THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN & OXFORD LIVINGAUBURNTIMES

THE

MAGAZINE

JULY 2012

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING2

Looking for a job is a stressful process.There’s the requisite networking, finding ajob opening, and crafting the right resume.Then if you are fortunate enough to landan interview, what do you wear? If you‘vebeen unemployed for a while you may nothave the income to purchase a new outfit

and you may need some coaching on howto do your best during this crucial job in-terview.Enter Dress for Success (DFS) Worces-

ter, a non-profit organization that promotesthe economic independence of disadvan-taged women by providing professional at-

tire, a support network, and the career de-velopment tools to help them thrive inwork and in life.When a woman finishes her job train-

ing and is working with a career center, gov-ernment program, or shelter to transitionto employment, she is referred to DFSWorcester to receive professional appareland supporting services, according toVeronica Hachey, the organization’s direc-tor.A typical DFS Worcester client is a sin-

gle woman with one or more children, anda high school diploma or GED. Clients areethnically diverse representing 40 percentCaucasian, 30 percent Latina, 14 percentAfrican American, 3 percent Asian, and 13percent other ethnicities. Coming from allover Central Massachusetts, the women allshare the common experience of lookingfor gainful employment and needing sup-port and mentoring to reach their goals.Through the Suiting Program, DFS

Worcester assist women with professionalclothing for job interviews, internships, jobfairs and employment. Clients are referredby partner agencies and work directly witha volunteer personal shopper who helps thewoman assemble a business appropriate

outfit or wardrobe.“We set up a time for what is called a

suiting,” Hachey explains. “We outfit thewoman from head to toe and provide herwith two clothing options in case there is asecond interview and another outfit isneeded.” The clothing boutique is locatedin the Denholm Building, 484 Main Street,Suite 110 in Worcester and is well-stockedwith racks of stylish suits, separates, acces-sories, and shoes for women by referralonly.If the woman lands the job, Hachey ex-

plains she is then provided with careerclothing, a wardrobe makeover really. “Wecreate five outfits made up of separates suit-able for her new job,” she says. “We give herthe whole nine yards.” Working withHachey to accomplish this impressive taskis Juola Stefani, the boutique coordinator.DFS Worcester has been in operation

since May 2009 and has served 1,200women. Hachey, who was recently nameddirector for the organization, began work-ing for the group in August 2011 as the pro-gram coordinator. She has been responsiblefor overseeing two key DFS Worcester pro-grams: the Going Places Network and the

Continued on page 6

AUBURNTIMESMAGAZINE

THE

THEAUBURNTIMESMAGAZINE is published 11 times a year, with a combined January-February issue, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts by Carr,Quinn& Small, Inc.We accept photos, opinions, short articles, stories, poems and drawings from the general public, but assume no responsibility forfailure to publish a submission or for typographic errors published or incorrect placement. The contents of this magazine consist of copyrightable mate-rial and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the author and the publishers of The Auburn TimesMagazine.We reservethe right to refuse any advertising for any reason.We reserve the right to require editing to any advertising that is accepted for publication. Opinionprinted herein report views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the magazine, its publisher or Carr, Quinn&Small, Inc.We invite varying opinions and information from our writers and readers, wishing to provide a public forum for well-tempered, well-reasonedthoughts, ideas and opinion.ADVERTISINGDEADLINE: Camera ready: the 20th of each month prior to publication. The 17th of the month for Nov. and Dec.ADVERTISINGOFFICE: 508-347-7077 ext. 2 (Karen). If your business is inWorcester, 508-347-7077 ext. 3 (Jessica).EDITORIAL DEADLINE: The 21st of each month prior to publication.

DELIVERED INTO EVERY HOME, BUSINESS AND POST OFFICE BOX IN AUBURN,AND TO SELECTED HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN OXFORD

ALSO MAILED TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES ELSEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES.AND TO MEN AND WOMEN OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES WHO ARE SERVING OUR COUNTRY

IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD.

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE | CARR, QUINN & SMALL, INC.P.O. BOX 418, STURBRIDGE, MA 01566 TEL. 508-347-7077 FAX 508-347-8150 AUBURNTIMESMAGAZINE.COM CQSMEDIA.COM

© 2012 BY CARR, QUINN & SMALL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3

JULY, 2012

AUBURN&OXFORDLIVING

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 3

PUBLISHER & EDITORMANAGING EDITOR

STORY EDITORSENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

AD PRODUCTION & DESIGN

WRITERS

PAUL CARRJOHN SMALLSTEPHANIE RICHARDSKAREN ROTHWEILER

TERRI RACCA

CYNTHIA ALLEGREZZAJEFF CANNONTHOMAS CHAMBERLANDROBERT GEORGE, ESQ.ANDREA JOHNSONPETER KASLAUSKASRICHARD MCGRATHKATHY MENARDRICHARD MORCHOE

4 THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVINGTHE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Support Your Local Businesses

SHOP AUBURN.SHOP OXFORD.SHOP LOCAL.

voting for disapproval--but without reallybeing able to prevent the debt ceiling in-crease from taking effect. The last debt-ceil-ing increase made under this legislation wascalculated to carry us through the currentelection cycle. It might not be long after theelection is decided, however, that the debtceiling limit will again need to be addressed.

Same basic divide remains

The supercommittee failed in its missionbecause the parties involved have funda-mentally different visions of how to addressour country's debt problem. It's a gross over-simplification, but the debate largely boilsdown to what degree deficit reduction ef-forts should focus on increasing revenue(and how to accomplish that), or on reduc-ing government spending, including ad-dressing the long-term costs associated withentitlement programs such as Social Secu-rity, Medicare, and Medicaid.Of course, these approaches aren't mu-

tually exclusive; for example, the bipartisanSimpson-Bowles commission (the NationalCommission on Fiscal Responsibility andReform) issued a December 2010 reportthat recommended a combination of bothapproaches. The fact that we're in an elec-

Although Social Security, Medicaid, andMedicare benefits are exempt, and cuts toMedicare provider payments cannot be morethan 2%, most discretionary programs in-cluding education, transportation, and en-ergy programs would be subject to theautomatic cuts.The threat of the automatic cuts was con-

ceived as a way to encourage the supercom-mittee to reach a compromise. With thefailure of the supercommittee to reach agree-ment, however, these imminent cuts are nowthe source of concern. Parties on both sidesfind the cuts too broad, and efforts to short-circuit the automatic cuts, at least those af-fecting defense spending, have alreadybegun--though the President has suggestedthat he would veto any such legislation.

New debt ceiling crisispossible in 2013

The legislation that established the su-percommittee also put in place whatamounted to a piece of political theater thatallowed for temporary, short-term incre-mental increases to the debt ceiling limit. Ef-fectively, the President was able to getadditional borrowing authority, while allow-ing Congress to go on record opposing it by

As part of a last-minute agreement endingAugust's debt ceiling standoff, legislation wassigned into law calling for the creation of adeficit reduction "supercommittee." The JointSelect Committee on Deficit Reduction,comprised of 12 members (6 Democrats and6 Republicans) from both the House andSenate, was charged with finding ways to re-duce the federal deficit by at least $1.2 tril-lion, and directed to report its findings byNovember 23, 2011. Of course, the outcomewas well publicized--the committee an-nounced that it was unable to reach a deal,and subsequently disbanded. Seen by manyas the last best hope to reach a compromise,the committee's failure casts the debt ceilingas one of several major issues that will ulti-mately be addressed by the coming election.

