Westminster Cares honored the town’s 90-plus-year-old residents at its annual meeting November 4, 2012 at the Westminster Central Fire Station. There are currently seventeen Westminster people who are 90 or older-- eight of them attended the event, along with many family members and town residents. They enjoyed talking with townspeople, and were served lunch and cake to celebrate their birthdays.
Emcee Pete Harrison, Westminster Cares’ treasurer, related some information about each honoree, accompanied by a slideshow of photographs from the lives of many of them created by board member Don Dawson. Some were photos of their early years; many were photos of the houses in Westminster where they lived or live now.
Pete had many anecdotes to share. Here’s one, told to him by Artie Aiken: Artie borrowed a block and tackle from a neighbor, who told him, “Just bring it back when you are going by sometime.” Artie said he was very busy working on the railroad in those days and time got away from him. “Next thing I knew,” said Artie, “the local sheriff appeared in my yard and asked me about the tools I had borrowed.”
The sheriff at the time was George Woods. “Let me see that block and tackle,” George said. After looking it over, George told Artie: “You can keep it. The person you borrowed it from borrowed it from my father three years ago and never returned it.”
The photo of Evelyn Rhoades’ house, on Route 5 on the flats, was shown twice. Why? Evelyn Aubuchont lived there before she sold it to the Rhoadeses in 1976. Coincidentally, the two Evelyns both had maiden names of Evelyn Adams.
Here are the 90-plus-year-olds, and their dates of birth. There are two couples in the group:
Jack Keil 12/30/22
Dennis Payne 12/25/22
Betty Holton 2/2/22
Evelyn Aubuchont 11/26/21
Russell Blodgett 5/30/21
Barbara Keil 4/19/21 [Jack Keil’s wife]
Amelia Zezima 3/24/21
Doc Buck 2/23/21
Arlene Reed 12/22/20
Arlene Bates 12/19/19
Evelyn Rhoades 4/26/19
Ralph Atkins 10/12/18
Everett Reed 7/20/16 [Arlene’s husband]
Margaret DiFredo 1/12/16
Everett Garland 9/5/14
Artie Aiken 6/10/13
Louise Morse 5/20/13
Dick Morse 3/31/13
These honored guests were able to attend: Dennis Payne, Dr. Ralph Buck, Arlene Reed, Arlene Bates, Evelyn Rhoades, Everett Reed, Artie Aiken, and Dick Morse.
When Westminster Cares celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013, there will be three residents turning 100 years of age. Stay tuned for a big celebration! Meanwhile, the organization is in the midst of its annual appeal, and if it meets its goal of raising $12,000, the Thomas Thompson Trust will give an extra $10,000.
The Thompson Trust gives money to charitable organizations that provide health care and other social services in Windham County, Vermont. Any contribution can be designated as a memorial donation. For more information, you can call the Westminster Cares office at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net. For more information about Westminster Cares, visit the website at www.westminstercares.org.
Aged in Vermont - Articles for those who know someone who is aging...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Six Tips for Keeping Your Brain – and Memory – Youthful
Last month, we wrote about memory as we age. Although the brain’s ability to remember declines as we get older, there are ways to slow that decline.
This month, we offer a few strategies on how to keep that memory agile. These tips are also taken from a presentation given to the advisory board of the Bellows Falls Senior Center last February by Sue Ann Forcier, elder care outreach coordinator for Senior Solutions.
It’s important to stay mentally active: learn a new pastime, play cards or games, memorize anything new— a line from a song, a rhyme or prayer. Challenge yourself with learning a new route while driving; pay attention to the details and write them down when you get home. It’s just as important to stay mentally active. That helps stimulate executive functioning as you follow the flow of conversation, reading and interpreting the others’ responses. It also helps reduce isolation, one of the factors contributing to dementia.
This month, we offer a few strategies on how to keep that memory agile. These tips are also taken from a presentation given to the advisory board of the Bellows Falls Senior Center last February by Sue Ann Forcier, elder care outreach coordinator for Senior Solutions.
