B rian W. O’Connor, MD, is a graduate

of Boston College and Georgetown

University. He did his residency at

Walter Reed Army Hospital, outside of

Washington, DC. He began practicing medi-

cine in private practice in 1991, after serving

in the military. His career began in obstetrics

and gynecology and he spent 20 years caring

for patients in Melrose, MA.

Dr. O’Connor began to ex-

plore addiction medicine in

2009 due to a surge of preg-

nant women, presenting to

his office, that were afflict-

ed with substance use disor-

der and unable to access

treatment. Dr. O’Connor

initially treated only preg-

nant patients. In conjunction with the growing

Opioid Epidemic, Dr. O’Connor founded his

addiction medicine practice, Middlesex Re-

covery, in June of 2010. (In his talk, he also

disclosed that his son is an addict and has

been undergoing many of the experiences of

others similarly afflicted.) Dr. O’Connor now

specializes in the care of opioid dependence.

His interests also include alcohol abuse disor-

ders and addiction problems in underserved

populations and the corrections community.

Dr. O’Connor is board certified in obstetrics

and gynecology as well as in addiction medi-

cine.

In 2004, when Dr. O'Connor found that his

son was addicted, he, like many parents, was

shocked. His son had enjoyed a good family

life with all the benefits of a well-established

home. Dr. O'Connor first went to Mclean

Hospital in Belmont, MA, in search of help.

That began his discovery of how little support

was available in Massachusetts, particularly

for mental health issues. This, coupled with

the growing number of addictive pregnancy

cases in his practice, motivated him to under-

take training in addic-

ADDICTION AND THE BRAIN

Brian W. O’Connor, MD

UPCOMING

MEETINGS

Friday, June 9

Friday, July 7Friday, July 7Friday, July 7

Thursday, August 10Thursday, August 10Thursday, August 10

May Meeting Minutes Ship’s Bell Rang at 10:00 AM

R ay Atkins called the meeting to or-

der at 10 am; the cell phones were

silenced, and he led us in the Pledge

of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner

(Ken Watson accompanied us on his key-

board)

New Members –

Nick Veeder announced Ken Watson as our

newest member.

Visitors –

Paul Murphy called for members to intro-

duce their guests.

Dick Testa introduced Jack Regan (NE U.;

then into construction)

Dr. Oscar Harrell introduced Steve Swanger

(Sudbury Housing Auth,)

Jim Latimer introduced Stan Wulf

V OLUME 21 ISSUE 5

MAY 2017 Cigar Box Bulletin

RETIRED MEN’S ASSOCIATION

Aging With Optimism 4

Funnies?? 5

Lets Get Acquainted— Don Sherman 6

Anniversaries & Birthdays 7

Stop Pests This Spring 8

How Ethanol Can

Impact your Engine 9

RMA Bulletin Board 10

Addiction-Al Persson 11

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Continued on Page 2

Continued on Page 2

Reporter: Abner Salant

Reporter: Bill Johnson

July Meeting Date Changed to

Friday, July 7 to accommodate

activities at the church

C IGAR BOX BULLETIN P AGE 2

tion treatment. Notwithstanding this training, he quickly

found out how ill prepared he was to tackle the problem.

The detox success rate, depending how "success" is de-

fined, can be less than 1%. (After "drying out", the patient

can later go back to addiction.) Detox is not a treatment,

only an entry step to remove toxins. The cure is a difficult

and extended process involving psychosocial treatment. In

spite of the fact that addiction is a huge problem in this

State, he encountered local resistance in locating his office

and treatment centers in various communities. He was al-

most literally kicked out of one office, thrown out of an-

other, and, after 15 years in Malden, was even forced to

leave there. He is now located in Woburn at the Middlesex

Recovery PC, in the extensive Cummins Industrial Park

area and away from most private residences.

