55 Plus of Rochester, #37: January – February 2016

Need Help from the IRS? Good Luck

free

55

Jim Terwilliger: Congress Closes Social Security ‘Loopholes’ The Family Meeting Why you need to share financial information with your family.

Experts weigh in

PLUS Issue 37 January / February 2016

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

DON STEVENS The ‘Voice of the Rochester Americans’ has been promoting hockey for three decades

8

Questions to Maggie Brooks

Writing A Book?

You Need to Meet Mary Dougherty

Meet Pat Peters The Consummate Volunteer

How to Sell Your Home in the Winter

Living very well We love it here! There is great food, transportation, snow shoveling and lawn mowing are done for us, and it’s great to have time to play euchre with friends, work on woodcarving projects, and enjoy live music.

-Legacy residents Harry & Donna

It’s time to live very well!

The Legacy Communities offer beautiful, safe, and secure apartments and villas in Rochester’s most prominent locations.

Simplify your life with country club-style amenities, lifeenriching activities, educational seminars, and friends right outside your door!

In addition to Independent Senior Living, The Legacy now offers Continuum of Care services at our Irondequoit and Penfield locations. Visit us online or stop by for a tour.

We’d love to meet you!

Call for a tour and ask about our

Golden Guarantee Rent Lock There’s a Legacy in Your Neighborhood!

LegacyRochester.com

Financial Workshops

- Navigate Retirement - Secure Your Future - Get Your Affairs in Order

REGISTER TODAY!

585.512.2309

www.SageRuttyUniversity.com

Member FINRA/SIPC

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

3

CONTENTS 55 PLUS

Need Help from the IRS? Good Luck free

55

Jim Terwilliger: Congress Closes Social Security ‘Loopholes’ The Family Meeting Why you need to share financial information with your family.

Experts weigh in

55 PLUS

January / February 2016

PLUS Issue 37 January / February 2016

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

DON STEVENS The ‘Voice of the Rochester Americans’ has been promoting hockey for three decades

8

Questions to Maggie Brooks

Writing A Book?

You Need to Meet Mary Dougherty

Meet Pat Peters The Consummate Volunteer

How to Sell Your Home in the Winter

12 16 Savvy Senior 6 Financial Health 8 Estate Planning 10 My Turn 14 Contractor’s Tips 15 Addyman’s Corner 38 Long-term Care 40 Visits 48

18 12 LEGACY • Find out how you can write a book

16 BUSINESS

• Couple donates profits to charities

18 NEW LIFE

• Maggie Brooks reflects on her job

20 VOLUNTEERING • Pat Peters, one of a kind when it comes to giving

Last Page Q&A David Dimbleby, 56, retired after more than three decades with the Hilton Central School District. He talks about career 4

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

22 FINANCES

• Experts urge boomers to share financial information with family

24 REAL ESTATE

• Tips on how to sell your home — even in the wintertime

roc55.com

31 26 PASSION

• Fishing: It runs in Bill Kellman’s family

26 ADVENTURE

• Group takes journey aboard two British classics, and Miata

24 COVER STORY

• Don Stevens: 30 years as the ‘Voice of the Rochester Americans.’

36 PROFILE

• Town of Greece enhances its offerings to senior set Also in this issue: Meet long-time actress Diane Chevron; binge drinking more common among middle-aged people

Recover in a positive atmosphere with positive results.

Serious injuries and surgeries need a positive atmosphere to heal.

With a dedicated staff of nurturing therapists, Wesley Gardens Rehabilitation Services gives each patient the individualized care they require to make a rapid and positive recovery. With 720 minutes or more of therapy per week—the maximum allowed by Medicare or private insurance—Wesley far exceeds what home care can deliver. With state-of-the-art equipment and certification in the latest technologies, our therapists guide patients toward a full range of motion, while building strength and stamina. It’s this dedication and commitment to patient recovery that delivers such positive results.

3 Upton Park, Rochester • 585-241-2100 WesleyGardens.com Stop by our facility today to take a tour and meet our friendly staff.

Wesley Gardens

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

5

savvy senior

By Jim Miller

T

IRA and 401(k) Withdrawal Rules

he old saying “you can’t take it with you” is definitely true when it comes to Uncle Sam and your tax-deferred retirement accounts. Here’s what you should know about required retirement account distributions along with some tips to help you avoid extra taxes and penalties.

RMD Rules

Beginning at age 70½, the IRS requires all seniors that own taxdeferred retirement accounts — like traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SARSEPs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and 457s — must start taking annual required minimum distributions (RMDs), and pay taxes on those withdrawals. The reason: The IRS doesn’t want you hoarding your money in these accounts forever. They want their cut. Distributions are taxed as income at your ordinary income tax rate.

T h e r e a r e , h o w e v e r, t w o exceptions. Owners of Roth IRAs are not required to take a distribution, unless the Roth is inherited. And if you continue to work beyond age 70½, and you don’t own 5 percent or more of the company you work for, you can delay withdrawals from your employer’s retirement plan until after you retire.

But if you have other non-work-related accounts, such as a traditional IRA or a 401(k) from a previous employer, you are still required to take RMDs from them after age 70½, even if you’re still working.

RMD Deadlines

Generally, you must take your distribution every year by Dec. 31.

First timers, however, can choose to delay taking their distribution until April 1 of the year following the year you turn 70½. So, for example, if your 70th birthday was in March 2015, you would turn 70½ in September and your required beginning date would 6

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

be April 1, 2016. But if your 70th birthday occurred later in the year, say in August, you wouldn’t turn 70½ until 2016. In that case, you would be required to take your first distribution

by April 1, 2017. But be careful about delaying, because if you delay your first distribution, it may push you into a higher tax bracket because you must take your next distribution by Dec. 31 of the same year.

Also note that you can always withdraw more than the required amount, but if you don’t take out the minimum, you’ll be hit with a 50 percent penalty on the amount that you failed to withdraw, along with the income tax you owe on it.

Distribution Amounts

Your RMD is calculated by dividing your tax-deferred retirement account balance as of Dec. 31 of the previous year, by an IRS estimate of your life expectancy. A special rule applies if your spouse is the beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you. IRA withdrawals must be calculated for each IRA you own, but you can withdraw the money from any IRA or combination of IRAs. 403(b) accounts also allow you to total the RMDs and take them from any account or combination of accounts.

With 401(k) plans, however, you must calculate the RMD for each plan and withdraw the appropriate amount from each account. To calculate the size of your RMD, you can use the worksheets on the IRS website – see irs.gov/Retirement-Plans and click on “Required Minimum Distributions.”

Or, contact your IRA custodian or retirement-plan administrator who can do the calculations for you.

For more information, call the IRS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a free copy of the “Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements” (publication 590-B), or see irs.gov/ pub/irs-pdf/p590b.pdf.

55PLUS roc55.com

Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Contributing Writers

Deborah J. Sergeant Ernst Lamothe Jr. Deborah Blackwell, Debbie Waltzer

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Susan Suben Jim Miller, Bruce Frassinelli Michael Robinson, John Addyman Carmen Santora

Advertising

Donna Kimbrell, Anne Westcott H. Mat Adams, Suzzanne Strocko

Office Manager Alice Davis

Layout and Design Eric J. Stevens

Cover Photo

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

Health in good

Rochester–Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

Mailing Address PO Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Subscription: $15 a year © 2016 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area.

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

Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 3071

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

Reverse Mortgages: Beware of Misleading Ads

By Jim Miller

W

hen it comes to advertising about reverse mortgages on TV, don’t believe everything you

hear.

Many of these ads are misleading and don’t always give you the whole story. In fact, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently issued a warning to seniors to watch out for these deceptive advertisements. With that said, here’s the lowdown on reverse mortgages.

The Basics

A reverse mortgage is a unique type of loan that allows older homeowners to borrow money against the equity in their house that doesn’t have to be repaid until the homeowner dies, sells the house or moves out for at least 12 months. At that point, you or your heirs will have to pay back the loan plus accrued interest and fees, but you will never owe more than the value of the house.

It’s also important to understand that with a reverse mortgage, you, not the bank, own the house, so you’re still required to pay your property taxes and homeowners insurance. Not paying them can result in foreclosure.

To be eligible, you must be at least 62 years old, own your own home (or owe only a small balance) and currently be living there.

You will also need to undergo a financial assessment to determine whether you can afford to continue paying your property taxes and insurance. Depending on your financial situation, you may be required to put part of your loan into an escrow account to pay future bills. If the financial assessment finds that you cannot pay your insurance and taxes and have enough cash left to live on, you’ll be denied.

Loan Details

Around 95 percent of all reverse mortgages offered today are Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), which are FHA insured and offered through private mortgage

lenders and banks. HECM’s also have home value limits that vary by county, but cannot exceed $625,500.

How much you can actually get through a reverse mortgage depends on your age, your home’s value and the prevailing interest rates. Generally, the older you are, the more your house is worth, and the lower the interest rates are, the more you can borrow. A 70-year-old, for example, with a home worth $250,000 could borrow around $136,000 with a fixed-rate HECM. To estimate how much you can borrow, use the reverse mortgage calculator at reversemortgage.org.

You also need to know that reverse mortgages are expensive with a number of fees, including: a 2 percent lender origination fee for the first $200,000 of the home’s value and 1 percent of the remaining value, with a cap of $6,000; a 0.5 percent upfront mortgage insurance premium (MIP) fee, plus an annual MIP fee that’s equal to 1.25 percent of the outstanding loan balance; along with an appraisal fee, closing costs and other miscellaneous expenses. Most fees can be deducted for the loan amount to reduce your out-of-pocket cost at closing.

To receive your money, you can opt for a lump sum, a line of credit, regular monthly checks or a combination of these. But in most cases, you cannot withdraw more than 60 percent of the loan during the first year. If you do, your upfront MIP fee will be bumped up to 2.5 percent.

W i n t e r Wonderland

Get Educated

To learn more, read the National Council on Aging’s online booklet “Use Your Home to Stay at Home,” which you can download at homeequityadvisor.org.

Also note that because reverse mortgages are complex loans, all borrowers are required to get face-toface or telephone counseling through a HUD approved independent counseling agency before taking one out. Most agencies charge around $125 to $250. To locate one near you, visit go.usa.gov/v2H, or call 800-569-4287.

One-of-a-kind wreaths, festive arrangements, wintry berries and garlands, spectacular Christmas trees, and so much more!

When it comes to your home for the holidays, Preferred Plants is the place with that special something.

Holiday showroom opens November 1.

The Finest in Artificial Botanicals 52 Sager Drive (near Culver and University) 256-2300 Monday-Saturday 10-6pm www.preferredplants.com

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

7

financial health

By Jim Terwilliger

Congress Closes Social Security “Loopholes”

C

ongress giveth and Congress taketh away!

Case in point: As part of the late-November federal budget deal, a compromise that literally came out of the blue was reached.

The intent was to make a small dent in the cost of the Social Security program and to close off a couple of retirement benefit claiming strategies that presumably benefitted the rich.

Trouble is, the strategies were available to and used by folks across the entire economic spectrum. Many lost a significant degree of flexibility and potential benefit dollars regardless of economic circumstances.

We have written about the advantages of these so-called “loopholes” in past columns and are disappointed to see them go. Let’s look at the particulars.

File-and-Suspend

Legislation enacted in 2000 that allowed file-and-suspend was originally designed to encourage people to keep working or to return to work.

It 1) changed the earnings test so that it stopped at full retirement age (currently age 66 for those born in 1943 through 1954) and 2) allowed folks at or over that age who previously had started to collect Social Security benefits (but now wished they had not) to suspend receiving benefits.

This enabled those who had adequate household cash flow to suspend Social Security benefits in order to build delayed credits. Then, at age 70, say, benefits could be restarted but at a rate up to 32 percent higher than full retirement age benefits.

Since then, people linked this option together with an entirely different option enacted in 1939 that allows for spouses with low or no earned benefits to receive spousal benefits based on their higher-earning spouse’s work record. With this option, spou8

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

sal benefits can only be received if the higher-earning spouse had at least filed for benefits.

A spousal benefit is equal to ½ of the other spouse’s full retirement age (age 66) benefit but reduced if the spousal benefit is started prior to age 66.

The result of this combination has allowed the high-earner of a married couple, say, to file-and-suspend at age 66, delay taking retirement benefits all the way to age 70, then lift the suspension to start enhanced benefits. At the same time, the spouse with no or low earned benefits has been entitled to receive spousal benefits based on the higher-earner’s work record.

Restrict Application to Spousal Benefits Only

This option also relates back to the legislation establishing spousal benefits. It enables one to file for just spousal benefits at full retirement age or older while delaying earned benefits all the way to age 70, thereby enhancing the earned benefit. If one files prior to full retirement age, the benefit will be the greater of one’s own earned benefit or spousal benefit. There is no choice.

Combining the two options above has resulted in a “perfect storm” benefitting the married household. The combination enables both spouses, for example, to delay earned benefits all the way to age 70, thereby enhancing both benefits by 32 percent over full retirement age benefits as well as enabling one of the spouses to receive spousal benefits up to four years prior to reaching age 70.

The New Rules

Two things changed:

1 — The file-and-suspend option remains in place for the original purpose but can no longer be combined with spousal benefits. Spousal

benefits can only be taken if the other spouse is actually collecting earned benefits.

2 — It will no longer be an option to restrict one’s application to spousal benefits only. When filing any time prior to age 70, the benefit will be the greater or one’s own earned benefit or spousal benefit. Period.

Phase-In Timetable Fortunately, anyone who is currently benefiting from the “old” rules is safe. All are grandfathered in. Otherwise, 1 — combining file-and-suspend with spousal benefits will continue to be allowed for situations in which the suspension occurs by April 30, 2016. All bets are off for suspensions occurring after this date. 2 — restricting one’s application to just spousal after full retirement age will continue to be allowed for folks who are age 62 or older at the end of 2015.

All bets are off for younger people.

Note that the file-and-suspend change does not affect spousal benefits for divorced individuals but the second change does indeed impact these folks.

There is a lot of misinformation in the media about these changes. Don’t rely on what you read in the paper, magazines or on the Internet. If these changes impact you, be sure to consult with a knowledgeable, trusted financial adviser in order to understand your options and take appropriate action within the deadlines.

James Terwilliger, CFP, is senior vice president, financial planning manager, Wealth Strategies Group, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at 585419-0670 ext. 50630 or by email at jterwilliger@cnbank.com.

Social Security

Q&A

Q: I know that Social Security’s full retirement age is gradually rising to 67. But does this mean the “early” retirement age will also be going up by two years, from age 62 to 64?

A: No. While it is true that under current law the full retirement age is gradually rising from 65 to 67, the “early” retirement age remains at 62.

Keep in mind, however, that taking early retirement reduces your benefit amount. For more information about Social Security benefits, visit the website at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Q: Next month I'll turn 65 and, because of my financial situation, I thought I'd be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But my neighbor told me I'd probably be turned down because I have a friend who said he might help support me.

