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My Generation August 2010 - Keep Me Current

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AUGUST <strong>2010</strong><br />

Big spenders


2<br />

July 6–September 30, <strong>2010</strong><br />

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HOURS: Monday - Saturday 9am-5pm


PUBLISHER’S NOTE<br />

No question, boomers rule<br />

Maine is booming. Seriously. According to a<br />

story in this issue of <strong>My</strong> <strong>Generation</strong> by staff writer<br />

<strong>Me</strong>lissa Wood, Maine is second only to Vermont<br />

in the number of baby boomers who live here.<br />

Boomers make up 30 percent of the population in<br />

Maine – and that is very good news for the Maine<br />

economy. Baby boomers make and spend the most<br />

money. That’s not just true of Maine, it’s true across<br />

the country.<br />

And, as Wood points out in her piece, “boomers<br />

don’t follow trends, they set them.”<br />

Think about some of the trends that boomers<br />

are setting as you read the stories in this issue. According<br />

to <strong>Me</strong>g Maiden of the Maine Windjammer<br />

Association, many boomers are chartering sailing<br />

vessels for their summer family reunions. This sure<br />

beats kicking back on the farm in the 90 degree heat.<br />

Read more about the different food, wine, and other<br />

“working” cruises you can take on page 7. If you<br />

are more of a land-lover, check out the interesting<br />

packages that the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth<br />

has put together for their summer guests. Or, if you<br />

are more inclined to have a “working” vacation, you<br />

may interested in building a piece of furniture for<br />

yourself with the folks at Thos. Moser.<br />

So many options, I want to choose them all.<br />

<strong>Keep</strong> reading and you will learn about specialty<br />

PUBLISHER<br />

Lee Hews<br />

EDITOR<br />

Jane P. Lord<br />

ADVERTISING<br />

MANAGER<br />

Mark Hews<br />

PRODUCTION<br />

MANAGER<br />

Jonathan Morse<br />

DESIGN &<br />

PRODUCTION<br />

Kate Audette<br />

Katie Bell, Joe Cote<br />

Traci Goff<br />

medical testing that only money can buy. Boomers<br />

are the generation that is ordering up a long list of<br />

high-end tests to determine how healthy they are,<br />

how long they will live, and how they can best take<br />

care of themselves based on the test results. Read<br />

more on page 4.<br />

Boomers don’t limit their spending on themselves.<br />

They are spending some of their hard-earned money<br />

on their dogs. The family dog is no longer subjected<br />

to sleeping out on the back porch or chained in the<br />

backyard dog house – boomer beasts are sent to the<br />

fi nest “inns” and day cares that money can buy. And<br />

I know some boomers who have actually put off buying<br />

their own health care so that they can send Max<br />

and Minnie to day care while they work as a downtown<br />

lawyers. This is a national trend, too. Mike<br />

Higgins writes in his story on page 11, “According to<br />

the American Pet Products Association, Americans<br />

spent $45 billion in pet products in 2009, and that<br />

fi gure is projected to rise to $47 billion for <strong>2010</strong>. A<br />

big chunk of that money is from aging, fi nancially<br />

secure baby boomer, who face empty homes after<br />

their children leave, say those in the industry.”<br />

Hmmm, maybe I should have started a doggie day<br />

care business instead of a newspaper company.<br />

Thanks for reading.<br />

Lee Hews<br />

Publisher<br />

mygeneration<br />

1946-1964 THE BABY BOOMER YEARS<br />

A monthly publication by <strong>Current</strong> Publishing<br />

WRITERS<br />

Mike Higgins<br />

Taryn Plumb<br />

<strong>Me</strong>lissa Wood<br />

840 Main Street, PO Box 840, Westbrook, ME 04098<br />

(207) 854-2577 • Fax (207) 856-5530<br />

Email: mygeneration@keepMEcurrent.com • www.keepMEcurrent.com<br />

© <strong>2010</strong>. All Rights Reserved. All logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners.<br />