In first explaining the nature of addiction, Dr. O'Connor

said that one should focus on the individual rather than

statistics, since patients do better if they are educated. As a

starter, we are familiar with the term endorphin, composed

of endo (inside) and orphin (morphine). Some types of

morphine are created naturally by the body. Endorphin

transmitters and receptors represent, respectively, a lock

and key. Receptors in the brain are located next to the spi-

nal column and are part of what is called the Limbic Sys-

tem. These receptor zones have pleasure receptors that

help to implement the survival instinct (such as the desire

to eat). Opiates are items that stimulate these centers.

Opium contains morphine, codeine, and thebane, which

are naturally occurring compounds referred to as opiates.

Opioids are opium-like compounds, either semi-synthetic

or synthetic.

- Semi-synthetic opioids include oxycodone and its deriva-

tives, all of which are prescription drugs. Around 1850,

there was an addiction outbreak, mostly among women for

unknown reasons, and the pharmaceutical company Bayer

in its experimentation added two acetyl groups, similar to

what it had done with salicylic acid to form aspirin. Devel-

oped in 1895 to try to combat morphine addiction, that

product is heroin, a semi-synthetic opioid.

- Fentanyl is an example of a completely synthetic opioid,

and it is mostly smuggled in from China. Based on a po-

tency scale in which morphine is rated at 1, codeine at ½,

and heroin at 4, fentanyl is rated at 25. Fentanyl is also

cheaper than heroin, and, in the last 10 weeks, Dr. O’Con-

nor has dealt with over 20 heroin addicts but over 300 fen-

tanyl users. Fentanyl is often sold as heroin or other drugs.

In the 1980’s, vein-injection ("shooting") of heroin was

mostly confined to the Northeast, but then it began to

spread to the rest of the country. At that time, hospitals

were rated based on their success in pain management; that

helped foster the use of pain medications such as Percocet.

Most patients leaving the hospital did not continue its use,

but about 10% did. Users found that they had a much fast-

er effect if the pills were crushed and the powder was

snorted; that became the first entry to addiction even

though it was expensive. Surgery patients were discharged

with fifteen 5 mg Percocet pills with average use of about

50-100 mg/day. Users, however, usually in about 5 years,

went to heroin at a daily cost of $30 compared to $150 for

Percocet. In weeks or months, they eventually transitioned

to fentanyl.

The next topic in Dr. O'Connor's presentation was the rea-

son for the behavioral effects of opioids. Over time, the

body adjusts so that endorphin receptors also became des-

ignated as opioid receptors. All opioids can trace their ori-

gins to plants, and they end up “hijacking” the endorphin

receptors. They cause the body to release dopamine that,

among other actions, functions as the “pleasure molecule.”

It promotes pleasurable sensations, whether it be gam-

bling, shopping, or whatever an individual’s source of

good feelings may be. The cortex contains all the execu-

tive functions of the brain, and the reward pathways are

located next to these. Measuring what is referred to as the

Hedonistic Tone, dopamine levels are normally seen in the

level of 4-6. The first time an addict takes an opiate, his

HT level goes up to 7-7.5, before going back down to a

level below his initial one. It then takes more and more

drug to get back up to the original high; this is the body's

tolerance mechanism.

Tolerance ultimately leads to dysphoria, where users have

to rely on drugs just to get back to their base line. The

body does not like the depressive effect and tries to battle

back. Once an addict stops using, he gets the opposite ef-

fect with all the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal usual-

ly lasts about 7 days. Success or failure depends on how

well he can resist the promise of relief from taking the

drug again. All detox programs are just money-makers

since they do not effect cures, and a prosperous detox in-

dustry has developed.