Automatic cuts

Built into the legislation that gave birth tothe supercommittee was a default provision--with the committee's failure to reach agree-ment, $1.2 trillion in broad-based spendingcuts are automatically triggered over a nine-year period beginning in January 2013 (theterm for this is "automatic sequestration").The automatic cuts are split evenly betweendefense spending and non-defense spending.

Supercommittee failure setsstage for election-year debate

tion year complicates matters, however, andmay make compromise less likely, if not im-possible. That's because each element of apotential compromise will have significantpolitical ramifications. In the end, the coursetaken may depend entirely on the post-elec-tion political landscape.

Prepared by Broadridge Investor Commu-nications Solutions, Inc. Mr. Kaslauskas is theInfinex Investment Executive for Savers Bank,access to investment services is offered throughSavers Financial Services.Investment and insurance products and

services are offered through INFINEX IN-VESTMENTS, INC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Savers Financial Services is a tradename of the bank. Infinex and the bank arenot affiliated. Products and services madeavailable through Infinex are not insured by theFDIC or any other agency of the United Statesand are not deposits or obligations of nor guar-anteed or insured by any bank or bank affili-ate. These products are subject to investmentrisk, including the possible loss of value.

INSIDE BANKING

P R O F E S S I O N A L A D V I C EF R O M A L O C A L

B A N K I N G E X E C U T I V EF O R R E A D E R S O F

T H E A U B U R N T I M E SM A G A Z I N E

By PETER KASLAUSKASINVESTMENT EXECUTIVE, SAVERS BANK

SupportAuburn Businesses

First!

5THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

SUNDAYDRIVE

By Richard MorchoePresentation is a big part of the Amherst

Farmers Market. What you sell is most im-portant, but appearance entices. The abun-dance of beautiful produce and other farmproducts sell themselves. The whole chick-ens in Turkey Brook Farm’s open cooler sayluscious. Yet you don’t have to go all the wayto Amherst if you feel the need to treat your-self and family. Turkey Brook is close inBrimfield.The chickens are special not merely because

they are lovely to look at. The method of rais-ing them brings about a healthy and nourish-ing dish on the table. Suzanne Natale, thefarmer, adheres to a program that arose in thewoods of Southwest France. Amongst theGauls, caring about what you eat is big.Label Rouge, is the name the French farm-

ers gave their process. Suzanne explained itas a three-part system of animal welfare, pro-tecting the environment and providing splen-did tasting chickens.A visit to the farm on a secluded spot in

Brimfield emphasizes that Suzanne lives theLabel Rouge philosophy. Turkey Brook is apeaceful spot in a quiet town. Suzanne livesin the house she built with her late husband.They had always planned to make their livingout of the land.The question was, how to do that? When

their children were young, Suzanne startedan embroidery business out of the house.That business still operates. Still wanting to

do more, she tooka course at theNew EnglandSmall Farm Insti-tute in Belcher-town. The classwas designed tohelp people wish-ing to establish asmall farm ex-plore the possibil-ities. She learned enough to feel confidentwith her plan. In truth, Suzanne appears tobe someone with a fair amount of naturalconfidence.The first member of the farm to greet

you is a friendly black and white dog. Thisis not just a pet. He is a full-fledged mem-ber of the team with the mission of predatorcontrol. There is no dearth of animals thatprey on poultry in New England and ca-nines discourage the marauders.The next residents you meet, Nigerian

Dwarf goats, are not part of the team, butdo add their own charm. They are pets andare mischievous. They run and jump side-ways. The goats do make some contribu-tion, as they will browse and remove brush.Spring at Turkey Brook means brooding

young chicks. That is done upstairs in thebarn. Suzanne grabbed something to feedthe babies and then led the way. The firstgroup was Cornish Crosses, a fast growingstandard breed. This is the first year she is

raising them and ispleased with theirprogress.The second set

were an Italian breedknown as K22.These are a slowgrowing flavorfulbird known to dowell on pasture.

K22s are naturally disease resistant. In thebrooding pens are colorful bulbs and toysto stimulate the baby chicks’ curiosity.Okay, so a place called Turkey Brook is

in the business of raising chickens. Somemight think that ironic. Well, Suzannedoes raise some turkeys. This is more alabor of love as the birds are all listed asrare. The breeds are all aesthetically pleas-ing when full grown. They are Blue Slate,Red Bourbon and Chocolate. Accordingto the American Livestock Breeds Conser-vancy, the Chocolate is an endangeredbreed that could die out. By raising thestrain, Suzanne is working to preserve it.What was Suzanne feeding the chicks?

At Turkey Brook, it is not the early birdthat gets the worm. All dine on worms nomatter the time they rise. This is part ofSuzanne’s desire to raise healthy birds, butalso to control costs. As anyone who raisespoultry knows, the price of grain is a largeexpense in the process. Suzanne raises thelittle wrigglers in bins as well as beds she

has designed and built. They are fed card-board, manure, coffee grounds and usedegg cartons. The result is food for thechickens and a saleable byproduct as wormcastings are prized fertilizer.Once the chickens have gotten to the

age they do not need artificial heat, they gooutside. For a chicken to be a healthy ani-mal and therefore healthy food, it needscontact with the ground. The birds mustalso be protected from predators. Thatfriendly dog helps, but more is needed.What is necessary is poultry netting. It’ssort of like an electrified web. The hungryenemy cannot get in and the chickens canserenely scratch for food.The chickens are moved constantly so

they always have fresh ground. Suzanneleaves the fallen pieces of wood around.When turned over, a fresh meal of insectsand grubs is available.Starting in mid July, Suzanne will have

birds plump and ready for the table. Thisyear she will have more than whole chick-ens. Liver, necks and other parts will befor sale. If you want the feet for soup, oftenan ethnic delicacy, they will be available.Suzanne Natale combines an entrepre-

neurial spirit with a passion for her ani-mals. If you want to find out more aboutthe tasty and healthy birds being raised inour region you can visit on the web athttp://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=2995

Short road trip: Turkey Brook Farm in Brimfield

6 THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVINGTHE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Continued from page 2

Dress for success

Professional Women’s Group.The Going Places Network, funded by monies from a $2

million grant from TheWalmart Foundation to DFSWorld-wide, provides a series of invaluable and practical workshops“for our clients to gain career skills, learn how to utilize jobsearch resources, and build confidence while addressing top-ics such as change management, transferable job skills, andhow to sell yourself,” says Hachey. This intimate workshopsetting provides expert and peer support to women seekingemployment and reinforces important interview, resume,and networking skills, she adds. Participants must be quali-fied to attend the program.The Professional Women's Group offers monthly meet-

ings to working women that address topics that they en-counter as they enter the workplace, such as financialliteracy, written and unwritten rules of the workplace, andbalancing work and life. “This group features expert guestspeakers from the community, this program gives our clientsthe ongoing support they need to retain their jobs, identifycareer opportunities, and make decisions regarding their ca-reers,” she says. However, there is not a sponsor for thisgroup so DFS Worcester must rely on donations to facili-tate it.“We rely heavily on volunteers to fulfill our mission of

helping women take charge of their lives, along with finan-cial contributions and in-kind donations,” she says.If you are interested in learning more about DFSWorces-

ter and how you can help, she invites you to attend the vol-unteer information sessions “Dress for Success 101,” heldon the second and fourth Wednesday of every month atnoon. There are numerous volunteer opportunities for in-dividuals from being a personal shopper to handling ad-ministrative tasks, group or company opportunities throughprogram sponsorship, and organizing a clothing drive.“Clothing and accessory drives are a great way to get in-

volved with DFS Worcester. From the workplace towomen's organizations to groups of friends, we rely on thegenerosity of individuals to stock our boutique with thehigh-quality, like-new business attire and accessories that weprovide our clients,” Hachey says. “We strongly encourageyou to contact the boutique prior to planning a drive so thatyou can be familiar with the kinds of items that we needmost.”Founded in New York City in 1997, DFS is an interna-

tional not-for-profit organization offering services designedto help its clients find jobs and remain employed. Sincethen DFS has served more than 600,000 women aroundthe world. Each year, more than 50,000 women are assistedin the United States, Australia, Canada, the United King-dom, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Mexico,Poland, and the West Indies.While the organization is best known for providing suits

to women, its employment retention programs are the cor-nerstone of the organization. Soon after DFS was founded,the group recognized that finding work is only one step ina woman's journey towards economic independence; re-maining employed and building a rewarding career are es-sential for her to become self-sufficient.Mentoring is also an important component of DFS

