Category Archives for Leisure

PawSox Fans Love Their Team and Its Owner

Published in Senior Digest on July 2004

Seventy-six-year-old Al Beaulieu worked as a manager at Standard Bolt in Cumberland for more than 30 years. He’s been a baseball fan longer than 30 years. He’s been a baseball fan longer than that, however, attending games at McCoy Stadium since the mid-1940s.

After retiring in 1991, the Lincoln resident and wife, Carolyn, 81, became Pawtucket red Sox ticket holders. During the first three and one-half years of attending local games way back when Beaulieu says he probably missed just a few match-ups. Over his 13 years of having season tickets, Beaulieu says that he’s probably missed upward to 30 games. “It’s due to a total knew replacement,” he points out, not because of a waning interest in the sport he loves.

Over the years, in addition to attending games at McCoy Stadium this Pawtucket Red Sox fan has traveled to Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y., and Scranton, Pa., to follow his team.

While Beaulieu’s loyalties lie with the Pawtucket Red Sox, he’s backed off from the Boston Red Sox. “I used to be a great Boston fan, but they broke my heart to many times. Now, I root for whatever time is in first place,” he quips.

When asked about the legacy of PawSox, owner Ben Mondor, the man who brought Triple-A baseball to Pawtucket and put the city on the map, Beaulieu responds, “The guy is an outstanding gentleman. He took a club down in the dumps and turned it into one of the top teams in the nation.”

As to the his favorite games, Beaulieu quickly talks about the time he watched Tomo Ohka pitch a no-hit shutout at McCoy on June 1, 2000. “He’s now a   starting pitcher for the Montreal Expos,” Beaulieu said.

Branson Arroyo, who now plays for the Boston Red Sox, also pitched a perfect game at McCoy.  According to the team’s media guide, the statistical bible for Beaulieu, on Aug. 10, 2003, Arroyo pitched the fourth perfect nine-inning game in the 128-year history of the International League when he beat Buffalo, 7-0.

Over the years, Michael Pappas, the former executive director of the Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, will tell you that “Ben Mondo always did everything first class.”

Pappas, 78, who served as the public address announcer at local Pawtucket Rd Sox games in the mid-1960s and mid-1970s, remarked how Mondor “rolled out the red carpet for his fans, making McCoy Stadium family-oriented and keeping ticket prices affordable.”

Mondor’s legacy will be his community out-reach, especially to nonprofit groups, Pappas says.  According to Pappas, Mondor has supported the Boys & Girls Club for years.  That support has included sponsoring a trip to the World Series for two lucky participants in the club’s baseball program.

Ray Dalton, 79, worked for the East Providence-based Getty Oil CO. for 42 years. Residing in the Darlington section of the city for 78 years, Dalton attended baseball games at age 5 at the old Pawtucket High School field.

He played baseball in junior high school and in the Pawtucket Boys Club Summer League. With his father loving the game, Dalton caught the bug, too. Since the early ‘40s, Dalton traveled to McCoy Stadium to watch baseball and has been a season ticket holder for about 20 years.  Before that, he bought blocks of 50 tickets for the season to get the best seats available. At the beginning of each season, he would determine which games he wanted to see.

Over the years, Dalton and his son Ron, 43, have made friends with several players who were on the PawSox’s roster.

“And when they returned as members of opposing teams, we always go out of our way to welcome them back to McCoy stadium,” the elder Dalton said.

“I’ve known Ben Mondor and Michael Tamburro ever since they came on board,” Dalton said. “They are No. 1 in my book because they run the team as a family organization and have kept the prices affordable.”

Dalton said ballplayers have told him that if you can’t play in the American or National leagues, McCoy is the next best place to play. “It’s because of the way Ben and Michael treat them when they are at McCoy stadium,” Dalton said.

Dalton was at McCoy on April 18, 1981, for the start of Major League Baseball’s longest game and he watched it end when it resumed a couple of months later on June 23. While this is one of his most memorable games, Dalton likes every game he attends. “It’s the best entertainment in the state because they keep the prices affordable and create a family atmosphere. This is the philosophy of the Pawtucket Red Sox Family,” he says.

Nine of the 15 seats in the row where Dalton sits are taken by his sone, granddaughters, sister, brother-in-law and nephews. “It is really a family affair for us,” he said.