Most users start between the ages of 14-17, and, unfortu-

Speaker — Continued

Continued on Page 5

V OLUME 21 ISSUE 5 P AGE 3

The Cigar Box Bulletin

P. O. Box 261

Wayland, MA 01778

Board of Directors

Ray Atkins President

Chris Hammer 1st Vice President

Larry Vifquain 2nd Vice-President

Merrill Mack Treasurer

Chris Hammer Program Chairman

Bob Diefenbacher Editor of Bulletin

Board Members

Ray Atkins Bill Beebee

Mort Brond Bob Diefenbacher Bill Ely* Karl Geiger

Chris Hammer Wally Hart

Frank Lyons* Merrill Mack

Al Persson* Ron Riggert

Nick Veeder Larry Vifquain

*Past RMA Presidents

Thank You To Our

Proof Readers

Yutaka Kobayashi,

Bob Curtiss

Published monthly by the Retired

Men’s Association of Weston, Way-

land, Sudbury and surrounding

communities.

Continued on Page 5

Travelers –

Paul introduced the RMA travelers.

Howard Kendall went to London England; visited 91-year

-old uncle, had fish & chips, and survived left-side driving.

Bill Ely, with his wife, stayed several months in Florida

and survived unusual cold, wind and pollen.

Jim Metcalf visited San Diego in March for the baptism of

his nephew.

Kobe Kobayashi, visited Portugal (via London, with thea-

tre show and river cruise) and saw the museum of Henry

the Navigator’s trip around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Ray Atkins showed appreciation to members for the fol-

lowing services:

Coffee – Paul Sturgis

Donuts from Stop & Shop – Bill Cooper

Badges – Ken Coleman

Facilities – Mike Sheff, Rey Graunas, Fred Jun-

galwala, Dick Kilbourne

Reporting on Minutes – Bill Johnson

Reporting on the Speaker – Abner Salant

Bulletin – Bob Diefenbacher

Sound Equipment – Ron Riggert

Slide Show – Don Sherman, Bob Curtiss, and

Al Persson

Website – Bob Curtiss and Bill Thompson

Photographer - Art Phipps

Announcements -

Harold Wilkinson has a summary of some of the docu-

ment types discussed in his presentation at the last meeting

(“living will”, etc.)

Nick Veeder made a vigorous plea for members to submit

their portrait photos for the RMA files.

Ken Coleman reminded us of the Trip to the MFA on May

16th (Tuesday) to view “Matisse in the Studio” at 10:30

AM. He also noted the Paw Sox Trip on Aug 10th for $40,

with a 7 AM bus from church parking.

Minutes — Continued

V OLUME 21 ISSUE 5 P AGE 4

Minutes—Continued

Vital Statistics -

Gerry Brody told us that the oldest birthday belongs to

Rey Graunas (89) and the oldest anniversary to Claire and

Rey Graunas (59).

Health of Members -

Bill Ely announced that Ted Grenham is recovering. John

Heckscher is also recovering (check “Caring Bridge” web

site).

Humor –

Harold Wilkinson showed us jokes through the Ages, fea-

turing Ancient Roman Jokes and funny sayings from Peri-

cles and Voltaire. All were unexpectedly fresh and funny.

Special Treat -

Ken Watson and Bill Ladoulis, with keyboard and violin,

played the musical vignette “The Swan” from the 1905

Saint-Saens’s ballet. A video of the “dying swan” dance

played in coordination with the music.

There was no ROMEO lunch for May.

Please remember to check the RMA Bulletin Board announcements on page 10

News for You—A Life Half Full: Aging With Optimism

(NewsUSA) - As Americans age, one element seems to be

a key for their mental and physical health: optimism. That's

the finding suggested by a new Humana survey, which

asked Americans age 60 and over how they perceive the

importance of various wellness traits.

Although the survey uncovered many perspectives, the

findings about optimism suggest a possible link between a

"glass half full" mentality and mental and physical health:

* Older Americans who rated themselves as very optimistic

about aging tended to be the most active physically, social-

ly and in their communities.

* They also reported a much lower number of physically

unhealthy days per month on average: 2.84 for the most

optimistic, compared to 12.55 physically unhealthy days

for the least optimistic

* The most optimistic also felt on average 12 years young-

er than their actual age (those who are least optimistic felt

on average 7 years older than their actual age).

