February 2018 | Howard County Beacon by The Beacon Newspapers

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International tai chi champions

FEBRUARY 2018

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L E I S U R E & T R AV E L

Some lesser-known New Orleans gems; plus, Palermo, Italy — the jewel of the Mediterranean page 23

Instructor Jian Ping Mao leads a tai chi class at the East Columbia 50+ Center. A group from the center recently garnered 50 gold medals at an international competition in China. Tai chi is a gentle exercise that can help with strength, balance, flexibility and coordination — as well as reduce stress.

Why tai chi? Tai chi is an ancient martial art that includes gentle exercise routines that have captured the bodies and minds of growing numbers of older adults who see it as the way to go for physical and mental fitness. Members of the local group who went to China enthusiastically describe the personal benefits they experience from practicing tai chi. “I’ve found the exercise keeps me mentally acute and physically fit through gentle movements — stretching, breathing. It’s almost like learning new dance steps,” said Chris Woodruff, 65, of Columbia. “I go to classes once a week and practice sessions twice a week, as well as practicing every day at home. I hope to be doing this for the rest of my life,” declared David Chu, also 65, of Ellicott City.

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PHOTO BY STAN SEGAWA

By Robert Friedman Many recreation centers provide instruction in the ancient martial art of tai chi. But it’s a rare program that sends 17 of its members to China to participate in an international competition, and no doubt even rarer when such a group sweeps the awards in their categories. That’s exactly what happened, however, when a group from the East Columbia 50+ Center’s tai chi class traveled to China last November. The tournament’s official, tongue-twisting name was Zhejiang 4th Tai Chi Pushhands Competition and Shaoxing Traditional Wushu Invitation 2017. Most of the 1,000 or so competitors hailed from mainland China. The Columbians, ranging in age from their late 50s to 82, returned with 50 gold medals and three trophies for their group and individual routines. The local group was led on the journey by its tai chi instructor Jian Ping Mao, who has given the classes at the center for the past decade. Mao felt it was time for a 10th anniversary celebration in the land where tai chi was born some 1,000 years ago. The tai chi master proudly recounted his students’ success: “We participated in three group competitions and won all three trophies. We also participated in 11 individual competitions and won all the 11 gold medals.”

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Elsa Ponce, 82, of Columbia, hurt herself doing yoga. So eight years ago, she got into tai chi, which has been called “moving meditation.” “I love it; it’s really great for balance,” she said. Not only were the Columbia-area competitors among the best in the world, but they also had the oldest participant in the tournament (Ponce), and the oldest average age of any team (70). Instructor Mao, who like many other Chinese-born children began studying martial arts in school at the age of 6, now spends his daytime hours doing atmospheric pressure research at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. He was overjoyed by his students’ performances, as well as by their trip to visit several cities and sights around China. Mao em-

igrated from there in 1990, “soon after Tiananmen Square” — shorthand for the massacre by Chinese troops of pro-democracy students who protested at that site in 1989.

Health benefits of tai chi Tai chi involves gentle exercise that puts minimum stress on muscles and joints. It is said to improve balance and muscle tone, lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, and ease asthma and insomnia problems, among other benefits. Dr. Michael Irwin, director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, recently found through his research that there was an “increase in the number of T cells that fight off shingles” in patients who See TAI CHI, page 28

ARTS & STYLE

Rekindling a passion for painting after retirement; plus, where to find local art classes page 27 TECHNOLOGY k Hackers can target kids’ toys

FITNESS & HEALTH 7 k New migraine meds k Maryland’s medical marijuana THE 50+ CONNECTION 15 k Newsletter from Howard County Office on Aging and Independence LAW & MONEY 19 k Banks are paying (a little) more k What are Medicaid annuities? ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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A bitter pill indeed A seemingly innocuous request recently paper with the name and phone number of a led me to a bout of righteous indignation particular “family pharmacy” I hadn’t heard and a passionate battle. of. He said they discount the At the end of an appointdrug and absorb the co-pay, ment with my orthopedist, I and he would call the prescripasked him to refill my pretion in to them. If I decided I scription for an NSAID pain wanted it, they would mail the reliever. Though it happens to pills to me free of charge. be available over-the-counter I left feeling somewhat unat a reasonable price, the precomfortable about the whole scription is a 12-hour version, exchange, but took the samand its cost (to me and to my ples with me. insurance company) is even Back home, I read the fine less than OTC retail. print on the packaging. It exFROM THE The physician assistant PUBLISHER plained that the new drug, By Stuart P. Rosenthal asked if I wouldn’t prefer a called Vimovo, was basically a different pill that’s coated to high-dosage NSAID coated avoid stomach upset. I said no thanks. with a common proton-pump inhibitor (to That’s one problem I don’t have (yet). reduce stomach acid). But he pushed a bit, saying the new pill I realized this was another of those inis supposed to be helpful, and wouldn’t I creasingly common situations where a like to try it? Again, I said no, adding that I drug company combines two older drugs once was prescribed something like that in available in generic form into one branded error, and it had a horrendous co-pay. pill. That allows them to patent the combiHe said, “Oh, there’s no co-pay at all for nation and to charge a significantly higher this drug! And I have some samples. Why price for the convenience. don’t you take some home and try it?” I tried the new pill and didn’t find it any He gave me the samples and a piece of better than my trusty generic. So I decided

