January 2016 | Howard County Beacon

The Howard County

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Keeping the county at peace

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

By Robert Friedman Sheriffs Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson helped keep the peace in the Wild West.

Here in not-all-that-wild Howard County, it’s Jim Fitzgerald who wears the sheriff’s badge.

Fitzgerald, a resident of Ellicott City who was born in the Bronx, has been our county sheriff since 2006.

Unlike other law enforcement positions, just about all of the nation’s 3,080 sheriffs, including Fitzgerald, are elected to office rather than appointed.

As a result, you could say that sheriffs are the only law enforcement agency heads in the nation who are directly responsible to the people, who vote them in or out of office.

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Plenty of natural and celebrity attractions in Monterey, Calif; plus, the Biltmore and more in Asheville, N.C. page 23

Not much politics Fitzgerald, 68 and a Democrat, is now in his third term of office. His three election victories, Fitzgerald said, can be explained by two words: “commitment and service.”

“I served four years in the Air Force, 30plus years in the Howard County police department, nine years as sheriff, five terms as head of the Fraternal Order of the Police (the police union’s local lodge), and have been married for 47 years. Commitment is a very important word in my life,” Fitzgerald said.

He and wife Lorraine have two daughters, one a nurse, the other a therapist. He is the county’s 53rd sheriff since the office was created in 1851.

Fitzgerald asserted in a recent interview with the Beacon that the duties of his job come first, and the politics are not a high priority.

What difference would it make in the way his office works if the sheriff of the county happened to be a Republican?

“None, really,” he acknowledged.

Fitzgerald is not too eager to take public stands on such law enforcement issues as gun control or cases of police aggression against African Americans.

What he did say on the racial issue was that, “Regardless of color, I see human beings. Every human life has value.”

He did, however, express his opposition to legalizing marijuana. “I support the use of marijuana for medical purposes,” he

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Jim Fitzgerald is serving his third term as sheriff of Howard County. The sheriff’s office — which includes 54 deputies — works primarily with the Circuit Court, where it serves arrest warrants, transports prisoners to court proceedings, and maintains security with a canine unit.

said. “But if you legalize marijuana for everyone, there could be a lot of people dangerously high on pot driving on the highways.”

What does the sheriff do?

While the duties of sheriffs’ offices vary from state to state, the Howard County office is most responsible for security in the Circuit Court; serving court papers, including criminal warrants; extraditing fugitives held in other states; and transporting Howard County prisoners to court proceedings.

The office also runs a canine unit, whose four-legged members provide security in and around the Circuit Court.

The Howard County’s Office of the

Sheriff is considered a “secondary responder.” This means that the county police answer all emergency calls first, but can also call on the sheriff for help.

Fitzgerald currently manages an office staff of 74, including 54 deputies, with a budget of $7.2 million. He noted that almost one of every three deputies and office employees (32.6 percent) is African American.

Among the services that Fitzgerald appears most proud of are the efforts by his office to try to curb domestic violence in the county. The office’s Domestic Violence Enforcement Unit is now open 24 hours, 7 days a week — a first for the county.

See SHERIFF, page 10

The ShowTime Singers have a song in their hearts; plus, Gloria Steinem speaks of her “life on the road” page 27

TECHNOLOGY k Chip-enabled credit cards k Helpful links to learn from

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FITNESS & HEALTH 6 k Your meds can make you depressed k Pros and cons of knee replacement THE SENIOR CONNECTION 15 k Newsletter for Howard County seniors LAW & MONEY k Financial gifts for kids k How to invest in startups

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Out of your pocket Even drugs you may never take are that affects some 3 million Americans (170 costing you money. million worldwide). It can cause severe liver Yes, that’s the way insurdisease, requiring expensive ance (and Medicare) are suptransplants in advanced cases. posed to work: group healthUntil last year, there was no care coverage averages the single treatment that cured costs of the “many well” with most cases of hepatitis C, and those of the “relatively few ill” even those that helped a numto come up with a reasonable ber of patients came with sericost we all pay. ous side effects.

That is a good system, in In 2014, Gilead Sciences obgeneral. Don’t we all prefer to tained FDA approval for Sovaldi know that, should we or some(sofosbuvir), which when one we love require a medical FROM THE paired with existing drugs treatment that costs, say, PUBLISHER cures the condition in 12 weeks By Stuart P. Rosenthal $100,000 — or even $100,000 a for over 90 percent of patients. month — it will be available Gilead cur rently charges under our existing healthcare coverage $84,000 for one course of the drug in the U.S. without bankrupting us?

Gilead argues that cost is reasonable, Medicare routinely adds such new treat- given that lifetime costs of other treatments ments to its coverage, even when the for the typical patient can be considerably longevity benefit provided by some of these more than that, not to mention all the addiis measured in months. This fact is some- tional suffering those treatments entail. thing we seem to have accepted as a society.

However, the basic structure of the But what if it turned out that each new drug was developed primarily through unitreatment that extended some patients’ versity research underwritten by U.K. and lives could cost everyone on Medicare an U.S. government funding (including NIH extra $40 a year or more out of pocket? grants). In India, where Gilead’s patent Would there come a point where this was rejected on the grounds that its underwould lead to a reconsideration? lying technology had already been inventThis number and some more shocking ed, the same treatment is available from ones come from a recent Associated Press generic manufacturers for $300.

(AP) investigation into Medicare’s costs for Last fall, the AP asked Medicare’s Ofnew treatments for hepatitis C — a viral con- fice of the Chief Actuary to calculate what dition spread by contact with infected blood this new hepatitis C treatment would cost

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Medicare in 2015. The actuary estimated that the Medicare Part D prescription drug program would spend $9.2 billion on hepatitis C drugs — a 96 percent increase from the $4.7 billion spent in 2014.

“That works out to nearly 7 percent of drug costs for all of Part D,” the AP reported, emphasis added.

How does such a sharp increase in the cost to treat one particular condition affect overall out-of-pocket costs of individual Medicare beneficiaries?

According to AP, “Because Medicare prescription benefits are delivered through private insurance companies, it’s difficult to tease out the effect on premiums.

“But another indicator called the Part D deductible gives a general idea. A deductible is the amount of drug costs that beneficiaries are responsible for each year before their insurance kicks in.

“In 2016, the prescription program’s standard deductible is going up by $40, to $360. It’s by far the largest increase in the deductible since the inception of Part D 10 years ago.”

And it’s not only new breakthroughs that are leading to huge increases in treatment costs. As has been widely reported, last September, Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of a long-time treatment for parasites from $13.50 to $750 per pill, literally overnight. Why? Because they could.

These cases raise some general questions that, fortunately, are starting to be discussed more widely:

Should drug manufacturers be able to continue setting drug prices based solely on what the market will bear, particularly when taxpayer-funded research is utilized?

If not, what principles should guide us in imposing restrictions on the basic economic freedom to set prices?

Some private insurance companies and state Medicaid programs restrict which patients are covered for new treatments like Sovaldi. As consumers, should we expect or even encourage insurers, including Medicare, to limit usage of the most costly new drugs?

Should our willingness to share the economic costs of medical advances be conditioned on the amount or quality of benefit they produce? That is, should a cure, like Sovaldi, be treated differently from a treatment that extends the life of a cancer patient by a few months?

We live in an age of rapidly advancing medical knowledge and lengthening lives.

Many illnesses that once were fatal have become chronic diseases we can live with for many years.

The benefits are undeniable. As treatments proliferate and costs rise, however, we may find ourselves facing uncomfortable economic choices.

I invite you to share your opinion about these matters. Please write or email us. We will print as many responses as space permits in a future issue.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

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Technology &

Innovations What’s up with chip-enabled credit cards?

By Anya Kamenetz I just got an unmarked envelope in the mail from my bank —with a South Dakota return address. Public service announcement: The most unassuming letters are the ones you should definitely open! It contained a brand-new debit card with a microchip.

The Smart Card Alliance estimates that around 120 million Americans have already received one of these new cards, which is called an “EMV” card for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. By the end of 2015, there will be about two of these new cards issued for every American.

Using these cards is different from what we’ve all gotten used to in credit card readers. Instead of “swiping” them through a

slot, you can either “dip” them or “wave” them. When you “dip,” you place the part of the card with the chip into a card reader for a bit longer than it takes to swipe.

When you “wave,” you hold it close to the reader without touching it.

The chip in the card actually communicates using a radio frequency identification device or RFID tag, which you may be familiar with from a work pass or other form of identification. Most of the new chip cards still have the old magnetic stripe as well.

Meant to be safer The purpose of these new computer chip cards is to enhance security. When scammers copy the information from a

magnetic stripe card, say with a covert card “skimmer” at an ATM or shady retailer, that info can be used again and again for fraudulent purchases.

But each and every time a chip card is used for payment, it generates a unique code for just that one transaction. That code can’t be used again.

I want to stipulate that debit card fraud is, in general, a very remote risk. Over the last decade, debit card transactions have become by far the most popular type of noncash payment. There were almost 50 billion such transactions in 2012, according to the Federal Reserve.

They also reported that among all card payments, the rate of fraud was extremely

low: just 3.60 unauthorized transactions for every 10,000 in 2012. And when a fraudulent transaction is reported, it’s typically either the merchant or the card issuer that absorbs the cost, not the consumer. (Of course, this leads to higher prices for everyone in terms of things like fees, but it does reduce the fear that you will become personally liable for losses and theft.)

The United States is actually one of the last industrialized countries to move to this new chip technology, a process that requires a lot of costly investment.

The banking industry is so serious about moving to the new, safer technology See CHIP-ENABLED CARDS, page 5

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Customers don’t have that much to worry about in a typical non-cash transaction. Nevertheless, there are best practices with these new cards. On Oct. 9, the FBI issued a consumer warning that when you use a chip card, if given a choice, you should always enter your PIN (personal identification num-

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ber). This is a lot safer, the bureau concluded, than simply signing for the purchase.

One potential unintended consequence that has been observed in other countries with EMV technology is an increase in the rate of what’s called “card not present” fraud.

Simply put, because the security of in-person transactions is so much higher, thieves shift to using stolen debit card numbers to make purchases online or over the phone instead.

This is why monitoring your statement and watching out for unauthorized charges remains so important — no matter what new technology comes down the pike. © 2015 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The site includes jobs nationwide,

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videos and articles as they become available.

Some of the popular tutorials include how to use: Flickr, a website for photo sharing; SoundCloud for music sharing; Facebook, the popular social media site; and the career networking site LinkedIn. Users can also learn how to access videos on YouTube, and use streaming websites like Netflix and Hulu to watch movies, television and videos instantly (with a paid subscription).

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which can be searched by ZIP code and type of job. Job seekers can also search positions by companies noted for hiring older workers. Senior Job Bank has been operating since 2000 and adds new jobs daily. www.seniorjobbank.org

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lives. A partner, a friend, a companion. We built Stitch because everybody needs company, no matter what their age is,” reads the message on the homepage of the site.

It’s free to join Stitch, use the message board, and view up to three profiles a day.

But to access more, the membership fee is $80 a year. www.stitch.net

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Health Fitness &

END-OF-LIFE COUNSELING Medicare will start paying doctors to discuss end-of-life care with patients PUNCHING UP FITNESS Fitness boxing provides aerobic exercise, improved coordination and more AN ELEPHANTINE QUESTION Why is elephant cancer rare? The answer might help treat humans DIET AND ALZHEIMER’S Researchers think a higher-fat diet might help early Alzheimer’s patients

Are your meds making you depressed?

Be on the lookout for mood swings, sleeplessness and anxiety when starting certain medications.

We all get the blues from time to time.

But if signs of depression, such as prolonged hopelessness or trouble concentrating, seem to come out of nowhere, the cause may be in your medication regimen.

“I think most patients are not aware that some medications can cause depression,” said Dr. Laura Carr, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “This side effect can be missed because sometimes patients hesitate to tell their doctor they are experiencing depression symptoms.”

Common culprits A wide variety of medications can affect your mood and lead to depressive symptoms.

One example is benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan) and temazepam (Restoril), which are used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

“Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants. These medications can build up in the body, leading to side ef-

fects that can manifest as depression symptoms,” explained Carr. She said older people are more likely to experience the residual effects of these drugs because their bodies metabolize medications more slowly.

Other medications that may have a side effect of depression include • antibiotics such as levofloxacin (Levaquin) and ciprofloxacin (Cipro) • prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (Oxycontin) or fentanyl (Abstral) • hormone replacement therapy such as estrogen (Premarin) • corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone) and triamcinolone (Aristocort) • beta blockers such as metoprolol (Lopressor) and carvedilol (Coreg) • statins such as simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) • anticholinergic drugs such as dicyclomine (Bentyl) • anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentin (Neurontin) and topiramate (Topamax).

Paradoxically, two medicines that are sometimes prescribed for severe depression can produce depression: aripiprazole

(Abilify) and quetiapine (Seroquel).

Not surprisingly, said Carr, “the risk for developing depression as a side effect of medicines is greatest in people with a history of major depressive disorder, prior depression episodes, a family history of depression, or prior episodes of drug-induced depression.”

The symptoms of drug-induced depression are the same as for any kind of depression: feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious or angry; loss of interest in work, family or once-pleasurable activities, including sex; extreme fatigue; trouble concentrating; trouble sleeping; aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems; trouble keeping up with responsibilities of work, family or other important activities; or increase or decrease in appetite or weight.

What you can do If you suspect that a medication you’re already taking may be causing depression, don’t be shy about reporting your symptoms.

“When I counsel people about their medications, I encourage them to speak

openly with their doctors, and ask if their symptoms could be a side effect of the medication,” said Carr.

If you’ve just started a new medication, be proactive about tracking symptoms that develop. Keep a journal, and note the day, time and type of new symptoms you experience, such as mood swings or sleeplessness. And be on the lookout for new symptoms in the first month.

“With most medications, the onset of depression symptoms would generally occur during the first weeks or month of starting — or even stopping — a medication,” said Carr.

