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A Little Magazine
by and for the
Residents of Southport
Number 5
October 2010
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 with my wife, Billie, in the State of Washington for the last two weeks. As usual, once we cross the Bourne Bridge, we are confronted with the reality that we live in a very small place.
The State of Washington occupies 71,303 square miles; Cape Cod comprises 413 square miles. You could fit 172 Cape Cods into Washington; the Olympic Peninsula alone would hold nine of our little patch of earth.
Mount Rainier, the highest point in the state, ascends 14,411 feet into the clouds. Pine Hill in Bourne, at 306 feet, is the highest elevation on Cape Cod. It's hard to get to the top of either place: the snow covered peak of Rainier is for mountain climbers only; sandy Pine Hill is within the Massachusetts Military Reservation and is not accessible to the public.
It's not really possible to compare the quiet loveliness of the Cape to the eye-popping drama of the Northwest--as if one were more beautiful than the other. The two places simply exist on radically different scales, yet both are filled with natural wonder.
Despite the diminutive size of Cape Cod, it enjoys an outsize reputation as a great place to live or visit. Without exception, the people we met reacted positively when we told them where we were from--regarding us as among the luckier people on earth. I think we may be. And, since the Cape is such a small and fragile place, we need to treat it gently.
My thanks to the writers and photographers who helped to put this edition together. You can see who they are at the end of this edition of SVV. If you would like to join this effort, you are more than welcome. Just send me a note and I'll get back to you. The more, the merrier!
David Kapp, Editor
REMINDER If your edition of SVV arrives without pictures or looking strange, let me know. I will guide you to the archived edition, which always looks the way SVV is intended to look. |
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 TRAVEL
Bucket List Tour
by Art & Margy DeBonville
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Last spring we embarked on a long anticipated trip to the western part of our country. We traveled 10,400 miles and were on the road for nearly eight weeks. We traveled through 22 states and visited 17 national parks as well as many other attractions. Our mode of travel was a 5th wheel RV, towed behind our diesel powered truck (see above). RV'ing is our preferred method of travel since it offers nearly all of the comforts of home and unrivaled flexibility in terms of where to stay, how long, and what to bring.
The west is massive in scale and diversity of landscape. If you are contemplating such a trip, we recommend a very helpful book, A 1000 Places to See before You Die, by Patricia Schultz. Also, you should purchase a Golden Age Passport for $10 at the entrance to your first national park. It gives lifetime free admission to any national park to anyone over 62 and everyone in their vehicle.
Margey's Homeland Security Team | The Tucson, Arizona area was our first major stop. Here, Margy met up with our Homeland Security Team. Tombstone is touristy, but it shouldn't be missed. Attractions include the reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral, Big Nose Kate's Saloon and the Bird Cage Theater, site of the world's longest running card game (three years). William Randolph Hearst and Budzjavocky Budvar (original owner of Budweiser) traveled to Tombstone three to four times a year to play.
Spectacular mountains and beautiful desert scenes surround Tucson. "The Boneyard" is home to approximately 4,300 semi-retired military aircraft stored in the desert; because of the dry air, virtually no corrosion or contamination occurs. From time to time, the military re-activates some of these aircraft or cannibalizes them for spare parts.
On the Sky Walk over the Grand Canyon | From Tucson we traveled to the Hoover Dam and the west rim of the Grand Canyon in order to experience the Skywalk, which was certainly the most intimidating part of the trip.
In the Flagstaff area we visited the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Meteor Crater. These can be seen in a day and are impressive and definitely worth the time. Also near Flagstaff are the Waputki Indian ruins, abandoned after a volcanic eruption and now known as Sunset Crater National Park. Flagstaff is convenient to the east entrance of the Grand Canyon and allows a circuitous route to the south rim and return to Flagstaff.
The Grand Canyon--too grand for words or pictures |
The timing of our visit to the north rim of the Grand Canyon was great since the road, which is closed until mid-May due to winter snows, had just opened the day before. The north rim was my personal favorite of all the places we saw. How does one describe the Grand Canyon? We've not found anyone who can do it justice, and photos are inadequate.
Our next stop was Lake Powell which is situated at the east end of the Grand Canyon and rivals Lake Mead, located at the western end of the Grand Canyon. Lake Powell is houseboat heaven for those enthusiasts of leisurely water travel. You can rent a boat for a few hours or a few weeks. Similar to Lake Mead, Lake Powell has over a thousand miles of shoreline to explore.
Our next two stops were Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. The road down into Zion is steep, narrow, and winding. In spite of this we saw many RV's. There is a very nice campground at the bottom of the canyon.