The survey also asked respondents to rate how they feel

about the depiction of people age 60 and over in pop cul-

ture: in film, television, commercials and so on. Over-

whelmingly, the respondents perceived these media por-

trayals of their own demographic as inaccurate, rating the

accuracy level as, on average, 5 or less on a 10-point scale.

Those aging Americans who do feel that media accurately

portrays them think about aging more than the average and

have a higher level of fear about aging than their peers.

Taken together, these findings feed into growing evidence

that suggest that ageism is a social determinant of health

and may positively or negatively impact health outcomes

C IGAR BOX BULLETIN P AGE 5

Speaker Continued—

nately, as was the case with Dr. O’Connor's son, no one

believes it can happen in their family. Addiction is a pedi-

atric illness. with treatment suffering from inadequate sup-

port and funding. By contrast, Congress easily appropriat-

ed $2 billion to fight the zika virus.

Many activities that signal an ongoing addiction problem

are in plain sight. The average patient spends $100 per

day, and requires psychosocial treatment which too often

is inadequate or unavailable. Alcohol/marijuana use leads

to opioid addiction, although individual reactions vary

widely. Marijuana is considered "harmless" but there is

immediate harm to the individual - temporary loss of IQ.

The high typically lasts about 2 hours. However, the ina-

bility to think clearly lasts for another 8 hours. Such tem-

porary loss of reasoning and comprehension abilities can

affect performance in school, work, and even driving vehi-

cles.

Funnies???

My high school assignment was to ask a veteran about World War II. Since my father had

served in the Philippines during the war, I chose him. After a few basic questions, I very

gingerly asked, “Did you ever kill anyone?”

Dad got quiet. Then, in a soft voice, he said, “Probably. I was the cook.”

Groan...another blonde joke—

A blonde, a redhead, and a brunette were all lost in the desert. They found a lamp and

rubbed it. A genie popped out and granted them each one wish. The redhead wished to be

back home. Poof! She was back home. The brunette wished to be at home with her family.

Poof! She was back home with her family. The blonde said, "Awwww, I wish my friends

were here." -

A Scary Chinese Fortune...

...“That Wasn’t Chicken”

P AGE 6

Continued on Page 8

Career: Pediatric Dentist. After fin-

ishing my specialty training, I enlisted

in the US Army and was lucky to be

stationed as a Captain in a US Army

dental clinic in Vicenza, Italy, where I

treated the children of Army and civil-

ian personnel serving at the US Mili-

tary base there during 1964 & 1965.

In 1966 I opened an office in Lexing-

ton, and later bought an office condo in Arlington. While

treating children in Arlington I had the opportunity of

treating girls age 12-18 who were resident of the Germain

Lawrence School- where wards of the state with severe

emotional and behavioral issues lived. They were chal-

lenging dental patients, but I got great satisfaction helping

them overcome the fear of dentistry, and helping them

learn that they can overcome challenges. I also taught part

time at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine. I

was a frequent lecturer at the annual Yankee Dental Con-

gress- the New England dental society continuing educa-

tion meeting. I retired from clinical practice in 2001, but

continued to teach at BU. I also lectured at many state

dental society annual meetings in the USA and Canada. At

these meetings I usually lectured on using new technolo-

gies to provide a higher standard of care for better commu-

nication with patients and better case documentation.

Hobbies:

At the age of 15 I got my first high end camera. It was a

German Zeiss Contax camera that an uncle who fled Ger-

many in 1939 brought to the USA. I have continued the

hobby moving to digital in 2001. I now have a collection

of over 60,000 digital images taken of family events and

on world travel. Starting this year, I am scanning many of

my slides and negatives taken before the digital era. I hope

to assemble several family self-published books for my

children and grandchildren. I will be using facial recogni-

tion software to help sort through all my images. I am a

member of the Sudbury Valley Nature Photography group

which meets monthly.

