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all aboard planes, trains, automobiles

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Pr i m eTi m eJune 2011

1944 Warwick Ave.Warwick, RI 02889

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PUBLISHERSBarry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer,

John Howell

EDITORMeg Fraser

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CREATIvE DIRECTORLinda Nadeau

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WRITERSDon Fowler, Don D’Amato,

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A Joint Publication of East Side Monthlyand Beacon Communications.

PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

inThisissue

PEOPLE & PLACESDoer’s profile .................................................................................12Celebrating centuries of life ..................................................16Glimpse of RI’s past ....................................................................21

SENIOR ISSUESRetirement Sparks ......................................................................14Director’s column .......................................................................20RI nursing homes outperform nation .............................23

LIfESTYLESRI Senior Olympics .....................................................................17Gay & Gray ......................................................................................19What do you Fink? ......................................................................22That’s Entertainment .................................................................23

PROfESSIONAL PERSPECTIvEYour Taxes ........................................................................................21

fOOD & DRINKIn the kitchen ................................................................................26

onThecoverJim Moriarty of the MBTA (PhoTo by John howell)

Meg Fraser editor

nexTmonTh July is one of our most popular issues of the year - the animal is-sue. Don’t miss it!

In the state of Rhode Island, 14,100 people rely on the travel industry for their jobs. Nationwide, 7.4 million jobs are directly associated with travel. And despite a downturn economy that’s improving at a snail’s pace, people are still taking vacations.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, $704 billion is spent on travel annually. It’s a small piece of the puzzle, but Rhode Island accounts for $1.9 billion of that spending. In

other words, here and nationwide, the travel industry isn’t going to be grounded by anything.For a lot of Rhode Islanders, though, their travel plans do take the economic climate into con-

sideration. They’re taking their vacation, but they’re not going as far. They’re getting out of town, but they’re trying to avoid pricey plane tickets.

Personally, my travel experience is limited. I’ve only left the country to visit our neighbors to the north, and outside of New England, I’ve only seen five other states. But seeing as there is an ongoing trend for “stay-cations,” my authority on the subject isn’t entirely discounted.

I work a lot, so for me, vacations are hard to come by. As I write this, I haven’t missed a dead-line day for my two newspapers in over two years. Next month, though, I will take my first real vacation since becoming an editor. It’s not as exotic as some of you more adventurous travelers may be accustomed to, but as long as I can’t get to the office in an hour and I feel okay about turn-ing my phone off - it’s a vacation.

The destination? Cape Cod.It’s surprising how many Rhode Islanders have never been to the Cape, when it’s just a short

drive away. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. The towns are charming, the seafood is dynamite, the beaches are pristine and the sound of waves crashing is a recipe for relaxation.

Is it the Bahamas? No, but I have a feeling I’ll still be able to find a fruity drink with an umbrella in it, and that’s enough for me.

If you’re like me and you’re not venturing too far, check out our stories on senior day trips, where to go in your RV, or hopping aboard a train to get away for a while. If you want to make it a family affair, don’t miss this month’s Doer’s Profile to learn more about the Road Scholars program and how they’re creating intergenera-tional dream vacations.

In the event you are looking to jet set out of the Ocean State, travel consultant Lynn Dressler has plenty of tips for travelers. If you want a taste of home when you get there, Christine Karpinski can guide you through the process of vacation home rentals.

Before you start daydreaming about your next getaway, I also want to take this opportu-nity to congratulate one of our own. Cynthia Glinick, who writes our Gay & Gray column, brought great honor to PrimeTime last month as the winner of the 2011 Metcalf Diversity in the Media Award. Awards were given to journalists in five different categories, and Cynthia’s intro-ductory column on the documentary “Sappho’s Fire” earned her top honors in the monthly print category. It is a testament to Cynthia’s talent, not to mention her dedication. Despite the naysayers who might argue that a senior living magazine is not the forum for a column on gay rights, Cyn-thia truly believes - as do I - that all people need some guidance in how to deal with diversity. Congratulations, Cynthia!

4 big wheelsArlington RV shows us how toride in style - and for how much

7 on the road againDr. David Kerzer finds his passion behind the wheel

8 travelpartners for lifeRI MENTOR connects a borntraveler with a willing companion

15 no place like (vacation) home The alternative to impersonal hotels

6 senior friendly day trip Get away without breaking the bank

9 all aboardYour ticket to train travel

10 surf and turfPersonal chef Lucie Moulton caters on land and at sea

13 get awayQ&A with travelconsultant Lynn Dressler

4 | PrimeTime June 2011

b y MEG FRASER

POP-UP TENT CAMPERSStarting price: $6,000The popularity of pop-ups has died down over the last few years, but Donilon says they are still

a good option for young families looking to get in touch with the great outdoors. It’s also a good starting point for someone who’s new to the RV community.

“It’s common to start in a smaller vehicle and as time goes on, they go either to a bigger model or a bigger vehicle,” Donilon said.

Unlike some of the larger vehicles, pop-up campers don’t need a heavy-duty truck to pull them. Four cylinder cars will suffice, including minivans and small SUVs.

Larger campers can run up to $13,000, but sleep eight comfortably while taking up little space in the yard.

Affordable as the campers are, Donilon says the biggest benefits are the costs associated with travel. The average campground site costs around $30 to $50 - a far cry from a night at a hotel. Many of his favorite sites are in state or close by, as well, meaning gas prices aren’t going to cripple a weekend away. Donilon recommends Normandy Farms in Massachusetts, Strawberry Park in Con-necticut, Lake George in New York, or even Wawaloam right in West Kingston.

As someone who had never been in a recreational vehicle before, I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect. I assumed that it was a one size fits all deal, and travelers would be paying a few thousand dollars for a bed on wheels.

Based on the selection at Arlington RV in East Greenwich, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.With prices ranging from $6,000 to $300,000, Sales Manager Mark Donilon showed me that traveling by RV can mean rock star

treatment in five-star accommodations.

TRAvEL TRAILERSStarting price: $13,000A basic wood frame trailer with aluminum siding will start around $13,000, but the

more features you add, the more you’re going to pay. Most models include amenities not available with campers, however, including air conditioning, stereos, slide out rooms, mi-crowaves and more.

If you upgrade to a fiberglass model, such as the Outback, which is more aerodynamic, you could pay into the mid- to upper- $20,000 range.

“You can see how much space it affords you inside,” Donilon says, stepping into the Outback. “You’re not roughing it in one of these.”

With travel trailers, Donilon sees two types of buyers: those who are going to travel and those who are seasonal campers that set up shop in a long-term campground. Some trailers will eventually be spruced up with decks and outdoor living spaces.

More often, trailer owners will opt for a park trailer if they want it to stay in one place. A 40-foot Grand Lodge by Wildwood, for example, can run around $47,700, but includes all the extras, like a fireplace, a full fridge and spacious kitchen and sliders to the outside. Some models include dishwashers, garbage disposals, and even washers and dryers.

“Something like that I would envision a lot of middle aged or older couples purchas-ing,” Donilon said.

Big Wheels

June 2011 PrimeTime | 5 4 | PrimeTime June 2011

getting around

MOTOR HOMES ANDfIfTH WHEELS

Starting price: $50,000 and way, way upWhen it comes to motor homes and fifth wheels, the prices are all over the place.

A 39-foot Montana fifth wheel (which is designed to be towed specifically by a pick up truck) is designed for year round use with its thermal pane windows and heat capabilities, and is priced in the neighborhood of $50,000.

“This is one of my favorites. They’re very, very well built coaches,” Donilon said.In terms of amenities, you can expect the same features as some of the nicer travel

trailers - and then some.Winnebagos, which are actually a brand, not a model of motor home as many people

assume, also fall into the motor home category. Sightseers, Class A vehicles, are one of the most popular models of Winnebago and will run anywhere from $115,000 to $138,000.

“It’s a different type of traveling,” Donilon says, adding that most of the people who purchase these types of vehicles, whether they are motor homes or fifth wheels, are not beginners. “In the motor home market, we do tend to see people in their 40s and up.”

At the extreme end of the market, there are also motor coaches fit for celebrities. They’re hotels on wheels, and ideal for travelers who want to see the United States in style, and even for pet owners who don’t want to kennel their animals. Some Dutch Stars are priced at $300,000, more than many peoples’ houses! They’re swanky, but not necessarily in high demand.

“The way the economy has been, we’re kind of getting away from some of those bigger luxury motor coaches,” Donilon said.

Mark Donilon (PhoTos by meg Fraser)


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The economy is tough.Gas prices are out of sight. Vacations are expensive.A long, cold winter has given us all a

bout of cabin fever. We’ve just got to get out, even if it is only for a few day trips.

Here are a few of our favorites that are senior-friendly and inexpensive.

Howe CavernsWe have visited caverns all over the

world, and have found that one of the best is only three and a half hours away, just north of Albany, New York.

The trip is all highways, from I-95

b y D O N F O W L E R getting around

Senior-Friendly Day Tripsnorth to the Mass Pike (I-90), which be-comes the New York Thruway to exit 25A. It can be done in a day, or you may wish to stay overnight at one of many motels and inns in the area.

From the visitor center, you travel by elevator 156 feet, where you enjoy an 80-minute walking and boat tour in the pre-historic underground cavern, where the temperature is 52 degrees, suggesting a light jacket.

For those who can’t walk, a video tour is available at the museum.

The cost is $23, or $20 for seniors.A convenient way to make the trip is

by bus tour. Conway offers tours on July 1 and Sept. 24, leaving from the Warwick Mall at 6:30 a.m. and returning about 10 p.m., with tickets costing $89. It’s a long day, but you can sleep on the motor coach. Call 1-800-888-4661.

Spirit of BostonWhile most of us have seen Boston

from its crowded streets, your senior group of 20 or more can also enjoy a 2 and a half hour narrated tour of historic Boston Har-bor aboard the Spirit of Boston, a 600-pas-

senger luxury cruiser.Rates begin as low as $37.90 for the

luncheon cruise, which includes a buffet, entertainment by the singing wait staff and a bird’s eye view of such sites as the World Trade Center, site of the Boston Tea Party, Old Ironsides, Bunker Hill, Logan Airport and North Church.

