55 Plus of Rochester, #70: July – August 2021

SAVVY SENIOR: HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I NEED TO RETIRE?

55

Great Day Trips to Enjoy this Summer

PLUS Issue 70 • July / August 2021 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

roc55.com

Passion for Endurance Triathletes, including Mike McDermott, 58, of Rochester, talk about the challenge and passion involved in the sport

INSIDE: What Do Most People of a ‘Certain Age’ Wish to Be Called? Elderly? Senior Citizen?

THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE RETIREMENT

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55 PLUS | contents

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SAVVY SENIOR: HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I NEED TO RETIRE?

55

Great Day Trips to Enjoy this Summer

PLUS Issue 70 • July / August 2021 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

roc55.com

Passion for Endurance Triathletes, including Mike McDermott, 58, of Rochester, talk about the challenge and passion involved in the sport

INSIDE: What Do Most People of a ‘Certain Age’ Wish to Be Called? Elderly? Senior Citizen?

THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE RETIREMENT

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July / August 2021 Story ideas?

Information about advertising?

Email editor@roc55.com.

To subscribe, look for the coupon on page 47.

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55 PLUS 27

40

30 COVER Savvy Senior 6 12 NAME • What do most people of a ‘certain age’ • Woman shares her passion for frogs Financial Health 8 wish to be called?

36 REAL ESTATE Dining Out 10 14 NEXT • Spruce up your home for • What they wish they had known before higher home sale price Long-term Care 46 they retired 39 DOWNSIZING Addyman’s Corner 48 16 NEW LIFE • What to do with your stuff?

• What to do after you retire

18 SERVICE LAST PAGE Ken Maring, 69, is the manager of Empire Farm Days, one of the largest outdoor tradeshows in the Northeast. He talks about the show’s new location.

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55 PLUS - July / August 2021

• Is a fraternal organization something to consider?

22 SUMMER FUN

• Day trips to enjoy the season • Museums to visit this summer

27 CHARITY

• Volunteers open a second-hand store to support comfort care home

40 ACTIVISM

• Bookstore owner Henry PadrónMorales bridging cultures

44 MUSIC

• Allen Hopkins ready to continue folk music tradition

46 SECOND ACT

• Jane A. Ahrens: Lifelong educator turned entrepreneur

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savvy senior

By Jim Miller

How Much Will You Need to Save for Retirement?

H

ow much money you need to retire comfortably is a great question that all working adults should ask themselves. Unfortunately, far too few ever bother thinking about it.

But calculating an approximate number of how much you’ll need to have saved for retirement is actually pretty easy and doesn’t take long to do. It’s a simple, three-step process: Estimate Living Expenses The first step — estimating your future retirement living expenses — is the most difficult. If you want a quick ballpark estimate, figure around 75% to 85% of your current gross income.

That’s what most people find they need to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement.

If you want a more precise estimate, track your current living expenses on a worksheet and deduct any costs you expect to go away or decline when you retire, and add whatever new ones you anticipate.

Costs you can scratch off your list include work-related expenses like commuting or lunches out, as well as the amount you’re socking away for retirement. You may also be able to deduct your mortgage if you expect to have it paid off by retirement, and your kid’s college expenses. Your income taxes should also be less.

On the other hand, some costs will probably go up when you retire, like health care, and depending on your interests you may spend a lot more on travel, golf or other hobbies. And, if you’re going to be retired for 20 or 30 years, you also need to factor in some occasional big budget items like a new roof, heating and air conditioning system or vehicle.

Tally Retirement Income Step two is to calculate your

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55 PLUS - July / August 2021

retirement income. If you or your wife contribute to Social Security, go to SSA.gov/MyAccount to get your personalized statement that estimates what your retirement benefits will be at age 62, full retirement age and when you turn 70.

In addition to Social Security, if you or your wife have a traditional pension plan from an employer, find out from the plan administrator how much you are likely to get when you retire. And figure in any other income from other sources you expect to have, such as rental properties, part-time work, etc.

Calculate the Difference The final step is to do the calculations. Subtract your annual living expenses from your annual retirement income. If your income alone can cover your bills, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to tap your savings, including your 401(k) plans, IRAs, or other investments to make up the difference.

So, let’s say for example you need around $60,000 a year to meet your living and retirement expenses and pay taxes, and you and your wife expect to receive $35,000 a year from Social Security and other income. That leaves a $25,000 shortfall that you’ll need to pull from your nest egg each year ($60,000 – $35,000 = $25,000).

Then, depending on what age you want to retire, you need to multiply your shortfall by at least 25 if you want to retire at 60, 20 to retire at 65, and 17 to retire at 70 — or in this case that would equate to $625,000, $500,000 and $425,000, respectively.

Why 25, 20 and 17? Because that would allow you to pull 4% a year from your savings, which is a safe withdrawal strategy that in most cases will let your money last as long as you do.

55PLUS roc55.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Writers & Contributors

Deborah J. Sergeant, John Addyman, Todd Etshman, Christine Green, Jim Miller John Addyman

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Jim Miller John Addyman

Advertising

Anne Westcott Linda Covington

Office Manager Nancy Nitz

Layout & Design Joey Sweener

Cover Photo Provided

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

Published at 185 E. Seneca St. PO Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126.

Subscription: $21 a year; $35 for two years © 2021 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester.

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

How to Reach Us P.O. Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Phone: 585-421-8109 Fax: 585-421-8129 Email: editor@roc55.com Editor@cnyhealth.com

Had a Stroke.

Back on Stage.

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.

F.

FACE DROOPING

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ARM WEAKNESS

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age.

Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices.

What to do: Time lost is brain lost. So it’s vital to know the signs of a stroke — F.A.S.T. Four words to live by: Call 911 and say, “Take me to Crouse.“ When it comes to stroke, every moment matters. As one of just 10 hospitals in New York State tohave earned Comprehensive Stroke Center status, and with the region’s newest ER and hybrid ORs, Crouse offers the most advanced technology for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment

Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.

T.

TIME TO CALL 911

financial health

By Jim Terwilliger

T

Health Savings Accounts: A Taxpayer’s Best Friend

his column has often touted the benefits offered by Roth I R A s o r e m p l o y e r- p l a n equivalent, Roth 401(k) plans.

Roth accounts allow you to save money for retirement tax-free if simple rules are followed. While there is no tax deduction when contributions are made, income and appreciation generated by the account’s investments are tax-free, allowing for a lifetime of tax-free distributions.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

Or so it seems. But, not true.

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are unique in that they offer a tax advantage on both ends — a tax deduction at the time of contribution and a tax-free distribution when money is taken out, provided the distribution is used to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses. In between, the invested funds grow tax-free.

HSA providers offer investment options using mutual funds, much like those found in 401(k) and IRA accounts.

The power of compounding allows considerable sums to accumulate over many years.

Given the likelihood of increased medical expenses in retirement, using a combination of an IRA, Roth IRA and after-tax investment accounts supplemented by an HSA may be the most prudent tax-efficient way to save for retirement. The former accounts can help fund retirement expenses while the latter can help pay for medical expenses in retirement.

In fact, contributing the maximum annually to an HSA has the potential for more beneficial tax treatment than any other type of tax-efficient account. This strategy suggests paying current medical expenses out-ofpocket during one’s working years in order to preserve and grow the HSA account balance to use later during retirement.

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Qualified medical expenses are generally any expenses that would otherwise be eligible for the medical itemized deductions on your tax return.

In addition to direct medical costs, they include insurance premiums for Medicare Part B and Part D, Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) premiums, and even long-term care insurance premiums. Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap) insurance premiums are not qualified.

Nonqualified withdrawals are those not used for qualified medical expenses. Withdrawals for medical expenses reimbursed by insurance or taken as an itemized deduction on one’s tax return are also nonqualified.

Such withdrawals are taxable as ordinary income plus a 20% penalty.

The penalty is waived for those who are age 65 or older, are disabled, or if withdrawn as a non-spouse beneficiary after the death of the HSA owner.

To contribute to an HSA, you must be covered under a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), not covered under any non-HDHP plan, not be enrolled in Medicare (including Medicare Part A), nor claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. If these conditions are met, you may be employed, self-employed or even unemployed and still be able to contribute.

In 2021, the maximum contribution limit to an HSA is $3,600 for an individual, $7,200 for a family, plus a $1,000 “catch-up” contribution for those age 55 or older (unlike retirement accounts, where catch-up contributions apply beginning at age 50).

Funds from IRAs generally cannot be rolled over to an HSA, but there is a once-in-a-lifetime exception known as a qualified HSA funding distribution (QHFD). You can transfer funds taxfree from an IRA to an HSA up to the remaining contribution amount allowed for that year. Because the

distribution is tax-free, it is not subject to the IRA 10% early distribution penalty. A QHFD can also be made from an inherited IRA and can count toward the beneficiary’s required minimum distribution (RMD).

In addition to the uniquely generous tax treatment for HSAs, there is no time limit on when funds in an HSA must be used. An HSA does not have an annual “use-it-orlose-it” provision. As long as funds were permitted to be contributed into the HSA in the first place, funds can remain in the account for an extended period (growing on a tax-deferred basis) and be used (tax-free) later.

A tax-free distribution from an HSA can cover a current medical expense or reimburse a prior expense that was paid out of pocket. Medical expenses can occur now and be reimbursed far into the future and still be qualified, provided documentation of the medical expense is maintained, and the medical expense occurred after the HSA was originally established.

If an HSA is not used before death, a surviving spouse can continue the HSA in his/her own name and continue the preferential tax treatment.

This form of HSA spousal rollover is like that permitted for retirement accounts.

Wi t h t h e m a n y p l a n n i n g opportunities afforded by an HSA, be sure to ask your financial planner how this unique savings vehicle might fit into your retirement plan.

James Terwilliger, CFP®, is senior vice president, senior planning adviser with CNB Wealth Management, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at 585-419-0670 ext. 50630 or by email at jterwilliger@cnbank.com.

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A company philosophy that speaks to a continual process of individual and collective development to improve our well-being, quality of life Our Vision. and personal relationships.

To redefine skilled nursing care through successful team development, use of technology, progressive service and being a strong community partner.

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Din i ng Out

By Christopher Malone

Restaurant

Guide

The lightly breaded calamari comes with crispy chickpeas, pickled peppers, onions and aioli.

A Gem of Geneva

T

Kindred Fare boasts food and experience to bond with

he word “kindred” itself is something special. It’s a frequently used word but not so often enough that its meaning or affect get watered down.

It’s easy to see that the effort of Kindred Fare, located at 512 Hamilton St. in Geneva, has taken the confident and flowery word into consideration with food, aesthetics — and attitude.

The very open concept, plus outdoor space and seating, is minimally decorated. The décor, design, and use of space are very purposeful, even when considering the use of space.

Aside from the apropos Finger Lakes lake décor stuck to the wall and the planters, Kindred Fare’s blatant chef-d’œu·vre is the bar area itself.

The concise menu is available 10

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

every day, plus the daily specials.

It is filled with a variety of options, yielding difficult decision making.

However, there are adventurous routes to try.

One option, when dining on Mondays, is to enjoy the three-course prix fixe menu. On Tuesdays, enjoy the four-course chef’s menu (reservations required).

A few beverages were enjoyed.

When you can’t decide between a beer or a whiskey, why not have both?

Kindred Fare offers beer and wine pairings. For $10, I was able to enjoy a 10 oz. pour of the [Wind Blown] amber ale from Canandaigua brewery Naked Dove and a small pour of Finger Lakes Distilling’s bourbon. I’ve had the amber ale before and I’m always

willing to return to its medium-bodied, malty and toffee characteristics. The bourbon tasted a little young, slightly harsh. However, these complement each other well.

Later in the meal, the Charlie Chaplin classic cocktail ($11) made its way to our table. The tart cocktail is made with plum gin, apricot liqueur and lime. Although my wife made a face upon trying it, I greatly enjoyed the gin-forward cocktail.

For appetizers, we enjoyed the crispy calamari and chickpeas ($16) and the soup special — asparagus and leek ($8). The soup was nice and thick, similar to a hearty pea soup, and decorated with crispy leeks. The soup is far from bland, considering the strong and slightly bitter flavor

The festivo house-made pasta lives up to its name.

Don’t miss the Ice cream at Kindred Fare: asparagus ice cream (left), affogato with a shot of espresso (center), and the pear sorbet (right).

of asparagus and the sweet leek for balance.

The lightly breaded calamari in both its full and ring forms were very good. The breading didn’t overpower or hide the squid’s flavor or coloring.