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.<br />

AUGUST <strong>2010</strong> 3<br />

inside<br />

ADVANCED MEDICAL TESTING ........4<br />

BIG MONEY, BIG IMPACT ..................6<br />

HIGH-END VACATIONS .......................7<br />

PAMPERING OUR POOCHES ........... 11<br />

55+ COMMUNITIES .......................... 13<br />

FITNESS ............................................... 14<br />

Cover photo: The Inn by the Sea offers well-heeled boomers and<br />

others opportunities to relax, but also active vacation activities such<br />

as classes on how to grow a garden weigh station, or a guided canoe<br />

or kayak tour. Courtesy photo


4<br />

Advanced medical testing<br />

Cough up a lot of money for these<br />

By Taryn Plumb<br />

We’re all familiar with the regular-old<br />

heckup: the waiting, the johnny, the coughng.<br />

But how about this instead? Full body scans<br />

nd body composition analyses, blood tests<br />

creening for dozens of diseases, EKGs and<br />

AT scans, and intimate, in-depth discussions<br />

ith dozens of specialists and therapists.<br />

It’s called advanced medical testing, and,<br />

articularly geared toward the well-heeled<br />

oomer set, it’s the cutting edge in undertanding<br />

bodily functions, interior makeup,<br />

ancer and disease risks, as well as genetic<br />

oots – if you’ve got the cash for it, of course.<br />

Brace yourself. Prices range anywhere<br />

from $500 to $6,000, depending on your age<br />

and how in-depth you go want to go. And,<br />

although some limited aspects of the tests can<br />

be billed to insurance companies, according<br />

to experts, the bulk of the bill is yours to foot.<br />

Here in Maine, options are limited – but<br />

those willing to take a trip have many more<br />

opportunities to plumb the boundaries of<br />

their own bodies.<br />

In Boston, for instance, Massachusetts<br />

General Hospital offers an “executive physical<br />

program,” comprising several hours of<br />

examination, according to its website.<br />

The extent of the exam is based on the<br />

American <strong>Me</strong>dical Association’s age and gen-<br />

der guidelines, as well as the patient’s medical<br />

history, according to Mass General. But typically,<br />

it includes a comprehensive physical,<br />

colorectal cancer screening, EKG, body composition<br />

analysis, hearing and visual tests, immunizations,<br />

and various lab tests examining<br />

urine, cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid,<br />

liver and kidney function. Women also get a<br />

pap smear; men, a prostate exam.<br />

Not extensive enough? Additional components<br />

(subject to extra fees) can include a<br />

mammogram, audiology evaluation, eye examination<br />

with glaucoma screening, nutrition<br />

consult, chest X-ray, cardiac arrest test, dermatology<br />

evaluation, bone density test, and a<br />

colonoscopy, according to Mass General.<br />

When you’ve made the right decision, you know.<br />

Even though we knew it was time, moving to an assisted living<br />

community was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to<br />

make. But I knew we’d made the right choice when we decided<br />

to come here.<br />

I never dreamed it would feel so much like home. And it’s<br />

good to know we won’t have to move again if our financial<br />

situation changes.<br />

We looked at a lot of places. The moment we decided on<br />

the Inn at Village Square, we knew we’d made the right choice.<br />

Inn at Village Square<br />

AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY<br />

At the end of all this, the patient receives<br />

a confi dential, detailed report, including recommendations,<br />

which can be passed along to<br />

his or her primary care doctor.<br />

Looking to make more of a trip out of it?<br />

Similar all-encompassing physicals can be<br />

had at Johns Hopkins <strong>Me</strong>dicine in Baltimore,<br />

the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and the Greenbrier<br />

Clinic in West Virginia.<br />

But if all that’s a little too overwhelming<br />

– or if you prefer to simply focus in on a particular<br />

problem area – try the ScanDirectory<br />

of Boston. Clients can get 64-slice CT scans<br />

using rotating X-rays, virtual colonoscopies,<br />

(Continued on Page 5)<br />

123 School Street, Gorham, ME | 207-839-5101 | www.innatvillagesquare.org


Advanced medical testing<br />

(Continued from Page 4)<br />

and scans of the body, brain, heart, head,<br />

lungs, and carotid artery, according to the<br />

company’s website.<br />

<strong>Me</strong>anwhile, Canyon Ranch in Lenox,<br />

Mass., offers a panoply of intensive blood<br />

tests through the company Biophysical.<br />

For starters, the Biophysical250 is named<br />

for its function – it surveys 250 biomarkers<br />

in the blood that indicate risks for cancer,<br />

hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders,<br />

and cardiovascular, autoimmune, viral and<br />

bacterial diseases.<br />

Cost? $3,400, according to Biophysical’s<br />

website.<br />

Other tests use biomarkers to scrutinize<br />

sex hormones, fatigue, appetite and obesity,<br />

or changes in aging; a few simply assess<br />

overall health conditions.<br />

But going beyond medical makeup, if you<br />

have more of a historical interest in where<br />

you came from, there’s also DNA testing for<br />

ncestry.<br />

With an at-home cheek swab kit – costng<br />

$245 through www.determigene.com<br />

– lab techs use DNA to hypothesize which<br />

anthropological native region you originated<br />

from, and can also match you with populations<br />

across the globe, as well as identify the<br />

various strengths of those particular populations.<br />

In any case, you’re not likely to come away<br />

saying, “Was that it?”<br />

A closer look<br />

For more information on advanced<br />

medical testing, visit these sites:<br />

http://www.massgeneral.org/executivehealthservices/programs/executivephysicalprogram.aspx<br />

