Fifty Plus Advocate

Hudson man recalls touring with rock legend 50 years ago By Jane Keller Gordon, Assistant Editor Hudson - Joe Bebo, who is now 69, spent the summer of 1968 rehearsing and playing gigs with Irish rock legend Van Morrison. As the summer came to an end, Morrison asked Bebo to follow him to New York City, where he planned to record...

By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Boston – As president and CEO of the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) since August 2016, Gregory Ruffer draws upon his experience as a performer turned arts educator and administrator in several cities. Appreciating how Boston’s South End neighborhood has benefitted after the nonprofit BCA’s inception in 1970, he strives to reinforce the...

By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Stoneham/Beverly – Kathy St. George has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, a number of national tours, as well as at Boston-area and out-of-state regional theaters – frequently for encore appearances. This past spring, she returned to her hometown in the musical comedy “Calendar Girls” at Greater Boston Stage Company (formerly known as Stoneham Theatre). She’s returning...

The snake and I By Janice Lindsay (Photo Janice Lindsay, Photo Submitted) We’ve often had garter snakes in our garage, but we never had one as bold as Samantha. Our garage possesses a snake-friendly corner, just inside the electric door. A snake can slither in through a tiny gap in the door molding. The builders of the house created a concrete block along...

By Micha Shalev (Photo Micha Shalev, Photo Submitted) We get news every day of remarkable developments in the tech world that claim to make our lives better, easier or more organized. For families and friends caring at home for ill or frail adults, innovations in health technology promise dramatic changes in the ways health care is delivered. In addition to these innovations,...

By Alain Valles, CRMP, CSA, MS, MBA (Photo Alain Valles, Photo submitted) You are invited to ask the questions. No question is too trivial or too complex. The only way to make an informed decision whether a reverse mortgage is right for you is to obtain the correct information regarding your personal situation. Reverse mortgages are government-insured loans that allow qualified...

By Marianne Delorey (Photo Marianne Delorey, Photo submitted) “If you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one.” Mother Teresa This is the story of Benny. Benny is one of the many low income elders I have encountered in my travels. He is an immigrant and came to this country to work many years ago. He was illiterate and was only...

By Mike Festa, State Director, AARP Massachusetts (Photo Mike Festa, Photo Submitted) The AARP Fraud Watch Network arms Massachusetts residents, and all Americans, with the tools they need to spot and avoid scams. A free resource for people of all ages, the Fraud Watch Network offers real-time alerts about the latest scams in your state, a scam tracking map where people...

By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Hudson – Gary Sohmers has worked as an appraiser since 1971 and increased his endeavors soon after moving to Hudson in 1983. He opened a popular store downtown known as Wex Rex Collectibles, began producing collectibles events, and became a talk-show guest heard regularly on WBZ NewsRadio 1030. Additionally, he shared his pop-culture expertise...

By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Gardner/Lynn – Like many comedians, Jerry Caruso of Gardner maintains a busy performance schedule. Unlike most others, however, his calendar is also chock-filled with teaching stand-up comedy, organizing fundraisers’ entertainment, fulfilling speaking engagements and hosting a cable-television show. While growing up in Lynn, Caruso at age 12 began entertaining his classmates in the schoolyard at...