The A-RE-NEWS
Newsletter of the Association of
Retirees of Eversource and
Northeast Utilities (ARENU)
PO Box 270 Hartford CT 06141-0270
JANUARY-MARCH 2018 Volume 29 No. 1
Dear Fellow ARENU Members:
I think you get the picture.
Perhaps it is my age (73) that
has changed the way I look at
things. It is never too late to
smell the roses. Many of us
have not kept in touch with friends and family that don’t live
nearby, but have had pleasant interactions with over the years.
It’s time to reconnect. Life can be short, so perhaps enjoy life
by enjoying live entertainment, or going on a trip with family,
and old and new friends.
Fidelity 401k Fixed Income Account
The interest rate on the Eversource 401k Fixed Income
Account from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018 is now 2.6%.
That is a 4% increase from the previous rate of 2.5%.
The following article was written by
Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri LLC
We have had Paul Czepiga give several presentations at our
CT Chapter meeting on legal issues affecting retirees.
How To Keep Your Brain Strong: 3 Great Ways to Build
Your Mental Muscles
Just as keeping physically fit is important as we
age, so is keeping mentally fit. More research is
being done on how adults can work out their
“mental muscles” to keep their minds sharp
A Message from the CT Chapter
President ..................................... 1-2
News from Other Chapters ................ 2-4
Trips & Entertainment ........................ 5-6
Obituaries ......................................... 7-8
WHAT’S
INSIDE
and possibly put off or avoid the onset of Alzheimer’s and
dementia.
1. Engage in physical exercise. Surprised that physical
exercise tops the list? You shouldn’t be. Exercise is arguably
the single most effective way to keep the mind sharp and
the memory strong.
Any type of physical exercise that gets the heart rate up is good
for the brain as well as the body.
Among its many benefits to the brain, exercise leads to increases
in the size of the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory
consolidation and navigation. Interestingly, the hippocampus is
one of the first brain structures to be affected by Alzheimer’s
disease.
Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and weight lifting are all good
choices for physical exercise in seniors. The CDC recommends
that adults over 65 engage in 150 minutes of moderate intensity
activity each week, the equivalent of a 20-minute walk every day.
2. Learn something new. The brain
loves to learn, and active learning of
new skills forces the brain to make
new connections.
The key here is “new”. It’s a challenge to learn new things, and
that challenge is what brings the most benefit to the brain. This
might include learning how to play an instrument, play a new
card game, quilt or crochet, make jewelry, use a digital camera,
or speak a new language, to name just a few.
3. Maintain social connections. Maintaining social
connections is not just good for our emotional health, but
for our physical and mental health, too. Lack of contact with
other people can lead to excess stress hormones, which can
impair memory by affecting sleep cycles and
the hippocampus. It can also cause
depression and anxiety, both of which impair
cognition and memory.
This is a particular problem for seniors. Their
social circle may shrink after they retire from
work or stop going out much due to health reasons. Seniors
should make a point to actively maintain social connections by
attending events like classes, clubs, and religious services.
Homebound seniors should take advantage of
technology to keep in touch with friends and family
via email, video chat, and the phone.
(continued on Page 2)
From the CT Chapter President
Recently I have been notic-
ing the little things in life that
make living so wonderful. Things
like walking my neighborhood on
a sunny early spring day, watch-
ing the robins build their nests,
enjoying the company of good
friends, experiencing a tasty
meal.
Larry Levy
ARENU CHAPTER NEWS
CT President’s Letter (continued from Page 1)
One great way to get social interaction is to take up dance
lessons. Not only do you spend time with other people,
you also get the brain benefits of physical exercise and of
learning a new skill.
What about puzzles? Crossword puzzles, sudoku and
“brain training games” are a lot of fun, but research isn’t
conclusive about whether they actually have a positive
long-term effect on the brain and help stave off
Alzheimer’s. However, if you enjoy them, it can’t hurt.
Go ahead – make some plans for the New Year to start
building your mental muscles!
Upcoming CT Chapter Meetings
Please mark your calendars with the
following dates of our monthly
meetings, which begin at 10:00 a.m.
in the Eversource Berlin office:
April 11 Tom Nash, expert on identity theft
May 16 Professor Gigliotti to speak about
Frank Sinatra
June 20 Paul Czepiga, Elder Law attorney
September 12 No speaker scheduled
October 17 No speaker scheduled
November 28 Holiday Luncheon
Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy new
year!
