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Rona Barrett's new scoop
By JANET K. KEELER
© St. Petersburg Times, Rona Barrett is not dead, she's just been very quiet for the past decade. After People magazine published an article about the pioneering Hollywood gossip columnist in May, 40,000 peopled logged on to her Web site, many of them fans who said they thought she'd gone to the great newsroom in the sky. "They were surprised I was still around," she said. Barrett dropped from the radar more than 10 years ago after having her name on magazines such as Rona Barrett's Hollywood and doing stints on Good Morning America, Today Show and Entertainment Tonight. She's making blips again, this time as farmer, food manufacturer and crusader for senior rights. Late last year she started Lavender by Rona Barrett, a line of products that range from anti-aging cream to mustard, all infused with the fragrant purple flower. Barrett, 64, and her husband, Bill Trowbridge, 72, grow much of the lavender on their 40-acre farm in California's Santa Ynez Valley. "I couldn't think of a better crop that would work to do what I want to do," Barrett said recently in a phone interview from the farm. "Lavender is an herb which is very healthy, so if you want to keep somebody healthy, think about lavender as an alternative." Indeed, lavender has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. The ancient Greeks used it to ward off insomnia and insanity, and Queen Elizabeth I of England drank lavender tea to help ease migraines. Barrett has more on her agenda than keeping people healthy. The bulk of the profits from her lavender products will go to the Rona Barrett Foundation to help fund non-profit senior organizations. Called Seniors in Need, the organization will help with housing and medical problems. How did a woman who made a living digging dirt on Hollywood celebrities wind up digging dirt in the garden? "I never imagined I would be in the food business," she says, "but what I did imagine was that one day I would live in the country. I always dreamed of having a working farm or ranch." That dream of working the soil was born in Queens, N.Y., where Barrett grew up sampling cuisines from around the world. "It's a little bit of irony that I've ended up in the food business because both sides of my family were involved in the industry," she says. Barrett suffered from an arrested form of muscular dystrophy as a child, which made it difficult to walk, let alone run and jump with neighborhood kids. She spent a lot of time on the sidelines talking to playmates. That is where she honed her interview skills, she told People. She still undergoes weekly physical therapy sessions. Her time being cared for as a child may have helped prepare her for her current role as caretaker for her father, Harry Burstein, 92, a former grocer. Burstein lives at the Santa Ynez ranch, and his daughter has almost become his mother. A full-time aide shares caretaking duties. In addition to looking after her father, Barrett says, she has four elderly friends in the Los Angeles area whom she watches over. "They are all living alone and can't fend for themselves," she says. "We've been taking care of them and dealing with all of their issues, including making sure they get to doctors." This first-hand experience has opened her eyes to the plight of the elderly, especially those without money to pay for care. Paul Newman, whose blue eyes have cast a spell on many a woman, was Barrett's inspiration for the lavender product line. The actor's successful Newman's Own food line, which includes salad dressings, salsas and drinks, has raised millions of dollars for various charities. "When I saw what he was able to do, I thought maybe I could do it, too," Barrett says. As passionate as she was about uncovering scoops in Tinseltown, she may be even more so about the issues that face the nation's elderly. "People don't really realize what a serious problem we are facing," she says. "There are problems in everything from housing to medical care. We don't have enough places for people to have a decent lifestyle, and that's a major, major issue. This is a critical situation that people don't want to deal with." Although she was happy to leave public life 10 years ago, Barrett says she's ready to return now that she has a cause to champion. "I don't mind giving myself to the public again in this circumstance," Barrett says. "I don't miss the (Hollywood) lifestyle. The truth is there aren't that many great stories any more, and there is too much control by PR people. But here I am, pioneering again." Just call her the lavender warrior. Going lavenderRona Barrett's lavender products are available at just a few Florida stores, including Gourmet Market, 1469 Main St., (941) 953-9101, and Morton's Gourmet Market, 1924 S Osprey Ave., (941) 955-9856, both in Sarasota. To get a product sheet, call toll-free 1-866-528-3637. Orders can be taken over the phone or sent through the mail. If you're online, go to www.lavenderbyrona.com. While there, check out the Rona Report, a monthly column focusing mostly on older celebrities.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times Seniority pages |