Zion National Park |
Bryce Canyon  |
Bryce Canyon is famous for its hoodoos. Unlike Zion, you travel up to view Bryce Canyon. Since the park's elevation is over 9,000 feet, it was no surprise to experience snow in late May. The park has many overlooks permitting leisurely enjoyment of the views as well as photo ops. The hoodoos, rock formations resulting from natural erosion, wind, and rain, defy description and seem as though they were carefully carved rather than the result of natural processes. Bryce was Margy's favorite destination. At Bryce and other national parks we met many foreign visitors: Japanese, Germans, Italians, Lithuanians, Australians, British, Canadians, and others.
Arches National Park |
Then it was on to Moab, Utah, site of a major tectonic fault, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and close to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. While traveling I-70 we drove a 110 mile stretch of highway where there were no motorist services. Contrast this with the Mass Pike, which is 120 miles long and has plenty of rest stops, and you begin to sense the scale of the west.
Mesa Verde, located in Durango CO, was first inhabited around 600 AD and mysteriously abandoned around 1,300 AD.Life was hard for the cliff dwellers; providing for their daily needs (hunting and farming)
Mesa Verde | required climbing down to Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah as well as the home of the world's largest copper mine. The mine has been in continuous operation for 80 years and has been operated 24/7 for decades. The pit is now .75 of a mile deep and within five years will exceed one mile deep (the same as the Grand Canyon). There is no end in sight to the supply of copper ore. Silver and gold are also mined here.
Mormon Tabernacle Organ | However, Salt Lake City is probably best known as the home of the Mormon faith. The longest continuing broadcast on radio and television is by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is heard every Sunday morning live from a most impressive facility. The tabernacle extends 170 feet from the organ to the last row of seating, and the acoustics are such that you can literally hear a pin drop from the rear seats.
Wyoming is home to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, more wildlife than can be counted, daily rodeos, and a life style that is truly special. We saw wolves, elk, moose, bison, big horn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer.
Approaching the Grand Tetons is a visual delight. Suddenly snow capped mountains rise 10,000-12,000 feet with no foothills or warning. These mountains are snow capped until July while at nearby Jackson and Jenny Lakes temperatures will be in the 70's and 80's. Grand Tetons National Park is small compared to most national parks but probably in the top three in terms of spectacular scenery.
Yellowstone National Park | Yellowstone National Park does not need much introduction or explanation. Geysers, spectacular landscapes, wildlife, and, of course, Old Faithful are its hallmarks. When we arrived in early June, Yellowstone Lake was still completely frozen over, which simply added to the charm of the experience. Old Faithful on a rainy day is still impressive.
Traveling from Yellowstone to and through the Black Hills of South Dakota is worth the trip almost by itself. The Black Hills are spectacular and are New Hampshire and Vermont multiplied by a factor of 10. Situated in Custer, SD is Mt. Rushmore, a great tribute to great leaders of our country. The memorial was supposed to take five years to build and cost $500,000; instead, it took 14 years and cost one million dollars. FDR dedicated it in 1936.
"Tatanka," designed by film star Kevin Costner, is a memorial to the American bison and the Lakota Indians, who depended on them for the sustenance of the tribe. | Close to Mt. Rushmore is the town of Deadwood, SD. Located on top of one of its mountains is a memorial to the bison and the Lakota Indians, designed by Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves). Called Tatanka, it consists of 10 life size bronze sculptures of bison and Indians on horseback and depicts Indians driving the bison off a cliff to their deaths. The Indians then salvaged the skins, meat, and bones for the sustenance of the tribe.
Parke County, Indiana, with over 30 covered bridges, is the unofficial covered bridge capital of the world. | From South Dakota, we headed home with only a brief visit in Indiana. Parke County, Indiana is the unofficial covered bridge capital of the world, with over 30 covered bridges listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A photographic tour of this area would take nearly a week but would be well worth the time for the avid photographer.
This article was edited by Karlyn Curran.
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Betty Kayes
She Came from Ireland & Helped to Change the Practice of Midwifery
in the United States.
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Betty Kayes | When you first meet Betty Kayes you notice her Irish accent, musical laugh, and welcoming smile. Over a cup of Irish tea, her story unfolds and reveals a strong, independent woman who changed the face of midwifery in the United States.
Betty was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, half of a set of twins born prematurely and not expected to survive. However, Betty and her twin sister, Joy, not only survived but thrived, and both grew up to become nurse midwives. The young women received their training in Glasgow, Scotland. While there, Joy met her future husband and settled in Scotland, where she continues to live. Betty, however, had a passion to see more of the world. She and her Irish boyfriend decided to defer plans for their future while he joined the British Army and she headed to America. The year was 1964 and Betty had a great desire to attend the World's Fair in New York. Working through a nursing agency, she obtained a job and living quarters in New York outside of the city, and so her adventure began.