Worcester, says Hachey. “Many women we have helpedcome back and share their heart-wrenching stories abouthow the organization helped them to turn their lives aroundand become successful businesswomen. They are so grate-ful and return to be part of our program,” she adds. One ofthe most inspiring giving-back gestures she has seen are thewomen who have donations to DFS Worcester taken di-rectly out of their paychecks.How you can help DFS WorcesterFor more information on DFSWorcester, please call 508-

796-5660, email worcester@dressforsuccess.org or visithttp://www.dressforsuccess.org/ and follow the prompts toaccess the Worcester affiliate on the website. You may make

financial donations online or make checks payable toDress for Success Worcester and mail to Dress for Suc-cess Worcester, P.O. Box 16115, Worcester, MA 01601.The clothing boutique is open by appointment only,Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clothing drop-off dates and locations are also included on the DFSWorcester website.There are other ways to help, too, suggests Hachey.

“Attend an event such as our ‘End-of-the Summer Sale’ inAugust. Please watch for details on our website. Volun-teer your expertise, sponsor our programs, write a note ofencouragement to a client letting her know she canachieve her dreams, and if you believe in our mission, be-come an ambassador for us. Join our email list and shareour news with your networks. The more people that hearabout the work we are doing, the more women we willbe able to help.“Remember your support can change the life of a

woman,” Hachey concludes.

7THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Grilling burger guru?Here’s a cheeseburger recipe to try on for sizeAsAmericans fire up their grills and the smell of charcoal

pervades the blistering summer air, cheeseburgers claim thespot as the paramount menu item from coast to coast.Since the cheeseburger's epic debut in the 1930s, the

summertime staple has earned its rightful spot as the un-equivocally American classic. Deemed the quintessentialcomfort food, 55 percent of Americans would even forgoFrench fries to top their burger with cheese. Despite thelaundry list of toppings, one ingredient reigns supreme: canyou "say cheese?"As themost preferred topping for a burger, cheese is sim-

ply irreplaceable. A burger without cheese is like a sundaewithout the hot fudge or peanut butter without the jelly. Infact, more than three in four Americans can't imagine eat-

ing a burger without it. Rising to the top of cheeseburgeraficionados' lists are Cheddar, Swiss and Pepper Jack, all of-fered by Sargento.Looking to raise the bar on your juicy cheeseburger cre-

ations? Try the mouthwatering "Drill Sargento Burger"recipe below fromChicago's iconic burger joint, Butcher&the Burger.Drill Sargento Burger Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 1Ingredients:8 ounces ground Black Angus Chuck1 tablespoon finely minced Vidalia onion1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper2 dashes Worcestershire sauce1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic2 teaspoons olive oil1 slice Sargento Deli Style SlicedSharp Cheddar Cheese1 slice Sargento Deli Style Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese1 slice (1/4-inch thick) ripe beefsteak orheirloom tomato1 split top bun2 thick slices bacon, cut in half1 heaping tablespoon sauteed onionsDijon mustardDirections:Mix beef with onion, parsley, salt, pepper,Worcestershire

sauce and garlic. Shape into pattie. Brush lightly with oliveoil and grill until desired doneness.Meanwhile, toast bun and spread mustard on bottom

half. Warm onion and cook bacon.Put burger on bottom half of bun, top with onions and

Swiss. Melt cheese under a broiler.Top with tomato slice, lightly seasoned with salt and pep-

per. Top with bacon and Sharp Cheddar.Melt cheese undera broiler, top with bun.

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING8

Cindy Bertrand is this third genera-tion farmer and co-owner and founderof the garden center. She is passionateabout what she does and her enthusiasmfor her livelihood is contagious—in agood way, of course. Even if you thinkyou cannot plant something and makeit grow, she will convince you otherwise.So inspired by Bertrand to “plant some-thing,”(more about that later) this in-spired reporter went home after a recentvisit to The Farmer’s Daughter and filledthree patio containers with a variety offlourishing annuals.Agricultural pursuits are top of mind

these days for Bertrand, who happens tobe the reigning president of the Massa-chusetts Flower Growers Association. In

the spring, she headed to the State Housein Boston to meet with Governor Deval L.Patrick and presented him with a bowl fullof colorful pansies as part of an Agricul-tural Day celebration.She explains that the Massachusetts

Farm Bureau organized this day to educatethe state’s senators and representatives onthe importance of agriculture to the Com-monwealth’s economy. Massachusettsboasts a healthy $490 million agricultureindustry. In attendance on that April daywere hundreds of farmers who supply dairyproducts, beef, flowers, honey, oysters,maple syrup, wine, vegetables, and fruits in-cluding cranberries, apples, and blueber-ries.It is this passion for growing and sup-

porting local agricultural business that isthe basis for Bertrand’s mission to encour-age people of all ages to “get out there andplant something!” She highly endorses thePlant Something program, which is instru-mental in providing helpful informationand advice from Massachusetts-based pro-fessional environmental horticulturists.“It’s amazing what a few well-placed plantsand trees can do for your home, yourhealth, and your neighborhood,” she says.For more information on the program andtips on how you can get your hands dirtyplanting, visit http://www.plantsome-thingma.com/Visitors to The Farmer’s Daughter un-

doubtedly will hear mooing in a nearby pas-ture. That’s because Bertrand and herfather, Donald G. Post, are co-owners ofHillcrest Farm where the garden center islocated. They raise Simmental cattle hereand began selling fresh beef about twoyears ago at the garden center.“Our beef is all-natural, hormone-free,

antibiotic-free, and it contains no pinkslime,” she emphasizes. Bertrand explainsthat Simmental cattle are similar to Angus,but “are not high-strung animals.” She alsois selling her beef at the Grafton Farmer’sMarket on the Common on Thursdays

With a stunning location at the top of abucolic hill off busy Route 20, TheFarmer’s Daughter garden center on Mill-bury Street is a stunning showcase for athird-generation farmer who has been apurveyor of flowering plants, trees, shrubs,fruits, vegetables, and other farm produce,for 30 years.Flora and fauna abound here. During

our recent visit, we saw a bountiful crop ofcolorful annuals, stunning rows of bloom-ing rose bushes and lacey hydrangeas alongwith healthy and hearty perennials well-es-

tablished to soak up and thrive in the hotsun or enhance a shady spot in a yard.There are lovely statuary accents here—lotsof cute cherubs and bird baths—and nu-merous colorful pots and vibrant metalsculptures to add that oh-so-necessary dec-orative touch to your patio, garden, orlawn. There are shrubs and trees and 14greenhouses that grow a wide assortmentof annuals and perennials all suitable forplanting. If you need garden tools and or-ganic fertilizers to help nurture yourblooms, they are here, too.