The aioli was a good dipping sauce, too, but what made the dish was the supporting ingredients — the crispy chickpeas and the pickled peppers and onions. The outside of the chickpeas were crisped enough and didn’t ruin its soft, beany inside. And the pickled veggies fell in that perfect middle — the potency from the pickling process was pleasurably palatable.

We ended up enjoying two entrees off of the specials list, which makes three dishes not on the general menu, but it’s OK—get it before it’s gone.

So, the roasted duck breast ($29) and house-made pasta ($26) found its way to the table.

The festivo pasta lived up to its name. The thick-primped pasta looks almost like streamers covered in a hearty, well-seasoned ragu. Plus there was dusted confetti, err, grated parmesan cheese. (Frankly, parm should be called the confetti of cheeses, because it makes food much more fun.)

As hearty as the plate of food looked, it wasn’t heavy. We split both entrees but even eating half didn’t feel overly filling.

The meatiest part, of course, were the beef and pork meatballs that sat on top of the mount of pasta. These thick meaty balls could be enjoyed on their

own or broken up and mixed in with the pasta. There was enough to include with every bite.

When ordering the duck, we were asked how we liked ours cooked.

We opted for medium and got as we asked. Four thick, succulent slabs of duck breast came out with fingerling potatoes, oyster mushrooms, greens and Romesco sauce. The duck was practically melt-in-your-mouth and stole the spotlight from the supporting cast aside from the Romesco sauce.

This medium-thick tomato-based sauce was a flavorful complement to the duck, considering it was pureed with cashews and almonds to give it a slightly nutty flavor.

We took a look at the dessert menu simply out of curiosity but we were immediately sold on everything (but ordered three items for $24, at $8 each).

Although the lavender crème brûlée would have been the fourth item, we stuck with light fare: the affogato, the pear sorbet, and asparagus ice cream.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The scoop of Kindred Fare’s asparagus ice cream was refreshing. I finally can say asparagus is refreshing, albeit when in ice cream form. Its distinct flavor was definitely present yet still hard to describe. You truly have to taste it to believe it. The scoop came with a piece of crispy shortbread.

The pear sorbet was refreshing on a different level. The vibrant flavor of the sorbet was sweet as anticipated but not cringy-sweet. Accompanied by

a sliver of dark chocolate, the out-ofthis-world flavor seemed to be reeled back into its proper orbit. It’s one of those a-ha moments where two distinct desserts pair well and still doesn’t seem real.

The affogato speaks for itself with homemade vanilla ice cream and a shot of espresso. It’s a classic, infallible dessert I’d enjoy every night if I could.

Before gratuity, the bill came $125, although you can’t put a price on quality. We left appropriately full and impressed.

It was great to connect with Kindred Eats on this culinary level.

Kudos to the team and Executive Chef Max Spittler, who could be seen working away in the kitchen the duration of the visit.

Kindred Fare 512 Hamilton St., Geneva, N.Y. 14456 315-787-0400 kindredfare.com, facebook.com/kindredfare, instagram.com/kindredfare/ Daily: 5-9 p.m.

July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

11

55+ name

Of a ‘Certain Age’ What do most people of a ‘certain age’ wish to be called?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S

ince you are reading 55 Plus magazine, chances are you are of a “certain age.” What do you like to call your age demographic?

The Senior List’s Senior Label Study (www.theseniorlist.com/data/ senior-label-study) interviewed 600 people aged 55 or older.

They found that for most people — 20% — prefer “mature adult,” followed by “older adult” (18%), “seniors” (17%), “retirees” (16%), “senior citizens” (9%), another term (8%), no specific term (6%), “elders” (4%) and, the least favorite, “golden agers” (1%). The total does not equal 100% because of rounding.

“At Oasis Rochester, we are using ‘senior adults’ as our wording for our participants,” said Ann E. Cunningham, executive director.

“Senior” can denote the top-ranking class—those who have surpassed the freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

They are the upperclassmen, the ideal.

“Senior” also represents the most esteemed level of achievement, such as 12

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

a “senior officer.” It indicates respected tenure. Pairing it with “adult” as “senior adult” lends the idea of a wellaccomplished adult.

But “senior” without “adult” can also relate to cheapness, such as someone constantly demanding a “senior discount.” The term is also used disparagingly for someone having a “senior moment” when forgetting something, even though people of all ages can be forgetful.

At Lifespan, Mary Rose McBride, vice president of marketing, said that the organization’s verbiage has shifted from “seniors” to “older adults” a few years ago.

“It was clear to us then, as it is now, that newer generations of older adults think differently about what it means to be 60 and older,” she said. “For the same reason, we never use ‘elderly’ when describing people in their 60s, 70s and even 80s as it denotes frailty.”

Many people in these decades live active lives with few physical limitations. Using “elderly” to describe up to six decades of human age range

is as absurd as calling a 17-year-old “infant.” The term does not match the likely abilities and limitations of the typical individual.

“When we see the media describe a 63-year-old car accident victim as ‘elderly,’ we cringe,” McBride said.

Although a small percentage of 17-year-olds are infant-like and some 63-year-olds may have significant frailty issues, most are not. Many of today’s people 55 and older start new businesses, embrace active lifestyles and generally seem more willing to try new things than previous generations at that age. Saddling them with a moniker like “elderly” seems patronizing and inaccurate.

Debra Kostiw, owner of No Place Like Home Senior Care in Henrietta, serves adults who need more help at home. She sticks with “seniors” for the most part, as that is how people search for adult caregivers online.

“They don’t like to be called ‘elderly,’” she added of her clients.

“I also call them ‘part of the aging population.’”

By inferring that they are part of a bigger group, the term’s offense is minimal.

Some of her clients have told her that they do not feel valued or listened to by society in general. That impression can extend to the term used to describe their age range. Consider the dismissive “OK, boomer” on social media used by younger people to shut down comments considered out of date.

“Why isn’t age regarded as an achievement and our skills and life lessons as an accomplishment?”

Kostiw said. “It’s terrible to feel that no one cares because they think we don’t have anything of value to offer.”

She advises anyone who works with older adults to “make sure that you’re listening. Let them know that they’re valued and you’re listening to them and not disregarding them because of their age.”

As for coming up with a name, she favors inclusivity wherever appropriate.

“You can include yourself: ‘We as an aging population’ or ‘as we age’ or ‘as we become more mature adults,’” she said.

This strategy promotes authenticity, as older age comes to everyone. That is, everyone blessed enough to achieve it.

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Monday–Saturday 10-6 Sunday 10-5 July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

13

55+ next Missing in Retirement What they wish they had known before they retired

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

s with any transition in life — going to school, attending college, starting a first job, starting a family — beginning retirement brings some unexpected elements.

Geneseo resident Jim Walker did not realize the lack of interactions that retirement would bring. Now 83, he retired from working as a conductor and faculty member at SUNY Geneseo five years ago.

He had also conducted at small city symphonies throughout the years and occasionally with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). He

said he now misses all those activities.

“The significant loss was not necessarily the day-to-day activities like rehearsals,” Walker said. “It was the lack of interaction with the students and other musicians. The music faculty is made up of full-time faculty and many adjunct faculty, many of whom are in the RPO. My interaction with them and with the students stopped.

Former conductor Jim Walker, a Geneseo resident who retired five years ago, says he misses the interaction with students and colleagues.

14

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

The interaction with the students is the most significant thing. I wished I had known that beforehand.”

Although perplexed about it, he also misses the lively discussions among the members of the music department at SUNY Geneseo.

“We had some really powerful musicians,” he said. “We would argue like mad but everyone respected

David Mack of Canandaigua had knee replacement surgery and open-heart surgery after he retired at age 65. “It’s OK to have hopes, but don’t have an expectation,” the 73-year-old says.

what everyone else was doing. The department got on beautifully.”

Retirement ends that kind of daily professional dialogue.

Walker’s other big surprise is a thickening middle, which he partially attributes to the pandemic. Despite biking, walking and playing tennis, “I’ve developed a pot belly,” he said.

“The ‘old man syndrome.’ I do all these things and it persists.”

Walker guesses that not standing on a podium conducting for two to three hours a day has helped slow his metabolism. He has also experienced shoulder surgeries and, a few years back, cracked up on his dirt bike, which resulted in a broken ankle.

Setbacks like these have laid him up for a few months at a time.

Walker has also felt surprised by the freedom of retirement.

“There’s something very nice about waking in the morning and not having anything pressing to do or a place to be, other than being on the tennis court three times a week,” he said.

He and his wife Barbara have lived in Geneseo 50 years and have three grown children and four grown grandchildren.

Freedom has also surprised Linda Jones, a 74-year-old Chili retiree. She retired from her job as a reference librarian at Roberts Wesleyan College when she was 67.

“One thing I didn’t anticipate is the change in the time perception,” said. “When you work, your Anna she Rothstein time is segmented between work and weekend work. When you retire, it’s

one giant weekend, which isn’t bad.

It’s kind of fun.”

She enjoys the ability to fill her own schedule and manage her time.

“You can decide when you want to add work to the week, for the most part,” she said. “You are not answerable to anyone. I don’t think I could have understood it before I retired. For 40 years, my time was eaten up by what other people said my time needed to be.”

Although she believes in the positive effects of volunteering — both for organizations and for the volunteer — she advises retirees to try not to fall into the trap of scheduling so many volunteering stints and other obligations that they end up as busy as when they were working.

Jones enjoys crocheting for charity with the Chain Gang group at the Chili Senior Center a couple times a week and volunteering at the Chili Public Library. She has also volunteered in the past as a driver for the Westside Express Gates Chili Transportation Service, which provides rides for people over 60 and persons with disabilities.

As a lifelong corporate worker — first rising through the ranks of Gannett to become president and next as spokesman for Excellus BlueCross BlueShiled — Dave Mack of Canandaigua was accustomed to making plans. When he retired at age 65, he felt surprised that plans made for retirement don’t always work out.

“It’s OK to have hopes, but don’t have an expectation,” said Mack, now 73.

A few of his bumps along the road of retirement include knee replacement surgery and open-heart surgery.

“If your parts haven’t started to wear out yet, they’re going to,” Mack said. “Preparing yourself psychologically is a good idea. You’re not going to live forever.”

Developing gratitude for what he can still do has helped.

Mack also felt surprised at how quickly he left the limelight. In addition to his public-facing careers, he had served on numerous boards throughout Upstate New York.

“It’s not to say I shouldn’t have dropped out of view, but I thought that some of the connections I had forged over the years might last a little longer,” he said.

M o v i n g f ro m R o c h e s t e r t o Canandaigua two years after he retired may have contributed.

He has become accustomed to more time in solitude, learning the difference between aloneness and loneliness. To alleviate the latter, he has worked toward getting out more, making more connections and getting back in touch with enjoyable pursuits.

Mack enjoys newspapers, journals and biographies as an “omnivorous” reader.

He has felt surprised that he now enjoys performing Do-It-Yourself projects around the house based upon the instruction he received as a youth from his father and stepfather.

Mack is also working on a new volunteering opportunity.

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55+ new life

What to Do After You Retire The important thing is to stay active with community service, a parttime job, volunteering and other activities, say experts

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

R

etirement may feel like a foot race. When you finish working, you win. But then what?

Going into retirement with little idea of what to do next is not a good idea.

“Sometimes when people don’t think ahead, they find themselves in situations they don’t want to be in when they retire,” said Susan Harf, who holds a Master of Social Work degree and performs life coaching work in Rochester. “They are bored or depressed. They have not thought about what is going to happen when they’re not surrounded by coworkers and have something to do every day.”

This disenfranchisement can cause emotional distress, especially when one’s identity is wrapped up in a career or title.

Retiring without a life plan can also mean a lack of structure and subsequent lack of motivation to get out and see people and do things.

Ginny Hronek, life coach and owner of Your Turn Life Coaching for Women in Rochester, said that can lead to isolation.

“The important thing is to stay active with community service, a part-time job and volunteering,” she said. “There are a plethora of agencies looking for volunteers. Even things like reading to children in schools is very rewarding.”

Since many people who retire from lifelong, full-time work have become so accustomed to their noseto-the-grindstone lifestyle, it may be warranted to transition into the next phase. Abruptly ceasing work and facing a blank slate is shocking for many people.

Barb Klein, founder and “possibilitator” of Inspired Possibility in Livonia, said that it is OK to

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acknowledge the loss of the workaday routine and identity associated with a career. However, “you have to move forward with intentionality.”

She advises getting to know oneself for a while, including needs, wants and desires. This may include getting back in touch with previously dropped hobbies or brand new ones.

“A sense of purpose matters,” she said. “It might be to be the best grandmother or grandfather. You don’t want to just lose your days, feeling like you didn’t do anything. Pause and ask each day, what do I want to do today?”

