Easton Council on Aging 508 230-0690

THE coOrdinator

Newsletter Locations:

Ames Free Library

Bank of Easton (all)

Big Y Supermarket

Bill’s House of Pizza

COA Office—Frothingham Hall

CVS—549 Washington St.

Easton Post Office (all)

Easton Town Hall

Easton YMCA—Elm St.

EHA—Elise Circle

EHA—Parker Terrace

Emmy’s Hair Salon

North Easton Savings Banks

Roche Bros. Supermarket

Shaw’s Supermarket

7-11 Food Shop

If you would like the newsletter

mailed or e-mailed to you, please

fill out the form inside and mail it

to the: Council on Aging

15 Barrows Street

North Easton, MA 02356

January 2020

Winter Safety Tips

When the snow starts flying and the temperatures drop,

older adults run a higher risk of weather-related health

problems and injuries. These can include frostbite,

hypothermia, and falls in the ice or snow. This information

has been printed in previous newsletters, but bears

repeating. Please take note of these precautions as

winter approaches:

Dress warm. Wear layers. Cold temperatures can lead to

hypothermia and frostbite. When going outside, wear a

heavy winter jacket and a warm hat and gloves.

Protect your lungs with a scarf over your mouth.

Avoid slipping on ice by making sure that walkways and

steps are cleared of ice and snow, and treated with salt

or sand, before walking on them. Wear shoes with good

traction and non-skid soles. Watch your footing, use

handrails, and take it slow.

Winterize your vehicle. This includes having your anti-

freeze, tires, and windshield wipers checked. Stock your

car with emergency supplies such as a first aid kit,

booster cables, ice scraper, shovel, flashlight, blanket,

and water.

Wait out the storm. Plan your outings around the weath-

er if possible. If the conditions are bad and you can post-

pone your plans, it might just be safest to do so.

Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Fireplaces and gas

heaters can leak carbon monoxide unless properly vent-

ed, cleaned, and used. Warning signs of CM poisoning

are headache, dizziness, nausea, and/or confusion. En-

sure safety in your home by installing a CM detector,

making sure to check the batteries periodically.

Wintertime can be challenging, but if you stay aware and

plan ahead, you will stay safe and will soon be celebrating

the return of springtime!

Page 2 The Coordinator

The Friends of Frothingham Presents

Tuesday Movie of the Month

DOWNTON ABBEY

Tuesday, January 14

Noon-2pm

Excitement is high at Downton Abbey

when the Crawley family learns that

King George V and Queen Mary are

coming to visit. But trouble soon arises

when Mrs. Patmore, Daisy and the rest of

the servants learn that the king and queen

travel with their own chefs and attendants

-- setting the stage for an impromptu

scheme and other shenanigans.

Feel free to bring snacks for the movie!

Senior Dinner Club on Hiatus

Just a reminder that the

Dinner Club will be taking

the cold winter months off.

It will resume in the springtime. We hope

to have another meeting then so that

our seniors can help choose the

restaurants for 2020.

Birthday Luncheon

The next luncheon at Parker

Terrace will be on Thursday,

January 16 from 11:30am to

1pm. The cost is just $2.50. The entertain-

ment will be Singo Bingo—come test your

musical knowledge while you enjoy a nice

meal. As always, if your birthday is in

January or February, your meal is free!

Please call the COA to sign up by Friday,

January 10.

Council on Aging Book Club

The next COA Book Club will meet on

Tuesday, January 28 at 1pm

at Frothingham Hall.

Come join us for a discussion on this

month’s selected book:

BEHOLD THE DREAMERS

by Imbolo Mbue

Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant

living in Harlem, has come to the United

States to provide a better life for himself,

his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son.

In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly

believe his luck when he lands a job as

a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior

executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark

demands punctuality, discretion, and

loyalty—and Jende is eager to please.

Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni

temporary work at the Edwardses’

summer home in the Hamptons.

With these opportunities, Jende and Neni

can at last gain a foothold in America

and imagine a brighter future.

However, the world of great power and

privilege conceals troubling secrets, and

soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their

employers’ façades. When the financial

world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman

Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep

Jende’s job—even as their marriage

threatens to fall apart.

As all four lives are dramatically upended,

Jende and Neni are forced to make an

impossible choice.