THE SHOPPING NEWS

THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER153 MILLBURY STREET, AUBURNMON-WED-SAT 9 TO 6SUN 10 TO 5OPEN APRIL 1 TO CHRISTMAS EVE508.832.2995FACEBOOK: THE FARMERS DAUGHTER

Farmer’s Daughter has it all: trees,plants, fresh dairy, all-natural beef

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 9

until October 11.Responding to customer requests for

house plants for home, office, or as a giftoption, Bertrand said the garden centeradded a new section that offers Gerberdaisies, African violets, Gloxinia, amongother indoor plant varieties.Since she is so passionate about sup-

porting local businesses, she sells eggs, goatcheese from Sterling, and fresh milk prod-ucts from Pearson’s Elmhurst Dairy innearby Millbury.The Farmer’s Daughter is chock-full of

perennials and offers a large selection ofheat-tolerant varieties. Bertrand warns gar-deners not to transplant plants during thehot weather and if you do any planting nowto water consistently for at least 30 days toestablish the roots.Fall signals the arrival of corn stalks,

pumpkins, and their own greenhouse-grownmums. The Annual Harvest Festival is heldon Saturday, October 6 from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. and offers lots of activities for theyounger set including face painting, pump-kin painting, wagon rides around the farm,apple bobbing, and even pumpkin rolling.Late in the year signals the sale of Christ-

mas trees at the garden center. “We do growmost of the trees we sell here and do have afew for choose and cut,” Bertrand says. Shesays the Concolor Fir as one of the signa-ture trees The Farmer’s Daughter sells.“This was one of my mother’s favorites,” shesays. It has a bluish-green tint, a citrus scent,and soft needles. Another popular choiceamong the tree buyers is the Canaan Fir,which is a cross between a Balsam Fir and aFraser Fir.The Farmer’s Daughter also stocks

The Farmer’s Daughter at 153 Millbury Street, Auburn© 2012 Photos by Cynthia Allegrezza

wreaths and other holiday decorations in-cluding a healthy supply of ornaments.“We see many families come back each yearto add ornaments to their collection. If afamily wants each child to select an orna-ment as part of a tradition, we try to keepthe price points reasonable so a familydoesn’t break the bank decorating thetree,” she says.What trends does she see happening in

the gardening world? “Longest bloomingand lower maintenance plants are quitepopular,” she answers. She points toKnock Out® Roses and new ever-bloominghydrangeas. Bertrand also admits that she“puts new things in my garden all the timeto try them out.”Hillcrest Farm has deep roots in

Auburn’s agricultural history. It was origi-nally established as a dairy farm in 1933 byBertrand’s grandparents, Adna and GraceCutting. Their daughter, Sylvia, and herhusband, Donald Post, later established abeef cattle herd.Then in 1982, while Bertrand was a col-

lege student, she joined the family businessand opened a retail farm stand and gardencenter that blossomed into The Farmer’sDaughter with its 14 greenhouses, qualityplants and produce, Christmas trees, andhome-grown beef.Bertrand said she named the farm cen-

ter after her mother, Sylvia, “the originalfarmer's daughter.” Her mother died in2006, but her farming legacy continues on.Bertrand’s two children have grown up inthe family business and are active partici-pants.To say that farming and growing is in

Bertrand’s blood is an understatement. She

serves on the board of directors for theWorcester County Farm Bureau and Mas-sachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom,and is vice president of the Southern NewEngland Simmental Association.“We all work hard and try to work to-

gether to promote other local food busi-nesses,” she says. With Bertrand advocat-ing the importance of agriculture to thestate's economy, farmers and local growersare certainly in the good, quite capablehands of this farmer’s daughter.

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING10

Are you like me, in love with New England and all its lit-tle towns? There is so much here. FromMaine to Rhode Is-land, the region is filled with marvelous architecture,fascinating history, and just plain fun. Right in our ownbackyard of Worcester County there are dozens of placesto spend a day. Oxford and Auburn in particular are loaded

with great entertainment and educational centers. Let megive you a week’s worth of awesome spots to visit over thecourse of the summer, for families with toddlers, teenagers,or golden agers.The first thing you’ll want to do, of course, is eat break-

fast. And there’s one heck of a place for doing it, Carl’s

Diner in Oxford, which the Phantom Gourmet calls a“straight eight winner, so over-the-top you won’t want toeat for the rest of the day.” “Bring your appetite,” says Gor-don Cook(!), the awesome chef of the place. “We’ll fill youup.” And that they do. Online reviews rave about the sizeof the meals and the excellence of the food. The portionsize makes breakfast for a family very affordable, because ifyou share the giant servings, a family of four can eat forunder $20.00. And one of the most charming things aboutthe diner is its willingness to keep feeding you. An onlinereview by Joe of Pennsylvania says “Now here’s the bestpart. As I’m eating Chef Gordon sees I’m doing a good jobat finishing my plate, and he keeps asking if I want more,more of anything, no extra charge. If you are within 100miles of this place, make the trip. You will have a great mealat a great price, and more fun than you’ve ever had in adiner before.” Open from 6 am to 2 pm, this is the place togo. But go early; the diner is small, and the line outside canbe pretty long.For history buffs, Oxford is a great place. A block or two

from Carl’s diner, on 323 Main St., is the magnificentTown Hall, built in 1873. It was built as a memorial tomembers of the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,who died in the Civil War. Inside the front lobby are mar-ble walls, inscribed with the names of these 34 men. Abouthalf a mile farther south, on the left side of Main St., you’llfind Huguenot Rd. Here is the cross and pedestalmonument erected in 1884 in memory of theHuguenot settlers who, fleeing religious persecution in

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 11

France, settled Oxford in 1686. The set-tlement was abandoned in 1696 afterthe Johnson Massacre, in which NativeAmericans killed four members of thecommunity. The stone commemoratingthat tragedy is found on Johnson Rd,just another mile south off Route 12.Check out the gorgeous bandstand

on Oxford Common, and mark yourcalendar for upcoming events here.Every Sunday there are concerts at 4:30pm, and the 25th anniversary celebra-tion will take place on August 11. Thiswill feature “Children’s’ Day,” from 11am to 4 pm, with games and dancing. At3 pm, singer and storyteller John Por-cino will perform. Later on that day,from 7 to 9 pm a teen band will play.This event, planned over the entire lastyear, should be spectacular.Why not visit the Clara Barton

