Page 18 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 13, 2025 MUSINGS | FROM PAGE 7 “Safety Dance” the first time I heard it in 1983 on WLYN, and I loved it last week when I heard it on 1510 WMEX! Who else? • Steve Winslow and Jane Ventrone were kind enough to keep me in the loop about the Trafton Park reopening. They sent some great pictures, and I will be following up with Fran Mauriello soon for the inside scoop on some history at Trafton. Thanks again, Mr. Winslow. As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” — I spent one of those rare, balmy Saturday mornings in April doing my best impression of a competent defender (Malden YMCA circa 1988 maybe?) — chasing my 15-year-old grandson Christian around the driveway as he blew past me for yet another uncontested left-handed lay-in. (Side note: It was a lot easier to cover him when he was four feet tall and more interested in juice boxes.) After getting thoroughly schooled, I retreated that evening to the familiar embrace of a cold Narragansett Lager (Hi Neighbor!) and the soothing Savvy Senior by Jim Miller Essential Legal Documents All Seniors Should Have Dear Savvy Senior, What kinds of legal documents do I need to help my family take care of me in my elder years? I would like to get my affairs in order but could use some help. Approaching 80 Dear Approaching, All adults, especially an older adult like yourself, should have at least five legal documents to protect yourself and your family. These documents will make sure your wishes regarding your estate are legal and clear and will help minimize any conflicts and confusion with your family and your health care providers if you become seriously ill or when you die. Here are the key documents you need, along with some tips to help you create them. Durable Power of Attorney: This document allows you to designate someone you trust to handle your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. Advance Directive: This includes two documents that spell out your wishes regarding your end-of-life medical treatment. The two documents are a “living will” which tells your doctor what kind of care you want to receive if you become incapacitated. And a “health care power of attorney” (or health care proxy), which names a person you authorize to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable. To complement your advance directive, you should also consider getting a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment – see POLST.org. This is a state specific form that your doctor would fill out that translates your end-of-life wishes into medical orders to ensure your wishes are carried out. A Will: This lets you spell out your wishes of how you’d like your property and assets distributed after you die, whether it’s to family, friends or a charity. It also allows you to designate an executor to ensure your wishes are carried out and allows you to name guardians if you have dependent children. In addition to a will, if you own real estate or have considerable assets, another option you may want to consider is a “revocable living trust.” This functions like a will but allows your estate to avoid the time and expense of probate (the public legal process that examines your estate after you die) and helps ensure your estate’s privacy. HIPPA Release: This form gives your healthcare provider permission to discuss your medical care and medical bills with those you designate. You may need specific HIPAA release forms for each medical professional or health care establishment you deal with. Do-It-Yourself If you have a simple estate and an uncomplicated family situation, there are do-it-yourself resources that can help you create all these documents for a few hundred dollars. Some top-rated options to consider include Quicken WillMaker & Trust software (see WillMaker.com), Trust & Will (TrustandWill.com) and Legal Zoom (LegalZoom.com). Get Help If, however, you want or need assistance or if you have a complicated financial situation, blended family or have considerable assets, you should hire an attorney. An experienced lawyer can make sure you cover all your bases – especially when writing a will or living trust – which can help avoid family confusion and squabbles after you’re gone. Costs will vary depending on where you reside, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $500 and $2,000 for a basic estate plan that includes a will, power of attorney and advance directive. If you want your estate plan to include a living trust, that can run anywhere between $1,500 and $5,000. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA.org) and the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (NAEPC.org) are two good resources that have directories on their websites to help you find someone in your area. If money is tight, check with your state’s bar association (see FindLegalHelp.org) to find lowcost legal help in your area. Or call the Eldercare Locater at 800-677-1116 for a referral. 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. glow of some YouTube comfort viewing. Thank the deity of your choice for YouTube Premium, am I right? And wouldn’t you know it! I struck cinematic gold as I stumbled upon Playwright 56’s 1955 adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Battler”, featuring a crazy young Paul Newman. But that’s not what made me sit up in my recliner. No sir! Who should appear on screen almost immediately, sharing credits with Hollywood royalty, but Malden’s very own Richard “Sonny” Collier — credited simply as “truck driver.” Now, Sonny may not have been a household name (except maybe in his own), but he carved out a solid, if underappreciated, career as a Hollywood character actor — despite (from what I have been told) his wife reportedly never being all that impressed. He popped up in “Blazing Saddles,” “Snow White and the Three Stooges,” “Imitation of Life” (with Lana Turner, no less), and even made a splash as Otto Puffendorfer in the gloriously campy 1960s “Batman” TV series. That, my friends, earns him a well-deserved spot in the Maldonia Hall of Fame. In “The Battler,” young Nick Adams — played by Dewey Martin — is out wandering the world, trying to figure himself out. He thumbs a ride and gets picked up by none other than Truck Driver Sonny. As Nick talks dreamily about his future, he nods off in the passenger seat. Sonny listens, nods along, smiles warmly... then casually lifts Nick’s last $30 right out of his pocket. The sly, mischievous glint in Sonny’s eye as he robs the poor kid blind? Worth the price of admission all by itself! Postscript: Speaking of the McCarthys of Emerald Street... where loyalty runs deep and public service runs in the blood. This election season, Ward 2, do yourself and the students of Malden a favor: remember Rob MUSINGS | SEE PAGE 19 - LEGAL NOTICE - City of Malden Massachusetts INSPECTIONAL SERVICES 215 Pleasant Street, 3rd Floor Malden, Massachusetts 02148 (781) 397-7000 ext. 2030 MALDEN SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE for ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS PUBLIC HEARING The Malden Site Plan Review Committee for Accessory Dwelling Units will hold a public hearing in Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA, Mayor’s Conference Room, 4th Floor, at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, on the petition of Weber DePaula of UP Homes LLC on behalf of Jose Eustaquio and Isadora Coelho, filed in Permit Application #RES-071467-2025 under Title 12, Code of the City of Malden, Section 12.32.030.D, seeking Site Plan Review and Site Plan Approval of a proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit to be constructed in the basement of the single-family dwelling, at the property known as and numbered, 18 Lynn Street, Malden, MA, and by City Assessor’s Parcel Identification #123 486 620. Petition and plans are available for public review in the Inspectional Services Department, Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Room 330, Malden, MA and through the City website under Permit Application # RES-071467-2025 at https://maldenma energovweb.tylerhost.net/apps/SelfService#/home By: Nelson Miller Building Commissioner June 6, 13, 2025
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