Report new symptoms immediately.

Your doctor will help you figure out if a change in dosage or a new medication might help resolve them.

Remember, too, that depression has many causes, and your medication may not be to blame. That makes it all the more important to talk to your physician, address your symptoms and find some relief. © 2015, President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Knee replacement surgery vs. therapy

By Marilynn Marchione People with knees worn out by arthritis will get more pain relief from joint replacement surgery, but it has more risks, and there’s a good chance that less drastic approaches also would help.

That’s the bottom line from the first study to strictly test other treatments against knee replacement — an operation done hundreds of thousands of times a year in the U.S. “It’s one of the great operations of the 20th century,” yet good evidence of its effectiveness has been lacking, said Dr. Jeffrey Katz, a joint specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

He wrote a commentary that appears with the results in the New England Journal of Medicine, and said the right choice will be different for each patient, depending on goals, overall health, and whether the person wants to have or avoid surgery.

More than 670,000 total knee replacements are performed annually in the United States, mostly for arthritis, which deteriorates cartilage in the joints.

Weight loss, PT can help Medical experts advise trying other things before considering surgery — such as weight loss, physical therapy, exercise and medicines — as many studies show these can help. But for how long is not known, nor are there good comparisons of side effects.

Researchers in Denmark assigned 100 patients to either 12 weeks of non-surgical treatment — physical therapy, exercise, diet advice, special insoles and pain medicine — or surgery followed by 12 weeks of the other treatments.

After one year, the surgery group improved twice as much as the others did on scores for pain, activities of daily living, and quality of life. However, two-thirds of those not given surgery still had a meaningful improvement, and only one-fourth of them ended up having surgery within the year.

At the same time, complications were more frequent with surgery, including several serious deep vein clots, a fracture and a deep infection. And other studies show

that surgery “is not universally successful,” and that 1 in 5 patients still have some pain six months later, Katz wrote.

Only surgery can help some Some viewed the results as a clear victory for surgery.

“This certainly adds to the evidence that what we’re doing is effective and improves patients’ quality of life,” said Dr. Joshua Jacobs, a joint surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Many people get relief with therapy, but will ultimately need surgery when arthritis worsens, he added.

Lynnette Friend, a retired mail carrier, tried joint-lubricating shots before having a knee replaced five years ago. She plans to have the other one done in January.

“This time I just went ahead and went for the knee replacement,” she said.

“There’s not much that can be done when it really starts to deteriorate.”

Kenneth Rose, a retired Chicago police officer, also tried shots before having a knee replaced in 2011. When the other one worsened, he had it replaced in May, and now is able to lose weight and walk a couple miles a day with his wife.

“I wish I had done [the surgery] sooner,” he said. “It’s such a pleasure, really.

You don’t realize how great it is to be able to go outside and take a walk.”

Consider the trade-offs The results give “convincing” evidence that surgery helps, but that there are trade-offs on risks, said Dr. David C. Goodman at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. His advice: • Don’t feel pushed or locked into a choice. Get more than one opinion. And remember you can always choose surgery later if you try something else first.

• Consider how well you can handle the disruption of activity and rehabilitation See KNEE REPLACEMENT, page 7

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Popular spices can reduce appetite, fat

By Karen Asp As the mercury drops, what better way to add warmth than by spicing up your favorite cold-weather foods?

Apple pie wouldn’t be the same without cinnamon; spicy ginger punches up soups; zippy black pepper jazzes up roasts; and aromatic vanilla adds extra oomph to baked goods.

But spices do more than just add flavor.

They also serve up unique health benefits.

Pepper and ginger fight fat The most popular spice in the United States may be an ally in your battle against holiday weight gain. A substance in black pepper called piperine may help block the formation of new fat cells, according to a recent study on mice from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

If you’ve hit the trails or gym a little too hard recently, a sprinkle of cinnamon may

Knee replacement From page 6 needed after surgery, and how much help you’ll have at home.

• Get a clear estimate of what it will cost you. The operation runs $20,000 to $25,000, but research also suggests it

help you recover faster. Women who ate about 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon (or ground ginger) every day for six weeks experienced a decrease in muscle soreness brought on by exercise, found research from the International Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Although you probably know ginger best as a stomach soother, it may also help you feel fuller and even burn more calories.

When overweight men ate breakfast with ginger “tea” (powdered ginger dissolved in hot water), they felt more satisfied and ate less throughout the day than men who were given the same breakfast with just hot water, said research in the journal Metabolism. Plus, the men who drank ginger tea burned about 40 calories more just digesting their meal.

Vanilla cuts appetite There’s plenty to love about the flavor

saves money because it keeps people working and active and helps prevent other health problems.

For more information about the study, see http://bit.ly/knee_replacement_trial.

Further advice on joint replacement is at http://bit.ly/joint_replacement_trends.

— AP

that vanilla adds to baked goods. Sniffing that delicious aroma can also help put the brakes on your sweet tooth.

Overweight individuals who wore a vanilla-scented patch on the back of their hands for four weeks cut their intake of sweet foods (like sugary drinks and high-calorie desserts) in half, while people in the study who wore a lemon-scented patch or no patch showed no change in eating habits.

“Vanilla helps offset the pleasure derived from sweet foods,” said Catherine Collins,

R.D., lead study author and principal dietitian with St. Georges Hospital in London.

To get a similar effect and to help you avoid overindulging on holiday sweets, light a vanilla-scented candle in your kitchen or wear a vanilla-infused body spray or perfume.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2015 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Say Goodbye to Nerve Pain

Your nerve system is involved in everything your body does, from regulating your breathing to controlling your muscles and sensing heat and cold. Because your nerve system is so critical for your health when things go wrong with it you may experience excruciating pain and/or some very strange symptoms...

There are three types of nerves in the body: 1. Autonomic nerves. These nerves control the involuntary or partially voluntary activities of your body, including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation.

2. Motor nerves. These nerves control your movements and actions by passing information from your brain and spinal cord to your muscles.

3. Sensory nerves. These nerves relay information from your skin and muscles back to your spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed to let you feel pain and other sensations. Because nerves are essential to all you do, nerve pain and damage can seriously affect your quality of life.

What Are the Symptoms of Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage?

With nerve damage there can be a wide array of symptoms. Which ones you may have depends on the location and type of nerves that are affected. Damage can occur to nerves in your brain and spinal cord. It can also occur in the peripheral nerves, which are located throughout the rest of your body.

Autonomic nerve damage may produce the following symptoms: • Too much sweating or too little sweating • Lightheadedness • Dry eyes and mouth • Constipation • Bladder dysfunction • Sexual dysfunction Damage to motor nerves may produce the following symptoms: • Weakness • Muscle atrophy

• Twitching, also known as fasciculation • Paralysis Sensory nerve damage may produce the following symptoms: • Pain • Sensitivity • Numbness • Tingling or prickling • Burning • Problems with positional awareness In some instances, people with nerve damage will have symptoms that indicate damage to two, or even three, different types of nerves.

For instance, you might experience weakness and burning of your legs at the same time.

To further complicate matters we don’t all develop the same way and different un-expected nerves can cause similar problems. This has made it very difficult to diagnose disorders caused by nerve damage based on which nerve “should” cause what.

That is, until now...

Recent advances in technology that detects nerve damage has led to more precise diagnosis for those people suffering with nerve damage disorders.

And more precise diagnosis leads to better results... results which have been published in major medical journals. With data published in 2014 showing success rates as high as 90% some back surgeons are recommending their patients try this treatment first before having back surgery (for nerve damage that leads to back pain and sciatica).

In Ellicott City, you can get checked for nerve damage at World Class Chiropractic, the office of Dr. Steve Silverston.

Your invitation for a comprehensive consultation and examination to pinpoint the cause of your nerve damage.

All you have to do to receive a thorough

diagnostic examination and a comprehensive easy to understand report on your state of health is call 410-461-3435.

Mention this article (CODE: 4TB37) and they will happily reduce their usual consultation fee of $195 to just $37. But hurry, for obvious reasons – this is a time limited offer – with only 100 reader consultations available at this exclusively discounted rate.

Don't suffer a moment longer...

Find out what is causing your nerve damage, book a consultation now by calling 410-4613435, they are waiting to take your call today.

Over the years, they’ve treated thousands of patients with nerve damage. The vast majority of them have enjoyed superior, lasting relief.

In fact, many who’ve suffered and have tried other remedies and have told them they gave them back their lives!

Call them now and get a full and thorough examination to pinpoint the cause of your problem for just $37, the normal cost of such an exam is $195 so you will save $158!

Call them now on 410-461-3435 and cut out or tear off the valuable article and take it to your appointment. You’ll be entitled to a comprehensive examination to diagnose the cause of your problem – and you’ll be on your way to safe, lasting relief! Don’t delay your important diagnosis and treatment another moment!

You can even call on the weekend and leave a message on their answer machine to secure your spot as they promise to return all calls; and during the week they are very busy, so if they don’t pick up straight away do leave a message. So call now on 410-461-3435 and quote this special discount code: 4TB37.

For obvious reasons they can’t help everyone at this reduced price, so please call soon to secure your special opportunity.

8

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Medicare to cover end-of-life counseling

By Lauran Neergaard Medicare will soon start paying doctors to help patients plan what kind of care they want at the end of life, an idea more broadly accepted today than six years ago, when it touched off a political uproar about “death panels.”

The policy change was urged by numerous physician and health groups. Some doctors provide this “advance care planning” to their patients without getting paid for the counseling time, and some private insurers already reimburse for it.

But the Obama administration’s policy change could make the talks more common among about 55 million Medicare beneficiaries.

The rule, proposed last summer and finalized in October as part of broader doc-

tor-payment regulations, takes effect Jan. 1.

The counseling is entirely voluntary, and could take place during seniors’ annual wellness visit or during regular office visits.

“As a physician and a son, I personally know how important these discussions are for patients and families,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, Medicare’s chief medical officer.

“We believe patients and families deserve the opportunity to discuss these issues with their physician and care team.”

Too much invasive care Most Americans say they’d prefer to die at home, with treatment to free them from pain. But the landmark “Dying in America” report from the prestigious Institute of Medicine found the reality too often is un-

wanted invasive care and not enough comfort — in part because too few people make their wishes known to their doctors and loved ones.

The movement toward what’s called advance care planning also reflects that this isn’t just an issue for people who already are seriously ill, but a process that may prompt different decisions at different stages of life.

Involving a doctor in those decisions can help people fully understand their options.

For example, a relatively healthy person might want all-out efforts to resuscitate them after an accident, but if diagnosed with advanced cancer might make different decisions as their health gradually worsened.

Medicare decided not to limit how often such counseling could take place, Conway said, in part because of feedback from doctors and the public that people may need repeat counseling as their health needs change.

“If you made a choice and you become more ill, you might want to have the discussion again,” Conway explained. “For some patients, it may need to occur multiple times in a year if they’re quite ill and their circumstances change. For other patients, they may not need this service at all in a year.”

Medicare’s new policy “is a turning point in end-of-life care,” said Oregon

Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a longtime congressional proponent of coverage for such counseling.

He said next steps include helping ensure that advance directives for all patients are easily accessible and updated frequently, and that doctors are trained to have these difficult conversations.

“Ultimately, the care provided must align with the patient’s stated goals, values and informed preferences,” Blumenauer said.

About three-quarters of the people who die each year in the U.S. are 65 and older, making Medicare the largest insurer at the end of life, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

For years there had been bipartisan consensus about helping people to better understand their end-of-life choices. A 1992 law passed under Republican President George H.W. Bush requires hospitals and nursing homes to help patients who want to prepare living wills and advance directives.

Momentum stalled with political outcry over including end-of-life conversations in President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, which some opponents termed “death panels.” The concern was that pressure would be put on older patients to agree to forego costly treatments that might extend their lives.

— AP

BEACON BITS

Jan. 4+

GO GET FIT

The county’s new GO50+ fitness initiative, geared toward adults 50 and older, combines affordability and accessibility. Beginning Monday, Jan. 4, residents will be able to purchase a GO50+ membership package, which provides access to four fitness facilities (North Laurel, Gary J. Arthur and Roger Carter Community Centers and the Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center) for $75 per year. The new package includes an optional Roger Carter pool membership for an additional fee. For more information about registration, call Maryland Access Point at (410) 313-5980) or see www.howardcountyaging.org.

9

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Fitness boxing punches up your exercise When you think of boxing, you may picture greats like Rocky Marciano duking it out with Jersey Joe Walcott.

But boxing isn’t just a spectator sport anymore. It’s also a popular way to stay fit among older adults, through a version known as fitness boxing.

There’s no getting into a ring or taking any punches, so there’s no risk of head trauma.

Instead, fitness boxing has adapted the movements of the sport into exercise routines.

“This kind of boxing has many health benefits, because it constantly requires you to think, change your position, and change your posture,” said physical therapist Linda Arslanian, director of rehabilitation services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s hospital.

Unlike traditional boxing that requires you to spar with a partner, fitness boxing for older adults involves throwing punches at the air or at a punching bag, usually in a class.

Boxing set to music There are two main types of these exercise classes. In one, you follow a leader and do a series of boxing moves all choreographed to bouncy music, similar to an aerobics class. The moves include a combination of large, sweeping punches (crosses, hooks, uppercuts); smaller punches (jabs); squats (ducks); and short, quick steps forward and back.

The other type of exercise class involves strength training, stretching, and hitting a punching bag.

Don’t have the strength to stand and do boxing moves? Both types of classes are available for people who wish to remain seated while punching at the air or at a punching bag.

There’s no proof that fitness boxing is superior to any other type of exercise, but it does have many health benefits. One is strength.

“You’re swinging your arms, moving the muscles of your arms and shoulders, increasing your upper-body strength,” said Arslanian.

“And when you’re in the boxer crouch with a wide stance, with your knees slightly bent, you’re strengthening your core muscles, back and legs,” he added. Stronger muscles make it easier to get up out of a chair or carry a bag of groceries.