After six months of working for the agency, Betty discovered that she was being paid a shamefully lower wage than American nurses hired directly by the hospital. She came to Boston to visit a friend who was working at Peter Bent Brigham hospital and making a fair wage. Betty was offered a job at Peter Bent Brigham, but the agency told her she had a contract with them and couldn't accept the new position. Betty threatened to expose their unfair business practices, at which point she was released from her contract.
She moved to Boston and began her job at Brigham. After a time, she was offered a better paying position at Boston Lying In Hospital and began work there with Dr. T. Barry Brazelton, noted pediatrician and author of 24 books on early childhood. Dr. Brazelton listened to Betty's ideas about approaches to the care of premature babies and frequently asked, "Well, Irish, what are they doing in Scotland these days."
During this time, Betty began a serious relationship with a young man from Canada. When Betty's sister was due to have a baby, Betty went home to deliver the child and to tell her family that she was in a committed relationship. At the same time, her young man went back to his family in Canada with the intention of telling them of his feelings for Betty. When Betty returned to Boston, she found that she no longer had the position she was promised, and she never heard from the young man again. Much later, she learned that he had been killed and that no one had known how to reach her to tell her.
Betty and friend | Betty went on to positions at hospitals in Colorado and Wisconsin, where she set up a family centered maternity care practice and started teaching childbirth classes. Through her efforts, fathers were beginning to be allowed in the delivery room. But Betty didn't plan to stay in either of these locations. She wasn't happy being so far away from the ocean. So, in 1969, she decided to return to Ireland. But, as Betty puts it, "All hell had broken loose by then," and "the troubles" made returning to Belfast a risky choice.
Then, in 1970, Betty received a letter from the American College of Nurse Midwives, asking her to return to Boston. She took a position at Boston City Hospital and began working to make it legal for nurse midwives to deliver babies. Neighborhood health centers hired midwives to provide prenatal, postpartum and GYN care, but they were not allowed to deliver. However, for some reason, midwives who were not degreed could deliver babies. It took seven years to get nurse midwifery legalized. The law was signed on July 7, 1977, the same day Betty did her first delivery at Beth Israel. While there, she worked to establish the first birthing room in Massachusetts.
After 10 years at Beth Israel, Betty spent 20 years as part of a private practice. During her career, she saw major changes in obstetrics and made many contributions to those changes. She is not in favor of home deliveries because, in the event of complications, ambulance service might not available within the time limit she feels is necessary for a safe outcome.
After retiring for health reasons, Betty moved to Southport seven-and-a-half years ago. She had learned to play golf many years earlier and had even played the course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Now that she has the time, she is frequently found on the course and has been club champion twice. Her other active interests include quilting and volunteering at St. Barnabas church in Falmouth.
An accomplished and enthusiastic quilter, Betty heads up the Southport Quilters. The group is sponsoring a weekend of fun and companionship, October 22-24. See details in the Information Room. | Her introduction to quilting came by accident 14 years ago when she went shopping for a sewing machine to make drapes for her living room. A woman was sitting at a machine and Betty asked her what she was doing. The woman responded that she was quilting and Betty was fascinated. She took a class and began a new hobby that, with the help and support of Sue Aitken, has grown into the formation of a quilting group at Southport. There are usually 18 to 22 quilters at any given gathering and new people are always welcome. Betty and other quilters are happy to help newcomers get started. As Betty says, "Quilters are kind people and willing to share."
When Betty retired, friends asked if she would be moving home, meaning back to Ireland. Betty laughed and said she was already home; she became a US citizen in 1974 Although she never married, she has a large adopted and extended family that loves and supports her. And, she has all those wonderful memories and pictures of her babies,
who are growing up all over the world.
Art DeBonville took the pictures for this article. |
 TECHNOLOGY
How to Speed Up Your Computer
by Jonathan Leavitt
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Your computer has slowed down either gradually or suddenly since you bought it and is now running slowly enough to cause concern. What might be causing this? What can be done to improve the situation?
This Is How Your Computer Functions.
It accesses information from various sources.
It processes the information as instructed.
Usually but not always, it displays results.
If required, it forwards results of its processing to other computers.
Each of these functions has an effect on the speed of computer operations, with different levels of baseline speed and stability for each function.
Accessing Information: Factors That Affect Speed
Your computer retrieves information from external sources such as the Internet or from a removable storage device such as a DVD drive or a plug-in flash memory, as well as from internal sources such as documents or images stored on the computer's hard drive.
