MyTurn 08-2009

Growing Season
At Breckenridge Village, bursts of bloom are everywhere: Plots of roses and lilies, pots of geraniums and petunias and gardens replete with tomatoes, Swiss chard, strawberries and rhubarb dot the 32-acre Willoughby campus. Ever since its founding 30 years ago, residents of the continuing-care community have celebrated summer by immersing themselves in a beautification program grounded in community spirit. “There’s so much joy and satisfaction in contributing to nature,” says Barbara Ra...

In the Swim
Jenny Crimm strides to the edge of the pool and gingerly sticks a toe in. Finding the water to be a satisfactory 86 degrees, she smiles and invites the women gathered nearby to join her in the shallow end. For 22 years, northeast Ohio audiences tuned in to watch Crimm co-host “Good Morning, Cleveland” and deliver the noon newscast on WEWS-TV 5. But in 1998, the affable anchor decided the time had come to bid adieu to broadcasting and focus on sharing her lifelong love of the water. A certifi...

Rhythm of Life
Ed “Doc” Ferreri has made it his mission to help others. In fact, the retired dentist — who treated patients while stationed in Australia during World War II, before opening a practice in South Euclid — believes there’s no greater goal. “The Lord gives each of us special gifts,” he explains, “and it’s up to us to discover what they are, embellish them, enjoy them and make this world a better place for having been here.” And, at 92, he continues...

Head for the Hills
Donna Covert, a 65-year-old resident of Rockbridge, Ohio, readily admits she doesn’t consider herself the outdoor adventurer type. “I would never have dreamed I’d do anything like that!” she says. Covert’s courageous feat? Signing up for one of the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, comprised of a network of zipline cables and “skybridges” suspended in the treetops of the southeast Ohio hills, which take travelers on a course that traverses over 1.5 miles of rock cliff...