Elderhostel Brings R.I. History Alive

Published in Pawtucket Times on Oct. 15, 2001

Some seniors age 55 and over have traveled to small French villages to see where Monet once walked and view his masterpiece artworks in Parisian museums.

Or those with a strong appreciation of music have traveled between cities, from Memphis to New Orleans, to learn about America’s greatest music – spirituals, blues and jazz.

The more adventuresome have immersed themselves in India’s 2,000 years of history and exotic culture by visiting the country’s ancient forts, temples, and palaces, traveling from Delhi to Jodhpur.

The described trips are just a few of more than 11,000 programs offered annually in more than 100 countries by the Boston-based Elderhostel, a nonprofit group considered to be one of the world’s largest educational and travel organizations that offer travel packages to seniors age 55 and older.

For Elderhostel’s fall programming, more than 34,226 seniors have attended in-depth lectures, field trips and cultural excursions as 1,847 enrollment sites throughout the world. In Pawtucket, Marcia Sandeen, 76, along with 39 other hostelers from Texas, Colorado, Nevada, New York, and as far away as Florid, came to learn Rhode Island’s history and view its quaint colonial streets, explore English-style mill villages and rare New England stoneenders.

Planned by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC), presentations by local historians and travel to local historical sites create an exceptional learning experience about Rhode Island’s history and and architectural treasures. Throughout the five-day jam-packed itinerary the older hostelers traveled throughout the Ocean State visiting an array of sites, from the Friends Meeting House in Lincoln to Pawtucket’s historic Slater Mill, the John Brown House, Pendleton Houses and a tour of Benefit Street in Providence, to a Newport mansion, “The Breakers.”

Even meal time brought history alive to the seniors who ate lunch at the Modern Diner in Pawtucket, a customized and factory-built Sterling Steamliner diner that was the first diner to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The group also dined at the Hose Company No. 6, a renovated 1895 fire station in Pawtucket and the Stagecoach Tavern Restaurant in Chepachet, located in an old tavern occupied by soldiers during the Dorr rebellion in 1842.

Sandeen admits “a retied teacher never stops learning.” And she hasn’t either. Since 1987, the former Houston elementary school teach who now resides in Las Vegas, has traveled to 35 Elderhostel programs across the United States, even traveling to four foreign countries.

Why come to Rhode Island? “It’s fascinating to be here because of its heritage and history,” she tells All About Seniors, adding that her favorite programs are always “historic and scenic.” That sums up Rhode Islan

During a tour of Pawtucket’s Slater Mill, Sandeen was clearly impressed with the preservation of the old mill complex.

The birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution was a great onsite classroom for the older hostelers, too. “The tour guides were excellent and you could tell that they really love the subject,” she mentioned, as she walked with her group through the historic mill built in 1793.

Last month’s horrific terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C. and New York City did not stop 70-year old Lillian Mordas and her husband Joseph, 75, of Beacon, N.Y., from attending the Elderhostel program in Rhode Island. The retired elementary school teachers have visited eight states during their 10-year involvement with the Elderhostel organization.

Tourism should not be stopped by fear. Lillian Mordas says, with her husband nodding in agreement. The couple have lived through the Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. “We’ve seen quite a bit and we must show the younger people that you should not be fearful of traveling. You manage to survive through the tough things,” she stated.

Before coming to Rhode Island the Mordas did not realize that the state was so industrial and had so many mill buildings. Now it’s obvious to them. “We’re overwhelmed at being in a state that is considered the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and one that has made so many contributions to religious freedom,” Lillian added.

“So many cultures and life experiences come through Rhode Island’s Elderhostel program,” notes Bob Billington, BVTC’s executive director, who has organized 20 Elderhostel programs in Rhode Island during the last six years. “The programming must meet all the educational requirements and standards set forth by Elderhostel,” he says. But add to travel, meals, gratuities and medical or insurance coverage, you get a great deal of value, he says.

But for the older hostelers, a zest for living and curiosity of exploring new places and a desire to learn from each other are the right ingredients to keep them coming back for years.

Elderhostel’s programming is offered in all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For m ore information call the toll-free registration line at 1-877-426-8056, or visit the groups website at http://www.elderhostel.org.