Internet connection speeds vary widely, from the slowest option of dial-up, to the intermediate option of a dedicated service line (DSL), to the high-speed option of cable or satellite. Also note that download and upload speeds can be different from one another and that you are paying for a minimum speed of operation. Normal operation can be much faster but can be slowed down considerably by traffic on your data line, which with some technologies is not generated by you exclusively.
The wireless router needed to implement wireless Internet access is another source of speed variation. The speed of these routers varies considerably, and the data rate can be noticeably affected if another user is downloading a major file using the same router.
The USB (Universal Serial Bus) is the standard way of interconnecting personal computer devices. USB 1.0 appeared in 1996, the High Speed USB 2.0 version was approved in 2000. A Super Speed version 3.0 was announced in 2008 but will not become an industry standard until 2011 at the earliest.
Processing Information: Factors That Affect Speed
The speed with which your computer processes information is related to its original configuration plus the current status of the machine. When starting up or shutting down, your computer uses programs that are stored on your internal hard drive. As needed, these programs are copied to the internal random access memory (RAM) of your computer. Updated settings for these programs are stored on your hard drive before your computer will shut down. The speed of your computer, the size of your hard drive and RAM, the amount and configuration of your stored data plus, very rarely, any "bug" such as a computer virus can all affect the speed of starting up or shutting down.
Displaying Results
Displaying Results will normally have little effect on the speed of your computer operation. Changing the resolution of your display might have a noticeable effect, however, if you are using a slow speed dial-up connection.
IMPROVING THE SITUATION
Clean Up Your Computer
This is the first place to start, assuming that you were happy with your PC's operation when it was new. Unless the computer has suddenly gone crazy it is reasonable to assume that you do not have a virus that your security programs have not detected. If you are not sure, start by checking with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to find out if others are having similar problems.
Delete FilesGet rid of files you no longer need manually before using automated procedures. Make sure that Deleted Items and Junk/Trash folders are empty in both your PC-based and on-line based email configurations. Empty your desktop Recycle Bin.
Your Computer's Operating System Can Help (Systems other then those listed below should be equivalent.) -
Windows XP From the START menu click CONTROL PANEL and then PERFORMANCE & MAINTENANCE. Check out the FREE UP SPACE ON YOUR HARD DISK and REARRANGE ITEMS ON YOUR HARD DISK tasks. With respect to defragmentation, do it at least for the first time, even if the computer says you do not need it.
- Windows 7 From the START menu click CONTROL PANEL and then SYSTEM AND SECURITY. Check out what the ACTION CENTER has to offer.
Store Files Elsewhere
Move files that you don't access frequently off your computer's hard drive onto other storage media such as CDs, DVDs, external hard drives and flash memories. It is usually a simple task to reload these files to the hard drive if you need them.
Improve Download and Upload Speeds
Your Internet Service Provider can tell you what your Internet Download and Upload speeds are and how stable they are. The ISP may be able to suggest ways to improve the situation, perhaps by providing a faster modem than the one you are using. If you are not satisfied with the answers, investigate other ISPs.
Check Out Your Wireless Router
Wireless computing can be affected by the performance of your wireless router. Determine if this effect is noticeable by plugging your computer directly into the Internet modem. External cables have different ratings. If you are connecting two USB 2.0 rated devices, e.g., your computer and your printer, make sure that the cables between them are also rated USB 2.0 for best operation.
Computer Upgrades
Computer hardware upgrades are not completely out of the question. If your operating system is older then Windows XP (introduced in 2001) then forget it, except for perhaps adding an external hard drive to reduce the number of items you store on your internal hard drive. Replacing or supplementing an older version USB driver card on your desktop with a USB 2.0 card also could be very cost effective. Another possible option is adding RAM cards to improve speed. But be careful, if Microsoft no longer recognizes your computer configuration, it will stop supporting your installed operating system. As far as upgrading from USB 2.0 to 3.0, it is not worth the trouble until you purchase external 3.0 devices as well.
If all of this does not improve the situation to an acceptable level, consider getting a new computer. Somebody has to keep these guys in business.
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SOUTHPORT PROFILE
Barbara Brink: A Passion to Excel
Interviewed by Dick Fellenberg
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Barbara Brink | Ephram Roseberry raised three children, two boys and one girl. The middle child is the woman we know as Barbara Brink, born and raised in Boylston, a small town not far from Worcester. Barbara told me her mother died when she was young. She remembers her mother making dresses out of grain sacks, allowing Barbara to pick out the patterns she liked best. She remembers long walks with her mother, stopping often to visit with admiring neighbors.
I was a "tom boy," Barbara says, playing with cars and trucks with her brothers. She has no recollection of playing with dolls. She often fished with her father, claiming she was the one who cleaned the fish they caught. She helped with her father's 2,000 chickens and especially remembers sorting the eggs. She usually wound up cleaning them, as well.