It’s important to stay mentally active: learn a new pastime, play cards or games, memorize anything new— a line from a song, a rhyme or prayer. Challenge yourself with learning a new route while driving; pay attention to the details and write them down when you get home. It’s just as important to stay mentally active. That helps stimulate executive functioning as you follow the flow of conversation, reading and interpreting the others’ responses. It also helps reduce isolation, one of the factors contributing to dementia.
- The task: Go on a guided tour of a museum or another site of interest. Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, try to reconstruct the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember.
Why: Research into brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to change at any age) indicates that memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function and hinder the rate of decline of the brain. - The task: Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy but don't have memorized. Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics. Then learn to sing along. Once you've mastered one song, move on to another.
Why: Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close attention and an active memory. When you focus, you release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enables plasticity and vivifies memory. - The task: If you've ever thought about learning to play an instrument or take up an old one.
Why: Playing an instrument helps you exercise many interrelated dimensions of brain function, including listening, control of refined movements and translation of written notes (sight) to music (movement and sound). - The task: Do a jigsaw puzzle that will be challenging for you—no fewer than 500 pieces.
Why: Mundane as they may seem, jigsaw puzzles can provide real help for your brain. Completing one requires fine visual judgments about where pieces belong. It entails mentally rotating the pieces, manipulating them in your hands, and shifting your attention from the small piece to the big picture. To top it off, it's rewarding to find the right pieces. - The Task: Increase your physical activities, no matter how small.
Why: New research indicates that exercise has positive benefits for the hippocampus, a brain structure that is important for learning and memory. It can even help your brain create new cells. - The Task: Get a good night’s sleep.
Why: Scientists believe that our brains consolidate learning and memories during sleep. Studies have shown that people who don't sleep enough have more trouble learning new information, while sleeping well after learning something new helps the brain effectively put that information into long term memory.
Taxes Can Be So Taxing
As hard as it may seem, April is just around the corner, when we’ll all be scurrying to get our taxes ready for April 15.
Taxes are incredibly complex in this day and age, say Patrick Madden and Annette Spaulding of Spaulding & Madden Tax Services in Westminster. The very first Form 1040 in 1913 was only three pages long and now, when your return is complete, you end up with a small encyclopedia. Tax issues and planning for seniors is one of the most important issues tax preparers deal with. There are too many issues to cover but here are a few, according to Spaulding and Madden:
Additionally, you can dial 2-1-1 to find out more about getting assistance for tax preparation. The Vermont-based website - http://www.vtlawhelp.org/taxes - will also provide you with detailed information on how to get tax preparation. There are some requirements, so be sure to read or to call and ask questions first.
AARP also provides an online service where you can look for agencies that provide free tax support. Please visit http://www.vtlawhelp.org/node/160 for more information.
Westminster Cares offers many opportunities to volunteer. You can deliver Meals on Wheels, take an elderly neighbor to the doctor or shopping, visit someone who lives alone, take a walk with a neighbor or serve on one of our committees. To find out how you can volunteer, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net
Taxes are incredibly complex in this day and age, say Patrick Madden and Annette Spaulding of Spaulding & Madden Tax Services in Westminster. The very first Form 1040 in 1913 was only three pages long and now, when your return is complete, you end up with a small encyclopedia. Tax issues and planning for seniors is one of the most important issues tax preparers deal with. There are too many issues to cover but here are a few, according to Spaulding and Madden:
- Seniors are often faced with medical issues that can also lead to home improvements or renovations due to medical problems, and that can have tax implications.
- For those who are still working and receiving Social Security, you must plan your tax withholding, as up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxable, depending on your earned income.
- Pensioners after age 70 must have Required Minimum Distributions taken out of their pensions or face penalties.
- Seniors with investment income fared well the fast few years, as the capital gain rate was set at 15% or less for 2012. It can even be 0%, depending on circumstances. This affects you if you sell stocks or property other than your primary residence. But who knows what Congress will pass this coming year?