Is this true?

A: If your friend helps support you, it could have an effect on whether you get SSI and on the amount you receive. Whether you can get SSI depends on your income and resources (the things you own). If you have low income and few resources, you may be able to get SSI. However, if you are receiving support from your friend or from anyone else, that income will be considered when making a decision on your SSI eligibility and amount.

Support includes any food or shelter given to you or received by you because someone else pays for it.

For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

Q: If I retire and start getting Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, will my Medicare coverage begin then too?

A: No. Medicare benefits based on retirement do not begin until a person is age 65. If you retire at age 62, you may be able to continue to have medical insurance coverage through your employer or purchase it from an insurance company until you reach age 65 and become eligible for Medicare.

Experiencing Marital Conflict?

Workplace Conflict? Family Conflict?

Conflict Coaching Can Help!

Conflict Coaching is: Time Limited • Confidential • Solution Focused Bobbie L. Dillon, M.S., empowers people to create Peace-Full Relationships™ Call today to schedule your FREE 30 minute consultation 585-748-8682 • Bobbie@BobbieDillon.com • www.BobbieDillon.com

MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE...

Call Irmgard Hahn 350-8810 Lic. RE Salesperson

Working with our seniors.

Call today for a FREE, no obligation consultation of your real estate needs. www.irmgardhahn.com 85 S. Union St., Spencerport, NY 14552

Convenient … comfortable … affordable senior living!

Christopher Community offers safe, subsidized one bedroom apartments for income qualified seniors and mobility impaired individuals in a variety of neighborhood settings. Call today.

East Main Street Apartments 371 East Main Street Waterloo, NY 13165 (315) 539-3104 EastMain@ christopher-community.org North Street Apartments 260 West North Street Geneva, NY 14456 (315) 789-0902 NorthStreet@christopher-community.org

Eighty Parrish Street Apartments 80 Parrish Street Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585) 394-3097 EightyParrishSt@christopher-community.org

Royal Gardens Apartments 100 Royal Gardens Way Brockport, NY 14420 (585) 637-8220 RoyalGardens@christopher-community.org

www.christopher-community.org

St. Jude Apartments 4075 Lyell Road Rochester, NY 14606 (585) 247-1060 pictured above StJudes@christopher-community.org

St. Jude II Apartments 4099 Lyell Road Rochester, NY 14606 (585) 426-2350 StJudes2@christopher-community.org

TDD/TTY (800) 662-1220 January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

9

estate planning

By Michael Robinson

1934 Ridge Rd W. Rochester, NY 14626

Diversified To Meet Your Needs Bringing Homes & Families Together Since 1989



  



Divorce Sensitive



Senior - Reverse Mortgage

Rent 2 Own/ Opting for solutions



Senior- Reverse Purchase

1st time Home Buyers (ABR)



Buying/Selling or Downsizing

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES)

No More Mortgage

Carolyn Stiffler Lic. RE Assoc. Broker

Cell 585-732-0428 cs@carolynstiffler.com

Belmont Management Co., Inc. 215 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14204 www.belmontmgmt.com

Our Rochester Area Properties are Anxious to Help You Find an Apartment The following properties are for people over the age of 62 or disabled regardless of age. Income eligibility requirements. Please call the individual phone number for information regarding that property.

Bergen Meadows Apts.

6619 N. Lake Road • Bergen, NY 14416 585-494-2168

Village Centre Apts.

222 Main Street • Brockport, NY 14420 585-637-6310 Please check us out. We want to help people stay as independent as possible TDDY 711

T

Are You a Caregiver For a Loved One?

he job of caring for someone like an aging parent or other loved one can be one of the biggest challenges you will ever face. In addition to juggling your own schedule, you are constantly on call, making sure your loved one’s needs are met. In general, caregivers are concerned about ensuring their loved one is properly cared for and receiving the best medical treatment, all without spending down their loved one’s life savings.

Often, caregivers put their own needs on the backburner, which can lead to burn out and even adverse health consequences. Although caring for an aging loved one can be extremely difficult, there are tools available to help caregivers make the right decisions while also taking care of themselves.

How to Find Relief

While there are some tasks you will want to handle yourself, there may come a time when you need assistance. There are many places you can turn for relief, including: • Another family member or friend • Home health care agency • Services such as Meals on Wheels At some point, you may realize you have done everything you can but are unable to provide a high enough level of care. As difficult as it will be, placing your loved one in a nursing home may be in his or her best interest.

As a caregiver, there are many things you can do to make life easier on yourself as well as your loved one.

Taking care of yourself

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY 10

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Are you tired? Burnt out? These feelings will only increase over time, especially if you have no relief. Medicaid can help pay for different types

of care, depending on your needs and circumstances: • In-home care — this provides assistance during the day, as the primary caregiver remains in charge on the evenings and weekends. You will not relinquish all responsibilities.

• Adult day care — it provides occasional and/or scheduled breaks for the caregiver, and can also be scheduled around work and vacation schedules.

• Nursing or assisted living care — Full-time relief for the caregiver.

Taking care of legal needs

If you are caring for an aging loved one, putting a disability plan in place now is important to prepare for the time when they become unable to handle their own affairs. A well crafted disability plan will allow you to avoid an expensive and lengthy court proceeding in an attempt to obtain control over your loved one’s affairs.

In addition, if you are concerned about the cost of quality care, a properly drafted disability plan can allow your loved one to qualify for Medicaid benefits to cover the cost of their care, allowing you to preserve most or even all of their assets even if they will require care within five years, and even if they are receiving long term care services already. Consult with an experienced estate planning and elder law attorney to find out what planning may be appropriate for your loved one.

For over 30 years, The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. has helped thousands of families in the region protect their legacies. The firm is recognized nationally and locally as an expert resource for estate planning and elder law. Visit mrobinsonlaw.com or send an email to info@mrobinsonlaw. com. Phone: 585-374-5210

Do you have Fibromyalgia?

Would you like to participate in a study that uses medication and behavioral health treatments for Fibromyalgia?

You may be eligible for this research study if:

• You are between ages of 21-70 • You have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia This study is being conducted at The University of Rochester

Anesthesiology Clinical Research Center Please call 585-273-5199 for more information

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney

FREE Co FREE Esta

nsumer

te Plann

Reports

ing Work

shops

Protect Your Loved Ones and Your Hard-Earned Assets Living Trusts and Wills Medicaid Planning and Asset Protection Probate and Trust Administration Guardianships and Powers of Attorney Call us Today at (585) 374-5210 or Visit our website at www.mrobinsonlaw.com Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. 196 North Main Street, Naples, NY 14512 1163 Pittsford-Victor Road, Pittsford, NY 14534 January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

11

55+

legacy

Mary Dougherty, 62, of Irondquoit, is the creative mastermind behind Bootstrap Publishing, a consulting company she started at age 53 to help people in mid-life and beyond share their legacies through self-publishing books. Photo by Jessica Waydelis.

Is Writing A Book on Your Bucket List?

Irondequoit publisher has helped hundreds get their stories self-published

By Deborah Blackwell

I

t’s safe to say that Mary Dougherty knows all the angles of how a book comes to life.

From her earlier days in offset printing to her years working with writers, to the success of her company — Bootstrap Publishing — she gets it done. But her success comes from her longstanding internal drive to help others get it done by telling their own stories.

“Writing a book changes people’s lives, and that’s my mission. A book changes your life and exposes all that 12

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

you are through inspiration,” said Dougherty. “My authors write about their legacies, which tell the story of a person.”

Her books, most written by people in mid-life and beyond, include fiction, non-fiction, how-to books, books about health, hope and life experiences. When she officially started Bootstrap Publishing at age 53, she already had 500 people’s stories published from her years as an independent publishing consultant.

“Legacies tell the story for the

kids,” said Dougherty. “If my mother did a book about her childhood, I would have been thrilled. A legacy is about experiences, not about money.”

Irondequoit resident Dougherty, now 62, came full circle from her start as a business-to-business print salesman in the 1990s. She worked for Mercury Print Productions, which partnered with Xerox through a Rochester-based beta test sight for digital printing. When she saw the marriage between the original black-and-white copiers and new color digital print

technology, she thought about how she could publish books. At that time, books were published with offset printing in large publishing houses, requiring thousands of copies. That was not cost-effective for self-publishing in smaller quantities.

“Coincidentally, I connected with a woman who had self-published a book and had 10,000 copies in her living room,” said Dougherty.

“I ended up teaching classes on how to self-publish with digital printing, one book at a time. Order 100 books, sell 100 then get 100 more. Sell them through book signings and speaking engagements, and sell them at the back of the room.”

Dougherty went to several print shops in the area and told them how to market to self- publishers, and continued to share that knowledge until it grew into her own business. She decided to move to Arizona to pursue that business, not only because she wanted to live near friends there but because Arizona has a high population of midlife writers. She was 47 at the time.

“I took everything I owned, my life savings, and I went out there and started running classes on self-publishing at senior centers and bookstores,” said Dougherty. “I started the consulting business on $200, had brochures made and marketed myself as a publisher on how to write and publish a book.”

Her classes were free to anyone who wanted to attend. She taught every Saturday for a year and a half, and offered free one-hour private consultations for new authors. She opened an office and training center and said people came in daily to receive her help with every step of the process from writing to publishing.

Bootstrap budget

At that time, Dougherty also partnered for a short time with a local print shop that had the digital equipment needed to print books. As the Internet grew, so did her ability to partner with other printers, including Amazon. And as the self-publishing industry grew, so did Dougherty’s business.

“It really was a miracle. I named it Bootstrap Publishing because of starting something using resources you have for little cost,” said Dougherty.

“The people who come to me, my cli-

Mary Dougherty, owner of Bootstrap Publishing, sits in her living room in Irondequoit and reviews a book she helped publish. She keeps a pencil behind her ear to have at the ready to make any notes. ents, use very little money to get their books published. It used to be $30,000 to publish a book; now it’s $1,200 or less. People can afford to share their dreams.”

Her initial clients were business people, real estate brokers and sales people who wanted to self-publish marketing materials for their businesses. Then she said as holistic health became popular, her clients included reiki practitioners, holistic health practice owners, and even mediums. Then her clientele turned again to retirees.

“Retirees are the third-highest population of writers. Seniors have the time and anyone who lives 50 years has a lot to talk about,” Dougherty said.

Although Bootstrap was doing well after seven years in Arizona, Dougherty returned to Rochester to be with her family. She did not expect Bootstrap to be as successful as it was in Arizona due to a different business climate in New York.

“When I first came home, I was going to do it as a hobby and not a business. Arizona is a different mindset from Rochester; there is a new learning curve,” said Dougherty. “So I just did it for people I knew. Then I got fired up and started teaching classes again, and did it the same way I did in Arizona. I’m not publishing thousands of people, but the people I’m publishing are successful.”

Robert Shanebrook hired Dough-

erty to help him with his first book, “Making Kodak Film, The Illustrated Story of State-of-the-Art Photographic Film Manufacturing,” and said he could not have done it without her.

She helped him understand the process of writing and publishing a book, and broke it down so it made sense for him. Shanebrook is now working on his second book, a novel, with Dougherty’s help.

Dougherty teaches throughout both the Rochester and Buffalo areas.

She refers to herself as the cheerleader with the client, and does the juggling with vendors. She maintains two editors in Rochester, two in Arizona, and graphic designers in both Arizona and New York City as well as Rochester.

“I have worked with Mary for three years. She is very professional and easy to work with,” said Karen Nolan of Fairport. “She walked me through the process of publishing four books and one on the way.”

The process can take weeks or as long as it needs to, according to Dougherty. Each person’s journey is custom and personalized. Bootstrap has over 600 books on Amazon. One book is her own titled, “Is Writing and Publishing A Book on Your Bucket List?”

“I love my work,” said Dougherty. “I learn so much. I not only learn about the person, but whatever they’re teaching I get a sneak preview of. It’s just so interesting.”

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

13

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bruce@cny55.com

Need Help from the IRS? Good Luck

I

The IRS has made the term ‘customer service’ an oxymoron

f your boss needed you at a critical time, and she called you to elicit an important piece of information that only you knew, and you hung up on her, not once but a dozen times, what do you think might happen to your job?

Far-fetched?

Not when you realize that the Internal Revenue Service hung up on 8.8 million callers in the spring of 2015. This, of course, was the critical time when taxpayers needed assistance in completing their 2014 income tax returns. No heads rolled in bureaucratic land, and there were plenty of excuses.

In fact, while it was cutting customer service, the IRS spent $60 million on employee bonuses last year. The IRS also allows employees to spend nearly 500,000 hours annually working on union activities while being paid by us taxpayers. If this weren’t so outrageously true, you might believe I was making this up.

While it borders on the unfathomable, the IRS has been

14

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

hanging up on us customers and clients for years, but 2015’s number was striking in the extreme. Compared to 2014, this was an increase of about 1,518 percent.

In typical government fashion, it calls these hang-ups “courtesy disconnects,” a euphemism for an overloaded system that hangs up on a caller when there’s no one to answer the phone. One-third of the callers did get through, but they were on hold an average of 23 minutes, according to a report issued by National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson.

“Millions of taxpayers were unable to reach the IRS by phone; millions did not receive a timely response, if any, to their correspondence, and many more may have had to pay a tax preparer or professional for answers to tax law questions or for assistance they could previously have obtained from the IRS for free,” wrote Olson, who leads an independent office within the IRS. When callers did get a real person, they couldn’t ask questions that required special knowledge or

complexity. These were considered off limits, starting this year. Customer service agents could answer only basic tax questions.

Taxpayers trying to work with paper forms didn’t fare much better.

Libraries, post offices and local assistance centers didn’t get their forms and publications until Feb. 28, almost halfway through the filing season. When the forms ran out, there were no more to order.

Olson described the 2015 filing season as a “Tale of Two Cities”: If you didn’t need to get involved with the IRS, the system served you fine. If you needed to deal with a human, it became a case of unending frustration.

The “loss of trust” could lead some Americans to just stop paying their taxes, the Olson report warns.

IRS officials blamed the lousy performance on budget cuts and fewer personnel. “The IRS must carefully balance limited resources to meet its dual mission of providing taxpayer service and enforcing the tax laws,” said IRS spokesperson Julianne Fisher Brietbeil. “The continuing cuts to our budget have severely hampered our ability to provide taxpayers with the services they need and deserve.”

A staff report by House Ways and Means Committee Republicans was critical of the IRS’s spending priorities.

The report said the agency diverted $134 million in user fees that had been spent on customer service last year to other areas.

We deserve better, and we need to demand better performance by one of the most important agencies of government. Finger-pointing isn’t going to cut it any more. As we are approaching another tax season, the IRS needs to make radical changes so we don’t have to suffer through the same frustration again in 2016.