Sincerely,
Larry Levy
Connecticut Chapter President
E-Mail: LEVYL2@Yahoo.com
(860) 523-9570
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RETIREES LUNCHEON
The 9th annual luncheon was held on March 6
th
. Dick and
Donna Drasdis hosted the event with 35 retirees and guests
attending. Thanks to the generous donations from several retirees,
a free raffle was held with most attendees winning wine, restaurant
gift cards or trinkets.
All attendees were very impressed with the Peridia Golf & Country
Club in Bradenton, Florida, and with its meals and service. The
same venue has been reserved for next year's luncheon, which will
be held on March 5, 2019.
The Florida weather is always fantastic at this time of year and
quite a bit warmer than New England's, so it’s hoped that many
more retirees can attend in 2019. Please go to the following website
to view pictures of the event:
2018swflnuretireeluncheon.shutterfly.com
MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER
Spring Breakfast Meeting – We will once again have our
Spring breakfast meeting at the Bluebonnet Diner on
Thursday, May 3 with a start time of 9:00 a.m. The all-you
-can-eat breakfast buffet will be served from 9:30 – 10:30
a.m. We have an interesting and informative speaker at this
meeting. Brenda Labbe from Greater Springfield Senior
Services will be our
guest speaker. She will
talk about “Services,
Resources, and
Opportunities for Older
Adults”. Reservation
information will be
mailed soon – so SAVE THE DATE!!
“WATTz UP” - Bob Abair prepares this news brief for the
Massachusetts Chapter. Our members truly enjoy reading
about their co-workers and reminiscing about the past. We
all can appreciate the “good old days” when we read the
newsletters. Thank you, Bob, for all the time and effort!
Below is the October issue about our past Chapter President,
Jim Lucey! Hope you enjoy reading this issue. Bob is
working on another issue to be published soon.
(continued on Page 3)
2
ARENU CHAPTER NEWS
MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER (continued from page 2)
****** WATTz UP ******
A News Brief by the Massachusetts Chapter of ARENU
Published occasionally
Volume 1 Issue 5 Direct mail to: arenuwmeco@gmail.com
October 2017
A SUSTAINING FORCE
As I began to prepare the following feature article for this issue, I thought hard about who would be of interest to our
members and who would they likely enjoy knowing more about. In the last few issues, I have written about our ARENU leaders.
Least we forgot, there is one individual whose leadership stands out.
Our featured person was a recent President of the WMECo. Chapter and a leader in his many positions, over the years,
within our company. This likeable, calm, soft spoken, gentle person is a friend to all that he encounters. I’m sure by now you have
guessed that the featured person of this issue is none other than Jim Lucey. I am proud to present this write-up that he and I have
written for your enjoyment.
Jim was born in 1937 and was blessed with a partner - a twin by the name of Louise. He had 5 additional siblings…all
girls. It was told that he was favored because of his lone status as the only boy, but that, according to him was only hearsay. He
attended St. Michael’s Catholic School in Northampton and graduated in 1954. At the time of his graduation, Jim worked part-time
as a repairman in the typewriter shop located in the basement of Northampton Commercial College. He continued to work there
during his first year out of high school.
He then joined the U.S. Air Force in the fall of 1955 and was sent to Sampson AFB in New York State for basic training. He
was then assigned to Kirkland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he was trained as a metals specialist. In the fall of 1956, he
was assigned to Chaumont AFB, France where he was attached to the 494
th
Tactical Fighter Squadron under the 48
th
Fighter
Bomber Wing. He cross-trained while in the 494
th
to a Hydraulic Specialist and worked on the F86 and F100 jet fighters. While
assigned overseas, Jim had many TDY (temporary duty) assignments to Africa where the Squadron’s pilots were trained in gunnery
and bombing missions. Most of the assignments were spent in Libya at the Air Force base in Tripoli. He completed his military duty
in the fall of 1959 and returned to his home in Northampton.
