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Local dance studio steps up for aspiring young dancers

6 Jan

A local dance school has found a heartwarming way to share the joy of dance with children in need.

The dance families at Spins Dance Studio recently packaged up and shipped out 143 dance costumes, leotards, skirts and accessories to Tutus for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization based in Northern New Jersey.

Tutus for Tomorrow collects new and gently-used dancewear and donates it to kids who need it. It was established by high school students Dusty and Naia Narula in late 2024, who work with nonprofit studios, studios in low-income areas, and individual dancers. Through their donations, they help make dance more welcoming and accessible for all.

The Spins Dance Studio effort was organized by Linda Meyers, whose daughter Julia dances with the school. Linda wrote,

I was clearing out Julia’s dress-up closet and was trying to find a way to recycle her dance costumes, most of which had only been worn once. I didn’t have any luck finding a local organization, and a couple of the organizations I emailed didn’t reply, but Tutus for Tomorrow did! 

She approached dance studio owner Shannon Carey-Wollshleger with the idea, and Shannon embraced it enthusiastically, Linda said. So in December, Linda posted a flyer and set up a collection bin at the studio.

The donations started rolling in almost immediately. By the end of the month, they’d collected more than 140 pieces of dancewear, so many that they covered Linda’s entire family room floor when they were all spread out. With help from Julia and her best friend Lilliana, and Linda’s mom Nancy, they sorted all of the donations and packed them all up into four large boxes, which shipped out last Friday.

Tutus for Tomorrow founder Naia Narula was thrilled when Linda wrote to her to tell her the boxes were on their way.

Naia wrote,

Wow — thank you so, so much. I am genuinely blown away by your generosity. Four boxes and around 150 items is incredible, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the time, care, and thought you put into collecting and sending everything. Please know that these donations will absolutely find good homes. Even as Tutus For Tomorrow continues to grow and evolve, the heart of the work has always been making sure dancewear gets into the hands of dancers and programs who truly need it, and these items will make a real difference for so many students.

Kudos to the entire Spins Dance Studio family for making a difference in the lives of young dancers.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 1/6/2026)

Looking back at the year in blogs

30 Dec

As I like to do at the end of every year, a few days ago I took a stroll back through all of the blogs I wrote in 2025. It’s always a fun exercise, as I review all of the events, business openings and closings, people and places that I found to share with you all. They reflect the extraordinary diversity of people, places and events we have here in Webster, and how close-knit this town is.

In the last 12 months, counting today, I posted 334 blogs. That works out to about 28 blogs every month. And thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I managed to keep up that pace even though I was in Prague for six weeks. It’s also interesting (at least to me) to note that the blogs were viewed more than 238,000 times. Fourteen of the top twenty blogs were about new businesses, the most popular one being an update on The Coach renovations — which was my best-read blog of the year.

As in previous years, my photo galleries following events like the Trick or Treat Trail and Fireman’s Parade were also big draws, and my History Bits — highlighting local history — are also still very popular.

If you’ve got a few minutes and would find it interesting, I’ve pulled out my favorite blogs from each month. My posts have run the gamut from special events to special people, new businesses to new trails. But you’ll notice that many of my favorite blogs are the ones where I share personal stories and everyday moments, the kinds of things that may not seem very exciting, but are what make our lives interesting and meaningful.

If something really strikes your fancy and you want to read any of them again, click through the hyperlink.


My two favorite blogs in January were about local history: the Irondequoit Bay Bridge and the first of my six-stop History Bit Webster Museum tour. The bridge blog was a follow-up on two blogs I’d posted the previous March when the Bay Bridge celebrated a birthday. Like those, this one about how the bridge had won an award also garnered several “likes.”

In February I caught up with a village neighbor of mine who will often hitch up her dogs to a dogsled and run them through village neighborhoods. This was a good example of a great community story which I was alerted to by one of my readers. Usually the best blog ideas come from my readers.