January 2020 Page 3

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Happy New Year! COA CLOSED

Friends of Frothingham Frothingham Hall 10:30am *ANNUAL MEETING*

Diet Group 10am Frothingham Hall

New York Life 10:30am Frothingham Hall

Evening yoga begins 6pm-7pm

Triad Meeting 10am Frothingham Hall Real ID Workshop

Diet Group 10am Frothingham Hall

Movie of the Month Noon Frothingham Hall

Retirement/Dementia Seminar 10am

COA Meeting 9:30am Frothingham Hall

West Acres Crafts 11am Frothingham Hall

Birthday Lunch 11:30am Parker Terrace

Diet Group 10am Frothingham Hall

Martin Luther King, Jr .Day

COA CLOSED

Technology 101 1pm Frothingham Hall

Diet Group 10am Frothingham Hall

Book Club 1pm Frothingham Hall

Footcare at Parker Terrace 9:30am-1pm

Caretaker Stress Seminar 11am Frothingham Hall

Diet Group 10am Frothingham Hall

EVENTS

6 8 9 10 7

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20 21 23 22 24

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Page 4 The Coordinator

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January 2020 Page 5

Library Book Delivery

Did you know that the Ames

Free Library offers home

delivery service? If you are an

Easton resident who is either

temporarily or permanently

unable to visit the library, this service is for

YOU! Program details and an application

are available on the library's website:

www.amesfreelibrary. For any questions,

contact Megan, Adult Services Librarian,

at the library at 508 238-2000.

Happy reading!

Farmers Market Updates

The Original Easton Farmer’s

Market runs year-round every

Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

The Market has moved into

it’s winter location inside the

Fellowship Hall of the Holy Trinity

Lutheran Church at 143 Lincoln Street.

Vendors include Bridgewater Village

Bakery, Rosie Bud Farm (soaps and

lotions), Oakdale Farms (fresh produce),

All Hands In (personal care products),

Daddy’s Home Grown (humanely raised

beef, pork, and chicken), and Knot Be

Gone Therapeutic Massage. Part-time

vendors will include Lady C & J Catering

(barbecue), Creative Confections

(chocolates), Kave Rock Farm (alpaca

wool products), Treats to Meet (fabric

gifts), Townie Frozen Desserts, Say

Cheese, Sammi’s Natural Way (bath and

body products), Mookies Pet Treats, and

Cobb Street Quilts. Also joining this

prestigious group of vendors in January

will be Langwater Farm and Jordan

Seafood! Come down and support local

businesses!

Free Stuff!

Have something you no

longer need? Or in need

of something? We have

a “free” bookcase here at the COA. Come

on by and take a look at all the items on

our bookcase to see if anything strikes

your fancy. One man’s trash is another

man’s treasure! We’d also like to remind

you that Shaw’s and Roche Bros still

generously donate their leftover breads

and pastries to the COA on Tuesday,

Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.

Triad—Real ID

Our next TRIAD meeting will feature

Michelle Ellicks, Community Outreach

Coordinator, with the Registry of Motor

Vehicles. She will present the Real ID

Workshop. Included in this workshop will

be information on new federal and state

requirements concerning driver’s license

and ID card renewals. If you need to renew

your license and have questions about the

new procedure, this seminar is for you.

The date is Thursday, January 9 at 10am.

Please call the COA to sign up by Tuesday,

January 7.

Technology 101

It’s Technology time again! We welcome

back the honor students from Oliver Ames

for another session to assist our seniors

with their phones, tablets, or laptops on

Tuesday, January 21 at 1pm. Please call

the COA by Thursday, January 16 to sign

up. Don’t forget to

bring your devices!

Page 6 The Coordinator

Senior Law Project

The Justice Center of Southeast

Massachusetts, LLC, and South Coastal

Counties Legal Services, Inc. offer the

Senior Law Project, which provides free

legal consultation to elders. Below are

some locations in our area this month.

Tuesday, January 14 at 10 am

Justice Center of SE Mass

62 Main Street, Suite 302

Brockton

Monday, January 27 at 10am

Brockton COA

10 Father Kenney Way

Brockton

For an appointment or to obtain a list of

all dates and locations, call 508 586-

2110 or 800 244-8393.

Foot Care Clinic

The next PediCare clinic will be

on Thursday, January 30 from

9:30am to 1pm in the hobby

room of the Keefe Community Center at

Parker Terrace. Your toenails will be

trimmed by a registered nurse trained

in podiatric care. The cost is $29. Checks

should be made payable to PediCare

Service, LLC. Please call the COA at 508

230-0690 to set up an appointment.

OCC Coffeehouse Music

The OCC Coffeehouse, located

at the Congregational Church,

1 East St, Wrentham, presents

Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry

on Saturday, January 11 at 7:30pm. Tracy

performs contemporary folk music and is

an accomplished violin and guitar player.

Jim is a master of adding whatever is

needed at any musical moment. Tickets

for this event are $20. They can be

purchased at the door. For more

information, call the church directly at

508 384-3110.