Contractor’s Tips

By Carmen Santora

Addressing Ice Damming

The snow season is right around the corner, if not here already, and soon local contractors will be receiving many calls from people complaining about leaking roofs.

The problem they are having is usually not due to an improper roofing installation, but rather from improper ventilation and insulation in their attics.

Heat loss is one of the major causes of ice back-up and snow damming. When attics are not insulated properly and there are either not enough or no roof vents or soffit vents, heat will heat the ceilings causing the attic to warm up allowing the heat to travel up the roof and the combination of heat and snow causes ice to form. Gutters eventually become clogged with ice, forcing water farther up the roof edges. After the ice backup goes beyond the ice and water shield (usually three feet from the roof edge) the ice starts to melt and leaks inside the house.

Consumers experiencing ice back-up or snow damming should first hire an experienced contractor who is insured to remove the ice or snow from the gutters and roof edges and then have the problem addressed properly when weather permits. Before any new roof work is done, proper insulation and venting should be addressed, otherwise ice damming will continue.

I don’t recommended that homeowners try to remove snow or ice form their roofs as it is very dangerous and they will undoubtedly damage the roofs!

Carmen Santora is the executive director of the Better Contractors Bureau in Rochester, www. the-bcb.net. To contact the author, email obettercontract@rochester. rr.com or call 585-3383600.

At Your

e c i v r Se INVITE A LEGEND

Live Music or Show for Any Occasion. Since 2006

2 Step Back Productions Presents

RIDE SERVICE

Special discount rates for all 65+ Our driver will provide assistance with packages and from door to door Providing Safe & Courtesy service since 1996 To medical appointments, store, airport or anywhere

Elvis & Marilyn 585-752-7093

musicbrother1@yahoo.com

D Harvey Evans~ Elvis Tribute Artist Mary Marilyn~ Marilyn & Priscilla Artist

& Residential Maral Electric LLC Commercial Licensed & Insured Free estimates

Call and schedule a free estimate for all your electrical needs 585-490-3607 25 Years of Experience BBC accredited Accept all Major Credit Cards

A Better Way to do

Custom Picture Framing By appointment only

Visit: www.design-frame.com for the complete story

DESIGN on all FRAME C Since 2005

585-281-0615

DOWNSIZING FOR SENIORS

Helping you Before, During, and After your move.

CALL: Karen Jones Professional Organizer, Fully Insured

585-663-0547

karenejones24@gmail.com

FOR SENIORS 7 days a week

Call 455-8294 ask for Jim - Call for your quote today 455­-8294

Stop existing. Start living.®

MZFIT FITNESS INC.

In-Home Certified Personal Training Providing the personal attention you deserve in order to achieve the quality of life you desire.

Let’s start this journey together.

Reinn Alexander, CPT President

585.484.0374

mffgeninfo@gmail.com www.mzfitfitness.com

CompuTer

Lessons for seniors

• Private in-home instruction • Group instruction for Independent and Assisted Living communities For more information, visit DanielTeaches.com/55

585 902 8450 daniel@DanielTeaches.com

55 PLUS

Target the largest growing population in the Rochester region. Advertise in 55 PLUS, the magazine for active adults

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

15

55+

business

Jim and Maggie Brewer promote their business at events such as Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls.

Jim and Maggie: Making Tasty Mustard for a Cause Couple has been in business since they retired from Kodak in 2008.

The twist? They donate all profits to charities

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

hese days, many retirees volunteer, work part-time, consult or, if they're like Jim and Maggie Brewer, 68 and 61, respectively, they start their own business.

After their retirement from working at Kodak, the couple began their business in 2008.

It sprang from the admiration of friends and family for Maggie's spicy mustards she cooked up in her home 16

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

kitchen in Canandaigua. The couple realized that they could create a salable product from the spicy mustard they had given away for 20 years.

After further tinkering, Maggie developed a few recipes to launch the business, The Mustard Seed 'N' More.

The name refers to a Bible quote, which states that mountains can be moved "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed."

"We have developed more varieties

as customers have asked for them," Maggie said. "Some might think one is too hot. Or not hot enough."

She developed more exotic flavors thanks to consumer input as well.

Though their products have sold well through their appearances at festivals, through local vendors and their website, the Brewers aren't out to feather their own nest.

"We are a missions-oriented company; all of our profits go to

Headquarters of The Mustard Seed ‘N’ More in Canandaigua (5101 state Route 64). The name of the business has a biblical context, which means that mountains can be moved “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed.” mission work," Maggie said. "We're not in this for us."

They give all their profits to Africa Inland Missions (http://aimint.org/ usa), an organization benefitting 20 African countries, and to local outreach efforts of Child Evangelism Fellowship (www.cefonline.com), which leads Good News clubs in elementary schools in Livingston, Ontario and Yates counties.

"We also are spokespersons for Kenya Hope," Maggie said.

The nonprofit organization (www.kenyahope.org) coordinates sponsorship for children in Kenya who would otherwise not be able to attend school. The organization also operates Feed a Family and Kids for Kids programs in Africa, which help impoverished families establish lasting means of providing food for themselves.

With donations and their own funds, they have taken short-term mission trips to Kenya to deliver goods to poor villages and re-ignite their passion for supporting missions.

Last January through March, the couple volunteered with Africa Inland Mission in a slum in Africa.

"Our hearts are in Africa," Maggie said.

They hope to return to Africa in 2017 for another short-term mission stint.

In the early days of the business, the Brewers constructed a commercial kitchen on their property and obtained all the licensure to produce a food

item. The local FDA and Department of Ag and Markets inspectors ensure she follows safe food processing, handling and labeling protocol.

Maggie starts with French's Mustard as a base and adds peppers, onions, and horseradish Jim grows in their garden. He uses organic growing methods. Though their products aren't certified organic, they apply natural fertilizer and mulch and eschew using chemicals on the plants.

O n e o f 1 1 Some of mustard produced by the Canandaigua c h i l d re n , M a g g i e business. has always loved cooking, and especially tweaking chunky; honey brown mustard; wasabi recipes to suit her taste. From his days mustard; pub mustard; and sweet 'n of helping out on his grandparents' spicy. farm and in his parents' garden, Jim Maggie's whimsical sense of has always enjoyed growing things. humor evidences on some of the labels, The couple's combined pastimes such as the honey brown mustard is make for a flavorful business venture tagged as "bee-licious." together.

Locally, their products are sold Jim grows about 300 plants. That at numerous farm markets and other includes 12 pepper varieties to create businesses, such as Lori's Natural pepper mustards in mild, medium, hot, Foods. turbo, flamin’ jalepeno, just jalepeno, For more information on Caribbean red, habanero and habanero t h e i r p r o d u c t s , v i s i t h t t p : / / ghost; garlic mustards in creamy or mustardseednmore.com.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

17

8

55+

new life Questions to Maggie Brooks Former Monroe County exec reflects upon positive run as top administrator

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

M

any things come to mind when Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks looks back on her career.

She became the first woman to lead Monroe County since its establishment in 1821 when she was sworn in as the fifth county executive in history. She managed a workforce of nearly 4,500 employees and a population of 744,000.

However, the numbers are not what one remembers when they look at a 12-year career as county executive. In this interview, she talks about her cherished memories, advice she gave the next county executive, Cheryl Dinolfo, and the moments she was most proud during her tenure.

Q. Can you talk about what has made being Monroe County executive so special?

A. When asked what a county executive does, I always respond that I’m in the quality-of-life business.

There is no greater reward than having a job where you have an opportunity to routinely make a difference in people’s lives. It’s been a tremendous honor and opportunity.

Q.What are some of the things you will miss most?

A. I will miss the people I have worked with. There are incredibly talented men and women in county 18

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

government who, on a daily basis, exemplify what it means to be a public servant. Their work ethic is second to none and their contributions immeasurable.

Q. What were some of your proudest accomplishments?

A. I truly believe we have left this county government better than we found it. We honored our commitment to stabilize taxes; in fact, the tax rate is lower than when I started. We honored our commitment to jobs; in fact, our assistance to companies has resulted in the creation and retention of more than 110,000 jobs. We led by example with innovative services in almost every category from public safety to public health, and we are a model community for services for children and families.

If I had to pick specific projects of pride, that would be building the Monroe County Crime Lab; the establishment of the Constellation/ Sands Family Foster Care Clinic and Pediatrics Center; and all of our green energy initiatives like the EcoPark, the Mill Seat Landfill Energy Facility and the expansion of our recycling center and program.

Q. Have you decided what your next steps will be?

A. Not yet. I’m having some conversations about the future but

my focus up until Dec. 31 at midnight will be making sure the county is ready for the next administrative team.

Q. Is there a project or initiative that you wished you would have been able to see through during your years?

A. Obviously, people talk about Renaissance Square and our inability to build at Main and Clinton. But the Transit Center and the downtown Monroe Community College campus are great additions to downtown momentum. Having been in office 12 years, my team has had a unique opportunity to get things done. I can’t think of any priorities we had to table.

Q. With government official jobs typically being stressful, what did you do to decompress?

A. I followed the advice I gave Bob Duffy when he became mayor.

Every few months, you need to step away from the job and go somewhere outside of the county to refresh. It clears your head and crystallizes perspective.

Q. What advice do you have for the new Monroe County executive?

A. Advice is tough but I will share what someone said to me at the beginning: “If you try and please everyone you will fail.” You really have to have a thick skin in this business.

Q. What would you like people to remember about you during your 12 years?

A. I never lose sight of my spot as the first female Monroe County executive. It’s a humbling reality, but I would like people to remember my passion. At the end of my final State of the County, I said my legacy would be that I stayed the course, from beginning to end, because I believed in something greater than myself.

I believe in this county, its limitless potential and all that it has to offer. It has been a true privilege to serve and I thank this community for giving me the chance to be part of its history.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

19

55+

volunteering

The Consummate Volunteer

Pat Peters is one of a kind when it comes to giving.

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

A

fter working for Eastman Kodak Inc. for 36 years, you would have thought Pat Peters would spend her first day off travelling, catching up with some reading or simply doing nothing.

However, the very next day after retiring in 2007, she walked into the Greece Senior Center and signed up. What she didn’t know is that one fateful day would be the beginning of eight years of volunteering in various organizations throughout the community.

“Pat is everything you would want in a volunteer. She volunteers for all the right reasons,” said Gina Edwards, who works with the town of Greece. “You never hear her complain, no matter what the task she might be asked to do. She is truly a blessing for us to have.”

At first, Peters was only going to the Greece Senior Center to start classes. She wanted to stay in good shape during her older years now that she wasn’t working regularly.

“I would see people coming in and out, and then one day I asked a staff member if there were any volunteer opportunities,” said Peters. “She told me that there were plenty and it was just about me choosing which one fit me the best.”

She started with the town nutrition lunch program, where she works on Thursdays. In her role, she helps serve the seniors meals and works with others to organize

20

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Pat Peters of Greece helps during a birthday party at the Greece Senior Center.

that day. “We all need a well-balanced meal, especially when you get older,” said Peters, who has been an active volunteer in the lunch program for the past eight years. “Plus, there is a fun aspects of socializing when people get together. It is just a really good program for so many reasons.”

Those who know her find her work invaluable.

“She is the kind of volunteer that if all volunteers were like her, you would need only a few of them,” added Edwards. “She will do anything she is asked, always with an upbeat and positive attitude. Pat does not volunteer to get any recognition at all. In fact, she does not like the attention.”

Following in the same vein, she also volunteers for the Meals on Wheels profram. Every other Wednesday for the past five years, she donates her time to the civic organization by driving throughout the area to deliver food to those who are homebound. “While I always wish that I could spend a little more time with them and just talk, they do appreciate any time you can spend,” said Peters.

“You might be the only person they

see all day. They appreciate not only the meal, but a friendly face greeting them. Programs like these are essential because we have to take care of the seniors in our community.”

A guiding hand

Another one of her favorite programs takes place on Thursday nights when she works a social program for special needs individuals. For an hour and a half, participants work on craft programs, game nights, music and a variety of activities. They occasionally have field trips and go to concerts throughout the Rochester area.

“It is one of my favorite volunteer projects that I could have ever been involved in,” Peters said. “The work that is being done makes you feel like you are not just volunteering but truly making a difference in the lives of others. But the even better part is that they are making a big difference in our life too.”

Her colleagues at Greece know the big difference she is making.

“She truly cares and wants to help the people that she is volunteering for,” said Mark Barnes, who also works with Peters. “She volunteers

REASSURANCE THAT SUPPORT IS THERE AS YOUR NEEDS CHANGE

Heritage Christian Services can be there for you or your loved ones in more ways than ever. HCS has a 30-year tradition of high quality, compassionate care and now it extends its expertise as a licensed home care provider.

We Provide: Campanion Care • Aide Support On-Site Sitters • Hospice/Comfort Care • Respite Speech Language Pathology • Medical Escorts Recovery Assistance • Nursing

with different groups that have different needs. When she is with a particular group, she is all in. They are her only focus and she does whatever she can to make their experience special.”

Also understanding the importance of being a sounding board to help others, she is part of Greece Community Center. They talk about issues and ways to improve the environment for seniors. It’s just all part of her weekly routine of providing a hand to her community.

“I get asked how do I juggle all these volunteering opportunities,” said Peters. “I just don’t really think of it. I just jump in and fill it when I am needed. I tell everyone they need to get involved in life while you are here.”

In her spare time, Peters enjoys spending time with family and her husband, Jerry.

“Pat even goes as far as asking if she can help with our volunteer recognition event, which is supposed to be our chance to thank our volunteers,” said Barnes. “You never hear her complain, no matter what the task she might be asked to do. She is truly a blessing for us to have.”

55 PLUS

(585) 310-1718 HeritageChristianHomeCare.org

Don’t miss a single issue. Subscribe to 55 PLUS today

RECEIVE 55 PLUS AT HOME Subscribe today and get 55 PLUS magazine mailed to your home!

Name_____________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________ City / Town_________________________State_________Zip_________

Clip and Mail to:

CONTACT US TODAY!

For Active Adults

55 PLUS

P.O. Box 525, Victor, NY 14564

$15 — 1 year $25 — 2 years

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

21

55+

finances

Estate Planning: the Family Meeting Experts urge older boomers to share financial information with immediate family

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Y

ou may have lined up your final planning like ducks in a row: will, long-term care insurance, power of attorney, executor and agent for your health care proxy. But does anyone know about it beyond your legal advisers?

"Typically, having a family meeting to make sure all parties understand your estate plan is a wise move," said Tom Hamilton, president of Hamilton Wealth Management in Pittsford.

Hamilton has 20 years' experience as a financial adviser and wealth manager and hosts a weekly radio show on WYSL 1040 AM and 92.1 FM. But he's only been involved in just a few such discussions.

"Most people are uncomfortable discussing death," Hamilton. "What we all need to realize though is that at some point we all die and at that time someone has to pick up the pieces financially."

