AU TIMES A · 2019-04-29 · 2 THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN &O XFORD LIVING TOTHEEDITOR: Thisletterconcernsyourarticle,“Vaca-tioninginAuburn”inyourJulyissue

THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN & OXFORD LIVINGAUBURNTIMES

THE

MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2012

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING2

TO THE EDITOR:

This letter concerns your article, “Vaca-tioning in Auburn” in your July issue.First of all, pages 10 and almost all of

page 11 mentions Oxford. Why?Finally we get to Auburn’s Pakachoag

Golf Course and Crystal Caves.We are outraged that the Auburn His-

torical Museum was not mentioned. Doyou not know we exist? We are at 41 SouthStreet and have been opened to the public,free of charge, every Tuesday and Saturdayfrom 9-12 all year round.The Museum holds the history of

Auburn through displays and exhibits.If people came to vacation in Auburn,

wouldn’t they want to know its history???We are very disappointed as you can

imagine.SONJA CARR, SECRETARY

Auburn Historical Society

We know your museum exists becausewe featured it in a full-length article withphotos in March. You can read it by down-loading our March issue from the website:auburntimesmagazine.com and going toback issues. You are right, it would be a per-fect destination for anyone who is vacation-ing in or near Auburn. We are sorry tolearn of your outrage relative to our cover-age of Auburn places of interest in the arti-cle. We did acknowledge that there weremany suitable places that we did not men-tion. Still, I understand your frustration andwe’ll try to do better next time. You askedabout Oxford. While this magazine is sentto every residence in Auburn, it is also sentto about 800 homes in Oxford.

Thank you for being in contact with usand letting us know your reaction to ourwork.

— The Editor

By Tom ChamberlandThis year marks the 75th anniversary of

the completion of the Appalachian Trail, thelongest hiking-only footpath in the world,measuring roughly 2,180miles in length fromGeorgia toMaine. The anniversary will occuron Tuesday, August 14, 2012.The original Trail tookmore than 15 years

to build and was completed on August 14,1937. Construction involved the cooperationof hundreds of volunteers, state and federalpartners, local Trail-maintaining clubs, theCivilian Conservation Corps and the Ap-palachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).The Appalachian Trail travels through

fourteen states along the crests and valleys ofthe Appalachian mountain range from itssouthern terminus at Springer Mountain,Georgia, to its northern terminus atKatahdin,Maine.Over 250,000 acres of con-tiguousTrail lands are protected andmanagedalong the footpath.An estimated two to three million people

visit the Appalachian Trail every year. Hikersfrom across the globe are drawn to the Trailfor a variety of reasons: to reconnect with na-ture, to escape the stress of city life, to meetnew people, strengthen old friendships or toexperience a simpler life. About 2,000 peopleattempt to "thru-hike" the estimated 2,180miles of the Trail each year, with only one outof four completing the entire journey.The conception of the Appalachian Trail

came from the October 1921 article "An Ap-palachian Trail: A Project in Regional Plan-ning" in the Journal of the American InstituteofArchitects.Written byBentonMacKaye, heproposed the idea as an escape from daily lifein an increasingly industrial nation. MacKayeoriginally called for a series of work, study andfarming camps along the AppalachianMoun-tains, but building a trail to connect themsoon became his primary objective. The Ap-palachian Trail Conference (now called theAppalachian Trail Conservancy) was founded

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Continued on page 7

AUBURNTIMESMAGAZINE

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THEAUBURNTIMESMAGAZINE is published 11 times a year, with a combined January-February issue, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts by Carr,Quinn& Small, Inc.We accept photos, opinions, short articles, stories, poems and drawings from the general public, but assume no responsibility forfailure to publish a submission or for typographic errors published or incorrect placement. The contents of this magazine consist of copyrightable mate-rial and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the author and the publishers of The Auburn TimesMagazine.We reservethe right to refuse any advertising for any reason.We reserve the right to require editing to any advertising that is accepted for publication. Opinionprinted herein report views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the magazine, its publisher or Carr, Quinn&Small, Inc.We invite varying opinions and information from our writers and readers, wishing to provide a public forum for well-tempered, well-reasonedthoughts, ideas and opinion.ADVERTISINGDEADLINE: Camera ready: the 20th of each month prior to publication. The 17th of the month for Nov. and Dec.ADVERTISINGOFFICE: 508-347-7077 ext. 2 (Karen).EDITORIAL DEADLINE: The 21st of each month prior to publication.

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© 2012 BY CARR, QUINN & SMALL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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AUGUST, 2012

AUBURN&OXFORDLIVING

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 3

PUBLISHER & EDITORMANAGING EDITOR

STORY EDITORSENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

AD PRODUCTION & DESIGN

WRITERS

PAUL CARRJOHN SMALLSTEPHANIE RICHARDSKAREN ROTHWEILER

TERRI RACCA

KEVIN BALDWINTERRI COLOGNESIROBERT GEORGE, ESQ.ANDREA JOHNSONKATHY MENARDRICHARD MORCHOEPETER SAGANSKYJOHN SMALL

4 THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVINGTHE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Support Your Local Businesses

SHOP AUBURN.SHOP OXFORD.SHOP LOCAL.

OUTDOORLIVING

Living in the Auburn area inspires many of us to liveoutdoor lives. Whether it’s a stroll through town, arounda pond or a barbeque in our own backyards, we all runinto one itchy neighbor: the mosquito. And the negativeimplications of running into these little pests have neverbeen greater.Mosquito bites can cause skin irritation because of an

allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva; this causes thered bump and itching. A more serious consequence ofsome mosquito bites might be the transmission of cer-tain diseases, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis(EEE) and West Nile Virus. Also, don’t forget that ourbest friend, the dog, can develop heartworm from mos-quito bites.So, how do we fight back? Let’s consider one of the

more unusual potential allies in our defense — the bat.According to Bat Conservation International (www.

batcon. org), a single bat can capture 500 to 1,000 mos-quitoes in a single hour, feeding primarily at night. So, ifyou want to eliminate mosquitoes from an entire areafor a backyard wedding or barbecue, bat houses mightprovide the answer.If you’re shocked that people are encourag-

ing bats to live in their backyards, considerthat the run-of-the-mill brown bat is an eco-friendly alternative to the expensivepropane vacuums people purchasefrom large home improvementstores.Furry, graceful, and to some of

us, cute, the little brown bat isour friend. Although there aremany myths about their attitude, bats are actually shy and

timid. So, go ahead and hang up a bat house to give theseflying bug traps a place to rest their wings. They need it,after flying around all night devouring those mosquitoes.Fear of fangs? Don't fret. These bats are harmless, and

their built-in echolocation (sonar-like ability to detect ob-jects) will keep them out of your hair. But you will want tokeep them a good distance from your own house, highup,in a far corner of your property.Those who have had bats take resi-

dence in their own attics can attestto the frightful problems thatensue.Quality bat houses

can be bought atbird specialtys h o p s

such as TheBird Store and Morelocated in Stur-

bridge, MA. or onlinenatures f r iend.com,bestnest- .com, ba-troost.com. There is

also information available for those that may wantto build their own bat houses, http://www.batconser-vation.org/drupal/free_plansLook for one that meets the design recommen-

dations of Bat Conservation International (batcon.org). Poorly proportioned shelters will appeal to wasps

more than bats—and then you really would have a prob-lem on your hands.According to Sturbridge Tree Warden, Tom Chamber-

land, bat houses should be hung on southfacing sites.Under ideal conditions, mosquitoes begin breeding instagnant water and can complete their life cycle, from eggto adult, within seven days.