Harf advises those shifting to a new “second act” career to shadow someone else to determine if that is a good next step. For example, a corporate financial officer who wants to start a bakery should shadow a baker for free to decide if this is a good idea. Baking occasional treats for friends is entirely different than baking every day for strangers and operating a business doing so.

“You can evaluate if you like the various aspects of it,” Harf said.

Shadowing also allows retirees to try out a few possibilities.

Volunteering can also help retirees fill their days with meaningful community involvement. Since so many groups want volunteers, deciding where to go is the big question.

“You have to try a few things out,” Hronek said. “It depends on what your interests are. If you like to read, reading to children might be rewarding. Reading to the blind is also important. Maybe you’re more of a technical person. Volunteer with teaching people computers.”

She also believes that joining organizations can offer meaningful connections. Hronek recommended Oasis, as they provide programming with volunteer instructors. Those

seeking enrichment classes may also enjoy Oasis or the classes offered at Osher at RIT. “There is so much to do,” Hronek said. “Try a few things out and the agency or school will understand if you’re forthright with them if you’re not sure if that’s what you want to do.”

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55+ service

The Damascus Shrine, in Webster. Shriners are members of a benevolent fraternal organization that supports 20-plus hospitals that provide special care for children with significant medical needs. The Shriner motto is, “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”

Is a Fraternal Organization Something to Consider?

It’s self-fulfillment, becoming the person you feel you should be

By John Addyman

I

s this the perfect time to consider joining a fraternal organization?

The members of the Damascus Shrine in Webster think so. And, they have a lot of reasons.

First, as COVID-19 restrictions lift, we’re all finding out how much we’ve changed; and in how many ways, in the last year and a half. Many of us have discovered that we’re missing some things in our lives.

Second, we’ve seen America change. We’re not as civil with one another, not as pleasant and neighborly and, most important, not as honest.

Freemasons and Shriners believe in personal integrity and the sanctity of one’s word.

Third, we’ve gone through decades of slow, quiet migration from houses of worship and a connection with a supreme being. The Freemasons and Shriners aren’t religious brotherhoods, but members do accept that a higher power guides their lives and calls for 18

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leadership through service to others.

Fourth, the social part of our lives has become more important in balancing our mental and physical outlook. Many of us lost a great deal of that social fabric during COVID-19 and getting it back isn’t so easy. Shriners is a brotherhood of fun in community service.

Fifth, we like to think of ourselves as decent human beings, deserving of respect and possessing integrity. We enjoy being around people who are like that.

Bruce Katz is the assistant rabban at the Damascus Shrine in Webster. He serves as the Shrine’s communications director and public relations guy.

The Shrine has 443 members, but has lost about 50 in the last two years.

At the state level, New York once had 300,000 Shriners. Now it’s down to 30,000.

“In the heyday of fraternal organizations, we might have had

3,000 members in the 1920s and 1930s,” Katz said. “Back before you could get 200 channels on your TV, people joined organizations. That was the social life of many families.”

Fraternal organizations were everywhere, peaking after the First World War. Then the Depression hit, and many of those organizations disappeared. After World War II, interest renewed as veterans returned to America and found fraternal organizations a quick way to get reestablished in their communities. But after that blip, the decline began anew.

Katz pointed out that there have been little surges of interest in Freemasonry after the movie National Treasure and Dan Brown’s movies and books (Inferno, The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons) because of the storylines involving Freemasonry symbols and rituals.

He feels that what Masons and Shriners offer today are spot-on

Inside the Damascus Shrine stands this statue of a Shriner carrying a little girl, and a picture of past Imperial Potentate Jim Smith.

July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

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important for so many men seeking a richer life.

“If ever there was a need, it’s now,” he said. “Freemasonry is a fraternity of the brotherhood of man. I came to the Masons to be part of something larger than myself, associating with other good men with similar interests for a good purpose. It’s self-fulfillment, becoming the person you feel you should be.”

Katz admits that he, the Masons and Shriners have a challenge—to increase membership and keep these brotherhoods alive and communityrelevant.

The Shriners are Masons, yes, but with a different bent.

“Shrine is the playground for masonry,” he said. The Masons have a great purpose; the Shriners want to have some fun on the way to that great purpose.”

Once you’re a third-degree Freemason, which can take about six months to go through the process, you can apply to be a Shriner.

Rochester has always been important to the Shriners, who organized right after the Civil War in New York City with 13 Freemasons, one of whom was Walter Fleming, a Rochester doctor who established the Damascus Shrine as the second in what are now 200 Shrine Centers in the world. In response to the polio epidemic, Shriners opened their first hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1922. There are 20-some Shriners hospitals today providing specialized care for children with orthopedic, burns, spinal cord, cleft lip and palate issues.

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are falling, Damascus Shrine is doing its best to let members know it is alive and well and seeking to interest new members.

Cruise nights will begin July 2 at the Shrine site on Bay Road. You can polish your wheels and join the fun for free, with the Shriners offering food and drink as a fundraiser. The nights will continue each Friday into the Labor Day weekend.

Katz said the Shrine’s leader, Potentate Jason Simmons, “is absolutely incredible on the social aspect of things” and is moving to get his membership more visible and involved.

The Shriners’ “clown cars,” for instance, are being renovated and 20

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

Bruce Katz, assistant rabban at the Damascus Shrine in Webster.

The Damascus Shrine Wheelers met in Webster in May to discuss getting their minicars on the road. Yes, some of these big guys fit in those teeny cars.

refreshed for a new year of service.

“He organized a cornhole tournament,” Katz said. “That got a lot of people in the door who had never heard of Masons or Shriners. We’re planning a music event for later this summer. We have a sportsman’s raffle coming up in July for guns and meat packages for $30. We’re also putting together a miniature golf tournament.”

Other groups are thinking about a golf league, a band, a craft-brewing course, a shooting sports club and a yacht club.

The efforts are beginning to succeed.

“It feels vital at times,” Katz said.

“But there are times when we have a function and we’re hoping to get 75 people and 30 attend.”

He has high hopes for the cruise nights, which are highly visible and well-attended.

“We’ve not done a good job of providing awareness of who we are,” he said. “There are a lot of things we can do. We flailed in COVID-19. It took us months to get together using Zoom.

But we expect things to change soon.

Now it’s time to do something.”

A statistician by training with an MBA, Katz believes Damascus Shrine needs a five-year plan.

“Where do we want to go? Where do we want to be in five years?” he said. “Five years from now people are going to want to do different things than they’re doing today.”

Again he stressed that Potentate Simmons has his finger on where the membership needs to go and what it’s willing to try.

The Shrine itself has a large banquet room, a lovely pavilion that overlooks Irondequoit Bay, a full commercial kitchen and decent-sized bar. All of it is for rent for parties, gatherings and weddings.

Katz is on the board of the Shriners’ Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts, and sees the impact of what an organized fraternity can support. Each Shriner makes a contribution to the hospitals across America and there are reminders everywhere of the Shriners’ dedication to helping children.

“A man does not stand so tall as when he stoops to help a child,” Katz said, echoing the mantra of the Shriners.

Right in front of the Damascus Shrine is a statue of a Shriner carrying a child.

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55+ summer fun

Day Trips to Enjoy the Season There is plenty to do for young and old from Niagara Falls to pumpkin farms

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S

ummer is the perfect time to take a day trip and enjoy the weather. Grab a friend or grandchildren and bring your enthusiasm for adventure for these local points of interest.

• N i a g a r a F a l l s ( w w w. niagarafallsusa.com/) is more than riding the Maid of the Mist and viewing the waterfall (although these are both great). The Niagara Falls also offers Black Willow Winery, Old Fort Niagara, Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, shopping venues and more.

Just to the north in Lewiston, you can choose between the “get wet” or “stay dry” tours by Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours (https://whirlpooljet.com/locations).

The jet boat tours last 45 to 60 minutes and go through the Class V Devil’s Hole rapids of the Niagara River.

• The Erie Canal stretches from Albany to Buffalo. Pick any part of the Erie Canal to enjoy by the canal side trails or on the canal itself with one of the many tour boat companies traversing its waters, including Colonial Belle Erie Canal Cruises (www.colonialbelle.com). Wander into any of the small towns dotting the canal to try a new restaurant, buy ice cream cones or iced coffee and check out unique shops.

• The train rides offered by Arcade & Attica Railroad (www.aarailroad.

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com) offers rides for all ages. Bring along the grandchildren for an outing they will talk about for a long time. But the train rides are more than kid’s stuff.

Check out the Murder Mystery Dinner Train or, for history buffs, Diesel Engine Train ride (although these are suitable for children, too). Arcade & Attica offers seasonally based rides, so check the site often.

• Beverage tours abound in the region. To safely sip, engage the services of a tour company, such as Crush Beer and Wine Tours (https:// crushbeerwinetours.com), Brew Bus Buffalo (https://brewbusbuffalo. com/), and Grapevine Country Tours (www.grapevinecountrytours.com).In addition to safety, guided tours take out the guesswork, as these tours are led by guides knowledgeable of the best stops in the region.

• Whether you are alongside them or watching from the ground, engage with your grandchildren at Bristol Mountain (www.bristolmountain. com) in Canandaigua. The high ropes courses and ziplines span the treetops of the ski resort and offer gorgeous views of the region. The Ariel Adventure Park is for older children through adults and the Kids Adventure Park accommodates younger ones.

• Looking for a new hiking

venue? Try Huckleberry Swamp in North Rose (www.facebook.com/ huckleberryswamp). Spot wetland birds, turtles and other wildlife along the trail as well as fairy houses constructed of natural materials. The nature walk is a project of the Olga Fleisher Ornithological Foundation, Inc. While in the area, hike the lakeshore and woodland trails at Chimney Bluffs State Park (https:// parks.ny.gov/parks/43/details.aspx) in Wolcott. Chimney Bluffs offers tables and grills, so bring along your favorite picnic fare.

• L o n g A c re F a r m s ( w w w. longacrefarms.com) in Macedon is another fun venue to enjoy with younger grandchildren. While the agritourism farm is open all summer and fall, autumn offers more activities, including the Amazing Maize Maze (suitable for all ages), pumpkins and wagon rides. The facility also offers JD Wine Cellar for tastings, wood fired pizza and a farm store.

Geared toward younger visitors, Pickn’ Patch ()www.picknpatch.com/) in Stanley also serves up family fun.

While the site offers summertime activities, fall is a great time to visit to enjoy the corn maze and select autumn goodies like pumpkins, apples and cider.

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July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

55+ visits

Museums to Visit This Summer You can experience everything, from history to Jell-O

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sonnenberg Gardens & Historic Mansion in Canandaigua.

S

tep back in time, explore interesting exhibits and artifacts and learn about the region through visiting area museums.

While you may be familiar with those in Rochester, there are a few museums a little farther away that can provide an interesting day trip.

The history at Old Fort Niagara. It spans the exploration period of the 1600s through the early 1800s. The displays detail the many uses of Old Fort Niagara from its founding to current times. Explore six buildings and view numerous artifacts of military and civilian life. One of these is a U.S. garrison flag from the War of 1812 that is one of only about 20 pre1815 US flags in existence. www.oldfortniagara.org The Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford features a combination of replica and genuine 1800s buildings populated by historic interpreters who sew, weave, bake, forge, farm and otherwise carry out rural life. Wander among the shops and homes, watch a reenactment 24

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

and talk with the villagers. Check the website to learn about special events at Genesee Country. Some are perfect for children, so invite the grandchildren to come along. www.gcv.org Summertime is the perfect season to visit Sonnenberg Gardens and Historic Mansion. Self-tour the numerous styles of gardens on the 50-acre estate and the mansion’s many rooms appointed with period furnishings. Finger Lakes Wine Center and a tearoom style café are on the grounds. Sonnenberg is one of only two public gardens in the state’s park system. www.sonnenberg.org • The Jell-O Gallery in LeRoy preserves the wiggly, jiggly history of an all-American dessert and its journey from health food to savory side dish (olive relish, anyone? How about tomato-flavored?) to the current dessert version everyone loves with whipped topping. The quirky museum includes displays of vintage ads, Jell-O memorabilia, molds (spot your

family’s favorites) and more. The building also features in its upstairs a museum of transportation. www.jellogallery.org Palmyra is home to five museums, Palmyra Historical Museum, Erie Canal Depot, Alling Coverlet Museum, Phelps General Store and The Print Shop Museum.

The Palmyra Historical Museum focuses on local history. Learn more about the Erie Canal at the Depot, which still has much of its original architecture present. The Alling Coverlet Museum boasts the nation’s largest collection of coverlets, including rare examples. The Phelps General Store (and the storekeeper’s residence above it) has not been renovated since the mid-1800s, leaving an authentic representation of life 150 years ago. View vintage printing equipment at the Print Shop Museum.