Art’s a Good Scene for Young and Old Alike

Published in the Pawtucket Times on August 27, 2001

For those seniors seeking great music and artistic programming at not cost or for those grandparents seeking suitable fun, entertainment and educational opportunities for the grandchildren, Convergence 2001 Pawtucket International Arts Festival may just well fit the bill.

Some have told this writer that the font size of the official arts festival brochure is too small for seniors to read. So true, but there is so much information jam-packed into the brochure highlighting the three-week schedule of events, from September 7 to 23, all sponsored by the City of Pawtucket. So, if you must squint your eyes and learn about the more than 50 visual and performing arts, workshops, great music and dance performances in downtown Pawtucket and at the historic corridor of Slater Memorial Park.

So many choices, so many events to attend with your grandchildren. Well, here’s my top picks for your consideration.

Puppet Shows: On Sept. 8, from 10 to 11 a.m., Ducan Patran, an acclaimed puppeteer with Yorick’s Puppet Theater, brings his hand carved unique marionettes to the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center. On Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., youngsters will also be captivated by four large puppets, courtesy of the internationally recognized The Big Nazo. Mingling among the crowds, these larger than life puppets dressed in very unusual attire will please the youngsters as they stroll through Slater park all day.

Children’s Arts Exhibit: Come see the work of 300 members of the Pawtucket Boys & Girls Club. During the summer, children ages 6 to 12 created tiles pertaining to a theme. Come see those tiles, which will be on display at the Boys & Girls Club, One Moeller Place in Pawtucket, from Sept. 7 to 23. Additionally, a giant mask created by children enrolled in the Salvation Army after-school program will be on view on the weekend of Sept. 15 at Slater Memorial Park. On Sept. 21, come watch a competition sponsored by the Pawtucket YMCA, where more than 100 children will create their own drawings on the sidewalk of the the City’s Main Street.

Storytellers and Animals Galore: Come to Slater Mill Historic Site’s Fabulous Fall Fiber Festival on Sept. 9, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m to listen to storytellers and to visit a petting zoo of live animals such as llamas, sheep, goals, and angora rabbits, whose fur produces the yarn for textiles.

Chainsaw Art: On Sept. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Rhode Island Environmental performance artists and wood sculptors Michael Higgins and Billy Rebele will carve two small immigrant children out of two large logs. Both young and old will marvel as the logs, take shape at Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in downtown Pawtucket.

Dragon Board Races: Last year hundreds of spectators lined the riverbanks at the former State Pier off School Street to watch quarter-mile races between two brightly colored 38-foot line Chinese dragon boats with 16 paddlers, a drummer/flag catcher and a steer person. With American Airlines donating 18 free round trip tickets to the winning boat crew, we expect more competitors for the races, scheduled on Sept. 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bring your grandchildren to see Chinese arts demonstrations and dough figure making. Watch a traditional Chinese Lion Dance performed and other traditional dances performed by more than 20 dancers in their brightly colored traditional costumes. Listen to 10 Boston Chinese youths playing a mixture of traditional Chinese hammer dulcimer music along with a Chinese yo-yo demonstration. These activities are planned to take place during the dragon boat races.

Festival planners have made it very easy for you and your grandchildren to reach the day-long events. Park your car at the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and catch a RIPTA bus to the boat races and Taiwan Day Festival. Or travel to the site by taking a ferry boat from the Taft Street landing.

Workshops and Demonstrations: This year children can learn to make clay sculptures, re cycled art and scarecrows, too. Pawtucket art teachers will even show you how to make musical instruments from assorted materials. By bringing your grandchildren to Slater Memorial Park on Sept. 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., they can also learn more about the different artistic media, weaving, wood, jewelry and glass blowing, all taught by local artists. In addition, check out the Wheels of Wonder Bus with its interactive activities during the day as well.

And there’s so much more to see. Why not view the mural of prehistoric dinosaurs, created by Rhode Island painter and illustrator Michael Bryce that will be permanently installed in the Pawtucket Public Library. Viewing of this large mural takes place from Sept. 7 to Sept. 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

With two weeks before this mammoth Pawtucket arts festival kicks off with a gala on Sept. 7, the City of Pawtucket is in the process of distributing a schedule of events to every public and privately managed senior complex in the City. Programs are also being distributed by local businesses. Additionally, a listing of festival events will be printed in The TImes, beginning Sept. 3, continuing for a three-week period so stay tuned.

For more information, or to obtain a schedule of events, call 401 742-2200,