Eliminate places that collect water outside :• Old tires• Uncovered trash cans, recycle bins, buckets, etc.• Empty flower and plant vases

Keep puddles from forming:• Fill in any ruts or low places• Repair leaky pipes and outdoor faucets• Clear drains and gutters of debris

Get rid of stagnant water:• Change the water in plastic kid pools and birdbaths

every 4-5 days (or 2x week) — Empty and store if you areaway• Keep water in swimming pools properly chlorinated• Empty and cover unused swimming pools. Drain

water collecting on pool covers• Fill in tree holes that hold water and hollow stumps

with sand or concrete• Empty drip trays under planters• Aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish

And don't forget to:• Keep mosquitoes out of yourhome - repair holes in your

screen doors/windows• Patrol your yard after a rain

Going batty over mosquitoesAn eco-friendly way to combat a summer-

time spoiler for stagnant water (a fun activityfor kids to do!)

Avoid bites:• Stay indoors when mosquitoes are most active, par-

ticularly during dusk and dawn• If you must be outdoors during this time, wear long

sleeves & pants• Apply insect repellent such as those with DEET• Never use DEET on infants.• Use products with 10% or less DEET on children,

30% or less DEET on adults• Once inside wash off insect repellents thoroughly

with soap and water• Avoid bug zappers; they also kill beneficial insects

Going batty over mosquitoesBY JOHN SMALL

5THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Do you make predictions? If Dan Gardner isright, you may want to destroy all evidence of yourprognostications. Our species is not all that good atdivining the future. Dan Gardner is the author ofFuture Babble. Utilizing the research of psychologistPhilipTetlock he has come to a conclusion about thefuture. No, he does not have a list of stocks to pur-chase. His prediction is that the species is not goodat prediction.Disheartening, as it is to realize you cannot know

what will be, there is a population that is far worsethan Joe Average. Experts are horrible at the task.Themore elite the specialist, the less reliable the fore-cast. The author provides example after example ofsavants who pontificate and are then proven wrongby history.Gardner, to make the point, highlights one of the

great scholars of the 20th Century. Arnold Toynbeewas acclaimed by all who knew him for his genius.Attending Oxford in the first decade of the century,he won many awards and was appointed to the fac-ulty on graduation.Unfit for service inWorldWar I, he worked in po-

litical analysis for the British Government. His agilemind saw parallels in classical Greek history. Projectthat forward and one can see them inmodern affairs.If anyone could perceive the patterns and how theywould play out in the future, it would be Toynbee.In 12 volumes he studied it all, back to the Sume-

rians and Ancient Egyptians through Persians,Greeks and Romans. South Asia and East Asia weresurveyed. The Pre-Columbian Indian civilizationswere investigated. Religious traditions of Christian-ity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism and their influ-ences were discussed. Gardner says of Toynbee, “HewasWikipedia made flesh. Who could doubt him?”Well, of course other historian did. That would

be only natural. After all, most of them had theirown books to sell. That did not daunt Toynbee. Hedid not waver in his view of the future. How was histrack record?Not too good. He could be specific and little of it

has come to pass. For example, in a 1952 lecture heopined on what the 2000 world would be like. Histhoughts, “The whole face of the planet will have

Future BabbleWhy expert predictions are worthlessand you can do better

BOOK REVIEW

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been unified politically through the concentration ofirresistible military power in some single set of hands.”So there you have it. Arguably the greatest historical

scholar of the last century could not even come close topredicting future trends. Fortunately for him, his booksmade him rich. He’s not the only one for whom beingwrong did not impair fortune.Economists have been fairly successful as a class in

getting the future wrong. Future Babble has fun withthem. Of course, that’s like shooting fish in the prover-bial barrel. Gardner brings up a video that was andprobably still is a hit on youtube. Several well-regardedeconomic experts pooh-poohed another fellow who pre-dicted a meltdown in the housing market and atten-dant disaster.Peter Schiff was a relatively down-market commen-

tator when he took on the heavy hitters. They were ar-rogant in proclaiming his prognostication drivel, andhe courageously stood his ground.Schiff turned out to be right on the money. The

men who sneered at him looked ridiculous. The one

Author Dan Gardner

Continued on next page

6 THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVINGTHE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Continued from page 5

Future Babblewho looked least stupid was Arthur Laffer, who cameup with the Laffer Curve. He offered to bet only apenny against Peter.In the pre-youtube world, the mistaken pronounce-

ments would have been forgotten in a nanosecond.Today, people whomake fools of themselves are recordedfor eternity and are cast out from pundithood. Well, no.They are still on TV and speaking with as much confi-dence, and one would guess, success, as before.Schiff? He has done well and is on TV with more re-

spect. Gardner, however, brings up his long term trackrecord. It is spotty just as much as the people he sparredwith in the famous video. Like the others, he does notsuffer from a confidence deficit.Confidence explains a lot. We like the confident

brash guy. He or she is believed over the humble, nu-anced fellow who is more often right. The author di-vides the class of experts in two. There are thehedgehogs who, according to the Greeks, know one bigthing. These are the elite experts. The foxes know a lotof little things. The foxes do better, and get less respect.Dan Gardner gets into the brain science and psy-

chology as to why people are hostage to their biases. Hedoes it in a non-technical and informative manner. It isa fun read.I do not know if I am a hedgehog or a fox, but I shall

make a prediction and stand by it with absolute confi-dence. As long as there is television, there will be nolack of experts forecasting the future, and getting itwrong.The future lies ahead!

We all have the same stories –flooded basement, explod-ing water heater, dead furnace, crunched vehicle or the un-expected layoff. At one time or another life’s unexpectedchallenges affect us all. What is the common denominatorin all of these challenges? They usually disrupt or even stopour cash flow.Nearly half of the country—49%--doesn’t have sufficient

money tucked away to cover three months of household ex-penses, according to Bankrate.com’s survey. This is up from46% last year.Evenworse, 28%of the country lacks any emergency savings

at all, up from 24% of Americans surveyed on this last year.Bankrate.com, known for its rate boards, personal finance

coverage and more also reported in late June that only oneout of four Americans has put away enough savings to coversix months of expenses, which is the safety factor recom-mended by many consumer financial advisors as protectionagainst unemployment, major medical disasters or other fi-nancial problems.However, in a statement, Greg McBride, Senior Financial

Analyst for the website states: “While we’ve seen some im-provement, the bottom line is that much more progress isneeded. Having sufficient emergency savings is critical to

avoiding high-cost credit card debt when unexpected ex-penses arise.”Laura Fisher, executive director of the ABA Education