While serving in the US Army in 1964 I was introduced to

Ham radio, as the army provided the equipment so service

personnel could communicate with family in the USA. I

got my Ham Radio license- WA1OEJ- in 1971, and I now

have a station in my home. In the last 2 years I have con-

tacted hams in over 150 countries. We hams learn to avoid

politics and religion when speaking to people in other

countries. I am a member of the Framingham Amateur

Radio Club.

I have always loved classical music, and now have a col-

lection of over 500 CD’s, which I loaded onto my comput-

er. I set up a music file server which is connected to my

den’s entertainment center. I love listening to music at a

volume level I consider normal, but my wife does not

agree with my definition of normal.I still go regularly to

Boston Symphony concerts. I played the clarinet in the

Saugus High band, but, since I never learned how to read

music, I depended on my skill to play any part by ear. My

music teacher was not happy, but the concertmaster let me

be in the school band anyway.

I have been a member of the Lexington Rotary Club since

1966. We participate in many local civic events, and raise

money to award 16 scholarships annually to graduating

high school students. On a national and international level,

Rotary started an effort in 1985 to eliminate Polio world-

wide. We have recently been joined by the United Nations

and the Gates Foundation, and worldwide polio cases have

dropped from 350,000 cases worldwide annually in 1985

to 10 cases last year.

My mother and father arrived in the USA as children with

their families in the 1920’s. My parents were both born in

Poland, which makes me a first generation American. I

have a brother Howard. I met my wife Barbara in the ele-

vator of the apartment building we both lived in in Cam-

bridge in 1966. She was a computer programmer working

at the Instrumentation Lab of MIT. We got married in

1968.

We have 3 children. Jonathan is a Paramedic working as

an instructor at a Police Academy on Long Island. His

wife is Jane, and they have 4 children. My son Robert lives

with his wife Anastassiya in Shanghai,China. Both are

now fluent in Chinese. He is employed at a law school,

and his wife works in management for Ralph Lauren Co.

in Asia. Our daughter Sara graduated summa cum laude

from Duke, but was severely limited by chronic illness.

Tragically, she died in 2014.

I grew up in Saugus, Ma on the North Shore. I went to

school in Saugus, where I became active in Boy Scouts. I

went each summer from 1948-1958 to a summer Boy

Scout camp, where I rose to being a scoutmaster, and part

of management. I also achieved Eagle Scout rank in 1953.

After high school I went to Brandeis University, where I

majored in science. I attended the Harvard School of Den-

tal Medicine, graduating in 1962. I then went on to the

University of Missouri Dental School for two years where

I was trained as a Pediatric Dentist.

During my 4 years at Harvard, in the summer of 1960 I

Let’s Get Acquainted—Donald S. Sherman

Anniversaries in May

P AGE 7 C IGAR BOX BULLETIN

Average Years Married—49

Member Spouse Anniv. Yrs.

Birthdays in May

Average Age--72

Member Birthday Age

Michael Sheff Marilyn 05/19/1984 33 Lou Petrovic Judy 05/06/1967 50 David Doran Linda 05/04/1963 54 Reynold P. Graunas Claire 05/24/1958 59

Ronald Smith Jr 05/30/1955 62 Paul Kudirka 05/21/1947 70 James Metcalf 05/29/1945 72 Robert Joseph 05/10/1943 74 William McCullough 05/25/1943 74 A. Bradford Conant 05/17/1941 76 William M. Carleton 05/13/1940 77

Larry Vifquain 05/14/1940 77 Robert Allard 05/14/1937 80 Edwin E. Larsen 05/09/1937 80 Waldo L. Hart 05/08/1936 81 Morton L. Brond 05/02/1935 82

Alvin Glazerman 05/08/1933 84 David Macklin 05/02/1930 87 Milton A. Jones 05/10/1929 88 Reynold P. Graunas 05/29/1928 89

V OLUME 21 ISSUE 5 P AGE 8

News For You—Stop Pests This Spring With These Safe, Simple Steps

went to Israel, and lived with an Israeli family for two

months. It was part of an exchange program run by the

Jewish Agency, the immigration agency of Israel. I took a

Lambretta motor bike with me that I bought in Italy on the

way to Israel. I was introduced to dental care in Israel, and

had a chance to travel all over the country. In 1960 Israel

was much less prosperous than it is now, and I got to many

places, and met many nice people. I continued to take lots

of pictures.