Museum? The legendary healer’s birth-place and museum are just a few miles northon Route 12. The museum tour will takeabout an hour, and you’ll see many of Bar-ton’s personal effects, including the portabledesk she took with her to Civil War battle-fields, the actual high chair she used as a tod-dler, and a quilt, given to her as a gift in1873, inscribed with the signatures of sol-diers, including that of General AmbroseBurnside. According to Emily Thomas, tourdirector, the museum is a magnet for home-schooling families, nurses, teachers, and RedCross volunteers. Of course, Clara Bartonherself, the “angel of the battlefield,”founded the American Red Cross, in 1881,when she was sixty years old.But enough history. How about some

fun? Zoinks Fun Factory is an amazingplace, usually reserved for birthday partiesand other outings, but available to the gen-

eral public at specific times. As www.zoinks-funfactory.com says, “Our 13,000 sq. ft. fa-cility showcases some very large inflatables,New England’s only indoor Jumping Pillow,the LightSpace Play floor, a FunovationLaser Maze, a 22 foot rock climbing tower,and a second floor adult lounge to relax andwatch the kids play.” Zoinks is located onPioneer Drive, just off Rt. 20.And what about a day at the beach?Car-

buncle Pond, Oxford’s public beach, is abeautiful, relaxing spot. Free of charge toOxford residents, and only $6.00 per car forothers, the whole family can enjoy a won-derful picnic, swimming or hiking. It is lo-cated at 495 Main St.Oxford offers a couple of other places for

sportspeople. Greenbriar Park, aboutone mile north of Clara Barton Road, is justoff Rt. 12. It offers miles of hiking, tennisand volleyball courts, and is open, with

lights, til 11 pm. There is no entrance fee.Cedar Swamp, not far from Howarthroad, is a paradise for hunters and hikers.You can find its location on Google Maps.Another spectacular sight is the HodgesVillage Dam, built in 1959 by the USArmy Corps of Engineers. The Dam is lo-cated on Haworth Rd, just off Charlton St.Hiking, biking, and fishing are popularsports enjoyed here.Auburn, too, has some fantastic tourist

spots. If you like to fish, you’ll find nofewer than forty places to do it aroundAuburn if you go to www.hookand bul-lit.com. If you golf, the 9-hole PakachoagGolf Course is located at 15 Upland St.According to Colleen, who’s worked therefor years, the course attracts a young crowd.There are refreshments available. Even bet-

Continued on next page

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING12

ter for families with children is theCrystal Caves Fam-ily Entertainment Center, at 790 Southbridge St. Ithas a beautiful mini-golf course, batting cages, and Rob-bie’s Place, where you can get virtually any ice cream inthe world. Crystal Caves does not accept credit cards, butthere is an ATM onsite.The last we’ll mention isKrystal ClearAquatics, lo-

cated at 700 Southbridge St. It is mesmerizing. There aredozens of aquariums full of salt- and fresh-water fish and,more important, corals from all over the world. StephanRobson, 21, pursuing his degree in Veterinary Science, isvery knowledgeable, and can tell you anything about every-thing. He says that he and his three colleagues are ab-

solutely passionate about fish. “Customers are very impor-tant, but fish come first,” he says with a grin. Stephan is es-pecially involved with the corals, as he is intent onpreserving a species that is dying all over the world.Stephan and his team look up with great respect and af-

fection to owners Roger and Colleen Prue. “They treat uslike family,” says Stephan. The Prues have owned the busi-ness for five years, and for nine years before that they hada business of servicing the local fish population in South-bridge. Roger Prue has more than 40 years experience withfish, so there is little he cannot tell you about them.Did we mention everything? No. Space didn’t allow for

it. Write to us at The Auburn Times Magazine, P.O. Box418, Sturbridge, MA 01566 and tell us what we missed.We’ll mention it next time!

Continued from previous page

Vacationing in and around Auburn

ROADTRIP

Want to get out of town?Don’t want to go too far?But want to go kind of far?

RockportAday trip to the other Cape

By Richard MorchoeUpon arriving in Rockport, the salt sea air refresh-

ingly lets you know, you are not in Central Massachu-setts. The Bay State’s other Cape, Cape Ann, isn’t aslarge as the one named after a fish. The beaches are notas wide. Charming it is though, more so, maybe due tothe smaller area. To get from one end to the other doesnot require a major highway.The most well known part of Rockport is Bearskin

neck. It is a haven of artists and galleries. This is un-derstandable, as the view of the harbor scene from theback of most shops would make any artist want to set upan easel. There is the famous Motif #1, a red fishingshack with colorful buoys hanging on the side. It is themost painted subject in the US.Bearskin neck has more than the visual arts. Look

out into the sea, there are a lot of buoys like those onmotif #1. They mark submerged lobster pots. On theneck is Roy Moore Lobster Co., in business since 1918.There are worse breakfasts than lobster with drawn but-ter.On the walk back from the neck, our guide led us

down small side streets that leave the tourist behind,such as Doyle’s Cove Road and Old Harbor Road. Sheshowed us moorings for all kinds of small boats at thetown owned wharf. Don’t expect to bring your yachtup here tomorrow and claim one. A town native friendhad to wait 24 years for a parking spot for his lobsterboat.As we walked back through town, we passed the

Shalin Liu Performance Center on Main Street. It is anedifice that is out of place yet fits in. It is out of placebecause it is new construction in a town of old struc-tures. It fits in because it appears to be in harmony withthe other buildings. The acoustics are marvelous, butthat would be so in most halls built to such a purpose.This hall has a huge window fronting on a lovely viewof the harbor.There is in Rockport, for some, well, for many, an

obsession to create beautiful spaces. There are gardensin public places and in private yards. Every year, thegarden club holds a tour where the public can see ex-quisite plots that have been lovingly prepared. This yearit will be held in early July.Corinne Waring lives on the shore and has one of

the gardens featured in a past tour. Horticulture by the

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 13

sea poses its own challenges. A recentstorm had killed part of a tree with the saltspray. There are advantages such as accessto abundant seaweed that is as good a fer-tilizer as any commercial product.Corinne drags it from the shore andmakes beautiful flowers.Our next destination would be Halibut

Point State Park. Despite the name, fishhad nothing to do with it. Halibut Pointis a corruption of Haul About Point whereships would tack to round Cape Ann. Thefirst part of our walk was through a nar-row path bordered by thick brush. It hadthe flavor of a maze that one could be lostin forever.It was not to be. We would emerge into

an area of large rocks down to the sea.Amongst them were numerous tidal pools.It took a bit of agility to jump from rockto rock, but not Olympic level. A boatthat crashed aground here would break upin an instant. Looking up from the beachwas an enormous pile of rock in regularshapes. Part of the reservation is a series ofquarries. That pile of rocks is stone thatdid not become part of wharfs or build-ings. It did not look stable, but as peoplewere on it and nothing happened, it musthave been okay.

All that hiking builds an appetite. Itwas a short drive to “Lobsta Land” inGloucester. In spite of the name and itshomage to the local patois, we were therefor something different. Our guide sworeby the coconut battered shrimp. Theywere large and covered in panko coconutbatter with a Thai salad and honey-gingerdipping sauce.Our guide would not let us leave with-

out the seafood chowder (or chowdah) ex-perience. The Causeway Restaurant inGloucester has the Cape Ann rep for thatsoup, and it was chunky with fish. Thelong line meant it would be wise to ordertake out. We dined in the shadow of thefamous fisherman’s statue on GloucesterHarbor.Not everything in Cape Ann is ocean-

themed. There is the curious Paper Houseat 52 Pigeon Hill Street in Rockport.Wood frame and floor, but all else ispaper. Built in 1922 out of newspaper andstill standing. Walls and furniture are allnewsprint. The builder was an engineerwho probably just wanted to see if hecould do it, or maybe he was just an ex-treme recycler.We were not done indulging ourselves.

Our last stop was the Cape Ann BrewingCompany. There must be an ordinanceacross the peninsula that you must have aview of the sea in any commercial estab-lishment. Whether porter, pale ale or thehoney pilsner, it all complemented the de-clining light.Sadly, the declining light meant it was

getting time to leave. Home to WesternCentral Massachusetts, but we’ll make that105-mile trip to the North Shore again.Cape traffic isn’t all that bad, if you pickthe right one.

