Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 1, 2024 Sy Senior a Dear Savvy Senior, Do you have any suggestions on divvying up my personal possessions to my kids after I’m gone without causing hard feelings or confl ict? I have a lot of jewelry, art, family heirlooms and antique furniture, and four grown kids that don’t always see eye-to-eye on things. Confl icted Parent Dear Confl icted, Divvying up personal possessions among adult children or other loved ones can often be a tricky task. Deciding who should get what without showing favoritism, hurting someone’s feelings or causing a feud can be diffi cult, even for close-knit families who enter the process with the best of intentions. Here are a few tips to consider that can help you divide your stuff with minimal confl ict. Sweating the Small Stuff For starters, you need to be aware that it’s usually the small, simple items of little monetary value that aren’t mentioned in your will that cause the most confl icts. This is because the value we attach to the small personal possessions is usually sentimental or emotional, and because the simple items are the things that most families fail to talk about. Family battles can also escalate over whether things are being divided fairly by monetary value. So, for items of higher value like your jewelry, antiques and art, consider getting an appraisal to assure fair distribution. To locate an appraiser in your area, try ISA-appraisers.org, Appraisers.org or AppraisersAssociation.org. Dividing Fairly The best solution for passing along your personal possessions is for you to go through your house with your kids or other heirs either separately or all at once to fi nd out which items they would like to inherit and why. They may have some emotional attachment to something you’re not aware of. If more than one child wants the same thing, you’ll have to make the ultimate decision. Then you need to sit down and make a list of who gets Senin r ior or by Jim Miller How to Divide Your Personal Possessions Without Dividing the Family what on paper, signed, dated and referenced in your will. You can revise it anytime you want. You may also want to consider writing an additional letter or create an audio or video recording that further explains your intentions. You can also specify a strategy for divvying up the rest of your property. Here are some popular methods that are fair and reasonable: Take turns choosing: Use a round-robin process where your kids take turns choosing the items they would like to have. If who goes fi rst becomes an issue, they can always fl ip a coin or draw straws. Also, to help simplify things, break down the dividing process room-by-room, versus tackling the entire house. To keep track of who gets what, either make a list or use adhesive dots with a color assigned to each person to tag the item. Have a family auction: Give each person involved the same amount of play money or use virtual points or poker chips to bid on the items they want. Use online resources: For families who want help or live far apart, there are web-based resources like FairSplit.com that can assist with the dividing process. For more tips, see “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” at YellowPiePlate.umn. edu. This is a resource created by the University of Minnesota Extension Service that offers a free video and detailed workbook for $12.50 that gives pointers to help families discuss property distribution issues and lists important factors to keep in mind that can help you avoid or manage confl ict. It’s also very important that you discuss your plans in advance with your kids so they can know ahead what to expect. Or you may even want to start distributing some of your items now, while you are still alive. 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. Saugus driver involved in fatal New Hampshire crash that killed his passenger A 38-year-old Saugus man was the driver of a car involved in a rollover crash on I-95 in Portsmouth, N.H., that left his 65-year-old woman passenger dead on Wednesday. New Hampshire State Police had not released the identities of the Saugus man, or his passenger from Buena Park, Calif., who was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. Evidence at the scene showed that a 2019 Genesis G70 had been traveling northbound toward Portsmouth when the driver lost control and left the paved portion of the interstate, according to state police. The car continued into the grassy center median before turning and hitting a large light pole. The woman passenger was thrown from the car. Troopers assigned to the Troop A barracks responded to the scene, which was just south of exit 3B, and found a car on its roof in the high-speed breakdown lane of the southbound lanes of travel. The driver was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for about three hours while emergency responders investigated the crash. Saugonians named to Saint Anselm College Dean’s List for Fall 2023 Semester S aint Anselm College has released the Dean’s List of high academic achievers for the fi rst semester of the 2023-2024 school year. To be eligible for this honor, a student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.4 or better in the semester with at least 12 credits of study that award a letter grade. This semester there were a total of 562 students from 24 states and four countries. Dean Mark W. Cronin announced that the following local students have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2023 semester: Sofi a Del Sonno, Psychology, 2024; and Maggie Warner, Nursing, 2027. About Saint Anselm College: Founded in 1889, the four-year liberal arts college provides a 21st-century education in the Catholic, Benedictine tradition. Located in southern New Hampshire near Boston and the seacoast, Saint Anselm is well known for its strong liberal arts curriculum, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, a highly successful nursing program, a legacy of community service and a commitment to the arts. Come watch Polymnia Choral Society tell the story of Anne Frank’s diary, life and legacy F or over 70 years, Polymnia Choral Society has been delivering great performances to acknowledge and honor the important times in our lives. On Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 7:30 p.m., Polymnia will be performing “Annelies” by James Whitbourn. It’s a powerful and dramatic work in 14 movements that details the life of Anne Frank during the time she was in hiding during World War II. Also included in the piece are excerpts from her diary. SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 14 at the Kowloon The Kowloon Restaurant is set to host Friday Night Dance Jam where Motown meets Freestyle, starring the Classic Supremes, The Cover Girls, P2, Come experience Polymnia Choral Society’s performance of songs inspired by Anne Frank’s writings, life and legacy. In addition, educational materials regarding the Holocaust, Anne Frank’s life and her diary’s infl uence will be available for the audience to learn more about these topics. Due to the seriousness of this concert’s subject matter, it would be appropriate for adults and children aged 12 and up to attend. This concert will be held Lance Bernard Bryant and Jovian Ford. DJ Ricky will spin club classics. The event is slated for March 8. VIP Tickets are $75 per person for reserved seating, buffet and photos with the artists. Doors open for VIP tickat the Melrose Performing Arts Center at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School (350 Lynn Fells Pkwy., Melrose, Mass.). Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students. To purchase tickets for this concert, visit https://polymnia. org/about-our-upcoming-season/ or Miter Biter (479 Main St., Melrose) or call 617-633-5006. For more information about Polymnia: www.polymnia. org/about ets from 6-8 p.m. General admission tickets are $65 per person for reserved seating only. Doors open for general admission tickets at 8 p.m. Showtime is 9 p.m. Tickets THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 17
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