While I was in Italy in the US army in 1964, my Army

room mate was an American of Italian extraction. We

shared an apartment living off base in the city. With his

fluent Italian we joined a Vicenza Italy dinner club, made

up of only local Italians. We joined them for a monthly

visit to local restaurants. Quite an experience with the lo-

cals. I also learned to ski in Italy, as the army provided free

loans of equipment. In the winter I traveled to local ski re-

sorts where the lift tickets were $1.60 per day. In the sum-

mer I traveled regularly to Venice or to Lake Como. While

technically I was serving my country, it was a two year

paid vacation. The only danger I faced in Italy was when I

drove my car onto Italian superhighways. The Italians do

not believe in speed limits. You drive as fast as your car

can go.

In 1996 my wife & I visited Uzbekistan for two weeks,

just after Uzbekistan became independent from Russia. It

was an exciting time to be there among the first Western

tourists in Uzbekistan since the Russians took over in 1895.

(NewsUSA) - Spring is here, and that means not only getting

a jump on your cleaning, but also having a reason to check

all areas of your house and garage for signs of pests that

might have made themselves at home over the winter.

Take a tour through your house and try these simple steps

suggested by Kari Warberg Block, pest prevention expert

and founder of EarthKind and Stay Away natural pest-

prevention products for a few pest-proofing techniques for

each room of your house

* Outside: The best defense is a good offense when it

comes to protecting the outside of your home from pests.

Inspect the exterior of your house and patch any cracks or

other openings that may have developed over the winter.

* Living room: Keep ants from becoming unwanted guests

in your living room by vacuuming the entry/living room

areas thoroughly to get rid of any crumbs, and clean up any

sweet, sugary spills which are the number one culprit for

attracting ants in this area. Also, try a non-toxic ant repel-

lant such as Stay Away Ants pouches. All Stay Away prod-

ucts are made in the USA from essential oils and plant fi-

bers, so they are eco-friendly and have no known risks as-

sociated with use in the home.

* Kitchen: Use natural ingredients to keep your kitchen

clean and repel rodents and other pests. Be sure to clean

under refrigerators, stoves, and sinks because these are the

areas where rodents frequently make their nests. Dog food

is the number one attractant to hungry rodents. Try using a

plant-based Stay Away Rodent repellant pouch, and you

may avoid becoming one of the 21 million American homes

invaded by rodents each winter (according to the National

Pest Management Association). After pest-proofing your

kitchen, proceed to the pantry, where moths might try to

make themselves at home. Prevent problems by storing

food in airtight glass, metal, or plastic containers; cleaning

and checking packages for signs of holes; and placing a non

-toxic Stay Away Moths pouch nearby.

* Bedroom and Closet: Moths also can consider closets a

place to call home, but a Stay Away Moths pouch can keep

them at bay. In the bedroom, the non-toxic Stay Away Spi-

ders repellant offers a similar strategy. After vacuuming to

remove any existing webs, use the repellant to prevent addi-

tional infestations.

* Garage and Basement: These areas can harbor a variety of

pests. To keep them out, avoid storing items in cardboard

boxes, which can attract rodents (they use cardboard to

build their nests) as well as cockroaches (they like to feast

on the glue ). Also, repair any leaky pipes to prevent the

development of mold and moisture.

Let’s Get Acquainted—Continued

C IGAR BOX BULLETIN P AGE 9

(NewsUSA) - When consumers fill their tanks at the gas

station, they will see signs reading "may contain 10 percent

Ethanol.” However, many don't know what this means or

how it can affect their engine performance. Ethanol-

blended fuel has become standard in the United States, and

the Environmental Protection Agency recently mandated

an increase in the amount of ethanol added to fuel, meaning

it is even more important that consumers understand the

pros and cons of Ethanol.