There are gardensin public places

andin private yards.Every year,the garden club

holds a tour wherethe public can seeexquisite plots thathave been lovingly

prepared.This year

it will be heldin early July.

Rockport Winter Scene

Rockport Summer

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING14

r MUSINGS FROM LONG HILL s

BY RICHARD MORCHOE (THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS RICHARD MURPHY)

NOM DE PLUME

It’s summer and dogs are running loose. In Massachu-setts, more often than not, they’re also running from thelaw. Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that leave itup to towns to decide whether to enact leash laws.Most do, but voters love their dogs and the crack downs

vary widely from town to town.Some towns are quite explicit about what dogs can and

can’t do. Concord, for instance, clearly prohibits dogs frombiting people, maiming chickens and chasing cars.Cities often legislate the length of a leash that a dog has

to be on and tend to be quite concerned with clean up.Most enact laws that fine pet owners who don’t clean upafter their pooches poop on the sidewalk. Cities also carveout open spaces where dogs can run without a leash.Country towns – home to big yards with big dogs -- tend

to be more flexible. Sturbridge makes it illegal for dogs tobe a public nuisance and bans them from barking or howl-ing or making other doggy noises late at night. Charltonhas a 24-hour pick-up policy that allows the policy to levyfines when appropriate.In attempting to strike a balance between pet owners,

who love their dogs, and the public at large, rural townstend to leave it up to police to decide when a citation in-appropriate.With that in mind, the best way to keep Roverout of jail is to be reasonable. Give him a rabies shot. Reg-ister him with the town clerk. Don’t let him howl at themoon all night. And do your best to keep him in your ownyard.Catching dogs isn’t what bothers the dog catcher. It’s

catching dog owners who flaunt the rules.

LEGALBRIEF

LEASH LAWS

M O N T H L Y L E G A L A D V I C E

F O R R E A D E R S O F

T H E S T U R B R I D G E T I M E S M A G A Z I N E

STURBRIDGE ATTORNEY

ROBERT A. GEORGE, ESQ.

"What's in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet."

Such are the words of Juliet as she tells her Romeo he is nothis name. Is that true? Is what we are calledmerely an inciden-tal aspect of our lives? I’mnot sure, but Ihave aproblemwithmyname. There are way toomanyMurphys.To give you an idea of what I’mup against, nobody inMassa-

chusettswill ever say, “Youknowtheproblemwith this state is youcan never find anybody with the last nameMurphy.” Itmay notbe themost common surname around, but there are a lot of us.That is not the worst of it. Murphy is the go to name for hu-

morous treatmentof Irishpeople. Whether it’s FunkyMurphy’sbar or the song, “Who threw the overalls in Mrs. Murphy’sChowder,” we are the victims of our name. We don’t even getroyalties forMurphy’s Law.Someone hears your name, they figure you are an expert or

at least a source of Irish information. Inmy case thatmight notbe completelyuntrue. I dohave a lot of friends and relativeswhoare Irish. There is a lot of Irish history I know, but I am a his-tory nerd and probably knowmore about someone else’s ethnicrecord because that is my interest.Then there is the subject of alcohol. I am no teetotaler, but

there is the assumption sightunseen that Imustdrinkmore thanaverage due tomyHibernian ancestry. True, in college I didmypart tokeep theAmericanbrewery industryhealthy, but failed tobecome an alcoholic. Though I can happily ingest the odd pintof Guinness, my preference is more vin rouge avec le diner.It has become such that when people askme something that

assumes i amIrish, I tell themmyancestry is full blooded Italian.Upon their skepticism, I reply that when my great grandfatherGiuseppe di Merfi came to immigration, those horrible Irishmade him drop the di and changeMerfi. I then claim the costin therapy for the family has beenbrutal. Considering thenum-

berofpeoplewhoactually believe that foolishness, I should thinkabout becoming a conman.Ihadthoughtaunique firstnamewouldsolve theproblemfor

my children. I didn’t name my son Sue as in the Johnny Cashsong. There would have been no point to that as there are toomany SueMurphys. Hewas given a name that I thought no onein America would possess. Wrong. I was sure until my sisterhandedme a business card of a co-worker withmy son’s name. Ifleetingly thought itwouldhavebeengoodideatouseexoticnamesof other ethnicities, butGenghisMurphy doesn’t really work.Then there was the recent Russian sleeper spy ring that was

caught. One of the spies was namedRichardMurphy. I amnoexpert on the subject of slavicnomenclature, butmyguess is thatMurphy was not theman’s original tag.Getting other peoples’ mail can also be interesting. Unfor-

tunately there were never any checks. Someone else with myname was the patient of the same doctor. I would get noticesthat I was long delinquent on the bill. Being considered a dead-beat by the man I was entrusting with my health is not where Iwanted to be.For a writer, the name is much too common. Yet actually, I

amproud to be aMurphy. My family and ancestors suffered oc-cupation and oppression and never gave in. I don’t want tochange my name, only its form. In fact Murphy itself is an An-glicization, and there is a form, Morchoe, which is more Irishthough it does not sound so. People will mistake me for some-thing else, or nothing else. I’m okay with that. Best of all, thereare no other Richard Morchoes in the country, or maybe theworld. Go ahead, google it. There are nada, zip, zero. WhenRichardMurphy is searched there are over sevenmillion.Maybe Juliet was completely wrong and we are our names.

Maybe I’ll be a changedman with a nom de plume. My familymight aver that it would not be a bad thing.Anyway, I never had a pen name before.

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 15

PETQ&AWITH KATHY MENARD

Eating grass, bathing intervals, conventional foods, more

Q. What does it mean when a dog eats grass?A. Many dogs just seem to like the taste of grass. Many

people believe dogs eat grass when they aren't feeling well,whichmay be to try to calm their stomach, as rarely does it ac-tually produce vomiting. If your dog is a grass eater, be surenot to let them eat grass that has been treated with chemicals.

Q. How frequently should I give my dog a bath?A. There are many variables to answering this question,

such as breed, environment, coat and skin issues. While inthe past it has been believed that you should not bathemore than once a month, that theory has changed. Youcan bathe your dog as often as necessary to keep them cleanas long as you use a quality, gentle shampoo. Avoid usinghuman shampoos. Some dogs with skin issues need to bebathed several times a week with a medicated shampoo,while most dogs do well with once every 4-6 weeks.

Q. What is the best remedy when my dog is sprayed bya skunk?

A. The most common recipe used by groomers is 1/4cup baking soda, 1 tsp on non-medicated liquid soap, and1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit on the dog for20 minutes, then rinse well. Be sure not to get any in yourpet's eyes. Occassionally this mixture may bleach a dog'scoat slightly. I've seen it leave brown tips on a long hairedblack dog.

Q. Why do some dogs roll in smelly stuff? I have threedachsunds and they love to find bird poo and roll in it.

A. There are many theories why dogs do this, but mostbelieve this behavior is more instinctual, trying to masktheir own smell. Some dogs will do this after a bath orspray of perfume, which suggests they don't like ourchoices:-) Try to avoid allowing your dog to do this, as op-

posed to scolding them.

Q. How do you stop aggression in a dog?A. Your question is too vague to give a specific answer

to. If you are asking how to prevent aggression from de-veloping in a dog, I would answer as follows:Properly socialize and train your dog from the very be-

ginning. Dogs that are well socialized and very obedientrarely have aggression issues. When a pup is going throughtheir fear stages, be sure not to reinforce the behavior bytalking reassuringly and patting them - this makes them be-lieve you like it when they act that way. If problems develop,seek the help of a qualified professional sooner than later.