- One of the most important issues that seniors must deal with is estate planning. It is critical that you consult with a professional to properly plan for your estate. “We cannot stress enough the importance of sitting down with a tax professional and discussing your situation in order to properly plan for your retirement years,” Spaulding and Madden say.
Resources for you
There are resources available to assist you with your tax preparation and the sooner you get started, the easier it will be to submit your taxes in a timely manner. For starters:- SEVCA (located at 91 Buck Street in Westminster, next to Allen Brothers), in cooperation with the United Way, will provide FREE tax return preparation. This service is provided through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax help for taxpayers who have household income up to $50,000. For more information, call SEVCA directly at 802-722-4575.
- H & R Block will provide a free “second-look” service for any of your tax returns over the last three years as well as reviewing this year’s return, prior to submittal. They’ll make sure you’re receiving all the proper credits and deductions you may (or may not) be entitled to. Contact one of the local offices in Bellows Falls (802) 463-4633 or Brattleboro (802) 257-7809.
Additionally, you can dial 2-1-1 to find out more about getting assistance for tax preparation. The Vermont-based website - http://www.vtlawhelp.org/taxes - will also provide you with detailed information on how to get tax preparation. There are some requirements, so be sure to read or to call and ask questions first.
AARP also provides an online service where you can look for agencies that provide free tax support. Please visit http://www.vtlawhelp.org/node/160 for more information.
Westminster Cares offers many opportunities to volunteer. You can deliver Meals on Wheels, take an elderly neighbor to the doctor or shopping, visit someone who lives alone, take a walk with a neighbor or serve on one of our committees. To find out how you can volunteer, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net
Monday, January 23, 2012
A Feast for the Senses
Twice a month, an eclectic gathering of individuals enter the Westminster Fire Station to participate in the Secrets of Healthy Aging discussion group and potluck, a program of Westminster Cares. This group of seniors, ranging in age from the sixty's to ninety's, gathers to explore the unique issues faced in the aging process, engaging in an infinite variety and depth of topics. We've been meeting since 2002, some of the original members still attending.
It is my blessing and challenge (depending on the day!) to facilitate this group of outspoken, hilarious, sincere and generous-hearted people. All of us consider our meetings a feast of the senses! Let me offer some examples.
"The things this table has heard," declares one long time attendee! Sitting around the table, some of the things heard include: raucous laughter, life experiences, opinions that challenge and intrigue, welcoming of new members, and thoughts and stories that inspire.
Continuing with the sense of sight, participants gaze upon strangers who have become friends; a diverse group of people happy to be in each others' presence. Joyful shouting greets new arrivals (even the late ones!) while we try not to ogle each other's potluck items. Exercising a different form of sight, that of deep insight, one group member has called our gatherings a place where, "minds are working and souls are shared."
Touch comes into play as the group mascot, my "senior" dog, Minnie, wanders from person to person with her own calm, sweet, greetings. Here and there someone pauses to stroke soft fur and receive cold-nosed nuzzling. When a person new to the group arrives, everyone eagerly jostles to make space - figuratively and literally - at the table, ready to be touched by whatever it is that person may bring to the gathering. Or, as one person said, "touching each other's hearts with our spoken words."
Depending on the seasons of our meetings, the smells wafting through the room are sometimes subtle, and sometimes commanding, but always adding to our sensory participation! New-mown grass, whispering rain, the first snow...and, oh! Warm bread awaiting us - baked by one of the group. Sometimes, our discussion may focus on what sensory awarenesses people are having; it's not unusual for our waiting lunch to play a starring role!
And last, but certainly not least, is our shared meal; a sumptuous conclusion encompassing a feast of all the senses, especially taste. Over the years participants have found great pleasure in bringing a unique selection of edibles - which of course, is not complete unless chocolate is present! The unknown accompanies us with every discussion and every meal. We never plan what we'll bring to the table, verbally or gustatorily! Somehow it always works. No one is ever required to speak before they're ready, or bring food to share - there's always more than enough of both to warm our hearts, minds and bellies.
