Tapped In
A New Shoe Move
Reading a book. Sipping coffee. Playing cards. Some activities are best done seated. Dancing typically isn’t one of them.
Enter Westlake’s Melissa Renner. The owner of Active for Life Fitness found that many of her older fitness clients and others with disabilities enjoyed tap dancing but were unable to participate because of limited mobility. So she invented a shoe cover that’s easy to slip on over both regular and orthopedic shoes. The best part? It’s got metal tap discs on the bottom that permit users to tap dance from the security of a chair.
Renner also invented a mitt with hand taps for people who are unable to use their legs or feet.
“I’ve witnessed seniors suffering with Alzheimer’s and dementia go from non-verbal and seemingly unaware of their surroundings to tap dancing while seated — all in one class. The stories and examples are moving. And after the isolation this population has endured due to COVID, I’d like to … spotlight how significant dance is for the mind and soul,” Renner says.
You can find Renner’s products at activeforlifefitness.com
Keven Scarpino
Keeps His Ghoul
Like a lot of kids, Keven Scarpino was part of the first generation of television viewers, and early TV in Northeast Ohio was some of the best in the country.
Scarpino’s first autograph was from his hero, Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson, and Keven made up his mind that he wanted to be an entertainer, too. He developed a character, a horror host, who was quick to tell his audience just how bad his “dumpster-to-screen” films were but added his own comedy bits to keep people watching.
“The Son of Ghoul” show premiered on Canton’s WOAC. Scarpino never thought it would last more than 13 weeks. That was on June 13, 1986, and since that time, he’s never been off the air.
Scarpino later moved the show to Akron’s WAOH, and two years ago was picked up by WIVM-TV in Canton, where it’s seen across Northeast Ohio.
The secret to “The Son of Ghoul’s” staying power? “Truth is, I work cheap,” Scarpino says.
And he takes his career 13 weeks at a time.
The Son of Ghoul will be the featured guest at the huge Monster Bash convention and film festival at the Riverside Drive-In, Route 66 North, Vandergrift, PA on June 11-12.
– Mike Olszewski
Scram, Scammers
BBB’s Online Tracker
Plenty of scoundrels find ways to separate us from our money. That’s not news. But did you know the Better Business Bureau has an online tool we can use to report scams and to see which ones are surfacing in your neighborhood and beyond?
Check out BBB.org/ScamTracker, says Sue McConnell of BBB Serving Greater Cleveland. The easy-to-use site uses crowdsourcing to collect real-time information from victims of scams as well as from consumers who have thwarted scams and displays it on a searchable “heat map” that indicates where the scam is happening.
You can search using keywords or scam type. You can even zoom in on a specific geographic area for localized information.
McConnell says avoid scams by following these tips:
- Don’t believe everything you see. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts and other details. Just because a website or email looks official does not mean that it is. Caller ID is also easily faked.
- Never share personally identifiable information with someone who calls, texts, emails or appears at your front door.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately. Shady actors typically try to make you think something is scarce or a limited-time offer. They will also convince you not to discuss their offer with family or friends.
- Use secure and traceable transactions. Do not pay by wire transfer, prepaid money card, gift card or other non-traditional payment methods.
- Do not click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails.
- Use extreme caution when dealing with anyone you’ve met online. Scammers use dating websites, Craigslist, social media and many other sites to reach potential targets. They can quickly feel like a friend or even a romantic partner to appear trustworthy.
- Be cautious about what you share on social media. Connect with people you already know. Check the privacy settings on all social media and online accounts. Change passwords to passphrases on a regular basis on all online accounts.
Report or research any suspicious activities to BBB Scam Tracker at BB.org/ScamTracker.
Free Tech Workshop
Turn On, Tune In, Drop In
Our favorite tech expert and Boomer columnist Tak Sato is a founder of the nonprofit Center for Aging in the Digital World. What’s that mean for you? He’s inviting everyone to the center’s (virtual and free) 5th Annual Living in the Digital World Senior Expo.
Sit back, relax and prepare to learn more about those smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices that should be making our lives easier but often don’t. The Expo starts at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 27. The Grafton-Midview Library is a partner.
Learn more at empowerseniors.org and look for Tak’s column in every issue of Boomer and Beyond.
Hometown Hit
Local Author Pens Baseball Book
Some of the quirkiest personalities in Major League Baseball wore Cleveland Indians uniforms: Joe Charboneau, Francisco Lindor, Gaylord Perry, Jimmy Piersall and Satchel Paige, to name a few. They’re some of the more than 100 people featured in “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball” by Amherst resident Wayne Stewart.
The book includes captivating anecdotes about MLB players, some you’ve heard of, many you haven’t. Stewart is a sports historian and author of 35 books, including this one. Baseball fans and those who like chatty, interesting stories about larger-than-life figures will like digging into “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns.”
Fun fact: Stewart’s hometown produced two Hall of Famers and he was a teammate of Ken Griffey Sr. on his high school baseball team.
You can buy “Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball” on Amazon and at select bookstores.
Posterity Podcasts
History Worth Repeating
Everyone’s got a story, especially older loved ones. Now there’s a way to keep those stories.
Hudson’s Brian Howie is founder of PodPopuli, a full-service retail podcast creator who recently launched Posterity Podcasts. The program allows senior citizens to share their favorite experiences, wisdom, and life lessons with family members and future generations. Each eight-episode podcast series is a curated collection of chapters, providing a first-person narrative of their life story, personal history and fondest memories.
PodPopuli producers create each series through a set of selected questions presented as casual conversations on-site in senior living communities, assisted living facilities, private homes or wherever an older adult wishes. The audio recordings are then edited into an engaging set of chapters, allowing the senior citizen and family members to select the content that is most meaningful and memorable, to be preserved and shared for generations to come. Podpopuli.com
Impact Makers
Who Are They & Why?
Do you know someone in Northeast Ohio who is making life better for people 50 and older?
Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond will announce its Boomer Impact Awards in our November/December issue. From housing to healthcare, employment, recreation and more, we want nominees for people who are creatively addressing the needs of older adults.
We’ll start taking nominations throughout the summer at northeastohiothrive.com. We’ll announce details through our website and our Facebook page. Please start thinking now about who deserves to be recognized for making a positive impact in the lives of older adults.