Barbara didn't have much to tell me about her high school years. She continued to be very busy helping with the chicken farm and with her father's large vegetable garden. She did, however, participate in the "Black Friars," a theater group. Barbara told me she loved acting and also got involved in radio during high school.
Right after high school she got a job as a "stripper," which I should quickly add, involved dipping electrical wafers in hydrochloric acid for an electrical equipment company. Her work clothes consisted of gloves, goggles and a cape that protected her entire body against the acid. Not surprisingly, that job convinced Barbara she should go back to school.
She went to Quinsigamond Community College, graduating as a certified radiology technologist. She got a job at Worcester Medical Hospital and worked there for several years. One of her most challenging functions at WMH was participating in a team that did heart catheterizations, arteriograms, and other demanding procedures. She told me she disliked administering barium enemas. I didn't ask her why.
Tennis anyone?  |
Barbara met Dr. Charles Brink while working at the hospital. He was on staff there and often came to the Radiology Department to review films. On one occasion, Barbara wound up taking him into the darkroom where films were developed. She denies ulterior motives, but a short time later he invited her to lunch by handing her a film requisition that included a note with his invitation. Another lunch was arranged in the same way a week or so later. More serious dating followed, leading to their marriage in 1982.
Barbara has one daughter, Kim. "She was a perfect child who never did anything wrong," Barbara said. As a teenager Kim became Miss Shrewsbury. Now, she lives in Osterville with her husband, the "Fast Ferry" captain to Nantucket, and their three children. Barbara also has four stepsons, which became her close knit family with Charles. The stepsons have nine children, which gives Barbara a total of 12 grandchildren.
Charles continued to practice at Worcester Memorial Hospital while Barbara returned to school, this time obtaining her undergraduate degree from Assumption College in Worcester. She told me her most memorable course was a Bible course. Charles taught a course named "The Medical Aspects of Rehabilitation." Barbara enrolled in the course using her maiden name, hoping others wouldn't realize she was his wife.
Following graduation College Barbara launched a real estate career, joining Realty World Sunrise. A few years later she hit an award winning $48 million in sales with Better Homes and Gardens. She also became involved in the Rotary in Shrewsbury, receiving the Paul Harris Award a few years later. Concurrently, she worked with the Shrewsbury Council on Aging and became its chairperson, and joined the Women's Auxiliary to the Worcester Medical Society.
When Charles retired in 2001, they moved to Southport. Barbara joined the Jack Conway Agency, but activities at Southport quickly claimed most of her time. She plays golf, tennis, billiards, bocce, bridge, poker and mahjong. Asked which was her favorite game, Barbara was, for a change, stumped for words. Most recently, she was the 2010 Women's Net Golf champ and got a hole in one last July, so golf must be close to her favorite.
Barbara showed her championship bocce form at the August BBQ.  |
A relative newcomer to bridge, Barbara and her bridge partner came in second in the Bridge Marathon this year, no minor task among players with years of bridge experience. On a lighter note, Barbara won three events at the August BBQ: hula-hoop, Simon says and jacks. Exhausted from this experience Barbara had to rest before digging into barbeque!
What is most notable about Barbara is her determination to excel in anything she undertakes. She enjoys competitive sports and thrives in that atmosphere. I came away from our discussions thinking of Barbara as a thoughtful, caring person. That stands out when she talks about her late husband. She told me they had 28 wonderful years together. It also stands out when she talks about her daughter and stepsons and grandchildren. She said that she loves Southport and the people who live here. Barbara has spent many hours with an older friend, taking her to social functions and making sure she's had whatever she needs at home. She now visits that friend often in her new assisted living home.
Almost as a postscript, I want to add that Barbara can also be funny. Her dark room story, her comment on barium enemas, and her stripper story all caused me to laugh out loud, which added a lot of fun to our discussions.
Paul Butters took the first two photos for this article. David Kapp took the last one.
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THOUGHTS
from Life's Adventures to Nowhere
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I love to sit at my desk in the quiet of the night and reflect on the day's events. My journal used to be kept for fun and, of course, for a way to keep important data--you know, the scheduling of life after the fact. Now it is kept so that the following day I can look back and try to remember (memory is less with age) all that passed before my mind's eye the previous day. I find that it is more to my benefit and my memory to do things in this manner.
Anxiety rises to a high crescendo when I can't find that little book. It's like a dependency of facts scribbled forth from the brain and totally in need of translation to a more defined state. There are friends who see to it that I receive small note keepers at Christmas time. I have had as many as 11 or so being written in at one time or another during the course of the year. For the record, I have tried tape recorders, but I find my little journals keep longer and I don't have to worry about erasures, if you know what I mean.