Owing to each museum’s size, you can visit them all in a day and have time to explore the charming downtown area.

The museums host special promotions, so check the website to see what’s happening. www.historicpalmyrany.com

Smaller and Unique Museums Five other interesting museums in Wayne County are: • Hoffman Clock Museum in Newark www.hoffmanclockmuseum.org • H. G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Museum (also known as the “Peppermint Museum”) in Lyons https://lyonsheritagesociety.org • The Brick Church Museum, Mill Museum and Blockhouse in Clyde http://galenhistoricalsociety.org/church. html These are small enough to visit all in one day. The Hoffman is inside of the Newark Public Library and is open for self-guided tours whenever the library is open. Unless one knows to look for it, it’s easy to walk right past it and not step inside to see dozens of everyday clocks on most grandparents’ mantels to rare clocks viewed by visitors from around the world. The Hotchkiss showcases Lyons’ historic distinction as the peppermint capital of the world. The minty gift shop is worth a visit. The Brick Church Museum houses artifacts from Clyde’s history of glassmaking as well as the town’s other industries. The Mill Museum is more of a general, daily life museum of life in the 1800s through early 1900s.

Though a 1975 replica of the circa 1758 fort, the Blockhouse features authentic artifacts from the original fort’s era.

Keep in mind that these museums may have different hours because of the pandemic. Check their website, and social media page, while planning a visit.

Old Fort Niagara Explore six buildings and view numerous artifacts of military and civilian life.

Genesee Country Village and Museum This historic museum features historic interpreters who carry out rural life.

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55+ charity Yvonne Mac Taggart And Gina Bement have known each other since they were in fifth grade together at the old St. Michael’s School. Together they manage the Angels Attic second-hand gift shop on South Main Street in Newark. The store is a fundraiser for Laurel House Comfort Care Home.

The Angels Attic Store: A Community Gift With a Purpose Volunteers open a second-hand store to support the Laurel House Comfort Care Home during the pandemic

By John Addyman

T

his is such a good outlet for a lot of people,” she said. “This is where it makes my heart full. There are just so many people who want to see Laurel House succeed and want us to help others.”

Laci Graham was sitting in the living room of Laurel House, a comfort care home in Newark that takes care of those who are in their last days on earth. All of Laurel House’s services are free. Graham is the executive director.

There are two beds in the home and one of them was occupied by a resident who asked to have her room rearranged so she could watch the birds at the feeders and the deer and turkeys in the fields beyond.

Graham spoke about how volunteers and community members started a fundraising adjunct last fall after COVID-19 had closed down Laurel House’s major fundraisers and the donations needed to keep the house open were at a trickle.

“With our fundraising diminished, we needed to come up with some new efforts,” Graham explained.

“Another comfort care home has used a charity reseller store. They told us their store had supplied funds to their budget for many years. So, we started brainstorming.”

One of the first people who loved the idea of a second-hand store was Sue Edwards, who had a similar small store in Newark.

“She loves to recreate second-hand items, loves to decorate and has an artsy eye,” Graham said.

“Laci and I were talking,” Edwards remembered. “I said, ‘You know, there are other places that have little stores that help make money for their cause.

We should think of doing something like that.’ We got our heads together and she started doing research and I started doing my thing, but it was a slow start, believe me.”

Graham and Edwards enlisted Gayle Addyman, who had run a very successful and huge rummage sale for St. Michael’s Catholic Church in the midst of the pandemic. And Graham took the collective ideas to the Laurel House board of directors.

“When I first went to the board president, Gene Palmer, in May 2020, he thought it was a great idea,” Graham said. “We thought we could become another asset to Newark and Wayne County, provide another type of service, so to speak. We presented it to the board and initially, the first board meeting was – yes, let’s go ahead and do this.”

But Palmer became ill and died.

The board changed composition and for months, the store idea was sidelined while COVID-19 ravaged Upstate New York.

Yet Laurel House was open.

“We were open with one resident,” Graham said. “We were doing OK with the number of volunteers. We were one of the few comfort care homes that was open. Some thought we were kind of living in a fantasy world for our volunteers, who were escaping the rest of the world by coming here, to a place that was safe and a place to do service. Of any place you could go, this was pretty safe with all of the COVID restrictions we had in place.

When we started to talk a little more July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

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Laci Graham, the executive director of Laurel House Comfort Care Home in Newark.

Sue Edwards was the first store manager and named it “Angels Attic”

about the store, I think our volunteers were excited about starting something new, another way Laurel House could support the community.

“One of the things that triggered this store also was the many phone calls we received offering household donations. People knew Laurel House needed a lot of items to get going and they continued to call and call. I was turning a lot of things down because we didn’t have room to store them.

That prompted me to want the store even more, to take all these donations and turn them into funds we really needed.”

The board finally OK’d the store project in November. Edwards and Sandy Marcano, another volunteer, swung immediately into action.

“I started hauling stuff in and moving things around,” Edwards said.

“In the beginning, Laci was bringing stuff to me. Sandy was my right-hand person; she was helping me move the furniture and setting things up.”

Using the experience Edwards and Addyman had in what would sell and what wouldn’t, “our opening philosophy was a second-hand gift shop. We didn’t want to get into clothes and shoes,” Edwards said.

“We wanted good second-hand home goods and gift items, small appliances, small furniture items, kitchen bowls, decorative stuff, jewelry.”

“It took us two weeks to open

the store and when we did, it just took off. We started making money immediately, straight from day one,” Edwards continued. “We’d have our good days. Then, we’d have a day when only one person would come in and wouldn’t buy anything. We started making money the very first weeks we opened.”

Word about the store, which Edwards named “Angels Attic,” spread fast.

The weekend before Christmas, the store had a special opening for kids.

“We had a tree in the window. We had a special shopping day so kids could buy things for their families, their parents, their siblings,” Edwards said. “We rearranged the store to help kids pick out things and it went very well, oh my gosh! It was a hit. We had a lot of kids.”

Most of the volunteers at the store were also caregiving volunteers at Laurel House and that eventually created an issue Graham had to address. “ O n e d a y, b y c h a n c e , t w o volunteer friends were talking in the store,” she explained. “One had just left Laurel House to go down to the store to work and her friend at the store had asked, ‘How is our lady resident doing?’ Ironically, there was someone in the store who knew that resident at Laurel House. She never

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said anything but heard what our two volunteers were saying. There was no detrimental information given, but the conversation shouldn’t have been shared with anyone in public. At that point, we had to make a decision on confidentiality.”

Graham told each volunteer they had to make a choice, work at Laurel House as a caregiver, or work at Angels Attic. Not both.

“My heart was here in Laurel House,” Edwards said. “I had done what I set out to do. The store was open, working and making money.”

She left the store and remained a caregiver.

Graham tapped two new cochampions for the store, Gina Bement and Yvonne Mac Taggart, who had known each other since fifth grade at the old St. Michael’s School.

Bement manages the store.

“She is a wonderful support for all of us,” said Mac Taggart. “She has done a great categorization of the store.

Everything is organized.”

A hairdresser from a long family line of women who have made people pretty, Bement got introduced to the hospice environment at House of John in Phelps, where she was called to do a resident’s hair.

“That changed me,” she said.

“Then I went to Laurel House to do hair and I fell in love with the place.

My grandmother became ill and I

became the person on the other end of that care. To watch someone you care very much about suffer needlessly, and then to see what a gift Laurel House is, or any hospice home, but especially this one.

“I always told Laci, if there’s ever anything you need...I was here the first day of the store, unpacking boxes with Sue Edwards. Since then, all I’ve done is try to support this. I don’t want to lose this store because it takes away some of the financial stress of taking care of residents and their families.”

Mac Taggart does the scheduling for volunteers.

“We have a diverse group of volunteers, many lucky enough to be retired and supporting the community in many other ways: their schedules are already full but they find plenty of time to help us out,” she said. “Angels Attic is such a gift to the community.

I love coming here. I come in with my

heart full and a smile on my face. I love the people. I love to talk to them, help them and watch what they find to be a treasure. I know I’ve helped them and helped Laurel House.”

Bement spoke about the regular customers who stop in every week, the people who line up Thursday morning to see what’s new in the store, she emphasized that the inventory changes every day. As a business owner in the community, she also talks up Laurel House.

“You don’t know how much you need a comfort care home until you need it. Words can’t always get through. Everybody likes to help others. There are other second-hand stores in this town that draw people who like to do that kind of shopping.

I think because we are a nonprofit, that alone makes people comfortable about donating items that belonged to their grandmother. We take pride

in keeping things clean and priced low so someone else can enjoy them. That’s always been our priority,” she said.

“I think there are just so many people who want to see us succeed and want to help us to help others,” said Graham. “Even though they may not be able to volunteer, just by dropping off items or shopping in the store, or supporting one of the Laure House fundraisers, they feel they are part of our mission, and they are helping us.

I think people really feel good about shopping, buying, donating and supporting us at Angels Attic. It has created a little piece of our community where there’s a lot of talk about it. It’s brought a lot of people together. For our volunteers, people who typically wouldn’t necessarily have congregated in certain circles are now doing that because they’re working together here at Laurel House or at the store. It’s such a good outlet for a lot of people.”

Products featured in the store (top left) include dolls, angels, knitted newborn sets and frames.

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55+ cover

Not Slowing Down Triathletes enjoy the challenge, the competition … and the camaraderie

By John Addyman

F

irst, the water. It’s the crack of dawn and you’re going to swim 1.5 kilometers, with a lot of other people.

Then, the bike. Out of the water, put on shoes for the 40-kilometer ride. Get your hydration and nutrition packs together. Pass people if you can. Drink and eat along the way.

Finally, the run.

Off the bike, change to running shoes. Ten kilometers of road work ahead of you, with legs that feel like jelly to start.

And the finish.

Delight. Relief. Deep satisfaction. Wondering what’s going to hurt the next day. And already looking forward to the next triathlon.

They say if you can run and bike and swim, you can do a triathlon. That’s like saying if you can count, you can run a bank. Or if you can smile, you can be a movie star.

A triathlon is an exercise in will, stamina and foresight.

To get up with the birds every morning to complete a run or a swim takes determination and discipline. To train like you never have before is the minimum.

In the end, the rewards are spiritual, physical, emotional and social.

Becoming Triathletes

“I was a long-distance runner,” said Mike McDermott, 58, of Rochester, a senior strategic account manager for Trane Technologies. “I came to running at the age of 40.”

At 6-4, running wasn’t his first love. Basketball and 30

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baseball were, through and after RIT. “I played a lot of competitive basketball and baseball after college, including travel softball. At 40, I realized I couldn’t continue to play basketball and still get up and go to work on Monday morning. My knees hurt; I had a lot of sprained ankles. I just generally ached. For fitness, just general fitness, I started running. My wife, Brenda, had done the Boilermaker, a 15K race in Utica with some of her girlfriends. I said to myself, ‘I think I can do that.’ So I went out and ran a 15K and afterwards said, ‘Oh my God! I’m out of shape!’” he said. “That’s how I came to running, even though I thought I was in shape. At the age of 40, I’d always run, jogged here and there, but no races, nothing like that.”

Now he’s a triathlete.

Pam Cooper-Vince, 67, of Rochester, started running at Fordham University when she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

She met her husband, Roger Vince, on a drive to a college-sponsored silent prayer retreat.

Vince was a year ahead of her in school. He graduated from Fordham in 1974 and went to Northwestern for a PhD in biology, then to UConn Medical School in 1977.

Cooper-Vince went to Fordham Law School and while studying for the bar, would run six miles most mornings with a friend and two lawyers.

Roger and Pam married in 1978. She practiced law for the US Small Business Administration and a small private firm in Hartford, Connecticut.

“Meantime, Roger was out in Chicago and he had started

Rochester’s Mike McDermott, 58, competed at the Lake Placid Ironman event in 2019 — the last time the event was run because of the COVID-19. At 6-4, he’s got a long stride that aided him in the marathon-length run and the 40mile cycling. Even though he was raised near the ocean in New Jersey, he had to learn how to swim competitively through classes and exercises through the Drop-Ins for Drop-Outs group and RATS (Rochester Area Triathletes). His ironman days are over, but McDermott is ready for more triathlons.

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running,” she said. “We actually did a 20K, not a half-marathon, back in 1978 in New Haven, the first annual.

“In 1982 I started my own practice and very promptly was pregnant with our first child. I started my own practice out of the house, but totally closed it up in 1987 when Roger accepted a cardiology job in Canandaigua and we moved here. I never got back into practicing law.”