There are also afternoon, dinner and evening cruises. Just go to SpiritofBoston.com and all of the information will come up on your screen.

Conway also offers the luncheon cruise on July l4 and 15, and August 17 for $79, which includes transportation.

Essex Steam Trainand Riverboat

One of our favorite day trips is to near-by Essex, Connecituct for rides on the clas-sic Essex Steam Train, and at Deep River Landing, the Becky Thatcher Riverboat, which takes you down the Connecticut River past the elegant Goodspeed Opera House and historic Gillette Castle, plus the beautiful countryside of rural Connecticut River Valley.

There is also a small gift shop and mu-seum.

The cost for the only steam train-river-boat connected tour in the country is $26, with discounts for seniors (double on Mon-days).

It is an easy ride down Route 95 to exit 69 (Route 9). Take the Essex exit 3, turn left, and you’re there.

A ride and stroll through the quaint village of Essex is a nice addition. There are many fine local restaurants. We had a nice meal at Oliver’s Tavern.

For more information, visit Essex-SteamTrain.com.

6 | PrimeTime June 2011 June 2011 PrimeTime | 7

By day, he’s a doctor with the University Medical Group.

But when Dr. David Kerzer has the rare chance to get away, there’s only one way he wants to travel.

On the open road.Four years ago, Kerzer purchased his first RV, and

later traded it in for a Fifth Wheel, and says there’s no better way to get around.

“My job is hustle and bustle so I like to get away,” he said. “There are so many things to see in this country that people take for granted.”

RVing wasn’t something Kerzer grew up around, nor was it something he was inspired to do by family or friends. He just began looking through his options on-line, and decided a home on wheels was a pretty tempt-ing offer.

“It’s like your hotel on wheels - your own house on wheels, really. That’s what I enjoy,” he said. “Everything is yours, everything stays the same.”

When he was a newcomer to the RV community, Kerzer had a lot to learn. He bought his first motor home from an 80-year-old man who bought it new and hardly ever used it.

Kerzer considers himself self-taught, thanks in large part to the resources he found on the Internet. Soon enough, though, he was connecting with other people who loved to travel with motor homes and fifth wheels. Often times, he’ll run into familiar faces at RV resorts across the region.

“It’s a whole different community out there. Every-body’s friendly,” he said.

Early on, Kerzer and his wife Ruthie stuck close to home. They explored New England, and Kerzer still considers New Hampshire, Maine, and specifically Ar-cadia National Park, some of his favorite destinations.

Now, they’re branching out.In early May, the Kerzers set out for a two-week

road trip to Yellowstone, making stops along the way. After leaving their vehicle in Salt Lake City (storing for just $65 for a full five weeks), they flew home to maxi-mize the time they could spend on the road.

This month, they’ll fly back to Utah and drive an-other two weeks, taking Route 66 through New Mex-ico.

“I’ve always said, ‘when I retire, I want to go cross country,’ but I decided I’m still young and I want to go now,” Kerzer said.

Traveling by RV is especially enjoyable for Kerzer now that he’s traded his motor home in for a fifth wheel. He says the choice varies by person, but he finds the fifth wheel more economical, requiring less maintenance and

b y M E G F R A S E R getting around

Onthe Road again

also gives him the freedom to venture out to explore in his truck once he has reached a destination.

“It all depends on how much you have to spend and what you’re using it for. You have to do a lot of research,” he advises. “If you’re using it just to travel and not to sightsee, and you want to be economical, the trailer or the fifth wheel is the way to go. You get a lot more for your money. If you have a motor home, you have to car behind you anyway if you want to go anywhere.”

Despite the increasingly high cost of gas, Kerzer says RV travel can still yield a savings. RV parks, or resorts as they’re called, cost around $30 a night, and even the most high-end sites during peak season don’t run more than $90. Some include luxuries like saunas and pools.

“Even with the gas prices, it’s still very economical because to go away and spend three, four nights in a hotel is still a lot more money than this,” Kerzer said. “Most of the places we go are really nice.”

He cites Woodall’s (www.woodalls.com) as a good re-source for RV resorts, which are ranked from one to five stars, and says most sites dedicated to the hobby include

lists of gas stations that are RV friendly and offer diesel gas.

It takes time, and some “trial and error,” to get it right, but Kerzer thinks he’s just about there, even if his friends think he’s crazy. And when the day comes that he can actually retire, Kerzer knows where he’s headed.

“Everybody goes for the same reason, to get away and relax. It’s just something that I enjoy doing,” he said, already planning the stops along the way on his next adventure. “I’m just looking forward to seeing the country. My dream when I retire is just to travel the country. Have a house, have a base, but just travel.”

He pauses for a second, before laughing, and add-ing, “So far my wife says I’m going alone.”

Dr. David Kerzer and his wife Ruthie


b y H E A T H E R F R A S E R getting around

For Joan Salzillo, travel has always been a part of her life.

“I just love to get away,” she said. “To explore and do fun things and see new places.”

A recovering alcoholic, Joan attends nightly meetings and participates in many of the retreats that are organized through Alcoholics Anonymous. She is quick to make new friends and is one of the most caring individuals I have ever met. Joan and I were first introduced at the office of RI MENTOR Shared Living, or MSL, where I work as a Clinical Coordinator. MSL is a local branch of the MENTOR Network - a team of human service providers offer-ing quality, community-based services to adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the shared living program, consumers can choose to live with a qualified person or family and receive support in a natural home envi-ronment. The mentor they choose to live with is an independent contractor who is carefully screened and presented with the resources needed to provide quality care. Joan is one of these amazing mentors and,

Travel Partners for Lifein April of 2008, she opened home to Kim Larosee - one of the 61 clients the company currently supports.

Kim has proven to be the perfect travel partner for Joan, who will turn 63 in July. Together, they have gone to New York and New Hampshire. They have been on a Disney Cruise, taken a train up Mount Washington, and seen a bear show at Clark’s Trading Post. They have traveled by boat, bus, car, airplane and gondola.

Joan’s favorite vacation so far was a three-week RV trip in Florida where they traveled to Daytona Beach, Coco Beach and Fort Lauderdale before flying home to Warwick.

“As far as I know,” Joan adds, “this was the first time Kim had ever been on an airplane.”

Kim is not the only client at MSL getting her first taste of travel, and the proof is in the pictures that hang in the office on Centerville Road. Postcards from California, Las Vegas, Tennessee and other destinations tell a story of dozens of individuals taking their first vacations. The program supports people in achieving a level of health, happi-ness, independence and freedom, concepts that many may not have thought possible before joining the MENTOR family.

I asked Joan once what made her become a mentor and she shrugged and said simply, “I just like helping others.”

If there is one thing I’ve learned since starting this job, it’s that we need more Joans in the world. We need people who will open their hearts to another for no rea-son other than making the world a better place to live. Because those of us who love to travel can tell you - there really is no place like home.

If you have interest in becoming a mentor, contact Lynn Obrebski at 732-0304 ext. 17. In addition to room and board, each individual contractor receives a competi-tive daily stipend and 24-hour support.


b y M E G F R A S E R getting around

It’s generally used as a means for commuting, but train travel is an easy to navi-gate option for people want to stay close to home, or those who’d prefer to stay out

of the skies.Using the state’s central train station in Providence as a launch point, we’ve broken

down some of the sights you can see without taking flight. Whether you’re looking to plan a day trip or a weekend away, public transit will have you on your way in no time.

BostonWant to catch a Boston Red Sox game and tip a glass at Boston Beer Works? Looking to do some

shopping on Newbury Street and indulge in the calamari at Charlie’s? Or maybe you’d like to explore the finer things in life and take in a display at the Museum of Fine Arts or catch a show at the Boston

Symphony Hall?Boston has the big-city draw of destinations like New York and Chicago, but without some of the added

chaos. It’s a blend of urban excitement and historic charm, and you can get there in an hour if you hop on the MBTA commuter rail.

Travel time to South Station: 1 hour, 8 minutes – Cost: $8.25

WashIngton, D.C.If you’re visiting the nation’s capital, chances are you’re going

to want to stay the night, especially if you’re going by train because it’s a full day’s trip.

Between seeing the three branches of government in action and stepping back in time at the Civil War Memorial, Washington Monu-ment or the Smithsonian, it would probably take weeks to see every-thing that D.C. has to offer. It’s a great place to take the grandkids when they’re old enough to appreciate the stories that go along with the capital.

There are often good airline deals to get to D.C., but if taking the train is more your speed, Amtrak can get you there.

Travel time to Union Station: 7 hours, 5 minutes – Cost: $67

PhIlaDelPhIaSure, there’s a ton of history in Philly. Being at

Independence Hall, the birthplace of the Declara-tion of Independence and the Constitution, will re-mind you what it means to be an American.

But the real draw to the City of Brotherly Love is the entertainment, nightlife, and - let’s face it - cheese steaks.

Catch a comedy show at 1812 Productions, tour the Philadelphia Brewing Company and eat at every street vendor along the way.

Travel time to 30th Street Station: 5 hours, 11 minutes – Cost: $57

all amerICan travelWhether you’ve picked a vacation destination that requires a long drive or a short flight, a train

trip might still be in your future.

• Durango train: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad offers adventure packages, tours and entertainment, but if you’re just looking for a scenic trip, they’ve got you covered there too. The historic train has been in operation for 128 years, and can take you into the mountains of Colorado at a leisurely 18 miles per hour. In the peak season, a coach seat will run you $83, but tickets go up from there if you want to book a luxury car or a 21-plus “presidential” package.

• Rocky Mountaineer: Experience Canada aboard this locomotive. They have a range of trips, al-lowing you to see part of the country, or if you’re really in the mood for an adventure, the entire country. Coast to coast trips aren’t cheap - they start around $4,000, but you’re also on the move for 12 days. Rocky Mountaineer offers more than 45 train vacations, with some lasting as many as 25 days.