One of my other loves is being able to go to the ocean and evaporate my soul into each and every wave that ripples the shoreline. For it is there that we get to witness the ballet of the early morning birds as they dart in and out, waiting for their meal to be set before them by some invisible goddess hiding within the waves that gently lap the sand strewn beach.
We sometimes go to the docks and watch the boats leaving the harbor, either to fish or just to cruise the ocean, enjoying what the Sea Goddess has set up for them that day.
The following is a snippet in time, but I can't help thinking of the events of this hour spent on the pier in the company of an eight-year-old--an exuberant, happy beyond belief, little boy, who showed us that beauty is something that is around us at all times if we take the time to see it. And what better way to see things than through the eyes of a child--a special child?
We pulled onto the pier and parked next to a car with a door flung open. Several boats were already exiting the harbor, being sent off by this young man, wildly waving and shouting good-by to every one of them, as if he knew each skipper personally. They all waved back and some even sounded their horns in recognition of him. His grandmother sat in the car and let him do his hyperactive thing until the last boat passed by. Then he ran toward us, introducing himself while in full stride, thus interrupting my quiet moment and turning it into a full hour of mile-a-minute conversation with questions that, I must admit, were a little hard for me to answer.
He showed me little things that grew from under the pier, followed by, "How do you think that happened?" Fortunately for me, most of the time he was off to show me another wonder in the concrete wall, or the bottle that should have made the barrel, and would I put it in there so he wouldn't get cut. Then he would run back to the edge of the pier so as not to miss a single boat departing or arriving.
He had us in the palm of his hand, and we began to investigate his wonderful world and how he perceived the things contained within that world. At one point he grabbed my wife's hand and walked her over to the jetty to show her how the water bubbled up from beneath the rock wall--to him, the rocks seemed to be floating in the ocean's waves.
His grandmother thanked us for taking the time to talk to him and to listen to a boy who didn't utter a word until after he was three. She told us how hard it was for the family not to give up, and how much this little boy has made a difference in how they live their lives, buoyed by his exuberance and zest for whatever life has to offer. He even told me how to turn the wheel when it was time to leave, and his final statement--"Be careful until you see me again!"
I can't wait to learn more from my new teacher. I never wrote in my journal that day. He kept me too busy!
For now, be well, and may your God bless you, Joe
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 EATING OUT
The Southport Phantom Is Back
...with Reviews of Breakfast Restaurants
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We've all been told, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Well that idea has made its way into the corporate field. Breakfast has become the business meeting meal of choice, and company executives are learning to forget about the power lunch. Many executives, coping with reduced expense budgets and fewer staff, are turning to daybreak dining as a less expensive, quicker way to do business, as compared to more traditional lunch and dinner gatherings.
And restaurants are expanding menus and operating hours to accommodate the surge in interest. Some executives who have made the switch to breakfast for economic reasons are finding that morning is a better time to do their deals: minds are sharper, and the day is less disrupted. (Cited from an article by Jenn Abelson in the Boston Globe)
Well, I guess mother was right all along.Now that we know where the trend is going, let's see where to go to kick off our day.
 The Phantom and his wife visited a highly recommended spot in Falmouth: Betsy's Diner, located at 457 Main Street, next to St. Patrick's Church and across the street from the Peking Palace.
We arrived about 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The restaurant was very busy and it took quite a while just to receive our menus. I can imagine how long the wait would be during the summer. The Phantom ordered a three-egg omelet, with cheese, homefries and toast for $5.95. Adding bacon, sausage, ham or linguica cost a dollar more. Coffee at $1.50 is extra, but it is bottomless when served with your meal. Total cost: $8.45. The Phantom's wife had poached eggs on wheat toast, served with homefries for $3.95.
Betsy's Diner is just that, a no frills restaurant with metal tables. I would rate breakfast 4.5 on a scale of 1-10. A light lunch, available from 11:30 a.m., rather than breakfast, might be a better bet. The chargrilled, half-pound ground sirloin hamburger with lettuce, tomato and onion on a roll, plus fries, filled the plate of one of our fellow diners, and looked terrific.
Breakfast at the  Keltic Kitchen, located
at 415 Route 28 in West Yarmouth, was a different story. We were greeted with a "Good Morning" and a friendly smile, and it's always that way. During the summer you have to expect a wait. Any place that serves a breakfast and lunch like they serve (and a smile with every dish) will always have a waiting line. Whatever your choice is for breakfast, you definitely will not go away hungry. In fact you may not want another meal that day. Check it out.
 To compare breakfast at both restaurants, I ordered an omelet with cheese, onions and ham, plus their great tasting homefries, toast and a bottomless cup of coffee. Cost: $10.40. The omelet extended over both sides of my plate, and the homefries could have served two people. (I managed to finish them all by myself.)