What she did do is become a pastoral associate, earning a master’s degree in divinity at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

“I worked for churches for a while.

My youngest was in high school. I was very busy with kids. I worked at churches on the west side of the city and St. Dominic’s in Shortsville,” she said. “It was pretty good. But being a woman, you’re only able to go so far.

Eventually I started getting very busy, moved my parents up from Florida because they needed help. Left that job with the church in 2006 and haven’t really worked fulltime since.”

Cooper-Vince graduated from running long distances to the biking, running and swimming of triathlon.

Her last full year of competition was 2019; COVID-19 took care of 2020.

In that 2019 season, Cooper-Vince was first in her age class at the Rochester Autumn Classic Formula I Duathlon at Mendon Park — a two-mile run, 10-mile bike ride, another two-mile run and another 10-mile biking, then a finishing two-mile run. She did all that in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 6 seconds (2:26.06).

In August of 2019, she finished 13th in the USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals in Cleveland in 2:52.31 — a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40K bike ride and finishing 10K run. Six days before that she took third in her group at the Cayuga Lake Sprint Triathlon (.75K swim, 14-mile bike, 5K run) in 1:46.53.

In May, she was second at the Escape the Cape Intermediate Triathlon, which features a mile swim that starts by jumping off the back of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, a 12-mile bike tour and finishing five-mile run.

She ran the 2017 Ironman Maryland (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26-mile run) in Cambridge.

“I finished…not in the daylight.

My goal was to finish on two feet before they closed the course with no one saying to me, ‘Ma’am, do you need 32

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Pamela Cooper-Vince, 68, was a strong swimmer and an experienced distance runner when she came to triathlons and had to learn how to cycle competitively. She started running in college and had a steady morning routine of pacing six miles alongside two attorneys while she studied for the bar exam. She has been very successful in her age group in triathlons and has qualified again for the USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals and World competitions, both scheduled for later this year. She’s pictured in action at the Atlantic City Ironman in 2018.

medical assistance?’ I finished with my goals met. I started at 7 a.m., 15 hours later there are people lining the finish at 10:30 at night. People banging on the boards lining the finish, cheering you on. It’s fantastic. At the end, you’re just stoked. It’s fun.”

No Clue About a Wetsuit McDermott had a pivotal year in 2008. Although he admitted, “I’m not a mileage guy,” he ran marathons in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Boston Marathon, fulfilling a dream.

“I set my sights to do Boston. I was training in the winter, heavy training.

I remember having to get in a 20-mile run before that race, when we’d had a bunch of snow,” he said. “I ran the outer loop at MCC, which is almost exactly two miles. Sometime after my first or second loop, I picked up my own personal snow plow — It was a Saturday morning and the plow guy kept plowing the circle for me. That’s a unique memory of training for Boston.

“Boston was a blast, both my mom and dad were from there, so a lot of family and friends were there. It

was a tough race. The hills are tough.

I struggled. I ran maybe a 3:25 — middle of the pack, nothing great. I really soaked it in. It’s an event, or a spectacle. You feel like a rock star in the race. When you’re running a local race, there are miles on end you won’t see anybody. At Boston, that course is lined. I just enjoyed it. My time did qualify me to run Boston again. My goal was to enjoy the race and I did.

That was a great event. I got to run alongside Dick Hoyt (who pushed his wheelchair-bound son) who just passed away, alongside him and his son coming down Boylston Street to the finish, for a minute or two. That was a moment.”

He wanted to run the New York Marathon, “but I just kept getting injured. Plantar fasciitis. Knee scoped.

Double sports hernia. Shingles. I began to think that marathoning was not to my long-term benefit. I decided I needed to do more cross training,” he said.

So, he bought a bike.

“I decided I should also swim because then I could do triathlons. I grew up in New Jersey and spent my summers in the ocean. I got connected with Rochester Area Triathletes and saw they had group workouts,” he said. “I went up one Sunday morning to Durand Park and met a bunch of folks and got in the water. And, this I remember like it was yesterday: everybody was putting on wetsuits. I had no clue about a wetsuit. I was just in a pair of gym shots.

“Someone said to me, ‘No wetsuit?’

I said, ‘No.’ They said, ‘You’re brave.’

“No, probably dumb. We get into the water; we’re going to swim half a mile to a buoy, parallel to the shore.

That was the moment I realized I had no idea how to swim. I did an elementary backstroke for a half-mile.

It was shallow enough that I walked a little. I completed it and luckily enough the guy who was lifeguarding us stuck around to watch me because everyone else was off doing the bike and run. I said to him, ‘I am going to need some help with this swimming thing.’”

McDermott got in touch with well-known local triathlete coach Mike Baxter.

“He’s the one who taught me how to swim, starting off with a doggy paddle, learning how to breathe in the water, just like my kids did at the town pool,” McDermott said. “It was

“My wife and I do this as team. She enjoys — ‘puts up with’ — these events. In my view, triathlon can be a very selfish sport.

It’s expensive and it takes a lot of time from your family.”

Mike McDermott, 58, of Rochester

a challenge to say the least. I thought I was in great aerobic shape, but there’s a difference between being in running shape and swimming shape. That I found out quickly. It probably took me a year and a half. I started with Mike in the fall and It took me three winter sessions with him and the first session of open water swimming with him before I signed up for my first triathlon.”

Baxter is also instrumental in DIDO — Drop Ins for Drop Outs (Facebook) — a social group of athletes who actively support each other in attaining their goals, hosting swims, cycle practice and running.

In 2018, McDermott finished ninth in his age group of 31 competitors in the Geneva Musselman Triathlon and he’d made another transition.

“My wife and I do this as team.

She enjoys — ‘puts up with’ — these events. In my view, triathlon can be a very selfish sport. It’s expensive and it takes a lot of time from your family. Brenda is super about it. She has accompanied me on almost every one of these little things. We did an AirBnB in a little trailer right on the lake in Geneva,” he said. “That was nice. We usually try to find a restaurant and a microbrewery wherever we go the night before. I like to do well in triathlons but I’m not so serious about nutrition, I just eat more. And I still enjoy a glass of wine and a beer.”

Always someone who looks for the next level, McDermott wanted to

do some ironman competition, double what’s expected in a triathlon, starting with a 2.4-mile swim, then a 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon run.

He thought he had realistic goals for his first, the Lake Placid Ironman in 2019.

“I had a goal: finish the swim; finish the race; finish before sundown, which if you can finish in daylight, that’s something a lot of people go for. And in my mind, I really wanted to finish in less than 13 hours—I met all the goals except finishing in less than 13 hours. It was just such a great weekend from a family perspective,” he said. “It just was the most fun. Race day was great. I just enjoyed it. Swim went well, but bike is a tough, tough course. Two loops, total elevation gain is 6,000 feet. Beautiful—the scenery is beautiful—riding along Ausable River.

“The bike took me 6.5 hours: I had a mechanical issue, I had to fix my tire.

Then I had another mechanical issue— my water bottle cage was flapping around. It didn’t matter. You’re in the moment. That’s ironman, you just overcome. I don’t know any ironman whose race goes the way they planned.

At the run, my goal was to try to run the first 13 miles and see where I was. I got through 6.5 miles and my feet were killing me, I had blisters on the balls of my feet. I think it happened on the bike. I walked the last 20 miles. That’s where my long legs came in handy, I was literally walking faster than some people were running.

“My family saw me walking. I told them, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to finish, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.’ I finished right before dark.

That course is inspiring. You bike past the ski jump and the bobsled, and Whiteface Mountain where they did all the ski events and you finish in the speed-skating oval right in front of the high school and the crowd is so phenomenal. Another thing I regret; my family was all at the finish line wanting me to high-five me, but I didn’t hear them or see them. I was in my own little world: 13 hours and 47 minutes does that to you. I did run the last half-lap around the oval.”

Triathlete with different skills Cooper-Vince stopped running once her family began to grow. But one morning, she decided to run with her daughter, who was in high school.

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Pam Cooper-Vince rides her bike in the Atlantic City Triathlon.

“I think I got less than a half-mile, just down the road here. I felt like I was about to die and I probably looked like I had already died. I said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, this is terrible!’ So I started going to the Y and using the weights in the exercise room. After doing that for about six months to a year, I decided to start running again. I ran around my neighborhood, about 1.4 miles, twice.

And at 8 a.m. in the morning I called my now-college student daughter up and said, ‘I just ran 2.5 miles.’ She said, ‘That’s really wonderful, mom. Could you have waited a little later in the day to let me know?’” she said.

“Then I started doing more running. We did a couple of 5k races.

The first triathlon was the Pittsford Tri, probably in 2006 or 2007. Problem was, I didn’t bicycle as a kid. I’d bicycled in college, down to Fordham and back from my parents’ house, which was maybe 10 miles. I didn’t know if I could bicycle 13 miles for a triathlon. A friend set me up with a group of her friends who cycled and after we’d been out for a while, told me we’d covered 13 miles, so I knew I could do it,” she said.

While McDermott has the long legs for running and biking, he had to learn to swim to compete. CooperVince started out as a strong swimmer with years as a runner, too. For her, the bicycle was the challenge.

“Swimming is my strongest thing,” she said. “Then the running then the bicycling. Unfortunately, the largest part of triathlon is bicycling.

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“Mike is pretty good, awesome on the bicycle. He’s got long legs, long feet.

His cycling is far better than mine.

He’s also a guy and younger than me.”

Even with COVID-19 changing everything last year, Cooper-Vince kept training. “The favorite place for me, for cycling, was along the canal, because I don’t have to worry about cars. But that was an issue because there were too many people without masks, running without masks,” she said. “I kind of varied where I do a lot of cycling. I do a lot in Mendon Ponds Park, which is a great place for cycling.

Now I’m a little more comfortable after being vaccinated and I won’t freak out if somebody comes by me. For some reason, people were operating on the canal like they didn’t need a mask, even though they come within two feet of you.

“We were scheduled for Triathlon USA Age Group Nationals in 2020 and World Championships in 2020. The nationals are scheduled to take place in August; the world championships are scheduled for Edmonton Alberta, but the Canadian border hasn’t been open since March.”

McDermott will also compete in the nationals, but his ironman days are done.

“On Nov. 22, 2019, I came home from the gym and had a mini-stroke.

My wife said I slurred a couple of words and she rushed me to Strong,” he said.

He has a clot in his left carotid artery. Doctors told him the clot is not going to go away, “but you can go on and live your life.”

“It took me until January or February to get back to running. It’s been a little bit of a blessing because there has been no racing,” he said. “I picked up my training, but not with any races in mind. I am qualified for the Nationals.

“My wife feels training was the cause of the mini-stroke,” he said, sitting in his kitchen, with wife Brenda six feet away, folding clothes. “I promised my wife I’m done doing ironman.”

His wife nods from the other side of the kitchen.

“I will do races from an enjoyment standpoint. I love the social aspect. I trained with RATs (Rochesterareatriathletes.com) and DINOS and the people are just phenomenal, super encouraging, no

judgment,” he continued. “I love the social aspects of the clubs and the races. When I go out to nationals in Milwaukee there will be people from RATs there and DIDOs and we’ll set up a tent and do social things.”

Does Brenda worry about him?

“Of course,” she laughs. “I worry about him every day. He’s not allowed to do any more ironman, but I don’t know how I can not let him do any more races because that’s what he’s passionate about.”

“I’ll keep doing this as long as my body lets me,” McDermott said. “You don’t have to be in shape, anybody can do triathlon. Reach out to DIDOs or RATS and just come out. Every town has a triathlete group and they’re all the same — super supportive — no judgment. None, not at all. The amount of knowledge you get – everyone wants to share, everyone wants the sport to grow. It’s a great way to get in shape, stay in shape and the social aspect — both training and racing — is phenomenal. DIDOs has a regular calendar of events; RATS has a Sunday morning swim-bike-run at Durand, or Mendon Park, where you can run-bikerun during the week—bring a beer for afterwards. All kinds of opportunities to just come out and enjoy it. While I tend to do a lot of my hard training alone because my schedule is flexible and I can do what I want, it’s a great sport and a great way to stay active and be social and go some neat places and support local communities.”

What’s Next?

Michael McDermott and Pam Cooper-Vince have a packed schedule in the coming months.

McDermott is training for USA Triathlon Age Group National in Milwaukee, Aug. 7, and will participate in the Rochester Triathlon Sprint Event, Aug. 21.

Cooper-Vince will also participate in those two races. In addition, she will compete in the half iron distance in the Ironman 70.3 Maine to be held in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Aug. 29, and the full-iron distance in the Maryland Ironman to be held in Cambridge, Maryland, Sept. 18.

