Fifty Plus Advocate

By Marianne Delorey Dearest Relative, I recently mentioned my worries about you living in that big, old house with the stairs. You made it clear you did not want to talk about losing your independence. “I’m fine! Living here is my choice. You cannot take that away from me.” This is true. Legally, I get no vote. I do not have...

Submitted by the Alzheimer's Association The numbers are staggering. Over 5.7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, a number expected to rise to nearly 14 million by the year 2050. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. In 2018, Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost the nation $277 billion. By 2050, these costs could rise...

By Victor Block Part 1 of 2        I was 3,000 feet high, floating in a hot air balloon over a vast plain dotted with massive and magnificent centuries’ old Buddhist pagodas, temples and monasteries. This was but one of many fascinating activities and encounters I have enjoyed during several trips planned by Myths and Mountains. That tour company promises journeys...

Bobby Spirio and Dr. Karen M. Patti of Marlboro Animal Hospital with a “client”. Photo/Submitted By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer Marlborough - Bobby Spirio’s love for animals is evident as he enthusiastically talks about his volunteer work at both the Marlborough Animal Hospital and Berlin Animal Hospital. He wears his identification tags with pride for each location. He started volunteering after going...

Livingston Taylor photos / MM/ADKINS By Jane Keller Gordon, Assistant Editor Newton – Musician Livingston Taylor’s essence has been captured in a new feature length documentary, “Life is Good,” by Peter Fish and Tracey Anarella, who are partners in life and the film’s co-producers. Packed with music and dialogue, the film is named after Taylor’s 1988 song, “Life is Good.” The...

A beach in Negril. Photos/submitted By Victor Block One meal my wife Fyllis and I will long remember was a gourmet five-course candle-lit dinner served in a romantic setting. The other was a simple vegetarian lunch at a ramshackle lean-to perched precariously on a steep mountainside. It’s not often that two repasts encapsulate much that a destination has to offer visitors, but Jamaica...

Alan Pasnik at the Chesnut Hill Farm in Southborough Photo/Jane Keller Gordon By Jane Keller Gordon, Assistant Editor Alan Pasnik, The Trustees of the Reservations (The Trustees) 2017 Volunteer of the Year has donated 1,500 hours of his time over the past two years, mostly with his hands, but also with his heart. A retired data analyst and skilled carpenter, Pasnik...

By Jane Keller Gordon Westborough - Surrounded by nine computer screens in his antique Westborough home, Emmy Award winner Tom Phillips composes theme songs and dramatic underscoring for television. With a soft laugh, he said, “I feel good about what I’m doing. I’ve scored over 500 films.” Phillips has won four film documentary Emmys for three American Experience episodes, and one...

Roberta Witts, president of the Chelmsford Art Society Photos/submitted By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Chelmsford – After the Chelmsford Art Society (CAS) was founded in 1970, the nonprofit organization began organizing the town’s already-existing Fourth of July Art Festival. In addition to preparing for this year’s 50th annual Art Festival, the CAS is planning a retrospective celebration of the half-century...

Ellie Anbinder Photo/Janine Twomey By Ed Karvoski Jr., Culture Editor Framingham/Boston – Breast cancer survivor Ellie Anbinder of Framingham is determined to help find what causes the disease. She co-founded and serves as executive director of Find the Cause Breast Cancer Foundation, formerly known as Art beCAUSE. While its name changed last year, the Framingham-based nonprofit organization continues to fund scientific...