• Cass Scenic Railroad: West Virginia isn’t exactly a top vacation spot, but if you’re into the great outdoors, Cass will get you into a pristine state park. Tickets, which start at $21 on the weekends, also include admission to the Railroad and Logging History Museum, and other activities over the two to four hour trips.

• Alaska Railroad: View glaciers, wildlife and some of the nation’s most beautiful scenery on one of the Alaska Railroad’s trains. You can jump on board for as little as $39, but longer trips and GoldStar service are going to cost you a few hundred dollars.

ALL Aboard

b y H E A T H E R F R A S E R getting around

PhoTos by John howell


b y MEG FRASER


getting around

Surf and turfLucie Moulton brings

‘good food to good people’ on land and sea

Cooking on dry land is chal-lenge enough for some people, but not for Lucie Moulton.

Founder of The Gourmet God-dess, Moulton has brought her cu-linary talents to the high seas and back.

Moulton began her career as a teacher in Jamestown. With sum-mers off, though, she was looking for a new challenge to fill her time. She connected with a friend of hers who was working as a location scout for the entertainment indus-try. When a new movie, commer-cial or magazine photo shoot came to town, Moulton jumped at the chance to cater for the crew.

What started as a summer gig soon evolved into a full-time busi-ness.

Moulton didn’t return to the classroom, and instead struck out on her own, carving out a reputa-tion as a highly sought-after private chef on sailing and motor yachts.

It seems a lavish career choice for someone not formally trained in the culinary arts. But for Moult-on, cooking comes naturally.

“Cooking is a way of life in my family. We live to cook and to nourish and to eat,” she said. “I can’t imagine my life not around food. I want my life surrounded by family, friends and food - in that order.”

Moulton is heavily influenced by her family. Her mother is Sicilian, and those flavors find their way into Moulton’s menus. Her father is the one who brought sailing into the mix, which translates into plenty of seafood specialties in his daughter’s rep-ertoire.

She has sailed from Maine to the Bermudas, and lived abroad on yachts in Barcelona, Greece, Croatia and beyond.

Cooking on the water presents a unique set of challenges.Moulton says her personality is true to her astrological sign,

Leo, which makes her a fiery perfectionist. When there isn’t a mar-ket at your disposal, though, those traits get pushed aside and a chef has to roll with the punches.

“You have to be very flexible. You’re being tossed around and you have to be able to take it with grace,” she said.

On one sailing trip, Moulton went to pull the mussels she had planned for dinner out of the ship’s cooler when she realized the temperature was too warm for the seafood. One whiff of the mussels confirmed her fear that they had gone bad, and she had to completely redesign the evening’s menu.

It hasn’t been easy, but she main-tains it’s been a positive learning expe-rience.

“Now, I can fly by the seat of my pants,” she said.

Her previous experience has helped her along the way. She says her back-ground in education comes in handy when working with families with chil-dren, and her passion for writing - which she studied at Syracuse - has helped her to market The Gourmet Goddess. She also blogs about her experiences.

Perhaps Moulton’s biggest chal-lenge has been marrying her love of cooking with her personal philosophy. She is a minimalist at heart who strives to be a positive influence on her com-munity. At times, she has struggled to fit in a world of excess.

“Morally and ethically, for me, be-ing on boats was difficult because of the amount of wealth we represented and the amount of poverty these islanders lived in,” she said, speaking about her experiences in the Caribbean in par-ticular.

When she found herself catering on a 260-foot yacht, Moulton had a sort of career crisis.

“It started to feel not authentic enough,” she said. “I needed to figure out

how to still do what I love while satiating this need I have to live an authentic life.”

It’s a fine line, but one that Moulton appears to have navi-gated.

She chooses to work with clients - both at sea and on land - who are grateful for what they have, and want to feed their souls, not just their appetites.

“I want to bring good food to good people. I want to feel like I can make a difference,” she said.

One way Moulton is able to do that is to change peoples’ diets to promote local produce and healthier choices.

“I live at farmers markets pretty much,” she said.Moulton is happy to see that trend picking up across the

state.“I’ve done a lot of my business outside of Rhode Island, but

my business is here because I love the people here and I love the spirit here,” she said.

After spending years traveling and learning cooking techniques from around the world, Moulton is glad to be home. And for now, The Gourmet Goddess is staying docked in Rhode Island.

For more information on Lucie Moulton and The Gourmet Goddess, visit www.gourmetgoddesscuisine.com.


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One summer, East Siders Eleanor and David Lew-is went to Oxford, where they revisited Harry Potter’s haunts, the Chocolate Factory’s beginnings and scenes from Narnia. A few summers later, they swam in the Blue Lagoon on a photo trek in Iceland.

Another East Sider, Barbara Ruttenberg, spent a week in Baltimore steeped in music, and years later spent a week in Paris, where she toured the control room of the Eiffel Tower. This summer she will be walking through museums in Barcelona.

Jamestown resident Heidi Moon spent one summer week immersed in theater in Worcester, Massachusetts; another summer she went horseback riding in the Bad-lands.

The common denominator to their joy: they all trav-eled with younger companions - their grandchildren.

Road Scholar (under the umbrella of Elderhostel, a non-profit organization that began 35 years ago with educational outings for senior citizens) recognized in the 1980s that those travelers wanted to spend vacation time with grandchildren. So the organization developed “intergenerational” programs, both domestically and abroad.

Today, Road Scholar offers more than 200 programs. Among the domestic ones: river rafting in Wyoming, days of baseball in Baltimore (a major league game, a minor league game, sessions on scoring), a tour of Wash-ington, a stay at Camp Sagamore in New York, and even a culinary adventure in Napa, California, where partici-pants create their own cookbooks.

Internationally, Road Scholar runs programs in roughly 40 countries, from Fiji (you snorkel) to Korea (you make udon noodles). Adventures range from two days (the opera at the Met) to two weeks (the Kenyan safari).

Despina Gakepoulos, from Road Scholar, explains that the organization changes the tours, continually de-veloping new ones and dropping old ones because so many participants are repeat participants. The average age of a grandparent participant is 70, and the average age of a grandchild is 10.

For many families, the trip has become a rite-of-pas-sage ritual for grandchildren, who wait their turn for the special trip.

The programs do the impossible: delight two genera-tions of disparate ages. The grandparents have a chance to enter the world of children. The Lewises watched Har-ry Potter videos in preparation for their trip to Oxford. They can see destinations through a child’s eyes.

Paris with a grandchild is different, as Barbara Rut-tenberg noted.

“You see it anew when you see it with a grandchild,” she said.

Most of all, grandparents enjoy their grandchildren, without parents as an intermediary.

“You get to know them well,” said Heidi Keller Moon.

As for the children, they not only get wonderful ad-ventures, but they also get to know the parents of their parents.

The average number of participants on a trip is 25. Most of the trips schedule some time just for adults, with

Before you go . . .Here are a few pre-trip tips fromseasoned grandparent travelers.

1. Take one grandchild on the trip. The sibling bickering that crops up at home will often crop up during a vacation. Perhaps that is why first cousins who don’t see each other often might do well on a trip together. So even though the sibling left at home may be jealous, focus on one grandchild at a time. His, or her, turn will come.

2. Choices. Pick a few options that you would enjoy, and let your grandchild choose from that list. If noth-ing piques the grandchild’s fancy, expand your list. You both should enjoy the outing.

3. Be adventurous at exploring new topics. If your grandchild loves dinosaurs, a paleontology trip to the Southwest Utah National Park would be perfect. Yet, maybe the grandchild who doesn’t know a Brachio-saurus from Tyrannosaurus Rex might enjoy the trip. Road Scholar seeks to expand horizons.

4. Do some pre-trip homework - both of you. If you are going to see the sights of Narnia, read a book in the series. If you are going on CSI: Investigating Crime Scenes beyond the Tape in California, watch a few episodes of the television show.

counselors employed to supervise an activity for the chil-dren. The trips schedule some “down” time for grandpar-ents and grandchildren as well, allowing them to venture forth on their own, or simply to rest.

Many grandparents routinely take grandchildren on vacation. Barbara Ruttenberg notes that her mother took her children on trips. Road Scholar, though, makes such trips easy. It handles the logistics, arranges the tours, hires the speakers, plots the day’s schedules, and arranges for meals and lodging.

I confess; decades ago, when I was negotiating battle royals first between feuding toddlers, then between ram-bunctious pre-teenagers, finally between sullen teenagers, I thought “family vacation” was an oxymoron. You could have a family and you could have a vacation, but the two didn’t mesh.

Of course, we as a family trekked through the must-see sites and the must-hike paths, but at times even my children wanted to escape. Their father and I certainly yearned for a few moments of respite.

So we are both surprised and delighted that, with grandchildren in our lives, we very much want to go on vacation with these youngsters. They behave so much better with us than they do with our children, their par-ents. Plus we are smitten with them.

Each year a few thousand other smitten grandpar-ents set forth on Road Scholar’s “intergenerational” vaca-tions.

PEOPLE AND PLACESDoer’s ProfIle b y J O A N R E T S I N A S

Road Scholar maps out intergenerational adventures Family Vacations


b y MEG FRASER getting around

Lynn Dressler has been planning dream vacations for 41 years.The industry has changed a lot over four decades, but Dressler hasnt skipped a beat. A travel consultant with Yankee Travel in Wakefield, she still looks forward to work every day, and even more so when she gets a postcard from another satisfied customer.

How has the travel industry changed in your career?It’s always changing. It was a different business than it is today. It’s a very stressful business. There are a lot of rules and regulations that are out of your control that you have to deal with. I can quote someone an airfare in the morning and by the time I go to ticket it in the afternoon, the fare has gone up $200.

