THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 7, 2022 Page 21 Say nir Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Auto Aids That Make Driving Easier and Safer Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any car gadgets that can help older drivers? I drive a 12-year-old car and have arthritis in my neck, back and knees which limits my mobility making it more diffi cult to get in and out of the car and look over my shoulder to backup. Almost 80 Dear Almost, To help keep older drivers safe and extend their driving years, there are a number of inexpensive products you can purchase that can easily be added to your vehicle to help with many different needs. Here are some popular auto aids to consider. Entry and Exit Aids For mobility challenged seniors who have a diffi cult time entering and exiting a vehicle – especially cars that are low to the ground or high vehicles such as SUV’s or pickup truck’s – there are a variety of support handles and special seat cushions that can help. Some examples include the Stander (stander.com) “HandyBar” ($40), which is a portable support grab bar that inserts into the U-shaped striker plate on the doorframe, and the “CarCaddie” ($20), a nylon support handle that buckles around the top of the door window frame. Stander also has an “Auto Swivel Seat Cushion” ($40), that rotates 360 degrees to help drivers and passengers pivot their body into and out of their vehicle. Rear Vision Improvements To help those with neck and back range of motion problems, which makes looking over the shoulder to back-up or merge into traffi c diffi cult, there are special mirrors you can add as well as back-up cameras. To widen rear visibility and eliminate blind spots, Verivue Mirrors (verivuemirrors.com) offers the popular “Universal 12-Inch Panoramic Rearview Mirror” ($13) that clips on to existing rearview mirrors, along with a variety of “Blind Spot Mirrors” ($5 for two), which are small convex mirrors that stick to the corner of the sideview mirrors. Another helpful device is the “Auto-vox CS-2 Wireless Backup Camera Kit” ($120, www. auto-vox.com). This comes with a night vision camera that attaches to the rear license plate, and a small monitor that mounts to the dash or windshield. When the vehicle is in reverse, it sends live images wirelessly to the monitor so you can see what’s behind you. Seat Belt Extenders For plus-sized people or those with mobility problems, there are seat belt extension products that can make buckling up a little easier. For example, Seat Belt Extender Pros (seatbeltextenderpros.com) offers vehicle-specifi c “Seat Belt Extenders” ($13 to $26) that fit into the seat belt buckle receiver to add a few inches of length, making them easier to fasten. They also sell a “Seat Belt Grabber Handle” ($8), which is a rubber extension handle that attaches to the seat belt strap to make it easier to reach. Gripping Devices If you have hand arthritis that makes gripping diffi cult or painful, consider the “SEG Direct Steering Wheel Cover” ($17) that fi ts over the steering wheel to make it larger, softer and easier to grip. And for help twisting open tight gas caps, the “Gas Cap & Oil Cap Opener by Gascapoff ” ($17) is a long-handled tool that works like a wrench to loosen and tighten gas caps. Many of these products can be found in your local auto supply stores or online at the manufacturer’s website or at Amazon.com. Just type the product name in the search bar to fi nd them. Professional Help If you need more assistance, consider contacting a driver rehabilitation specialist who are trained to evaluate elderly drivers and provide safety and driving equipment suggestions. In addition to the types of aids mentioned in this column, there’s also a range of adaptive driving equipment that can be professionally installed on a vehicle – like swing-out swivel seats, pedal extenders, hand controls and more – to help people with various disabilities. To locate a driver rehabilitation specialist in your area, visit ADED. net or MyAOTA.aota.org/driver_search. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior BEACON | FROM PAGE 20 view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and briefl ength of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of September 26-30, the House met for a total of 30 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 14 minutes. Mon.Sept. 26 House11:01 a.m. to11:15 a.m. BEACON | SEE PAGE 23 ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS....Bring the whole family to this charming 8 room, 5 bedroom Garrison Colonial. First level boasts chef’s kitchen with an abundance of maple cabinets, granite counters, double wall oven, sub-zero refrigerator, ceramic tile flooring and back splash, opens to formal dining room w/ slider to deck overlooking yard, entertainment-size, fireplace living room and three season porch, two bedrooms and half bath complete the first floor. Well designed second floor addition offers front-to-back primary bedroom with three closest, palladium window and unique window seating w/storage, two additional spacious bedrooms, full bath with double sinks and convenient laundry area. Lower level waiting to be finished with high ceilings, half bath and convenient walk-out to yard, spacious deck overlooking private, well-manicured yard with storage shed. Located in desirable Lynnhurst neighborhood. Offered at $679,900 335 Central Street, Saugus, MA 01906 (781) 233-7300 CITY OF EVERETT - LEGAL NOTICE - ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 484 BROADWAY EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS 02149 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: This notice is to inform you that a public hearing will be held on Monday October 17, 2022 at 6:00 PM, Everett City Hall, 3rd Floor George Keverian Hearing Room. All interested parties may attend and opinions will be heard regarding the following petition. Whereas a petition has been presented by: Property Address: 188 Bradford St. Map/Lot: B0-06-000078 Person Requesting: Wilson Felipe DaSilva Jr. 188 Bradford St. Everett, MA 02149 PROPOSAL: The applicant seeks to convert the existing single-family dwelling to a two-family dwelling on a 11,310 s.f. lot located within the dwelling district as per plan by Peter Nolan & Associates, dated 5/22/2022. The plan contains six (5) parking spaces and 4 of which already exist in garage form and other in rear yard and they are compliant. Permit was denied in accordance to the City of Everett Zoning Ordinances Appendix A: Reason for Denial: Section 4 Dwelling Districts. B. Dimensional Requirements. 6: Side yards: A. Four (4) feet minimum with a total of sixteen (16) feet. Violation: The existing side yard is 1.7 feet. Zoning: Section 3 (6) of APPENDIX A of the City of Everett Zoning ordinances requires “Pre-existing, non-conforming structures or uses may be extended, altered or changed in use, providing that such extensions, alterations or changes of use shall be permitted only upon the grant of a Special Permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals and after a public hearing, a finding by the Board that such extension, alteration or change of use shall not be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing non-conforming use or structure. Applicant must seek relief in the form of a special permit issued by the Board of Appeals. MARY GERACE - Chairman Roberta Suppa - Clerk of the Board of Appeals September 30, October 7, 2022 View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. View all our listings at: CarpenitoRealEstate.com
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