The Senior Scene

Where has the time gone? I have been writing for the Hartford News for nearly eighteen years...first when it was the Southside News and had an insert called The Hill Ink, which featured news from Asylum Hill.

I retired from The Travelers in 1979, at the end of March, at age 62, carefully figuring a budget which allowed for a $5, or even $l0, a year increase in rent should it occur. At that time real estate was selling well, apartment blocks were changing hands but who could ever tell what the future would do? Social Security was increasing at 9.9% . Who knew that in 1980 a whopping 14.3% would be the highest COLA ever given?

When my rent was raised $100.00 a month it was obvious I would have to get a job to make up the difference in my tiny pension and at that time less than adequate Social Security. I was fortunate to get a job for two days a week at the Hill Center, at that time a separate organization providing a variety of services to the Asylum Hill Community...now a part of AHOP (Asylum Hill Organizing Project)...where I was to promote some senior programs and write up other programs for the Hill Ink... and so my long association with this Hartford paper was born.

When the funding for The Hill Ink was withdrown it went through some ups and downs and eventually was given up as a lost cause...but somehow my writing appealed to the Southside News and the column Senior Scene was born...Meanwhile, prices contined to rise, condoization was in full bloom, so apartment rents went up as many beautiful apartment blocks were sold to those who wanted to make condos, put out older tenants who did not wish to buy...or did not have the wherewithall to buy a place they had been living in for a long time.

I had taken on an additional job two more days a week at the Hartford County Medical Association, where Florence Case and I had prevailed upon physicians to honor a card called a "Courtesy Card" which gave seniors Medicare's Assigned Rate, lessening any payments which Medicare did not pay. At the time seniors rallied and made a great uproar about having to carry "another card". Of course the uproar quieted when they found it was useful, was taken up by the New Haven Medical Association and eventually by the Connecticut Medical Association and finally has become incorporated into the ConnPACE and ConnMAP cards used by thousands of seniors and disabled all over Connecticut.

In traveling all over the state. to senior housing, senior centers, and other senior groups extolling the usefulness of the Courtesy Card, I began to see the greater needs of the seniors. Meanwhile, I had changed jobs from Hill Center to the Salvation Army Senior Center for two days a week. When the Courtesy Card was finally issued through the state Medical Association and there was no further need for my job in Hartford, I became a four day a week Benefits Advocate at the center and am still working there.

All this has given me lots to write about over the years and has made it possible for me to meet some of the area's most interesting people, which I cherish. I've won a number of awards for my work and I thank Bob Pawlowski for giving me my chance to help the seniors, Bill Doak, who was a great tease, but also a great teacher and the group of writers and artists of the Southside News.

When Jon Harden and his wife, Lynne Lumsden took over the paper in 1989, they became new friends, and the present staff of talented (if slightly zany) people make my Friday's at the word processer fascinating, with their two cents worth on current trends and other totally irrelevant nonsense. There's the kind and thoughtful Andy Hart (General Manager and man of all work); Don Rully, the clever sports chief; Thom Harris, jazz authority and bon vivant, editor of New England Jazz News, (who keeps me posted on jazz events); Jan Rossetti-Ford who keeps up with Hartford's school events and is a crack photographer; Mike McGarry, publisher of Hartford Tonight as well as active City Councilman (an Asylum Hill friend from way back before either of us was associated with the paper) and who is always good for a spirited discussion; Tony DeBonee, photographer of Hartford's past (a gem of a man always with a story to tell); there are others who come in occasionally and light up my life.

Thanks to all of you and Happy 20th Anniversary of our Great Newspaper.

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Correction from last week's column should read: I have nothing against United Healthcare... etc.

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News Item: January's COLA on Social Security will only be 2.1% the lowest amount since 1987. Is the economy picking up or not??????

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Talk with you next issue.