion.

It’s Not Just About Taxes — There are a number of other factors to consider when making the conversion decision. Taxes are not the whole story.

Such factors include: • Estate planning impacts • Investment time horizon • Additional options – Although the focus of this discussion has been on the IRA-to-Roth conversion, one may also convert directly from an employer 401(k) or 403(b) plan. Most of the issues are similar, some are not.

Still confused? Deciding on a strategy depends entirely on your circumstances and goals. There is no correct cookie-cutter answer.

Don’t make the mistake of not taking appropriate action or taking action when it is not appropriate. Seek out and partner with a trusted financial professional to map out a path forward that is right for you. Don’t try this one alone.

James Terwilliger, CFP®, is vice president of the financial planning, wealth strategies group at Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at (585) 419-0670 ext. 50630 or by e-mail at jterwilliger@cnbank.com.

July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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55+

gardening

Growing Your Own Food How safely does your garden grow?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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N

oticed more activity at your local garden center?

During the current recession, vegetable gardening has gained in popularity.

The National Gardening Association’s survey, “The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America,” states that seven million more American households planned to raise their own produce in 2009 than in 2008, representing a 19 percent increase.

Local garden centers have experienced the trend.

“We’ve never sold so many vegetables and herb plants,” said Carol Erb, garden coach with Clover Nursery & Garden Center in Rochester.

“Last year was the first year we’ve sold all of our seeds. We’ve never had that happen.”

Growing your own food can certainly make eating more healthful, fresh produce affordable; however, it’s important to understand the basics of growing food safely.

Know your growing medium, fertilizers — Some store-bought soil is enriched with fertilizer not safe for growing vegetables. If you use your own, have your soil tested for lead, Erb recommends. The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County or the local health department can help. It can also help to have your soil tested so that you can use the least amount

of fertilizer or other soil treatments as possible.

If you go with natural fertilizer, “use composted manure, not fresh or dehydrated manure to avoid transmitting bacteria like e-coli,” said Hope Fox, a sales associate for VanPutte Gardens in Rochester.

Follow your seed packets’ instructions for planting, wear gloves for gardening and make sure you wash your hands after handling seeds. Most commercial seeds have been treated with chemicals.

Plant seeds or starter plants with the

recommended distance between them so they have adequate drainage.

Otherwise, you’re basically inviting rot and blight into your garden.

Erb also recommends to clients to try container gardening or raised beds to ensure good soil and adequate drainage.

“You’re putting in all new soil or compost,” she said, “so you know it’s safe.”

But don’t use pressure treated lumber or old railroad ties because the chemicals can leach into the plants.

Erb likes untreated scrap wood, cedar or oak.

Don’t start a garden in a location frequented by dogs or cats since their waste contaminates it. A fence can keep loose dogs and many other pests out. As for cats, commercial cat repellents may help, as can scattering pine cones around the perimeter.

Some people detract cats from their gardens by placing a covered litter box in a different location outside.

If you use chemical treatments on the plants, follow the exact mixing and application directions. Using too much or using products too close to harvest time can make produce unsafe to eat.

As you work in the garden, protect yourself from ticks with an insect repellent. Wear light colored pants tucked into your socks so you can check for ticks. Diseases such as Lyme disease are spread by deer ticks, which like to wait on plants for potential hosts: people or animals passing by.

Moisten peat moss as you use it “so you won’t be inhaling all that dust and fine particles,” Erb said.

A split in a tomato, a bruise on a cucumber or a crack in a pepper may not mean it should be discarded if the opening has not been caused by mold or insects. Sometimes friction will cause a split or a bump during harvest causes a bruise. Just cut and discard the affected area.

Fox reminds customers to wash produce before eating it or preserving it. Ideally, produce you don’t plan to eat fresh should be canned, frozen or dehydrated the same day it is harvested for optimal flavor, nutritional value and safety.

aging

By Marilyn L. Pinsky

My Struggle With Aging Gracefully

I

always believed in aging gracefully. That was until I actually started to age.