He returned to the typewriter shop for a short period of time and started taking courses at Holyoke Community College. He
next took a position with Hamilton Standard (HS) where he worked in their Quality Control Metals shop.He moved on from there to
become an engineering assistant in the HS’s space program while continuing his studies attending night classes. He left Hamilton to
attend the University of Massachusetts full-time in the mechanical engineering program. Jim graduated in 1969. He returned to
HS’s space program following graduation for one year before being laid off during the engineering rollback in 1970. One other
future WMECo engineer was also affected by that rollback - Charlie Glinski. Charlie convinced Jim to apply to Holyoke Water
Power Co. Jim applied at HWP and was hired the next day by Carl Schmidt. Jim started with HWP as a field engineer, under the
supervision of Wayne Boulais. Jim worked with Guy Beaudet as an understudy, learning the hydro operation in Holyoke and
becoming familiar with the substations and distribution systems. Jim also enjoyed working with the work force there and became
very active in the social activities of the employees. As was true of all employees there, Jim was most fond of Robert Barrett and his
care and consideration for the HWP Company and its employees. It was an exceptional way to become involved in the utility
business. During his time at HWP, Jim continued his studies at Western New England College. He received his MBA degree in 1969.
Shortly after HWP was bought by Northeast Utilities, Jim was given the opportunity to join WMECo. Jim joined WMECo in
August 1977 as a field engineer assigned to Brush Hill operations. It was there that he joined up once again with Charlie Glinski
working together on Transmission and Distribution studies under Dana Louth, supervisor of WMECo’s Planning and Dispatch
departments. This was another very good learning experience for Jim, thanks to the help of many employees and patient and talented
supervision. WMECo was a cut-above most utility companies in Jim’s eyes, because of the quality of the personnel and the
knowledge of many of the engineers/technicians, as well as the character of its workforce.
(continued on page 4)
3
ARENU CHAPTER NEWS
MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER (continued from page 3)
After three years at Brush Hill, Jim was given the opportunity to work in the field under Walt Wandeloski in the Greenfield
Work Center. He took the position of Substation Supervisor held by Ed Bergiel who was retiring. It was here that Jim first became
familiar with what’s required to supervise and manage personnel and attend to the needs of the people working with him.
Maintenance of the substation and hydro facilities in the Greenfield area was another new experience in that the substations were
larger and more sophisticated.
Jim returned to Brush Hill in November 1984 as a Planning Engineer. During his time in this position, he hired several
engineers to assist with the planning of the WMECo. distribution system. With the new engineers and the experience of people like
Rich Towsley and the regional technicians, the department became very efficient at creating projects to remedy the reliability
problems. Jim was promoted to Manager Regional Systems Engineering in December 1991. A downsizing of the company over the
next two years required personnel reductions in all areas. In October 1993, Jim reluctantly retired after 24 years of service.
Jim has always felt that he was a very fortunate individual having been employed by two very employee-conscious
companies during his working lifetime. Those two companies were HWP and WMECo. After his retirement, Jim stayed connected to
the company by working part-time on projects in the Connecticut towns of Northeast Utilities. Additionally, he worked for Neil
Tompkins in WMECo’s Customer Service Center gathering information for storm preparation.
In 1995 Bob O’Brien asked Jim to come to an ARENU meeting with the intent of replacing Bob as president. Bob and his
wife, Arlene, continued to help Jim with the activities of ARENU through 2013. Recently, Colleen Mason and Michele Witowski have
taken over as the co-Chairpersons of ARENU. Jim added that he is confident that they are doing and will continue to do a great job.
Now this next part is truly a “love at first sight” story. He met a very pretty young lady working at the candy counter in a
local department store soon after his discharge from the Air Force. He found out her name and as the story goes, shortly afterwards
they started their courtship. Jim still considers himself to be very lucky for having found the love of his life. On June 15, 1963,
Dorothy Bertrand from Florence and Jim were married at Annunciation Church in Florence. They had waited for Dot to finish
Nursing School at Burbank Hospital.
Dot has been a very supportive wife in all aspects of their life. Everyone who encounters Dot quickly recognizes her
wonderful charm and charisma. For all of Jim’s working years and his extensive years guiding ARENU through some difficult times,
Dot has been there supporting his efforts. In fact, her dedication and love of Jim has been the main ingredient in his being a
SUSTAINING FORCE.
In the early 1970’s, they brought home a beautiful young child who they named Kathleen. Kate grew up fast, went to local
schools through her 6
th
school year in Williamsburg. She then attended Bement in Deerfield and Stoneleigh Burnham in Greenfield
where she graduated in 1989. From there she attended Hofstra University and graduated Liberal Arts in 1993.
Dot was also very busy during this time at Smith Vocational in Northampton as the Director of Practical Nursing. Dot
retired in 1992.