What’s better - a seasoned business traveler or a young family on their first getaway?Businesspeople don’t get excited, but they pay the bills. They travel whether the weather is good or bad and whether the economy is good or bad. But when a client is very excited, it makes it a lot more fun.

How has the Internet changed your job?People are more informed in some cases. In some cases, they think they know everything, so it can cause a problem.

Where are some of the most popular destinations?It’s pretty standard for New England; you’re always selling Florida, you’re always selling the Caribbean. Because the charters have cut way back, because of the price of fuel, the two desti-nations we can tell people are going to operate are Mexico and the Dominican Republic. We’re always able to fill those aircrafts.

Why are those trips so reasonably priced?The reason that the Dominican and Mexico are cheaper is the cost of labor is cheaper. They don’t have unions to deal with. Why would you spend what you would have to spend to go to Bermuda, when you could probably go to Mexico for the same price for twice the amount of time?

What are your favorite destinations?I love St. Barts. Its relatively expensive, but we’ve been 16 times. It’s a French island so the food is very good; the shopping is good; the beaches are exquisite. I’m constantly conflicted about what my favorite city in Europe is, between Paris and London. I love San Francisco too, which is very similar to Paris. It’s got a lot of charm and it’s quite beautiful.

Because of the economy, are you finding a lot of people wanting to stay close to home?No ones ever come out and said that, but I’m sure that’s the process in their mind when they call and say, were going to see the national parks. I’d rather have them spend their money when they get there than spend it on an airline.

TimeTo

Get AwayQ&A with Lynn Dressler

In your opinion, what’s the ideal trip for a senior?We do huge cruise business. As the population ages, you don’t want to pack and unpack, pack and unpack, but you do want to travel, so cruises have become a very popular mode of travel. You get a very high satisfaction rate from cruising.

Is a cruise a one-size fits all vacation?Not everybody belongs on a Princess Cruise; not everybody be-longs on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You have to figure out what’s right for them. There are many new types of tours that were not around when I first started out. There’s hiking tours, bike tours, adventure tours...we do a little bit of everything. In our business, there’s really something for everyone.

Before seeing a travel consultant, what should trav-elers keep in mind?You have to have people who have a realistic sense of what things cost, and have time to plan it. You want people to have a gen-eral idea of what they’re looking for. Write down the three most important things about the trip. I do this a lot of times with a honeymoon couple. When they do this, you’re hoping there’s at least one commonality.

How soon do you book?Most airlines, what we call the legacy carriers, they’re schedule goes into the computer 330 days prior. People have already been calling about Christmas. The problem with school vacations - Christmas, February, March and April - if people don’t book it ahead of time, they’re probably not going to go.

The TV ads would have you believe that you can go anywhere for a few hundred bucks. Does it ever happen?Sometimes, not always, there’ll be a last minute deal, but not too many people can just drop everything and leave the next day. People who live in Florida get incredible deals on the cruises because the lines know you’re there and you can drive to the port at the last minute.

Any other travel advice?My advice to any American these days is to blend. Don’t stand out, and be aware of your surroundings.


senior issuesretIrement sParks b y E L A I N E M . D E C K E R

Getting to know youThis is my inaugural column in Prime-

Time, adapted from my blog, Retirement-Sparks. After graduating from Brown University in the late sixties, I lived and worked in the New York City area for 25 years. My second marriage brought me back to Providence in 1992.

I recently retired as executive director of The Fund for Community Progress, a federation of Rhode Island’s social service agencies. Non-profit management was my third career. My first was doing program-ming and systems for mainframe comput-ers. My second was in marketing and com-munications. (If you’re looking for some connection across these careers, let me know if you find one!)

Retirement heralds my fourth career as a freelance writer. I’ve been writing off and on for decades - mostly social satire. Over the years, my work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Sun-day New York Times, Marketing News and The Privacy Journal. Like many new retir-

ees, I look forward to having more time to devote to my passion.

I started blogging some months back, inspired by the process I went through when I applied for Medicare. The paperwork I re-ceived from providers pitching their prod-ucts was as confusing as it was pervasive. I just had to write about it. What follows is my first post to RetirementSparks.

Today marks Day One on Medicare.My new mantra: If Medicare is here,

can Social Security be far behind?It certainly wasn’t easy getting here,

despite some guidance and suggestions from friends who are a few months or years ahead of me on this.

Now I ask you, why on earth, when Medicare has Part A, Part B, and Part D, would our otherwise nurturing govern-ment title its options for your selection Plan A, Plan B, etc.?

When I’m drowning in paperwork (at least three copies of everything were sent

by AARP alone), the last thing I need is two sets of four-letter words that both be-gin with P and have the letters A and B, all floating around in the material I’m sup-posed to be evaluating. Especially when the pages in the AARP packages got separated so you couldn’t tell what all the different entries meant (Future mailings came with them stapled, by the way).

For days, I was trying to make sense of Plan A, thinking I was reading something about Part A. And of course, no sense was to be made, no matter how many times I read it. I don’t like feeling stupid, no matter how much wine I’ve had to drink. I espe-cially don’t like being forced to wonder if I’m already having senior moments when I’m not even retired yet.

My “Aha moment” (thank you, Oprah) came when I received the stapled version and discovered that row two under the heading Plan A was actually Part A and row three was Part B, etc. “Aha,” I said. “This is really just an Excel spreadsheet that was

missing its Column A labels.”It still took awhile to figure out what

made the most sense for me. At least I was finally playing with a full deck - and a fresh bottle of wine.

In service to those of you who are still looking forward to Medicare, I offer the following:

NOTE TO GOVERNMENT: Please consider renaming Plan A and Plan B, etc.-something like: Plan 1 and Plan 2, etc.

Or better yet, how about: Cheapest Plan, Next Cheapest Plan, Travel Lovers Plan, and You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me Plan.

So much for day one. Can’t wait to see what comes next...

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June 2011 PrimeTime | 15

getting around b y M E G F R A S E R

“One of the biggest risks is once you do it, you will never stay in a hotel again.”

It’s a bold statement, but Christine Karpinski believes it to be true. She has been renting out va-cation properties for 15 years, and whether you’re on the owner side or the renter side, she says the benefits are extensive.

The author of “How to Rent Vacation Proper-ties by Owner” and director of the Owner Com-munity website (www.OwnerCommunity.com), Karpinski has seen interest in vacation rentals soar. Rental prices make a week away more rea-sonable for the average family, especially if you’ve got a big group, and staying in a home eliminates some of the added costs of vacations.

“I think it’s cost efficient and it’s a differ-ent experience that you’re not all stuck in hotel rooms. You can easily cook dinners together; you don’t have to go out for every meal,” she said. “I think sitting around and playing Pictionary every night in the privacy of your own home is better.”

If you’re considering a rental, Karpinski says all the information you need is at your finger-tips. Websites like VRBO.com, TripAdvisor.com, HomeAway.com and VacationRentals.com make finding the right house for you easy.

“Go to reputable websites. I would not go to a website where people can list for free,” Karpin-ski said, adding that renters should not pay by wire transfer, but stick to credit transactions after getting something in writing that details the rent-al rates and dates being booked. “You’re dealing over the Internet so you’ve got to be careful.”

But don’t expect the search to take five min-utes.

Karpinski admits that the search for a vaca-tion home is significantly more challenging than the search for a hotel. You can go to hotels.com and get a room in a matter of seconds, but finding a vacation rental takes time, not to mention working out details with the owners.

Location information can be difficult as well, because owners are hesitant to disclose specifics over the Internet.

But Karpinski warns that renters can’t be shy when it comes to asking questions. You can’t assume that the home comes complete with the amenities listed on a hotel website. Ask about linens, cooking materials, bed sizes, heat and air conditioning, and WiFi and cable capabilities.

“You have to ask about everything, especially if you’re traveling abroad or travel-ing to islands or anywhere outside the continental U.S.,” she said.

Other items on peoples’ wish lists include swimming pools, hot tubs or other water features, proximity to tourist destinations, and even parking if it’s an urban area.

Once you’ve booked your stay, though, guests can expect the ability to personalize their vacations in a way that’s not allowed in traditional travel.

“I think the cool part about vacation rentals is you can go and you can stay in the more obscure, non touristy places,” Karpinski said. “I like to ex-plore. I want to go to the places where the locals eat. Some of my best meals during my travels have been in cardboard boxes on the side of the road. I don’t want some chain restaurant food I can get any-where. I want local food cooked the local way.”

As for owners who want to rent out their second home, Karpinski says it’s not for everyone.

“You’ve got to roll with the punches and be a little laid back,” she said. “Psychologically, that’s the hardest thing - I don’t want somebody in my house; I don’t want someone to open my cupboards or sleep in my bed.”

Still, Karpinski says there’s money to be made. In her experience, the average rental makes $30,000 a year.

To get the renters in, have great photos, mix up the description of the place (avoid the word “nice”), change your advertisements regularly and by season, and be ready to put some work into the property. Before the season starts, Karpinski usual-ly dedicates a week to each of her properties, clean-ing, changing the linens and taking out anything too personal or valuable. For an added touch, she stocks the house with cleaning supplies and some basics like coffee and tin foil.

“You don’t want to make it so sterile as to make it feel like it’s nobody’s house, but no private pho-tos in private spaces. You want to pull out your personal belongings but a lot of times what people do is they have an owners lock out closet that you don’t want the renter to have access to,” she said. “If you have a family heirloom that you would be

absolutely heartbroken if it were damaged, take it out.”And before you put a price on your home, check out other properties in the

area. It’s a market driven business, but if you price too low, renters will think there’s something wrong.

Whether your putting your house on the market, or ready for a different kind of vacation, Karpinski says it’s a decision you won’t regret.

For more information, visit www.OwnerCommunity.com or purchase Kar-pinski’s book, “How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment.”

No Place Like

Home[vacation]


CelebratingCenturies of Life

The dining room at The Bridge at Cher-ry Hill was filled with 4,572 years of wisdom for the 34th annual Governor’s Centenarians Brunch.