Foundation, which runs financial literacy and savings pro-grams, isn’t surprised by the findings. They are in line,she says, with findings by the Consumer Federation ofAmerica and other organizations. She believes that manyfamilies find the concept of accumulating a six-monthcushion against adversity daunting and a six-month fundcan be very difficult to amass in the face of current ex-penses and the economy.As a counter-recommendation, Fisher says, ABA’s

foundation suggests beginning a family or personal sav-ings program with a target of $1,000 to $1,500. “Savingsof $1,000 for emergencies is a steppingstone,” says Fisher.That amount covers many of the kinds of unexpected ex-penses that a family must face.And how do you do that? As Nike says “Just do it”. Di-

rect deposit a small amount from every paycheck- even $10- $20 dollars. No amount of money is too small to save.Even saving change and depositing that on a regular basiskeeps the purse and pockets lighter. You would be surprisedhow quickly it adds up! Just make sure to put this moneyaside and use it strictly for EMERGENCIES ONLY.Before you start saving– list what qualifies as an emer-

gency in your household and stick to the list (unexpectedhome repairs, unexpected car repairs, loss of job, etc.).Handle the rest of your smaller emergencies through nor-mal venues.Some people also make use of Lines of Credit, Home

Equity Loans and 401K loans to handle short term debt.Some of these ideas are sensible and some can be not sosensible. Always ask if you can do a payment plan. Anumber of businesses would rather see a regular flow ofcash than waiting and waiting to be paid a lump sum.Starting to save money is never easy, but becomes eas-

ier once you start. It is never too late to start saving andyou are never too young or too old. Knowing that youhave a nest egg for those unexpected emergencies helpsto alleviate the stress of those situations. Youmust plan forlife’s surprises!

Ms. Colognesi took a Bachelor’s degree in Psychologyfrom Westfield State University and a Masters in IndustrialPsychology from Springfield College. She is vice-president ofhuman resources at Savers Bank with more than 25 yearsservice to the bank. She is the resourceful mother of three col-lege graduates.

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7THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Appalachian Trail 75 thismonth

four years later in 1925.Since theA.Twas first completed in 1937,

it has undergone a remarkable transforma-tion. Almost 99% has been relocated or re-built.Hundreds ofmiles of the original routewere along roads and passed through privatelands. Thanks to the determinationofMyronH.Avery and theATC, the passage of theNa-tional Trails System Act, and the work ofmany partners and volunteers, more than99%of the Appalachian Trail is now in pub-lic ownership. Not only is the footpath itselfprotected, but a corridor of land, averagingone thousand feet in width, is also protected.The Trail today is not only better pro-

tected but traverses more scenic landscapesthan the original route. Many of the Ap-palachian Trail's most cherished highlightswere not part of the Appalachian Trail in1937: Roan Mountain, Tennessee; the Mt.Rogers High Country, including GraysonHighlands, Virginia; the Pochuck Creekswamp,New Jersey;Nuclear Lake,NewYork;Thundering Falls, Vermont; and SaddlebackMountain, Maine, to name a few.The treadway itself each year becomes

more sustainable. Except for places where theCivilian Conservation Corps provided addi-tional support (mostly in Shenandoah Na-tional Park, theGreat SmokyMountains, andMaine), the original Trail was often routedstraight up and downmountains,making forrough hiking and a treadway prone to severeerosion. The ATC's trail crews and volunteertrail-maintaining clubs have relocated or re-habilitated countless miles of Trail and eachyear continue to improve the treadway.As a unit of theNational Park System, the

Trail ismanaged under a unique partnershipbetween public and private sectors that in-

cludes the ATC, National Park Service,USDA Forest Service, 31 local Trail-main-taining clubs and an array of state agencies.To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the

completion of the Appalachian Trail, theATC will host a weekend celebration on Au-gust 11 and 12 at its headquarters at 799Washington St., Harpers Ferry, WV. High-lights include guest speakers, workshops, ac-tivities, food, music and games.Trail-maintaining Clubs across the East

Coast are also preparing events to celebratethe anniversary. The Piedmont AppalachianTrail Hikers in Ceres, Virginia, are hosting ahike on June 14 to 18, and volunteers fromtheMountRogersAppalachianTrail Club inDamascus, Virginia, have planned a day hikeon August 18. Members from theMaine Ap-palachian Trail Club in Carrabassett Valley,Maine, also have celebratory activities plannedon August 18.For more information about the 75th an-

niversary of the completion of the Ap-palachian Trail, including ways to give backand local celebrations, visit www.appalachi-antrail.org/75

About theAppalachianTrailConservancyTheAppalachianTrailConservancy'smis-

sion is to preserve and manage the Ap-palachian Trail - ensuring that its vast naturalbeauty and priceless cultural heritage can beshared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and forcenturies to come. Formore information visitwww.appalachiantrail.org Contact: Javier Fol-gar Marketing and Communications Man-ager Appalachian Trail Conservancy Tel:(304) 535-2200 ext. 117Fax: 304.535.2667Email: [email protected] Web:

www.appalachiantrail.org

Shelter On Appalachian Trail In Vermont Near Bourne Pond .© 2012 Dan Barnard

Continued from page 2


Wellington Road in Oxford. And thesign isn’t the only thing that has traveledwith him. He has customers from thoselong-ago days who still patronize hisshop. “I have some that were with me onHalmsted Street,” he says. “And that’s mybest advertising. Word of mouth is every-thing.”Regrettably, he recently lost one of his

best customers. When he moved to Ox-ford fromWorcester two years ago, Garyfrom Millbury decided it was just too farto go. “Gary was fantastic,” Molis says.I’d give him an estimate. He’d drop offhis car before I even opened, leaving hiscredit card and keys in an envelope. I’dfix the car, and he’d pick it up after Iclosed. It takes years to build up thatkind of trust.”And trust is the keystone of Molis’

business. “Friendly guaranteed service”is the motto on his business card, and hestands by it. No car leaves his shop untilthe owner is completely satisfied with therepair. And he stands by his hourly rate.If a job takes less than the estimatedtime, the charge will be less. If he findsthe job will be more time-consuming, healways calls for authorization to con-tinue. His customers are so sure of hishonesty that they will often leave him ablank check, knowing that the job will bedone right for a fair price. “I can’t gougeanyone,” Molis says. “For instance, youget these places that charge a fortune foran air conditioning recharge. I knowwhat it costs to do.” This reporter did aninformal survey, and found prices for thisjob ranging between $125.00 and$160.00, so Molis’ fee of $79.00 is, in-deed, a bargain.Paul Molis was born and raised in

Auburn, the son of a baker, he began tin-kering with cars in his teens, and neverstopped. His own first car was a ’61 Volk-swagen Karman Ghia. After graduatingfrom Auburn High School in 1972, Paulwent on to work at a Shell gas station. He

and his buddies from school filled up theirspare time racing cars at Westboro Speed-way. He went on to work at WestboroDodge in 1975, before moving to CrossDodge in Auburn from 1979 until theyclosed in the early 80s. Molis recommendsthat anyone wanting to open a garageshould work at a dealership first. “Theyteach you all the latest technology,” he says,“and you always get paid!”Molis tells all car owners to follow the

service schedule outlined by the car manu-facturer. Number one on his list is oilchanges. He feels synthetic oil, althoughmore expensive than regular, is the way togo. “Instead of just 3,000 miles between oilchanges, you can go 10,000. And it willprobably increase your gas mileage. One guytold me he got two extra miles per gallon.With the price of gas, it’s definitely worththe extra money.” Molis himself goes theextra mile when he does an oil change. Hechecks tire pressure, looks for leaks, does alube job, and checks all vehicle fluids, top-ping off any that need it. He reminds carowners that in addition to regular oilchanges, air filters should be changed every15,000 miles. “Most people don’t knowabout another air filter,” he says. “It’s calledthe cabin air filter, and it filters the air goinginto the car through the heater and air con-ditioner. This should be checked once ayear.”Molis will work on any car, new or old.