Jack’s Happy Hour celebrated its five-year anniversary in March. I first wrote about this nightly gathering of Brooksboro Dr. neighbors in 2022, when they were celebrating the occasion of having come together for a beverage every night for 1000 days straight. Last March they marked five straight years of gatherings. Every. Single. Night. For five years.That was definitely worth a blog.

In April, I posted what would become one of my most popular History Bits, about Willow Point Park. So many people fondly remember the old amusement park and shared a lot of memories. That month I also highlighted Webster Schroeder graduate Adam Marino, who was playing Frankie Valli in OFC Creations’ production of Jersey Boys.

My two favorite blogs in May were both personal reflections. I wrote about my recent trip to Prague, and how I successfully completed my first (and only) half marathon upon my return. Both were extremely memorable experiences. One of them I would like to do again. I’ll leave it to you to guess which one.

In June, my favorite blog was probably the shortest, when School Resource Officer David Herrle joined me in a dramatic reading of Mo Willems’ We Are in a Book, starring Elephant and Piggie. I was substituting at State Rd. Elementary when he happened to pop into the library and I corralled him. I love showing that police officers are fun-loving people, too.

I highlighted the WEBSTER bushes in July, the ones that welcome visitors to town on Rt. 104. They have some interesting history. I also enjoyed highlighting an unusual benefit to living in the Village of Webster when I wrote about how the Webster Marching Band practices at Spry Middle School during the summer and provides my own personal band concert.

In August, I followed up another blog idea submitted by a reader when I attended a Front Porch Pickin’ social event on Millcreek Run. I wrote a History Bit about the Forest Lawn Train accident, and shared some thoughts about some trail riding my husband and I did in Penn Yan and Waterloo, where we saw some beautiful scenery and explored some Civil War history.

I was honored to be invited to Jack’s Happy Hour again in September when the Brooksboro gang celebrated their 2,000-night anniversary. (They SAID it would be their last time, but I don’t think it was….) The whimsical Holt Rd. skeletons were back in action for Halloween, and I had to share this year’s cleverness with everyone. Also in September, I introduced everyone to young Pierson Farina and his “Returns for a Reason” initiative in which he collects returnables and donated the funds to local nonprofits.

In October I featured Judah Sealy — who doesn’t live in Webster but plays every year at the Webster Jazz Festival — who landed the role of Clarence Clemons in the new Bruce Springsteen movie. I also wrote another more personal piece about my running buddies and two races we did together that month.

In November, I caught up with Fritz Sierk, owner of The Coach, for an update on his repairs and renovations. It proved to be my best-read blog of the year. I also gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite local organizations, the Friends of Webster Trails, when I tagged along to watch the installation of a trail counter. And I visited those crazy Holt Rd. skeletons again, who for the holiday season had been transformed into the Rockettes.

Finally, in December I posted my annual gallery of photos from the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights festivities. People love these galleries and it makes me feel good that I’m able to share events like this with people who can’t attend, especially those who now live out of state. And just a few weeks ago I wrote what might be my favorite blog of the entire year, about when a representative from Toter/Wastequip came to town and presented Pierson Farina with his very own “Returns For a Reason” toter, making his biggest Christmas wish come true.


Whew. If you’re still with me, thank you for reading this far. I hope you found it interesting to revisit some of this year’s blogs. And remember that if you ever think of something or see something that might make for an interesting blog, PLEASE drop me an email. As I said, the best blog ideas come from my readers.

Thanks again for reading, and all of your likes, comments and messages. Please have a safe and happy new year.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/30/2025)

Webelos Scouts visit Bella’s Bumbas to learn about disabilities

22 Dec

Two young Webelos Scouts recently got some first-hand experience understanding children with disabilities when they visited the Bella’s Bumbas workshop to see the organization’s operation.

Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit grassroots organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues.