If your family remains unaware of your wishes until you die, you create a situation where they may not carry out your wishes. The confusion may increase the stress of an already emotionally difficult time.

Your family may say or do things that cause lasting emotional pain.

Hamilton

22

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

K e i t h Splain, financial adviser and managing partner with William Warren Associates in Rochester, advises clients to ask before they designate people to take the roles of executor, health Splain care proxy and power of attorney — and they may or may not be your children.

Don't assume that your accountant’s son wants to act as your executor. Perhaps his busy schedule would prevent him. Or selecting your nurse’s daughter as the agent for your health care proxy may seem a great idea, but if she lives on the other side of the country, a nearby child may make a better choice since health crises can occur suddenly.

"It's a time for honesty," Splain said. "However, there are emotions involved. Areas like death and finances should be approached delicately because the last thing you want to do is alienate your adult children."

Splain recommends that you give everyone the option of participating. Some won't have the comfort level to learn about your final plans. Or ones who live out of state may not be

able to attend.

Outline what you want to say so you don't say too much or not enough.

You don't have to tell your children how much money you have down to the penny, but some explanation as to how you plan to distribute your assets can help prevent problems.

"It's important for the heirs to be involved in how the assets will be distributed," said Bill Monte, owner of LTCi Consultants in Rochester. "It's very important to let them know what

will happen in advance.

It takes away the surprises and everyone knows who's getting what."

For example, if two of your children live comfortably but another has experienced Hendee financial struggles, you may let them know that you plan to designate their inheritance according to need. Or if you feel strongly about helping a certain charitable cause, you could let them know that organization is part of your planning.

Keeping everyone informed "lowers the stress after the person passes away," said Doug Hendee, certified financial planner and vice president with Brighton Securities Corporation in Rochester. "We've all heard horror stories about heirs battling about what they think they're entitled to, but those are the exceptions.

"As a general rule, the kids would

really prefer to be notified and have a general discussion. Ultimately, the kids will find out what they'll inherit anyway."

Once you hash out who has what responsibilities and where you store your important documents, pass codes, keys and other vital information, let the other siblings know what's going on.

Stay Home Stay Happy

Available Services:

• Companionship • Meal Preparation • Errands • Dr. Appt’s • Light Housekeeping • Beds, Laundry & Linens We meet your schedule Changed Lowest hourly rates in • Morning / Afternoon & Rochester Area Evening Care • 24 / 7

(585) 329-4476 • (716) 741-1330 www.assistingangelsseniorcare.com

EXCELLENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ALSO AVAILABLE

welcome.

It feels good to be home.

See how affordable and comfortable independence can be. Maintain your familiar lifestyle with added choices, convenience and peace of mind—at a surprisingly modest rate.

LINDEN KNOLL IS YOUR PLACE TO CALL HOME: • • • •

Monthly rent of $820, including utilities Convenient on-site laundry and small grocery store Lovely landscaped grounds with rose gardens and gazebo Emergency call system in every apartment

Contact Debra Wildow today at 585-385-0223 to tour our new model apartment and learn more.

• • • •

24/7 senior care • companionship meal preparation • light housekeeping medication reminders • errands dressing guidance • more

81 Linden Avenue • Rochester, NY 14610 lindenknoll.org

FRIENDLY SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES Cloverwood | Glenmere | Linden Knoll | Lovejoy | Friendly Home

Because friends care.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

FRIEN01393 55+ 01393_55Plus_35x475_Ad_F.indd 1

3.5"w x 4.75"h

4C

23

6/2/15 11:45 AM

55+

real estate

Selling Your Home in the Winter?

Real estate agents offer some tips on how to sell your home more quickly — even in the wintertime

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

D

o you want to sell your home, but fear you can't succeed in wintertime? It's possible to mitigate the inopportune season without bursting your budget. For many homes, a few spruce-ups go along way.

Theresa Downham, real estate agent with Nothnagle Realtors in Fairport, tells clients to de-clutter and sell what they don't want so they can streamline their homes and reinvest the money in improving them.

She listed estate sales, craigslist.com, eBay and consignment shops as ways of unloading what you don't want. Donate what doesn't sell so for a tax write-off.

Downham believes de-cluttering helps homes appear more spacious, especially closets.

24

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Irmgard Hahn, licensed real estate salesperson with Nothnagle Realtors in Spencerport, tells sellers to remove religious emblems, hunting photos and anything else that may offend some people.

Store knickknacks, leaving out just a few larger, nicer pieces. Less is more. Remove pieces of furniture that look shabby or out of style. But don't clean your home out to the walls, or it can seem impersonal.

Speaking of cleaning, scrub your home from top to bottom, as if your mother-in-law is visiting for the first time, Hahn advises. Shampoo the carpeting.

Investing in paint can help a lot.

"Choose colors that are subdued and neutral," said Tony Robusto, associate broker with Nothnagle Real-

tors in Webster. "Paint the trim, too."

Peruse current home decor stores, magazines or websites for inspiration on what colors go well together.

"People don't like wallpaper anymore," Robusto said. "It's a big liability. It's costly to replace.

Janice J. Voight-Witt, licensed real estate broker and owner of Witt Realty in Rochester, said that painting the garage floor and basement floor can help buyers think better of your home.

Before an agent shows your home, eliminate pet odors and cigarette odors, both of which are very off-putting to buyers. Air out your home or use an air purifier to freshen, but don't bombard the house with air freshener.

Clear away any snow, debris and leaves from the porch and walkway.

Touch up the porch and door's paint.

Add solar lights to the walkway (since many people may stop by after work). Since your landscaping is likely bare or buried in snow, punch up the color with a large wreath or spray on the door, a vase with a colorful tried arrangement on the porch and a bright welcome mat.

Voight-Witt said that leaving out photos of the spring and summertime landscaping can help buyers see what they would have to look forward to.

Turn on every light in the house before buyers arrive.

If you have a little more money to spend, pull out the carpet if you have hardwood floors, which are "very popular," Voight-Witt said. If the floor hasn't been painted, leave it natural. You may need to sand and re-seal the floor.

Voight-Witt recommended an inexpensive area rug for hardwood floors. Place one directly under the dining room table and chairs with room to pull out the chairs. Another large enough to go under the front edge of the parallel sofas can "anchor" the living room set and coffee table.

Jeremy Havens, branch manager for Nothnagle Realtors in Penfield, said that clients who have lived in the same home a long time sometimes say they "just updated" even though "the kitchen was last updated in 1990," he said. "It's time to upgrade again. They're happy with the changes they've made, but when it's time to put it on the market, you have to have the eye of the buyer."

He recommends freshening up the kitchen by changing the hardware and resurfacing the cupboard fronts.

He also listed light fixtures and ceiling fans as more of the economical way to upgrade a house.

How can you tell if your tiling or counters are fashionable or not?

The context makes all the difference. For example, you may see an orange countertop like yours in a home fashion magazine and believe yours is fine. However, if the magazine depicts the orange countertop in a trendy apartment with all-white fixtures, white walls and stainless steel finished appliances,

but your kitchen features an avocado green fridge, pineapple print wallpaper and walnut cabinets, your orange countertop looks dated.

In a similar vein, if your bathroom features chest-high tile in candy pink, along with matching toilet, sink, vanity and shower, Havens recommends taming the color tidal wave by re-glazing the tile in white, which can cost around $200. Changing the toilet, shower curtain and countertop for white can also help tone down the monochrome overload.

"You can freshen up a bathroom for under $1,000," Havens said. "That can mean another $5,000 you get for the house. If someone sees they have to make these upgrades, they have to go through the trouble of the renovations. It's not just the cost."

Try these tips to sell your home more quickly • "The highest return is kitchens and bathrooms. Those are the main areas where people need to make an improvement. For a home listing for $150,000 or less, granite countertops are overkill. If you're looking above, you'd expect granite and upgraded amenities to be equal with the competition.

Tony Robusto, associate broker with Nothnagle Realtors in Webster • "Replace old linoleum flooring, either with modern style linoleum or tile flooring.

It's worth the money in selling.

• "Adding a den or sunroom will not give you your money back.

• "Adding A/C may be worth the money.

• "Having a driveway resurfaced will improve the desirability, but may not improve the sale price.

Irmgard Hahn, licensed real estate salesperson with Nothnagle Realtors in Spencerport

Sense of Purpose in Life May Boost Longevity, Heart Health Having a sense of purpose might protect your heart and add years to your life, new research suggests.

Scientists found that people who felt strongly that their lives have meaning or that they were "useful" to others were at lower risk for heart disease and death during the study period.

It's unclear exactly how having a sense of purpose might guard the heart, but the researchers said strategies to help people find meaning in their lives could help improve their health.

In examining the association between purpose in life and the risk for heart disease, researchers analyzed 10 previous studies involving 136,000 people from the United States and Japan. Their average age was 67.

After being followed for roughly seven years, more than 14,500 of the volunteers died from any cause and 4,000 suffered a heart attack, stroke or other heart-related event. But the researchers found that people reporting a higher sense of purpose in life had a roughly 20 percent lower risk of death during the study period.

In addition, people who said their life had meaning also had a lower risk for heart problems, according to the study published Dec. 3 in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine.

However, the study did not prove that there's a cause-and-effect relationship between a sense of purpose and longer life.

"Of note, having a strong sense of life purpose has long been postulated to be an important dimension of life, providing people with a sense of vitality, motivation and resilience," study co-author Alan Rozanski, from Mt. Sinai St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, said in a journal news release.

From HealthDay News January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

25

55+

passion

It Runs in the Family Bill Kellman has been fishing since he was 4 and his grandpa used to take him to Conesus Lake. He now fishes competitevely

By Ernst Lamothe Jr

S

ometimes your lifelong passions start before you even know what you are doing.

For Bill Kellman, it all began at age 4. His grandfather, Robert Kellman, brought him to their summer home on Conesus Lake and taught him some introductory tips on a hobby that has been part of his life for six decades. They would go on a wooden row boat all the time and just get lost in the art of fishing.

The tranquil waves provided a nice backdrop to learning how to catch bass and other fish while just spending time with his grandfather and father, Even his grandmother, Mabel, knew her way around a fishing pole.

“That started my love of just going out in the water and fishing,” said Bill Kellman, 63, of Greece.

“They introduced me to it not knowing that I would just jump into it. From there, I took it another level when I got older and became competitive and entered fishing tournaments. I have been doing it competitively for 30 years.”

At a recent event, Kellman teamed up with his nephew to win the Upstate Anglers Team Championship. They weighed in their top five, which totaled more than 20 pounds. For Kellman, it was just another day at Conesus Lake, the place where he was taught the basic skills as a young boy.

So how does one become good enough to win competitions in a passion sport? How do you amass a room of trophies in your man cave that your wife wishes you would

26

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

clean up a little bit from time to time?

It all starts with practicing, then progresses to reading and learning new skills and ends with figuring out the finer arts of the challenge.

Learn to adapt

Bill Kellman catching a largemouth bass on Lake Ontario. He’s been fishing since he was 4 and now fishes competitively.

“It comes down to being able to read the water and read certain situations to see how fish are going to react,” said Kellman, a retired Wegmans bakery manager. “I read a lot of information about fishing and you can’t have an ego and think that you know everything. You have to learn from other people who are already doing it and see if their techniques can also work for you. I think that has been the secret to me doing well and just understanding that you have to learn different approaches so you can adapt to different situations.”

Now that he is retired, he goes fishing a few times a week, typically in the Finger Lakes. He enjoys the scenery and relaxing backdrop for hours on the lake. With each season changing, it offers a different but rewarding challenge.

“My husband has been a hard-working man all his life,” said Mary Ann Kellman, his wife. “Fishing was his passion. It is something that has run in the family.”

His brother, Jim Kellman, said he taught Bill everything he knows about fishing, which causes both men to chuckle at the statement. But all jokes aside, he does have high praise for his brother and his ability to throw his fishing line in the water and leave successful time after time.

“He just seems to have a knack for it,” said Jim. “Ever since he was a

Investments. IRAs. Retirement & Estate Strategies.

Life, LTCare & DI Insurance.

Diana Apostolova

A Little More Now May Mean A Lot More Later. www.dianaapostolova.com

Financial Consultant AXA Advisors, LLC 175 Corporate Woods, Suite 250 , Rochester, NY 14623 Tel: (585) 475-8460 Fax: (585) 292-1569 Diana.Apostolova@axa-advisors.com

Bill Kellman enjoying time with his grand niece Giana. Passing the passion for fishing to a new generation. young boy, he would spend the entire summer with our father and grandfather on Conesus Lake. It was just a beautiful and natural location and that is where he started learning what he knows.”

The brothers have spent countless hours relaxing and talking while fishing. It provides a peace of mind that very few other activities come close to reaching.

“It just puts your mind at ease in a way that almost nothing else does,” said Jim. “You don’t have to worry about anything going on in life. You can just concentrate on fishing.”

Bill Kellman echoes his brother's sentiments about the pure joy and relaxation of fishing.

“I just find that when I get out on the water you just lose yourself and all the stress you have just stays behind,” he said. “I think a lot of people would find it rewarding and great to fish. I understand that it might not be for everyone, but if you give it a try, I think a lot of people would truly enjoy it.”

He also finds joy in that this is an activity he has done all his life with the people he loves close by.

“This is something that I have done with close family all my life,” said Kellman. “It does make it extra special and rewarding to be able to spend time with family as much as I do while doing one of the things I love the most.”

AXA Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC). 1290 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10104. AGE-101390A (02/15) (Exp. 02/17)

Having Trouble Hearing?

5-Year Protection Plan

with the purchase of Ultra Hearing Aids.

Only available through HearUSA.

We have a solution!

Introducing Ultra Hearing Aids, exclusively from HearUSA, the first and only hearing aid clinically proven* by two separate studies to provide better than normal hearing in demanding listening situations, such as: • Noisy restaurants • Movie theaters and shopping malls • Family get-togethers

Schedule your FREE Hearing Check-Up today!

FREE

Risk-Free

Demonstration of the new Ultra Hearing Aids!

60-Day Money Back Guarantee on all hearing aids

Call for details.

Call for details.

Attention all NY State and Federal Employees, Retirees and Spouses: You may be eligible for hearing aids at minimal or no cost. Call us for more information!

Rochester • Webster

Call Toll Free: 855.237.6626

Welcome Empire, Aetna, ExcellusBCBS and Medicare Advantage HMO plans.

www.hearusa.com

* Studies conducted at University of Northern Colorado (2014) and Oldenburg Horzentrum (2013) showed that Speech Reception Thresholds (SRT) in cocktail-party situations improved up to 2.9dB for wearers with mild to moderate hearing loss using the latest BestSound™ Technology with Narrow Directionality, compared to people with normal hearing. This corresponds to over 25% improvement in speech understanding. © 2015 HearUSA, All Rights Reserved.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

160101 HearUSA January Ultra Ad_55+Rochester_4.75x7_to run 1-1_01.indd 1

27

12/7/15 4:55 PM

55+

adventure

The Red Car Club. From left, Sam and Judy DeSalvo and Sam's 2005 Mazda Miata (he left his red 1955 Austin Healey 100-4 at home), Sandy and Dick McGavern and their 1967 Austin Healey 3000, and Carole and Rob Lillis and their 1973 MGB. DeSalvo was allowed to bring his Miata on the two-week, 3,000-mile Canadian trek "because we needed a car that would start," said Rob Lillis.