I thought aging gracefully meant I’d suddenly have Katherine Hepburn cheekbones, beautiful white hair and an elegant collection of loose flowing slacks.

Instead I have the same face I’ve had since I was about 13, only a few inches lower, I’m grateful to have any hair at all, and my elegant slack collection consists of jeans with elastic waists.

Therefore, I’m in the process of rethinking this stage of life.

Is it necessary to look, think, act and dress “older” in order to age gracefully?

Should I stop coloring my hair?

I know you’re shocked; you thought that Reba McEntire red was actually my own color.

How do we maintain a youthful internal image of ourselves and still not look like caricatures of our 30-and 40-year-old selves?

Is it necessary to still be chomping on soy bean sprouts when we’re 90 to try and maintain our figures?

Or does aging gracefully mean we just accept that our bodies are changing and stop trying to fight it?

As I sit here drinking my safflower oil, pineapple and soymilk shake instead of eating the can of anchovies I really wanted, I think that I’d be really annoyed if I got killed doing something not all that much fun, like getting hit by a drunk driver while driving to the grocery for flaxseed oil and celery, and I hadn’t yet had my fill of my favorite foods. For me, those would be blooming onions with dipping sauce that you get at the State Fair, unlimited Chinese barbecued spareribs, and buttercream icing on

chocolate cake after its been in the fridge awhile and gets like fudge.

Then, on the other hand, I know that a regular diet of fried anything and ribs and icing would probably provide a not so great demise anyway.

I sustained myself through years of watching my weight by telling myself that when I was diagnosed with something terminal, then I’d give up all my healthy foods and just eat what I liked. Unfortunately I’ve learned it doesn’t work that way, either because a really healthy diet may help you fight the disease or else you don’t have the ability to digest the junky foods anymore or the desire for those foods just isn’t there.

So for the last year I’ve been going with the theory that I better eat all that bad stuff now while I was healthy so I wouldn’t feel deprived when I wasn’t. And the pounds piled on. When I saw a picture of myself with friends and wasn’t sure it was me, I knew something had to change.

And it doesn’t help having a husband who people keep saying looks young for his age. I decided this week was the time to revise my “live for today” theory, therefore the soymilk shake.

So the question is, does growing old gracefully mean accepting that I’m not a size whatever any more or is it a vanity issue to want to be a size and shape that takes a lot of exercise and discipline and feels like being very self-indulgent spending all that time on myself? Or is it just common sense to do what you can do to stay healthy?

Between the picture and all the latest information about the dangers of visceral fat (check that one out), I know something has to change in my “live for today” eating theory.

Then there’s the hair color issue and the other body parts (hair is not July / August 2010 - 55 PLUS

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an actual body part, but it might as well be.) I’ve seen women my age who look beautiful with gray hair — my mother was one them — and I have an image in my mind of myself in a grey ponytail, denim jacket, hiking boots and a backpack seeing the world. When I see women like that I follow them around the airport trying to figure out their secret of looking so alive and vital.

Maybe I can stretch the image of growing old gracefully to include forgiving myself for being superficial.

That would be really helpful and leave me a large enough window within which to rationalize a number of indulgent behaviors.

On the other hand, the very best time I’ve had in years was taking kayaking lessons this summer with Sophie and Noah, two of my grandchildren, and hiking areas I would not have had the nerve to do alone.

As one of the women said, dignity just goes out the window when you’re bending over in a bathing suit at our age pulling a kayak out of the water.

I was too worried about losing the paddle to worry about my rear

view and the feeling of exhilaration trumped the dignity factor. (In the interest of full disclosure, in the week since I wrote those words I’ve been laid up with the worst back pain I’ve ever had, so that theory also needs a little revising.)

I’m still working on the clothes issue and as soon as I find a clothes guru, I’ll report on that.