Excellent aerobic benefits Fitness boxing is also a great aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise gets your heart pumping, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

It can also strengthen bones and muscles, burn more calories, and lift mood.

Furthermore, aerobics can boost your endurance, which helps you climb stairs or walk farther, and is associated with improvement in certain brain functions.

Arslanian said boxing in particular is well known for improving eye-hand coordination, especially if you’re sparring on a bag, hitting padded targets, or even “shadow” boxing.

“There are studies that show trying to hit a target with your hands improves eye-hand coordination and possibly makes you feel more alert and attentive,” she explained. Better eye-hand coordination may also translate into an easier time picking up a pill or a pen.

And one last benefit of fitness boxing, if you are able to stand while doing it: better balance.

“You’re changing your position and challenging your balance. The more you do that, the better your balance reaction becomes,” said Arslanian. “If you encounter a crack in the sidewalk, you may be more successful protecting yourself, because your strength and reaction time may have improved.”

Before you start Despite all the benefits, fitness boxing is not for everyone.

“I’d say you’d have to be very careful if

you have osteoporosis or osteoarthritis of the hands. In that case, you should consider shadow boxing only, and make sure your hands don’t make contact with a target,” said Arslanian.

Also, as with any activity that is potentially aerobic, you should check with your physician before starting.

If you’re interested in trying this exercise to change up your routine, you’ll likely find

classes at health clubs, community centers, or your local YMCA. And if you do sign up for a class, remember to take it slowly.

“You’ll want to start at a comfortable level of intensity and gradually increase, and stick with it,” said Arslanian, “It’s not about high intensity. It’s about consistency.” © 2015 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVERS SUPPORT

Caregivers and loved ones of Alzheimer’s patients meet as a support group the second Thursday of every month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. Sponsored by the Howard County Office on Aging, the group is affiliated with the Greater Maryland Alzheimer’s Association. For more information, visit www.howardcountyaging.org or call (410) 313-5192.

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Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Sheriff From page 1 Is domestic violence a serious problem here? “It’s not out of control, but it appears to be spreading,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s enough of it to keep us busy.”

While he offered no figures, he said that the cases “mirror the composition of the community. “It can happen at all ages,” he said, “committed mostly by men, but also by women, of all races and backgrounds.”

The sheriff added that abused spouses “should not be ashamed of it, and should dial 911 [to report it]. If you’ve been abused once, you will be abused again.”

The 911 call goes to the county’s police.

The Office of the Sheriff gets involved in further proceedings.

Ongoing responsibility Corporal Mark Metzler, a Howard County deputy sheriff for the past seven years, gave an example of a recent case he was involved in.

He noted that an abused woman in Ellicott City obtained a court order in July to hospitalize her husband, who, among other erratic behavior, was physically abusing her and her two children, ages 12 and 9.

Metzler picked up the husband, who was “fairly cooperative,” and brought him to Howard County General Hospital. After psychiatric treatment, he was released.

But the episodes of abuse continued. The

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

woman returned to court and got a protective order, which Metzler brought to the husband, reading its conditions to him.

The husband was forced to leave his home for seven days, pending another hearing. At that hearing, the judge issued another order barring the husband from the house for six months.

Then Metzler performed welfare checks on the woman, calling her or knocking on her door each day, morning and night, to make sure the woman and her children were safe. Several months later, “we’re still checking, though maybe not as often,” the deputy said.

Sheriff Fitzgerald has emphasized the importance he puts on these welfare checks, adding, “I’ll just say that we are going to curb domestic violence. I’m giving notice to abusers that they will be arrested and prosecuted for their unlawful actions.”

Will the sheriff, whose third term ends in 2018, run for a fourth? “I could be there for life,” he joked — more or less.

Being a law enforcer, he noted, is “a family thing.” Both his father and brother had been members of the New York Police Department.

While his father never really told him why he had joined the police force, Fitzgerald said simply that being an officer of the law is “a good, honest profession.

You help people. You can make a difference every day in someone’s life.”

CHARLESTOWN

Where every season is the PERFECT SEASON Retire from winter at Charlestown, a vibrant 60-plus community in Catonsville. Enjoy a weatherproof lifestyle free from maintenance and filled with amenities like an indoor pool, fitness center, and restaurants.

Some interesting sheriff history The Office of the Sheriff had its beginnings in what is now England about 1,300 years ago.

Sometime before the year 700, the shire — a new unit of government comparable to today’s county — was created. The leader of each shire was called a reeve. The leaders were called shire-reeves. From here we get the modern English word: sheriff.

The sheriff in early England was the keeper, or chief, of the county. That position, metaphorically at least, is the role of the sheriff in modern-day America.

When the king became all-powerful and started giving out huge tracts of land to noblemen, these landowners started appointing sheriffs to keep order in the counties they controlled. The king also appointed sheriffs, who started collecting taxes for the monarchy.

Then, in the year 1215, came the Magna Carta. Among other things, the document restored the sheriff as the leading law enforcement office of the county.

One caveat: if the county inhabitants didn’t pay enough taxes and fines, the sheriff had to make up the difference out of his own pocket. This made the job far from sought-after. But the law also said whoever was chosen to be sheriff had to serve.

The English settlers brought the Office of the Sheriff with them to the New World. Records show the first American sheriff was elected in a Virginia county in 1651. Other colonial sheriffs were appointed. The large American landowners, just like their English forbearers, appointed the sheriffs to protect the tracts

of land they controlled.

The job changed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The sheriffs became law enforcers and tax collectors, as in England, but they also oversaw jails, workhouses and other houses of correction.

As westward migration began, the institutions of county jails and office of the sheriff were brought along. The sheriff needed to establish order in lawless territories, and had to be able to outgun the fastest gunslingers in those territories.

Hence, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickock, Pat Garrett, Bat Masterson and their ilk.

While many believe that the role of the sheriff ended when the Wild West was tamed, almost every one of the more than 3,000 counties in the U.S. today still has a sheriff. Some cities, such as Baltimore and New York, also have sheriffs.

Only in Rhode Island and Hawaii are sheriffs not elected by the voters. In other states, the elections are required in state constitutions.

The job differs greatly from county to county. Among other things, today’s county sheriff is responsible for law enforcement on the county level, either on a primary or secondary (as in Howard County) level.

A sheriff’s deputies carry out most of the law enforcement duties, while the sheriff manages their activities. Duties of the sheriff might include investigating complaints, emergency response, patrolling, resolving disputes, arresting suspects, criminal investigation and executing court warrants.

— Robert Friedman

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

11

12

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health Shorts Elephants may hold clues to cancer cure Cancer is much less common in elephants than in humans, even though the big beasts’ bodies have many more cells. That’s a paradox known among scientists, and now researchers think they may have an explanation — one they say might someday lead to new ways to protect people from cancer.

Compared with just one copy in humans, elephants’ cells contain 20 copies of a major cancer-suppressing gene, two teams of scientists report. The gene helps damaged cells repair themselves or self-destruct when exposed to cancer-causing substances.

The findings aren’t proof that those extra p53 genes make elephants cancer-re-

sistant, but if future research confirms it, scientists could try to develop drugs for humans that would mimic the effect.

Dr. Joshua Schiffman, a pediatric cancer specialist at the University of Utah who led one of the teams, began his research after hearing a lecture a few years ago about Peto’s paradox. That refers to the fact that large mammals, including elephants and whales, have comparatively low cancer rates even though they have many more cells than smaller species. Cancer involves uncontrolled cell growth.

The lecture speaker mentioned that elephants seemed to have extra copies of the p53 gene. Schiffman’s patients include children with incomplete p53 genes because of a condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which greatly increases their chances of developing cancer. So Schiffman sought to find clues from the blood of eight elephants — Ringling Bros. circus animals and local zoo animals.

His team, as well as a second group of

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

PLAY PICKLEBALL

Combining elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, pickleball offers a fun approach to fitness. Games are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Glenwood 50+ Center, 2400 Rte. 97, Cooksville. For more information, call (410) 313-5440.

Coalition of Geriatric Services We’re a coalition of nonprofits, agencies, businesses and professionals who come together to advocate for and help older adults.

January Meeting Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Time: 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Location: Morningside House of Ellicott City 5330 Dorsey Hall Rod, Ellicott City, MD 21043

Speaker: Beth Galik, Associate Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing Topic: Managing Difficult Behaviors

Go to www.cogsmd.org for more information or learn more by calling (410) 997-0610.

Thank you to our 2015 Executive Members PLaTinuM MeMbeRS Howard County General Hospital – A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine The Beacon Newspapers GoLD MeMbeRS Being There Senior Care, LLC • Howard County Office on Aging SiLveR MeMbeRS Brooke Grove Retirement Village • Deborah L. Herman, CPA Ellicott City Healthcare Center • Home Call of Maryland • Oasis Senior Advisors The Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Select Realtors

bRonze MeMbeRS Brighton Gardens of Columbia • Earl Wilkinson, M.D. (ENT) • Gentiva Health Services Homewatch Caregivers • Integrace Copper Ridge • Lighthouse Senior Living at Ellicott City Paladin Advisor Group • Professional Healthcare Resources, Inc.

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

scientists, pinned down the size of the elephants’ surplus — 20 copies. The second team found many other species have only one copy, just like humans.

Schiffman and his colleagues compared how elephant cells reacted to radiation, compared with cells from 10 healthy humans and 10 patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

The elephant cells self-destructed at twice the rate of healthy human cells, and more than five times the rate of cells from patients with the syndrome. Cells that don’t self-repair or self-destruct when exposed to carcinogens become prone to developing cancer.

The work was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Judy Garber, director of cancer genetics and prevention at Dana-Farmer Cancer Institute in Boston, said the research is intriguing but preliminary.

While the research won’t lead to any immediate treatment for humans, progress against cancer can come “from unexpected directions,” said Dr. Ted Gansler of the American Cancer Society. He noted that studies of eyelid and tooth development in mice led to drugs used for colon cancer, throat cancer, and several other cancers.

— AP

Calcium and vitamin D don’t prevent colon polyps A major study finds that taking calcium or Vitamin D pills does not help prevent growths that can lead to colon cancer in people who have had at least one polyp in the past.

It’s the latest setback among many for efforts to prevent disease through vitamin supplements. The calcium finding was especial-

ly disappointing — three previous studies suggested calcium would help, but the new one, a more rigorous test, found no benefit.

“That was a big surprise. We thought we understood calcium because the data was really quite, quite strong,” said Dr. John Baron of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He led the new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The National Cancer Institute sponsored it and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare provided the pills.

The study involved 2,259 people recently diagnosed with polyps — precancerous growths removed during a colonoscopy.

They were assigned to take either 1,000 international units of vitamin D3, 1,200 milligrams of calcium, both, or neither.

Women could choose to get calcium and then be given either real or dummy pills of vitamin D. “We did that so that women concerned about bone health would feel comfortable taking part,” because they were ensured of getting calcium if they wanted it, Baron explained.

Followed up three to five years later, 43 to 45 percent of all study participants had developed a new polyp, regardless of whether they took calcium, vitamin D, both, or neither. Even when researchers took age, gender and other factors into account, supplement use made no difference in the results.

Higher doses of vitamin D might make a difference, but this would have to be tested in a new study, and this one already tested a higher level than the 600 IUs a day (800 for people over 70) that the Institute of Medicine recommends, Baron said.

Aspirin is thought to help prevent polyps and colon cancer with long-term use, but it can also cause serious bleeding.

Anyone considering long-term aspiring use is advised to talk with a doctor about the risks and benefits.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Health Studies Page

13

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Study: how diet might affect Alzheimer’s Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin — a hormone that helps the body convert digested food, or glucose, into energy — but does not use it effectively.

When people have insulin resistance, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells throughout the body, including the brain. That buildup can lead to high blood sugar, diabetes, brain fogginess, depression and more.

In addition, Alzheimer’s disease is associated with insulin resistance.

When there is not enough insulin in the blood, the body may break down fat instead of glucose and use it for energy. Researchers believe a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates may provide improved nourishment for the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and thus may slow or even reverse the cognitive decline associated with that disease.

A study being conducted by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is now looking at how two diets might impact Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Testing two diets The first aim of the study is to examine the feasibility of implementing a modified Atkins diet in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early Alzheimer’s.

This diet is high in fats, with moderate protein and a low amount of carbohydrate. It is referred to as a ketogenic diet.

The second aim of the study is to determine whether that diet results in better cognitive test scores than a healthy nonketogenic diet.

“The possibility that a safe, easy to im-

plement and inexpensive dietary intervention might improve the functioning of persons with MCI or early AD — or possibly even alter the course of dementia for some patients — might be a real game-changer in the field of AD therapeutics,” said Dr. Jason Brandt, the principal investigator of the study.

In addition, the study will look at the role of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in participants’ response to the modified Atkins diet. One version of the APOE gene increases an individual’s risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Who can take part?

Researchers will include 50 people, age 60 or older, with MCI or mild probable AD. Each participant must have a study partner who is cognitively healthy, lives with the participant, and can help them adhere to the diet.

Those with multiple food allergies cannot take part, nor can people with strict diets, such as gluten-free or vegetarian. In addition, patients who have had a stroke, coronary artery or liver disease, or insulindependent diabetes cannot participate.

Participants will be randomly assigned to a 12-week trial of either the modified Atkins diet or a control diet based on the National Institute on Aging’s recommendations for senior nutrition, which includes a lot of fruit, vegetables and grains, but very little fat.

A research dietitian will teach participants and partners their new diets, and monitor participants’ adherence with food logs and urine testing. After an initial baseline visit, participants will also complete four in-person assessments.

See useful links and resources at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Seeking Men and Women The University of Maryland & Veterans Affairs of Baltimore are conducting a research study to better understand balance & prevent falls as we age.