Jim and Dot had moved to Williamsburg in the fall of 1964 and had begun a gradual modification of the 1865 home. They
began by installing a central heating system which replaced three kerosene stoves. Two barrels of kerosene sat in the cellar…Jim
said they couldn’t get them out of there fast enough. Over the years, their home was a gradual transformation and a work in
progress and a labor of love with Jim doing a lot of the work. They lived in Williamsburg for 53 years and sold the home in January
of 2017. Dot and Jim recently moved back to Florence from whence Dot was born and are happy to be moving into something
smaller on one floor. Waiting to downsize at 80 is not the thing to do according to Jim…he recommends that downsizers should do it
much earlier.
Jim and Dot have both worked at the game of golf for many years and have been members of the Northampton Country
Club since 1973.
A very important date in Jim’s and Dot’s lives came when, on a snowy morning in March, Lucey Elizabeth Flanagan was
born. Lucey is the only grandchild and she has changed their lives, as did her mother. Lucey is 9 years old now and keeps her
Grandparents in Florence a bit younger than their actual ages.
After reading this brief review of Jim’s work history and his personal life, it is easy to recognize that he was and is a very
talented individual as well as a great Husband, Father and Grandfather.
By: Bob Abair, September 25, 2017
4
5
ARENU CHAPTER NEWS
NEWS FROM LINDA YOST, TRAVEL COORDINATOR
Hello Fellow Retirees:
I am sitting at my computer putting together my portion of the newsletter and occasionally get up to glance out the window to see what
we’re getting hit with today! I am blessed to live in Glastonbury which seems to be receiving much less snow than other parts of
Connecticut and we won’t mention how difficult it is for those living in Boston!
Our Trip Presentation on February 16
th
was well received and we had a healthy turnout!
One thing I want to mention: I have two spots left for the 3-day Boston Red Sox - Baltimore
Orioles Baseball at Camden Yards, Annapolis on August 10-12
th
. This is a fabulous trip – two
couples who attended last year have already signed up to go again this year. Comments were that the
hotel accommodations were fabulous and within walking distance to the stadium – a stadium rated the
best in the nation! Seating for the two games were the best; food was wonderful; the morning
excursion to Annapolis, Maryland’s capital, was also very interesting and beautiful! See the ARENU
website for the all the details. Remember - I only have two spots left!
I want to focus on the day trips I have chosen for this year. I need your help in deciding how much interest there is in each of these
trips. If there is not enough interest, I will be forced to cancel and you know I hate to do that for the ones who are looking forward to
attending some of them.
Please take a look at the flyers on the ARENU website and, if anyone is interested in attending, please email me or call me (860-657-
3407) to let me know. I understand these trips are a few months off, but so much planning needs to take place well in advance.
Thanks!
www.arenu.org
Day Trips You Can Enjoy:
A Taste of Cape Cod - Thursday, June 14, 2018
Exploring Our Past - Sunday, August 12, 2018
The Colors of Autumn in Vermont - Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Other Trips that are showing a lot of interest:
Cape May, New Jersey - September 17-19, 2018
This 3-day trip is really catching on and people are beginning to get their registrations in! Please take a moment to access this
lovely trip and see how much it has to offer. Also, dinner is included in the price for both Day 1 and Day 2. A full breakfast is
also included for Day 2 and Day 3! So much beauty to see on this journey – please give yourself a little “treat” as we enter our fall
season. You won’t be disappointed! Check out the flyer!
JESUS at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA - October 15-17, 2018
This is the biggest event in the Northeast in 2018. I am more than half full already so PLEASE plan
to register ASAP.
Iceland Inspired - November 2-9, 2018. Limited Space / Top 2018 Destination.
We still have room for a second trip that has been scheduled. Please call ASAP – this will also fill quickly as they have in the past
two years – an incredible trip!
Europe’s Special Christmas Markets - November 26-December 2, 2018
(continued on Page 6)
6
ARENU CHAPTER NEWS
Travel & Entertainment (continued from Page 5)
Still more Air, Cruise & Overnight Tours
Tulip Time Festival – Holland, MI, May 8-15, 2018
France’s Hidden Canals – Loire Valley, June 26-July 4, 2018
Cruising Adriatic’s Eastern Shore, July 15-22, 2018
Wonderful Vietnam, September 20-30, 2018
Tuscany to Amalfi, October 1-11, 2018
Hawaii CruiseTour, January 17-27, 2019
Book by May 31, 2018 & Save $200 pp
Be sure to check the ARENU website for flyers on any of the trips, for additional information such as what each trip includes, the
cost, and how to go ahead and book a trip.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions at (860-657-3407) or email me at (lgyostct@cox.net).