The Department of Elderly Affairs tracked down 86 centenarians living in Rhode Island, and of the individuals who could attend last week’s celebration many kept their keys to longevity a secret.

When asked how she managed to make it past 100, Concetta DiBiase of Johnston simply shrugged.

“I think being happy,” said her grand-daughter Kathleen Williams, who was there with her own daughter, Natalie. “I think lov-ing her family and I think the great-grand-children keep her alive.”

DiBiase has nine grandchildren and 14 grandchildren.

For Edna Strong, playing by the rules has kept her healthy and her children in line.

“No smoking, no drinking and no swear-ing,” said her daughter-in-law Gloria Bryda.

Strong does have hobbies to keep her busy, though, including playing cards and needlework. A tapestry she made of the

people & places b y M E G F R A S E R

Lord’s Prayer still hangs at the Church of the Master, where she is a parishioner.

Neither DiBiase nor Strong had the honor of being the oldest Rhode Islanders in attendance, however.

The oldest woman at the brunch was 107-year-old Louise Silva, who in June will celebrate another birthday. A resident of the Scandinavian home in Cranston, her mother also reached centenarian status - indicating good genes played a part in her longevity.

The oldest man in attendance was 104-year-old Frank DiPaolo Jr., a longtime legis-lator from North Providence who still lives independently. When given his citation from Governor Lincoln Chafee, DiPaolo shared stories from his time on Smith Hill. The se-niors, Chafee said, are “the roots from which our community grows.”

“There’s good news, governor; it seems State House service helps you to live to be 100,” quipped Catherine Taylor, the director of the DEA.

Citations were also given to the young-est attendees: 99-year-old Madeline Bache who lives in the Blackstone Health Center in

Pawtucket, and 100-year-old Irving Ewers, a resident at the Village at Waterman Lake in Smithfield who is also a World War II veteran.

Looking around the room, Master of Ceremonies Mario Hilario of NBC 10 ob-served that there were far more women than men being recognized.

“The women always outlive us, don’t they? How do you do it, putting up with us?” he said, laughing. “Keep up the good work.”

Bringing greetings from the Town of Johnston, Mayor Joseph Polisena said he was thrilled that the brunch was held in his town for the second consecutive year.

“You truly are the greatest generation. Thank God you made this country what it is today,” he said. “It’s all what you make of

life, and you’ve made the correct choices.”Polisena also wanted to know the trick

to a long life and promised the audience, “If you could bottle it and sell it, I’d be glad to back you.”

Taylor, whose first months of office were filled with meeting key players and getting a handle on the senior services budget, said her colleagues from DEA were right to say that the centenarians brunch is a highlight for the director.

“Thank you all for the wonderful lives you have led and continue to lead,” she said.


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• Archery at Rhode Island College, Sunday June 12 at 10 AM• Basketball at RIC, Saturday, June 11 @ 10 AM• Ten Pin Bowling Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16; 10 AM at the Old Mountain Lanes in Wakefield• Cycling in Exeter, RI, Sunday, June 12 at 2 PM• Golf at Foster Country Club• 5 K Road Race in Goddard Park, Warwick, Sunday, Sept. 11, 10 AM• Softball at City Park, Warwick; August 12-16• Swimming at RI College Recreation Center, June 11 at 12 Noon• Table Tennis in Manville, RI, Saturday, Sept. 17 at 11 AM• Tennis in Slater Park, Pawtucket• Track & Field at RIC, Sunday June 12 at 9 AM• Triathlon at the Westerly Town Beach, Misquamicut, RI, Sunday,

Sept. 25 at 9 AM• Volleyball (Site & Time To Be Determined)

All participants must complete and return an entry form by June 7, 2011. For more information, contact the Ocean State Senior Olympics hotline at 401-383-9585 or email games coordinatormlyons @weeei.com. Visit www.riseniorolympicsorg


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Celebrating

Bea Coleman turns 107Tockwotton Home resident Beatrice “Bea” Coleman, turned 107

on April 20. Born and raised in Providence, Coleman attended Hope High School and later Pembroke College, where she graduated with a degree in education in 1925 as one of the school’s first African American students. After college, Coleman taught English at the St. Mary’s School for Girls in Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she loved to travel, read and was an accomplished pianist.

Coleman moved to Tockwotton Home in 2004 at the age of 100. She maintains a full social schedule, and for her birthday, celebrated with fellow Tockwotton Home residents as well as her former sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha.


lifestylesgay & gray b y C Y N T H I A G L I N I C K

You’ve come a long way, Daddypart One

Arthur Richter came to fatherhood in the most traditional of ways. He married a woman and they had a family. To hear him tell it, it is like something out of a Hollywood movie.

“Judy and I first met when I was 13 and she was 12. I had just had my Bar Mitzvah and my father tragically died six months later. I went to the temple to say kaddish ev-eryday, because that’s what children did,” Arthur recalled, “and there was this precocious little girl hang-ing around. Pretty soon she started coming over every night to my house on Ro c h a m b e a u Avenue to talk. By the time we were 16 and 15, we were going

steady.”They dated through high school and when Arthur attended Boston University, they con-

tinued to see each other, but his roommates introduced him to something that didn’t quite fit in his otherwise wonderful life.

“These guys were all football players and they used to go down to Boston Commons for contact with other men. I went along, too,” Arthur said candidly. “But I didn’t consider myself gay. It was just sex. It was 1957. There was no context for it. I had a fiancée. I thought I was heterosexual.”

Judy and Arthur married in 1961 at Temple Emmanuel and began a family. The first boy, Larry, arrived in 1965 and the second, Michael, in 1967. Arthur continued to have casual liaisons with male friends and never thought of it as cheating on his wife. After some years of this he realized or, rather, finally admitted to himself that he really was gay. While on a business trip in New York he met a man and it was love at first sight, so there was no denying it any longer.

“I tried for many, many months to stay away from it but I couldn’t. So I got into therapy. It’s 1979, I’m 40 years old and so after 18 years of marriage it ended and we divorced.”

Arthur took the boys out for dinner and told them why their parents were divorcing, that he was gay and they said, Oh we know. It’s no big deal and there is nothing to talk about.

Within a year, Michael, who was comfortable with his Dad’s new and more authentic lifestyle, was living with Arthur and his partner at the time. Larry stayed with his mother, even though he admitted years later that he too would have liked to move in, but couldn’t leave his mother alone.

Both Larry and Michael ended up in Hollywood working in the entertainment industry. Larry, who dates women but has never wed, is married to his job as Jon Bon Jovi’s business manager, and Michael, who went through a messy divorce, has three boys of his own.

“Just like my grandfather had to step in when my father died, I’ve had to step in for my grandsons,” said Arthur. “I’ve told Michael ‘I lost my father, but your kids don’t have to lose you.’ But someone needed to look after them.”

Peter, Arthur’s partner of seven years, and with whom he says he finally “got it right,” is as close as anyone can be to the grandkids. Max, the oldest grandchild, calls Arthur and Peter every night.

Arthur’s lifestyle is not discussed and it has never been discussed among the kids and grandkids, not because it is considered taboo, but because it is considered normal.

part twoRicky and Alex, who are legally married in Massachusetts, are both

37 years old and have been together for 12 years. They have always known that they wanted to have children together. They came from loving and accepting families, and as educators, children are very important to them.

“One of the things that attracted us to each other was how much we loved our grand-mothers,” said Ricky, “And when I think about our daughter, Nora (13 months old), we value the time and the chance for her to hang out with our par-ents, but particularly our mothers, because we got so much out of our relationships with our grandmothers.”

Alex’s grandmother died three years ago at the age of 102.

“She was an amaz-ing old Greek lady, the matriarch of the fam-ily and Nora kisses her picture every night,” Alex said.

“There’s this fabulous picture of her in Nora’s bedroom,” Ricky added, “her eyes are so friendly and her face is so inviting that she always looks at it. In fact, one of Nora’s first words was Yaya, which is Greek for Grand-mom.”

Nora is named after Alex’s grandmother and great-grandmother, and the birth mother’s family. It is an open adoption and it was Ricky and Al-ex’s intention from the get-go to have a relationship with the birth mother and Nora’s biological siblings. They were in the delivery room for the birth, so Nora has been with her two dads from day one.

“The birth mother was actually looking for a gay male couple for the adoption so she looked at our profile and she chose us,” said Alex. “I think it helped that Ricky looks like her best gay male friend, which we’re told is not all that unusual as a factor in choosing an adoptive family.”

“We’ve also heard,” added Ricky, “birth mothers want gay male cou-ples because there’s the feeling there won’t be another mother to provide competition, which is interesting.”

Being able to fill multiple roles is part of what the couple loves about parenting.

“One of the things I think can be great about many same-sex re-lationships is the lack of really defined gender roles. It’s not necessarily pre-scripted,” said Alex.

“And in a way,” agreed Ricky, “it allows you to both do what you naturally want to do or it’s negotiated versus automatically assumed.”

While the unsavory notion of competition between parents might be a salient issue elsewhere, it is clear that in Nora’s case there is only adora-tion and love. Have they thought about more children?

“I’m really on the fence about it,” admitted Alex, “because she is so beautiful, so engaging and intense, it’s hard to think about adding another life.”

“She’s a character with a strong, feisty constitution, too. Let’s just say, there are things we’re not giving away just yet,” said Ricky, smiling and looking at Alex.


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senior issues b y C A T H E R I N E T A Y L O R direc tor, r i depar tment of elder ly affairs

Spring is in full bloom, and it’s the perfect tempera-ture outside. We’ve shed our bulky winter gear. The roads and sidewalks are clear. It’s the easiest and most pleasant time of year to get outside and go places - run routine errands, visit friends or take a special trip to Roger Wil-liams Park or Colt State Park to enjoy the sunshine and the flowering trees.

What’s stopping you? Well, for many of us, it’s the price of gas. The prospect of parking, or driving at night, or crossing a bridge, can be off-putting. Some of us don’t have access to a car, or are unable to drive.