John Wood and Declan Walluk, both fourth graders from Pack 250 in Penfield, began their visit by chatting with 5-year old Lyla Deane, who has spina bifida. Lyla, a kindergartner at East Palmyra Christian School, is in a more normal-sized wheelchair now but got her first of two Bella’s Bumba wheelchairs when she was just 18 months old.

With help from Den Leader Sarah Walluk, who prompted the Scouts and asked several of her own questions, the boys learned why Lyla is in a wheelchair and what spina bifida is (“when you have stuff pop out of your body,” Lyla explained, “and you have to get an x-ray and you have to get a shot and you have to get a wheelchair”). They learned how she wheels herself around and about the accommodations she gets at school, like using an elevator and having physical therapy sessions.

But they also learned that, just like other kids, Lyla takes a bus to school, enjoys music class, likes to play outside and climb on the “spidey-thing” (which, she assured us, does NOT attract spiders), and her favorite part of school is recess. And when Sarah asked Lyla if there’s anything she thinks is really hard to do because she has spina bifida and has to be in a wheelchair, her answer was immediate: “No.”

After their conversation, the boys worked with Marty to build a Bumba wheelchair.

The visit was part of the Scouts’ effort to earn their Aware and Care Scouting Adventure badge, which has four requirements:

  • Do an activity that shows the challenges of a being visually impaired.
  • Do an activity that shows the challenges of being hearing impaired.
  • Explore barriers to access.
  • Meet someone who has a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities about what obstacles they must overcome and how they do it.

Den Leader Walluk said that, in addition to fulfilling one of the badge’s requirements, she hoped the visit would “inspire them to see how one person can start small and make a big difference.”

But perhaps the most important lesson learned was this: even though a kid might have a disability, kids are still kids. They like to play and sing and have friends — and recess is their favorite part of school.

An update on the new Bella’s Bumbas garage

Last spring, Marty and Rebecca realized they needed to do SOMETHING. They were rapidly running out of storage and workshop space. So they held a fundraising effort to raise money to replace their small and dilapidated garage with a 22′ by 30′ garage, complete with a concrete floor, shelving, and lots of room to expand. Their goal was to raise $60,000.

By the end of August, they’d met and exceeded that goal, raising $63,000. Construction began almost immediately, and the beautiful new garage is now standing. Rebecca and Marty would like to thank:

  • the anonymous Bella’s Bumba supporter who donated and installed a larger overhead door
  • Wm. B. Morse Lumber
  • Catalino Gutter Systems
  • the amazing team of volunteers who did all of the inside finishing work including il=insulation, heating, electrical, lighting and shelving
  • the amazing community members from Webster and beyond who supported the project with their donations from day 1

The overall project was headed up by volunteer Tom Dobbins with the shelving design by Joe Callan.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/21/2025)

Check out these amazing Christmas light displays

21 Dec

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about how much I enjoy driving around this time of year and seeing all of the Christmas lights. I invited readers to tell me if they knew of any particularly spectacular displays so I could share them with you. I received several emails and texts in response, and a few days ago I tracked down several of the recommendations I received.

Two of them in particular are blow-you-away amazing. Like, the kind of displays a city or town will set up in a park for people to drive through. These two are just that — set up along long driveways and expansive properties, hidden from the main roads, so you have to drive THROUGH them to experience their full glory. AND they’re so popular that the homeowners have turned them into fundraisers (keep reading to learn about that).

The first is located at 838 Shoemaker, created by the former owners of Hanks Ice Cream on North Ave. in the Village of Webster. Cindy Frank wrote about their display:

We use to do a light show at our house 20 years ago. And then when we owned Hanks, moved it up there for several years till we closed. All the decorations/lights & blow ups were in a trailer in the back. My husband wanted to recreate for our youngest grandchildren this year. He pulled out all the “Xmas stuff”; lots of damage from squirrels and mice but he’s been able to recreate a lot of it.