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55+ real estate

Spruce Up For Higher Home Sale Price A little effort can result in a big pay day

S

elling your home should not be difficult in today’s seller’s market. However, a few extra touches can help you get more for your home. It all begins outside.

Carolyn Stiffler, senior real estate specialist recognized by the National Association of Realtors, sells for ReMax Plus in Greece. She advises homeowners to especially work on the outside of their homes.

“Curb appeal is critical before someone goes through the front door,” Stiffler said.

That includes clean windows, no peeling exterior and maintenance up to date. Ignoring some of these “will limit the number of possible offers,” Stiffler said.

If you think that it is OK to sell it “as is” for a fixer-upper, you automatically reduce the number of people interested in your home. Stiffler said that since many young couples work, they lack the time to do the work themselves.

Many also do not know how.

“If interest rates rise to what they were in the early ‘90s, buyers would be 36

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant more apt to take on houses that need work, such as removing wallpaper, exposing hardwood floors, but not necessarily with a low interest rate of 3-3.5%,” Stiffler said.

She advises sellers to remove curtains and draperies to let in the light and replace them with two-inch wide shades, either vertical or horizontal.

“Buyers today in this market are more willing to take a dated kitchen and bath than they would have been four or five years ago just to buy a house,” Stiffler said. “But buyers will always desire newer mechanics and well-maintained homes over outdated and deferred maintenance.”

Ideally, provide any warranties, receipts and records of work done on the house and of any major fixtures and appliances you have replaced, which Stiffler calls a “good resource” to buyers.

Ginny Hronek, real estate agent with Howard Hanna in Pittsford, advises painting the house inside, removing personal photos and decluttering.

“Keep in mind that you’re selling space, not your knickknacks,” she said.

“Less is more when it comes to having things out on tables, buffets. Always have fresh flowers in the house, particularly for when the photos are taken.”

If you have photos of your home’s exterior during the different seasons, create a scrapbook to leave out during showings. Hronek also advised heating a pot of water with drops of vanilla extract before a showing to create the homey aroma of freshly baked cookies.

“Have good illumination throughout the house,” Hronek said.

“Every time there’s a showing, have all the lights on. Clean the lightbulbs or put in fresh ones. Try to bring in as much natural light as possible.”

If you’re able to do some updating, the two most expensive rooms—the kitchen and bath—are the bestselling features.

“Probably a room that’s the least important is the playroom or a craft room,” Hronek said.

Some kitchen spruce-ups are

not as costly as others. For example, changing the cabinet hardware and painting wood cupboards white can make them instantly current.

Hronek also recommended replacing the bathroom light fixtures as an inexpensive upgrade. Look through a few décor websites. Some things that your home has had a long enough time may be retro cool again and should stay put.

Nino Vitale, owner of Nino Vitale Interiors in Pittsford, has worked in real estate in the past. He recommends streamlining the home’s décor.

“The eye doesn’t like to see too much clutter,” Vitale said. “I steer towards the simpler side. The home should be more than overindulged with stuff.

“I always tell people when they’re looking to sell a home, think of putting your personal style away. You need something that’s appealing for a lot of people. If you’re a MacKenzie-Childs person, it might be too taste-specific and turn a buyer off.”

The distinctive checkered MacKenzie-Childs pattern may charm you but seem too busy to someone else.

Color also matters. He recommends coordinating the home’s color inside and out. For example, pillows on the outside furniture should coordinate with the colors in the hanging baskets on the porch and the accent color throughout the house. But keep bright colors as the accent.

“If a house is painted robin’s egg blue, most people can’t look past that,”

Vitale said.

Sometimes, a drab house can look completely different with a pop of color. Pastel blue shutters on a taupe house is a simple choice, but boring.

While painting the whole house is costly, “doors and shutters are very easy to change the look of a home,” Vitale said. “It’s a D-I-Y project over the weekend.”

A contrasting color such as plum or navy on taupe would look much more attractive than a light color on a drab color. But don’t go for a zany pattern or oddball color like lime.

“When a house is well put together inside and out, it’s easy to imagine living there, not forcing the brain to say, ‘What would it look like if I did this?’” Vitale said. “You’ve done the work for them. It makes it easier to sell your house.”

He warned sellers not to try too hard. Just a charming color scheme and a few strategically placed accents are enough.

A few tasteful touches are like a woman wearing earrings and a necklace, but not her whole jewelry box.

“The moment you want to sell your home, you need to detach yourself from it emotionally,” Vitale said. “You have to ‘beige-ify’ it. That way, a potential buyer can work with this. They’re not fixated on the distinct style. If it’s really fussy landscaping or lots of color all over, a new homeowner may be turned off.”

Carolyn Stiffler of ReMax Plus in Greece recommends upping your curb appeal.

Ginny Hronek is a real estate agent with Howard Hanna in Pittsford. She recommends painting your home’s interior and de-cluttering to better sell your home.

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Town Hall (585.229.4523) DMV Office (585.396.4210) FLCC, near gym (585.785.1000) Police Department (585.394.3311) The Medicine Shoppe (585.337-4300) Thompson Hospital, lobby (585.396.6000)

State Trooper Barracks (585.398.4100)

Richmond

Town Hall (585.229.5757) CVS Pharmacy (585.229.2285)

Police Department (315.828.6771) North Street Pharmacy (315.787.5388)

Rushville

Hopewell

Shortsville

Ontario County Mental Health Clinic (585.396.4363)

Village Hall (585.554.3415) Red Jacket Pharmacy (585.289.3002)

Clifton Springs

Naples

Victor

East Bloomfield

Phelps

(585.924.7970)

Hospital & Clinic, lobby (315.462.9561) Town Hall (585.657.6515)

Village Hall (585.374.2111)

Mead Square Pharmacy

Community Center (315.548.8484)

Questions?

Call us at 585-396-4554.

July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

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55+ downsizing

What to Do with Your Stuff Before You Downsize

By Jim Miller

T

he process of weeding through a house full of stuff and parting with old possessions is difficult and overwhelming for most people. A good place to start is to see if your kids, grandkids or other family members would like any of your unused possessions. Whatever they don’t want, here are a few tips and services that may help you downsize.

Sell It Selling your stuff is one way to get rid of your possessions and pad your pocketbook at the same time. Selling options may include consignment shops, a garage sale, estate sale and selling online.

Consignment shops are good for selling old clothing, household furnishings and decorative items — they typically get 30% to 40% of the sale price. A good old-fashioned garage sale is another option, or for large-scale downsizing you could hire an estate sale company to come in and sell your items. See EstateSales.net and EstateSales.org to locate options 38

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

in your area. Some estate companies will even pick up your stuff and sell it at their own location — they typically take about 35% of the profits.

Selling online is also a great option and opens you up to a wider audience.

The OfferUp app (OfferUp.com), Facebook Marketplace (Facebook. com/marketplace), Craigslist (Craigslist.org) and the CPlus for Craigslist app (Yanflex.com) are great options for selling locally, which can eliminate the packing and shipping costs and hassle. These websites and apps also don’t take a cut of your sales, but you’re responsible for connecting with your buyer and making the exchange of money and goods.

Donate It If you itemize on your tax returns, donating your belongings to charitable organizations is another way to downsize and get a tax deduction. The Salvation Army (SAtruck.org, 800-7287825) will actually come to your house and pick up a variety of household items, including furnishings and

clothing. Goodwill (Goodwill.org) is another good option to donate to but they don’t offer pickup services.

If your deductions exceed $500, you’ll need to file Form 8283, “Noncash Charitable Contributions” (IRS.gov/ pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf). You’ll also need a receipt from the organization for every batch of items you donate and will need to create an itemized list of the items donated. To calculate fair market value for your stuff, use the Salvation Army’s donation guide at SAtruck. org/home/donationvalueguide.

Toss It If you have a lot of junk you want to get rid of, contact your municipal trash service to see if they provide bulk curbside pickup services. Or, depending on where you live, you could hire a company like 1-800-GotJunk (1800gotjunk.com, 800-468-5865) or Junk-King (Junk-King.com, 888-8885865) to come in and haul it off for a moderate fee.

Another disposal option is Bagster (TheBagster.com, 877-789-2247) by

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39

55+ activism

Henry Padrón-Morales, owner of Hipocampo bookstore on South Wedge: A commitment to arts and culture.

Henry Padrón-Morales Works to Bring Cultures Together The bookstore owner has been an activist since an early age

By Christine Green

T

here is just something about being surrounded by books.

It’s a warm, comfortable feeling that comes from knowing that thousands of stories are just waiting to be discovered.

Henry Padrón-Morales of Rochester knows this feeling well.

For him, it all started in the Bronx when he was just a child at the library.

“Walking into that building was like a sensational moment, literally, the smell of the books was a magical feeling for me. And then, the feeling of turning

40

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the pages. The smell of a book was one of the fondest memories I had interacting with books, and it lives with me today,” he said.

It’s no surprise then that he is the co-owner of the thriving and vibrant South Wedge bookstore, Hipocampo.

But to understand the importance of the bookstore to Padrón-Morales one must look back at his life as an activist and educator.

“My heart, my passion was in activism,” he said.

Padrón-Morales, 69, was born in

Crown Heights Brooklyn to parents who hailed from Puerto Rico. He spent his childhood in the South Bronx before moving with his family to Rochester where he attended East High School.

But his penchant for community activism started even before he reached his teen years in Rochester. It began when Padrón-Morales was 10 and his father received a letter from Puerto Rico.

“The seed was planted when I was 10 years old when my grandmother

writes my father a letter,” said PadrónMorales, “The letter said: ‘...An errant bomb had landed 100 meters from my house.’ Whoa! That was like a nocompute, even at 10 years old. I started asking questions. And eventually I understood that the United States Navy did live target bombing practice on the islands of Culebra. That was activism 101, without even knowing it for me, because from that point on, I had a curiosity. I had a desire to understand why a bomb would land that could kill my mother. You kill the enemy; you kill those who you don’t want to live. I had all these questions going on in my head I peppered my father the rest of my life on the political context of Puerto Rico and the United States. It was my political education before I even knew that.”

From that point on, PadrónMorales became an activist for the Puerto Rican community locally and in Puerto Rico.

Carmelo Ramos, an integrative medicine specialist at Jewish Senior Life, is a lifelong friend of PadrónMorales and has known him since his earliest days as an activist and leader in the Rochester Latinx community. “He got a lot of things going and started right from the beginning. He was a pioneer for a lot of this movement in the Hispanic community,” Ramos said.

Padrón-Morales had a formative role in the foundation of Rochester organizations such as the Puerto Rican Youth Development and Resource Center and the Spanish Action Coalition. He was also involved in the first Puerto Rican festival. But he was also instrumental in working with people in Puerto Rico, too, particularly the fishermen of Culebra and Vieques when the US military had divided their fishing areas causing devastating environmental and economic impacts.

“So, my heart, my passion was in activism, particularly activism which has as a central goal the independence of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, and its island municipalities, is the oldest colony on planet Earth. In the year 2021 there is no colony with a longer history of a colonial status than Puerto Rico.

That has been my passion,” he said.

Ramos said that Padrón-Morales’s activism has always been based on a deep and genuine need to help his community and those in need of assistance and representation.

“His activism also helped integrate

people when they came here [from Puerto Rico]. Here is a little different from how it is there, but his activism was always there, he was always an advocate, you know. If somebody needed help for any type of thing, Henry was there, organizing things, getting things together and getting people to collaborate with what he was doing. There was so much trust in Henry that he could always help wherever he was needed,” Ramos said.

An activist educator While Padrón-Morales worked tirelessly as an activist he attended classes at local colleges but did not focus on a career path until a trusted professor at SUNY Brockport, Dr. Robert Ribble, told him that it was time to get his degree. He suggested that since Padrón-Morales had so much experience teaching others—including children—through his community leadership and activism that he could do well as a teacher.

He began a 34-year career as a teacher in the Rochester public schools with 26 of those years being a kindergarten teacher.

He also spent time as an administrator for the Rochester City School District. But when being in the central office didn’t work out, he was more than happy to return to the classroom.

Just as much a writer as a reader Padrón-Morales is also an avid writer and musician.

He is currently working on a chapbook of his poetry.

“I write in a translanguaging style. I move in and out and through English and Spanish,” he said. “I also use the nonbinary x.”

“Short verses full of vexes and curses shedding light to delight the senses en inglés o español no importa todo “rebota wear your shield put

“I took that in such a cool stride, because that’s been the way my life has been from one struggle to another struggle, stride along, move along, don’t get stuck there’s more to do,” he said.

The last 13 years of his career were spent teaching the dual language kindergarten program at school 12.