Ethanol is a biofuel distilled from corn and sugar that has

many benefits, including reducing greenhouse emissions

and lowering the cost of fuel at the pump.

However, ethanol-blended fuel can also have negative side

effects on your car, boat and small engines, such as

lawnmowers and snow blowers, over time. Some signs that

ethanol is affecting your engine's performance include:

* Efficiency: Ethanol-blended fuel's lower energy efficien-

cy may reduce fuel economy of your engine.

* Stalling: Ethanol can cause engine stalling if the water in

the ethanol separates from the gasoline and floods the en-

gine. This problem is most likely in engines that sit unused

for long periods of time.

* Corrosion: Ethanol can contribute to corrosion of fuel

tanks and other components, and the risk is even greater

with small engines with aluminum parts.

* Clogging: Ethanol can loosen debris in the fuel line that

leads to clogs.

Fortunately, there are several easy things you can do to

help protect your engine from ethanol-related side effects.

Treatment: Using a non-alcohol based fuel stabilizer and

treatment product. This can help protect gas-powered en-

gines. A stabilizer may be especially beneficial for engines

that sit for long periods without starting. Stabilizers are

designed to absorb the excess water that may be present if

ethanol begins to separate from gasoline and protect the

insides of the fuel tank and parts.

Turn it on: Start up your stored classic car, boat and sea-

sonal equipment, such as lawn mowers or snow blowers a

few times during the off-season months to make sure they

are running smoothly.

Tank it up: Cars, lawn mowers, snow blowers, boats, and

other gasoline-powered tools and vehicles should keep

their tanks at 95 percent full with fuel, and add a fuel stabi-

lizer if they are to sit unused for a long time. This strategy

helps prevent condensation while allowing room for expan-

sion in warmer weather.

Trust your source: Buy fuel from a reputable gas station. A

station with a quick turnover of their products helps ensure

that the gasoline is fresh.

Test the lines: Rubber fuel lines dating from before the mid

-1980s should be inspected. These lines may not be com-

patible with ethanol-blended fuel, and may need to be re-

placed.

Helpful Car Info—How Ethanol Can Impact Your Engine

A computer programmer happens across a frog in the road. The frog pipes up, "I'm really a beautiful princess and if you kiss

me, I'll stay with you for a week". The programmer shrugs his shoulders and puts the frog in his pocket.

A few minutes later, the frog says "OK, OK, if you kiss me, I'll give you great sex for a week". The programmer nods and puts

the frog back in his pocket.

A few minutes later, "Turn me back into a princess and I'll give you great sex for a whole year!". The

programmer smiles and walks on.

Finally, the frog says, "What's wrong with you? I've promised you great sex for a year from a beautiful

princess and you won't even kiss a frog?"

"I'm a programmer," he replies. "I don't have time for sex.... But a talking frog is pretty neat."

V OLUME 21 ISSUE 5 P AGE 10

RMA Bulletin Board

Retired Men’s Association

Invites you and a guest to attend

The RMA Annual Dinner- Dance

October 18, 2017

Cocktails at 5:00 PM, Dinner at 6:00 PM

Beautiful Dining Music plus Golden Oldies from 1940 - 1960's for dancing

and listening pleasure!

At the Marlborough Country Club

200 Concord Road, Marlborough, MA 01752

Cost - $50.00 a person

Payable to the

RMA, PO Box 261, Wayland, MA 01778

Or give check to Larry Vifquain and

reserve a table with friends

Save the Date!

RMA Meeting Schedule for Remainder of 2017

NOTE July Date/Day Change:

June 9th

, Friday July 7

th, Friday

August 10th

, Thursday September 8

th- Friday

October 13th

, Friday November 10

th, Friday

December 8th

, Friday

Visit The

Larz Anderson Auto Museum

15 Newton Street,

Brookline, MA 02445

Wednesday July, 26th

11:00 AM

FUTURE RMA EVENTS Contact: Ken Coleman—Kenclmn45@gmail.com

The Sudbury Food Pantry is seeking two

additional truck drivers to help with food

pickup from the Boston Food Bank. If

you want to learn more, please contact:

Pat Mullen

P.mullen@msn.com

978-314-5247

C IGAR BOX BULLETIN P AGE 11

By Al Persson

This is the story about three boys who were born and grew up together in a small town. Like most folks they came from good homes and their future was full of promise.