The Franks held an official lighting ceremony on the 13th (someone nearby even told me they heard fireworks), and will have the display lit from 5 to 9 p.m. every night through New Year’s. Look for the signs on the north side of Shoemaker Rd. and drive down Candy Cane Lane to see the spectacle.

The Franks’ display is also a fundraiser for Webster Comfort Care Home and 9 Mile Point Club, a local non-profit that supports needy families. Look for the collection mailbox along the driveway toward the end of the route.

There’s no way to adequately describe this display. Cindy sent a few photos which are below, but I also tried to capture most of it on video. It does a rather poor job of capturing the splendor, but you get the idea:

This next display is as spectacular as the Franks’ and is also a fundraiser.

You can see it at 1028 Bay Rd., down a (very bumpy) dirt driveway just north of the Bay Rd./Ridge Rd. intersection in West Webster. This stop was one of the last on my lights tour, so I didn’t have the energy to drive through it, but the traffic assistant (yes, it’s big enough for a traffic assistant) told me it stretched back for quite a distance. I did take a few photos:

This amazing display is a fundraiser for Camp Haccamo, a Rotary camp which serves children and adults with special needs.

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These two next Christmas light displays which readers shared with me are not as large-scale as those first two, but are spectacular in their own right:

1213 Severn Ridge

843 Independence Dr.

And on your travels, definitely make sure to head up to Lake Rd. This last display is courtesy Holly Anderson and her family, who have been doing this beautiful presentation for 30 years (video courtesy Holly):

These photos and videos don’t do justice to the incredible-ness of these displays, so make sure to head out in the next few days to see them for yourselves.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/21/2025)

The Hojack elves are at it again

20 Dec

The snow is gone and temperatures aren’t TOO bad, so it’s a great time to take a walk along the Hojack Trail. And when you do, you might just come across a wee bit of holiday cheer.

An ambitious trail elf has once again added some cheerful decorations along the Hojack Trail between Drumm and Vosburg roads. Margaret Supinski was kind enough to snap a few photos and share them. This is at least the second year the decorations have appeared; around this time last year, Margaret sent along photos from the Hojack as well, which I posted in this blog.

Whoever’s responsible, thank you for spreading happiness and brightening our days!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/20/2025)

A heartwarming surprise for Pierson, CCO (Chief Collections Officer) of “Returns for a Reason”

18 Dec

You remember Pierson Farina. He’s the Spry Middle School 6th grader who established his own fund-raising operation earlier this year which he calls “Returns for a Reason.” His goal is to collect returnables from family members, neighbors, schoolmates, strangers — anyone and everyone — and every time he raises $100, he donates it to some worthy organization.

I first wrote about Pierson in September when he donated his first $100 check to the Webster Volunteer Fire Department, and then again in October to report that he’d already raised and donated $200 more, to Lollypop Farm and Honor Flight Rochester.

But that’s only a small part of the Pierson Farina story, and not what today’s blog is about.

You see, Pierson loves all things about garbage and recycling. Or, more specifically (as he says on his “96 Gallons of Fun!” YouTube channel), he loves “garbage trucks, garbage cans, recycle bins, composting, you name it!” He owns at least two model garbage trucks, runs his own small business cleaning garbage cans for his neighbors, and the trash and recycling truck drivers who service his street have gotten to know him very well.

Pierson loves garbage trucks and garbage cans so much that back in October he wrote a letter to Toter, Inc., a waste container manufacturer based in Statesville, NC, asking for his “dream Christmas present,” an official Toter wheeled cart — specifically, a green one with an orange lid.

No one, not even his mother, Catherine, expected a response. So she was just as surprised as anyone when a Toter representative reached out about a month later to arrange a surprise special delivery and make Pierson’s Christmas wish come true.

That heartwarming event unfolded Wednesday afternoon when Toter Regional Sales Manager Jamie Butler pulled up in front of Pierson’s house and unloaded the Toter cart. Moments later, a Casella Waste Systems side-loader garbage truck rumbled up behind her and started blasting its horn.