And on top of all that, at any given meeting, "we have been known to burst into song!" Come give us a try!
If you would like more information about this gathering, please call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email: wecares@sover.net
Cheryl Richards, MA, CT
is an End of Life & Grief
Counselor & Educator
It is my blessing and challenge (depending on the day!) to facilitate this group of outspoken, hilarious, sincere and generous-hearted people. All of us consider our meetings a feast of the senses! Let me offer some examples.
"The things this table has heard," declares one long time attendee! Sitting around the table, some of the things heard include: raucous laughter, life experiences, opinions that challenge and intrigue, welcoming of new members, and thoughts and stories that inspire.
Continuing with the sense of sight, participants gaze upon strangers who have become friends; a diverse group of people happy to be in each others' presence. Joyful shouting greets new arrivals (even the late ones!) while we try not to ogle each other's potluck items. Exercising a different form of sight, that of deep insight, one group member has called our gatherings a place where, "minds are working and souls are shared."
Touch comes into play as the group mascot, my "senior" dog, Minnie, wanders from person to person with her own calm, sweet, greetings. Here and there someone pauses to stroke soft fur and receive cold-nosed nuzzling. When a person new to the group arrives, everyone eagerly jostles to make space - figuratively and literally - at the table, ready to be touched by whatever it is that person may bring to the gathering. Or, as one person said, "touching each other's hearts with our spoken words."
Depending on the seasons of our meetings, the smells wafting through the room are sometimes subtle, and sometimes commanding, but always adding to our sensory participation! New-mown grass, whispering rain, the first snow...and, oh! Warm bread awaiting us - baked by one of the group. Sometimes, our discussion may focus on what sensory awarenesses people are having; it's not unusual for our waiting lunch to play a starring role!
And last, but certainly not least, is our shared meal; a sumptuous conclusion encompassing a feast of all the senses, especially taste. Over the years participants have found great pleasure in bringing a unique selection of edibles - which of course, is not complete unless chocolate is present! The unknown accompanies us with every discussion and every meal. We never plan what we'll bring to the table, verbally or gustatorily! Somehow it always works. No one is ever required to speak before they're ready, or bring food to share - there's always more than enough of both to warm our hearts, minds and bellies.
And on top of all that, at any given meeting, "we have been known to burst into song!" Come give us a try!
If you would like more information about this gathering, please call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email: wecares@sover.net
Cheryl Richards, MA, CT
is an End of Life & Grief
Counselor & Educator
Dick Morse: 98 and Still Going Strong
Westminster hasn't changed much through the eyes of Richard "Dick" Morse, 98. He remembers growing up in North Westminster, learning to swim in the Saxton's River, picking berries, and having fun all around the area. He remembers Interstate 91 coming in and taking all the traffic off Route5. He even thinks of how the floods have gotten better and worse over the years. Yet he says the people of Westminster haven't changed much. He even joked that the only thing that changed are people's last names.
Dick was born in Keene in 1913. He moved to Gageville in 1921 when he was 8. Then he moved to Westminster, on the corner of Henwood Hill and Route 5, in the early 50's. He worked in refrigeration, and still owns birds like he did those many years ago.
Dick went into the bird business because the farm house he bought on Henwood Hill was all set up for raising chickens, so he decided to try it out. He started with several thousand Rhode Island Reds, for their eggs, and after a few tries he got the hang of it. He sold eggs retail to stores and restaurants in the area and from his farm. He has been raising birds ever since, although no longer for egg sales.
Dick has had many jobs through the years. He used to work at the corn canning factory in Westminster Station where Community Feed is now. He remembers unloading bags of sugar that came in by railroad for the factory. Farmers in the area used to supply sweet corn to the plant, he said.