He remembers working on a 1960 Stude-baker and a 1964 Impala. Of course, all carsnow have a computer system, and that hasbeen a bit of a challenge. “I bought CDs tolearn about that,” he says. “The trouble is,all the different car makers have their ownsoftware, so you can’t learn the system justonce.” He finds computer diagnostic pro-grams very valuable. “They save time,” hesays. “You don’t have to guess what’s wrong,or use trial and error. The computer figuresit out for you, and you can get right towork.” He will tackle almost any job, in-cluding engine replacements, although the

By Melissa DumontPaul Molis brings an old-fashioned ap-

preciation for honesty and mutual trust tohis state-of-the-art automotive service busi-ness, which he’s been honing for more than25 years. He recalls: “A man named JohnSenior at Kraska Auto Parts was the onlyperson who told me the truth about startingmy own business. Friends would tell methat I would know in a year whether it wasa go. John told me that it would be fiveyears before I could know for sure. And hewas so right.”

Molis points up to the large sign on hisgarage. “ John took a liking to me. When Iopened my first shop, he would give meparts on credit. He painted that sign for me.He put my name on a Wolf’s Head MotorOil sign. I’ve carried it with me every-where.”Molis is very sentimental about that

sign. It’s never been repainted in the twenty-five years since he opened his first garage onHalmsted St. inWorcester. It’s traveled withhim around Worcester from ProvidenceStreet to Ballard Street, and finally to

THE SHOPPING NEWS

PAUL’S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR9A WELLINGTON ROAD, UNIT 4OXFORD, MA(JUST OVER THE AUBURN LINE)508.987.9200

Paul’s Molis: the sentimentalmechanic with an old-fashionedapproach to 21st century service


smaller work is his bread and butter.“Brakes keep us in business,” he says.Molis and his wife of 36 years, Mary,

have always worked together. Mary did hisbooks for the first ten years, while their two

© 2012 Photo by Melissa Dumont

daughters were small. Today she works asoffice manager for Charlotte Klein DanceStudios in Worcester. Paul gives Mary allthe credit: “When I started, my wife did allthe leg work,” Paul says, “getting permits

and insurance. Without her, I neverwould have been able to open my firstgarage.” Together, they have made Paul’sAutomotive what it is: a local garage doingquality work at a great price. Paul’s Auto-

motive Repairs—“Friendly GuaranteedService for over 25 years.”


AUBURN HIGH SCHOOL is not the first place onewould expect to find zombies, but on July 20, that’s exactlywhat happened as the school presented the Stephen Mur-ray musical “Pom Pom Zombies.”The one-time performance was part of the Auburn Sum-

mer Youth Theater Program, coordinated by Kristen M.Pappas, director of recreation and culture for the town ofAuburn. “We have to call it a ‘theater program’ and not a‘theater camp’ for a variety of legal reasons,” Ms. Pappas

said. “We also have other programs offered over the sum-mer.”This is the third summer for the theater program. The

program’s first show was an original production and lastyear another Stephen Murray musical, “Camp Chaos”was offered.The young cast, all from Auburn, auditioned for the

program back at the beginning of July and, according toMusical Director Nate Newton, the two weeks of “in-

tense rehearsals” was daunting. “It’s a lot to put together intwo weeks,” Mr. Newton said. Newton, well known in com-munity theatre, also said because of the short schedulethere wouldn’t have been enough time to assemble a full pitband to play for the show so Newton would be playing fullaccompaniment on the piano for the show.According to Pappas, Newton worked very closely with

director Christine Taylor and appreciates what the duo hasbrought to the program. “As a young child, and Auburn

© 2012 Auburn Times photo by Kevin Baldwin

“The Nerds” in Stephen Murray’s “Pom Pom Zombies” tackle stereotypes

ZOMBIESand othersterotypes

by kevin baldwin


resident, I was lucky enough to be in theaterproductions in the summer and it will al-ways have a dear spot in my heart,” Ms. Pap-pas said. “Having a chance to bring that tochildren through Christine and Nate’s in-credible talent is truly a blessing.”Ms. Taylor said she felt she chose a show

which would appeal to older teens, thusdrawing them to the summer program.However, something surprising occurred.“We expected a lot of middle or high schoolage kids to show up but instead we got manyelementary school age kids,” Ms. Taylor said.“We have 31 kids, 10 of which are boys,which is good since if I were doing a showlike ‘Cinderella’ I would struggle to bring inboys. With ‘Zombies’ almost a third of thecast is boys which almost never happens.”Christine Taylor said the kids rehearsed

everyday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in theAuburn High School auditorium. Accord-

ing to Newton, Ms. Taylor was also in-volved in the construction of sets and thecoordination of props and costumes. Cho-reography was done by Jackie Johnson.Mr. Murray’s “Zombies” spoofs the clas-

sic 60s “beach” movies featuring FrankieAvalon and Annette Funicello. HoweverMurray takes the genre and adds a “Zom-bie” twist to it.

Continued on next page

The Ocean View High CheerleadersCindy Sue Murdock Katie LasleyLaverne Maeve CahillShirley Katie Lepard

The Hopeless High CheerleadersMuffy Haley NorrisPenny Rachel LubinJoy Rylee Rain MacDermott

The No Name High CheerleadersBetsy Cecelia LaBonteElizabeth Emma AbbasciaSam Shayleigh Carlson

The BarracudasSpike Quinne MasielloSlick Alexa ReheuserGrunt Tyrie KennedyWeasel Marissa GallantPinky Lisa Rockwood

The Football TeamRoger Spaulding Zachary TaylorMoose John NicholsMelvin Connor SampsonRichie Josh HayesZeke LaRock Brendan Benevento

The NerdsWendy“Weenie”Wienerman Grace StannardMyron DJ BrighamPickle Colin CunninghamGertrude Jillian LaBonteWaldo Conor Carlson

The VillainsIvana Ratnick Ana PietrewiczProton Maia McKeanNeutron Luke LaBonte

The BeatniksPandora Spocks Ashley HayesWanda Small, Medium At Large Danielle LubinPaisley Paige StewartNebraska Genny L. Porter

Guest Zombie CheerleaderKatie Smith

Cast of PomPomZombies


At a summer hangout by the beach, cheerleader CindySue eats a hot dog accidentally coated with toxic waste froma nearby nuclear power plant. The waste looked like relish(so it was an easy mistake). Cindy Sue dies, comes back tolife as a zombie, then begins biting the remaining cheer-leaders who also turn into zombies.Incorporated in the show are numerous stereotypes such

as jocks, tough biker chicks, shallow cheerleaders, nerds,beach bums, hippies (or “beatniks”), and of course, the evilRussian villain with two goofy cohorts. There are many up-beat whimsical numbers which include “Doin’ the Zom-bie” and “What Do You Do (When a Zombie’s ChasingYou)?”