With your participation you will receive: • Health evaluation • Balance, step, strength, and/or flexibility exercises • Compensation for your time

For information, please call the baltimore va/university of Maryland Gerontology Recruitment Phone Line

410-605-7179 Mention code: LiFT *You must be at least 65 years old and in good health *Participants will be seen at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and University of Maryland School of Medicine for approximately 41 visits for 1 to 4 hours of time per visit

Researchers hypothesize that the modified Alzheimer’s diet will be well tolerated by participants. They also believe that it will improve cognition more than the control diet, particularly for those participants who do not carry the variant of the APOE gene.

If the results are promising, a larger-scale,

multi-site clinical trial will be designed.

Education, support and vitamin supplements will be provided free of charge; however, no compensation is offered for participation.

To learn more about the study, or to volunteer, contact Chandler Zolliecoffer at (410) 955-1647 or czollie1@jhmi.edu.

14

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Advice for negotiating family boundaries Dear Solutions: Because of finances, I have to move in with my children. They’ve made a separate space for me, telling me I’m part of the family, and I should look at it as our home.

I’m very nervous, even though I get along well with my daughter, son-in-law and children. I was very independent, and I’m not sure how to make this work.

I never thought this hour would arrive.

Any advice?

— Evelyn Dear Evelyn:

The hour may have arrived, but the “our” has to leave! Be very clear. It’s not “our” home — it’s theirs. It’s not “our” car — it’s theirs. It’s not “our” party, so don’t join in unless invited. And this above all: it’s not “our” argument — it’s theirs, and you should stay away.

If you give each other space and privacy, it will relieve everyone’s anxiety, and they won’t go around mumbling “guess who came to dinner (and lunch and breakfast).”

Make dinner sometimes, invite the children into your space for TV or homework, and make this a love-in instead of just a

she, but her husband is still working. live-in.

Because she’s been so kind to me, Dear Solutions: listening when I need to When I visit my son, I see talk and ever ything, I’ve my 11-year-old grandson gotten her a few small gifts. getting into arguments with I’m beginning to get a his father a lot. He gets very bad feeling from her husfrustrated, storms off to his band, though. He doesn’t room, slams the door and say anything, but I can sort doesn’t come out. of feel his annoyance. He’s I worry that at his age he acting very cold to me. might do all sorts of things I’ve been giving her gifts if he has no place to let out because she has such a his frustrations. I want to warm heart. Do you think tell him that when he’s feel- SOLUTIONS I should explain to him ing bad he can call me, and By Helen Oxenberg, ACSW MSW, that I’m not after his wife? we can talk about what’s What am I doing wrong? bothering him.

— Tom My wife thinks this is a bad idea and would lead to family arguments. Your Dear Tom: His cold shoulder must take precedence thoughts?

— Bernard over her warm heart! Cool it. It feels flattering to you that she pays attention, and it Dear Bernard: Sounds like a grand idea from a grandpa. feels flattering to her that you give her gifts.

Eleven-year-olds can certainly use loving sup- But it obviously feels threatening to him.

What are you “doing wrong”? You’re port — after all, what’s a grandpa for?

However, your wife is not entirely wrong, around all day, and he’s not. That’s enough.

Start looking elsewhere for (single) so be careful. You must check this out with women friends. I assure you there are your son and daughter-in-law first. You must also be very clear to all concerned that you many who also have warm hearts and are willing, even eager, to share. won’t usurp the parents’ authority. © Helen Oxenberg, 2015. Questions to be So be there for him, but be careful. Make considered for this column may be sent to: sure you’re a mediator, not a meddler.

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, Dear Solutions: My wife died recently, and my next MD 20915. You may also email the author door neighbor has been very kind. I’m at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about retired and home all day and so is reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

Please patronize our advertisers.

They keep the Beacon free!

Senior Privileges. !"#$$!%"&"'($!)*+'!"#$ ",!-(.('(*+"&/0"12#(1!"*2&*"3%#4(0!)" +#5"/!6"#33#%*5/(*(!)7"8-3!%(!/1!"+#5%"(/0!3!/0!/1!"&/0" !/%(12"+#5%"'($!7 9&''"5)"*#0&+"&*"#%"4()(*"5)" at www.Integrace.org 301-644-1604 410-795-8801 ©2015 Integrace. All rights reserved.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

The

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Senior

15

NEWS and EVENTS from the Howard County Office on Aging

Connection

Department of Citizen Services

Volume 6, No. 1 • January 2016

Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions with GO50+

H

oward County’s new GO50+ program will make keeping those New Year’s fitness resolutions a little easier, combining affordability and accessibility in one membership for adults age 50 and up.

Beginning January 4, 2016, Howard County residents can purchase the GO50+ membership package, which provides access to the county’s four fitness facilities (North Laurel, Gary J. Arthur and Roger Carter Community Centers and the Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center) for $75 per year ($100 for non-residents).

An option to include a Roger Carter pool membership is also available ($175 residents/$225 non-residents).

A Message from

Starr P. Sowers Administrator, Office on Aging I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a very happy, healthy 2016! Like many, you may have made a long list of resolutions for the New Year.

There is a good chance that at least some of these wellintentioned plans will soon fall by the wayside. But, if one of your resolutions is to live a longer and healthier life, we are here to help you keep it. Our 50+ Centers and our Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center offer fitness classes for all levels, regardless of your age, ability or limitations. And our new GO50+ memberships will make getting fit more affordable and accessible than ever. See the article on this page for details.

At your local 50+ Center – where membership is always free – you’ll find a variety of recreational, educational, and social activities to maintain both physical and mental wellness. Take advantage of our free health and blood pressure screenings or schedule an individual nutrition consultation to better monitor your health. Our SeniorsTogether support groups can boost your emotional and spiritual health, while Living Well workshops will help you manage your chronic conditions, and meaningful volunteer opportunities will keep you engaged in the community.

Our goal is to create an age-friendly community where all will thrive, in 2016 and beyond. Contact Maryland Access Point for assistance, information or referrals at 410-313-5980 (voice/relay) and let us know how we can help you!

At the GO50+ launch in December, Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman emphasized the county’s commitment to providing high quality, reasonably priced opportunities like GO50+ to promote health and fitness. “We believe that the sooner older adults commit to a regular health and fitness regimen, the better the results will be as they age,” he said, “I’m 57, so I am including myself in that statement!”

At the launch, Kittleman introduced several current users of the county’s fitness centers, including 92-year-old Ernie Dawson, who uses the recumbent stepper at the Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center several times a week to maintain strength in his legs, and 81 year-old Harrison Morson, who works out five mornings a week at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center. “I’m addicted to fitness,” he says with a smile, “Some say I don’t look my age!”

“The GO50+ program embodies Howard County’s plan to create an age-friendly community for all,” said Jon Weinstein, Howard County Council Vice Chairperson, who also attended the kickoff on December 14. “Older adults who continue to actively exercise their minds and bodies improve our community at large as well.”

GO50+ registration begins January 4, 2016; you must be a current member of a Howard County 50+ Center to join (50+ center membership is free). For more information about GO50+ fitness membership options, contact one of the four participating locations (Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center or the Gary J. Arthur, North Laurel and Roger Carter Community Centers). To locate a 50+ center near you, visit www.howardcountyaging.org or call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-5980 (voice/relay).

Harrison Morson, left, Stephanie Johnson and Ernie Dawson all enjoy the health benefits of using Howard County's fitness centers.

(Photo Credit: Craig Gotschall)

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Are You & Your Pet Ready Beware of Tax Scams! to Share Your Hearts?

Paws4Comfort fosters special bonds between pets, their owners and the County residents they visit.

If you are interested in volunteering, or wish to receive a FREE evaluation for your pet, contact:

Ingrid Gleysteen PROGRAM COORDINATOR

410-313-7461 • igleysteen@howardcountymd.gov

2016 PET EVALUATIONS (first Wednesday of each month) Jan 6 • Feb 3 • March 2 • April 6 May 4 • June 1 • July 6 • August 3 Sept 7 • Oct 5 • Nov 2 • Dec 7

Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way Columbia 21044 www.howardcountyaging.org

Medicare Public Education Sessions FREE Information Presented by SHIP

Medicare 101 Thursday, January 7 • 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Are you new to Medicare? Join us to learn how Medicare Parts A (hospital), B (medical) and D (prescription drug) work, what the benefits are, and when you should make decisions related to your coverage. Also, find out about benefit programs that can help pay for Medicare health care costs.

Medicare 102 – Why Medicare Isn’t Enough Thursday, January 21 • 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Do you know how to determine which Medicare Health Plan, such as an HMO, PPO or Cost Plan, is the right choice for you? Learn about Medicare Part C/Health Plans and Medicare Supplement Policies (Medigap Plans); how the different Medigap plans cover the gaps (out of pocket expenses) of original Medicare; how they are priced; and when is the best time to enroll. Hear about how to protect yourself and Medicare from health care fraud.

Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044

REGISTER at 410-313-7391 (VOICE/RELAY)

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS. Contact us for help.

Tax season may have just begun, but tax scammers are hard at work all year long! In fact, tax identity theft and scams are now reported more than any other scam.

Here are some things to watch out for:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Imposter Scams Scammers posing as IRS officials call and say you owe taxes. They threaten to arrest or deport you, revoke your license, or even shut down your business if you don’t pay right away. They may know your Social Security number (or at least the last four digits of it), making you think the call is legit. They also can rig Caller ID to make it appear the call is coming from the IRS. You’re told to wire money or put the money on a prepaid debit card and tell them the number. Once you do, that money is gone.

Remember, the IRS doesn’t ask people to pay with prepaid debit cards or wire transfers, and doesn’t ask for credit card numbers over the phone.

If you owe, or think you owe, federal taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or go to www.irs.gov. The IRS generally contacts people about unpaid taxes by mail, not by phone. However, unscrupulous individuals have also been known to send letters that appear to be from the IRS, so it’s always a good idea to verify with the IRS before taking action.

Tax Identity Theft Other crooks file phony tax returns using your stolen personal information (like Social Security numbers) to get a tax refund from the IRS. Or, they may use your Social Security number to get a job or claim your child as a dependent on a tax return.

Tax identity theft victims typically find out about the crime when they get a letter from the IRS saying that more than one tax return was filed in their name, or receive IRS records that show they received wages from an employer they don’t know. If you get a letter like this, don’t panic. Contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. For more information, visit ftc.gov/taxidtheft.

For more information or to report a scam, contact the Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs at 410-313-6420 (voice/relay) or email us at consumer@howardcountymd.gov.

The Senior Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Department of Citizen Services and the Office on Aging.

This publication is available in alternate formats upon request.

To join our subscriber list, email seniorconnection@howardcountymd.gov Howard County Office on Aging, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountyaging.org Find us on

www.Facebook.com/HoCoCitizen

www.howardcountyaging.org/SHIP

Kim Higdon Henry, Senior Connection Editor kahenry@howardcountymd.gov

If you need accommodations to attend, call 410-313-5980 one week in advance

Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Howard County Office on Aging or by the publisher.

The Senior Connection

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

FIITNESS S PROGRA AM b hip GO50+ membership GO50 packages are desiggned to enhance the quality of life for the 50+ population that livess, works and plays in Howard County.

CE ENTERS Memb bership includes access to Gary J. Arthur and N. Laurreel Comm ommunitty C Cent enters and all Howarrd C Count ountty 50+ C Cent enters.

◗ Effective January 4 ◗ Join J i Today! d ! ◗ Live healthier!

• Game G Room Areas

Fitness

POO OL

Membership includes access to Garry J. Arthurr, N. Laurrel and Roger Car Carter Comm Comm munitty Centers and all Howarrd Countty 50+ C Cent enters.

• Gymnasiums

• All 50+ Center er %HQHÀWV

• Walking Tracks

• Fitness Room ms

• Wellness Programs

• Dance/Aerobics Studio*

Membership inccludes access to Garry J. Arthur ur, N. Laurrel and Roger Car Carrter Comm Communitty Centers and all Howard Countty 50+ Centers.

• All 50+ + Fitness %HQHÀWV • Pool Ac ccess During Open Swim wim Hours

www.howardcountyagging.org

F FREE

Resident: $75 per year Nonresident: $100 per yeaar

Resident: $175 per year Nonresident: $225 per year

* Dance/Aer e obics Studio not avvailable ailable at Ellicott o Cittyy 50+ Cent Centerr.

www.howardcountymdd.gov/rap

Howard County’s 2016 2

2 20 2015

H lidayy Holi

PROJEC C CT

On behalf of the Ho oward County Office on Aging, to all those who vollunteered their time, orr donated gifts and money to support Pro oject Holiday, please p accept our heartfelt gratituude. Without your abunndant gift of time, spirit of generosity, and overall support, Project P Holiday simply would not exxist. Because of you, nearly n 200 seniors had gifts to open and cherish thiss holiday season.

From all of us tto all of you, thank k you, and Happy New Y Year! eaar!

Child r ren on Board B CHILD CARE & PRESCHOOL INFORMA RMA ATION TION FFAIR AIR FREE ADMISS SION! Pleasee bring a non-perishablee item for thee Howard County Food Bank.

Sun nday, Januaryy 24 1:00 - 4:00 pm m Teen e Oaks O Ballroom m 5000 Signaal Bellll Lane, Clarksville,, MD 21029 BACK BY POPULAR PULAR DEMAND! Parents as Teachhers (PPAAT) will offer a 155-minute informational nal session: “How to Choose an Early Childhood hildhood Program,” every hour our. Limited seating.

Nicole Baptiiste-P Patterson atterson 410-313-64 -64423 ((voice/relay) i / l ) npatterson@how warrdcountymd.gov

w w w.howardcoun u t ymd.gov /children If you needd accommoda acco tions to attend this event, please call 410-313-1940 313-1940 (VOICEE/RELAAY) no later than January 15.

410-313-1940

(VOIC CE /REL AY)

children @ howardcount ymd.gov

17

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The Senior Connection

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

January 2016 Calendar of Events Don’t miss the exciting programs and services at one of the dynamic Howard County Office on Aging 50+ Centers near you!