Jolly Good Time!

Group takes journey aboard two British classics, and Miata

By John Addyman

S

am DeSalvo wasn’t born yesterday.

When his buddies in the Red Car Club called and suggested an adventure, he said, ‘Sure!”

Rob Lillis and Dick McGavern were all hot to trot about making a trip to Prince Edward Island, weaving through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia in those red cars — a 1973 MGB (Rob’s), a 1967 Austin Healy 3000 (Dick’s) and Sam’s 1955 Austin Healey 100-4.

Since the early part of the year, Lillis had been painstakingly 28

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

planning this thing. He figured on making 200 miles a day, confirming reservations all along the way, eating local, avoiding interstates whenever possible, and having a great time.

But again, we’re talking British cars here.

When Lillis and his wife, Carole, drove across country last year — a trip that was featured on the cover of 55 PLUS magazine — the first question they got asked along the way, by other British car owners, was, “What broke?”

After some careful maintenance and lessons learned from

the last excursion, this 3,000mile, two-week trek was breakdown-free for the Lillis MGB. Just don’t ask Lillis and his wife, Carole, how wet things got.

DeSalvo had heard the stories from that 2014 trip.

He kept the MGB in the garage and rolled out the Mazda Miata — at some gentle urging from McGavern and Lillis.

“We wanted to have a car that would start every morning,” confided Lillis.

“I was invited,” DeSalvo said.

“Rob is a very enthusiastic guy

with British cars, always dreaming up a trip. We had made several trips to Canada before, mostly to Niagara and winery tours.

This trip to Prince Edward Island seemed like a really nice idea.

“The only reservation I had was taking my Austin Healy 100-4. It has great torque, that car has a lot of power for a four-banger, but we were going to cover 3,000 miles and it has side curtains — no windows, no heater, and no air conditioning.”

Every time he thought about taking the Healey on the trip, the smile on the front end of his Mazda got bigger.

Lillis had pinpointed every hotel and bed-and-breakfast en route, secured good prices each night, and made sure the itinerary provided time to see local sights and eat local food. The elaborate planning put some discipline in the tour.

“I’m very disciplined,” said DeSalvo, 75, a retired Canandaigua math teacher and computer coordinator. “But Rob can’t pass up an ice cream shop. If he didn’t have ice cream mid-morning, he’d have it mid-afternoon. We always had to stop and get him some ice cream.”

McGavern liked the idea of a trip to Prince Edward Island right away.

His Austin-Healey is gorgeous.

“Just the adventure of it appealed to me,” he said. In fact, he turned 77 midway through the journey. “I didn’t have any concerns. It seemed like a good idea, and I figured the cars would probably work — and they did,” even though the Healey went through two quarts of oil a day because of a worn rocker arm shaft.

But he had to sell the idea to his wife, Sandy.

“She needed some coercion,” McGavern said. “I kind of let the momentum of the idea grow.

We got together with Sam, Judy, Rob and Carole and the thought kind of grew. There were some nice events and places along the way we all wanted to see.”

Carole Lillis, who teaches literature at Keuka College, was a very willing participant. “She grew up on Anne of Green Gables books,” Rob said. The Green Gables house

The Blue Mussel Cafe on Prince Edward Island. This is the area where many mussels found in local supermarkets come from. But here, the trip from water to table is measured in yards, not miles. From left are: Rob and Carole Lillis, Sandy and Dick McGavern, and Judy and Sam DeSalvo — all from Canandaigua, all owners of classic British sports cars.

Atop Mt. Washington in July. The Red Car Club — Rob Lillis, Dick McGavern, Judy DeSalvo, Sam DeSalvo, Carole Lillis and Sandy McGavern are enjoying brisk winds, rain, and 50-degree temperatures at the outset of their 3,000mile trip to Prince Edward Island. is in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, within a national park.

Judy DeSalvo loved the trip. “We were off the beaten path in Canada and that was really nice to see,” Sam said. Campobello Island (the Franklin Delano Roosevelt home) was probably the highlight of the

trip. It was a very laid-back area and there was only one restaurant on the island, kind of a roadside diner kind of place. We had a big lobster dinner there. Lobster is a big thing in that part of Canada.”

“Yes, I did all the planning,” Lillis said. “It was one of those January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

29

55+

adventure

Carole and Rob Lillis in their 1973 MGB. Tom Sawyer things. ‘You did such a good job painting the fence, Tom, you can do it again’. We weren’t looking for luxury in accommodations, just something nice. It wasn’t hard to find places.”

Battling weather conditions Itinerary in hand, the caravan set off on a hot July morning. When they got to New Hampshire, the roads were really bad. “That was unfortunate,” Lillis said. “And in our cars, of course, we really felt it. We stayed at a beautiful B&B in Glen, N.H. It was like a British hotel with a little barroom, four stools, with an honor system. You had a drink, and wrote it on your bill — I’m glad to see some of that still exists.”

The next day, the cars made it to the top of Mt. Washington, where the wind was howling and it was 85 degrees at the bottom of the mountain, 53 degrees at the top. Carole Lillis didn’t like the sheer drop 30

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

and no guardrail on the way up.

On the way to Maine, the weather got hotter.

“I felt sorry for them,” DeSalvo said. “I had air conditioning. We thought about maybe I could be in the lead with the air conditioning on (and the top down) and they could get some benefit from it.”

The tour stopped for the night in Bar Harbor, Maine, and a hardy seafood dinner.

“And some wild blueberry ice cream,” Lillis noted.

Then into Canada. St. John, N.B. was “a real surprise” with a pedestrian trail downtown and a festival going on. At the B&B in Truro, N.B., the owner’s teenage sons washed all the cars. “It was the nicest thing,” Lillis said. The evening ended with another great seafood dinner.

What was before them the next day was the eight-mile-long Confederacy Bridge into Prince Edward Island — the longest bridge in Canada and also the longest bridge in the world that

goes over water that freezes.

The accommodations changed.

“We stayed in little cabins on PEI — like going back to the ‘50s. Everybody had their own kitchen and you were able to do our laundry there,” Lillis said. “We saw Anne, the musical story of Green Gables, in Charlottetown. It’s the longest-running seasonal play in the world (51 years).

It was wonderful, great production.”

And more seafood. “The mussels you buy in Wegman’s are Prince Edward Island mussels,” Lillis said. “We ate our share. And that night, we enjoyed Celtic music at a grange hall.”

Green Gables is on the north side of Prince Edward Island, with a white sand beach, and the warmest water north of Miami because of the ocean currents.

Then the adventure started. On the way to Fredericton, N.B. the rain started. “We had the top up but the window down in back,” Lillis said.

“I figured, if it really starts raining hard, we’ll just get off at the next exit.

We weren’t on the road five minutes and we were in torrential rain. And the next exit was 57 miles. We took on a significant amount of water.”

“We got caught in a real downpour,” DeSalvo said. “It didn’t bother me. (Remember, he was driving the Mazda Miata). Rob got soaked because his car does not seal very well.”

Oops, wrong turn!

The Tour de Lillis then went south, literally and figuratively.

“We followed this line on the map and the road more or less disappeared,” Lillis said.

“The worst part of the trip was when we got on a dirt road six miles long, very rough, and had no idea where we were or where we were going to come out.

It was all wilderness and we were doing 5 mph,” said DeSalvo.

“I kept figuring, it’s gotta get better soon,” Lillis said, “but it was a completely undeveloped road, and it lasted for two hours. We decided to

press on, and dropped down into this little town. People said to us, ‘You came that way?’ The cars made it. We did touch the mufflers a few times.”

At Campobello Island, the national park is run by Canadian and American services. The group stayed a couple of nights there, enjoyed the biggest of lobster dinners, and had an Eleanor Roosevelt high tea one afternoon.

“It was a great trip,” Lillis said.

“The guys let me lead — if we got lost, they had someone to blame.”

“Probably the high point of the trip was those lobsters at the Whale Watch Hotel on Campobello Island,” McGavern said. A manufacturer’s rep for ball bearings, castings and forged rings had some advice for anyone else planning to make a similar trip.

“Try to anticipate what you’re going to need and get it, then don’t hesitate,” he said.

Lillis, with all his months of careful planning, took either one or two pairs of socks — he wasn’t sure.

DeSalvo loved the trip.

“Would I go again? Hell, yes.

I’d do it all over again,” he said.

“You get to a certain point in your life and ask, ‘Why not?’ I’ve lived a lot of years. It was an excitement to do this. A road trip like this was just a dream. My wife and I have traveled through the United States by car. People often say, ‘You went to the Rockies — did you fly or take a train?’ I drive. You don’t see the country unless you drive.

You see first-hand the geographic changes going across the U.S. “Rob is talking about our next trip — to Wales and Scotland,” DeSalvo said, “and taking our cars over. One of the bad things about that is we’d have to take a tuxedo. Where are you going to put a tuxedo in a British car?”

Lillis, who’s 60-something, thinks maybe he’s found a new calling — organizing trips for guys and gals of a certain age who’d like to take their British cars of a certain era on safaris across North America — or elsewhere.

“I’d follow with a van with a sign on it saying, ‘All parts falling off these cars are made with fine British craftsmanship,’” Lillis said.

Judy and Sam DeSalvo in their 2005 Mazda Miata.

Sandy and Dick McGavern in their 1967 Austin Healey 3000.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

31

55+

cover

He Dekes, He Shoots, He Scores!

‘Dean of AHL Broadcasters’ Don Stevens marking 30 years as the ‘Voice of the Rochester Americans.’ An award-winning professional, he is credit with helping promote hockey in Rochester region

By Ernst Lamothe Jr

D

on Stevens loves working with his hands.

Maybe he learned the art of good hands while skating on the pond in the back of his parent’s Canadian farmhouse where hockey is woven through the cultural fabric like a morning coffee at Tim Hortons.

However, it’s not his hands, but his voice that has served as his lifeline through a tremendous career covering that same famed sport.

Stevens, who this 2015-16 season marks an incredible run of 30 seasons as the “Voice of the Rochester Americans,” where he calls games on 1280 WHTK-AM. Known as the “Dean of AHL Broadcasters,” Stevens has witnessed the expansion of the league to an all-time high 30 teams and the explosion of media coverage of the American Hockey League. Three years ago, he was awarded the AHL’s prestigious James H. Ellery Memorial Award for excellence in radio coverage for the second time in his career.

A man of many talents, Stevens is a full-service hockey guy for the Amerks. In the past five decades, he has served as radio talk show host, television and radio play-byplay broadcaster, a public relations director and television host.

“When you were young, you went out and skated all day, and

32

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

that’s the story of how I fell in love with hockey. It was just natural,” said Stevens, 68. “Hockey is all fluid motion and you can make it up as you go along because there are not necessarily set plays.”

Stevens uses those same improvisational skills to call the improvisational sport with skill, grace, wit and an intellect about the game.

“Don has been a staple of Amerks’ hockey for the last 30 years and there’s no one better in the business than him,” said Amerks’ Hall of Famer Jody Gage, who has worked alongside Stevens either as a player or front office member for about 30 years with the club.

“Don is passionate for the way he calls the games and his unique style has been a trademark for nearly three decades now. We’re very fortunate to have a talent like Don and I hope he’s around for another 30 years,” Gage said.

Starting his career

Some people dream all their lives about being part of sports whether it’s as a player on the field or announcing the amazing feats of athletes. Not Stevens. When he went to college, he had no idea what he wanted to do. Then his mother spoke pearls of wisdom.

“She told me that I like to talk a lot so why don’t I get into broad-

casting,” said Stevens. “I laughed at that thought and then that thought ended up making sense.”

He received his training at Brown Institute in Minneapolis.

After schooling, his first station job was in Nebraska where he did everything from disc jockeying and being assistant news director to high school play-by-play sports, announcing two nights a week. He moved up to bigger markets as a sports director on the West Coast and Midwest along with announcing hockey, tennis and baseball.

“That is the nature of the business. You get into one company and grow for as long as you can, and you jump to another and then another until you keep reaching a bigger league,” said Stevens. “You get a chance to experience some incredible people and cities. San Diego is just heaven. I have been lucky to also have some very knowledgeable and supporting people in every destination I have been.”

During his career, broadcasting has taken the Alberta, Canada native all over his homeland as well as the United States and Europe. He has worked in such markets as Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Rochester.

From 1996-2009, Stevens maintained a dual role while also serving as the broadcaster for the Rochester

A man of many talents, Don Stevens is a full-service hockey guy. He’s celebrating 30 years as the “Voice of the Rochester Americans.” Photo by Chuck Wainwirght.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

33

Raging Rhinos, part of the United Soccer League’s First Division. With the Rhinos, Stevens was part of backto-back regular season championships in 1998-99 and three A-League championships in four years.

In 1998, he even covered an Amerks’ hockey game and the Rhinos’ championship game on the same day.

In calling games with his broadcast partner Ric Seiling, a former Buffalo Sabre, he gets to see players who he calls “the best athletes in the game.”

“What people don’t think about is that you need to use a combination of skills in hockey that you see in other sports,” said Stevens.

“You need to have the sprint speed of a track runner, the stamina of a long-distance runner, the hand-eye coordination of a baseball player, the toughness of a football player, the feet of a soccer player and the vision of an NBA point guard.”

Being connected to those cities also helps form his announcing style.

Before the term “homer” was even in the casual fan’s lexicon, Stevens believed in rooting for the home team.

“Even though it wasn’t done back then, I made it very obvious what team I was rooting for,” he added. “I would be screaming when there were goals for my team and when the other team scored, I definitely wasn’t excited. I figured most of the people who are listening to the broadcaster are the local fans anyway. So since they already know who I was cheering for I might as well not

“I am getting on in years, but I so enjoy working and traveling with the team. The young players keep me young and the coaches and staff I have been around have made the experience incredible” Don Stevens act like I am trying to fool them.”

Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards for his work on radio and television. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Award in 1993, given to the person who has made outstanding contributions to the progress of the AHL for his work on the Amerks’ Radio Network.

Stevens has also won a national ACE Award for Cable Excellence as the host of the weekly television show, “Amerks’ Report,” and received the Rochester Press-Radio Club’s Louis MacMillan Award for sports-casting excellence.

In 2003, he was inducted into the Frontier Field Walk of Fame in the media category. The Walk of Fame is located inside Frontier Field and features the names of fans, players, contributors and media through-

out Rochester’s sports history.