The strength and growing popularity of the show is Mr.Murray’s use of embracing these stereotypes rather than try-ing to over think, admonish or make them politically cor-rect. Every grouping has characters so well written witheach supplying enough humor for the laughs to come everycouple of minutes. “I've written many plays and musicals,”Mr. Murray said. “This year, I marked my 30th publishedshow. But of all of them, ‘Pom-Pom Zombies’ has proven tobe the most successful and the most rewarding overall.”Mr. Murray said he has heard from many young adults

who are now regularly performing in community and pro-fessional theater who told him how ‘Pom-Pom Zombies’was the first show they ever performed in. “I hope someof the Auburn Zombies discover performing on stage as awonderful way to express themselves,” Mr. Murray said. “Ihope the Zombies are good to them, too.”

Continued from previous page

“Pom-Pom Zombies”

FOOD FROM THEMEDITERRANEAN

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Playwrite Stephen Murray wrote “Pom Pom Zombies” and manyother children’s musicals, including: “Kamp Kaos”, “AreWe ThereYet?” and “Edge of The Nest”.

This year,I marked my 30thpublished show.But of all of them,‘Pom-Pom Zombies’has proven to bethe most successfuland most rewarding

overall.”STEPHEN MURRAY

PLAYWRITE


Expires 8/31/12

By Richard McGrath, CIC, LIAPRESIDENT & CEO, McGRATH INSURANCE GROUP

INSURANCEGUIDANCE Concerning the SupremeCourt

decision on health caremandate as tax

IF FAILURE TO PURCHASE SOMETHING that thegovernment requires you to have results in a required pay-ment to the government, is that payment a penalty or atax?It may sound like a penalty, but in the case of health

insurance, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that it’s atax. Supporters of the Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare, hadinsisted that it’s not a tax, yet if it were called a penalty in-stead of a tax, the mandate would have been ruled un-constitutional.In upholding the ACA’s mandate that all Americans

be required to have health insurance, the Supreme Courthas ensured that the law will remain intact, unless Con-gress and the President vote to overturn it. The law haswidespread support in the Democratic Party, so the lawwill be overturned only if Republicans hold a majority inboth houses of Congress and the White House after theNovember election.WhatTo ExpectThe ACA runs over 2,800 pages and interpreting the

legislation has produced more than 12,000 pages in TheFederal Register. The law produces 150 new regulatoryboards and a variety of new taxes.Given the complexity of the law, even those who voted

for it don’t know its full implications. However, manyof the key changes it creates are clear:The Mandate. Beginning in 2014, Americans will be

required to carry health insurance or pay a “tax.” Theamount will start at $95 a year or up to 1% of a person’sincome, whichever is greater. It increases to $325 or 2%of income in 2015 and $695 or 2.5% of income in 2016,after which it is indexed to inflation.Of course, given the cost of health insurance, many

will choose to pay the penalty rather than purchase in-surance.Employers with 50 or more employees will also be re-

quired to offer health insurance or pay a “tax.” If anyemployee receives insurance subsidies, the employer willbe assessed $2,000 each for all employees after the first 30employees.Some fear many employers will drop coverage and pay

the penalty instead. A survey of Fortune 100 companies,to which 71 responded, found that if top employersstopped offering health insurance and instead paid thetax for not doing so, they could save $28.6 billion in 2014alone.

Coverage for all. Insurance companies will be re-quired to sell health insurance to everyone, regardless oftheir medical history. “Community rating” requirementswill limit how much premiums can vary based on age,

which means premiums will increase because healthy peo-ple will be subsidizing unhealthy people.Medicaid expansion. As written, the law would provide

health insurance coverage for more people through Medi-caid by expanding eligibility to 133 percent of the povertylevel or about $28,300 for a family of four.However, the Supreme Court ruled that states can opt

out without jeopardizing federal healthcare subsidies.While 26 states have opted out, arguing that the law placesan unfair economic burden on them, Massachusetts is notamong them.The federal government will pick up the cost of expan-

sion for the first three years, after which states will pick up10 percent of the cost. That’s still a substantial cost for cash-strapped state governments.Many low and moderate earners will also be eligible for

tax credits to help pay for insurance. A family of four earn-ing up to $88,000 will be eligible for credits.The Urban Institute estimates that 18.2 million Ameri-

cans will purchase insurance through the ACA and that10.9 million will receive government assistance to pay for itand that four million will pay the “tax” instead of buying in-surance.Healthcare exchanges. Consumers will be able to com-

parison shop for health insurance through new exchanges,which will be run by individual states or, in cases wherestates opt out, the federal government.The stated purpose is to foster competition, but it will

also result in a government insurance option competing forbusiness. Some believe the exchanges will lead to govern-ment-controlled healthcare.The exchanges will provide insurance for both individu-

als and small businesses. By pooling small businesses, assome associations and Chambers of Commerce do, premi-ums can be lowered, because risks are more predictable, butthe pools will also be open to those with pre-existing con-ditions, which will cause premiums to rise.Taxes. In addition to the tax on those who don’t buy

their mandated health insurance, the ACA includes a vari-ety of additional taxes. Individuals earning at least$200,000 and married couples earning at least $250,000will face both a 0.9 percent hike in payroll taxes that subsi-dize Medicare and a 3.8 percent tax on investment income.A new fee on drug companies took effect last year and

another on health insurers will take effect in a couple ofyears. In addition, a 2.3 percent tax on medical device man-ufacturers is scheduled to begin next year. We previouslywrote about a new tax on “Cadillac” health plans, which ex-empts unions but applies to everyone else who has high-quality coverage.In addition to reducing American competitiveness, these

new taxes will be passed on to consumers in the form ofhigher costs. They could also result in less innovation andfewer medical breakthroughs, particularly in the medicaldevice industry, where capital is already difficult to comeby.Overall ImpactThe new law may be called the Affordable Care Act, but

its overall impact will likely be to increase the cost of healthinsurance.MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, who, when the ACA

was being considered by Congress, was widely quoted forsaying it would reduce the cost of non-group health insur-ance, is now saying that it will increase costs. Among thestates that have hired him as a consultant, he estimated in-creases of 19 to 30 percent. An analysis by PriceWater-houseCoopers projected that non-group premiums wouldincrease by an average of 41 percent to 59 percent by 2016.As insurance costs increase – most likely at a far faster

Continued on page 15


r MUSINGS FROM LONG HILL s

BY RICHARD MORCHOE

VICTORY IN AFGHANISTAN ... FOR WHOM?