Bain 50+ Center Friday, January 15 • Noon – DR. KING’S DAY OF SERVICE & FOOD DONATION DRIVE In honor of our Day of Service, we encourage you to bring nonperishable food items for the Howard County Food Bank.

In celebration you are invited to enjoy a Chicken & Waffle Brunch.

Sign up for brunch by January 8.; lunch donation appreciated.

Tuesday, January 12 • 11 a.m. – LYRIC OPERA BALTIMORE PRESENTS: A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING Come hear the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein from Oklahoma!; Carousel; South Pacific; King and I; and The Sound of Music, plus learn more about the composers! FREE. A special lunch will follow, sign up by January 6. Register: 410-313-7213.

Tuesday, January 26 • 10 to 11:30 a.m. – A TOUCH OF GRACYE JEWELRY & TEA Meet our new instructor, Gracye, to and learn about upcoming spring programs including jewelry design, wire work, glass painting, candle decorating, tie-dye and more. RSVP by Jan. 19 to 410-313-7213.

East Columbia 50+ Center Tuesday, January 26 • 7 to 9 p.m. – WORLD LANGUAGES CAFÉ Enjoy conversation in a new language or one you don’t have the opportunity to use. Meet new people as you increase your fluency. FREE; co-sponsored by the Columbia Association. Register: 410-313-7680.

Tuesdays, January 7-28 • Noon – START YOUR NEW YEAR DANCING! Join us for a new session of Ball Room Dancing to heat up your New Year! $35. Register: 410-313-7680.

Wednesday, January 6 • 4 p.m. – NEW BEGINNER TAI CHI CLASS Here’s your chance to boost brain fitness, improve balance and use every muscle in your body. The first class — January 6 — is free! $33 (January fee). Register: 410-313-7680.

Elkridge 50+ Center Friday, January 8 • 10:30 a.m. – NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION Join us to ring in 2016 and enjoy a New Year’s celebration featuring trivia and lunch. Lunch by donation; reservations required. Call: 410-313-4930.

Wednesday, January 20 • 9:30 a.m. – PANCAKE BREAKFAST Enjoy a pancake breakfast plus scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit and beverages. Reservations: 410-313-4930. Breakfast donation requested.

Wednesday, February 17 • 10:30 a.m. – SWEETHEART PARTY

Ellicott City 50+ Center Beginning Saturday, January 9 • 9 to 11 a.m. – NEW! WEEKEND WORKOUT PROGRAM (2 workouts each Sat. AM) Join us on select Saturday mornings to get in a weekend workout and try out some new class formats. Register for one Saturday or for all four!

Class fee is good for one or both classes offered the same day! Drop-in for these classes will be limited to spots not filled by advanced registration. $10/class; for additional info or details, 410-313-1400 or 410-313-0727.

Friday, January 22 • 1 to 3 p.m. – VALENTINE PAPER CRAFTING Join Diane and learn how to make a special Valentine for someone special. $7.50 (plus $3 supply fee due at the first class). Space is limited.

Register by January 15: 410-313-1400.

Thursdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28 • 10 to 11:30 a.m. – EASY TECHNOLOGY NAVIGATION Learn how to navigate computers, the internet, Facebook or email with Claire DeCunzo. Limited seating; you must bring your own laptop, iPad or Kindle Fire. Sign up at the front desk or call 410-313-1400 for details.

Glenwood 50+ Center Beginning Monday, February 22 • 3 p.m. – YOGALATES Try Yogalates! Susan Kain will lead our newest fitness class, which combines the poses and movement of Yoga and Pilates. $60 for 10 classes.

Register: 410-313-5440.

Mondays, 9:45 a.m. or Wednesdays • 11 a.m. – PILATES Join Bob McDowell for an exercise program that emphasizes core stability and abdominal strength. Open to all fitness levels; modifications available. $46 for 8 weeks. Register: 410-313-5440.

Friday, January 15 • 11 a.m. – WATERFRONT OF BALTIMORE Wayne Schaumburg, Baltimore’s go-to historian will present a history of Baltimore’s Waterfront. FREE. Register: 410-313-5440.

North Laurel 50+ Center Tuesday, January 12 • 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – ZENTANGLE® 101 WORKSHOP De-stress from the holidays and sample this fun and easy art of tangles with a certified instructor. No experience required. $5 (includes all materials). Register: 410-313-0380.

Wednesday, January 13 • 11 a.m. to noon – RE-WRAP HOLIDAY SIP & SWAP

Enjoy music, games, lunch and delicious chocolate treats! $5/person.

Register: 410-313-4930.

Re-gift those holiday knickknacks! Bring a wrapped item to swap with fellow members. One item per person; light refreshments served.

Register: 410-313-0380.

FOR A FULL LISTING OF EVENTS at the Howard County 50+ Centers: www.howardcountyaging.org/50pluscenters

Tuesday, January 26 • 10:30 a.m. to noon. – ROAD TRIP AROUND NEW ZEALAND Explore Auckland, Wellington, the Bay of Islands and the spectacular Milford Sound in this presentation from travel enthusiast, Rick. FREE. Register: 410-313-0380.

To request accommodations to participate, call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-5980 (VOICE/RELAY) one week in advance.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money

19

Law &

Learn simple and effective ways to give children financial gifts, from 529 plans to fractional shares of stock, in the story below.

Four great ways to give investments to kids When Peggy Mangot began giving her and more cost-effective, thanks to a grownieces and nephews financial gifts more ing number of investment options aimed at than a decade ago, the tech-savvy investors. Howevprocess was frustrating. Buyer, the best option for any indiing shares of individual stocks vidual, regardless of age, will was costly and time-consumdepend on a variety of factors, ing; most mutual funds were including the goal of the finanout of reach because of high cial gift. minimum-investment require“Ideally, you want to look at ments; and purchasing a simthis as not only a gift, but a ple U.S. savings bond proved teachable moment,” said Stuart so difficult that Mangot gave Ritter, a certified financial planup. ner at T. Rowe Price who has MONEY Sending checks to the three children of his own. “That MATTERS young people accompanied by lesson starts with what your

By Kathy Kristof newspaper articles with suggoals are.” gestions of how to invest the For relatives and friends money wasn’t ideal, either. “Sometimes the who want to buy a modest financial gift for check would end up in a drawer,” said Man- a minor, here are four low-cost options. got, now CEO of SparkGift, a San Francisco company launched in March to make it eas- 1. Ugifts State governments that offer 529 collegeier to give investments to kids. “It wasn’t fun savings plans have created “Ugifts” to help or rewarding for me or for the kids.”

Giving financial gifts today is far simpler facilitate small one-time contributions to

these tax-favored accounts.

Account holders (usually a child’s parents) provide friends and relatives who are interested in giving a Ugift a special code that identifies the child’s account without revealing the account number or recipient’s Social Security number.

Givers go to the gift-giving section of the Web site, plug in the code ,and transfer money from their bank accounts. The account holder gets a message when the process is completed.

Givers can also download a gift card that allows them to e-mail a personal message to the parents, the beneficiary or both.

Fees: $0.

Who it’s good for. People who want to give modest gifts to a beneficiary who has an established account will like this. Many 529 plans accept Ugifts in denominations ranging from $15 to $50.

Why look elsewhere. If you don’t want to put limits on how the money is spent, avoid 529 plans. Withdrawals from these

accounts are subject to income taxes and penalties if the money is used for anything unrelated to schooling.

Moreover, if you plan to give a substantial amount and live in one of the 34 states that provide tax breaks for contributing to a 529 plan, you have better options. (See “Open a 529” below.)

2. SparkGift Started by Mangot to address her financial frustrations, SparkGift makes giving stock and mutual funds as easy as buying a gift card.

The site lets you buy fractional shares in roughly 6,000 investments — from individual stocks, such as Apple (symbol AAPL) and McDonald’s (MCD), to shares in a variety of exchange-traded funds, including the popular Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI).

The minimum investment is $20; the maximum is $2,000.

See GIFTS TO KIDS, page 20

Investing in startups will soon be easier

By Marcy Gordon For years, artists, charities and entrepreneurs have used the power of the Internet to generate money for projects. It’s called “crowdfunding,” and lets members of the public financially support those who are engaged in potentially worthwhile or profitable endeavors. However, the money sent is not technically invested: donors get no stock and don’t share in any resulting wealth.

But a new form of crowdfunding is coming soon that will allow startups to raise money by selling stock to Main Street investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently adopted rules implementing a 2012 law that opened the door to securities crowdfunding. The vote was 3-1 at a public meeting.

An opportunity, but risky Starting in mid-2016, businesses will be able to offer investors a piece of their company by legally selling stock online. For investors, it’s a chance to make a small profit and possibly get in early on the next Twitter, Instagram or Uber.

But it also entails high risk, given that a majority of startups fail. About half of all small businesses shut down within the

first five years. Some critics also warn that investment crowdfunding is ripe for fraud.

The new SEC rules won’t prevent the types of fraud that can arise in conventional online scams, said Mercer Bullard, a law professor at the University of Mississippi who is a mutual-fund investor advocate.

“You can embezzle someone’s money in the guise of making a securities offering,” Bullard said in a telephone interview.

With an eye to protecting investors, the crowdfunding securities offerings can only be made through brokerage firms or new Internet funding portals that must be registered with the SEC. The portals will be expected to provide investors with materials explaining the process, investment limits and resale restrictions.

To reduce fraud risks, the portals are charged with vetting the companies and the prospective investors.

SEC Chair Mary Jo White said before the vote that agency staff “will begin immediately to keep a watchful eye on how this market develops.” They will assess what kinds of companies use the new crowdfunding offerings, how closely they follow the rules, and whether the new

practice promotes the raising of capital while also protecting investors.

The SEC proposed the crowdfunding rules two years ago. Waiting at the starting gate for the final rules to take effect: legions of startups in areas such as packaged food, medical and biotechnology, restaurants and real estate.

Lisa Fetterman, the founder and CEO of cooking equipment startup Nomiku, sees a potential opportunity “because banks aren’t going to give [startups] money,” she said. The company sells machines for sousvide cooking — a sort of vacuum method meant to cook evenly and seal in moisture — to both home cooks and restaurants.

Nomiku has raised about $1.3 million in the past few years through conventional crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Now with the SEC rule change, Fetterman sees about a 50-50 chance her company will plunge into investment crowdfunding. Key factors are the quality of funding portals and the extent to which they can vet investors, she said.

Investments are capped Under the new rules, people with annual income or net worth up to $100,000 will be

allowed to invest a maximum of 5 percent of their yearly income or net worth, or $2,000 if that is greater.

Those with higher incomes can invest up to 10 percent. But an individual can’t invest a total of more than $100,000 in all crowdfunding offerings during a 12-month period.

Investors generally will not be able to resell their crowdfunding securities for one year.

Under current rules, only “accredited investors” who meet certain wealth thresholds can fund startups. They must either have a net worth of $1 million, excluding the value of their primary home, or have generated income of $200,000 or more in each of the last two years.

For their part, companies will be allowed to raise a maximum of $1 million a year from individual investors without registering with the SEC. Companies will have to provide information to investors about their business plan and how they will use the money they raise, as well as a list of their officers, directors and those who own at least 20 percent of the company.

— AP

20

Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Gifts to kids From page 19 You can participate in one of two ways. If you’re a parent and want to create a SparkGift registry, you can upload a photo of your child, along with his or her goals and favorite investments. Share that registry with your friends and family, and they can use it like a wedding registry to follow your wishes explicitly or not at all.

If you’re a donor and want to give stock to a child who doesn’t yet have an account, you pick the stock and the amount you

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

want to spend, then provide the child’s name and the parent’s e-mail address. The site will then notify the recipients and have them set up a new account.

You don’t have to be concerned about the market price of the stock. The site will buy as many shares — or a fraction of a share — as your gift allows.

Fees. $2.95 per transaction, plus 3 percent of the gifted amount. (Mangot said the site is waiving the 3 percent fee through the holiday season, but will impose it after that.

The charge defrays the cost of credit card interchange fees.)

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

FREE ADMISSION TO HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS Howard County Public School System offers free passes to resi-

dents 65 years or older for all high school home athletic contests, music and dance performances, and half-price tickets to theater productions. To learn more, visit www.hcpss.org/golden, email publicinfo@hcpss.org, or call (410) 313-6682.

Jan. 17

HISTORIC COUNTY CEMETERIES Dr. Jim Kuttler will present some of the results of the survey of Howard County’s historic cemeteries conducted by volunteers of

the Howard County Genealogy Society in a program on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Miller Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. The survey included more than 140 private cemeteries in the county. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call (410) 750-7430.

The Lifestyle You Seek Is Just Minutes Away in Frederick THE LODGE OPENING MARCH 2016

E

legant, maintenance-free living awaits you at The Lodge, Homewood at Frederick’s new residential community for active adults age 55 and over. With opening day just two months away there is limited availability remaining of our beautiful open floorplan apartments, each with a fully-equipped deluxe kitchen, expansive master suite and guest bedroom with walk-in closets, large windows and a spacious balcony to enjoy the views.

As a resident you’ll enjoy signature dining, a salt water swimming pool, a state of the art health club, beauty salon, spa, art studio, sports grill, library, visitor suites, a spectacular great room with a two-story fireplace, all just 10 minutes from historic downtown Frederick.

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JUST 45 MILES FROM BALTIMORE

AT F R E DE R IC K

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Who it’s good for. If you want to give a financial gift and are not certain how the money will be used, this service gives the recipient the most options of how to spend their funds. It’s also one of the cheapest ways to buy small amounts of stock.

Why look elsewhere. If you anticipate that the accountholder will keep adding to the account in small increments, you may want to give differently, because those

$2.95 charges can add up. In addition, you can’t use SparkGift to fund a tax-favored college account.

3. Capital One Investing Capital One Investing, once known as Sharebuilder and now a subsidiary of credit card giant Capital One Financial, is esSee GIFTS TO KIDS, page 21

Why donate appreciated stock to charity Despite recent market gyrations, it’s likely your portfolio is filled with stocks that have appreciated over the past few years.