I look forward to hearing back from you and also to share time together on any of these wonderful trips!
As you may well imagine, a lot of time and effort goes into selecting trips and assigning them dates. I ask you to voice YOUR
opinion - that is the only way I can provide what you would like to see and do. Your feedback is greatly needed and appreciated.
Fondly,
Linda Yost
Trip Coordinator
lgyostct@cox.net
860-657-3407
245 Georgetown Drive
Glastonbury, CT 06033
6
7
OBITUARIESITUARIES
Our sympathy to the family and friends of those listed below.
Name Date of Death Company Retirement Date
Reginald Cyr 8/15/17 NU 1/31/92
Paul D. Oneil 8/16/17 NU 12/1/88
Milan Keser 12/8/17 NU 4/2/01
John J. Pataky, Jr. 12/8/17 NU 11/1/93
Raymond Bardsley 12/9/17 NU 11/1/02
John P. Flattery 12/9/17 NU 7/1/04
Joseph Halleft 12/10/17 NU 12/31/91
William M. Latawiec 12/13/17 NU 2/1/95
Henry T. Stebbins 12/15/17 NU 12/1/91
Lucille P. Lavigne 12/15/17 NU 11/1/93
William Constantini 12/20/17 NU 10/1/82
John F. Moker 12/22/17 NU 11/1/93
William R. Rotherforth 12/31/17 NU 9/1/92
Richard Beebe 1/1/18 NU 11/1/92
Mary H. Kurecki 1/2/18 NU 9/1/93
Henry L. Depathy 1/2/18 NU 4/1/87
John Hopkinson 1/8/18 NU 6/1/80
Roger E. Costa 1/9/18 NU 11/1/93
Raymond Nutting 1/9/18 PSNH 10/2/84
Ronald Widelo 1/11/18 NU 5/1/02
Robert F. Desrochers 1/13/18 NU 11/1/93
Carlton W. Frye 1/14/18 NU 8/2/87
Robert E. Head 1/15/18 NU 11/1/06
Edward Dziewisz 1/16/18 NU 11/1/93
Leonard O. Pufahl 1/16/18 NU 2/1/10
Donald Quagliaroli 1/16/18 CL&P 2/1/90
William O'Keefe 1/17/18 CL&P 8/1/83
John A. Stumpf 1/17/18 NU 1/17/18
Anna Yonan 1/19/18 NU 12/31/91
(continued on page 5)
8
OBITUARIESITUARIES
Our sympathy to the family and friends of those listed below.
Name Date of Death Company Retirement Date
Joan Larose 1/22/18 NU 9/1/05
Wilfred Burr 1/24/18 PSNH 9/17/87
Catherine Olsen 1/25/18 CL&P 8/1/90
Merrill G. Jenne 1/27/18 NU 9/30/13
Rosemarie Topor 1/29/18 NU 2/1/00
Roger E. Johnson, Jr. 1/30/18 NU 11/1/93
Frank A. Haux 1/31/18 NU 11/1/92
Frank J. Marcille 2/2/18 NU 11/1/95
Benjamin Rhodes 2/2/18 CL&P 10/1/12
Merrilee Thomas 2/2/18 NU 2/1/09
Constance Leblanc 2/4/18 PSNH 8/1/06
Vincent J. Kalina 2/4/18 NU 1/1/87
Gary Dewhirst 2/5/18 NU 1/1/00
Edna Brycki 2/5/18 NU 7/1/98
David Fitz 2/7/18 NU 7/1/03
Julius J. Leh 2/7/18 NU 8/1/07
Alfred Cote 2/7/18 NU 2/1/04
Donald Hawkins 2/10/18 PSNH 5/1/93
Helen Bidwell 2/10/18 NU 7/31/87
David C. Knight 2/12/18 NU 8/1/06
Charles F. Dorn 2/12/18 NU 12/31/91
Arthur Healey 2/16/18 CL&P 6/1/07
William Spaziani 2/18/18 NU 11/1/77
Michael Manware 2/18/18 NU 7/2/97
Albert P. Horne 2/18/18 NU 5/1/93
Ronald Watrous 2/24/18 CL&P 1/1/87
Emily Thames 2/26/18 NU 2/1/00
Phyllis Gilbert 3/2/18 NU 8/1/03
