Fifty Plus Advocate

By Marianne Delorey I am grief. I am ugliness borne out of love and loss. I am powerful. I can bring the strongest among you to your knees. I am immune to your bargaining; I am merciless. I will take the babe in arms as quickly as I will take a lonely miser.  I will not be denied. I cannot be...

Today, a secure retirement may be out of reach for millions of Americans, especially those who work for small businesses. Fifty-seven million Americans have no access to a retirement savings plan through their employers - that’s over 50 percent of the 18- to 64-year-old population. When employers give workers the option of payroll deduction for retirement savings, AARP research indicates that their participation rate is a whopping 1,300 percent higher than that of those without the option.

Boston – Abigail Norman drew upon her lifetime of experience with community-based arts to boost growth for the Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Boston’s Jamaica Plain (JP) neighborhood, where she has served as director since 2007. There, over 1,500 students of all ages currently study arts and crafts. Additionally, over 2,000 children attend its classes through partnerships with Boston public schools, libraries, housing developments and community centers.

Mardi Gras World By Victor Block Quick quiz: Think jazz and blues played in music clubs and by street musicians outside. If you guess that describes New Orleans, you’re right – but there’s more. See yourself visiting museums whose focus ranges from food and festivals to history and mystery. New Orleans again. Many visitors to “The Big Easy,” as it is nicknamed, are...

Gloucester - Award-winning artist Melody Phaneuf, 63, seems to have found the perfect place to live. She came to Gloucester to paint during the summer of 1988, and ended up staying. She lives in a beautiful Queen Ann Victorian home near the outer harbor. Three years ago, she added a carriage house-like studio next door.

By Al Norman In 2009, a state legislator who chaired the House Financial Services Committee on Beacon Hill introduced a bill that would "automatically enroll all eligible seniors” into a managed care program for seniors. The chair explained: "The biggest obstacle facing the program is reaching the population, which has proven to be a challenge, as eligible seniors tend to...

People with dementia are especially vulnerable to chaos and emotional trauma. They have a limited ability to understand what is happening, and they may forget what they have been told about a particular disaster. First responders, neighbors and family members assisting with an evacuation should be alert to potential reactions of someone with dementia in disaster situations.

Real estate values continue to increase but so do major living expenses. Does it make more sense to downsize or figure out a plan to remain financially independent at home?  It reminds me of the old Clash song - “Should I stay or should I go?”

Northborough – Karen Brewster of Northborough got quite a surprise on her birthday Aug. 5. She was presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Award by the Family Readiness Group (FRG) at the Massachusetts National Guard unit where her daughter, Spc. Alysia Brewster, is stationed. Also, her son, Spc. Nicholas Brewster, is serving in the Army and currently deployed in the Middle East. Brewster volunteers as the unit’s FRG chair.

As a drummer, Natick resident Bert Syms has worked alongside Michael Jackson, Chaka Kahn, Smokey Robinson and other celebrity musicians and singers. He also played for many years in the band for the R&B group The Tavares Brothers, one of the most popular singing groups from the ‘70s and ‘80s.