In the meantime I’m still searching for the right “graceful aging look” that is age appropriate but still fun. I know that really short skirts are probably out over a certain age, but exactly where in the vicinity of the knee should a hemline go that is appropriate for my age, but doesn’t make me feel like an old lady?

I leave you pondering those heavy issues as I finish my milkshake, which is more delicious than it sounds.

Except that I drank three of them instead of the recommended one.

But at least it’s not a blooming onion.

Marilyn Pinsky if the president of AARP in New York state. She resides in Jamesville.

long-term care

By Susan Suben

Understanding the CLASS Act

T

CLASS will raise awarxeness of the need to plan for long-term care, but will it be right for you?

he Community Assistance, Services and Supports Act, a provision in the health reform bill, is receiving a lot of buzz from both the insurance industry and general public.

Spokespeople from the insurance industry have said that the most positive aspect of CLASS is that it will make the public aware of the importance of long-term care planning as part of responsible retirement planning. There is also a deep concern that CLASS will lull individuals into a false sense of security.

Many individuals are now questioning the need to purchase private long-term care insurance thinking that CLASS is another entitlement, like Medicare and Medicaid, and it will protect their assets from the financial, physical and emotional catastrophic consequences of a long-term illness.

Following are some of the key points of the program.

The CLASS Act will establish a national insurance program that is financed by voluntary premium payments collected through payroll deductions. Anyone who is 18 years or older will be automatically enrolled in the program unless they opt out.

To qualify for benefits individuals must have contributed monthly premiums to the program for at least five years. Eligibility for benefits will be determined by state disability centers and will be limited to individuals who are unable to perform two or more activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing and transferring, or individuals who have a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s.

Individuals will receive a cash benefit based on their degree of disability or impairment averaging no less than $50 or no more than $100 per day.

The monthly premiums have not yet been determined but the chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Richard Foster, stated that in order for the program to be solvent, an initial average monthly premium of $240 would be required.

He further went on to say that voluntary, unsubsidized and nonunderwritten insurance programs such as the CLASS program face a significant risk of failure because of serious risks of adverse selection that the program would likely be unable to sustain.

Now let’s examine some of the other features to see if the program will be realistically beneficial.

If an individual is no longer working, he or she may not be able to participate in the program because premiums are collected as a payroll deduction. This means that older Americans who will likely need care sooner will not have access to the plan.

The CLASS program may not pay for assisted living or nursing home care but rather care at home. This means that two potentially needed care settings would not be eligible for funding.

The average cost of Medicarecertified home care in the Rochester area is approximately $20 per hour.

If an individual qualifies for the $50 reimbursement, that will only cover two hours of care.

The five-year premium payment requirement in order to be eligible for benefits may exclude younger workers who are in an accident or need care due to an illness, such as cancer.

Lastly, if one lapses their premium payments or opts out of the program, there are severe penalties. If an individual lapses his or her policy for more than 90 days, there is a two-year

deferral requirement. This is included in the act so that sick individuals cannot automatically come back into the program. They would have to pay for the first 24 months of their care before CLASS would reimburse them.

If an individual opts out of the program and then decides to optin, “the premium rate increase will be no less than 250 percent on each payment”, according to Stephen D. Forman, senior vice president of Long Term Care Associates in Bellevue, Washington.

In addition, if a disabled individual does not use their full allotted benefits for the year, the balance can be recouped by the government.

If you compare long-term care benefits offered by CLASS to those offered by private long-term care insurance, the waiting period to receive benefits, in most instances, only ranges from 0 days to 100 days; the daily benefit can range from $50 per day to $500 per day; adult day care, assisted living and nursing home care are reimbursed; if you don’t use your benefits, you don’t lose them; and premiums can be paid through an employer or privately.

There is no doubt that CLASS will raise awareness of the need to plan for long-term care.