Q. What are some of the risks of feeding my dog con-ventional supermarket pet foods?

A. Many dogs become obese from all the fillers and car-bohydrates, since they will need to consume more as the foodis not as digestible. Just because a food's nutrient profile maystate it contains x, y and z, doesn't mean it is in a form that isutilizable by the dogs body.Many dogs develop allergies and/or behavioral issues from

all the chemicals and sugars.I believe poor quality ingredients contribute to the in-

creasing cancers and other diseases we are seeing. Just likewith humans, the more a food is processed the less nutritious

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING16

By Richard McGrath, CIC, LIAPRESIDENT & CEO, McGRATH INSURANCE GROUP

INSURANCEGUIDANCE Your homeowner’s policy might not

cover you from all storm damage

Having a sewer back-up and damage to your home wouldbe bad news, indeed. But having a sewer back-up and find-ing out that your insurance doesn’t cover the damage wouldbe far worse news.With the heavy rains of spring giving way to summer

storms and hurricane season, it’s good to know what yourhomeowners’ insurance policy covers and what it doesn’tcover. Generally, homeowners’ insurance covers damagefromwater that comes from the sky, but not from the ground.Damage caused by wind-driven rain that comes into your

house through your roof, windows, doors or holes in thewalls is generally covered, as is damage caused by fire or light-ning. Whether the damage is caused by a hurricane, a tor-nado, a snowstorm, hail or some other source ofprecipitation, it’s covered.Damage caused by flooding or a sewer back-up generally

is excluded from coverage by homeowners’ insurance. Whatcan homeowners do to protect their homes from storm-re-lated damages that are not covered by standard homeowner’sinsurance?Flooding. Flood insurance is available through the Na-

tional Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If your home is ina low-risk area, the cost of coverage can be as low as $365 ayear – or $405 if you have a basement – but it can exceed$2,500 a year if your home is in a high-risk area.Homes in the Sturbridge area are generally not at great

risk for flooding, but it is best to ask your insurance agent fora risk assessment or to check your address on theNFIP’sWebsite at FloodSmart.gov.Sewer back-ups. Sewers often back up when heavy

rains overburden them; sewagemay also cover your basementif your sump pump stops working. However, you can typi-cally add a rider to your policy with $10,000 or $20,000 incoverage for about $50. You may also want to consider pur-chasing a back-up sump pump that is battery operated, so itcan work even during a power outage.Tree damage. Of course, heavy rains and lightning

often result in damage to trees, as well as homes. Given thatthe tree damage is caused by a storm, you may wonder if youare covered for removal and replacement of damaged trees, orif a falling tree damages your property.The cost of pruning, removing or replacing trees damaged

by storms usually is not covered by homeowners insurance, asmany area residents learned after last October’s freak snow-storm, but damage to an insured structure caused by a fallingtree is covered.If a tree falls on a detached garage, for example, you

should be covered for damage caused to the structure and itscontents, as long as the garage is insured. If a fallen tree isblocking a driveway or a ramp designed to assist the handi-capped, some insurers will cover the cost of removing it.In addition, standard insurance typically covers damage

to trees and shrubs caused by fire, lightning, explosion, theft,aircraft, vehicles not owned by the resident, vandalism andmalicious mischief, according to the Insurance InformationInstitute. However, coverage is typically limited to up to 5%of the total coverage provided by the policy or about $500per tree.If a tree from a neighbor’s property falls on your home,

your homeowner’s policy should cover any damages. Insome cases, if the tree is in poor health or was not prop-erly maintained, your insurance company may try to col-lect from the neighbor’s insurance company, using aprocess called “subrogation.” If your insurer wins thecase, you may be reimbursed for the deductible.

ProtectYour Home

While additional coverage to protect your homeagainst flooding and sewer back-upmakes themost sense,there are other alternatives you can take to reduce your in-surance cost and increase the safety of your home.When you take action to protect your home from

storm damage, you can also reduce your insurance pre-miums. You may be eligible for discounts, for example,if you purchase storm-proof shutters, a lightning rod withsurge protection or an automatic back-up generator thatcan operate your sump pump.To be certain you are taking the right steps to protect

your home, review your homeowner’s policy with yourinsurance agent. Having photos of your property as it ap-peared before it was damaged and keeping an inventoryof your property can also be helpful.

Richard A.McGrath, CIC, LIA is President and CEOof McGrath Insurance Group, Inc. of Sturbridge, Mass.He can be reached at rmcgrath@mcgrathinsurance.com.This article is written for informational purposes only and

should not be construed as providing legal advice.

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 17

Colored urine usually has a harmless cause

THE HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ADVISERBY THE FACULTY OF HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

A REGULAR FEATURE IN THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE

Q. I'm a bit embarrassed to ask, but Ihave a question about urine. I have noticedthe color of my urine changes, dependingon how much water I've had in a given dayor if I've taken a multivitamin. But re-cently my urine has looked orange, which isalarming. What does the color of urinemean for my health, and are there certaincolors that are cause for alarm?

A. It can be troubling to look downand see an unexpected urine color. Anabnormal urine color can be an early signof a serious medical condition. Butthere's no need to push the panic buttonyet. Urine can also change color forharmless reasons having to do with thefoods you've eaten or medications you'vetaken.Most of the time, urine is a pale yel-

low color because it contains urochrome,one of the substances produced whenthe body breaks down hemoglobin, aprotein in red blood cells.Urine consists of water and waste

products that your kidneys have filteredout of your blood. If your urine turns adark yellow, it may contain less water andmore waste products than usual, whichcan be an indication that you're dehy-drated.But seeing red or orange instead of

the usual yellow can be alarming, espe-cially if there are also symptoms like aburning sensation or pain with urina-tion. To be on the safe side, you shoulddiscuss it with your doctor or another cli-nician.Following is a brief rundown of some

color changes and what they mightmean. We'll start with orange, since youasked.ORANGE: Several medications can

turn urine orange, including isoniazid,the mainstay of tuberculosis (TB) treat-ment; rifampin, another TB drug; highdoses of riboflavin, a B vitamin; andphenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug usedin the treatment of urinary tract infec-tion to ease painful urination. Large

muscle cells that is similar to the hemoglo-bin found in red blood cells.Strenuous exercise can also result in

blood getting into the urine. It may comefrom jostling that damages the bladder insome way. Another possibility is aerobic ex-ercise, which can cause the breakdown ofred blood cells.But there's also a perfectly harmless

cause of red urine called beeturia, whichcBROWN OR BLACK: If the red of redurine is dark, it may look brown or evenblack. In such cases, the causes of brown orblack urine may be the same as those of redurine.But urine can turn truly brown. Biliru-

bin, another breakdown product of hemo-globin, sometimes builds up in the bloodbecause of liver conditions such as hepatitisand cirrhosis, or a bile duct blocked by gall-stones, a tumor, or some other obstacle. Ifsome of that excess bilirubin gets into theurine, the urine can turn a brownish color.Foods that may turn urine brown in-

clude fava beans and rhubarb.MILKY-WHITE: Urinary tract infec-

tions sometimes turn urine a milky-whitecolor. Other causes of whitish urine includeuric acid crystals from eating purine-richfoods, such as anchovies, herring and redmeat, and phosphate crystals from excessparathyroid hormone.