I have a solution for all of us: let’s take the bus! That’s right: one of the easiest and most economical ways to travel the state is on a RIPTA bus. A RIPTA bus can take you to the mall or the grocery store, to volunteer at a local school or hospital, enjoy lunch at a senior center, take in a PawSox game at McCoy Stadium, and even to the beach in Narragansett or Newport. RIPTA has your ticket to greater mobility, independence and involve-ment in your community.

Officials at RIPTA tell me that a lot of people are unsure about taking the bus. Many of us don’t realize how convenient many of the routes are to our desti-nations. We worry about the steep stairs onto the bus, which are hard on knees, hips and balance, and impos-sible for wheel chairs. But buses have changed; almost all buses now have low floors and flat entrances so that you can walk or glide right on.

Most of all, RIPTA officials hear time and time again

that people just don’t know how to ride a bus. How do I buy a ticket? How much does it cost? Where is the bus stop? How do I figure out which route to take?

And that is why RIPTA managers are available to give the public, especially the elderly, a lesson on how to ride a bus. They are happy to come to senior housing and senior centers to teach you to feel comfortable using this tremendous transportation resource. Call Bill Inlow at RIPTA, at 784-9500 ext. 153, or call us at DEA and we can help coordinate instruction.

In terms of cost, RIPTA offers many affordable tran-sit services that can meet your travel needs. Individuals 65 and older can get a “no fare” bus pass, if their annual income does not exceed the limits of the Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly (RIPAE) pro-gram. The current income limits are $20,934 for a single person and $26,170 for a married couple. The “no fare” bus pass costs $17.50 and is valid for five years.

All other people age 65 and above or with a disabil-ity pay full fare ($2) during RIPTA peak hours of service (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) on weekdays, and half fare all other times upon presentation of a RIPTA Senior/Disabled ID Pass or a Medicare ID Card.

Bus passes and identification cards are processed at RIPTA’s photo identification office, located at One Ken-nedy Plaza in Providence from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. RIPTA also processes identification cards on designated Fridays at many senior centers across the state. For more informa-

tion, call RIPTA at 784-9500, ext. 604.Rhode Islanders of any age who have a disability

may be eligible for paratransit services from RIPTA. The program provides curb-to-curb transportation service if a person’s disability prevents them from using regular RIPTA bus service. This service is provided along exist-ing RIPTA bus routes at a cost of twice the standard bus rate for all riders. For more information, or to obtain an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) application, call 1-800-745-5555 (TDD), or Rhode Island Relay 711. Applicants will be notified about their eligibility within 21 days.

RIPTA also offers “park and ride” to Providence from various locations across the state. You can park your car free of charge in any of these “park and ride” lots. For “park and ride” locations and schedules, call 781-9400.

RIPTA will soon start its Newport summer run schedule. Imagine traveling to Newport for $2 each way. It’s a fraction of what you’d pay in gas and tolls. And, you can keep your gaze fixed on the sailboats below as you ride over the Newport Bridge.

Give the bus a try this spring. Save money and go wherever you want. It’s freedom in every sense of the word!

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Sharing the East Avenue mansion

PEOPLE AND PLACES

a glImPse of rI’s Past h i s t o r y w i t h d o n d ’ a m at o

The Sprague family dominated the textile industry for many years. When they failed in the late 19th century, the Knight family took over the role of powerful mill owners. The Knights not only gained the Sprague mills but also the lovely mansion on East Avenue in Warwick. During the 1870s, however, it was the Spragues that still commanded the major role in textiles.

Looking back to the early 19th centuryBy 1821, the Sprague family became

interested in the Pawtuxet River Valley and purchased the Rhodes’ mill at Natick Village. While Samuel Slater is usually regarded as the “father of the American textile industry,” William Sprague, the father of the murdered Amasa, is considered to be the man who de-veloped it and nurtured it and is often called the textile industry’s “wet nurse.”

Along with the purchase of the Rhodes’ mills in Natick, the Spragues acquired a great deal of real estate. In 1827, they ob-tained about 150 acres of farmland in the nearby area, which included the homestead of Thomas Holden along present day East Avenue in Warwick. It is generally believed that, before his death in 1836, the elder Wil-liam Sprague built the house that stands at 486 East Ave.

Benoni preferred the fiddle to textilesWhile sons Amasa and William were

brought into the family business and inherit-ed their father’s ambition and business sense, a third son, Benoni, preferred “his fiddle and pleasant company to printing calico or manu-facturing cotton cloth or anything connected therewith,” according to Harold M. Taylor’s account of the Spragues, which appeared in the Cranston Herald in 1966.

William, the PoliticianWilliam Sprague III (1799-1856), like

his father, was interested in the mechanical aspect of the business and was interested in building new mills and in expanding the company. In this aspect, the brothers differed and Amasa preferred the status quo. A num-ber of historians have put forth the theory that William, because of this, turned much of his attention to politics. This was not new in

the Sprague history, as the family had taken an active role in politics from a very early period.

Opposition to Free MasonryWilliam Sprague was a moderate in poli-

tics for many years. He used his influence in the state legislature to further the interests of the textile industry. In his early years, he be-lieved “any good man would do” in the execu-tive chamber. This attitude changed drastically, however, in 1832 with the discrediting of the Freemasonry movement. Realizing that this feeling could work to his advantage, he decid-ed to take a more active role and to seek higher office, and became an active foe of the Ma-sonic movement. In 1832, William Sprague, while a member of the General Assembly, was responsible for helping to pass an act making it a crime for the Master of a Masonic Lodge to “administer an obligation to a candidate.” This issue helped William Sprague win a great deal of political influence in the state and helped elect him as governor in 1838.

William Sprague became governor (1838-1839) and U.S. Senator (1842-1844). While brother Amasa and his family made their home at the mansion on Cranston Street, Wil-liam made Warwick his country seat, added to the property and developed a suitable “gov-ernor’s residence” on what is known today as East Avenue. This is where he resided until his brother’s murder in 1844.

The story of the Spragues will be contin-ued.

Sprague’s home on East Avenue in Warwick was a large, handsome 12-room structure with seven fireplaces. The original building, circa 1835, has been altered and ex-panded over the years. The house is now part of the Knight campus at CCRI.

Travel, entertainmentand gift expenses

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that there are specific guidelines to be followed when deducting travel, entertainment and gift expenses. In general, taxpay-ers may deduct ordinary and necessary related expenses for traveling away from home, entertaining clients and customers, and giving gifts to customers, employees and others with whom they have a business association.

An ordinary expense is an expense that is common and accepted in the taxpayer’s trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate for the business.

Taxpayers who deduct expenses must exclude personal expenses when computing their deductions and must have documentation for the expense, including statement of the business purpose, names of the persons being entertained, date and location. In ad-dition, generally, only 50 percent of business meal and entertainment expenses can be deducted.

TraveLTaxpayers who travel away from home on business may deduct related expenses,

including the cost of reaching their destination, the cost of lodging and meals and other ordinary and necessary expenses. Taxpayers are considered “traveling away from home” if their duties require them to be away from home substantially longer than an ordinary day’s work and they need to sleep or rest to meet the demands of their work. The actual cost of meals and incidental expenses may be deducted or the taxpayer may use a standard meal allowance and reduced record keeping requirements. Regardless of the method used, meal deductions are generally limited to 50 percent as stated earlier. Only actual costs for lodging may be claimed as an expense and receipts must be kept for documentation. Expenses must be reasonable and appropriate; deductions for extravagant expenses are not allowable.

enTerTainMenTExpenses for entertaining clients, customers or employees may be deducted if they are

both ordinary and necessary and meet one of the following tests:• Directly related test: The main purpose of the entertainment activity is the conduct of business, business was actually conducted during the activity and the taxpayer had more than a general expectation of getting income or some other specific business benefit at some future time.• Associated test: The entertainment was associated with the active conduct of the taxpayer’s trade or business and occurred directly before or after a substantial business discussion.• Gifts: Taxpayers may deduct some or all of the cost of gifts given in the course of their trade or business. In general, the deduction is limited to $25 for gifts given directly or indirectly to any one person during the tax year.

More information is available in Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses.

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My father’s Day denMy narrow little warren of an office, which I sort out

and close up come June, might strike a visitor or guest as more of an artist’s attic, a poet’s salon, a sort of scholar’s studio or even a rat’s nest.

I’m going to call it a Father’s Day den.I keep in front of the mirror where I straighten my

necktie for classes and use my dad’s hairbrushes, with wood handles and genuine bristles - none of your mod-ern plastic ones. On the windowsill I have his framed diploma, and on the wall I have pinned up the torn pen-nant, that reads “School of Commerce,” in orange and blue felt. In one of the drawers, I lodge his last passport candid, but I store earlier portraits in the drawers of a desk or cabinet. Sepia images of a young man from the 1920s with round spectacles that were then the fashion, with his best friend, or with his fiancée, or at his younger brother’s wedding.

Why here instead of at home? No reason, actually, just a keepsake habit that set in.

I also have the chair his father, my grandfather, had built and upholstered, a “sausage” style wingchair in red pseudo-leather. It was real leather when I was a child. I used to jump up and down and wreck the springs. I dragged it to my place at RISD, all ragged and used up, and my dad took it out and fixed it up like new. I think his brother had a hand in the restoration.

Upon the floor I have the leather attaché case my fa-ther gave me when I got this job decades ago, in which I pack and stuff other family papers among sketches done by some talented relatives from a number of generations back.

I’m concentrating here on fathers to celebrate the month of June, when we turn from the emphasis on mothers in May, now at the brink of summertime. I have to report, though, that I also hang a tapestry from my grandfather’s wife, my great aunt and also step-grand-mother, Clara. It’s a gorgeous woven design with roses and peacocks. My place in the College Building is a mess, all crammed with books and magazines, student projects and personal papers and photographs. But it is also a wild

collection of leftover legacies from my clan. My mother’s dancing shoes, all the way onward to my daughters’ and granddaughters’ outgrown toys and school day drawings. Doesn’t make much sense, but my graduating students love to come in and sit down and admire all the junk. Baby pictures of my aunts and uncles and old hats, fur wraps that look like dead foxes, snout and all, and even “falls” or “rats” (yes, that’s what they used to call the braids saved after bobbing long hair in the jazz age).