If you want to make an end-of-year donation to a charity of your choice, consider giving some appreciated stock.

You’ll avoid the capital-gains tax on the appreciation, and can deduct the stock’s full market value at the time of the gift.

When you’re identifying stocks to donate, pay attention to asset classes in which you’re overweighted and need to cut back anyway. And only consider appreciated stock that you’ve held for more than a year. Taxpayers who donate short-term-gain property get a deduction only on the original cost.

Say you bought stock for $3,000 and donate it to charity 11 months later when it’s worth $5,000. In that case, you could only deduct $3,000. If you wait another month (so the stock’s appreciation qualifies as “long-term”), you can take the fair market value $5,000 write-off.

And don’t donate stock that has lost value. Your write-off is limited to its fair market value. If the stock’s price has declined since you bought it, you’re better off selling the shares to realize the loss (you can use it to offset gains in your portfolio), and then donating the cash to earn your charitable deduction.

Another good idea If you are providing financial help to your children or parents, consider giving them appreciated stock rather than selling the stock and handing over cash.

“You won’t have to pay capital-gains tax on the sale,” said Michael Eisenberg, a certified public accountant at Miller Ward & Company, an accounting firm in Encino, Cal. Instead, he said, your kids or parents, provided they are in a lower bracket, will pay tax at their tax rate when they sell the stock. © 2015 The Kiplinger Washington Editors

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Gifts to kids From page 20 sentially an online brokerage that charges $6.95 per trade. But Capital One has no minimum investment requirement, so it can be a good alternative for those who want to start a custodial account for a child.

Fees: $6.95 per trade.

Who it’s good for. Simple custodial accounts are a bit cheaper at SparkGift if you’re giving small amounts. But because of SparkGift’s 3 percent fee, Capital One becomes more cost-effective for those who give shares worth $135 or more.

Why look elsewhere. If you plan to make small regular investments, you have better options. At $6.95 a pop, you’re paying a huge commission, on a percentage basis, if you buy, say, a single share of a $25 stock.

4. Open a 529 Ritter, the T. Rowe Price financial plan-

ner, is a fan of giving through 529 plans, which are tax-deferred savings vehicles for education expenses.

These accounts have many advantages.

First, although Uncle Sam doesn’t allow you to take any deductions for contributions, 34 states — including Maryland and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. — provide account holders with some sort of tax break or matching program.

The federal government, meanwhile, doesn’t tax the investment buildup in the account (unless the money is used for a purpose other than qualified education expenses).

Most 529 plans also offer the equivalent of a target-date fund: age-based portfolios that are well-diversified among stocks, bonds and cash and that become more conservative as the child gets older and closer to the first tuition payment.

Ritter thinks the concept of diversification is a lesson worth learning, even at an

BEACON BITS

Jan. 20+

DON’T GO OVERBUDGET ON REMODELING

Howard Community College is offering a course taught by architect and remodeling expert Jim Molinellion on meeting contractor concerns and budgets when remodeling a home. Classes begin at 6:30 p.m. starting Wednesday, Jan. 20 and continue weekly through Feb. 17. Classes will be held at the Gateway Campus, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia. Tuition is $139. For more information, call (443) 518-1700 or visit howardcc.edu/ConEd.

Ongoing

SUPPORT FOR RAISING GRANDKIDS

The CARE Center (Child and Adolescent Resources and Education) at 3300 North Ridge Rd., Ellicott City, offers free information and referral services for traditional families as well as nontraditional family situations, including grandparents raising children. Information is available by calling (410) 313-2273, by visiting the website www.howardcountymd.gov/children, or by emailing children@howardcountymd.gov.

Jan. 19

MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Dewey Erlwein will discuss his two books, The Colony and the Cavemen and Skytribe at the Bain 50+ Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The center is located at 5470 Ruth Keeton Dr., Columbia. To register or for more information, call (410) 3137213.

Dec. 31

CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE EARLY

Join in a New Year’s Eve celebration at the North Laurel Senior Center Plus at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. The center is located at 9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd., Laurel. Call (410) 313-7218 for more information.

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early age. Moreover, he likes the idea of talking about college and making it an economic priority when kids are young and impressionable.

Fees: Vary based on the plan selected.

Many plans charge no annual account fees but charge annual fees for asset management, much like any mutual fund. For a comparison of fund fees, go to www.savingforcollege.com/529_fee_study/.

Who it’s good for. If you are planning to give regular gifts earmarked for education and you live in one of the 34 states (or the District of Columbia) that provide tax breaks or matching contributions, starting your own 529 is the best bet. The tax breaks are generally reserved for residents who contribute to their own state’s 529 plan.

Matching contributions of up to set amounts are made to the account for “qualified” recipients in some states. Qualified recipients are usually those with low incomes or those who meet certain requirements, such as opening the account before the beneficiary’s first birthday.

You are the account owner. This typically allows you to claim the tax breaks and control when the beneficiary gets the money.

(Every plan varies, so be sure to read the terms and conditions.) You can even change beneficiaries, if the original recipient changes his or her mind about college.

You can open a new account with as little as $250, and you may have no initial minimum investment requirement if you sign

21

up for automatic monthly contributions of as little as $25. You can find a comprehensive list of 529 minimum investment requirements at www.savingforcollege.com.

Why look elsewhere. If you are contributing a small one-time amount, or live in a state that doesn’t provide tax breaks for 529 contributions, you needn’t go through the trouble of starting a separate account.

Also, if you want to give a financial gift to someone who is over the age of 18, it makes little sense to lock the money up in a 529 plan. That’s because a young adult is likely to use the money well before he or she can benefit from the tax breaks and the longterm compounding of the investments.

Besides, 18-year-olds with bank accounts have far more options — such as Robinhood, a free brokerage platform that operates via smartphone, and Acorns, an investment platform that charges just $1 per month to manage a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds.

Motif Investing, which gives account holders the ability to buy a theme-based package of stocks for $9.95, is another option for those willing to spend $300 or more to set up an account for a young adult.

Any of these three investment programs would make more sense for an 18-year-old who wanted to learn about money management.

All contents © 2015 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

How high earners can contribute to a Roth IRA

By Rachel L. Sheedy Want to put money into a Roth IRA, but can’t because your income exceeds the threshold for contributions? There’s a “backdoor” strategy you can employ.

That’s how Paul Missel is building a taxfree pot of retirement money. Missel, 59, works for a pharmaceutical company in Fort Worth, Tex., and his income is too high to make direct contributions to a Roth. Instead, he makes nondeductible (after-tax) contributions to a traditional IRA, and later converts the money to a Roth. There are no income limits for conversions.

Missel is a big Roth fan because the money grows tax free, and he will not have to take required minimum distributions when he turns 70 1/2, as he would with a traditional IRA. “It’s the tax liability of RMDs that’s driving me forward doing

YO U R

this,” he said.

Singles with adjusted gross income of more than $131,000 in 2015 (more than $193,000 for joint filers) cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA. Taxpayers who are younger than 70 1/2 can contribute to a traditional IRA — up to $6,500 in 2015 for those 50 and older. You can convert contributions at any age.

Because those nondeductible contributions already have been taxed, the money can be converted tax free. But there’s a hitch if you also have deductible IRA contributions, said Wade Chessman, of Chessman Wealth Strategies, in Dallas. In that case, the “pro rata rule” comes into play, permitting only a portion of the Roth conversion to be tax free.

The rule and the work-around Here’s how the pro rata rule works: You

New

must figure the ratio of your nondeductible contributions to the total held in all of your traditional IRAs. Only that percentage of a conversion will be tax free. So if, for example, you have $10,000 of nondeductible contributions and $90,000 in deductible contributions, just 10% of a conversion is tax free. You will owe ordinary income tax on the rest.

But some workers may be able to circumvent the pro rata rule with what financial planner Kevin Reardon calls a “401(k) rollup.” If you participate in a 401(k) plan that allows you to roll IRA money into it, you can move all your deductible contributions and any pretax earnings into the 401(k).

Because employer plans only accept pretax money, just the nondeductible contributions will be left in your IRA — and you can do a tax-free conversion of that to

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a Roth, said Reardon, founder of Shakespeare Wealth Management, in Pewaukee, Wis. Reardon said the 401(k) rollup is an ideal move for investors who’ve made nondeductible contributions over the years. Perhaps you own one IRA with $50,000 of nondeductible contributions that have grown to $80,000. The $30,000 of pretax growth would go into the 401(k), and the $50,000 of nondeductible contributions could be converted to a Roth tax free.

Those who are self-employed can do this strategy, too, with a solo 401(k).

Your spouse can help Another way to sidestep the pro rata rule: If your nonworking spouse doesn’t have a traditional IRA, you could make nondeductible contributions to a spousal IRA for her. She can then convert the money to a Roth tax free.

Because IRAs are not joint accounts, the husband’s traditional IRAs aren’t counted with hers when tallying up the wife’s traditional IRA balances, said Michael Kitces, the director of planning research at Pinnacle Advisory Group, in Columbia, Md. Whatever way you use the strategy, you want to show that each move is independent of the other — and waiting between the two steps is a way to do that.

But advisers differ on how long you should wait. Kitces said he advises his clients to hold off for a year. However, the longer you wait, the more the account may grow, which will increase your tax bill on the earnings when you convert. But assuming you plan to keep the money in the Roth for a number of years, Kitces said, “the fact you waited a year is irrelevant.”

Jeffrey Levine, IRA technical consultant with Ed Slott and Co., suggests waiting one statement cycle. The paperwork will show the money was put into a traditional IRA first, and you can get the money into a Roth sooner for tax-free growth.

All contents © 2015 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Jan. 13+

PARING DOWN YOUR POSSESSIONS

Did you resolve to declutter? Howard Community College is offering a new course in “downsizing” your possessions on Wednesdays, Jan. 13 and 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Oakland Mills

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High School, 9410 Kilimanjaro Rd.,

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour or email parkviewliving@sheltergrp.com.

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visit howardcc.edu/ConEd.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

23

Leisure &

The 250-room Biltmore, in Asheville, N.C., is the largest private home in the country. Read about this and other attractions on page 25.

Monterey: natural and celebrity attractions

Cozy Carmel-by-the-Sea Located at the southern end of the peninsula, the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea looks as if it sprang to life from a book of fairy tales.

Cottages with peaked thatched roofs, curving eaves, rounded doors and asymmetrical stone chimneys designed by Hugh Comstock in the 1920s dot the town. The first two cottages, fittingly, were named Hansel and Gretel.

While some are private residences, oth-

ers house stores and restaurants, like Tuck Box, a tiny stucco restaurant with flower boxes and a red and white striped awning that serves lunch and afternoon tea. The Lilliputian House of Sweets, with stucco walls and a mossy roof, sells homemade fudge and licorice imported from Australia, Holland, Finland and many other countries.

Clint Eastwood served as mayor of the 3,800-resident town from 1986 to 1988.

However, he wasn’t the one who enacted some of its idiosyncratic laws.

For instance, wearing high heels over two inches requires a permit. While the local police do not cite those in violation of the ordinance, this peculiar law was authored by the city attorney in the 1920s to defend the city from lawsuits resulting from wearers of high-heeled shoes tripping over irregular pavement distorted by tree roots. No chain restaurants or stores are permitted within town limits.

Canine residents are king in Carmel.

They can run leash-free on the beach at the end of Ocean Avenue, which slopes steeply out of the business district down to the sea. They are welcome at some of the town’s 60 restaurants (by law they can’t be in the main dining area, but can hang out with their owners when they dine outside, in the lobby and lounges).

PHOTO © SEEMONTEREY.COM

By Barbara Ruben On a crescent of rock-strewn coast that juts from central California, John Steinbeck set one of his most acclaimed novels, Clint Eastwood was once mayor, Doris Day owns a hotel where dogs are revered guests, and actors like Bill Murray and Ray Romano tee off at a world-renowned gold course.

While the Monterey Peninsula has a celebrity pedigree, it is also famed for some of the state’s more spectacular coastline and home to some non-human icons as well, including back-paddling sea otters, barking sea lions, and cypress trees that thrive on moisture from coastal fog during the area’s long dry spells.

Located 120 miles south of San Francisco and 345 miles north of Los Angeles, the Monterey Peninsula includes four primary towns: Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove and Monterey, each with their own personalities and attractions.

Home to writers and artists Carmel has also been a haven for artists PHOTO COURTESY OF CARMELCALIFORNIA.COM

Carmel-by-the-Sea is home to more than 20 cottages that would look at home in a book of fairytales. Some are residences, and others house businesses, such as the Soiled Doves Bath House, which sells soap and other bath products.

That’s some water hazard at the Pebble Beach Golf Links! The course — one of three that overlook the Pacific Ocean in the area of Monterey, Calif. — has hosted five U.S. Opens and will host the next in 2019. It was ranked number one on Golf Digest’s list of America’s Greatest Public Courses this year.

and writers for the last century. Poet Robinson Jeffers built a house on Scenic Drive, which curves along the windswept edge of the ocean, using granite boulders from the shore of Carmel Bay. It was here he wrote most of his major works, and today, 65 years after Jeffers’ death, Tor House is open for tours.

Writer Jack London also lived in Carmel for a time, as did singer John Denver, who died here in 1997 when his single-engine plane nosedived into the ocean after takeoff from the Monterey Regional Airport.

The craggy coast also drew landscape photographer Ansel Adams, who moved to Carmel Highlands a few miles south of town and lived there for 20 years, until his death in 1982.

Renowned early-20th century photographer Edwin Westin extensively photographed Point Lobos, now a state reserve just south of Carmel, with gasp-worthy views of crashing waves, sun-bathing sea otters, twisted, flat-topped cypress trees and hiking trails.

The work of both photographers is on view and for sale at the Weston Gallery, one of more than 90 galleries in town.

There’s even a gallery devoted exclusively to the art of Dr. Seuss.