http://www.scandirectory.com/fa<br />

cility/ma//boston-diagnostic-group<br />

http://www.biophysicalcorp.com/<br />

http://www.determigene.com/<br />

detail_ancestry.asp<br />

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5


6<br />

By <strong>Me</strong>lissa Wood<br />

Big money, big impact<br />

Boomer spending drives the economy of Maine<br />

Maybe at one time you thought you could<br />

hange the world, or at least wanted to try.<br />

erhaps as an idealistic adolescent you thought<br />

aybe you could do something to at least make<br />

difference, politically, socially or otherwise.<br />

But as a baby boomer, you already are changing<br />

the world.<br />

“Because they’re such a large part of the population<br />

on a national level, they really drive a lot<br />

of the national trends,” explained Amanda Rector,<br />

an economist specializing in demographics<br />

with the Maine State Planning Offi ce.<br />

In other words, as members of this generation<br />

go through the different stages of life, so goes the<br />

nation.<br />

“The baby boom population is so large that<br />

as they enter different life stages the economy<br />

changes to accommodate them,” according to a<br />

population outlook for 2013 to 2028 published<br />

by the Maine State Planning Offi ce.<br />

Just how much power does that mean? “They<br />

are such a large part of the population, if they<br />

decide to retire in one fell swoop, some industries<br />

would have to shut down for lack of workers,”<br />

said Rector.<br />

Thankfully that hasn’t happened, and whatever<br />

they decide to do next, there’s no question<br />

that currently boomers are at the height of their<br />

earning and spending power, a fact with farreaching<br />

effects on the rest of the economy.<br />

“Certainly they have higher earnings than<br />

other age cohorts and buy more things than<br />

other age cohorts,” said Rector.<br />

This holds true especially in Maine, where<br />

boomers make up 30 percent of the population,<br />

which means the state has the second highest<br />

percentage of boomers in the nation after Vermont,<br />

according to the State Planning Offi ce.<br />

Why are there so many boomers in Maine?<br />

Rector said the reasons vary, but include a number<br />

of older boomers who came to Maine’s summer<br />

camps or visited when they were younger<br />

and are now retiring here. At the same time, as<br />

the number of retirees is increasing, the number<br />

A few of the high-end, “distinctive” properties listed for sale in Maine by Town & Shore Real Estate in Portland.<br />

of younger people is decreasing because many<br />

of them are leaving the state to go to college and<br />

fi nd employment elsewhere.<br />

As a broker specializing in high-end, “distinctive”<br />

properties, Susan Lamb of Town & Shore<br />

Real Estate in Portland has helped clients in their<br />

50s and 60s fi nd that dream retirement home in<br />

Maine. In the past couple years, however, she has<br />

seen fewer people coming to Maine.<br />

“I think, as far as spending goes, they’re probably<br />

more conservative than they’ve been in the<br />

past,” she said. “There are many more luxury<br />

homes on the market that might have been purchased<br />

if it were a different economy.”<br />

When they are ready to buy, Lamb has found<br />

low maintenance is a key selling point for baby<br />

boomers.<br />

“Most of them prefer to buy a home that does<br />

not need work,” she said.<br />

Glenna Irvine, a buyer broker with the Landry<br />

Team at Benchmark Residential & Investment<br />

Real Estate on Munjoy Hill in Portland, has seen<br />

a buying trend of second home purchases both<br />

by baby boomers from out of state and within<br />

the state.<br />

“From what we’re seeing, it’s not just people<br />

from out of state, it’s also people who live in<br />

Maine and want a second home closer to the<br />

city,” she said.<br />

Recent clients have included couples from<br />

York and northern Maine, who kept their fi rst<br />

homes but also bought places in downtown Portland.<br />

She said Portland’s East End has proved especially<br />

attractive to these second-home buyers,<br />

who appreciate its mix of homes and old neighborhood<br />

feeling while still being in the city.<br />

“It has a real down-to-earth feel,” said Irvine.<br />

“They want to be in the city, but they also want<br />

to have that closeness of a neighborhood.”<br />

Irvine says many baby boomers – including<br />

fi ve of her clients in the last three months – are<br />

buying condos in the city to be closer to their<br />

adult children. All of the fi ve are from Maine<br />

and tend to use the city as a hub where the<br />

whole family can gather.<br />

“It’s very, very common,” said Irvine. “I think<br />

we tend to have a little bit more of a connection<br />

to our kids.”<br />

Having those kids out of the house has also<br />

changed some of the boomers’ spending habits<br />

when it comes to their vehicles, too.<br />

Clyde Bartlett of Yankee Luxury Auto said<br />

baby boomers, who make up about 50 percent<br />

of his customer base, are mostly buying smaller<br />

SUVs and convertibles for driving around in<br />

the summer.<br />

“They’re graduating from their family vehicle,”<br />

said Bartlett. “Most of their kids have<br />

grown up and gone and now they’re able to buy<br />

that car they’ve wanted all their lives. They’re<br />

fi nally able to get that luxury they’ve been waiting<br />

for.”<br />

More than anything else, however, health<br />

care spending is expected to grow as boomers<br />

reach their retirement years.<br />

“Anecdotally, it’s safe to say that older people<br />

spend more money on health care and so that<br />

is one reason why health care spending is expected<br />

to grow strongly as the baby boomer<br />

generation ages and requires more,” said economist<br />

Joel Johnson, also with the Maine State<br />

Planning Offi ce.<br />

Other consequences include a change in revenue<br />

in both income and sales taxes.<br />

“Right now, baby boomers are in their peak<br />

earning years and at the top of pay ranges,”<br />

said Rector.<br />

This means that the state receives higher<br />

payroll and income taxes from boomers and<br />

will lose that revenue once they retire.<br />

“The other side of that is they’re at their peak<br />

earning years and they’re also buying more<br />

stuff, so the state gets more sales tax revenue,”<br />

said Rector.<br />

And boomers may not retire for a while.<br />

Many may choose to wait until they’re 75 instead<br />

of 65. It’s hard to tell because boomers<br />

don’t follow trends, they create them. And so,<br />

for example, once they do retire, they may decide<br />

to spend their retirement years working for<br />

a nonprofi t as a volunteer or starting up new<br />

businesses – instead of playing golf for the next<br />

20 years.<br />

“The baby boomers have never really done<br />

anything conventionally,” said Rector. “Baby<br />

boomers tend not to follow the same pattern<br />

of behavior as previous generations in terms of<br />

working and thinking about retirement.”


AUGUST <strong>2010</strong> 7<br />

Luxury, not leisure<br />

High-end vacations:<br />

By <strong>Me</strong>lissa Wood<br />

What’s your idea of a Maine luxury vacaion?<br />

It’s probably safe to say that manual<br />

abor isn’t the fi rst thought that comes to<br />

ind.<br />

Indeed, our state has its share of fi ne hoels<br />

and restaurants, island getaways and<br />

eautiful beaches where you can spend long,<br />

azy days lounging in the sun. But it turns<br />

ut that when baby boomers have some<br />

ime off and money to spend in Maine,<br />

any are seeking hands-on, learning expeiences<br />

– even if that experience includes<br />

ome labor – without completely letting go<br />

f luxury, either.<br />

“What I’m fi nding with baby boomers is<br />

that it’s all about the experience,” said Pamela<br />

Hurley-Moser, owner of Hurley Travel<br />

Experts in Portland. “They’re not just going<br />

to sit on a beach. They want to experience<br />

culture, though they want to be pampered<br />

while experiencing culture.”<br />

That is, active baby boomers want to<br />

make the most of their “leisure” time.<br />

“Luxury vacations in Maine may not be<br />

as glitzy as vacations in other parts of the<br />

world, but they tend to be more authentic,”<br />

said Hurley. “The authenticity makes it a<br />

sought-after experience.”<br />

Hurley-Moser doesn’t have to look far<br />

to fi nd one such example of an authentic<br />

Maine “luxury” vacation. Her husband,<br />

David Moser, is the principal designer for<br />

famed Maine furniture maker Thos. Moser,<br />

founded by his father, Tom Moser. The<br />

company offers a “Customer in Residence”<br />

program, where people come from all over<br />

(Continued on Page 8)<br />

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A national historic landmark, the American Eagle was built in Gloucester, Mass., in<br />

1930. The American Eagle was the last fi shing schooner ever built in New England.<br />

Courtesy photo by Fred LeBlanc


8<br />

A private boardwalk through a bird sanctuary leads to a mile of beach at Inn by the Sea. Courtesy photo<br />

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High-end vacations:<br />

Luxury, not leisure<br />

(Continued from Page 7)<br />

to spend their vacations working in the company’s<br />

workshop building their own piece of<br />

Thos. Moser furniture.<br />

Program coordinator Steve Wyman compares<br />

the Customer in Residence program to<br />

a “fantasy camp” experience where you get<br />

to play with Red Sox players. The difference<br />

is that you have something tangible to bring<br />

home with you at the end of the week.<br />

“You don’t have just memories and you<br />

don’t have just photographs, but you have<br />

something that you built,” said Wyman. “It’s<br />

something they can look at with pride and<br />

show people.”<br />

The cost for the program usually ranges<br />

from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the<br />

piece of furniture the customer decides to<br />

build, as costs for materials are included in<br />

the price.<br />

During the weeklong “internship,” participants<br />

spend 30 hours in the workshop,<br />

where they build their piece of furniture<br />

with the guidance of one of the company’s<br />

master cabinetmakers as they learn techniques<br />

in fi ne woodworking. The customers<br />

in residence also have a chance to meet Tom<br />

Moser and take tours of his original studio<br />

in New Gloucester.<br />

“The cabinetmaker serves as the guide to<br />

help them build the piece but the customer<br />

does the work,” said Wyman.<br />

Wyman said the 78 people who have completed<br />

the program since its 2007 beginning<br />

have so far have included two Navy Seals, a CIA<br />

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(Continued on Page 9)<br />

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High-end vacations:<br />

Luxury, not leisure<br />

(Continued from Page 8)<br />

and psychiatrist as well as architects, homemakers,<br />

engineers, professors and bankers.<br />

A chief information offi cer from Texas did<br />

the workshop with her father, a retired auto<br />

worker from Ohio, and a professor of neurology<br />

from Purdue and his wife celebrated<br />

their anniversary by building a sleigh bed<br />

together.<br />

At the end of the week, participants say<br />

it’s been “life changing,” said Hurley. To celebrate<br />

the completion of the week, attendees<br />

gather one last time for the a graduation/<br />

signing ceremony where Tom Moser signs<br />

the pieces of furniture made by participants,<br />

which can be quite an emotional event.<br />

“These grown men have tears in their<br />

eyes,” said Hurley. “It’s really quite something.”<br />

To fi nd another example of an “authentic”<br />

Maine luxury vacation, look toward the<br />

sea. The coastline is, of course, what lures<br />

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800-416-4748<br />

®<br />

All loans are subject to property approval. Certain conditions and fees apply. Mortgage fi nancing provided<br />

by <strong>Me</strong>tLife Bank, N.A., Equal Housing Lender. © <strong>2010</strong> METLIFE, INC. R0610110496[exp0511][All States][DC] © UFS<br />

Windjammers sometimes anchor at the head of Somes Sound, near the village<br />

of Somesville on Mount Desert Island, where this picture-perfect foot bridge can<br />

be found. Courtesy photo by Capt. Noah Barnes<br />

many to spend their vacations here. For<br />

some, however, it simply is not enough to<br />

just gaze at it from the shore, but to experience<br />

the thrill of the ocean fi rst hand.<br />

“I think one of the neatest possibilities<br />

is to charter a windjammer for your family<br />

12235<br />

reunion,” said <strong>Me</strong>g Maiden of the Maine<br />

Windjammer Association. “That could be<br />

the ultimate fun way to spend time with<br />

your family.”<br />

The fl eet of tall-masted schooners that<br />

belong to the association can be chartered<br />

AUGUST <strong>2010</strong><br />

Being an Employee Owned Company (ESOP)<br />

means that every co-worker has a vested<br />

interest in you and your vehicle.<br />

200 Narragansett St.<br />

Gorham, ME<br />

(207) 839-2500<br />

495 Presumpscot St.<br />

Portland, ME<br />

(207) 842-2500<br />

631 Elm St.<br />

Biddeford, ME<br />

207) 284-2500<br />

33 Pleasant Hill Rd.<br />

Scarborough, ME<br />

(207) 883-0404<br />

643 Main St.<br />

Springvale, ME<br />

(207) 324-2500<br />

9<br />

with prices depending on the size of the boat<br />

and number of days at sea. Maiden said the<br />

cost for a group of 20 to charter a boat for<br />

four days is about $9,000 to $10,000. Each<br />

cruise includes a captain and crew, though<br />

passengers can also learn how to sail during<br />

the excursion if they want to.<br />

“There’s something for everyone as far as<br />

the activity level,” said Maiden, who said<br />

that passengers can lend a hand, but “it’s<br />

defi nitely not enforced.”<br />

For those who want to go a step further<br />

in their seamanship skills, the schooners<br />

also offer specialty cruises where you can<br />

learn the ins and outs of sailing. Other<br />

themed trips include a knitting cruise, a<br />

chocolate-lovers cruise, and excursions<br />

where time spent on the ocean is also<br />

time spent learning about topics as diverse<br />

as photography, geology, astronomy,<br />

and the subtleties of wines from different<br />

regions of the world. The schooner<br />

Stephen Taber hosts a popular winetasting<br />

cruise where the captain’s wife,<br />

(Continued on Page 10)


10<br />

A rowboat in waiting: guests will catch a ride back to their windjammer after an<br />

island excursion. Courtesy photo by Fred LeBlanc<br />

High-end vacations: Luxury, not leisure<br />

(Continued from Page 9)<br />

Jane Barrett Barnes, leads nightly tastings<br />

and discussions.<br />

“It’s a small, intimate group, and you really<br />

get to learn a lot about wine,” said Maiden.<br />

The wine cruises include meals cooked on<br />

the ship’s woodstove paired with wines. Each<br />

night, the 20 guests sample wines from eight<br />

bottles featuring wines from a different country.<br />

For a six-day tour, the price per person is<br />

$1,138.<br />

Dedicated foodies can also spend their time<br />

in Maine not just sampling the local cuisine,<br />

but also taking part in its harvest and preparation.<br />

Guests at the Inn by the Sea in Cape<br />

Elizabeth – the only place in Maine that has<br />

a certifi cate from Virtuoso, a high-end network<br />

that selects the best of the best of the<br />

best in luxury travel – can catch their own<br />

lobsters or join the inn’s executive chef as he<br />

selects ingredients from Portland markets.<br />

Cruises on the Lucky Catch offer an opportunity<br />

for guests to pull their own traps<br />

and then purchase those same lobsters for a<br />

private lobster bake, at one of the inn’s cottages.<br />

Packages start at $709 per night for<br />

four people. There is an additional $100 surcharge<br />

for a private lobster bake.<br />

The inn also offers a foodie package. Starting<br />

at $755 per night, guests get some one-onone<br />

time with Mitchell Kaldrovich, executive<br />

chef at the inn’s Sea Glass restaurant, who<br />

will shop with guests and then invite them<br />

him into his kitchen, where he teaches them<br />

how to create the evening’s repast.<br />

“He works really hard to fi nd fresh produce<br />

from neighborhood farms or the sea,”<br />

said Rauni Kew, of the Inn by the Sea, who<br />

noted that using local ingredients is important<br />

to the chef.<br />

“He really celebrates Maine food in a big<br />

way. He actually puts the grower and farm<br />

names on the menu to show people where<br />

the food is coming from.”<br />

Active guests can also take classes on how<br />

to grow a garden suitable for wildlife habitat<br />

in their own yards (the inn is surrounded by<br />

both certifi ed wildlife habitat and butterfl y<br />

weigh stations) or take guided canoe or kayak<br />

tours with an Audubon guide to learn about<br />

local wildlife on the nearby marsh.<br />

Ready to relax yet?<br />

Luxury doesn’t always have to mean staying<br />

busy all the time. Guests and day trippers<br />

alike can indulge in some leisure time at the<br />

inn’s spa, which offers an authentically Maine<br />

“Sea Wave” massage for $150. The 90-minute<br />

treatment features an undulating bed that<br />

mimics the ebb and fl ow of marine motion<br />

and sounds of the nearby sea.<br />

“So it’s the ultimate Maine coastal experience,”<br />

said Kew. “You really feel as if you’re<br />

at the beach having that massage.”<br />

Bob Fontaine of Thos. Moser, left, partnered with customer Ted Bryant of<br />

Richmond, Va., to build a Windward One Place in Walnut. Courtesy photo<br />

A lobster feast, complete with corn, potatoes and all the fi xings, is the highlight of<br />

every windjammer cruise. Courtesy photo by Jim Dugan


A dog’s life<br />

By Mike Higgins<br />

Let’s face it, sometimes we all fantasize about<br />

aving a dog’s life.<br />

Think of how good some dogs have it. Their<br />

eals are brought to them and they don’t have<br />

o cook or clean up after themselves. They<br />

on’t have to go to a job, their days are spent<br />

nding a comfortable spot to take a nap and, if<br />

he mood strikes, an occasional bark at somene<br />

passing by. And when everyone comes<br />

ome at night, there’s a walk to look forward<br />

o and maybe even a lap to sit on while watchng<br />

TV.<br />

And today, there are more ways than ever<br />

o pamper your dog, from the typical toys and<br />

reats, all the way to a local doggie day care<br />

hat features luxury suites for overnight guests.<br />

here’s no shortage of ways that local boom-<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

ers can spend money making sure their dogs<br />

have the best life possible.<br />

It’s a national trend. According to the<br />

American Pet Products Association, Ameri-<br />

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AUGUST <strong>2010</strong><br />

Big-spending boomers<br />

pamper their pooches<br />

cans spent $45 billion in pet products in 2009,<br />

and that fi gure is projected to rise to $47 billion<br />

for <strong>2010</strong>. A big chunk of that money is<br />

from aging, fi nancially secure baby boomer,<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

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11<br />

who face empty homes after their children<br />

leave, say those in the industry.<br />

“People will continue to spend above and<br />

beyond on their pets as the population ages<br />

and pets take the place of children at home,”<br />

according to Small Business Trends, a company<br />

that examines business growth and trends<br />

in the U.S.<br />

In Maine, one company, Planet Dog, has<br />

been around since 1997, and specializes in<br />

products, as their company motto says: “made<br />

for dogs, by dog lovers.”<br />

“We believe strongly that the dog is a member<br />

of the family,” said Jessica Hussiere, a<br />

member of the customer support department<br />

at Planet Dog.<br />

Indeed, Planet Dog has plenty of options<br />

(Continued on Page 12)


12<br />

Big-spending boomers<br />

pamper their pooches<br />

(Continued from Page 11)<br />

for dogs of all ages and sizes, with toys ranging<br />

from soft toys for puppies, to tougher chew toys<br />

for adult dogs and even a line of softer toys for<br />

older dogs.<br />

“There are a lot of pampering options out<br />

there,” Hussiere added.<br />

In fact, some of the pampering options for<br />

dogs are more expensive than products for humans.<br />

For example, one online retailer, which goes<br />

by the apt name “Upscale Pup,” advertises spa<br />

robes for dogs. One robe, the Darling Duckie,<br />

goes for $19.99. A plain robe of similar quality<br />

for humans is advertised on one major retailer’s<br />

site (no names, but think “Tar-jay”) for $16.99.<br />

But, hey, the dog robe has a duckie on it.<br />

While it’s very important to keep your pet’s<br />

nails trimmed, colored nail polish is a little over<br />

the top. But if you want your dog to be on the<br />

cutting edge of canine fashion, Upscale Pup has<br />

six colors of dog nail polish in colors like “fi re<br />

engine red” and “bow wow green” for $11.95<br />

a bottle. Looking at our major retailer, a similar<br />

size bottle of polish costs $4.99, but “bow wow<br />

green” is sadly, unavailable.<br />

But pooch pampering goes far beyond bathrobes<br />

and nail polish.<br />

How about a stay in an upscale hotel?<br />

Portland’s Eastland Park Hotel welcomes pets<br />

for a fee of $30 per night (added to the regular<br />

room rate). But that fee does more than just get<br />

the dog into the door. Each pooch checking in<br />

to the Eastland gets a special edible treat, a toy<br />

to take home, a copy of “The Ultimate Guide<br />

to Dog Parks, Beaches and Trails in Maine”<br />

and a copy of Downeast Dog News. They<br />

even offer dog walking services for those guests<br />

whose human companions want to spend some<br />

extra time out exploring the city.<br />

But what about the times when the dogs<br />

aren’t staying in a hotel, dreaming about room<br />

service Milk Bones?<br />

There’s always doggie day care.<br />

In recent years, doggie day cares have become<br />

a booming business. They are exactly<br />

what their name implies, places where dog<br />

owners who don’t want their furry friend alone<br />

all day can bring their dog to play and socialize<br />

with other dogs.<br />

One such place is Camp Bow Wow in Portland.<br />

A franchise of a national company, Camp<br />

There are more and more options out there for boomers and others to pamper<br />

their dogs, with one such option being doggie day care. These dogs at Portland’s<br />

Camp Bow Wow – with prices starting at $26 a day – are happy to run and play<br />

with their furry friends all day.<br />

Bow Wow is owned by Jill and Gary Mansir,<br />

who turned their love of dogs into a business<br />

two years ago.<br />

Jill Mansir said that she not only owns a doggie<br />

day care, she is also a pet owner herself, and<br />

she knows a thing or two about pampering her<br />

three dogs.<br />

“We buy them special food,” she said. “They<br />

probably have more beds in the house than any<br />

one of us have. They have three beds in the living<br />

room and two beds in the bedroom besides<br />

sleeping in our bed.”<br />

Her dogs also have their own special cookie<br />

treats and they have a large toy box that they<br />

can rummage through.<br />

At Camp Bow Wow, the dogs have all the<br />

comforts they could possibly need. When they<br />

arrive, they are taken to a large indoor/outdoor<br />

play yard, which is separated by the dogs’ size,<br />

so smaller dogs are with dogs of their own size.<br />

A recent visit to Camp Bow Wow found all the<br />

dogs playing and eagerly barking to welcome<br />

the visitors in their midst.<br />

Mansir said that she has seen her share of<br />

lovingly pampered pooches come into Camp<br />

Bow Wow; in fact, some of them are regular<br />

customers.<br />

“We have a handful of dogs come in fi ve days<br />

a week. Some of those dogs get a bath once a<br />

week and a nail trim,” she said. “People are always<br />

spending money on that type of thing.”<br />

A day at Camp Bow Wow starts at $26 for<br />

one dog, and 10- and 20-day packages are<br />

available at a discount. Grooming, which is by<br />

appointment only, ranges from $15-$32, depending<br />

on the size of the dog.<br />

And people who miss their dogs while they<br />

are off having fun at camp don’t have to worry.<br />

They can watch their dogs on a live, streaming<br />

web cam and now even on their mobile phones<br />

thanks to an iPhone application that allows pet<br />

owners to watch the feeds from the cameras<br />

from anywhere in the world.<br />

“A lot of people will spend that $1.95 so<br />

when they go away on trips they get to watch<br />

their dogs,” Mansir said, adding that she also<br />

hears from people who have been keeping track<br />

of their dogs throughout the day. “I can’t tell<br />

you how many people will call and say, ‘I can’t<br />

see my dog on the camera, where are they?’”<br />

she said.<br />

Dog owners with an iPhone can check<br />

up on their dogs from anywhere in the<br />

world on Camp Bow Wow’s iPhone<br />

application.<br />

Some dog owners want nothing but the<br />

best for their dogs and this luxury cabin<br />

at Camp Bow Wow certainly fi ts the bill.<br />

It features artwork, a large bed and even<br />

a fl at screen TV.<br />

Staff photos by Mike Higgins<br />

Camp Bow Wow also has facilities for dogs<br />

that need to stay overnight while their families<br />

are out of town. These range from simple<br />

“cabins,” which are large wire crates with beds<br />

and food and water, which start at $37 per night<br />

for one dog, all the way to the “luxury suites,”<br />

which feature a private room with a large bed,<br />

toys, food and water, piped in music and a small<br />

fl at-screen television mounted on the wall. The<br />

luxury suites start at $46 per night for one dog.<br />

“At night, we pipe in ocean sounds and CDs<br />

that we rotate,” Mansir said.


AUGUST <strong>2010</strong> 13<br />

look better and better<br />

55+ communities<br />

Look around many suburban areas,<br />

nd you are likely to fi nd age-restrictd<br />

communities catering to adults<br />

ho have hit the magical age of 55.<br />

At this age you may be thinking of<br />

etirement or are ready to put in a few<br />

ore years on the job. What you may<br />

e looking for is a home that is less<br />

aintenance, meets your needs (intead<br />

of the needs of kids who have<br />

ong left the nest), and offers conveience<br />

items all in one package. That<br />

s just what 55+ communities, also<br />

nown in some places as “active adult”<br />

r “lifestyle communities,” offer.<br />

Forget preconceived notions about<br />

senior living.” These are not nursng<br />

homes or assisted living facilities.<br />

hey are simply subdevelopments<br />

hat traditionally offer homes and<br />

menities to an age-restricted group.<br />

Some communities will even allow individuals<br />

ages 18 and older to live in<br />

the homes, provided there is at least<br />

one other individual in residence who<br />

meets the age requirement.<br />

55+ housing offers many advantages<br />

to interested individuals:<br />

• Amazing amenities: Active<br />

adult communities are more than just<br />

homes. They typically are built on<br />

a sprawling campus complete with<br />

clubhouse, pools, exercise rooms, and<br />

nature trails. Most offer recreational<br />

activities such as craft classes, movie<br />

trips, card games, and much more.<br />

• Proximity to friends and family:<br />

Active adult homes are cropping<br />

up in suburban areas all around the<br />

country. Their popularity and availability<br />

has grown as more baby boomers<br />

reach age 55. Because of this, in-<br />

dividuals can still live close to friends<br />

and family – and continue all of their<br />

social visits – but have the convenience<br />

of adult living.<br />

• Desireable home designs: New<br />

homes are being built with open fl oor<br />

plans in a variety of styles. Many feature<br />

single-level living, to eliminate<br />

the need for scaling steps. Energy effi<br />

cient materials and many other features<br />

make these homes desireable<br />

and attractive.<br />

• Security and safety: Many communities<br />

are gated with announced<br />

visitors and have private security patrols.<br />

Some are located in close proximity<br />

to hospitals and other medical<br />

care in the event there is an emergency.<br />

•Social gatherings: It’s easy to<br />

meet friends of similar ages and like-<br />

minded interests in a 55+ development.<br />

•Transportation convenience:<br />

If you don’t like to drive, that’s taken<br />

care of in an active adult community.<br />

Transportation to stores, places of<br />

worship, and even doctors’ appointments<br />

can be arranged, with costs<br />

generally covered in monthly association<br />

fees.<br />

• Maintenance-free: For those<br />

who want to forget about snow shoveling<br />

or lawn mowing, 55+ communities<br />

are perfect. Dues cover most<br />

exterior maintenance, such as snow<br />

removal, trash pick-up, lawn/garden<br />

maintenance, pool care, and general<br />

grounds maintenance. Depending<br />

upon the development and ownership<br />

of the home, interior repairs may also<br />

be covered.


14<br />

in style<br />

Sweating it out<br />

By <strong>Me</strong>lissa Wood<br />

All gyms are not created equal.<br />

Sure, most have the basics: cardio,<br />

eights, televisions, an area to stretch, and<br />

hanging rooms and showers that are reaonably<br />

clean for being open to the public.<br />

But then there are places that go beyond<br />

he basics – way beyond. If you have the<br />

oney to spend, some health club and fi tess<br />

options are in a completely different<br />

ealm from your nuts-and-bolts gyms. And<br />

hese days, it’s boomers who are joining up<br />

n record numbers.<br />

According to the International Health,<br />

acquet and Sportsclub Association, older<br />

dults are hitting gyms and health clubs<br />

t a record rate. The group says the numer<br />

of health club members over 55 grew<br />

y 343 percent from 1987 to 2003, while<br />

he number of members in the 35-54 age<br />

roup increased by 180 percent. Colin<br />

ilner, CEO of the International Council<br />

n Active Aging, says that by 2012, “those<br />

umbers will increase even more dramatially.<br />

This is a market that is only going to<br />

row more and more as time goes on.”<br />

At Health Coaches on Free Street in<br />

ortland, going beyond the basics means<br />

roviding highly individualized fi tness<br />

rograms. The facility includes a private,<br />

,000-square-foot fi tness center, where<br />

embers work one-on-one with personal<br />

rainers, as well as on-site massage therapy,<br />

mall group classes and a dietician.<br />

New clients start the program by gong<br />

through an assessment process where<br />

hey are paired with a personal trainer,<br />

ho helps them develop a fi tness program.<br />

or example, a trainer more specialized in<br />

ports medicine may work with someone<br />

raining for a marathon.<br />

“It really depends on what people are<br />

ooking for,” said Mark Holmes, president<br />

f Health Coaches. “We’re really adamant<br />

bout the assessment process.”<br />

He said that often people who come to<br />

the Health Center use it as a springboard<br />

for getting fi tness into their lives. Once they<br />

get started, they can use the tools they’ve<br />

learned to continue their fi tness programs<br />

on their own<br />

“For some people, exercise is new to<br />

them, and they don’t feel comfortable walking<br />

into a gym environment,” said Mark.<br />

Rates for personal training sessions start<br />

at $75 per hour but can go down to about<br />

$60 if purchased in a prepaid package.<br />

Therapeutic massages are $75 for a single<br />

session or $65 each for a prepaid package<br />

of six sessions.<br />

The Body Architect gym and fi tness center,<br />

located in the old J.J. Nissen Bakery<br />

building in Portland’s East End, combines<br />

luxury with cutting-edge fi tness. <strong>Me</strong>mbers<br />

enter through a private entrance in the<br />

back, then take a private elevator to the<br />

top fl oor. Inside, the facility’s stylish interior<br />

looks more like a spa than a gym, with<br />

a modern aesthetic featuring high ceilings,<br />

exposed brick, gleaming hardwood fl oors,<br />

and large windows with 360-degree views<br />

of the city and a huge fi tness deck overlooking<br />

nearby Back Bay.<br />

Owners Stephen and Antonia Anderson,<br />

who are also husband and wife, emphasize<br />

a body-mind awareness approach to fi tness.<br />

Stephen Anderson says he is only one<br />

of 15 people in the United States with a<br />

master’s degree in psychophysical movement,<br />

which combines psychology with<br />

body movement.<br />

“That’s why we wanted an environment<br />

that was conducive to a person’s well-being,”<br />

said Antonia Anderson. “Can you<br />

imagine doing yoga in the evening on the<br />

deck under the stars?”<br />

Equipment of course includes cardio<br />

machines, each with an individual television.<br />

Other amenities include spa-style<br />

showers and a lounge with high-speed Internet<br />

(though they encourage members to<br />

relax). Yes, this is a gym where you might<br />

actually want to hang out for a while.<br />

And the changing room is like having<br />

a spa experience after a workout, with a<br />

floor of pebbles encased in cement that<br />

massage the feet, and rain showers that<br />

feel like standing under a waterfall.<br />

Rates are $95 per month for a primary<br />

membership, and a spouse or other adult<br />

member of the household can join for<br />

$75. Clients can also sign up for sessions<br />

with a personal trainer for $75 per hour.<br />

<strong>Me</strong>mbership includes use of the fitness<br />

center, classes, wellness counseling and<br />

nutritional awareness.<br />

Antonia notes that everyone exercises<br />

for a different reason, whether that is to<br />

relieve stress, rehabilitate an injury, lose<br />

weight, or get in shape.<br />

“We partner with that person to get<br />

them where they want to go, and do it<br />

with compassion and support. Everyone<br />

deserves the best for themselves,” she<br />

said.


AUGUST <strong>2010</strong><br />

Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau Presents<br />

Maine’s premier<br />

food and wine experience<br />

Experience why People magazine, Coastal Living and Bon Appétit regard<br />

Harvest on the Harbor and Portland, Maine as culinary sensations!<br />

October 21-23, <strong>2010</strong><br />

OCEAN GATEWAY • PORTLAND, MAINE<br />

• Grand Tasting on the Harbor • The Ultimate Seafood Splash<br />

• Savory Samplings at The Marketplace • The Perfect Pairing<br />

• Cooking demonstrations • Celebrity guest chefs<br />

• Maine’s own James Beard Award winners<br />

• Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition<br />

• Nationally acclaimed cookbook authors<br />

NEW FOR <strong>2010</strong><br />

• Expanded Oceanside Pavilion on Portland’s waterfront • Two tasting sessions for Saturday’s Marketplace • Increased<br />

assortment of wine, beer and spirits from Maine and around the world • Enhanced Saturday Marketplace with hundreds of<br />

Maine-made products, food artisans, epicurean purveyors, live music and cooking demonstrations<br />

HarvestOnTheHarbor.com ATTENDEES MUST BE AGE 21+<br />

15


16<br />

You supply the courage and inner strength.<br />

We’ll provide the best breast care in Maine.

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