“Of the participants in the class half were Spanish dominant half were English dominant. And then you put them together. They came from all kinds of strata of society,” he said. “I had kids whose parents were professors at U of R. I had kids whose mother was a mechanic; a father or mother was a nurse. I had kids whose father or mother sold Avon products, I had kids whose families were super tight-knit. I had kids whose families were dysfunctional. They were homeless. The model tries to put all that together to give a growth opportunity for children that are 4.5 to 5.5 years of age in September to grow and see another reality.”

Annette Ramos is a Rochester artist and educator and is the executive administrator of special projects at the Monroe County Parks Department.

She is also the executive director of the Rochester Latino Theatre Company.

She has known Padrón-Morales for decades.

“Henry was always welcoming artists into his classrooms. I’ve done on that armor ponte a prueba de la ignorancia let my words be the w2 that unrusts the old you y te pone flexible de nuevo estabas oxidadx flow brother flow sister flow agarra la hola metete a la yola aquí remamos todx” “What I love that Henry does, is he really blends art forms. Poetry, spoken word, with music and lyrical verse, and hip hop and rap,” said Annette Ramos. “He really sees the interconnectedness of literature and music. He exemplifies the resounding rhythm of Puerto Rican art and culture in his words and in his music.”

July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

41

many programs connected to Henry’s work at school number 12,” she said.

Ramos collaborated with the Memorial Art Gallery on various art programs and appreciated how Padrón-Morales brought his students to experience their events.

“For years we had students from his classroom, and other classrooms at number 12 school, and they were meaningful, impactful experiences where the kids really learned about Latinx art and culture. And then they come and celebrate in a public arena and educate the larger community and context around Latinx art and culture,” she said.

Hipocampo: a commitment to arts and culture When Padrón-Morales retired from teaching, he didn’t kick up his feet and call it a day. He took all he knew about education and community leadership and decided, with his partner Pamela Bailie, a senior project coordinator at Wilmot Cancer Center, to open a bookstore. It wasn’t a fly-bynight decision, though. They worked hard to create a comprehensive and complete business plan.

“We did our homework,” said Padrón-Morales “We visited other children’s independent bookstores in New York State, Canada, and Europe while we were there. We wanted to get a feel for what this was. We did our research; the metrics, the analytics, the trends. How were bookstores faring at the time? And what projections were there for the future?”

Their hard work paid off and two years ago in April they opened Hipocampo Children’s Books on South Avenue in Rochester. The name is a clever compilation of the words hippopotamus (English) /hipopótamo (Spanish) and hippocampus, the region of the brain that plays an important part in learning and memory. Add the word “camp” in there because of the fun events and programming they offer and you get Hipocampo.

The store is a colorful and inviting space filled with books in a variety of languages for children, teens, and adults. They offer workshops and readings as well.

“You walk in there and it’s about our languages and cultures. We use the book shelves facing the audience that enters. You see the cover of the book, 42

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“The seed was planted when I was 10 years old when...an errant bomb had landed 100 meters from my house...That was activism 101, without even knowing it for me.”

Henry Padrón-Morales describes the letter his grandmother received, which sparked his interest in activism for the Puerto-Rican community.

and quite often I’ve had little children tell their mom, ‘Mother, mummy, mummy, that looks like me on that book!’” said Padrón-Morales. “Man, we’re really connecting.”

He went on to discuss the “ripple effect we started in the South Wedge...

We’re working with suburban and rural districts and their drive to diversify either their classroom collections, library collections, or grade level collections. I mean, it’s really exciting.”

It wasn’t easy at first, though.

Their opening was initially delayed in 2018 because the government shutdown put essential paperwork they needed to open into limbo. They did eventually open but then soon faced what every small business faced in 2020, COVID-19. But like so many others, they expanded their online sales and kept right on going until it was safe to open their doors once again.

“So, our grand opening has been pretty full of having to be very resilient, having to think out of the box. Having to survive a government shutdown right into a pandemic, so it’s been pretty exciting, to say the least,” said Padrón-Morales.

When asked how they managed through all of the ups and downs both Bailie and Padrón-Morales credit the other.

“Pamela’s skill set though, is the one that if it weren’t there, I wouldn’t know what to do, literally,” he said of his partner. “Mine is the programming, the culture, the classes, the publicity.

Hers is the nuts and bolts, nitty gritty.”

Bailie added, “This store wouldn’t be what it is without both of our sort of natural ways of being. It’s just so fun to run it with him because first of all, he’s extremely creative.”

She also gave him credit for being

someone who is forward thinking and clever. “He’s always thinking of new ways to do things with the store, new programs to run or new events to have,” she said.

She recalled a day when they heard drummers playing music down the street. In no time flat PadrónMorales was out the door to meet the musicians. He managed to book them for a future event at the store.

“None of that would have happened if it wasn’t for Henry and his personality and the way that he is always looking to meet people and to bring people on board with our store,” said Bailie.

Jose Olivieri-Rivera, founder of Sho-Shin Martial Arts, is another longtime friend of Padrón-Morales and is impressed with how well the store has fared these last couple of years.

“What is best for me is that nonHispanics are supporting the effort,” he said. “I’ve seen different people from different walks of life, which is good. So, for me it’s a place where people of different sensibilities, if you will, are coming by, Hispanics, Blacks, I’ve seen foreign people here. I think that’s great.”

Bailie and Padrón-Morales are excited for the future of Hipocampo.

“We have a commitment to arts and culture,” said Bailie. “We have a commitment to really highlighting the cultures that are here in Rochester and in Western New York and celebrating people and the work that they do.

And we have a commitment to social justice as well. And so, what I see as the pandemic hopefully starts to wane, we’ll be able to bring more people together and be able to sort of fulfill and continue fulfilling those commitments that we have in a way

that we’re actually able to do it together in person.”

A spirit of generosity Hipocampo wouldn’t be what it is today, said Carmelo Ramos, if it wasn’t for Padrón-Morales’s big heart.

“He’s just the most loving, wonderful person and friend. He’s a great guy to be around,” he said. “He was always positive. I never heard a negative word out of Henry, no matter how things happened around us.”

“He has such a strong kindness and a spirit of generosity that I really have not met in very many people,” agreed Bailie. “He really sees people as the human beings that they are, and I’m very lucky to be with him. I’m lucky to be able to see all those sides of him because it’s just a pleasure to see somebody who is just so caring for the people, for everybody in our community.”

When Padrón-Morales isn’t busy working at Hipocampo and being an active community leader, he is jogging, walking, riding his bike, practicing martial arts, making music, or writing poetry.

“I am an avid believer in self-love and self-care,” he said, adding he takes a short nap every day.

Padrón-Morales deserves those restful naps especially considering all he has done to reach this point in his life.

“It’s been a journey. That journey has been from a 10-year-old in the South Bronx reading that letter my grandmother sent my father to read, to now going on the third year being an independent bookstore. And geez, what a journey that’s been!” he said.

“And I’ll tell you that there’s much more to go. I’m here and I’m going to continue being who I am, what I am, for the reasons that I am, because it’s been a run and I’ve loved it.”

Hipocampo Bookstore at a Glance

Visit the shop: 638 South Ave., Rochester, N.Y. 14620 Phone: 585.461.0161 Email: hipocampochildrensbooks@gmail. com hipocampochildrensbooks.com Hipocampo is the official 2021 Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival bookseller.

July / August 2021 - 55 PLUS

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55+ music

Allen Hopkins Ready To Continue Folk Music Tradition …but is concerned with the way police are portrayed in songs

By Todd Etshman Veteran local musician Allen Hopkins, 77, loves the folk music he’s heard and played over the course of some 60 years that includes his Harvard University undergraduate days.

Cambridge wasn’t simply a good venue for higher education; it was a folk music hotbed in the mid-1960s where the likes of Joan Baez, Tom Rush and Taj Mahal got their start on the way to fame.

While at Harvard in the mid-1960s, Hopkins got himself a five-string banjo and learned to play it from 44

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

Pete Seeger instruction books. The versatile local musician now plays somewhere around a dozen or so different instruments without having had a single lesson.

Today, the former Rochester Police Department employee and selfproclaimed liberal Democrat is retired and enjoying his local music roles as a solo performer, group member, session man and concert host and organizer.

He has performed with numerous musicians over the years and often teams up with local singer songwriter Bonnie Abrams today.

What do a police department and left-leaning political views have to do with each other? “That’s not the general orientation of the police department, he said. “They tend to be a little more conservative and not pleased with protesters,” which he was as a devoted disciple of his idol, Woody Guthrie, and other protestsong singers like Baez and Bob Dylan.

Hopkins was a Vietnam War protester back in the day marching to Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young protest songs.

Protests and peace marches have long been a venue for the folk musician.

“It was like having a foot in both camps,” he said about his protest involvement and day job at the police department where he was an administrator in charge of the budget office, but not involved in law enforcement directly or in keeping the peace on the streets. In other words he wasn’t the one protest singers were targeting. But, he still feels sympathy for the officers on the street and on the front lines.

“The police play an important function. They are not the villains

they’re often portrayed to be. I never felt my folk music principles were being compromised by what I did there at the police department,” he said.

Hopkins enjoys delving into the history of folk music throughout American history. He’s been playing it at the Genesee Country Village and Museum since 1976. He’s also researched the lyrics of songs critical of the police and police actions and has found some that aren’t entirely accurate. Still, the songs live on. The artist doesn’t go back and change the lyrics.

In the folk music genre, there aren’t a lot of famous folk or rock songs praising the police, no matter how good a job they do.

“We’ve got to have a lower level of anger and confrontation,” Hopkins said.

Dealing with the mentally ill on the streets is an area Hopkins thinks police can improve upon. “A good police department is in the community and part of the community, not an outside force, he said. “They’re not all confrontational or threatening. They keep people safe.”

“Folk music and police work seem like total opposites but I don’t think that’s true,” he added. “There’s no society without public safety. Woody Guthrie’s perspective was that they were not his friends and that feeling has persisted today with Black Lives Matter. It’s an almost inevitable conflict between people whose perspective is they’re the underdog, they’re dispossessed, not treated well by

police enforcement.”

Among other forms of music, Hopkins noted that rap is particularly full of anti-police sentiment.

“Their picture of our society is a hard one,” he said of a mostly young black male audience that is continually oppressed, often incarcerated and at times confrontational.

Hopkins said country music is the one form of music that has lyrics supportive and appreciative of police.

Hopkins may not be able to change the misperception of the police as villains in popular music, but at least he knows where it comes from since the issues of the day have always shown up in musical lyrics throughout our history.

Historical folk music is what he likes, a fact that makes him a good fit for a historical museum like Genesee Country Village and Museum, the Livingston County bicentennial celebration, historical theme shows, Civil War reenactments and senior homes, where he plays regularly. He plays music from Stephen Foster on up to the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s for appreciative senior home audiences.

“My focus is to get the audience to participate. They may be clichéd songs but people respond to them. It has a therapeutic effect as well as an entertaining effect that I really enjoy,” he said.

The pandemic with its risk of infection and subsequent cancellation of activities and concerts slashed Hopkins’ performance schedule.

Folk singers have a lot to write and sing about these days, but few

opportunities to perform them until now.

Many, if not most clubs, are still not back to hosting live acoustic sessions. Some venues such as the Greenhouse Café on East Main Street in Rochester didn’t survive. Fortunately, the tradition of folk music players sharing their music with each other did survive.

“It’s important to be a performer playing for audiences. But, to me the core of folk music is singing and playing together with others who love it,” he said.

Hopkins helped found the Golden Link Folk Singing Society, which celebrated its 50th anniversary with a May 22 virtual concert that can be seen on YouTube. A calendar of upcoming folk music concerts at various venues in upstate New York can be found at www.goldenlink.org.

Audiences are eager to return to live performances and musicians are even more eager to get back to work, Hopkins said.

“Hope it isn’t too long before singers and listeners will be getting together to join voices and instruments, as we’ve been doing for longer than anyone can remember,” Hopkins said with optimism.

In the meantime, Hopkins still writes a weekly folk music newsletter that includes his performance schedule, musician biographies, folk music history and news.

Write to him at allen@allenhopkins. org to subscribe.

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45

55+ second act

Former school teacher Jane Ahrens, 73, started her business, Ahrens Benefits Company, in 2006. Her daughter, Tina, joined her mom in 2015, also bringing her teaching experience to the business.

Jane Ahrens: Lifelong Educator Turned Entrepreneur Former Rochester City School District teacher enjoys owning her business alongside her daughter, also a former teacher

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

J

ane Ahrens, 73, of Greece, has spent her life teaching. She has come full circle to operating a business with her daughter, Tina Scahill, Ahrens Benefits Company in Rochester, where they teach clients about their healthcare insurance options.