Retirement Income Strategies/Dementia

Retirement Income Strategies

is an hour-long educational

seminar designed to bring hope

to the public through education

about what dementia is and to provide

financial guidance in planning for long

term care needs. The presenter,

Stephen Dellelo, has been providing

financial strategies for 30 years through

his firm in Easton. Stephen was chosen

by the Dementia Society of America to

educate and help families prepare

financially for the road ahead. The date

is Tuesday, January 14 at 1pm. Those

who attend this seminar will receive a

workbook and handouts, including

resources for the Dementia Society of

America, and will also be offered a

complimentary financial analysis.

Please call the COA by Friday, January

10 to sign up.

West Acres Craft Day

Alliance Health at West Acres

is a skilled nursing and

rehabilitation facility

located in Brockton. Their

newly renovated facility

offers short-term and long- term care.

West Acres representatives Katie Taylor

and Mary Barros invite you to join them

here at the COA for their monthly crafting

class on Thursday, January 16 at 11am.

They will help you create winter signs

made from wooden blocks. Please call the

COA by Friday, January 10 to sign up.

January 2020 Page 7

Construction Updates

Phase II of the

Five Corners Sewer

Project is still under

construction. The project has completed

its first milestone and normal traffic flow

on Foundry Street has been restored for

the remainder of the winter. The detour

will be reactivated in the summer of 2020

for a short time to finalize roadwork. The

Town of Easton appreciates your patience

during this project and reminds everyone

to please drive safely.

Important COA Information

Our goal at the COA is to help

our town’s seniors as much as

possible. We have shuttle

buses to help if you should ever

need a ride to medical appointments or

to do errands. However, due to the great

need of these services, we are currently

booking two weeks out for medical

appointments. Please keep this in mind

when making your doctor appointments.

Remember to call us to secure your ride

as soon as possible. Also, now that winter

is in full swing, please be reminded that

when Easton Public Schools are cancelled,

our buses do not run. This does not mean,

however, that Frothingham Hall will be

closed. Please always feel free to call us

with any questions.

Caretaker Stress and Fatigue

Old Colony Hospice and

Palliative Care is committed

to providing continuing

education to help the

community. On Thursday, January 30 at

11am, a representative will be here to

present a seminar on Managing Stress

and Compassionate Fatigue. Being a

caretaker for the sick or elderly can

consume a lot of energy and empathy.

Come learn what causes compassion

fatigue, and how to diagnose and treat it

within yourself and others. Please call the

COA by Thursday, January 23 to sign up. Friends of Frothingham Annual Meeting

The Friends of Frothingham invites you

all to their annual meeting on Thursday,

January 2 at 10:30am. This group really

cares about our great historic building.

Please come see what

they are all about—get

involved!

Message from SHINE Counselors

Many people who have Medicare are on

fixed incomes and are looking for a

way to lower their health care costs and

save money. If you are a Massachusetts

resident with limited income and assets,

and are eligible for Medicare, you may

qualify for the Medicare Savings Program

that will help pay your monthly Medicare

Part B premiums. In certain cases, it may

also pay your out-of-pocket Medicare Part

A. If you qualify for a Medicare Savings

Program, you also automatically qualify

for Extra Help, a program that helps pay

for prescription drugs. Starting on January

1st, the income and asset limits for

the Medicare Savings Programs are

increasing, meaning that more people

will be eligible for help. The new limits

for a single person are: income $1,738 or

below per month and assets at or below

$15,460. For a married couple, income

would be $2,346 or below monthly and

assets at $23,200. As always, our trusty

SHINE counselors are here for you—if you

need an appointment with Dave or Steve,

please call the COA.

Page 8 The Coordinator

TED Talks

Expand your horizons with TED talks! TED

stands for Technology, Entertainment, and

Design. The first TED talk was in 1984.

These talks are recorded presentations

that last about 20 minutes on a wide

variety of topics from science and

technology to culture and the arts. The

Queset House at 51 Main Street invites

you to TED Talk Thursdays. On these days,

attendees will watch three recorded

presentations on a common theme

and a discussion will follow. A list of

recommended books that expand on

the TED Talk topics will also be available.

The date for the next talk is Thursday,

January 9 from 2pm-3:30pm. The subject

for this month’s TED talk was not listed on

the library website at the time of this

newsletters publishing. Call the library

directly at 238-2000 for more details.

Fuel Assistance

The Fuel Assistance Program is an energy

assistance program through Self Help that

can help with the heating costs in your

residence during the cold weather

months—November 1 through April 30.

Income guidelines for this program are

as follows:

Number in Household Income

1 $37,360

2 $48,855

3 $60,351

4 $71,846

5 $83,341

6 $94,837

If you received fuel assistance last year,

be on the lookout for a recertification

letter in the mail. If you are new to the

program, please call the COA to make an

appointment with Kathleen Gouveia, our

Outreach Coordinator, who can assist

with the application process. During this

process, you will need to provide proof of

income and Social Security numbers for

all members of your household.

