“The [Academy Award nominated] animated film Chico and Rita is set in 1940s Havana, at a time when Cuban musicians were starting to leave the country and join the jazz scene in New York. It was also a time when musical styles were fusing — and changing the Afro-Cuban jazz scene entirely.” Co-director Fernando Trueba [also nominated for an Academy Award for this film] chose Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes, now 94, to play the 
musical parts for Chico in the film and modeled Chico after him. Valdes was a key bandleader and arranger in the Cuban music scene in the ’40s and ’50s. Click here to listen to Trueba’s interview about the film on Fresh Air.
“Chico and Rita” and Bebo Valdez
The Triumph of Marilyn Hagerty, Octogenarian Food Critic
Last spring, Marilyn Hagerty became a Internet sensation because of her earnest, positive review of the Olive Garden restaurant in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She was a breath of fresh air in an environment too often full of snarky criticism.
Then, last fall, Ms. Hagerty was named the winner of a significant national journalism honor, the 2012 Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media. The news was announced at a press conference on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. Spokesperson Jonathan Thompson noted that Hagerty was Al Neuharth’s first editor 65 years ago at The Volante, the USD campus paper. Neuharth, now 88, went on to found USA Today. (See this NPR article.)
And today? Ms. Hagerty’s regular column continues in the Grand Forks Herald where she reported most recently on a local Norwegian-American Christmas service.
Click here to see an interview with Ms. Hagerty after her Olive Garden review went viral.
Volunteer Opportunity: AARP Driver Safety
We’ve posted in the past about the importance of knowing when to give up driving, but it’s also important to know that there are things you or your family member can do to keep driving longer safely. AARP offers a course that teaches the current rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, and how to operate your vehicle more safely. You’ll also learn how you can manage common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction 
time. Some of you might be interested in taking the course, but did you also know that you can volunteer to teach, coordinate, or market AARP safe driving classes? Read more here to volunteer; read more here if you’d like to take the course. Help keep our roads safe for everyone!
Graying City of New York Means More Cases of Elder Abuse
“Those who work with seniors say elder abuse is a hidden public health crisis, and no class or ethnic group is immune.” No city or town is immune, either, and every organization that tries to help faces significant funding obstacles. Read more in this article by Suzanne Travers for City Limits. ~ If you or someone you know need help, in Los Angeles you can call the Elder Abuse Hotline at (877) 477-3646. Click here for more information.
International Perspective: Grandmas and Their Cooking
Thinking about Grandma’s cooking usually conjures pleasant, nostalgic memories for most of us. Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti wanted to learn what these memories are for people in different cultures around the world, so he’s documented grandmas and their favorite dishes for his photo project entitled “Delicatessen with love.” Click here to read more and see more pictures from this charming project.
Creativity and the Brain
“Charles Limb wants to know what happens in our brains when we play piano. Limb, a professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has a side project that involves brain research. He’s also on the faculty at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.” Dr. Limb’s studies are designed to help us learn how creativity works. Read more here, and here’s his fascinating TED Talk (17 min).
Worth Repeating: Triad Program Protects Seniors from Scams
“Worth Repeating” is a weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 1/1/12:
From the National Association of Triads, Inc. website:
Triad is a partnership of three organizations – law enforcement, senior citizens, and community groups. The sole purpose of Triad is to promote senior safety and to reduce the fear of crime that seniors often experience.
What Triads do:
- Educate: by sponsoring crime prevention and public education for older adults.
- Assist: by recruiting and training volunteers to assist police departments, sheriff’s offices and other agencies.
- Support: by identifying community resources and providing referrals to older persons to help reduce fear and lend moral support.
- Unite: by involving the senior population, law enforcement, community agencies and individuals to identify problem areas in their communities.
At the National Association of Triads, Inc., we assist you in organizing your Triad program at the grass-roots level, provide ideas and programs to implement in your community, and training materials for your law enforcement, senior volunteers, and community groups.
Visit the Triad website to find locations where Triads are already organized and, if you don’t find one in your town, the website offers tips on how to organize one. Click here to read an article about a Triad that’s working in Maryland.