Mrs. Phantom ordered two scrambled eggs (scrambled individually with every order), with bacon (very crispy), homefries that filled the plate, and a choice of five or six toast items. Cost: $8.24. She remarked after the meal: "I hope you won't be expecting another meal today after that breakfast."
The Keltic Kitchen has a wide selection of breakfast choices, including the best hash and steak and eggs on Cape Cod. The lunch selection is just as complete, but get there early because they close at 2:00 p.m. The Phantom rates the Keltic Kitchen 9 on a scale of 1-10. I bet you'll agree. And be sure to visit the "Keltic Kottage" out back, where you can find everything from Irish foods, candy, breads, clothes, gifts and books by Irish authors.
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Of Viruses & Things
Some Background on the History & Efficacy of Vaccines
by Ernie Ruber
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This seems a good time of year to write about immunization for flu. But first, a little light history for perspective. At one time, a number of lethal viruses plagued humankind. One caused smallpox, another poliomyelitis; somewhat less serious were German measles and chicken pox.
Edward Jenner vaccinating eight-year-old James Phipps on May 14, 1796. | In the 1600s, it was observed that milkmaids were likely to catch cowpox but rarely got smallpox, a much more virulent disease. Eventually the inference was made that inoculation with cowpox could confer protection from smallpox, and Edward Anthony Jenner, an English surgeon, demonstrated this to be the case in 1796.
Jenner tested his hypothesis by working pus from people infected with cowpox into the skin of his subjects through abrasions and showed that this treatment made them immune to smallpox. You had to be brave to test such theories, and often the scientist hypothesizing the result tested it on himself. Humanity thus obtained a pry bar to begin the elimination of one disease and to attack a number of others.
In 1885, the great Louis Pasteur discovered that you could protect against the rabies virus similarly, but not as easily. Pasteur also discovered that you could render milk safe to drink by heating it and protect wine from souring in the same way. These discoveries, together with Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of the effect of penicillin on bacteria and the discovery of the effectiveness of synthetic DDT on the mosquito vectors of malaria, saved an incalculable number of lives.
The 20th century became the great age of immunization: Jonas Salk, building on the 1948 breakthrough research of John Enders, Frederick Robbins and Thomas Weller (for which they received the 1954 Nobel Prize in Medicine), made an inoculable polio vaccine that was available by 1955; Albert Sabin produced an oral polio vaccine in 1962; and smallpox was eliminated in 1975. Similarly, vaccines for German measles and chickenpox were created and have reduced the incidences of these diseases.
Now to influenza or grippe or flu, as it is most commonly known. Flu is caused by a virus that, unlike other viruses, is highly mutable; it frequently changes its structure and with that its immunological identity. Typically we vaccinate for diseases early in life and give "boosters" when experience dictates that the level of immunity is likely to decline. But with flu, we cannot simply immunize a population once because the strain of flu then used might not be the same as occurs at a later time. That's the why of annual flu vaccination.
Unfortunately, there is a second problem: the strain of flu that is likely to occur is not predictable. Each year, attempts are made to predict which strain(s) of flu will occur. Southeast Asia is a common site of origin; two years ago it was Mexico. From these data, a best guess is made as to which flu strain is most likely to become a problem in the following year and how serious it will be.
Next, a vaccine. Techniques for making vaccines are still pretty much in the dark ages. Bacteria can be grown on media, but viruses are obligate intracellular parasites (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?); they must be grown in host cells. Typically, a weakened version of the virus is grown on the embryo in chicken eggs (insect cell culture substitutes are being studied). Then it is harvested, purified, tested, and used in an inactivated state. Live, attenuated vaccine is also made, but is licensed only for healthy people aged five to 49.
All of this, from prediction to vaccine, takes about a year. Consequently, it is necessary to guess which flu strain to prepare vaccine for about a year before it is needed. Sometimes there are incorrect judgments, and a vaccine is not available for the current virus, and the available vaccine is for one that has not spread. In such cases it is too late. Wait till next year, as we used to say of the Brooklyn Dodgers when they lost yet another World Series to the hated Yankees.
OK, but suppose everything has worked out this year and it's the correct vaccine with no problem with its preparation. Now we face yet another problem. The vaccine doesn't generally prevent the disease; it makes it much milder. That's good. But, this is significantly less effective in seniors because of their reduced immunological abilities. And seniors are most susceptible to flu effects because of their generally weaker health status. Additionally, the vaccine cannot be used for people with egg allergies because it is grown on eggs.