He worked at a wreath factory, located near the present-day carwash, as a wreath inspector in his late teens. Through most of his adult life, he worked in the refrigeration business. He began with household refrigerators, and ice tanks that cooled milk cans on dairy farms. Then, when new bulk tanks came in in the 1950's, he worked on those. Because a bulk tank had to be installed between a farm's twice-daily milkings, he would start early in the morning and keep on working until it was finished, often late at night. He thinks about how many more farms there used to be in Westminster in the past.
Dick to this day still splits his own firewood, and he and his wife Ruth work in the garden together. I see him out there all the time, doing what most people stop doing in their 60’s or 70’s, but Dick has continuously done to this very day.
Julia Waldron, 13, is the daughter
of Dan Harlow of Westminster. She
will be a freshman at Portsmouth
High School this fall.
Dick was born in Keene in 1913. He moved to Gageville in 1921 when he was 8. Then he moved to Westminster, on the corner of Henwood Hill and Route 5, in the early 50's. He worked in refrigeration, and still owns birds like he did those many years ago.
Dick went into the bird business because the farm house he bought on Henwood Hill was all set up for raising chickens, so he decided to try it out. He started with several thousand Rhode Island Reds, for their eggs, and after a few tries he got the hang of it. He sold eggs retail to stores and restaurants in the area and from his farm. He has been raising birds ever since, although no longer for egg sales.
Dick has had many jobs through the years. He used to work at the corn canning factory in Westminster Station where Community Feed is now. He remembers unloading bags of sugar that came in by railroad for the factory. Farmers in the area used to supply sweet corn to the plant, he said.
He worked at a wreath factory, located near the present-day carwash, as a wreath inspector in his late teens. Through most of his adult life, he worked in the refrigeration business. He began with household refrigerators, and ice tanks that cooled milk cans on dairy farms. Then, when new bulk tanks came in in the 1950's, he worked on those. Because a bulk tank had to be installed between a farm's twice-daily milkings, he would start early in the morning and keep on working until it was finished, often late at night. He thinks about how many more farms there used to be in Westminster in the past.
Dick to this day still splits his own firewood, and he and his wife Ruth work in the garden together. I see him out there all the time, doing what most people stop doing in their 60’s or 70’s, but Dick has continuously done to this very day.
Julia Waldron, 13, is the daughter
of Dan Harlow of Westminster. She
will be a freshman at Portsmouth
High School this fall.
Feel Better with a Free Workshop
If you're interested in feeling as well as possible, and doing more of the things you love to do, then you should know about the free Healthier Living Workshop. I took it myself, and I heartily recommend this six-week program to anyone with a long-term health challenge. I already knew a lot about healthy living and healthcare, and still this program was amazingly helpful.
In the Healthier Living Workshop we discovered we're all in good company when it comes to most of our challenges, feelings and frustrations. And whether we have arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, CFS, depression, heart disease, fibromyalgia, COPD, or anything else chronic, there is hope. In the supportive setting of the Healthier Living Workshop, we explored new directions, set our own goals, and solved problems with the help of other participants. It was often fun, at times inspiring, and always gave us power to move forward and improve our daily lives.
The Healthier Living Workshop encourages self-directed problem-solving in the face of long-term health conditions, with the help of a supportive small group. It’s not an exercise program, but will help you set realistic goals for your physical activity and nutrition. I was very impressed with the quality of the information, the effectiveness of the activities, and the skill of the leaders. Leaders have been through the Workshop because they have a chronic condition or care for someone who does, so they know what they’re talking about!
We got a lot of good information and practice on reducing stress, changing negative thinking, reducing pain, and many other helpful strategies. We also got a wonderful free book and relaxation CD. There was no bias against alternative or mainstream care. We learned techniques for setting achievable goals, asking for help, communication, and other valuable skills as they relate to our health.
While this free workshop is valuable for a great many seniors, adults of every age with chronic conditions can do it. Caregivers are welcome too! Based on research by Stanford University, the Healthier Living Workshop has been proven to reduce the need for doctor visits and to improve people's health by several measures. It is being held all over Vermont, throughout the year, and will continue into the foreseeable future. These FREE six-session Workshops are part of Vermont's Blueprint for Health to prevent illness and complications. If it seems difficult to find time to attend, think of it as an investment in your well-being. You deserve it!