At first, she taught health education in the Rochester City School District and tap dancing at School of Arts, also in Rochester. Meanwhile at home, she taught her children the meaning of 46

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

hard work by example.

When they had grown up, her daughter took over teaching her dance class at the School of Arts in 2001 while Ahrens and her husband, Rex, moved to Arizona for three years. During this “Southwest sabbatical,” Ahrens thought about what her next chapter would be.

“While out there, I met a man who was in the insurance business,” Ahrens said. “He encouraged me to look at

insurance. I knew about property and casualty insurance, but I wasn’t interested in that at all. I was interested in health insurance because of the vague relationship between insurance and what I taught. I thought I could make a difference in helping people sort out health insurance. Even back then it was pretty complicated.”

She launched Ahrens Benefits Company in 2006, focusing on health insurance. Two years later, she began

selling Medicare plans. After 20 years of teaching, Tina joined her mom in 2015, also bringing her teaching experience to the business.

“It’s surprising how well we get along,” Ahrens said. “We butt heads on occasion, but it has been a delight to work with her.”

Ahrens thinks that their backgrounds in teaching have proven helpful to the women as they explain insurance matters that confuse many people. Clients have received numerous letters, read seemingly conflicting information online and hear numerous “facts” from wellmeaning friends and relatives, Ahrens tells them to “start from the beginning, like you didn’t read anything.”

“People are confused about getting their plan on the New York state marketplace or from their employer.

We get a lot of husband-wife businesses that are confused as to if they can have a business health insurance plan. They can’t under the Affordable Care Act. They have to have employees,” she said.

Though in her seventh decade, Ahrens does not feel like that inside.

Although she acknowledges that the

concept is a cliché, she really does not feel 73.

“You feel like you still have the working mind of a 20-year-old,” she said. “And you can’t believe what your body looks like. It’s hard to see all the wrinkles. It reminds me we’re mortal and only have a certain number of years on this earth.”

Perhaps that is why she takes pleasure in helping others with the time she has been given.

“I enjoy helping people; it is so satisfying,” Ahrens said. “I’ve had some really big wins with some of my clients. I remember why I do this when there are days where it’s not so wonderful. The joy in helping in someone is what keeps me going and is why I want to keep doing it. I feel like my clients are a part of my family.”

Ahrens is a member of Women TIES, National Association of Health Underwriters; Small Business Council in Rochester; Rochester Professional Consultants Network; GRAPE (Greater Rochester-Area Partnership for the Elderly) and the chambers of commerce in Spencer, Gates/Chili, Greece and Rochester.

She volunteers for Cure Childhood

Cancer Association since Scahill is a cancer survivor. She is also a member of Pioneer Class Connections, the first graduating class from Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester.

“It was the ‘pioneer class’ because we were the first one,” Ahrens said.

The organization helps classmates stay in touch and has started a scholarship fund for current Bishop Kearney students.

“My philosophy of life is ‘Make every day count,’” she said. “I try not to take time for granted. I may spend too many hours working, but I’m trying to do a better balance between work and family. I’m making sure what we do as a family is meaningful.

I have a lot of people who help me at work. More and more I’m letting responsibilities go to other people.”

In her spare time, she enjoys walking her dogs and traveling, particularly cruises with Rex. Her son, Marc Bruyere, and his wife, Kris, live in Atlanta. Schill is mother to Ahrens’ two grandchildren.

Ahrens’ favorite quote is by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t—you’re right.”

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47

addyman’s corner

By John Addyman Email:john.addyman@yahoo.com

We’re All Friends Here, Right?

I

’ve shared some of the dreary details of my humble life with you.

So, perhaps you’ll lend me an ear to discuss a problem I’ve had since I was a little boy.

This is hard to admit. I’m a “tooter;” an occasional tooter, an accidental tooter most of the time, but a tooter nevertheless.

It pains me because I worry about it.

For example, in church on Sunday over Memorial Day weekend, I was the reader, standing near the altar in front of and above the congregation.

It’s always an honor to do that. I practice the text for a couple of days ahead of time so it comes out smoothly and I can say things with feeling. Then, when I’m confident I can read the text without stumbling, I start worrying about things that are a little out of my control.

Did our priest leave the book open to the right reading? Will the microphone be on? Am I zipped up everywhere I should be? Did I remember my reading glasses?

And finally, will I get half-way through the reading and suddenly suffer a little toot escapade? Remember, I’m right in front of a microphone.

Many years ago, when I was a little boy, I had a little accidental exhalation at the dinner table and my parents, surprised, asked me what I had done.

I wasn’t old enough to have a word to describe it.

Then my dad referred to a book I loved to have read to me, “Little Toot,” about big and little tugboats.

He smiled at my mom and told me, “You did a little toot!”

I guess I did.

The big toots, I soon discovered, were reserved for my dad, who was a big guy.

We called him “The Bear” and in 48

55 PLUS - July / August 2021

bed on a cold winter’s night, he could deliver a toot that would blow his socks off and rattle the perfume bottles on mom’s vanity all the way across the bedroom.

For many years, I believed that only men and boys could toot. I got my mind changed when I got married.

Now that I know everyone toots at one time or another, it shouldn’t be a surprise when someone does. But there are instances where the act can create some difficult moments.

For example, when you’re in the dentist’s chair and you’ve got the doctor and an assistant working away on your mouth, occasionally exchanging information in muted tones, concentrating on fixing you, and then you toot. You can’t apologize because you can’t talk with all that stuff in your benumbed mouth. So, you gently shrug your shoulders and raise your eyebrows asking for mercy.

I once was part of a car pool of three, sometimes four, guys who were all attending Keystone College.

One my chums decided to emit a landfill-class toot about six miles from school. The driver, a very calm person who was a deadeye shooter on the basketball team, immediately lurched the car to the side of the road and we all quickly got out and had a cigarette while the fall air made the inside of the car more pleasant.

When I was on a school board in Pennsylvania, three of us flew in a plane to interview a new superintendent and on our way into the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, airport, a tricky descent down the side of a mountain and up through a Susquehanna River valley, I couldn’t help but emit a little toot.

“C’mon, John!” the pilot exclaimed.

“Do y o u have to do that while I’m trying to land this plane!?”

My son had a pre-teen sleepover one night and we had about 12 boys in the house. Although they turned out the lights when my wife and I requested, the mirth and glee continued for another hour or two. I got curious about what was happening when there would be periods of silence, then explosive laughter and cheering. After a little while, my son appeared at our bedroom door.

“Dad?” he whispered.

“Yes?” “Are you still awake?”

“Yes. What’s going on downstairs?”

“We’re having a kind of contest,” he said.

“Contest?”

“Yes, a tooting contest.”

“And you had to come up and tell us about it?”

“Well, no,” my son said. “I couldn’t find the matches.”

Before my wife could ask what he needed matches for, I was out of the bed and on my way downstairs to end the contest, quiet the boys down and sit there until they were all asleep.

And the whole time I was there, I prayed I didn’t toot.

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SAVVY SENIOR: HOW Encore Careers: What SAVVY TINE’S DAY: FINDIN : IS SOCIAL SECURITVALEN MUCH MONEY Three Local RetireesSENIOR G LOVE LATER IN LIFE WILL I NEED TO RETIRE? Y INCOME TAXABL Decided to Do E?

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Great Day Trips to Enjoy this Summer

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Issue 70 • July / August 2021 For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

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Passion for Endurance

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Rev. Myra Brown

Renaissance Man

Award-winning producer/di rector/ videographer/journalis t and broadcast meteorologist Richard J. McCollough adds a new hat: An organic farmer and grower of blackberries.

P. 26

n GARAGE SALE

Jazz Singer Nancy Kelly

— 20 years after their debut.

n LEARNING TO PLAY

It’s not too late to learn how to play a musical instrument.

Several local groups are eager to help you.

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n SECOND ACT

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n WINTER BIRDS

Former accountant has a blast as a beekeeper

Slated to be inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame this year, singer talks about music, local roots, COVID-19 and the urge to perform

INSIDE: What Do Most People of a ‘Certain to Be Called? Elderly? Senior Citizen? Age’ Wish

Pastor of Spiritus Christi Church has been in the news because of a wave of protests in Rochester.recent says she wants to be a ‘bridge’ She ‘a better city and a better to build group of human beings’

Your guide to a successful garage sale: Everything you need to know to get rid of unwanted stuff

n HORSES

ON PARADE Triathletes, including Mike Remember all those horse McDermott, 58, of Rochester, about the challenge and talkplaced throughout passion involved in the sport statues Rochester? Some are still around

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How to make birds feel at home around your place

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What’s new for 2021 • Financial resolutions • Estate planning: What to expect from the Biden Administration

How to avoid a costly mistake and find your perfect home

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9 retirement savings mistakes to avoid

URMC Dr. Colleen Fogarty THINGS I WISH I KNEW 7 Trails Bruce Frassin Absolutely Should : 10 Tips for a Healthy BEFORE RETIREMYou Try This Season elli: A Lesson from Alex Trebek ENT New Year

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55+ last page Ken Maring, 69

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Manager of Empire Farm Days, one of the largest outdoor trade shows in the Northeast, talks about moving the event from Seneca Falls to Pompey Q: Why is Empire Farm Days an important event for the area’s economy?

A: We’ve got about 500 exhibitors, some of which are out of the area.

They’ve got to sleep and eat and buy gas somewhere. This is a buyer ’s show. Yes, you’ll have some spectators but the success of our shows is we bring buyers. We will bring in 5,000 to 10,000 people a day. I have to hire our infrastructure build. A local company built the roads. Nothing can be permanent because they take hay off the land every year and that land is in a land trust. The only exception is the roads can be permanent as we have a variance because it’s an agriculture show. The biggest impact is the nonprofits who volunteer, like Lions Club and Future Farmers of America.

Summer farm shows are either wet and hot or dry and hot. But it’s unique to have a brew pub, a barn where they can have events and an air-conditioned restaurant. It’s a logical step. Since we’re a publisher, we can give them a lot of promotion. That is a combination that has worked for is.

Q: Why did Lee Newspapers buy Empire Farm Days from The Empire State Potato Growers, Inc. in Stanley?

A: We went to a meeting to talk about having us manage it for the Potato Growers. We offered to manage it and they had some hierarchy there and they said, ‘Would you like to buy it?’ That was in November 2019. We bought it before Christmas. We were going to put on the show in 2020, but the pandemic canceled it.

Q: Why should people attend Empire Farm Days?

A: Farmers should come because they’re going to see all the technology, from computers to large tractors to GPS. Anything new, they’ll see at Empire Farm Days. There’s not a major equipment supplier not at Empire Farm Days. There are people who will come to the show because there are aspects like a craft brewery section. For the non-farmers there’s a lot of consumer products like lawn tractors. We have DeWalt there selling tools. For the first time in its history, it’s agriculture and construction. We have a lot of retired farmers who come.

A lot of them like to keep up with the auctions. Another draw for the show is on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be an auction. Alex Lyon and Son Auctions will have it right across the road. We don’t have anything to do with it, but there has always been an auction right alongside it.

Q: Why did you move the show from Seneca Falls to Palladino Farms in Pompey?

A: Pompey is a lot about tradition.

It used to be there 34 years ago. It made sense economically. We produce the Hard Hat Expo and we have a larger dealer base in the Syracuse area. It gave us a broader base for sales. It’s a fresh new outlook to the show. I’ve been doing farm shows for 40 years or more.

Q: What will visitors see that is different this year?

A: The location is in Pompey and the format is different. It’s also the first farm show hosted where if you’re an exhibitor you can go up to the Heritage Hill Brewhouse and sit in air conditioning and discuss deals.

We’ve opened it up to the craft brew industry. There’s not a major tractor

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55 PLUS - July / August 2021

Ken Maring of Fort Plains is the manager of Empire Farm Days and five other farmrelated tradeshow events run by Lee Newspapers.

line not represented through dealers.

We have major farm equipment right down to small stuff. We’ll have a skid steer rodeo, which is new. We’ll have live demos of equipment, but no field demos. It’s a fresh perspective on the show.

Q: What do you like about managing trade shows?

A: To be blunt, I’m really good at it. There are not many people who do what we do. It’s something different all the time. It’s different, but the same.

Every show has a formula, whether you have 50 or 500 or 5,000 exhibitors.

I am very fortunate that I work with only who I want to work with. We treat trade shows like a mercenary army.

You have a commander, assistants and hire everyone else on site. I have the greatest assistant on the planet, Melissa Pedro. There’s us, the sales staff and that’s it.

Empire Farm Days will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 3-5, at Palladino Farms, 3149 Sweet Road, Pompey. Parking is $10 per car.

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