So you’re about to be a witness in court. Maybe you saw acrime, maybe you’ve been accused of a crime, maybe you’vebeen sued or you’re suing someone else. Regardless of why,you’re nervous.While that’s understandable, given that a lawyer is proba-

bly going to try tomake it look like you’re not telling the truth,there are several common sense rules to keep in mind.TELL THETRUTH. That’s the first and last rule to testi-

fying in court. Telling the truth is easy; there’s no lie you haveto keep track of tomake sure your story fits. It’s also the rightthing to do.People get into trouble when they are asked a question that

they know will hurt their case. The way around this is to gostraight through it. Give up hurtfulmaterial. Itmakes you be-lievable.The next best way to get into trouble on the stand is to an-

swer a question you don’t know the answer to. When askeda question, people tend towant to answer it, even if they aren’tsure what the answer is. That’s why the following answers, iftrue, are among the best you can give: “I don’t understandthe question”; I don’t know”; “I don’t remember.” Nobody’sgoing to give you a prize for answering all the questions.Likewise, you should listen very carefully to the question

and only answer the question asked. Don’t volunteer infor-mation.It also be helpful to look at the experience as you might a

job interview. Dress well, don’t slouch, speak loudly andclearly.Finally, never argue with the lawyer. That’s the reason

you’re probably nervous in the first place. Most likely, you’lllose.

LEGALBRIEF

WITNESS

M O N T H L Y L E G A L A D V I C E

F O R R E A D E R S O F

T H E S T U R B R I D G E T I M E S M A G A Z I N E

STURBRIDGE ATTORNEY

ROBERT A. GEORGE, ESQ.

Up on Long Hill Road, we’ve noticed that there is rel-atively little discussion of one of the largest foreign policyissues of our nation in this century. The war inAfghanistan is only perfunctorily noticed when either atragedy or some other event occurs.When the Twin Towers went down, our reaction was

understandable. It is not necessary to recount the stepsthat led to the invasion. Has it been a success? The deathof Osama and change of regime have been accomplished.Not much else has. A corrupt government has been in-stalled at the cost of over two thousand American militarydeaths. If you include coalition troops, it has been morethan World Trade Center fatalities.If, after more than ten years of operations we can say we

are freer now than before, then one might have a case thatthe invasion was a success. After all, we were told weshould fight them over there rather than over here. Hasthat worked?On the battlefield, no progress is being made. That is

why there is a dearth of news. Our men patrol, some die,some enemy die. The Taliban seems to think they can waitus out. The Afghans have an excellent record of outlastingthe invader. Ask the Soviets and the Brits.If we are not winning, is anyone? For the answer as to

who is, we turn to our official think tank, The Long HillInstitute for the Study of Foreign and Military Policy(LHIftSoFaMP).If we are not winning, maybe the next-door neighbor,

Pakistan is. Pakistan has a lot at stake. Afghanistan is a na-tion of tribes that, to put it mildly, do not always get along.So is Pakistan. Instability in Afghanistan may be its natu-ral state. That bodes ill for the Paks. Right now, they arenot too happy with us after all the drone bombings andtaking out OBL. They have never been completely on

board no matter the official line, anyway. This is under-standable. How would we like them setting the agenda inour neighborhood? Suffice it to say, near term, there is lit-tle they can do. Long term may not work for them all thatwell either, but they will have greater scope to manage af-fairs if and when we leave.So who is ahead on points right now? That’s easy, Rus-

sia. Yup, the country formerly known as the Soviet Unionis scoring big time every day we stay in Afghanistan. Howso you ask? Probably you don’t. The blithe incuriosity ofthe press and citizenry is staggering. Despite the disinter-est, the LHIftSoFaMP will endeavor to enlighten.Last November, an air assault in Pakistani territory net-

ted no Taliban, but did kill 24 Pakistani soldiers. Shockingly,the Paks didn’t say, “no harm, no foul.” They closed supplyroutes. Negotiations failed to reopen the road to NATO re-supply. Seems the overly sensitive Pakistanis demanded anapology. We finally said sorry, but the route is not secure.There is another route. It is through territory con-

trolled by Russia. They are happy to let us use the route be-cause Russia and the US are brothers. I hope no onebelieves that. Nations are not brothers and most alliancesare tenuous at best. Our relationship with Russia is notfraternal. It’s not even like third cousins, twice removed.Since the end of the Soviet Union our policy has not

been all that friendly. First we promised when they tooktheir troops home, NATO would not be run up to the For-mer Soviet borders. That understanding was observed inthe breach.It is so bizarre that The US Coast Guard was sailing off

the shores of Georgia. Well why shouldn’t they be pa-trolling off Savannah Harbor one might ask? Unfortu-nately, it was not the American state, but the FormerSoviet Republic of Georgia on the Black Sea. Georgia hadstarted an unprovoked war that embroiled Russia. Theygot their clock cleaned and we made “no fair” noises. Sen-ator McCain said “We are all Georgians now.” Weweren’t. The Russian Government didn’t budge. Wisely,we backed off and did not admit Georgia to NATO.Bush or Obama, the post cold war policy has been an-

tagonistic. Last February, the Secretary of State calledRussian refusal to support Syrian sanctions “despicable.”Not a move out of the Dale Carnegie playbook.A Romney administration might be even more con-

frontational. He hasn’t been elected yet, but he has al-ready started his administration by declaring Russia “ournumber one geopolitical foe.”Why would the Russkies be okay with us traveling

through their neighborhood even if they don’t really loveus? If your next-door neighbor blared the stereo at 3:00a.m. would you be likely to let him use the pool?To help our understanding, the LHIftSoFaMP has

sought expert guidance. Our consultant has been deadnear a decade shy of two centuries and ultimately unsuc-cessful, but Napoleon Bonaparte didn’t have a bad run.

Next page


PETQ&AWITH KATHY MENARD

Playing with laser light is not good for dogs

Q. Do dogs yawn for a similar reason that humans door are they signaling something?

A.While dogs can yawn for a variety of reasons, very oftenit signifies stress/anxiety/nervousness and they are trying tocalm themselves. If the dog is relaxed on the floor with noth-ing going on around them, they may be tired. However, ifyou're in a training class and he starts yawning, he may bestressed over not understanding what you're working on, or be-cause another person or dog is too close for his comfort level.

Q. Are purebred dogs more susceptible to disease anddisability than mongrels?

A.While you will find mixed reviews on this topic, I be-lieve it is marginally slanted toward being true. That doesnot mean that all purebred dogs are unhealthy, while mon-grels are healthy. It is important to do your homeworkwhen choosing a breeder to ensure they do their best toscreen for the genetic issues found within their breed. It isequally possible for mixed breed dogs to have issues. I al-ways ask myself, “if I take the worst traits from each parentand combine them, is that a pup I would want to own”?

His words, "Never interrupt your enemywhen he is making a mistake," won himmany a battle.Even if someone could prove* that we

have a true national security interest inAfghanistan, we are still being bled aslong as we stay. Speaking of blood,everyday we are there is a victory for LesRusses and they need not fire a shot.Why would they interrupt our mistake?All this is not to suggest that the Rus-

sians are innocent lambs. They areshrewd geopolitical players. Putin is not

in the running for the Thomas Jeffersonaward. His demographic problems areimmense, and the economy is extractiveand at the mercy of commodity prices.Be that as it may, he is doing what he canto serve his country’s interests. Cur-rently, he is having some rather good in-nings at our expense.*I beg anyone who reads this, please,

if you have proof that there is any sanereason for continuing this adventure,please share it with me. I’ll pass it on toState. Goodness knows they need one.

rate than the penalty for not being in-sured – more people will be exempt fromcoverage. In addition, more people, es-pecially those who are healthy, will likelypay the penalty rather than buy expensivehealth insurance.At the same time, those with pre-ex-

isting conditions will increasingly buy in-surance, since they need it and it will beavailable to everyone. In fact, some mayallow their health insurance to lapse andpurchase it only when they truly need it.

