Worth Noting: Grave Concerns, a Boomer Sister Podcast & More

Worth Noting
Compiled by Marie Elium

Sister Act – These Boomers are OK
They talk about Millennial kids, awkward incidents with naked bananas and torn stockings. The greater Akron-based podcasting team and sisters Jean Mader and Laura Bettinger Spelich have hit a sweet spot, podcast-wise, with their friendly, freewheeling, pleasantly rambling “OK Boomer” podcast. 

Mader, 66, and Spelich, 60, encourage Boomers, Millennials and everyone to be “Happily OK together.” It’s an upbeat message that very much feels like you’re eavesdropping on two close sisters who are catching up for the week.

With backgrounds in law, real estate, teaching, app development, kid-raising, marriage and more, the sisters draw on a variety of topics and interests. It’s fun to hang on and see what pops up next.

“We don’t mind talking about anything, as long as it’s helpful and kind. And humorous. And we support each other – we can do anything, no matter our ages,” the sisters say.

You can find “OK Boomer” on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more at  OKBoomerPod.com or on Twitter and Instagram at OK_BoomerPod.

R.I.P. – Restoration in Peace
Old cemeteries are interesting places for a peaceful autumn ramble. Beautiful marble statues, imposing mausoleums and poignant inscriptions are a suitable backdrop for contemplation.

But in many small cemeteries, the dead may rest in peace below ground, yet it’s chaos above them. Broken gravestones, toppling monuments and rusty iron pins that bleed onto the stone are just a few challenges for cemetery restorers like Tim Foor.

Part detective, part engineer, part artist, Foor brings respectful order to old cemeteries, victims of vandalism, shoddy repairs, weather and other ravages of time. One of his latest projects has been at the historic Baptist Cemetery in northern Portage County, where he’s methodically piecing together broken gravestones, resetting and cleaning them, to restore dignity to final resting places.

The next time you find yourself in an old cemetery, keep two things in mind: nothing lasts forever  – even stone, and there are people like Foor who try to defy that fact.

“In a lot of situations, I end up finding things that have been lost to time. I like recovering the past.”

Pet Prep – For the Pandemic

A happy byproduct of the pandemic is an uptick in pet adoptions. The Northeast Ohio SPCA has handy tips for new and seasoned pet owners who may unexpectedly become sick from COVID-19 (or any other serious illness).

• Keep at least a two-week supply of pet food, water and medication and a travel crate on hand.

• Line up people who can take care of your pets in an emergency. 
• Have a written care plan with feeding details, veterinarian information, medication schedules and up-to-date vaccination records.
• Pets can be a great comfort during stressful times. Try to keep your pet with you if you become ill and need to self-quarantine.

No Sweat – Exercise Your Right to Vote

Do you feel the heat?

That’s not an early-fall temperature spike. The presidential election is heating up, and no matter who you support, everyone can agree that voting is one of our most treasured American institutions.

A nonpartisan resource is the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. For updated news on voting issues and candidate statements, go to my.lwv.org/ohio/greater-cleveland.

With an emphasis on voter access and education, the League does not endorse candidates; it promotes voter access, registration and education.

To learn more about voter registration, to become a poll worker or to request a mail-in ballot for the November election, go to the official Ohio elections website at ohiosos.gov/elections/voters.

Act Your Age – (In a Good Way)

Wouldn’t it be nice to say you felt your age… and that was a good thing?

Getting older gets a bad rap – some of it deserved. Stuff wears out; knees, eyesight, hearing, memory. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way toward helping us feel better.

National Active Aging Week kicks off Oct. 1, coinciding with the International Day of Older Persons. Watch our website (northeastohiothrive.com) for virtual and socially distant events that promote healthy lifestyles. On social media, use #ActiveAgingWeek to follow the nationwide activities and conversation.

Dude, Where’s My Medical Marijuana?

Prescription pot for pain, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and other serious medical conditions became legal in Ohio four years ago. It’s gaining acceptance slowly through the medical community and many prospective patients are confused about who gets it and how.

A good place to start is the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website. On medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov, you’ll find the full list of qualifying conditions, prescribing physicians, dispensaries, legal forms and everything else you need to know about using medical marijuana. Caregivers can also get answers to their questions about accessing the drug for their loved ones.

The toll-free helpline is 1-833-464-6627.

Antivirus Anti-Scams

As if we all don’t have enough to think about right now, here’s one more thing: coronavirus scams. 

Crooks are posing as contact tracers representing health departments, purportedly to help control the spread of the virus. Contact tracers need health information, never personal financial details and never money.

Here are more tips from the Federal Trade Commission’s website, ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice:

• Ignore texts, emails or calls about government checks.
• Ignore offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Most kits are not FDA-approved and aren’t necessarily accurate.
• Hang up on robocalls. Scammers are selling bogus low-priced health insurance and work-at-home schemes.
• Watch for emails claiming to be from the CDC or WHO. Use sites like coronavirus.gov and usa.gov/coronavirus to get the latest information. Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know.
• Never donate in cash, by gift card or by wiring money.