The Workshop is routinely held at local hospitals, senior centers, and other public places. Contact a local coordinator to ask questions or sign up. The coordinator for Brattleboro & West River Valley is Jessie Casella at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, jcasella@bmhvt.org 802-257-8357. The coordinator for the greater Bellows Falls area is Nancy Schaefer of Springfield Medical Care Systems, inmotion@vermontel.net 802-869-3053. You may also pick up a flyer at Sojourns Community Health Clinic on Route 5 in Westminster.
Janis Hall
In the Healthier Living Workshop we discovered we're all in good company when it comes to most of our challenges, feelings and frustrations. And whether we have arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, CFS, depression, heart disease, fibromyalgia, COPD, or anything else chronic, there is hope. In the supportive setting of the Healthier Living Workshop, we explored new directions, set our own goals, and solved problems with the help of other participants. It was often fun, at times inspiring, and always gave us power to move forward and improve our daily lives.
The Healthier Living Workshop encourages self-directed problem-solving in the face of long-term health conditions, with the help of a supportive small group. It’s not an exercise program, but will help you set realistic goals for your physical activity and nutrition. I was very impressed with the quality of the information, the effectiveness of the activities, and the skill of the leaders. Leaders have been through the Workshop because they have a chronic condition or care for someone who does, so they know what they’re talking about!
We got a lot of good information and practice on reducing stress, changing negative thinking, reducing pain, and many other helpful strategies. We also got a wonderful free book and relaxation CD. There was no bias against alternative or mainstream care. We learned techniques for setting achievable goals, asking for help, communication, and other valuable skills as they relate to our health.
While this free workshop is valuable for a great many seniors, adults of every age with chronic conditions can do it. Caregivers are welcome too! Based on research by Stanford University, the Healthier Living Workshop has been proven to reduce the need for doctor visits and to improve people's health by several measures. It is being held all over Vermont, throughout the year, and will continue into the foreseeable future. These FREE six-session Workshops are part of Vermont's Blueprint for Health to prevent illness and complications. If it seems difficult to find time to attend, think of it as an investment in your well-being. You deserve it!
The Workshop is routinely held at local hospitals, senior centers, and other public places. Contact a local coordinator to ask questions or sign up. The coordinator for Brattleboro & West River Valley is Jessie Casella at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, jcasella@bmhvt.org 802-257-8357. The coordinator for the greater Bellows Falls area is Nancy Schaefer of Springfield Medical Care Systems, inmotion@vermontel.net 802-869-3053. You may also pick up a flyer at Sojourns Community Health Clinic on Route 5 in Westminster.
Janis Hall
Going My Way?
I believe there is an opportunity to make someone’s day a little brighter simply by offering to take them for a ride. I do meals on wheels at least twice a month and I take a local 97 year old with me. We deliver lunches to between 10 and 14 people covering around 30 miles each trip. Artie not only gets to see the sights, but he gets a big wave and a smile from some people he has known for years and would not otherwise come in contact with. I’ll bet if you look around and think about it, there is someone out there who would love to be asked to go for a ride. I don’t mean to just jump in the car and do a scenic tour, I’m talking about having someone go with you when you have a specific errand to do. Going to recycling, doing basic errands, banking, or quick trips to the grocery store are examples. Having a specific task in mind might make the person riding with you feel less of a burden and more like they are keeping you company. I would avoid being in a situation where there is any waiting time for your passenger. That could turn out to be painful. You wouldn’t want your friend to wish they had stayed home. Some of these people may even have a car and be able to drive, but going for a ride alone is not a pleasant thought for them. We all understand the value of having someone to talk with. Just getting out with another person for a short ride would more than likely make that person’s day.
Give it a try. You may get more pleasure out of the experience than you had imagined.
Give it a try. You may get more pleasure out of the experience than you had imagined.
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