Even if you are late getting your flu vaccine inoculation, there are still benefits. You can get a substantial immune response within eight to ten days after vaccination.  | So there we are; it could be a vaccine for the wrong strain and it is not terribly effective for our age group. Incidentally, effectiveness statistics are variable according to the test population and how "effectiveness" is defined and measured. The vaccine is much more effective at keeping you out of the hospital than preventing the flu completely.
What to do? There are rarely any negative effects from a flu inoculation, and these are usually mild. There are generally some benefits, and there are no good substitutes regardless of the patent medicine baloney you see advertised (which you can always try anyway). Based on this information, I get the flu shot every year. Even if you are unable to get a vaccination in autumn, it is still beneficial to get it later; you can get a substantial immune response within eight to ten days after vaccination.
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Contributors to This Issue of Southport Village Voices
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 Paul Butters, with his wife of 48 years, Barbara, moved to Southport in 2009; they have five children and 11 grandchildren. A graduate of the New England School of Art & Design, Paul opened a graphic design studio in Boston in 1970, which designed packaging and promotional materials for a variety of companies, including Gillette. He retired in 2003 and is now the marketing manager for Lewis and Weldon Custom Kitchens in Hyannis, where he designs and produces promotional material for the company. He and Barbara enjoy golf, fishing, boating and travel.
 Karlyn Curran moved to Southport from New Jersey a little over seven years ago. She has a daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren in Falmouth and two sons, a daughter-in-law and another grandchild near Hanover, NH. After her husband passed away and she retired from her teaching career, she moved to New England to be closer to her children. She loves Southport and Cape Cod. Even more than that, she loves her family and being a "hands-on" grandma. She caught the travel bug from her husband and this has resulted in a chronic condition.  Art DeBonville joined GE in 1961 as a toolmaker and gravitated to Manufacturing Engineering. He then began a sales career in the machine tool industry for the next 30+ years. He and his wife Margy purchased a home on the Cape in 1985 and moved here permanently in 1986. They moved to Southport in November 2009. Art enjoys woodworking, golf and photography; he took the pictures for the article about their two-month trip through the West, and those for the interview with Betty Kayes, as well. Clearly, they both enjoy RV-ing.
Joy Evans and her husband Bob moved to Southport from Sandwich six years ago. They have three daughters and two grandchildren. Joy retired from her position as a college administrator in 1995 on the same day that Bob retired as director of promotion services for the Gillette Company. They divide their time between Southport and Southwest Florida, where Joy writes for a monthly newsletter.
 Dick Fellenberg moved to Southport in 2003. He organized and runs the Bionics program, coordinates the Helpers program, and is a volunteer broadcaster for the Audible Local Ledger, a radio station for blind/visually impaired people. He has two daughters, four grandchildren and two great grand children.
David Kapp, with his wife Billie, moved from Connecticut to Southport in November 2009. David retired from a career as a university library administrator, after working in the libraries at Brandeis, Harvard and the University of Connecticut. He was a building consultant for the planning of a number of major university libraries and was, for many years, the editor of Connecticut Libraries. Billie enjoyed a career as an educator and social sciences consultant. Their son and daughter live in Hawaii, and they have one grandson.
 Jonathan Leavitt grew up in Scarsdale, NY. He earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in the same field from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at Sprague Electric, Epsco, Di/An controls, MIT Instrumentation/Draper Labs, and GTE, mostly as a development engineer. The highlight of his career was logic design contribution to an experiment that was carried to the moon on Apollo 17. Married for 42 years to the late Arlene (Samiof), he has three married children and six grandchildren. He has been associated with Southport part-time since 2003, full time since 2008.
 Joe Marino Born in Boston, raised in Milton--the adopted son of Joseph and Rose (Grasso) Marino. Had my first business at 22--Hell of a mechanic--lousy business man. Ten-year span of working for others, but always felt that I should try again. Second time met with success. Married for 47 years to Carmela--alias Carmen, or to her family MA! Proud father of four sons--a foster son and foster daughter, two girls, eleven and ten, that stayed with us a lot after their dad died. There were other kids that had bumps in their lives that stayed with us on occasion, one even graduated high school while with us. Have always loved sports--horses--the ocean--fishing. You name it I've tried it. Retirement is not one of my stronger adjustments--wish I had taken my wife's advice about seeking out adoption records sooner. Have been fortunate to find family members and add them to my life. Love my involvement in Kiwanis--allows me to do things for and with youth and this can be the secret to staying young in spirit  Ernest Ruber and his wife of 55 years, Natalie, have lived at Southport since 2002. They have two children and one grandchild. Ernie retired from Northeastern University where he was professor of biology and ecology. He has constructed an interpretive nature trail at Southport and has written many nature/science articles for the Southport Newsletter and has also reported on pool tournaments, in which he usually plays. |
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