“I have a lot of respect for Don to be able to do this for so many years,” said Amerks’ Head Coach Randy Cunneyworth. “The high-level of expertise that he continually portrays and the professionalism that he exudes every day is truly to second to none.”

In pursuit of recreation

In his spare time, you might think Stevens spends countless hours watching professional hockey and engulfing himself in sports.

However, he rarely if ever watches hockey on his downtime. Instead, he prefers to work with his hands.

He has a woodworking shop in his basement. He has spent the past three years gutting his house and performing a total rebuild project.

“I took everything out of the house and replaced it with my own design,” added Stevens.

He did everything from new wall trim and hinges on the doors to redesigning and building an island in his kitchen along with major changes to the upstairs and bathroom. With the help of his son, Stevens Inkin, it has always been a dream of his to take on such a large project. Year by year, he focused on various areas of the house. After the main floor was finished, he moved to re-tailoring the upstairs. All the while he would drive from his Perinton home to the Home Depot near Eastview Mall.

“I got a chance to know the guys at Home Depot very well that

Stevens’ Highlights

T

here have been many exciting hockey comments in Don Stevens’ life.

Stevens called Rochester’s historic 2,000th franchise win as the Amerks joined an elite club, becoming just the second team in the American Hockey League and eighth overall in North American hockey history to achieve the feat. However, here is his top-five most memorable moments.

1) “My first season was ‘86 to ‘87, and there was a memorable moment

34

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

in my very first game at the War Memorial. Shane Churla (Binghamton) went up on the stands after some of the fans.”

2) “Since then, there have been lots of memorable moments. One of the best was going to the championship in my first year and winning it at Sherbrooke, and coming home to the thousands of people at the airport at 4 in the morning.”

3) “That same season at Binghamton, beating the Rangers on the last night of the season in a shootout

to win the regular-season championship.”

4) “Going to the finals seven times in my first 14 years in Rochester is just an incredible statistic.”

5) “Calling the first-ever goal scored by a goalie by ‘shooting’ it directly into the net (Darcy Wakaluk in Utica), about a week before Ron Hextall did it (for the Philadelphia Flyers). In fact, I called the first four goalie goals in league history — two for (Wakaluk and Robb Stauber) and two against.”

I knew so many of them by name,” said Stevens. “When I finish my project, I know their profit margins are going to take a big hit.”

When he wasn’t working on his house, he enjoys playing golf during the warmer weather and vacationing in his summer because it is his non-hockey time. He also tries to exercise when he can.

“I have this problem called weight, and then I am traveling all winter long and spending time in planes and buses,” said Stevens. “Because you don’t get a chance to work out as much as you like during the season, it can all catch up on you.”

His adoring fans

Virginia Paddock has been a Rochester Amerks’ hockey fan since 1967. She has cheered the team through various management, coaches, players and broadcasters. While she attends at least 40 of the team’s 76-games, when she can’t make it in person, she turns to a familiar voice that catapults her into the action.

“When Don is calling a game,

he makes you feel like you are right inside the War Memorial watching it live,” said Paddock, of Gates. “We have had several great announcers here in Rochester and Don is one of the best we have ever had.”

But more than simply being good at his job, she said Stevens is a great person.

“Don is just a big Teddy bear and just a friendly guy. He is such a pleasure to know and talk to,” added Paddock, who sometimes travels by bus to road games. “When he calls a game, he tells it like it is, good or bad. Don is someone who is special and we are lucky to have him here.

He’s in our Hall of Fame for a reason and he makes everyone who listens to him want to be a hockey fan.”

His colleagues respect him for all the hard work he puts into each broadcast. “To be on those long bus trips as he is traveling is very difficult and very challenging, but for him to able to enjoy it for such a long time says a lot about how much he loves the game,” said Cunneyworth.

“He’s kept people in touch with

a lot of hockey games and I think people appreciate him, as we do here as our guy. We’re proud of the way he calls the game and I think it takes a real gift and he’s got it.”

Whenever you have been doing something for more than three decades, sometimes the mind wanders to the end of the road. For Stevens, he understands he can’t do this forever. But while he is at it, he enjoys preparing three hours for every hour he is on the air. He enjoys learning as much as he can about the opponents, their names, their numbers and their tendencies. However, you never know when that end will occur.

“I am getting on in years, but I so enjoy working and travelling with the team. The young players keep me young and the coaches and staff I have been around have made the experience incredible,” said Stevens, who was honored five years ago by the organization and enshrined in the Amerks’ Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2011.

“It beats working for a living.”

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

35

55+

profile

Grecian Formula

Town of Greece enhances its offerings to senior set

By Ernst Lamothe Jr

W

hen Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich entered office almost two years ago, he went on a listening tour. Instead of just coming in and dictating all of his policies, he talked with many people, including seniors, on ways to improve the town.

Through the town’s daily activities, thousands of seniors are served each year.

“When you have as many seniors as we have in Greece, you need to provide them with many interesting opportunities to continue to stay here,” said Reilich. “Our weather isn’t forgiving and seniors have plenty of choices on where they want to live, so we started thinking what could we do to make their experience in town even better.”

He has actively created opportunities to create a better quality of life for Greece seniors by: • Building six new pickleball courts on the town hall campus. Pickle ball is a game for all but is popular among active older adults.

• Building a state-of-the-art pavilion. It allows for Sunday concert-goers to enjoy music with friends. The pavilion also doubles for yoga and picnic activities.

• Acquiring a bus for the Greece community to be able to transport ac36

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich.

According to many boomers in Greece, he’s making a difference in their lives.

tive older adults to day trips, lunches and senior events held by the county.

In addition, he and his staff have increased the town’s focus on hearthealthy initiatives for the Greece Senior Center. They include fitness classes, daily lunches and activities.

“We listened to our seniors on what they needed and desired and we

did whatever we could do to accommodate that,” said Reilich, 58. “One of the ideas that came out of that was outdoor pickleball. A group told us they really enjoyed it and they wanted to see outdoor courts on top of the ones we had indoors, and we made that happen.”

Another idea that came out of

his listening tour along with his desire to revamp the Greece concert series involved building the pavilion.

The previous pavilion was difficult for seniors to navigate and the seating on the ground was uneven and not safe. While it could hold hundreds of people, often only 50 to 60 would show up not only because of the environment, but the same entertainment that came year after year.

Reilich understood that funding barely-attended events was not the best way to spend taxpayer money.

Drawing attention

Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich stands next to the Community & Senior Center Bus.

Reilich with state Sen. Joseph Robach and DPW workers who constructed a new pavilion in town.

Reilich tests out the new pickleball courts at the town hall.

Now with the changes, late this past summer they had an event that brought in more than 500 people.

Now whether it is an Elvis impersonator, country-western acts or a Beatles tribute band, the numbers of those coming to the pavilion continues to increase.

“We understand that not every request is going to be done,” added Reilich. “But when enough people talk to you about an idea, you should listen. And when it comes to music, people remember the concerts they go to for the music and the people they are around. That is the kind of atmosphere we wanted in the pavilion.”

Buying a new bus came out of necessity. After the town lost its previous transportation resources through funding cuts, officials noticed it left a gap in service.

Now, seniors can attend Rochester Red Wings games or other sports events as well as other field trips.

“I think we owe it to the people who raised their families here and helped this town grow so much to find ways to improve their quality of life,” said Reilich.

“Seniors want to be active and you don’t want a town that doesn’t give people what they want or need.”

Frank Binsack is a competitive man. But he also understands as you age, there are less opportunities and activities to exert that competitiveness. Enter pickle ball.

With the new courts, it allows him to keep doing something he is passionate about. He calls the courts some of the best available in the entire county. Also with yoga, circuit training and other exercise classes available to seniors, he appreciates the variety of ways seniors are given a chance to stay in shape.

“When you get older, having a good core becomes something that is necessary,” said Binsack, of Greece.

“I like the conditioning classes because I want to stay active. I don’t want to just sit down just because I am older.”

As a committee member for the senior center, Pat Peters is at the epicenter of many activities. She has seen a great amount of improvement in programs and facilities during the past few years. “I would guess all the improvements they have made have really increased senior center membership,” said Peters, of Greece.” I know when I see programs, they are full.”

The new transportation bus is one of her favorite new additions.

“I had never in all my years been to the Susan B. Anthony House in Rochester, so it was fantastic that we have transportation to go all over town and attend either historical or popular events,” added Peters. “It has definitely taken everything to another level.”

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

37

addyman’s corner

By John Addyman

Wait a Minute: One of My Kids Is Famous!

I

got in my car and happened to glance at my registration sticker.

To my horror, I realized that it was four days past expiration.

We had updated all the registrations online for my wife’s car and mine, but somehow, I never got the sticker. I’d replaced the sticker on my wife’s car the week before.

In a panic, I drove to the local DMV office to see what I could do before the long arm of the law reached out to grab me and write me a very large ticket.

The young lady at the DMV was very nice.

“It’s quiet in here today,” she said.

“I can fill this out for you,” and she picked out the right form and started to complete it.

“License, please,” she asked.

I handed her my license. She looked at it.

“Are you any relation to Libby?” she asked.

“That’s my daughter,” I said.

“Please tell her that Tonya said ‘Hi,’” the young woman said. “It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?”

‘What’s exciting?”

“Her book! I saw it on Facebook today.”

I took a mental step back from the counter window. “Holy smoke!” I said to myself.

Well, it’s true. My daughter Elisabeth (Libby) has written a book, “Elisabeth’s Forever Family, a book about adoption, belonging and love.”

A week ago she had a proof of it. Yesterday it hit Amazon.com. Last night it was all over Facebook.

The book is the result of a project she did in college, while she was getting her master’s degree. It’s about how she dealt with the hurtful things a little boy in her class said to her day after day. It’s about conversations she had with her mom, and me, about be38

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

ing adopted. It’s meant to be a book for kids, but there are some good lessons for adults in it as well.

Elisabeth came to us on a circuitous route. Gayle, my wife, and I had one child and wanted another, but the cards just didn’t seem to be in it for us. When the first fertility doctor who got us pregnant ran out of magic serum, we soon ran out of options.

We had also moved from Pennsylvania to the Albany area, and there we found out about Korean adoptions, and six months later, almost to the day, we had Elisabeth sleeping on the floor in our house, with Gayle on the floor with her, because that’s the way they do it in Korea.

And if Gayle hadn’t slept on the floor, Elisabeth’s screams would have awakened most of our little town of Altamont. Those first nights were a forecast of things that were to come.

Our little Elisabeth was a strongwilled young kid.

How strong?

Allow me to share a couple of things that aren’t in the book.

I guess Elisabeth was about 3 when she surprised her babysitter, our neighbor, Mary Beth Nowak.

Gayle and I both worked, so Mary Beth, who has an incredibly sweet and patient disposition, volunteered to watch Elisabeth until one of us got home during the week.

On one noteworthy Monday, Mary Beth was putting groceries away and insisted that Elisabeth would have to wait for a cookie. My little Elisabeth never waited for anything: she plotted.

The Nowaks had an older Victorian house, similar to ours, with high cabinets that went all the way to the ceiling. Mary Beth knew that Elisabeth would climb up two or three shelves to get cookies, so to make sure Elisabeth didn’t go climbing when

Mary Beth’s back was turned, she put them on the top shelf.

Not too many minutes later, Mary Kate had to go outside to get something out of her car. When she came back to the side door, it was locked.

“I didn’t lock the door,” Mary Beth said to herself.

Then she looked through the door, up the stairs and into the kitchen, where Elisabeth was moving a chair to get to the counter, to get to the cabinets, to get to the shelves, to get to the cookies.

Mary Beth tapped on the door.

Mary Beth raised her voice — something she rarely did. Mary Beth watched awestruck while Elisabeth got on the chair, on the counter, and started going up the shelves — and pulled the cookies off the top shelf.

When Elisabeth came back down to the counter, she opened the cookies — Mary Beth tapping on the door’s window all the time, turned around and faced Mary Beth, and calmly ate the cookie.

Then she ate another.

Finally, she went back up the shelves, put the cookies away, and climbed down. A moment later, she let Mary Beth back into her house.

In those days, I wrote a lifestyle column for the Altamont Enterprise, and because my kids always had something going on, the column frequently detailed some nutball things our kids did. I found out very soon that my nutball kids were just like a lot of other people’s nutball kids.

One Saturday we were doing some garage sales, and the house we stopped at —15 miles from our home — had a little kiddie pool in front with two nice little kids playing in it.

Elisabeth walked right up to the pool, shook off her flip-flops, and got right in the water with the other two kids, who looked at their mother with

a “Who is this person?” look.

Gayle and I were, of course, appalled.

“Elisabeth!

What do you think you’re doing!” I yelled.

Then I got a surprise.

“Elisabeth?

Is this the Elisabeth?!” asked the mom who was sitting on her porch. “Is this the Elisabeth I read about? Sure, honey, you can swim in the pool…”

My wife and I looked at each other.

Our kids looked at each other, then off into space. Somewhere in the cosmos there was wisdom.

So, Libby has written a book. It’s charming and true and I hope it helps kids who look a little different and are adopted to get comfortable with who they are, how much their forever parents love them, and how special life can be when its shared with others.

I have lots of other stories about Libby…many, many stories…but they’re going in my book…

What if you could choose?

“Elisabeth’s Forever Family, a book about adoption, belonging and love,” published recently by John Addyman’s adopted daughter, Elisabeth. She shares experiences she had while growing up. She is picutred with with her son, Jaden, and fiancé, Jeff Bentley.

5 Days or 45 Days

Parkwood Heights A Community that Cares...

CALL TODAY Independent & Assisted Living

Unique retirement lifestyles in a convenient campus setting • Meals Daily • 24/7 Emergency Response • Housekeeping • No Endowment Fees

• Activities, Outings & Entertainment • Medication & Case Management • Free Prescription and Grocery Delivery • On-site Physician and Lab

Call US Today! 315.986.9100 or 585.223.7595

1340 Parkwood Drive Macedon hoacny.com

For more information, visit parkwoodheights.com

Senior Apartments Villas for Lease • Patio Homes For Sale January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

39

55+

embibing

Surprise, Surprise Binge Drinking More Common with Middle-Aged than Young Adults

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

T

he latest age group of heavy drinkers may surprise you.

It’s not 20-somethings emptying kegs at raucous fraternity parties. It’s people 55 and older. It’s the stressed out “sandwich generation” person juggling the demands of his children and elderly parents. It’s the lonesome empty nester. It’s the career person approaching retirement imbibing with coworkers.

“I don’t think the different reasons are that different between the college kids,” said Jason Knupp, licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Hilton. “Fitting in, having fun, enjoying a good time: people turn to alcohol for that. You socialize and boost confidence. You forget stressors and problems. Peer pressure exists among adults and college students.”