I am especially proud of my own status as father, and love to show off the high school photograph of my son on the shelves of curios. The books that properly belong on those shelves lie all along the floor, and I scatter them and trip over them whenever I head for the ringing tele-phone.

There is a recent anecdote that I would like to offer as a conclusion to this introduction and welcome to My World (and welcome to It!), which is about a recycled dress.

You see, I have many such storage spaces among my dwellings. Cellars and lofts, garages and alcoves, filled to the brim with mementos I can’t part with; closets filled with clothing that weaves patterns of personal history. Af-ter the flood of last year, I had to dispose of lots of things I had cherished. The newspapers warned us that mold would rise from paper and fabric and like an evil blob take over the house, maybe even the whole town! Something like that, anyway. I had long endeavored to transform my mother’s wardrobe into a useful, valuable, intimate quilt. Nothing had quite worked out. The jackets and skirts of wool got lost or eaten by moths. The dresses of polyester couldn’t be sewn, I was told by one quilting volunteer. So, I gave her last two shirtwaist dresses, one of beige and the other of iridescent blues and purples, to a charming lady who works at RISD as a custodian and caretaker. She took a look and proclaimed, “I hate to cut it up, it is so beau-tiful and shapely; your mother must have been a lovely looking person!” But after a dignified spell of respectful time, she went away with it...and brought it back as a decorative cushion with a rose on top. It was a mixture of

pillow and sculpture. A touch of dada design, and it quite suited my madcap little realm.

Now, this is the same lady who had made cushions for the swivel chair at my desk, which had been given to me by my father. So there you have it all, more or less.

What is a father? Hopefully, one who tries his best to watch over you protectively and helpfully, to leave you a few things that may last beyond the boundaries of imme-diate time. It can happen that you don’t appreciate your dad until after he has passed. The things that remain tell their own story. They hold magic and meaning.

I had a father. I am a father. I had a grandfather. I am a grandfather. You need a grandmother to have a grandfa-ther. You need a mother to have a father and to be a father. So you see, the disorder and chaos of my surprisingly so-ciable office is simply part of the way of the world. Every-thing is linked to, and dependent upon, everything else. That’s the ecology of the family, so perhaps my album of souvenirs suits the studio world after all is said and done. And so, voila. Happy Father’s Day to one and all.


that’s entertaInment b y D O N F O W L E R lifestyles

Summer theater lights up Rhode IslandWith the price of gasoline staying close to $4 and Rhode Islanders facing

a tough economy, this summer is a good time to take advantage of the many fine theatre and entertainment opportunities close to home.

Theatre-By-The-SeaTheatre-by-the-Sea in Matunuck opens their 2011 summer season on June 3 with

the hilarious “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” We saw the play at PPAC and enjoyed the unusual approach to humor. Preview performances are on June 1 and 2.

“Man of La Mancha”, one of Broadway’s greatest musicals will be staged at TBTS June 24 to July 16, with previews on June 22 and 23. The account of Don Quixote’s quest for “The Impossible Dream” is worth seeing more than once.

“Hairspray” will return to Rhode Island one more time, with shows July 22 to Aug. 13, and previews on July 20 and 21.

The summer season closes with “The Drowsy Chaperone” from Aug. 19 to Sept. 4. Previews will be on Aug. 17 and 18. Tickets range from $39 to $54. Call 782-TKTS for reservations.

2nd Story TheatreDirector Ed Shea has something special lined up for the month of June. Tom Topor’s

suspenseful melodrama “NUTS,” will be performed at the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High St., June 3 through 26, with shows Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Friday and Sat-urdays at 8 p.m. There are also Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.

“NUTS” is actually set in a courtroom at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, where a high-class call girl who killed a violent “john” in self-defense is indicted for manslaugh-ter. When her parents have her declared mentally incompetent, she launches a fierce battle to convince the court she is sane enough to stand trial.

The Bristol Statehouse is the perfect setting for this play, which will be directed by Pat Hegnauer. Tickets are $27. For reservations, call 247-4200.

Newport playhouseThe Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant is celebrating their 27th year with

Neil Simon’s “The Female Odd Couple,” directed by Tony Annicone through June 30.This time around, it is Florence Unger and Oliver Madison playing Trivial Pursuit

with the girls instead of poker. The Constanzuela brothers have replaced the Pidgeon sisters.

Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me a Tenor” will be in Newport July 9 to Aug. 21. This is one of the funniest comedies I have ever seen.

“Let’s Murder Martha” by Monk Ferris, about a housewife who loves reading mys-

tery novels and mistakenly overhears her husband planning her murder when he’s really planning her birthday party, opens Aug. 25 and runs through Oct. 9.

Dinner, theatre and cabaret packages are available for $49.50, making for a great afternoon or evening of summer entertainment. Call 848-PLAY for reservations.

“The Family” at Lederer TheatreThe entire state is waiting anxiously to see what Arlene Violet has in store for us in

this musical spoof on the Rhode Island Mafia.“The Family-A musical About the Mob,” written by the former Attorney General,

with music and lyrics by Enrico Garzilli, will be performed at Trinity’s Lederer Theatre June 2 to July 1. Peter Sampieri will direct a cast of local, New York and Boston actors who are now in rehearsal.

perishable TheatrePerishable Theatre brings back their big hit that sold out audiences last year: “Hed-

wig and the Angry Inch,” starring Alexander Platt.We saw the wildly entertaining musical last year and loved it, especially Platt’s per-

formance.I should note that this is not a musical for children. It contains adult themes, pro-

fanity and some heavy rock music.Perishable is moving into a larger space at Trinity Rep’s Pell Chafee Performance

Center, one door down at 87 Empire St. in Providence for this production.Tickets are only $25. Call 621-6123 for reservations. For more information, check

out www.perishable.org.Improv Jones, an improvisational comedy troupe continues throughout the sum-

mer every Thursday and Saturday night at 10 p.m. at Perishable. Tickets at the door are $5.

Two other popular Perishable presentations will also play in June for a $5 charge at the door: “Live Bait: True Stories From Real People” on Friday, June 3, and “Breathing Tube: Short Plays for Radio, Live” on June 17 at 10 p.m.

Brown Summer TheatreLowry Marshall is back again with another exciting and innovative series of three

plays to be performed in the round at Leeds Theatre on the East Side’s Waterman St.“The plays are all about love,” Marshall said.

Rhode Island nursing homes outperform nationThe Rhode Island Department of Health has released

the results of the 2010 survey on resident and family sat-isfaction with nursing home care in Rhode Island. Rhode Island nursing centers outperformed the national average on satisfaction scores for the sixth consecutive year.

My InnerView, a national research company, issues the National Survey of Resident and Family Satisfaction in Nursing Facilities annually. The survey establishes a database to benchmark customer satisfaction in nursing homes throughout the United States.

The questionnaire answers two substantive questions: How would you rate your nursing facility; and would you recommend it to others? In addition to measuring over-all satisfaction, the My InnerView survey measures three distinct areas: quality of life, quality of care and quality of service. Scores in these areas serve as a useful tool not only for consumers, but also for nursing home care providers in identifying areas in need of improvement.

senior issues b y K E R R Y P A R K

In Rhode Island, 92 percent of residents and family members rated their satisfaction with the facility as either “Good” or “Excellent.” In comparison, 89 percent of resi-dents and 87 percent of family members in the national database gave such positive ratings. Ninety-two percent of Rhode Island nursing home residents and 91 percent of their families said they would recommend the facility to others, compared to 88 percent and 87 percent respectively at the national level.

“Who better to judge the quality of care in nursing homes than those who use their services?” asked Virginia Burke, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, the state’s largest association of skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities. “Our providers have led the country in quality improvement initiatives. It’s nice to know that those efforts are recognized by those receiving care in our nursing homes, as well as their families.”

“These comparative data show that nursing homes’

continued focus on quality of life and the individual choic-es of residents is important and valuable,” added Interim Director of Health Michael Fine, MD. “That 92 percent of residents and 91 percent of family members would recom-mend their nursing home to anyone needing skilled care testifies to the quality of nursing homes in our state.”

Consumers can find satisfaction survey scores on the Rhode Department of Health’s website at Information, describing how these scores are put together, and the indi-vidual nursing home scores can be viewed at http://www.health.ri.gov/nursinghomes/about/quality/. The site also has several other clinical measures as well as a variety of information and resources to aid consumers in choosing a nursing home.


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“I was born and bred here and believe in giving back to the community. Every-thing we do here at HomeCare Advan-tage is to promote care for the elderly of Rhode Island and it’s apparent in the quality of personalized care we give.”

For more than 25 years, Elaine has helped patients throughout Rhode Is-land. Friendly, professional caregivers of-

fer their services in the comforts of the home, while giving family members peace of mind. The caregivers fill the gap between no help at all or help from a family member, and are an affordable alternative to an assisted living center or nursing home. Their goal is to keep you or your family member at home, and independent for as long as possible.

HomeCare Advantage is bonded, insured and accredited by the Joint Commission special-izing in the placement of caregivers for people of all ages – from birth to the elderly, helping them in the interim between their discharge from the hospital to recovery, or for long term care.

HomeCare Advantage employs a large staff of skilled and non-skilled Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, and Certified Nursing As-sistants who are available to provide homecare services for you or a loved one - in the comfort of your home. They can provide intermittent care or 24 hour care, 7 days a week - holidays and weekends included - and can customize a care plan to meet your needs. The caregivers at HomeCare Advantage are carefully screened, licensed, bonded, insured and supervised and will provide help wherever help is needed. Last year, HomeCare Advantage provided services to over 1200 clients in their homes.