That would boost insurance costs acrossthe board, which would likely result inmore Americans dropping coverage andopting to pay the tax instead.As more healthy people opt out and

prices increases, causing even more peo-ple to opt out, it could cause what Price-WaterhouseCoopers calls an “adverseselection death spiral,” as the impact overtime could cause the system to collapse.The ACA also fails to address some of

the root causes of high premiums. Forexample, today many people use the

emergency room for routine care, becausethey have no financial disincentive not touse it. Using the emergency room is farmore expensive than scheduling a doc-tor’s visit, but the patient does not bearthe added cost.Medicare and Medicaid are already

major contributors to the country’s debt,accounting for trillions of dollars in un-funded liabilities. Putting the federal gov-ernment in control of the remainder ofour healthcare system and adding more

than 2,800 pages of new regulations willonly add to our financial liabilities andmake healthcare even more inefficient.No illness has ever been cured by red

tape.Richard A. McGrath, CIC, LIA is

President and CEO of McGrath InsuranceGroup, Inc. of Sturbridge, Mass. He canbe reached at [email protected].

This article is written for informationalpurposes only and should not be construedas providing legal advice.

Q. Can I use a leash to stop aggression in my youngdog?

A. Well....if you are having aggression issues in yourdog, you need to seek out the help of an experiencedtrainer, sooner than later. A leash certainly can be utilizedto control your dog while you teach him more suitable be-haviors.

Q. My puppy is about 7.5 weeks old. His nose is not

cold or wet. Is this normal?A. Yes. It is an old wives tale that the nose needs to be

cold and wet.

Q. Sometimes my dog will drag his behind across thefloor. I don't like this for obvious reasons and wonder whatwould cause this?

A. This is a common sign that your dog's anal glandsneed to be emptied. This is more common in smaller dogs.Your veterinarian should be able to express them and de-termine the cause. Allergies or a diet low in fiber is oftenthe cause. Adding pumpkin should help if he just needsmore fiber.

Q. My dog loves to chase the laser light. I do this withhim every night and am careful not to let the beam shineinto his eyes. Is this form of play acceptable?

A. No. Please do not encourage this behavior. Thisoften turns into an obsessive compulsive disorder whichcan be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to cure.

From previous page

Afghanistan

Supreme Court decision on health care mandateFrom page 13


WateringUsing Rain BarrelsThe Dog days of summer are here as we enter the

month of August. July was a hot humid, rainfall deficientmonth. For the plants in your yard and garden one of themost important things you can do for then is keep themwell watered. Watering should be done once a week, slowand deeply, the equivalent to 1” rainfall a week. This willsaturate the ground and encourages the roots of yourplants to grow down deep into the soil; better capturingnutrients and helping your plants survive extended dry pe-riods that are so common during this time of year. Aquick way to monitor if you are applying 1” of rain is to setout a “tuna” can, which is 1” high. When it is full, youhave watered 1”!

To assist in watering and to reduce the cost of wateringyou should consider installing a rain barrel (or several) anda drip irrigation system.

By collecting rain water in a barrel you will:• Direct rainwater away from foundations• Reduce erosion, stormwater pollution and im-

prove water quality• Reduce household watering needs by saving rain• Lower your water bills, and reduce your personal

energy consumption by using less treated water. A full 55gallon water barrel has almost 14 cubic feet of water.• Be able to water your gardens during town im-

posed watering bans• Water your garden naturally with untreated

water• Recharge the local ground water

How it works: For every ½” of rain that falls on a 500

square foot roof, 300 gallons of water will run off. (Thisis about ½ of a building 28’ x 36’) Rain Barrel kits anddown spout diverters are commercially available, or if oneis handy with plumbing, you canmake your own. Whenyou set up a rain barrel remember that a 55 gallon barrelwill weight over 400 lbs when full so set them up on afirm surface. Elevate it a foot or two to have a greaterflow pressure. Connect several barrels together or makesure you have provided an overflow pipe for overfilling,and divert that water away from your foundation. Natu-ral rainwater will improve the health of your gardens – itdoes not contain minerals, salts, chlorine, fluoride andother chemicals you may find in public water or wells.Most companies that sell rain barrels also sell simple to in-stall drip irrigation systems.

Local Rain Barrel companies:Aaron’s Rain Barrels, Leominster MA,New England Rain Barrel Co. - Peabody MA,Sky Juice New England – York ME.

On the Web:http://www.northreadingma.gov/Pages/NRead-ingMA_Water/Rainbarrel

http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/625R03003/32Sands.pdfhttp://www.skyjuice.us/html/programs.html

Tom Chamberland is the Tree Warden for the Town ofSturbridge and a Certified Arborist.

YARDWORKSBy Tom Chamberland, ISA

Caring for what grows in your yard


Eating disorders affect all ages

THE HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ADVISERBY THE FACULTY OF HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

A REGULAR FEATURE IN THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Q. Both my mother and my father-in-law suffer from Alzheimer's disease. We'retold that they both seem to be at about thesame point in the physical progression of thedisease in their brains. But my father-in-law has remained fairly lucid, while mymother is more confused and forgetful.What could account for this?

A. The tremendous number of nervecells and connections between cells in ahealthy brain provides a seemingly infi-nite capacity for processing information.It also provides a margin of safety in casesome cells are damaged. In Alzheimer'sdisease, however, the wholesale destruc-tion of nerve cells eliminates this safetynet, especially in the brain areas involvedin memory and cognition.But as you've noted, the disease

doesn't always affect people in the sameway or with similar severity. Considertwo older people with the same amountof Alzheimer's disease�related plaquesand tangles in their brains. One personhas some memory miscues now andthen, but continues to lead a relativelynormal life. The other has the severeloss of memory and other cognitiveWhy the difference? One explana-

tion is that they had differing amountsof cognitive reserve. Cognitive reservecan protect you from the effects ofAlzheimer's and other diseases that af-fect the brain.Cognitive reserve can be thought of

as having two parts, hardware and soft-ware. The hardware consists of braincells, or neurons, and connections be-tween those brain cells, which are calledsynapses. The theory is that people withmore brain cells and synapses at theirdisposal are better able to maintain cog-nitive functions even after importantbrain cells are damaged.The software is the brain's capacity

for finding alternative circuits and neu-ral networks if disease or injury is block-ing the usual ones. People's cognitiveabilities can stay roughly the same if

visual processing of movement. MRIsof the brains of London taxi drivershave shown that they have larger-than-normal posterior hippocampi, an areaof the brain involved in spatial mem-ory.Formal educational achievement is

an important factor, but virtually anymentally challenging or engaging activ-ity seems to have a positive effect oncognitive reserve.Some research has found that cross-

word puzzles, Sudoku and other "brainexercise" activities have a narrow effect:That is, if you do Sudoku puzzles, youbecome better at doing Sudoku puzzlesand little else.But a study showed that Sudoku

and other puzzles also made older peo-ple more open to trying new things, sothere's still much more to be learnedin this area.Physical activity may be just as im-

portant as mental activity for brainhealth and building up cognitive re-serve. Dozens of studies have shown itto have a pronounced effect, and aero-

bic exercise that gets your heart rate up maybe especially important.Exercise seems to affect the brain di-

rectly, increasing the number of synapsesand enhancing the action of neurotrans-mitters, the chemicals that make braincell�to�brain cell communication possible.It also increases the production of brain-de-rived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a "brainjuice" protein that promotes the produc-tion of new brain cells and the survival ofexisting ones.Physical activity also has indirect effects.