At first, Pierson had no idea why a garbage truck was idling outside his house. But when he stepped and spotted the Toter — a green one with an orange lid — topped with a giant green bow and personalized with his name and “Returns for a Reason,” he was speechless.

After Pierson had a chance to thoroughly inspect his shiny new recycling cart, Casella truck driver Anthony McQueen invited him to sit in the truck and operate the side-loader, grabbing and “emptying” the can into the truck’s bay. Then Pierson placed his first full bag of returnables into the can — the first of many to come, for sure.

It was a day that he will not soon forget.

Channel 13 was there as well, and filmed the whole event for their Wednesday night “Bright Spot” segment, which you can see here. (He was also the featured Bright Spot when he presented his check to the WVFD.)

Kudos to Wastequip/Toter and Casella Waste Systems for pulling this surprise together and making Pierson’s Christmas wish come true.

Here’s a bunch more photos:


More about Toter, from their corporate office:

Toter has been a leader in waste and recycling solutions for more than 50 years, providing durable, innovative containers that help keep neighborhoods clean and sustainable. As a national company, we proudly serve haulers, cities, and towns across the country (in Webster they work with Casella Waste Systems) including communities like Webster—with products designed to make waste collection easier, safer, and more efficient. Our commitment to quality and sustainability continues to set the standard in the industry, and we’re excited to share stories that inspire creativity and community pride.

Marty Bryant, Toter CEO, wrote, “Pierson’s enthusiasm for our products is a great reminder of how creativity starts young. We’re proud to bring his vision to life and hope this Toter container inspires even more content on his (YouTube) channel.” 

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/18/2025)

On the lookout for nice Christmas light displays

6 Dec

Like most families, my family has a pile of holiday traditions. Many of them have been handed down through the generations, like creating salt-dough ornaments, making cut-out Christmas cookies and my grandmother’s butterkuchen recipe, walking barefoot in the snow, and of course, decorating a fresh-cut Christmas tree every year with so many decorations that it’s hard to see the branches.

Over the years, as the kids have grown and moved on to celebrate the holidays with their own families, some of those traditions have fallen by the wayside. Salt-dough ornaments are a thing of the past, and there are fewer cut-out cookies. And in a nod to our advancing years, my husband and I finally invested in an artificial tree instead of cutting one down.

At least one tradition has held firm however — driving around and checking out Christmas light displays. I still like to do that the week before Christmas Day, especially in the village, where the light displays are enhanced by each neighborhood’s charm. The little white lights are nice, but I especially like the more traditional look of the old-fashioned, colored bulbs, which seem to be experiencing a renaissance.

So, kids or not, I’m going to take a drive out and about sometime later this week to check out some Christmas lights. Do you know of any particularly nice displays I should look up? Anything unusual or especially creative?  Let me know by commenting below, or send me an email at missyblog@gmail.com, and I’ll share your suggestions with all my readers. Take a photo if you can!

And yes, I will definitely be doing some barefoot snow walks this year. That tradition will never die.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 12/6/2025)

Special Santa visit honored WWFD firefighters

13 Nov

Santa made an early stop at the West Webster Fire Department (WWFD) on Wednesday evening, bringing holiday cheer to families who came out for photos, smiles, and a little Christmas magic before the season kicks into full swing.

The visit was an early chance for children to share their Christmas gift wishes with Santa, and every child left the station with a new stuffed animal. But the evening wasn’t just for the kids. It also gave firefighters and their families a chance to take fun, holiday-themed photos — complete with their turnout gear if they wanted — which they could then use for holiday cards or to share with their loved ones. It was also a way for Santa himself to thank these dedicated volunteers for their service and the sacrifices they and their families make to keep Webster safe.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 11/13/2025)

There’s no place like home

5 Oct

So I was out of town for most of the last two weeks, which some of my most loyal readers might have suspected given the rather sporadic nature of my blog posting. My husband and I took a trip up to Maine — a state neither of us had been to before — by way of Cape Cod, where I have family.