Working swiftly and efficiently with clients, as well as their family and physicians, HomeC-are Advantage, will create a “plan of care” designed to enhance security and independence with the main focus on continuity of care. For your convenience Medicare, Medicaid and Commer-cial Insurance are accepted and HomeCare Advantage can help you with all the paperwork

In 2007 Homecare Advantage was honored to receive the Advancing Innovation in Health Care Award from Quality Partners of Rhode Island, a healthcare quality improvement agency, for its work in improving the quality of life for clients with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For more information, or to ask about their free assessments, call Home Care Advantage today at 401-781-3400. You can also visit the website at www.homecareadvantage.com.

Homecare advantage has provided quality home health care to Ri residents of all ages since 1986. Pictured above is elaine Riley, ceO and President of Homecare advantage


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With 42 long term resident beds, 40 beds in their new memory care program called “Bridges,” and 30 beds in the rehabilitation unit, Heatherwood is all about treating the whole patient – physically, emotionally, and socially.

With skilled nursing services on every floor, a stay at Heatherwood includes all the com-forts of home including private and semi private rooms, a beauty salon, religious services, extended visiting hours, daily activities and social events, state-of-the-art spa tubs, WiFi, a personal dining experience, and much, much, more.

At Heatherwood you will find a quality care and a supportive environment because “caring for individuals” is what they do best. The friendly, professional staff helps each resident to meet their challenges so that maximum function and independence can be restored. Their goal is to provide the right care and services to meet the needs of each individual.

The staff at Heatherwood is especially proud of the new “Bridges” memory support pro-gram which offers a safe, secure, and supportive environment for people with memory impair-ment. The Bridges program recently celebrated its second anniversary and provides frequent structured leisure activities, daily exercises, sensory programs, and many opportunities for one-on-one interaction to meet the needs of people at any stage of memory loss.

Here, programming is tailored to each resident’s personal history, social preferences and cultural background. The emphasis is on the fact that it’s the little things in life that can make all the difference - like having a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, soaking in the tub, or taking a stroll before breakfast. The result is that residents are more active, more productive and feel more at home. After all, the Bridges’ philosophy is, “It’s all about the experience!”

In addition, the team at Bridges is trained in dementia care and are experts at interacting with people who have cognitive issues, providing a positive relationship and sense of well-be-

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To learn more about Heather-wood, call Jennye Durante, Direc-tor of Admissions at 401-849-6600, ext. 4041, or visit the website at www.heatherwoodnursing.com.

Residents and their families love the friendly, homelike environment at Heatherwood Nursing and Rehabilitation center.


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from tHe BRIDge At CHeRRY HILLWhat are the must havesin your fridge?Butter, garlic, tomatoes, chicken, fresh fruit, fresh herbs, ham and fresh veg-etables

Where did you train to become a chef?Johnson & Wales University, my mother and Café Nuovo

Have you had any other jobs in the culinary industry?Café Nuovo, West End Café (owner) and Sharx Bar and Grill (owner)

What’s the most popular item on the menu at The Bridge at Cherry Hill?Pasta fagiloi, cheeseburgers, turkey club, all pasta dishes and baked cod

What’s the strangest menu request you’ve ever gotten?Cottage cheese and fruit with sour cream, whipped cream and apple sauce

What’s the best part of your job?Fooling around with my residents. I love making them laugh.

Describe your perfect meal.No special orders and positive feedback!


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CLUES ACROSS 1. Face covering disguise 5. An equal exchange 9. Taxi driver14. M____: 1998 Disney movie15. One who manually cultivates16. Island off Venezuela17. World’s longest river18. Light around a saint’s head19. Male goat20. 11th President23. Flew alone24. O.J. Simpson judge25. Married woman26. Thinly sliced raw fish31. Hanging window cloths35. Closed hermetically36. Agile, lively (nautical)37. Moonfish genus38. Removed by rubbing41. Rete43. Common shoe repair45. Last weekday (abbr.)46. Devoid of warmth and cordiality47. Eagle nests51. _________ up, irk55. Hispaniola country57. S____ Monica or Barbara58. Italian aloha59. Countertenors60. Remain as is61. Performs in a play62. Drained of energy 63. A shade of color64. Covered Greek colonnade

CLUES DOWN 1. Tough Asiatic grass 2. Fake name 3. Salmon & trout genus

4. Rest on your knees 5. Salt & pepper utensils 6. Inflicts an injury 7. About aviation 8. Established practice 9. For use of the train crew10. Fleshy seed cover11. A main mass or amount12. Where wine ferments (abbr.)13. Exclamation of approval21. Not all22. Pesetas (abbr.)27. Draft horse curved collar

piece28. Hollies29. A list of restaurant dishes30. 15th day of March31. One who colors cloth32. Uncommon33. Araxes34. Uruguayan monetary unit39. Not an egalitarian40. Art __, 1925: 40 style41. Be earlier in time42. Former Italian currency44. A hereditary ruler45. Attach firmly48. S. Am. Indians49. A formal proclamation50. Southeast Asia Treaty Org.51. Simple rural vacation retreat

(Fr.)52. British School53. B____ box: contains 26 Across54. Civil rights leader Parks55. Owns56. High Swiss mountain

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UrqUhart-MUrphyEdward L. Murphy - Director

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A must-attend event Senior Services, Inc. of Woon-socket will hold its seventh annual Spring Gala on June 8 at Savini’s Restaurant. Longtime activist and community vol-unteer Helen Nichols will receive the Outstanding Senior Advocate Award. Tickets are $25.Call 766-3734 or e-mail [email protected].

Back in orbit Doo wop group Ronnie and the Satellites will perform “Duel on the Diamond” at the Agawam Field in East Providence on Saturday, June 18. The event will benefit A Wish Come True, and will feature Mark Ambrose, Kathy Sotnik and a host of other Rhode Island radio and television personalities. www.JHF-website.com.

Music on the Hill 27th season of the Music on the Hill concert series, a unique tradition that honors RI musicians who return from the four corners of the country and abroad to play together under the direction of Warwick native, John M. Pelligrino. Opens on June 9 at the First Baptist Church in Wickford with a 10:30 a.m. concert, followed on June 10 with a concert at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick at 7 p.m., June 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El, June 16 at 7 p.m., East Greenwich United Methodist Church, and the next day at 6:30 p.m. at St. Rose and Clement Church in War-wick. The series concludes with a 7 p.m. concert on June 18 at the Rhode Island Philharmonic School in East Providence. Tickets are $20, with the exception of the “Culinary Concert” at Temple Beth El, which includes wine and hors d’oeuvres before and dessert following, for $35.

Sunset music series Newport Sunset Music Series kicks off on Saturday, June 25 with the Indigo Girls, New-port Yachting Center on America’s Cup Avenue in downtown

Newport. Call 846-1600 or go to www.newportwa-terfrontevents.com for reservations or details.


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CalenDar of eventsWe’re looking for new members . . .

Korean War Veterans

KoreanserVice

VeteransMeetings held 2nd

Wednesday ofevery Month

ChepaChet senior Centerrte. 44

1210 putnam pike, Chepachet

Call frank 231-3736or gil 831-3301

for More information

KWva – Chapter 3

860 Waterman Ave. #6East Providence

431-9119

Thank Youfor visiting our booth atthe Senior Living Expo

Moving on upLillian Jean Delmonico has been pro-moted to Executive Director at Victoria Court, a 45-room senior community of Pacifica Senior Living specializing in de-mentia care. Delmonico joined the Victo-ria Court team in May 2008 and received her Assisted Living Resident Adminis-trator’s license in June 2010. Victoria Court is located at 55 Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston. For more information, call 946-5522.

Jenny Miller named Social Worker of the Year in Aging

Senior Care Concepts, Inc is very excited to announce that Jenny Miller, MSW, CMC, has been awarded the So-cial Worker of the Year in Aging by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

This award is given annually to a so-cial worker in the field of aging that has made a significant difference. Miller was ecstatic and humbled to be selected by her peers for such a prestigious award. The award is being given at this year’s NASW annual meeting in June.

Senior Care Concepts, Inc. is a geri-atric care management company that is sensitive to all the needs of seniors and their adult children. The company’s goal is to help seniors attain their maximum functional capacity. To learn more, visit www.seniorcareconceptsinc.com.

Life in the Round Join the Warwick Museum of Art to celebrate the legacy of the Warwick Musical Theatre featuring the 90-minute, Emmy-nominated documentary, “The Tent: Life in the Round,” as well as memorabilia from the personal collection of Larry Bonoff. Free, June 2 to July 29, Tuesdays through Sat-urdays, 12 to 4 p.m. 3259 Post Road. Call 737-0010 or go to warwickmuseum.org.

Taste of Block Island The 2nd annual Taste of Block Island Weekend will take place June 3 to 5, when restaurants across the island will offer discounts on almost everything, including room rates, classes and events. www.tasteofblockisland.com, 1-800-383-2474.

federal Hill Stroll Enjoy Providence’s most vi-brant neighborhood while sampling signature cuisine and enjoying exclusive discounts. Call 456-0200 or go to www.federalhillstroll.com for reservations

Gaspee, Gaspee, and more Gaspee If you want to step back in history, check out the Gaspee Days Colonial Encampment from June 10 to 12 in Paw-tuxet Park, hosted by the Pawtuxet Rangers. On the 11th, work up a sweat in the Allan and Edna Brown 5K Gaspee Days Road Race, and later join in the fun at the 46th annual Gaspee Days Parade.

Garden City Center Art festival On Sat-urday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Garden City Center Art Festival will feature more than 100 con-temporary American arts and crafts artists along with strolling entertainment, a farmer’s market and more. Go to www.festivalfete.com or call 374-3899.


Please join us for our fall Expo at the Crown Plaza on September 26th

P r i m E T i m E _ _ _ m A g A z i N E

seniore x P OLiving

PrimeTime Magazine wishes to thank all our exhibitors and sponsors for participating in the Senior Living

Expo at the Warwick Mall

thank youthanks!

june 2011 primetime

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