If your heart and lungs are strong andhealthy, more oxygen-rich blood will circu-late to the brain. And exercise controls andreduces the risk of conditions like diabetesand high blood pressure that can put braincells in harm's way.For the brain and the rest of the body,

the wisdom of Hippocrates may be as truetoday as it was 2,400 years ago: That whichis used develops, that which is not usedwastes away.

© 2012. The President and Fellows ofHarvard College.

their brains are adept at theseworkarounds.Brain reserve capacity -- the term

sometimes used for the hardware -- is, inlarge part, genetically determined. Butthe human brain is capable of generat-ing new synapses and neurons through-out life, and the input of stimulatingexperiences has been shown to alterbrain structure.There is plenty of research to back

up this idea. Brain scans of peoplelearning to juggle show increases in thesize of brain structures linked with the

Support Auburn & Oxford Area Businesses!


How to stay healthy throughoutthe entire summer

“Our bodiesutilize sunlight

to produceVitaminD.This fat-soluble vitaminaids in calciumabsorptionand is an immune systemregulator. Studies showthatVitaminD is linkedtomaintaining a healthybodyweight and thatpeoplewith adequate

levels ofVitaminDhave asignificantly lower risk ofdevelopingCancer.”

By Andrea Johnsonof Everybody’s Fitness, Auburn and Sturbridge

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER AREHERE. Some people (like me) love the sum-mer, others can't stand the heat and humid-ity. Summertime provides a new set ofchallenges when trying to begin or maintaina healthy lifestyle. But there are things thateveryone can do to have a healthy and funsummer. Here are some of the biggest obsta-cles my clients face when trying to be fit inthe summer, and some ideas that will helpyou stay on track during the hottest monthof the year.

Vacations – A lot of people fall off theworkout wagon in the summer. After all, weare New Englanders and we have to endurelong winters and wet springs while waiting forsummer to arrive. We have cookouts to go to,yardwork to do, kids that are off from school,vacations planned, and day trips to take. Allthese summer activities can eat up our sparetime and keep us away from our regularlyscheduled workouts.Making an appointment with yourself to

be active can help you stay consistent whenthe loosey goosey schedule of summer comescreeping in. Find a time that works for youand make it an appointment you keep. Takeadvantage of these longer days and get up alittle earlier than normal to either hit thegym, or go for an outdoor walk or run. If youhave kids at home and can't get away, incor-porate your kids into the fun! Play an afterdinner game of catch, soccer, tag, or take awalk through a park or around the neighbor-hood. Have a pool? Play marco polo! Kidslove to play games, and most kids games canbe quite a good workout for adults too if youplay hard enough.

Heat - Another factor is the heat. Exer-cising in the heat is not exactly a pleasurableprocess. You have to be careful not to get over-heated or dehydrated. And the heat can makeyou feel lethargic, which is no way to feel be-fore a workout.In order to avoid the heat, try exercising

in the early morning or early evening. Thehottest part of the day is from 10-3, so anearly morning jog or an after dinner stroll can

help you to stay active all summer withoutsuccumbing to the heat. If you must exercisethe daytime heat, consider doing it indoors.Most gyms are air conditioned and are wellworth visiting on those uncomfortably hotdays. If outdoors is a must, wear light col-ored clothing that is loose fitting. And rec-ognize that it's not a time to try to break anypersonal records. Slow your pace and takefrequent breaks to rest and hydrate.

Hydrate – When you lose body fluidsthrough sweating, you need to replace thosefluids or you risk becoming dehydrated. De-hydration occurs when the amount of bodyfluids lost is greater than the amount of flu-ids consumed. You can easily avoid dehy-dration by sipping water throughout the day,not just before you exercise. If you are plan-ning to exercise in the heat you should drink16 ounces of water about 20 minutes priorto working out, and then make sure you sipwater at least every 10-15 minutes whileworking out. Afterwards drink another 16ounces of water. An electrolyte beverage likegatorade is a good choice if you are feelingvery weak or overly tired afterward.

Eat lightly – Hot days can make cook-ing a challenge. I refuse to heat up my ovenwhen it's hot outside. Heat can also do anumber on your appetite. But if you skipmeals because it's hot, you may end up feel-ing ravenous when it cools off. And feelingravenous can set you up for poor foodchoices later. (Ice cream for dinner, anyone?)My suggestion for relentlessly hot days is toeat lightly during the day and embrace coldfoods. For breakfast have a bowl of cerealwith some sliced strawberries. A cold cu-cumber and tomato salad can be lunch. Wa-termelon can serve as a light snack that coolsyou down in the afternoon. And for dinnertry a beefed up salad made with fresh veg-etables and topped with a grilled chickenbreast or some steak tips. Don't have a grill?Then heat that oven up once, cook a hugebatch of marinated chicken or steak, and useit throughout the week. Also check out thelocal farmers markets and try some new veg-

etables that are locally grown. It's a greatway to experiment with new dishes andsupport local agriculture. Produce tastesbest when it is fresh and locally grown,so take advantage of this once a year op-portunity.

Soak up the sun, Safely – Thosesummer rays can be harmful, but the say-ing soak up the sun isn't totally wrongeither. Our bodies utilize sunlight to pro-duce Vitamin D. This fat soluble vita-min aids in calcium absorption and is animmune system regulator. Studies havealso shown that Vitamin D is linked tomaintaining a healthy body weight, andthat people with adequate levels of Vita-min D have a significantly lower risk ofdeveloping cancer. From April-Octoberthe sun is strong enough here in thenortheast for your body to use it to makesome Vitamin D. Experts recommendtwo 15 minute sun sessions per day with-out sunscreen. If getting outside to baskin the sun isn't going to work for you, Vi-tamin D supplements (look for D3) canprovide what you need.According to the United States Insti-

tute of Medicine, the recommended di-etary allowances of Vitamin D are:• 1–70 years of age: 600 IU/day• 71+ years of age: 800 IU/day• Pregnant/lactating: 600 IU/dayOne important note: don't overdo

sunbathing in the name of making Vi-tamin D. Sunscreen is proven to preventskin cancer, and should be used regu-larly. If you are very fair and burn easilyor are at a higher than normal risk forskin cancers you should stick to VitaminD supplements, and use a broad spec-trum sunscreen to protect yourself fromthe adverse risks of sun exposure.Summertime is a great time to have

fun and be healthy. Take advantage ofthe extra daylight and use the tips pro-vided here to stay healthy and safe dur-ing this last hot month of summer.

Andrea Johnson of Everybody’s Fitness


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AU TIMES A · 2019-04-29 · 2 THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN &O XFORD LIVING TOTHEEDITOR: Thisletterconcernsyourarticle,“Vaca-tioninginAuburn”inyourJulyissue