Golf courses with a view Just north of Carmel, the unincorporated community of Pebble Beach is best known for its three golf courses that overlook the Pacific Ocean: Spyglass, Poppy Hills and Pebble Beach Golf Links. They are consistently ranked among the top ten courses in the nation. In 1919, green fees at Pebble Beach were $2 for men and $1.50 for women. Rates now range from $350 to $400 per 18-hole round.

The AT&T Pebble Beach National ProAm each February draws a host of celebrities for its last day of play. Last year, singers Michael Bolton and Huey Lewis took park, along with actors Craig T. Nelson, Bill Murray and Chris O’Donnell, not to mention former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Pebble Beach is also at one end of 17Mile Drive, which hugs the shoreline and is considered by some to be one of the most scenic drives in the world.

It is also one of only nine private toll roads in the country, and the only one west of the Mississippi. It’s worth it to pony up the $10 per car to drive a slow arc along the road, which ends in Pacific Grove. Between the views, which seem to get more spectacular See MONTEREY, page 24

24

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Monterey

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

city of Monterey eventually served as the original capital of California when the state constitution was signed here in 1849.

The city’s biggest draw is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year to view the 300,000 marine plants and animals to be found there.

One wing has a million gallon tank that depicts the open ocean. A three-story “kelp forest and deep seas” display features creatures never before brought to the surface.

Outside, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary covers 5,312 square miles — one and a half times the size of the largest national park in the continental U.S. At its

From page 23 around each bend, and the tourists (especially in the summer), be prepared to spend well over an hour on the drive.

Aquatic life Monterey dates back more than 400 years. Spanish merchant Sebastian Vizcaino was the first European to set foot on the Monterey Peninsula in 1602, and christened Monterey after the viceroy of New Spain, Count de Monte Rey. After changing hands a few times, the

center is an underwater canyon twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.

It was in Monterey that native son John Steinbeck wrote Cannery Row. The novel is set in Monterey during the Depression, on a street lined with sardine canneries. In reality, nearly 250,000 tons of sardines were processed here in 1945, the year Cannery Row was published.

Preserved one-room cabins where the workers lived can be visited near the aquarium. The National Steinbeck Center, a 37,000 square-foot facility, is believed to be the largest facility devoted to a single American author.

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Laid-back Pacific Grove lacks the glitterati of Carmel and Pebble Beach, as well as the busy streets of Monterey around its world-famous aquarium.

But here, you can visit the beach on a summer afternoon and only have to share it with maybe a dozen others.

Also, there are many hotels just a few blocks from the ocean (updated from their 1950s motel origins) that are much less expensive than ones in surrounding towns.

And the center of town boasts numerous Victorian homes, some of which are bedand-breakfasts.

Each October, the population of the city’s non-human inhabitants swells by tens of thousands as monarch butterflies cluster in pine and eucalyptus trees to

spend the winter at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. The sanctuary is run by volunteers and open to the public. It was created after residents voted on a butterfly tax to fund its upkeep, earning Pacific Grove the nickname Butterfly Town USA.

If you go Flights to the tiny Monterey Regional Airport (within a half-hour drive of all four towns) start at around $340 roundtrip on United Airlines from BWI in late January.

Or visitors can fly into San Francisco and drive two hours along the Pacific Coast Highway to the Monterey Peninsula. The least-expensive flights to San Franisco start at about $300 roundtrip on American Airlines.

There is an abundance of lodging throughout this tourist destination.

In Carmel-by-the Sea, Tradewinds Carmel has Asian-accented décor, including antique and custom designed furniture from Bali and China, fresh orchids and bamboo fountains.

Some rooms have fireplaces and partial ocean views. The hotel has been featured in Architectural Digest. Rooms start at $259 a night. See www.tradewindscarmel.com or call (831) 624-2776.

The building that houses the Casanova restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea once belonged to a cook for Charlie Chaplin. Diners can eat in a warren of dining rooms, or in a central indoor-outdoor room with a See MONTEREY, page 25

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

25

Asheville, N.C. — more than the Biltmore

By Beth J. Harpaz Asheville, N.C., is an old soul of a city renewed by a hipster vibe. Attractions range from new beer breweries and a honey bar (!) to the 120-year-old Biltmore mansion. You can see artists at work in the River Arts District, then go for a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For some time, Asheville’s funky River Arts District has been home to artists, entrepreneurs and eateries in the old indus-

trial area around the French Broad River.

But the neighborhood continues to add interesting venues.

The Smoky Park Supper Club, built from recycled shipping containers and specializing in wood-fired cooking, opened in September. The Smoky Mountain Adventure Center, which features an indoor climbing gym as well as rentals for bikes, kayaks, canoes and other gear, opened in November.

Monterey

starts at $119.

While the hotel choices are abundant in Pacific Grove, restaurants are not. Head a few miles up the coast to Monterey for a variety of food in a range of prices. Hula’s Island Grill is a throwback to the tiki restaurants and bars of the ‘50s and ‘60s, popular with locals and tourists alike. Try the blackened ahi tuna steak sandwich with sundried tomato pesto aioli for $17.

To learn more, see www.hulastiki.com or call (831) 655-4852.

Additional travel information is available from the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.seemonterey.com or 1-888-221-1010.

Also see the tourism website for Carmelby-the-Sea at www.carmelcalifornia.com or call 1-800-550-4333.

From page 24 tree growing through the ceiling. The most intriguing room holds just one table — dined at by Vincent Van Gogh in his final days and imported from France.

The restaurant serves Italian specialties, such as a melt-in-your-mouth spinach gnocchi enveloped in parmesan cream sauce, and fettuccine with lobster, clams, mussels, prawns and white wine. Dinner entrees are $22 to $53.

For more down-to-Earth prices, try one of the many hotels in Pacific Grove. Sunset Lodge (www.gosunsetinn.com, 831-375-3529) is just a block from the beach and starts at $99 a night, while ocean-front Lover’s Point Inn (www.loverspointinnpg.com, 831-373-4771)

And while the Asheville area already has more than two dozen beer breweries, a $175 million New Belgium facility with a tasting room is expected to be brewing by January. Other breweries range from the artsy hole-in-the-wall Wedge Brewing in the River Arts District, to the gleaming, modernist Sierra Nevada brewery near the airport. Sierra Nevada, which opened earlier this year, also has an excellent restaurant.

Downtown, the Black Mountain College Museum at 56 Broadway has expanded.

Through exhibitions and programs, the museum celebrates the ideals and legacy of a remarkable experimental college founded outside Asheville in 1933.

The school lasted just 24 years, but its faculty was a Who’s Who of avant-garde artists and intellectuals, including Willem See ASHEVILLE, page 26

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From page 25 and Elaine de Kooning, Merce Cunningham, John Cage and Buckminster Fuller.

Don’t miss the honey bar at the Asheville Bee Charmer, 38 Battery Park Ave. The shop sells 50 varieties of honey, many from North Carolina beekeepers, but also imported from France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland and Scotland. You’ll be stunned by how different honey can taste — fruity, woodsy, earthy, spicy — depending on where bees collect their nectar.

The Center for Honey Bee Research and the “Bee City USA” initiative supporting pollinators and beekeepers are also headquartered in Asheville.

Classic attractions For a look at life in the Gilded Age, visit the 250-room Biltmore, built by George Vanderbilt. It’s the largest private home in the country, and it attracted 1.5 million visitors in the past year.

The grounds, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, are also spectacular. They include waterways, winding roads, gardens, farms, a winery and gorgeous mountain views. The new Village Hotel on Biltmore opens on Dec. 1.

Nearby, the North Carolina Arboretum, located on 426 acres in the Pisgah National Forest, offers serene gardens, wooded trails, art exhibits, bonsai and more.

Downtown, take a stroll around Pack Square Park, and then tour the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, which includes the writer’s birthplace and a nearby boardinghouse run by his mother. Wolfe’s barely fictionalized depiction of his hometown in his 1929 best-selling novel, Look Homeward, Angel, upset the locals so much that it was initially banned in Asheville.

Actor Jude Law visited the memorial to prepare for his role portraying Wolfe in a movie due out early next year. The movie is called Genius, and it tells the story of Max Perkins, the New York editor who championed the work of Wolfe and other famous writers of his era, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.

Fitzgerald also spent time in Asheville, notably at the Grove Park Inn, a beautiful old resort established in 1913 when Asheville was a destination for those seeking the healthful effects of mountain air.

Drop by the inn even if you only have time for a cocktail on the Sunset Terrace or a quick look at the lobby’s massive stone fireplaces and grandfather clock. The front desk offers free pamphlets for self-guided tours; displays tell the story of visits by presidents and celebrities.

If you go You can explore the River Arts District or downtown in a few hours, but you’ll need nearly a full day to do the Biltmore justice.

PHOTO BY DEREK OLSON PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK

Asheville

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

The Smoky Mountains surround downtown Asheville, N.C., home to a variety of attractions for tourists — from the Biltmore, to breweries, to a honey bar at a shop that sells more than 50 varieties of honey.

Arrive hungry: Asheville has great food.

Favorites include barbecue at 12 Bones Smokehouse, 5 Riverside Drive; upscale fare at The Admiral, 400 Haywood; fried chicken at Rocky’s, 1455 Patton Ave.; heavenly biscuits and comfort food at Tupelo Honey Cafe, 12 College St.; and cocktails at the sophisticated Sovereign Remedies, 29 N. Market St. Make time for the great outdoors. Even if all you do is drive a stretch of the Blue

Ridge Parkway, the scenic overlooks will lift your soul. For hike recommendations and other visitor information, go to www.exploreasheville.com.

Asheville is 470 miles from downtown Washington. The least expensive flights to Asheville’s small airport from the Washington area start at $255 roundtrip on Delta from BWI Airport.

— AP

See how far your heart can reach this year!

Join a community of your neighbors to enrich and share!

Volunteer with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland.

Call Emily Trotter at: 443 573-0925

MEALS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND ™

More than a meal

www.mealsonwheelsmd.org

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Say you saw it in the Beacon

PHOTO BY BRENDAN KENNEDY

Style Arts &

27

The ShowTime Singers perform a repertoire of love songs and show tunes. The group rehearses weekly and is seeking new members.

Song troupe keeps a song in their heart

By Robert Friedman For the ShowTime Singers, almost anything goes — from Broadway to the Beatles, from a cappella to rock ‘n roll, from Streisand to Sinatra to “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

“We’re not into rap yet,” said Catherine Johnson, musical director of the 50 or so mixed voices that belong to area residents who make up the vocal group.

“We mostly sing in four-part harmony — baby boomer songs, the songs of the parents of baby boomers, show tunes, love songs, patriotic songs, anything that appeals to our audiences,” which Johnson noted are often made up of older Howard County residents.

The group appeared Dec. 6 at the Ellicott City Senior Center, and is scheduled for a Feb. 6 show at Heartlands Senior Living Village, also in Ellicott City. All performances are open to the public.

And while many of the singers are over the 50-year-mark (all of the group’s seven men are in that age category), “we are not a senior chorus by any means,” said Johnson, noting that a number of 30-year-old women have recently joined the all-volunteer group.

Johnson, a founding director of the

group in 2003, has been singing in groups, directing and coaching them, and teaching voice “for about 40 years.”

A former teacher at the Mt. Hebron Nursery School in Ellicott City, Johnson’s specialty is a cappella — meaning the singing is without musical accompaniment.

The ShowTime Singers, however, are often accompanied by a trio of musicians.

Johnson’s musical career got underway at Paterson Park in Baltimore when, as a 3-yearold, she took to the bandstand during a weekly concert to join the orchestra in a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” She knew that song by heart, she said, because her father was a fulltime baseball fan.

A good cause “The purpose of our group,” Johnson noted, “is to go out to the community — especially to places where people don’t go out much themselves. Music,” she said, “brings back memories. It lifts the spirit.”

Joanne Collins, 65, a retired federal government employee who lives in an assisted living community in Columbia, joined the ShowTime Singers last January. Her simple reason: “I love to sing.”

She said she was also attracted to the group because of its work for the Linwood Center in Ellicott City, where it rehearses.

Part of the proceeds from the ShowTime Singers’ performances go to the center, which provides programs and services for children and adults living with autism.

“You sing all the songs you love, from ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ to songs from ‘Jersey Boys,” said Collins. “There’s not much better than that.”

Bill Moss, 62, of Clarksville, joined the group in 2005. He is the executive director of the Linwood Center. He noted that when ShowTime Singers was formed in 2003, one of its members had a son at Linwood.

He was told that the troupe was looking for an organization to support.

“We said, ‘Yes, we’d love to be part of that’,” said Moss.

Then he, his wife Cheryl, and his daughter, Sarah Love, took the further step of joining the chorus themselves.

“Now I’ve found a whole new way of expressing myself,” Moss said. “It has been very enjoyable, another way of sharing with my wife and my daughter and a lot of good friends.”

Singers (especially men) wanted “We’re still on the lookout for men,” said the director, who, among many other musical accomplishments, is a member of the Sweet Adelines — the international organization of women singers who vocalize in barbershop harmony.

Guys, and gals, who can carry a tune and want to put their singing talents on display are welcome to meet with Johnson.

The first step is to go to the website at www.ShowTimeSingers.net.

After signing up, you will be asked to meet before the group’s Thursday evening rehearsals, which get underway at 7:30 p.m. at the Linwood Center, 3421 Martha Bush Drive, in Ellicott City. The rehearsals are from September through June.

ShowTime Singers members pay monthly dues of $15. Dues cover costs for sheet music, props, CDs and other materials. The group aims to give two performances a month.

Johnson can be reached at director@ ShowTimeSingers.net. For more information about the group, including its current repertoire and upcoming performances, visit www.ShowTimeSingers.net.

Let’s Toast to A Wonderful Life this New Year's Eve at Toby’s!

Dinner, show, dancing, a DJ, cabaret, champagne toast at midnight, hats and noisemakers at your table, more dancing, breakfast buffet and revelry all evening!