But with so many restrictions and penalties, it makes one wonder how beneficial the benefits will be.

If you want flexible, comprehensive coverage, private long-term care insurance is still the better option.

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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last page The Zecchinos

By Mike Costanza

Giving Voice to the Arts

T

he Greece Choral Society has brought the majesty, gentleness and drama of choral music to audiences around the Rochester area for decades under the direction of its founder, 76-year-old Ralph Zecchino. On May 2, the society celebrated its 40th year with a standing-room-only concert and celebration at Rochester ’s St. Charles Boromeo Church, where Zecchino directs the sanctuary choir.

We spoke with Zecchino and his 70-year-old wife and accompanist, Sandi.

Q. You founded the Greece Choral Society in 1969. How did that come about?

A. Ralph: When I came to the Greece school district to work in 1969, the director of music, Roy Thrall, knew of my work in the city—I had taught eight years at Madison High School. A few months after I was there, he and the director of continuing education, Robert Holtz, approached me. They said, “How’d you like to start a community choir as part of adult education?” We began our first season in 1970.

Q. Any idea why they picked you to start the choral society?

A.Ralph: I had already started with a reputation in Rochester as a voice teacher—I taught voice classes at James Madison High School, and directed the Inter-Junior Choir, which was an all-city choir consisting of seventh, eigth, and ninth graders from all the schools in Rochester. I used to have 190 kids on a Saturday morning from all the schools in Rochester.

A.Sandie: Music was very big when we first moved here, well, because of the Eastman School and Howard Hanson. Music in the public schools was also very important— everybody had a choir. I was an elementary school music teacher for the Rochester school district.

Q. Was it a busy time in your

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lives? At that time, you two were working full time, and starting a family.

A. Ralph: I taught school at [Greece’s]Arcadia High School during the day, and I had six after-school ensembles. The Eastman had asked me to be an adjunct voice teacher, so I did that. I also had the choral society on Monday night, church choir on Wednesday night, then Thursday I was at the Eastman teaching, and I had all these after school ensembles.

A.Sandie: I taught for a couple of years, and then our children came along. I stayed home for about 15 years, before I went back to teaching.

Q.You two have been a team in many ways for decades, Sandie. How long have you accompanied Ralph and the chorus on the piano?

A.Sandie: We’re not sure if it’s 37 or 38 years. Playing the piano, I hear things that maybe he doesn’t hear, or he’ll say, “No, do it this way.”

You start out rough—its rough in the beginning—and then by concert time you’ve got this beautiful thing you’ve created.

Q. What’s the choral society’s performance schedule like nowadays?

A.Ralph: We do all kinds of major works, and we’ve done five or six sacred music festivals. We also do a winter pops concert, a big Christmas concert with the Greece Symphony Orchestra, and a spring concert. We normally get about 900 people at the Christmas concert and 400 to 500 people at the spring concert. For 10 years, now, we have also done the Wegmans Concerts by the Shore, with the Greece Jazz Band.

The chorus is also part of a consortium [the Greater Rochester Choral Consortium]. There are now 24 different choruses in the organization.

Q.Has all this activity ever caught up with you?

A. Ralph: In 1994, the choral society joined with the Buffalo Choral Arts Society in a trip to Europe. We were all supposed to go to Dublin, Paris, and London to sing in major cathedrals, like Notre Dame.

A. Sandie: He had symptoms, and he went to see the doctor, and the doctor says “You’re not going on the trip.”

A.Ralph: I had overload, I guess, at that point. That morning I had to have a double bypass.

Q. How are you feeling these days?

A. Ralph: Right now its pretty good. I play golf, I bowl, I do everything. I’m especially involved in woodworking—I’ve got a big shop downstairs.

A. Sandy: I’m doing fine. I do quilting, and I do some sewing.

The Greece Choral Society is part of the Greece Performing Arts Society, a volunteer association that was formed to foster the development and appreciation of performing arts in the community.

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