Cookbook aids medical transport needs of elderly

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Low-income people over the age of 60 and on Medicare are the “only major low-income group that doesn’t have funding” to provide transportation for medical needs, according to Linda Belfiore, director of transportation services for Washington Hancock Community Agency.

“From time to time, we do get some funding from local charities or Eastern Agency on Aging, but for the most part, there is no funding for this group,” she said.

To make up for that lack of funds, WHCA volunteer drivers, staff members, clients and even a WHCA board member offered their favorite family recipes for a new cookbook, “Recipes from the Road.”

The book, which contains 185 recipes, sells for a mere $8, and is available by calling, toll-free (887) 374-8396, by writing WHCA, P.O. Box 280, Milbridge 04658 or by visiting the WHCA office at 24 Bucksport Road in Ellsworth or 2 Maple St. in Milbridge.

“We have a good supply,” Belfiore said of the cookbooks. “We’ve sold about 190 of them and we have 300 more before we have to reorder, which we certainly hope we will have to do.”

Beverly Pinkham of Gouldsboro, the WHCA volunteer driver task force coordinator, guided the process of creating “Recipes from the Road.”

“She is one of our volunteers,” Belfiore said, “and for all the extra time she puts into things, all she gets for it is our thanks.”

The book, which contains “some neat, little household hints in the back,” Belfiore said, is dedicated to the memory of Annie Merchant.

“She was a volunteer driver of ours who in 1996 won the Jefferson Award presented by Gov. King,” Belfiore said. “And even after she became ill, she took her portable dialysis equipment with her and did it in the car, while she waited” for clients she was transporting.

Merchant died last April.

Although the elderly who are receiving Medicaid do have transportation services for medical needs, those who have Medicare do not, Belfiore stressed.

“Because we take anyone over the age of 60, we have a lot of elderly who need medical care” who also need transportation to get to that care, she explained.

WHCA serves all the communities of Washington and Hancock counties, an area that contains “a considerable number of people without medical transportation,” she said.

So, if you are looking for a new cookbook and would like to help the WHCA transportation division get people where they need to be, call or visit one of their offices or, send them a check.

And if you do that, I’d suggest adding a little extra for postage and handling.

Although its name is now John Bapst Memorial High School, those who graduated years ago are alumni of John Bapst High School and its Class of 1967 is planning its 35th reunion for July 27-29.

Brenda Verceles Donroe writes: “Although we have had good luck in contacting the class members, we are unable to locate several of them. It is our hope that the classmate, or perhaps a friend or family member of our missing classmate … will give our contact people a call.”

Information about classmates can be forwarded to Donroe at (603) 669-3100, Ext. 163, during the day or (603) 432-6066 in the evening.

Also serving as contact persons are Bob Sheehan, (720) 205-4289, bsheehan@qwest.net or, locally, Paula Sheehan Paradis, 945-3912 or jalanp@aol.com.

JBHS ’67 is seeking Teresa Ambrose Bowen, Scott Beede, Paul Bilodeau, Jacqueline Bond Kasper, Nancy Buck Cates, Patrick Burke, Harold Buzzell, Pamela Conners Walter, Michael Coughlin, William Dougherty, Sue Field MacLeod, Ruth Fitzpatrick Rioux, Martin Gallant and Marie Giles Warren.

Also Gary Growe, Bonnie Hayden Murphy, Christine Kelly Galonski, Ralph McPherson, Marie McTigue Holmes, Kathleen Melvin Brewster, Kathleen Moore Pearson, Blanche Nicola, Daniel O’Connell, Peter Qualey and Glenn Rice.

Completing the “missing” list are Laurent Rioux, David Roderick, Christina Shaboski Reed, Nancy Shaw Desjardins, Donna Sproul Quam, Irene Tesseo, Irene Thibault Khavari, Regina Toole McCormick, Gerald Trask, Joan Vance Moore, Louise Veilleux Vose and Edward Wagner.

Southern California businessmen Michael Fleming, David Fleming and Paul Kramer are asking individuals, schools, businesses and church congregations to mail valentines to their business so that 1 million valentines can be delivered to members of the military through their program, “Send Your Heart to our Troops.”

The valentines must arrive by Sunday, Feb. 10, for delivery to military bases by Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Valentines can be mailed to “Send Your Heart to our Troops,” c/o Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor Restaurant, 21516 Golden Triangle Road, Santa Clarita, Calif. 91350.

To ease the screening process, the organizers ask that quantities of valentines be sent without envelopes in boxes.

Members of Michael Fleming’s church, Light of the Canyon UMC in Anaheim, are also involved with the project and you can learn more about it by visiting its Web site, www.LOTC.org.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.