Apparently, the problem affects many middle-aged adults. The Centers for Disease Control states that 76 percent of people who die from alcohol poisoning in the United States are aged 35 to 64.

“Although college students commonly binge drink, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve 40

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

adults aged 26 years and older,” the organization also states.

It’s not just poor people who turn to the bottle. The CDC states that drinking excessively is more common among people with an annual household income of $75,000 or more than those making less.

The CDC also stated that in the US, binge drinking is the most common pattern of drinking too much.

Binge drinking involves regularly, about four times a month, bringing the blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. For women, that’s about four or more servings of alcohol; for men, it’s five or more in a time frame of two hours on average. The amounts and time span varies based upon individual size, metabolism, medication, illicit drug use and other factors.

Many people who binge drink

would not consider themselves alcoholics by definition, but their alcohol intake surpasses the maximum one drink per day for women or two drinks per day per men. The amount of alcohol contained in their drinks often exceeds bingers’ perception.

“Adult binge drinking isn’t beer after beer but shot after shot with higher alcohol content that gets activated in the system much quicker,” Knupp said.

Now they can buy the “top shelf” alcohol they couldn’t afford in their collegiate days. Their bodies have also changed a lot since their 20s.

“Now that they’re older, they can’t handle the same amount of alcohol they used to,” said physician Luis Postigo, with Senior Medical Care in Webster.

Since they maintain their social standing, and function in their day-

to-day roles respectably well, they don’t see their drinking as a problem.

The CDC states that they’re not “alcohol dependent.” But their drinking does harm their health.

The CDC states that “binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including unintentional injuries, alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, liver disease, neurological damage, sexual dysfunction, and poor control of diabetes.”

Could you be a binge drinker?

Lynn C. McDonald, licensed mental health counselor with training in alcohol and substance abuse, and partner at Pastoral Counseling and Family Therapy in Rochester, said that a binge drinker regularly imbibes in excess, not just once or twice a year.

“They may still be successful at work and socially,” McDonald said. “People who binge drink may not even realize how much they’re drinking or how often they drink too much.”

Part of the reason is that alcohol consumption has become so socially acceptable.

“I have in my practice had middle-aged people coming in who think they don’t have a problem but they do, in fact, have a binge drinking problem,” McDonald said.

A binge-drinker faced with an unexpected tragedy may more readily succumb to alcoholism because they already rely upon alcohol to regulate their mood. Bad day of work? Settle down with a glass of wine. Time to celebrate? Break out the champagne.

Difficult meeting? Take a shot of hard liquor. For some people, binge drinking provides a stepping stone to fullblown alcohol dependency as it takes more and more alcohol to receive the desired effect.

“Whatever it is that stresses you can increase alcohol use,” McDonald said.

She encourages those who drink alcoholic drinks to frankly look at how much they’re drinking, keeping in mind the percent of alcohol in each, and also how often they drink.

Knupp said that seeking treatment with a mental health counselor like himself can help people solve the root problems associated with overuse and also develop a healthful coping mechanism.

Reach the Fastest Growing Population in the Rochester Area

Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies: You‘ve Got to Meet Them!

Savvy Senior: How to Choose the Best Place to Retire

free

55 PLUS

Learn More About Social Security’s ‘Viagra Benefit’ for Kids

Jim Terwilliger: How to Plan for a Successful Retirement

External Drive, Cloud: What’s the Best Way to Store Photos?

55

Issue 35 September / October 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

Good Food Talented executive chefs, some trained internationally, are cooking at local independent living facilities

JENNIFER LEONARD

In her element as leader of Rochester Area Community Foundation, her goal is to make the region a better place

55

Highland Geriatrician: 10 Tips to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

free

PLUS Issue 36 November / December 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

See You in the Spring

PLUS

The Art of Love

Thousands in Upstate getting ready to head to warmer places.

We interview one of them

Issue 34 July / August 2015

Two women discover themselves, their passions

Key Financial Resolutions for 2016.

Four Experts Weigh In

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

45 and counting...

Where to Put Your Money: Your Retirement or Your Kids’ College Fund?

Number of kids for whom Judy and Wayne Holly have provided foster care

John Addyman: ‘My Grandchildren Are Ruining My Sex Life’

Christmas on a Budget: Don’t Break the Bank

20 YEARS WITH WXXI WXXI CEO Norm Silverstein has shaped public broadcasting in the Rocheter region for two decades. He talks about career, challenges

Square Dancing Anyone?

John Addyman: Key To Marital Bliss? Not What You Think…

More Baby Boomers Joining the Party Sex Is Good: Many in Their 70s and 80s Still Hard at It

Savvy Senior: Understanding Social Security Lump Sum Payouts

55 55

PR Professional Happy in New Role as Business Owner

Lunch 60 Club Program: Eat, Drink, Interact

Behind the Scenes

John Parkhurst, the leader at Rochester Broadway Theatre League, has been a powerful force behind the arts and entertainment in Rochester. He talks about his love for music, career and the lineup for the new season at the Auditorium

Forget eBay. Ontario resident is making a bundle on Etsy

Priceless

PLUS Issue 33 May / June 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

What Is the Best Age to Retire — 62? 66? 70?

LOUISE SLAUGHTER 86-year-old Fairport congresswoman may run for office again in 2016. In an interview with 55 PLUS she talks about politics, life in Washington and more

Owners of Genesee Country Inn in Mumford Living the Dream

Why You Should Consider a Family Wealth Trust

PLUS Issue 32 March / April 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

Ballroom Dance Floors in the Region Getting Really Crowded

‘Seven Lessons I Learned from My Grandparents’

DR. BRAD BERK

Paralyzing accident hasn’t stopped former URMC CEO from taking on new challenges

Priceless

Priceless

Now that You Have the Time...

We interviewed people who say what they are doing with their spare time

Jim Ingutti: Legend of West Irondequoit High School Still Going Strong

Eliminate waste in advertising Reach only the audience you want Our Readers

Most are homeowners 75% fall between ages 55 and 74 80% keep the magazine at least two weeks Most earn more than $50,000 75% have at least some college Most are ready to buy your products and services roc55.com • editor@roc55.com • 421-8109 January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

41

Front and Center: Introducing Diane Chevron Diane Chevron in A.R. Gurney's play, Love Letters.

Longtime local actress talks about her stage career and explains why she loves the theater

By Debbie Waltzer

D

iane Chevron is a classy lady. Whether she’s raising money for a nonprofit organization or singing “Feed the Birds” onstage during a production of “Mary Poppins,” Chevron brings warmth and enthusiasm to the table.

“Working with Diane is always such a joy because she brings her infectious, positive energy to every project,” says Ralph Meranto, artistic and producing director at JCC CenterStage, who recently worked with her during the JCC’s staging of a play called “Handle with Care.” “When Diane enters a room, everyone knows it. That’s the sort of presence you want from a performer.”

Chevron demonstrated this presence during the 2015 Rochester Fringe Festival, while acting in A.R. Gurney’s two-person show, “Love

42

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Letters.” Performing alongside Allan O’Grady Cuseo for 80 minutes in a sentimental piece that chronicles the 50-year relationship of two close friends, Chevron was overcome by emotion at the climax of the play — an appropriate response to the show’s content.

Nonetheless, after shedding some tears offstage, she immediately regrouped, put a smile on her face and came out onto the stage to greet the many friends and relatives who came to watch her perform.

That’s Chevron. Stuff happens — yet she soldiers on.

The daughter of loving parents and raised on the city’s north side, Chevron embraced life. “I never thought to be scared of anything,” she says. Her earliest passion was tap dancing, and she recalls her first performance at age 4 on the stage of the

Auditorium Theatre.

Teacher Olive McCue, the intimidating head of the Mercury Ballet, stood alongside Chevron offstage before the young girl’s solo number.

“If you embarrass me…” said McCue, holding her trademark stick near her side. Chevron gulped, went onstage, dazzled the crowd — and did McCue proud.

Performing got a lot easier after that.

Acting throughout her childhood and teen years, Chevron attended University of Rochester as a theater major (but didn’t graduate from it), then began a three-year, whirlwind national tour with a traveling children’s theater troupe.

Riding a bus from city to city alongside 30 chums, Chevron and her pals staged everything from “Pinocchio” and “Snow White” to “Char-

In addition to working as an actress, Diane Chevron worked at Rochester Multiple Sclerosis Association and the Rochester Heart Association. lotte’s Web” and “Peter Pan” in front of school audiences.

Staying in modest accommodations, there was nothing glamorous about the experience, she explains.

Still, “it was a whole lot of fun.”

Ready for a home-based life, Chevron returned to Rochester, acted at night while working at a dental office during the day, and earned her Actors’ Equity Association membership card.

Roles, both regionally and locally, included the stripper Electra in “Gypsy” and Kate in “Taming of the Shrew” to Madame Arcati in “Blithe Spirit” and Domina in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

Speaking of funny things — which actually could have ended tragically, but…well…the show goes on — Chevron for a number of years played the part of The Maid in Rochester City Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

During one performance, she tripped over a wire while making an entrance and went down face first.

Despite breaking her foot in the mishap, Chevron bounced back up and finished the 20-minute scene. Then, Chevron pulled Clara’s father behind the gigantic Christmas tree, handed him her handkerchief and instructed him to wipe up the greasy makeup

With fellow actress Sammi Cohen in JCC CenterStage production of “Handle With Care.” Photography by Steve Levinson. splotch off the floor so that no one would slip on it during the next number.

“There is no room in theater for prima donnas,” adds Chevron, who worked for four years as a development officer for Rochester Multiple Sclerosis Association, followed by nine years in a similar capacity for the Rochester Heart Association. “If you see a bobby pin on the stage, make a ‘bit’ out of it and pick it up. An errant bobby pin on the floor could end a dancer’s career. Hone your craft, help each other out and keep your nose clean.”

These days, Chevron — whose husband James Wright died nine years ago, after a career as an art teacher and watercolorist — spends time with family, including her younger sister, Debra, as well as her three stepchildren and two step-grandchildren.

She loves to travel with close friends, and volunteers her time rais-

ing money for organizations like Trillium Health and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Upcoming theater performances this season include “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Great Cross-Country Race.”

Theater will always be her passion, including moments like accidentally swapping earrings with drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis in her dressing room before a show.

“I love the discipline of the theater,” Chevron says. “There’s nothing like the energy you get from the audience and the camaraderie you develop with your fellow actors.”

As for the show “Love Letters,” which she and castmate Allan O’Grady Cuseo have performed together more than 25 times, Chevron is hooked.

“I want to do that show until I die.”

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

43

55+

visits

Bon Bini (Welcome) to Bonaire

By Sandra Scott

T

he Caribbean island of Bonaire is 50 miles north of Venezuela and 86 miles east of Aruba.

Bonaire was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 2010 when it became a special municipality within the Netherlands. The best thing is that it is out of the hurricane belt so any time of the year is a good time to visit. There is plenty of sunshine year round. The island is only 24 miles long and between three to seven miles wide. The people of Bonaire speak Papimento (the local language) plus Dutch, Spanish and English.

1

Kralendijk: Bonaire’s capital,

Kralendijk, is a port city. The colorful city is small with a population of 4,000 making for a great walkabout. The architecture has been well preserved. Start at the visitor’s center to pick up a 44

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

free walking tour brochure. Visit Fort Orange, the quaint churches and Queen Wilhemina Park.

2

History: The original

inhabitants were the Caiquetios, a branch of the Arawak Indians. Rock paintings and petroglyphs from that time have survived in several of the island’s caves. The first Europeans to claim the island were the Spanish and then the Dutch.

Control seesawed between them until 1816 when the Dutch took permanent control. Near the town of Rincon is the newly upgraded cultural center, Mangazina di Rei (The Storehouse of the King) where slaves were given provisions.

3

Diving: Frommer’s rates

Bonaire No. 1 when it comes to scuba diving. The island is surrounded by reefs that are pristine and easily accessible. Go out on a dive boat or enter from the shore where the access to the sea is clearly marked by bright yellow painted rocks that names the dive site. The waters of Bonaire have been designated as a National Marine Park so divers and snorkelers need to purchase a permit tag ($25 for scuba divers, $10 for snorkelers).

4

Catching the wind: It is almost always windy on Bonaire making it a mecca for wind surfers and kite boarders. The clear water of Lac Bay is the perfect place for beginners to learn and for freestylers who want to hone their skills. Kite boarding takes place

on Atlantis Beach. Newbies can be wind surfing after a few lessons whereas kite boarding requires more lessons. Both locations offer equipment and skilled instructors.

5

S alt: On drive-about or an escorted tour in the southern part of the beautiful island of Bonaire it is impossible not to be amazed at the white mountains of salt and the rose-colored salt pans. The salt of Bonaire is a natural product made by the evaporation of seawater by the sunshine and wind.

Fragile-looking windmills pump seawater into condenser ponds where the water evaporates until it reaches full saturation. The brine is then pumped into crystallizers where it remains for about a year during which the salty water turns green and then a beautiful rose.

When it is ready to harvest it is piled in large mountains of salt waiting to be transported worldwide.

Nearby are replicas of the small huts for the slaves who at one time worked in the salt industry.

6

Donkeys: The Spanish

brought the donkeys to the island to use as draft animals.

When they were no longer needed the donkeys were set free to roam the island. They did not fare well. In 1993 Dutch Nationals, Marina Melis, and her husband, Ed Koopman, established a donkey sanctuary on Bonaire for sick, wounded and orphaned donkeys.

Currently there are about 600

donkeys under their care including newborns. They provide food, drinking water, medical care plus a free-roaming area. Visitors are welcome to visit and interact with the donkeys for a nominal fee.

The special care area is accessible by foot behind the visitor center but the highlight is feeding and interacting with the friendly animals on a drive through the sanctuary.

7

Birds: With over 200 species Bonarie is a bird-lover’s paradise. There are migrating birds, seabirds, shore birds, and land birds but the iconic symbol of Bonaire is the elegant pink flamingo. Bonaire is only one of four areas in the world where flamingos breed. The flamingos are shy so it is important to not get to close and disturb them. For picture-taking a telephoto is a help. The best place to see them is Lake Gotomeer in the north and around the salt pans.

The breeding area is off limits.

8

Shopping: There are several art

shops in Kralendijk including Jan Art and on the edge of town is G. N. driftwood Art shop. There is a regularly scheduled art and craft market in the city.

Paintings depicting Bonaire scenes, or a stone painted yellow with the name of your favorite dive site, and a piece of driftwood art make great remembrances of Bonaire. Visit the Salt Shop to buy Bonaire salt in a variety of packages great for giftgiving or for personal home use.

A heron among flamingos

9

Tours: There are a plethora of tours for those who want to bike, hike, kayak, fish, go caving, have an off-road adventure, go horseback riding, repel, plus Segway tours, and a city tour in a luxurious tuk-tuk. A glass-bottom boat tour is perfect for those who want to see the coral reef without getting wet.