My name is Joe. When I was 15, I had just finishing my growth spurt. I saw a man when I looked into a mir-ror. I felt like a man and decided then and there I was ready to make my own decisions. My two best bud-dies Jack and Billy had also finished their growth spurt and like me were ready to take on the world. Take it on using our rules.

One day, Billy showed up with a six pack of beer. His older brother had purchased it at the liquor store and sold it to Billy. Jack and I paid our share. We went into an old deserted barn with the six pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes I had stolen from my parents. (They were both heavy smokers)

After two cans of beer and several cigarettes I felt like a new man. I clearly could be able to take on the world using my new muscles and the elixir in a beer can. Things went along very well but I noticed that the girls seemed less interested in what I was doing. I wasn’t much interested in them so this didn’t matter. I had Jack, Billy and the elixir.

I graduated from high school and went on to college. By then I was drinking every day and I had discovered marijuana. Next I learned about amphetamines followed by cocaine. I became a regular with one provider. He was good to me. He gave me what I needed and understood that if I was going to get through college I needed his help. He had a simple rule, you provide the cash and I will provide what you need.

It was a lonely life but the goal was to be the first in my family to graduate from college. One day my provid-er disappeared. After checking around I learned he had been arrested and was in jail. After several days the withdrawal was terrible. I went to an emergency room in the hope of getting a prescription for a pain killer. They admitted me to a detox unit.

Two weeks later I was discharged and given an appointment to go to a rehabilitation recovery unit. It seemed harmless enough so I went. My main concern was exposing myself to the stigma of being a drug addict.

I repeated this cycle several times until I meet a counselor who I could relate to. I learned that there was no quick and easy fix. I had to admit openly that I suffered from drug addiction and that it was a chronic dis-ease just like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. They do not go away and you must conform to the rules that they dictate.

I am now employed and going with a wonderful lady who understands my problem and is willing to help me live with it. One day I decided to go back home and see how Jack and Billy were doing. Over the years we had lost contact. What I learned was that Jack had died of an overdose and Billy was in prison. He and his brother were caught robbing a convenience store at gun point.

First Class Mail

Next Meeting

Friday, June 9, 2017

Web site RMenA.org

E-mail info@RmenA.org

R.M.A. Box 261

Wayland, MA 01778

Dan Wolff

President and Founder of TickEase, Inc.

RMA Meeting: Friday, June 9, 10:00 am

D an Wolff, (aka Tick Man Dan) is originally from Washington, DC and has spent his ca-

reer in sales and marketing in the healthcare industry. After re-locating to Massachusetts

and being bitten by more than 200 deer ticks, he became interested in Lyme disease pre-

vention. With an inventive mind, Dan created a product purely out of necessity and has now be-

come an expert in tick education and an advocate for proper removal techniques. TickEase, is a

products manufacturing company whose mission is to provide safe and effective tools for remov-

ing and repelling ticks, facilitating tick testing and educating the public for the prevention of tick-

borne illnesses like Lyme disease. TickEase is also a proud preferred prevention partner of the

University of Rhode Island’s Tick Encounter Resource Center. For more than 25 years, Dan has

studied suburban deer behavior and the relationship between high deer densities and tick popula-

tions.

A dynamic speaker and radio talk show host, Dan likes to spend his time talking to groups about ticks, their behavior

and life-cycles and how they relate to the environment. Dan also has a weekly radio show on WPET Pet Talk Radio fea-

turing all subjects related to pets. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Skid-

more College and lives in Waltham, MA with his two sons and two dogs.