I studiously avoided calling the trip a “vacation,” since retirement itself is kind of a long-term vacation. And I managed to write and schedule a lot of blogs in advance to automatically post almost every day so that I basically didn’t have to “work” at all while we were traveling.

It was a terrific trip, dampened only by the heavy rains we encountered in Cape Cod, which apparently the entire Northeast was experiencing at the same time. The weather during the following eight days, however, was gloriously sunny and warm, which made up for the soggy start.

From Cape Cod we headed north for two days in Camden, Maine, then three days in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, then spent some time in Concord, Mass., soaking up some Revolutionary War history. We saw spectacular scenery, met some nice people, learned some history and did a lot of hiking and bike riding.

But, funny thing …. as enjoyable as every day was, my mind kept coming back to Webster.

  • As I drove through the peak colors in Concord, I wondered if that beautiful red maple in front of the Baptist Church was in its full glory yet.
  • As I rode along an Acadia Park Carriage Trail, bursting with colorful autumn foliage, I thought of the equally beautiful Four Mile Creek Trail — my favorite of all the Webster trails.
  • As I hiked up Mt. Megunticook in Camden and saw a sign soliciting volunteers to help maintain the trails, I thought, “Hmmm…. the Friends of Webster Trails should do that, ’cause they need volunteers ….”
  • As I let the bracingly cold ocean surf run over my toes on Sand Beach in Acadia, I wondered if Lake Ontario is warmer at this time of year.
  • As I wandered through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, I took special note of gravestones which needed to be righted or cleaned, and thought of the hard work being done at Webster Union Cemetery to do that for our founding fathers’ stones.
  • And as I lay my head down on my pillow at the historic Colonial Inn hotel in Concord that last night, I thought, “This is nice, but it will be nice to be in my own bed tomorrow night.”

I think the lesson I learned these last few weeks is that it’s a lot of fun to see new places, chalk up some new experiences, meet new people and try new foods. I loved every minute of it, but in the end, my heart remains solidly in Webster.

It’s good to be home.

(Click here if you’re at all interested in seeing more photos from the trip.)

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 10/5/2025)

“Aging … better” is a new online resource for active older adults

21 Sep

I am no longer the only blogger in the family.

My husband Jack has recently launched an online publication which should be of interest to all of us who are getting older, and especially anyone who wants to make sure they’re doing all they can to stay healthy and make the best of our senior years.

It’s called Aging … better, a blog and newsletter created on Substack. The site has news and information about topics such as nutrition and exercise that support active older living. But it also will include coverage of the important topic of caregiving for older adults. 

Those topics may at first glance seem contradictory, but really aren’t. People naturally want to remain as vital as they can as long as possible, but the connection between aging and caregiving is almost inevitable. Government statistics show that anyone 65 or older has a 70 percent chance of needing some kind of assistive care before the end of their lives.

In fact, even as many adults strive to be vital and active in their 50s and 60s, they find themselves as caregivers for parents in their 80s or 90s. So Aging … better’s subject matter is complementary even as it addresses two very different aspects of older life. 

Examples of recent posts include how resistance training can prevent muscle loss, how self-care is important for caregivers, eating tips for better health, and a collection of online links for organizations that support caregivers.

Jack’s interest in creating this new resource was sparked by several things. His interest in elder issues in large part came from a two-year stint with the New York & Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, a nonprofit news organization which focused its coverage on caregiving for older adults. His own experiences helping care for his aging parents provided a personal perspective on caregiving issues.

Plus, as a long-time journalist (including 18 years at the D&C) and journalism professor, Jack likes to write (like me) and share his knowledge with the greater community.

All information published on Aging … better is freely available, without advertising or paid subscription. The site can be found at agingbetter.substack.com. Site visitors may register to receive email updates of the latest reports, but it’s not required.

Check it out and see what you think!  

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/21/2025)