Woodwind offers snorkeling and sunset tours. Many people rent a car and explore on their own.

10 Kayaking on the Chenango River. At one time it was connected to the Erie Canal by the 97-mile long Chenango Canal.

A replica of Dutch slave housing.

Wining and dining:

Visitors will find that hotels and most restaurants offer international fare including the fresh fish of the day. There is even a Subway and KFC. Those who want to try something new should head to the historic village of Rincon. Cadushy Distillery uses the cactus that is found all over the island to make cactus liqueur in a variety of flavors. Posada Para Mira, also in Rincon, is one place to sample local fare such at goat stew. They also serve conch soup and, the more adventurous should try iguana soup. It tastes like chicken but is very boney.

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

45

55+

adventure

Serial Skydiver Taking the leap: Marguerite Fratangelo, now 85, started skydiving at age 71, after she got a birthday gift to jump — she didn’t stop until recently, when she turned 80

By Mary Beth Roach

D

id you ever receive a birthday present that made you jump for joy?

W h e n M a rg u e r i t e Fratangelo turned 71, she received a gift from her daughter, Pat Fratangelo, and son-in-law, John King, that made her leap — out of an airplane!

And with this, Marguerite made her first skydiving jump.

She had been saying that she wanted to skydive Fratangelo 46

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

for years and her daughter suggested she do it. “’If you really want to jump, I think you should at some point,’” Pat Fratangelo said to her mom.

“I’ll try anything once,” said Marguerite, now 85. Although she was quick to add that she hasn’t tried bobsledding.

Marguerite, admitting to having a little bit of a daredevil in her, has gone two more times — once to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, and another

Marguerite Fratangelo, now 85, during her first skydiving jump when she celebrated 71 years of age. Jumping with her are Harold Stackhouse tandem master and two assistants, Cindy Davis (left) and Pat Frathome, right.

Photo taken by Peter Hyde. “If Bush can do it, I guess I can, too,” Fratangelo said, alluding to former President George H.W. Bush’s jump in June 2014 to mark his 90th birthday.

one at the age of 80.

“If Bush can do it, I guess I can, too,” she said, alluding to former President George H.W. Bush’s jump in June of 2014 to mark his 90th birthday.

Marguerite has been familiar with skydiving for decades. Daughter Pat, now 58, has been jumping since she was in her teens and has logged about 3,910 jumps. Son-in-law John is the owner/operator of Finger Lakes

Skydivers, based out of the Ovid Airport in Seneca County.

Since he’s opened Finger Lakes Skydivers in 1982, King believes he’s seen an increase in the number of adults, as opposed to college-aged kids or younger people, who are making their first jump.

“I think a lot of people always wanted to jump in their 20s, but now they’re in their 40s, 50s, and 60s,” he said. He tells about a World War II vet who came to the Finger Lakes center a few years ago. The man had jumped in Normandy during the war and he had come to the Finger Lakes center at the age of 90 to make a jump. He returned the following year and made another jump.

“If people thought about it, they shouldn’t keep putting it off, just go ahead and do it,” King said. “Don’t wait another week or another year.”

“I tell people ‘think skiing.’’’ he said. “I think it’s same kind of exhilaration as skiing, but only 10 times better.” The Finger Lakes Skydivers’ website — skydivefingerlakes.com — advertises it to be “adrenaline-fueled.”

The first jump is a tandem jump, in which the student is harnessed to the instructor. The student will receive a 15-minute briefing and sign off on a waiver, King explained. They then take off in the plane and climb to an altitude of 10,000 feet, which will take about 20 minutes.

“We explain what’s going to happen during the skydive. We can talk to them in the airplane, and after the parachute opens we get them a refresher, but in free fall at 120 miles an hour there’s no way you can talk to them,” he said.

For the tandems, they get about 30 seconds of free fall, then the instructor opens the parachute at about 5,000 feet, and the parachute ride is about five minutes before landing. Experienced jumpers get about 45 seconds of free fall, before opening at 3,000 feet and the parachute ride is about three minutes.

The tandems are more complex, so they open higher, King explained.

Participants need to be in good physical condition, and weigh no more than 210 pounds. Because of the small size of the aircraft, flexibility is a must, he said.

The tandem skydive is Pat Fratangelo and her husband John King. They own and operate Finger Lakes Skydivers in Ovid.

Skydiving: A Family Affair

I

n his early 60s now, John King, the owner of Finger Lakes Skydivers, has been skydiving for 41 years and has made an estimated 4,550 jumps.

At the encouragement of a friend, he started jumping when he was in his 20s. He soon found himself spending all his time at the airport, he said. In 1982, he started Finger Lakes Skydivers at the Ovid Airport, and in 1989 he bought the airport. Since then, he has remodeled the hanger and the building that serves as the hub of his operation. The airport now boasts two runways — one paved; one grass.

Planes and parachutes have not been the only things in the air at the skydiving center. It would appear there has been a little love in the air, too — this is where King met Pat Fratangelo, who became his wife.

They reside in Trumansburg, about 12 miles from the airport. While King works full-time at the airport, Pat is the executive director of Onondaga Community Living in Syracuse, an agency that supports people with disabilities Pat herself had started jumping when she was 16 years old (the minimum age today is 18). While in high school, she had been taking ski lessons at Bristol Mountain. The instructor ran a skydiving operation

during the summer, and Pat said that she had always wanted to try diving.

Her mother, Marguerite, had told her if Pat found an instructor and Marguerite liked him or her, she would give her consent. “And she didn’t go back on her word,” Pat said.

Her mother signed the waiver, and Pat was airborne.

Pat estimated that she made 30 jumps while in high school. She quit when she was in college. In the early 1980s, she attended an air show, and found herself volunteering to help a team pack their parachute. They later brought her to the Finger Lakes center, and she’s been there ever since.

Ready to Jump?

T h e re a re a n u m b e r o f skydiving centers in Upstate New York, including locations in: • We e d s p o r t , S k y d i v e Central New York. Website: www. skydivecny.com • Saratoga, Saratoga Skydiving Adventures. Website: www.saratogaskydive.com • Ovid, in the Finger Lakes, Finger Lakers Skydivers. Website: www.skydivefingerlakes.com January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

47

long-term care

By Susan Suben

The New Trend In LTC Planning: Short-Term Recovery Care Insurance How do you plan for long-term care if you are young and don’t have enough discretionary income to pay for a traditional long-term care insurance (LTCI) premium due to other financial commitments; if you didn’t plan when you were younger and now premiums are not affordable; or if your current LTCI policy benefits are not adequate enough for today’s costs?

There is a relatively new policy on the market that is gaining in popularity called short-term recovery care insurance (STRCI). Sales for STRCI have increased by 70 percent in 2015 over 2014.

The coverage is meant to help families deal with a health crisis for a short period of time while decisions are being made on how to coordinate a plan of care for a loved one. In addition, the policy provides a daily benefit for all levels of care — home care, adult day care, assisted living, nursing home and hospice care — so that personal savings and retirement income do not have to be spent.

Situations where this type of coverage can be extremely valuable are when an individual is being discharged from a hospital or dealing with an unexpected accident or illness that requires immediate care.

It is not LTCI but the benefit triggers are the same. You can access the benefits if you cannot perform two out of six activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, and continence or you have a cognitive impairment.

Like long-term care insurance, you select a daily benefit, length of coverage, inflation factor and elimination period, which is the amount of time you would pay out-of-pocket before receiving benefits.

48

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

Daily benefits can range from $50 to $300 with 100, 200 or 360 days of coverage depending upon the company. These two features will determine the pool of money available for care. For example, if you select $100/ day for 360 days, your pool of money is $36,000. If you don’t use the full $100 each day, the policy can last for an extended period of time.

Most companies offer no inflation or some type of simple or compound inflation. Elimination periods can range from 0 to 60 days.

There are several ways STRCI differs from LTCI that makes it more affordable and appealing. Most LTCI carriers have switched to gender-based pricing. Single women or women applying without spouse or partner pay higher premiums. STRCI is not gender biased.

Short term recovery care insurance does not require that you will need care for an expected period of 90 days. You can use the policy for illnesses or accidents that can be short in duration.

Underwriter guidelines are not as stringent as they would be with traditional LTCI but there are medical conditions that would preclude you from obtaining the coverage. They include Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, Parkinson’s, ALS, multiple sclerosis, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA). If you’ve had cancer or joint replacement, you might have to satisfy certain waiting periods. Usually 10 simple yes or no questions need to be answered along with the completion of a telephone verification call and prescription screen. Attending physician statements, paramedic exams or face to face interviews are generally not required.

Spousal discounts are available

and some policy features include restoration of benefits.

It’s understandable that many might question the value of only having up to a year’s worth of coverage.

However, statistics on long-term care verify that this can be sufficient. According to a Genworth study titled, “A Consumer’s Guide to Long Term Care Insurance Protection,” the possibility of having a LTC claim last longer than three or four years is relatively low. There is a 13.1 percent chance of a claim lasting more than 3 years; 7.6 percent chance of it lasting more than four years; and a 5.4 percent chance of it lasting more than 5 years.

LongTermCare.gov shows the distribution and duration of longterm care services as follows: 59 percent of people use paid home care for less than a year; 35 percent use one year of nursing home care; and 13 percent use less than one year in assisted living.

The policy is cost-effective. It helps protect assets until finances are stabilized, and provides support at the onset of an illness which is the most critical time.

When it comes to long-term care, the bottom line is you need a plan.

With so many options to choose from there is no excuse not to plan for this very real risk. Short-term recovery care insurance is another strategy that may be just the right fit to protect you and your family.

Susan Suben, MS, CSA, is president of Long Term Care Associates, Inc. and Elder Care Planning, and a consultant for Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. She can be reached at 800-422-2655 or by email at susansuben@31greenbush.com.

We Will Walk This Journey With You...

Information and Referral Education Care Consultations Safety Programs Support Groups We’re here to help and offer support.

All Day. Every Day. 24/7 Helpline 1.800.272.3900 435 E. Henrietta Rd. Rochester, NY

Rochester & Finger Lakes Region

alz.org/rochesterny

January / February 2016 - 55 PLUS

49

last

page

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

David Dimbleby Retiring after more than three decades with Hilton Central School District

Q. What made you think this was the right time to retire?

A. I have been with the school district for 30 years as a teacher, building administration and then superintendent. I tend to be someone who seeks changes and new opportunities whenever I am in a position to do it. I really enjoy whenever there is a challenge in life and I am still relatively young, healthy and active. I was just in a very good place, and while it was difficult for me to decide to retire, it was the right time. It was just time for me to look at new experiences for my life.

Q. What will you miss?

A. Whenever you are in a really good job, what you really miss is the people. You go to work every day and you appreciate the people around you who help you do the best job you can do. Hilton is one of those great areas where you are lucky to be around such high quality people.

Q. Can you talk about the impact that students had in your life?

A. One of the things I knew would be hard about retiring is not having that daily interaction with the students and not seeing the arc of their lives from when they enter to when they graduate. I get a little melancholic thinking that I won’t be interacting with them in the classroom and just in school on a daily basis. They really did keep me young and helped me maintain my passion.

Q. What are some of your proudest accomplishments?

A. I am very proud that we have been able to maintain student enrollment during the past 10 years and that is something that many districts 50

55 PLUS - January / February 2016

are having a hard time doing. We are proud that young families choose to come here because they feel like we are providing a quality education.

Q. Tell me a little about your career in Hilton?

A. Before becoming Hilton superintendent, I was principal of Hilton High School from 1999-2005.

It was an experience that I enjoyed so much. You really get an opportunity to connect with students who are starting their journey into high school as freshmen as well as those who are looking to start the next stage of their lives as they enter college, trade school or whatever next adventure they see for their lives. Before that I was principal of Quest Elementary School and West Avenue Primary from 1994-1999.

When you deal with students who are that young it is a very special moment. They are learning so many new things so quickly. They are sponges that absorb material every day. Elementary school is such a critical age because that is when they’re crafting their educational habits. Some of the skills they learn when they are younger, whether that is good or bad, they will take with them and use as they grow up in life.

Q. What are some of the things you have in the pipeline?

A. Right now, I am partnering with other entrepreneurs and working to create a business for myself that can help public education. I also live in Hilton and would love to get more involved in the community. Now I will have more free time and more control of my time than I have had for a number of years. I think I have in my life lived

56-year-old Dimbleby recently retired from a long career in the Hilton school. to work and I am hoping to change that. The pace of my life won’t be as hectic, which will be good for me.

Q. What are your feelings on the current state of education?

A. Public education is one of those last institutions that really impacts all children in the state and county. It is one of the foundations we use to connect as a greater community. The great thing is that at a local level when you are in Hilton, we are the largest employer in the community. That is the case in many smaller communities. It is a real investment that needs to be strengthened.

Q. What do you do in your spare time?

A. I am a pretty poor golfer so I am looking to improve my golf game. I like to run and do things outdoor. I think it is important to maintain your physical fitness. In my future free time, I want to kayak more.

And since I am in good health, I want to travel. I can spend more time with my wife, Lynn, and my two sons, Grant, 29, and Craig, 26. They both live in New York City so I can visit them more. I also want to join some service organizations locally.

The only thing hard about choosing us is

picking a location.

Chapel Oaks, Irondequoit Campus

Cherry Ridge Campus, Webster Cultural activities, friendly neighbors and beautiful surroundings make St. Ann’s Communities an easy choice for retirement living. You can choose from two locations: Cherry Ridge in Webster and Chapel Oaks in Irondequoit. No matter which campus you choose, you always have priority access to our full continuum of care.

Enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle with an endless list of amenities—so you can do what you love and discover new interests. To learn more, schedule a complimentary lunch and personally guided tour. Simply call us at 585-697-6606 (Chapel Oaks, Irondequoit Campus) or 585-697-6700 (Cherry Ridge Campus) today.

It’s time to put the pieces of your retirement plan together.

Consolidate your retirement accounts with the Wealth Strategies Group and let our experts help you determine the right investment plan to meet your goals. Investing your retirement savings in different asset classes is a proven strategy. But having different retirement accounts, managed by several institutions, isn’t. Simplify your life and consolidate your accounts with the Wealth Strategies Group. Your retirement plan will become more efficient, and easier to manage and understand.

We’ll help you create a personalized plan to ensure that your investment strategy supports your goals.

Plus, you’ll receive a higher level of personal service—and our Pledge of Accountability, which includes a money-back guarantee.*

It’s a great feeling when everything comes together. Get started today—call John Richardson, Vice President, Financial Planning Officer, at (585) 419-0670, ext. 50604.

CNBank.com/IRA

Financial Planning | Retirement | Investments | Trust & Estate Services

*To see the full version of our CNB Pledge of Accountability and the details of our Fee Refund Guarantee, visit CNBank.com/Pledge.

Investments are not bank deposits, are not obligations of, or guaranteed by Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, and are not FDIC insured. Investments are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested.