Local Music Show Starts on WXEX

I've heard that Dr. Andy Inzenga, the well-known music teacher at the Cooperative Middle School, is doing a new Saturday morning music and talk show on our very own WXEX, along with Peter Taylor.

The show called "Tayles and the Doctor" kicks off each week at 9 a.m. and includes tidbits and discussion on songs and songwriters from the Rock 'n Roll era as well as the Motown years of the 1960s and 70s.

If you don't happen to have your radio handy, you can now listen live on line at http://www.1540wxex.com/

My Neighbor's on the Radio

My neighbor Sharon O'Connor, of Atlantic Complementary Medical Solutions, will be on the radio in Concord tomorrow. She'll be on the show Your Health Matters on Concord Community Radio WKXL, with host Chris Lauer, of Catholic Medical Center. They'll talk a little about hypnosis for medical purposes, hypnotherapy and how it could help you.
In the Concord area, you can listen to WKXL 1450AM Monday, July 13 at 2:07PM The show will also be archived on line.

Now That The Sun's Arrived, Here's Some Grilling Tips from The Pros

By Lara Bricker
Special to the Union Leader
PORTSMOUTH__After a cold and rainy June, many people are ready to fire up their grills for some summer time grilling.
A number of those people opt for already marinated steak, chicken or turkey from one of the growing number of specialty food shops around the state. But just because that meat is already marinated and seasoned doesn’t mean that grilling it up is a no-brainer, according to Justin Rosberg, co-owner of The Meat House.
A common mistake backyard grillers make with pre-marinated meats is opening the package over the grill, which can cause a “flare up” and burn the meat, Rosberg said. Meat that has been marinated for grilling shouldn’t need extra marinade applied during grilling.
“You don’t need to do anything with it,” Rosberg said.
He suggests placing the steak or chicken into a bowl and then using tongs to transfer it to a grill.
Other things to consider with steak tips that may be very tender to start with is that the “feel test” is not an accurate method to determine doneness. Rosberg recommends using a thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat on the grill. Using a fork to turn meat is not a good idea because it can pierce the exterior, causing the juices to escape.
Rosberg and his business partner Jason Parent, who are both originally from southern Maine, opened their first Meat House location in Portsmouth in August of 2003. Since then, they have expanded to include 10 locations around the state, southern Maine and Massachusetts, where they specialize in top quality meats and overwhelming customer service. “We wanted to bring a fine dining experience into a retail atmosphere,” Rosberg explained.
Both men are avid grillers who cook on the grill year round, which has given them a depth of experience in how to grill well, and what to avoid when grilling.
Before cooking any red meat on the grill, you should let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, said Parent. By allowing the meat to come up to room temperature it will need less time on the grill, Parent said, which means that it won’t become overcooked on the outside while waiting for the inside to come up to the desired temperature. Along the same lines, it is important to let red meat rest after cooking to allow the juices to settle back into the meat.
With chicken an important thing to remember is not to turn it more than twice during grilling, Parent said.
“Chicken can attach to the grill,” he said of overturning.
If you’re opting for a choice steak instead of marinated steak tips, Parent suggests it is important to start with a high quality piece of meat. Cuts of steak that lend themselves well to grilling include ribeyes, porterhouse or sirloins. Filets are not a good choice for the grill because they are too lean.
“You’re going to look for a level of marbling,” Parent said. “Marbling really separates the grading system of beef. Something with a higher level of marbling is going to give you more of that robust meaty flavor that you’re looking for.”
Another thing to consider when grilling beef is that a dry aged beef cooks differently than a non dry aged beef, according to Chris Carragher, the director of marketing for the Meat House.
“You want to cook it a shorter period of time than you with a wet aged meat,” Carragher said, adding that is due to the fact that dry aged beef has less moisture. “When you put it on, it’s going to cook that much faster because the moisture is actually evaporated from the steak already.”
Most importantly, according to both Parent and Rosberg, is to take time to enjoy the experience of grilling.
“We’re in New England, our window of opportunity to truly be outside and take advantage of the warm days and long nights with friends and family, it’s here now,” Rosberg said. “The year flies by so quickly.”
You can find recipes at www.themeathouse.com

Exeter’s Senior Hand Celebrates Almost 20 Years In Business

By Lara Bricker
EXETER__Wayne Patten developed an understanding of the elderly and their issues at a young age.
The 70-year-old Exeter man was raised to the age of 10 by his great grandparents in a small village in the Kennebec River valley in central western Maine. That early interaction with the elderly gave him a desire to help out other seniors. So when the real estate market dropped in the late 1980s and Patten, then a developer, was looking for a new career, he thought of opening a nursing home.
He returned to college and took classes in gerontology. But when one of his professors noted that only a small percent of the elderly end up in a nursing home, Patten had another idea—home care services for the elderly.
At the time, Patten was the oldest person in his class, but he says that wasn’t a disadvantage as he also received the highest grade. When he approached on of his professors with his idea for a home care company, the woman actually wanted to go in as a partner.
“At that time, 20 years ago, everybody though the in home care industry was going to take off like a rocket,” Patten said, adding he decided against forming a partnership and went out on his own.
The industry did not reach the level of popularity many expected, which Patten attributes to the cost which is not covered by most medical insurance plans.
Patten initially employed a number of senior citizen employees in the business which offers everything from personal assistants to respite care to driving services to housecleaning. As years went on he said it became harder and harder to find qualified elderly employees and most of his employees now are not in that age bracket.
Patten hand picks each employee for the company and all caregivers are subjected to a criminal background check. He employees between 20 to 40 caregivers depending on the time and says he has deliberately kept his operation small.
“I totally believe the bigger you get the less able you are to give people the personal touch approach,” Patten said.
That personal touch is what Patten said sets his company apart from more commercial caregiving operations. He personally meets with each new client to go over their needs as well as to get to know them and their interests. He then pairs the client up with a caregiver whose personality and approach seem like a good match. For example, one client was very interested in chess and hoped to find a caregiver with the same interest. Patten says it took some time but he found a suitable match, with a background in chess, to partner up with the client. One paired up, he strives to use the same caregiver each time for a client.
“It comes down to that personal touch issue, you don’t have a different person every time like you might in a big company,” Patten said.
Patten and his employees know that it can be difficult for elderly when people “barge” into their home and tell them what to do.

“We have more respect than that,” he said. “It is their home. We work directly with our customers and clients providing what they need and want.”
Patten said he is open-minded and follows a “live and let live” philosophy with clients.

“This is why all caregivers working with Senior Hand honor elderly rights,” Patten said. “Our clients are people who earned the right not to be pushed around.”
One of the biggest concerns that Patten hears from the elderly is that they will outlive their savings. And he acknowledges that many elderly need a service like the one he provides but cannot afford to pay for help. With national healthcare policy debate taking place, Patten said he would like to see the federal government include coverage of homecare services in their discussions.
By staying small, Patten has managed to keep his hourly price down, with a range of $17 to $26 per hour, which he says is the least expensive rates in the area. One unique aspect of his driving service is that if the driver uses the client’s car, there is no additional charge for mileage as with some other companies.
Some people in need of assistance may be tempted to place an ad in the newspaper looking for a less expensive caregiver, but Patten cautions that may bring in responses from people who are looking to take advantage of the elderly.
“The fact that the elderly are vulnerable to crooks is no joke,” Patten said.
Though the service is a business for Patten, he said it is one he truly enjoys and take satisfaction from helping people.
“We are also, and most importantly, giving them a sense of safety and security,” he said. “We care, we care about our customers.”
For more information call 778-2400 or www.seniorhand-caregiver.com