GREEN: Blue pigment can get intourine and mix with the yellow urochrome,making urine look green. It's not an every-day occurrence, but some common med-ications can cause green, or bluish-green,urine. The anesthetic propofol, the stom-ach acid drug cimetidine (Tagamet) and thetricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline(Elavil) can have this effect. The discol-oration is a harmless side effect.Green urine can also be a sign of a uri-

nary tract infection or a bacterial infectionthat has gotten into the blood (bacteremia).PURPLE: Purple is the only urine color

that has a syndrome named after it: purpleurine bag syndrome. It occurs when some-one has a urinary catheter. Bacteria colo-nizing the catheter, the collection bag orboth produce two substances: indirubin,which is red, and indigo, which is blue.They combine to make a bright purplecolor.Discolored urine can be a red-flag warn-

ing of a serious medical problem. But it canalso be a red herring, the innocent byprod-uct of certain foods or medicines. If yoururine is a surprising hue, ask yourself ifthere's a simple explanation -- and then askyour doctor for help if you can't find one.

© 2012. The President and Fellows ofHarvard College.

amounts of carrots or carrot juice mayalso give urine an orange tinge.RED: The red of red urine can vary

from pink to a very dark red. A simpletest can tell if the red color is due toblood in the urine. Inherited conditionssuch as sickle-cell anemia and thalassemiacan cause blood in the urine. So can kid-ney stones, bladder infections or bladdercancer, and, in men, enlargement of theprostate gland.Urine can also turn red if it contains

myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein in

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING18

Why losing weight is so hard to do

“Its never too lateto getmentally focusedandmake a commitment”

HEALTH&FITNESS

By Andrea Johnsonof Everybody’s Fitness, Auburn and Sturbridge

There is a war raging in our streets. Allover the country, belt buckles are loosening asour waistlines grow. As a fitness and weightloss coach I hear it every day. My clients willsay “I just want to lose weight and behealthy.” We talk about their wants andneeds, set goals, and come up with a gameplan that involves eating less calories andadding exercise. But here's the deal. Chang-ing old behaviors is hard to do. Anyone whohas ever tried to change old eating patterns,quit smoking, or banish biting their finger-nails knows that changing old behavior pat-terns is tough stuff and success usually takesseveral attempts.Weight loss is a multi-billion dollar indus-

try, with many repeat customers who havetried every diet out there to lose weight with-out much success, or only to lose weight andthen regain it again. Why is this phenome-non so common? What is it that makes it sohard to lose weight?1. Biology – our DNA doesn't know

that we live in a world full of supermarkets.Our DNA still thinks that food is scarce, andthat we are out hunting and gathering for ournext meal. Our bodies, always ready to battlethe next drought or famine, are very efficientand storing fat because from an evolutionarystandpoint that is what we had to do to sur-vive. Our genes haven't yet received thememo that we can get a pizza delivered to ourdoor in 30 minutes or less.2. Toxic Food environment –

Everywhere you look, you will find food. ATV commercial for food, a magazine adver-tisement for food, food samples in the foodcourt, the smell of Cinnabon driftingthrough the mall, food, Food, FOOD!! Weare bombarded with messages telling us whatto eat, and that we need to eat a lot of it, andthat eating XYZ food will make you happy.In addition to these encouraging messages toeat, food is so easily accessible. It's every-where. Restaurants, supermarkets, cornerstores, gas stations, pharmacies, are all full ofscrumptious and highly processed fat andsugar laden treats to satisfy those hunger crav-

ings. And it's hard to say no. Our genesthink we're starving, and so we give in.3. Sedentary Lifestyles – our an-

cestors that used to hunt and gather were ontheir feet a heck of a lot more than we arenow. Life used to be a lot of manual laborand hard work. That is no longer true intoday's highly technical world. We spendour days sitting. We sit in the car or on thetrain. We sit all day at work. We sit and eatlunch at our desk. Desk jobs in particularare terrible for your health. Forty-four per-cent of desk workers have gained weight onthe job. We sit and have dinner, then we sitagain at the computer or watch TV until wego to bed. All that sitting and lying down isdevastating to our ability to lose weight. Wearen't moving nearly enough to justify all thefood we are taking in.Eat less and move more is the motto, but

how you approach this is what will deter-mine your future success or failure in bothlosing an maintaining weight loss. Now thatyou understand these powerful weight lossbarriers, here are some tips to overcomethem.1. Biology – Perhaps the toughest

one to overcome because you can't changeyour DNA. However, you can change yourmind. In most cases, the biggest barrier toweight loss is the mind. If you don't havethe right mindset, you will struggle in yourjourney to lose weight and keep it off. Souse that mind of yours to overcome thoseautomatic behaviors that are biologicallydriven. You know your body thinks it'sstarving, so don't skip meals and send it intoa tailspin. Plan your meals, stick to the plan,and know those hunger pangs are just pangsof short term discomfort and not ultimatestarvation. Drink 60-80 ounces of water aday, and load up on vegetables at meal andsnack times to trick your body into thinkingit's full.2. Toxic Food Environment –

You can't control the outside environmentmuch, but you can set yourself up for suc-cess in your own home. Throw out all the

junk food and only keep healthy, nutri-tious foods in your home. Plan yourmeals, and prepare your weekly meals inadvance to make it easier during theworkweek. Plan to eat out by going on-line to research healthy options so youdon't accidentally go overboard. If youdon't know the first thing about healthyeating, get some help. Seek out a knowl-edgeable friend, get a book, search theinternet, or get a coach to help you. Los-ing weight is 80% nutrition. You can'tout exercise a bad diet. Increase yourknowledge in this area. The payoff istremendous.3. Sedentary Lifestyles –

This is simple. Get moving. Every sin-gle day. Start my making one change perweek. Walk for 20 minutes every day atlunch. Then add one more change, orincrease the length of time or difficultyof your chosen exercise. Take a hillyroute at lunch or add a pre dinner activ-ity. Find an exercise class you enjoy orother activity that gets your entire bodymoving and sweating. Take a nice longhike on the weekend. Get yourself aworkout buddy and/or hire a fitnesscoach to motivate you to increase yourstrength and work harder.Losing weight is hard work, but if you

ask anyone who has succeeded at it, theywill tell you the hard work was worth it.They feel better, look better, have moreenergy, and will probably live longerthan their overweight peers. Makingsmall but steady lifestyle changes and im-plementing them thoughtfully is yourbest bet for long term success. Remem-ber you are working against some pow-erful barriers and might stumble alongthe way, but if you stay on course youtoo can overcome the biological, envi-ronmental, and lifestyle challenges we allface. It's never too late to get mentallyfocused and make a commitment toyourself. Your health is worth the effort.

Andrea Johnson of Everybody’s Fitness

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING 19

HELP WANTEDSales Rep, Part-Time

MOTHER’S HOURSCQSMedia, owners of SturbridgeTimesMagazine andAuburnTimesMagazine, are looking for a dependable, extremelyorganized self-starter to sell advertising space in the Auburn andSturbridgeTimesMagazines in theWorcestermarket.Excellent earnings potential for the right person in amake-your-own-hours situation.This is an outside sales, commissionopportunity. Excellent training provided. Growth opportunity if desiredwith our next expansion.The right person canstart immediately. Call Paul Carr at 508.347.7077 or respondby email: paulcarr500@gmail.com.

Happy4th!

THE AUBURN TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF AUBURN&OXFORD LIVING20

Happy Fourth of July from the staff ofThe Auburn Times Magazine and all our Advertisers