Call the Box Office for more information.

2015-2016 Chamber Music Series Saturdays at 8:00 PM Smith Theatre !Columbia

Brentano Quartet January 9, 2016 “passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding” - London Independent “luxuriously warm sound” - The New York Times

Now Playing through 1/10/16

Holiday Gift Giving - 2016 Subscriptions • Gift Certificates!

Program: Haydn: String Quartet No. 39 in F-sharp minor, Op. 50, No. 4 Shostakovich: Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp Major, Op. 142 Dvořák: String Quartet No. 11 in C Major, Op. 61

Based on availability. Due to the nature of theatre bookings, all shows, dates and times are subject to change.

TOBY’S DINNER THEATRE OF COLUMBIA 5900 Symphony Woods Road • CALL 410-730-8311

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TobysDinnerTheatre.com RESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY!

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Introducing the “Just My Height™” Adjustable Bed...

A Recliner for The Bedroom

Lately there has been a lot of press about the many benefits of a good night’s sleep. When you wake up rested, everything from your memory and focus to your diet and stress levels can improve. Some even believe it can help you live longer. Unfortunately, many older Americans have to choose between comfort and safety in a bed. If it’s too high or too low, getting in and out of bed (particularly in the middle of the night) can be dangerous. Hospital type beds feature adjustable heights and railings, but they are hardly comfortable. Now, thanks to innovative design and superior engineering, you get the best of both. Plus, with an infinite number of positions controlled by remote control, you can pick a custom position for sleeping, reading watching TV or just relaxing with your feet up! It looks just like a regular bed… not institutional, and the mattress is luxurious and features a natural bamboo quilted cover that’s anti-bacterial, deodorizing and breathable.

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This height-adjustable bed raises or lowers to a level that makes it easier to glide into or out of bed—even when transferring from a wheelchair, rollator or walker. When you’re ready to get up, you adjust the bed height with the wireless remote control until you can place both feet firmly on the floor. What a great aid to safety and independence! The mattress height adjusts from 28” to 18” and anywhere in between.

29

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

Gloria Steinem, on her life ‘on the road’

By Jocelyn Noveck Yes, she’s a driving force behind the women’s movement that transformed the lives of millions. But Gloria Steinem doesn’t, er, drive.

As in, doesn’t even have a license.

Steinem devotes a chapter to this interesting fact in her entertaining new memoir, My Life on the Road, a chronicle of her itinerant life.

Though she has a wonderfully lived-in Manhattan home, chock-full of mementoes from a life of advocating and organizing around the country and across the globe, she spends only half her time there, at most. The rest is, well, on the road. But not behind the wheel.

And there’s a reason. “I would miss something if I drove,’’ Steinem said.

It’s about communication. She loves talking to taxi drivers anywhere in the world, or arriving at a university for a speech and being driven by her hosts, who tell her what’s going on around campus. “That’s really crucial time,’’ she said. “I would not want to miss that.’’

Steinem, now 81, has been working on her memoir for a good 20 years, on and off.

Traveling wreaks havoc on one’s writing schedule, not to mention how it helps one procrastinate.

And when we say travel, we mean to places like Botswana, where she spent her 80th birthday riding elephants. Or to North Korea, where, in May, she was part of a group of peace activists crossing the Demilitarized Zone by bus. In fact, Steinem said, she travels more now than ever before.

Don’t call it a memoir Which is why she decided to not write a traditional memoir, but a road book. “That word ‘memoir’ sounds pretentious, anyway,’’ Steinem said with a smile, settling into her living room sofa with her cat nestling contentedly in her lap for an interview.

“Also, I’ve been writing books and articles and essays this whole time, but it somehow dawned on me that I was writing least about what I was doing most. The fact that I was on the road more than half of my life was invisible.’’

But it’s not just about recounting her own experiences; Steinem wants to encourage others — especially women — to head out, “because the road doesn’t belong to women, and it should. Women aren’t ‘supposed’ to go out on the road.’’

There’s yet another reason for the onthe-road theme. Steinem fears that in our increasingly digital world, we may be forgetting the value of in-person communication. “Not to diminish the importance of the Web,’’ she said. “But it should be also obvious that people can’t empathize with each other unless we’re in the same room.’’

Unexpected encounters And so Steinem’s anecdotes — and there are many — are often about chance encounters with people who made piercing observations, or lent unexpected support.

She said she and her co-founders never would have started Ms. magazine, for example, if not for traveling the country. “Everybody in New York said starting a magazine like that was hopeless,’’ she said. But speaking with women across the United States convinced her that “the women’s movement wasn’t just 12 crazy ladies in New York and LA.’’ It was also a woman in an audience who made Steinem laugh — then, and now — when discussing the constant problem of being judged by her looks. She points out in her book that she’d been called pretty before she became a feminist, and suddenly, as a feminist, she was called beautiful.

The subtext, she said, was that feminists aren’t supposed to be attractive, and also that if she could get a man, why would she need equal pay?

But an elderly woman stood up in an audience one day and told Steinem: “Don’t worry, honey. It’s important for somebody who could play the game — and win — to say, ‘The game isn’t worth (expletive).’”

Steinem, who’s been a writer all her life, said the process was still difficult. “If you’re a writer and you really care about writing, you put it off,’’ she said. “You wax the floor.’’

Once she’d written her draft, she handed it to “two friends with machetes’’ who cut at least a third. Still, every day she

thinks of a story she should have included. “I could follow each copy to the bookstore with a pencil in my hand,’’ she jokes.

There was, for example, her recent experience in a taxi. She saw a billboard with an image of Dracula, and remarked that she “didn’t understand this bloodsucking thing.’’

And then the driver informed her that he was from Transylvania — and gave her an entire education in the origins of the Dracula tale.

You see? This is why Gloria Steinem doesn’t drive.

— AP

Gloria Steinem’s new book, My Life on the Road, looks at her travels, from Botswana to N. Korea.

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD A D A M L I L A I D A H L N E B E A R A N T M D U B O R I I W A N L A J O H N A G A G B R I E E R R

C O U R S E

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A T I R H N T E C L I P O I S E G I A N I N T T A I A G L D Y O D I O N E D Y A O R S M E A M

M E A S T S E T O Y O U

S W E A R

T A A R O K

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Late December Back in ‘63 1

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Scrabble answers on p. 29.

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By Stephen Sherr

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1. First answerer 5. Sports org. a with Swiss HQ 8. “The storing 20’s” device 11. The color purple-ish 13. Common feature of “thirty-one” and “XXXI” 15. She played Carla on Cheers 17. 24 Across’ state 18. Conflicted 19. “This is only a ___” 20. It was total the night of 12/30/63 23. Nephew of Caligula 24. Capital of 17 Across 25. Championship result on 12/29/63 31. Homophone for “aunt”, to some 32. Energetic start 33. Carried along 34. Center of “dumdums” 35. “Evil cannot ___ without good” (Thomas Aquinas) 38. “Yes, Captain” 39. Bullwinkle’s arch-enemy 42. Low-maintenance “Pet” 44. “Pressure just makes you ___ little more; I kind of like pressure” (Joe Namath) 45. With a helping Hand, it invaded the US on 12/26/63 49. Today show host, starting in 1994 50. His biggest hit was Runaround Sue 51. His portrait was approved for a coin, on 12/30/63 55. Slapped with ___ order 56. Chills and fever 57. Cardiologist’s concern 61. Cheese for crackers 62. Silently approves 63. Besmirch 64. Overthrow first base 65. Part of a badminton set 66. Out of control

1. Clay, hardened 2. Took action 3. One below Tenn.

4. His Symphony No. 3 was first performed in 1902 5. One greata than theta 6. Words before off or about 7. Brainy prefix 8. Craftsman 9. US office building with most square footage 10. “If you make a ___, clean it up” 12. Series of obstacles 14. Concealed (neato abbreviation) 16. Went to the continental breakfast 21. Those above the law 22. The XVIth prime number 23. It has no dyes, curlers, uncurlers, beads, or gels 25. Disney film released during WWII 26. Create a permanent fund 27. Confound 28. Indicted East German leader Honecker 29. Birthday greeting words 30. Use an unopened bible 36. Network of The L Word and The Big C 37. Spanish keyboard feature 40. Madly 41. Oreo insides (it may be doubled) 43. Apparel company with slogan Impossible is nothing” 46. Technical analyst, briefly 47. Its state quarter features Crater Lake 48. Cellist who keeps coming back 51. Quick karate move 52. Mythological man-eater 53. Just out of the shower 54. Oriole or raven’s home 58. Stage of sleep 59. Chinese principle 60. Indiana Jones’ quest

Answers on page 29.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6

CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on the right.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers HYGIENE CARE, MEAL PREPARATION, Housekeeping, Errands, Appointments, Medication reminders, Companionship. I’m a loving, experienced, trusted caregiver available for FT/PT or Live-In care for a flat rate. Call 301490-1146.

Financial Services ACCOUNTING, TAXES AND BOOKKEEPING, eldercare. CPA 38 years, reasonable rates.

Call 410-653-3363.

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For Sale 2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve 410-913-1653.

Home/Handyman Services BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates.

10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285).

Wanted FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

COSTUME JEWELRY, BROKEN WRIST WATCHES, Pocket watches (any condition), Glassware, Dolls, Coins, Quilts, Sewing baskets and boxes, Music boxes, Tools, Old toys, Postcards, Trains, Guns, Pocket knives, Swords, Linen, Fishing equipment, Tackle boxes, Fountain pens, Christmas decorations, Christmas garden items, Crocks and Jugs, Lamps and Lanterns, Pottery, Military items, Police and Fire badges, Sports memorabilia, Beer signs and related items, Advertising signs, Paintings, and contents of attics, basements and garages.

Cash. Professional, no-pressure individual with over 30 years of experience. Lloyd D. Baker. Office: 717-969-8114, 410-409-4965.

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 5th of each month.

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question.

Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $10 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word.

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Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

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Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 Wanted

Wanted

WE BUY JEWELRY, SILVER, GOLD, AND COSTUME. Coins, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

OLD AND NEW, WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, Tea Sets, Single Pieces of Silver, Large pieces of Silver Plate. Attic, Basement or Garage. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. You have something to SELL, we are looking to BUY.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, rifles, shot guns, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Large quantities are okay. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

VINYL RECORDS WANTED from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

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ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Dementia Behavior Study.....................13 Falls Study ............................................13

Events

Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center ..............................12 COGS Monthly Meeting ......................12

Financial Services

PENFED Financial Services...................5

Funeral Services

Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. .............................25 Going Home Cremations......................21 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. ...................24

Home Health Care

A-1 Action Nursing Care........................8 Homewatch Caregivers ........................13 Options for Senior America..................29

31

Housing

Alta at Regency Crest...........................10 Beazer Homes.........................................9 Brooke Grove .......................................32 Buckingham’s Choice...........................14 Charlestown/Erickson Living...............10 Country Gardens Assisted Living.........14 Fairhaven ..............................................14 Gatherings at Quarry Place.....................9 Heartlands of Ellicott City ...................11 Homecrest House....................................2 Homewood at Frederick .......................20 Integrace ...............................................14 Park View .............................................22 Shriner Court/Quantum ..........................7 Somerford Place/5 Star Senior Living ...11

Legal Services

Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC ................20 Law Office of Karen Ellsworth ............21

Medical/Health

BW Eye Center.....................................14 Medical Eye Center ..............................25 World Class Chiropractic .......................7

Real Estate

The Bob Lucido Team ............................3

Retail

Adjustable Bed .....................................28 Comic Book Collector..........................29 Columbia’s Village Centers ..................26 Magic Mountain Chimney Sweeps ........4 Perfect Choice HD................................24

Senior Services

The Senior Connection....................15-18

Skilled Nursing & Rehab

CommuniCare.........................................8

Theatre/Entertainment

Candlelight Concert Society.................27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ..........................27

Tour & Travel

Eyre Tour & Travel...............................25

Volunteers

Meals on Wheels of Central MD..........26

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Independent Living Team Wins Silver Spoon Award at “A Taste of Senior Living” E

xecutive Chef Victor Camacho and Brooke Grove Retirement Village’s (BGRV) independent living team took home the coveted Silver Spoon Award at “A Taste of Senior Living” recently hosted

by LifeSpan Network at Kahler Hall in Columbia, Maryland. The friendly competition featured the best of senior living cuisine from 21 community chefs in the Washington metropolitan area.

The winning entry, Crab Balls with Horseradish Cream Sauce over Fiesta Quinoa Salad, is a yearround favorite of independent living residents dining at Westbrooke Clubhouse. Head Server Mikey Eudy joined Chef Camacho in serving the delicious entrée to guests. “It was wonderful to be able to share in the success of the Brooke Grove team that evening and a thrill to see Victor rewarded for his exceptional culinary talents,” remarked independent living resident Pat Rice, a guest at the inaugural event.

“The award was incredibly well-deserved.”

Indian Cakes with Sesame Tahini Sauce over Seasoned Couscous, BGRV’s assisted living entry, also wowed the crowds. While the recipe was originally submitted by Culinary Services Coordinator Carlos Baten, colleague Clive Reid graciously stepped in and did a stellar job of preparing the entry when Chef Baten was unexpectedly called away shortly before the occasion. “The Indian Cakes were really, really good, and it was great to taste a vegan entry that illustrates the diversity of cuisine prepared by Brooke Grove chefs,” noted one observer.

Chef Victor Camacho accepts the Silver Spoon Award.

Assisted Living Culinary Services Director Debbie Schyllander Bass and other administrative team members.

“The event was great fun, high energy and just a delightful experience overall,” noted Ms. Bass. “It was a proud moment for BGRV,” added Ms. Davis.

For more information about Brooke Grove, call

301-260-2320 18131 Slade School Road • Sandy Spring, MD 20860

Chefs Camacho and Reid were supported in their presentations by Director of Marketing Toni Davis,

www.bgf.org