Cub Scout Pack #76

The COA would like to give a big shout

out to Easton Cub Scout Pack #76 for

generously baking and donating loaves of

pumpkin, cranberry, and banana breads

to our COA. This pack donates these

breads annually, and we truly appreciate

them remembering our seniors. Below

are some pictures of the pack hard at

work in the kitchen! Thank you all for

your kindness, boys—the breads were

delicious!

Parker Terrace Lunch Reminder

Just a reminder that all

Easton seniors age 60 and

over are invited to the

congregate lunches at the

Keefe Community Center at Parker

Terrace. Lunches are served every

weekday at 11:30am. This hot lunch

program is sponsored by Old Colony Elder

Services. The cost for this full-course meal

is just $2.50. Entertainment is often

provided at these lunches. Please call

Valerie at least five days in advance at

774 285-1173 to reserve your spot. If a

ride is needed, make sure to call the COA

at least three days in advance. Don’t miss

out on a nice hot lunch and some good

company!

January 2020 Page 9

Frothingham Memorial Hall Staff

Kristin Kennedy—Director of Health and

Community Services

Kelly McMorrow—Administrative Assistant

Anne Daley—Recreation Program Director

Nicole Falcon—Administrative Assistant

Kathleen Gouveia—Outreach Coordinator

Cory Ahonen—Veterans Service Officer

Lisa O’Hearne—Administrative Assistant

Bruce Henshaw, Jr—Full Time Shuttle Driver

Ted Beavers—Part Time Shuttle Driver

Steve Costa—Part Time Shuttle Driver

Tom Fobert—Part Time Shuttle Driver

Russ Gouldrup—Part Time Shuttle Driver

John Ippolito—Part Time Shuttle Driver

COA Board Members

Jean Shearing

Marie Graca

Frank Spillane

Donna Welch

Lynn Cleveland

Kathleen Heery

Gladys Donovan

Friends of Frothingham

Barbara Beaudoin

Doe Robinson

Barbara Spidle

Christopher Kone

Christine Kone

Maureen Papineau

Hazel Varella

Not Just Weight Loss Support Group

A new name for a great group! Join the

new and improved “Not Just Weight Loss

Support Group” as they discuss weight

loss and nutrition. Receive encouragement

and accountability on your journey to

better wellness. Join them for their open

house on Friday, January

10 at 10am at the COA.

Come see what they are all

about!

Thank you to Outside Agencies

Here at the Easton COA, we strive to offer

our seniors fun and interesting programs in

addition to our regularly scheduled events.

Most of these extra programs come from

outside agencies. They visit our COA with

their donated services and products to

provide our seniors some entertainment

and fun. We would like to acknowledge the

following agencies/businesses/companies

that provided programs for us during the

last part of 2019:

Abbott Care—Avon

Advanced Hearing Care

Big Y Market

Boston Senior Medicine

Brockton Symphony Orchestra

Christ Congregational Church -Brockton

Community VNA

Compassionate Care Hospice—Taunton

Patty Farragher, RN

Home Instead—Attleboro

Knights of Columbus

Lions Club

Lombardo’s—Randolph

New York Life—Jennifer Goddard

OAHS Honor Students

Patriot Companion Assistance

Registry of Deeds—Bristol County

Residence at Five Corners

Roche Bros.

Shaw’s

Southeast Regional High School

West Acres—Brockton

Whitney Place—Sharon

Please look for more fun and informative

classes, seminars, and sessions coming to

the COA in 2020!

Page 10 The Coordinator

This newsletter for Easton Seniors

is supported in part with state

funds from the executive Office of

Elder Affairs

Web page: www.easton.ma.us

PRSRT STD

U. S. POSTAGE PAID

N. EASTON, MA 02356

PERMIT #13

Easton Council on Aging

15 Barrows Street

North Easton, MA 02356

Address Service Requested

We’re on the Web!! Come visit us at:

http://www.easton.ma.us/departments/council_on_aging/index.php

Shine On!

The COA would like to extend many

thanks to our fabulous SHINE volunteers,

Dave Devore and Steve Sundell. Each

year, they work tirelessly to fit all of our

seniors in during the open enrollment

period. We are so lucky to have such

dedicated volunteers to help our seniors

with this often confusing process. If you

should ever find yourself in need of health

insurance counseling, call the COA to

make an appointment with Dave or Steve.

Recreation Department Programs

Easton Recreation is offering a new

session of evening YOGA classes

Frothingham Hall in January. The class

will be taught by Doreen Kominsky.

The session will run for 6 weeks, on the

following Wednesdays: January 8 and

15, February 5, 12,19, and 26 from

6pm-7pm. The cost is $50. Stop by

Frothingham Hall to fill out a registration

form. Namaste!