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington, DC and Richmond, Va. (Fifty Plus). Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Vice President, Sales & Marketing ....Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben

to forget the whole thing. Over the weekend, I found a voicemail on my cell phone from the family pharmacy, seeking to confirm my address so they could mail me the prescription. Since I didn’t plan to order it, I ignored the call. Two days later, a small package arrived in the mail. Inside was a bottle of Vimovo, plus a return mail envelope and a receipt with instructions to “sign and return this form in acknowledgement of receipt of correct prescription.” OK, now my suspicions had grown. Combining the PA’s eagerness to push me to try it, and the pharmacy’s presumptuousness in sending me the pills without my asking, I felt there was something fishy going on. So I scrutinized the mailing. The receipt included my name, the Rx#, the name and quantity of the drug, and “co-pay: $0.00.” But what did they charge my insurance company, I wondered? So I looked closely at the label of the pill bottle packaging. It showed something shocking: “co-pay: $0.00. Ins. paid $2,236.76.” Whoa! I expected to see a brand-name kind of price there, but more than $2,000? I was spitting nails. By what right are they charging hundreds of times the real cost of the ingredients? And why did my insurance company pay such an outrageous price without complaint? I had no illusions: insurance rates for the Beacon, like for the rest of the country, have been going up much faster than inflation. Costs like this ultimately get passed on to us, the customers. I was on the phone within seconds to the pharmacy, giving them a piece of my mind. They kept trying to calm me down by reminding me, “but there’s no co-pay! You don’t have to pay a cent!” That just made me angrier. In the end, I’m paying; we’re all paying! I insisted they take the pills back and credit my insurance company for the full charge. To their credit, they sent me a postagepaid return slip so I wouldn’t incur mailing fees, and once they got the bottle back, they called me to confirm they had refunded my insurance company. In the meantime, I called my orthopedist’s office to find out if they were part of this scheme, or maybe just the victim of a drug company marketing rep. When I reached the head of the practice, I told him what happened, and he was as flabbergasted as I had been. He asked me to repeat myself, then he slowly repeated the same thing back to me, clearly growing

more and more incredulous at the outrage. He called over the PA and asked him if he had any idea what those pills cost. The PA said no, he didn’t. The doctor repeatedly thanked me for bringing this to his attention, and said he would immediately warn his staff about the situation and the pharmacy. After that conversation, I went online to see what Vimovo’s standard retail price was, and I was floored yet again: $2,650 is the average retail cost. To my amazement, the family pharmacy was indeed “discounting” the drug! But that didn’t change the fact that the price sought by the drug company is, to my mind, unconscionable and exploitative. I was relieved that my doctors were as shocked as I, and that they were determined to take the price into account before ever prescribing the drug again. But this lack of knowledge about the cost of drugs on the part of doctors is as appalling as it is common. I didn’t think it was the responsibility of patients to inform our doctors about the costs of drugs. But apparently there’s no one else with the incentive to do so. Not even our insurance companies or Medicare Part D plans. (However, just recently, CVS Health announced it will start informing doctors about drug costs in an effort to avoid patient sticker shock at the pharmacy, and to reduce the number of patients who don’t fill their prescriptions.) So I urge you: take a look at your prescription receipts and note what your insurance pays. If it seems out of whack, or if there are cheaper alternatives you are willing to try, let your doctor know. And those with Medicare Part D are not off the hook. While such plans can negotiate drug prices, if you are taking a more expensive version of a drug than you need, it’s contributing to the overall problem. There are many reasons healthcare costs in America are rising much faster than inflation. One might point to surgeries (such as the nearly 500,000 knee and hip replacements done each year), and the extraordinary costs for the latest treatments for cancer and genetic diseases. But the price we all pay for our prescriptions drives at least part of the rising cost. Be vigilant and speak up. It might be a small thing in itself, but I can tell you from experience: It can make your day!

• Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Director of Operations ........................Roger King • Contributing Editor ..........................Carol Sorgen • Advertising Representatives ......Rodney Harris, ........................................................................Steve Levin • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

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Technology &

Innovations Toys today can spy on kids. What to do By Joseph Pisani The toys your grandkids received over the holidays could invite hackers into your home. That Grinch-like warning comes from the FBI, which said earlier this year that toys connected to the Internet could be a target for crooks who may listen in on conversations or use them to steal a child’s personal information. The bureau did not name any specific toys or brands, but it said any Internet-connected toys with microphones, cameras or location tracking may put a child’s privacy or safety at risk. That could be a talking doll or a tablet designed for kids. And because some of these toys were being rushed to be made and sold late last year, the FBI said security safeguards might have been overlooked. Security experts said the only way to prevent a hack is to not keep the toy. But if you decide to let a kid play with it, there are ways to reduce the risks. Here are some tips:

Research and read reviews Before opening a toy, search for it online

and read reviews to see if there are any complaints or if past security problems are reported. If there have been previous issues, you may want to rethink keeping it. Reputable companies will also explain how information is collected from the toy or device, how that data is stored, and who has access to it. Usually that type of information is found on the company’s website, typically under its privacy policy. If you can’t find it, call the company. If there isn’t a policy, that’s a bad sign. “You shouldn’t use it,” said Behnam Dayanim, a partner at Paul Hastings in Washington, and co-chair of the law firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice. Companies can change their privacy policies, so read them again if you’re notified of a change.

Use secure wi-fi Make sure the Wi-Fi the toy will be connected to is secure and has a hard-to-guess password. Weak passwords make it easier for hackers to access devices that use a wifi network. Never connect the toy to free

wi-fi that’s open to the public. And if the toy itself allows you to create a password, do it.

“You can lie.”

Be vigilent Not using it? Turn it off When the toy is not being used, shut it off or unplug it so it stops collecting data. When off, toys “become less of an attractive target,” said Alan Brill, who is a cybersecurity and investigations consultant. And if the item has a camera, face it toward a wall or cover it with a piece of tape when it’s not being used. Toys with microphones can be thrown in a chest or drawer, where it’s harder to hear conversations, Brill said.

Register, but limit your info It’s important to register a new item, because a manufacturer software update may fix security holes, and you don’t want to miss that fix, Brill said. But when registering, be stingy with the information you hand over. All they need is contact information to let you know about the update. If they require other information, such as a child’s birthday, make one up. “You’re not under oath,” said Brill.

If the toy or device allows kids to chat with other people playing with the same toy or game, explain to children that they can’t give out personal information, said Liz Brown, a business law professor at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, who focuses on technology and privacy law. But such explanations may not be enough: Check the chat section to make sure children aren’t sending things they shouldn’t be, Brown said. Unsavory adults could be pretending to be kids to get personal information. “It can get creepy pretty fast,” said Brown. Reputable companies that make toys with microphones will offer ways for parents to review and delete stored information. Take advantage of that.

Report breaches If a toy was compromised by a hacker, the FBI recommends reporting it online through its Internet crime complaint center at IC3.gov. — AP

Restaurants use tech to increase spending By Candice Choi Restaurant chains are making it easier to order food with a few taps of the screen — so much so that you may lose sight of how much you’re spending. The convenience that technology offers may make us less vigilant about how much we’re buying. Digital ordering also lets companies better track our spending habits, and may lead to increasingly personalized offers that are more likely to catch our attention. Digital ordering helps you find more of the things you want, but it’s worth understanding the other side of the equation: Sometimes, technology is an opportunity to get you to spend more.

Domino’s About 60 percent of Domino’s orders now come through the chain’s website, app and other digital channels. And people tend to order more online than over the phone, according to Domino’s spokesman Tim McIntyre — likely because they can

browse the menu and take their time deciding. That can result in people getting another pizza topping, or adding sides. “They tend to upsell themselves,” McIntyre said of online customers. Domino’s also has prompts during the ordering process. Once a pizza is ordered, for instance, people might be asked before checkout if they want to “cheese it up” or add drinks. Employees taking orders by phone are also encouraged to suggest extras — a tactic known as “upselling” or “suggestive selling.” But McIntyre said the human attempts aren’t as consistent. “The computer never feels rushed, the computer never feels rejection personally,” he said, noting that some employees might be shyer than others.

Chili’s, Olive Garden Tabletop tablets being used at some sitdown restaurants, which let people order food and pay for their meals, can have a similar effect.

Ziosk, the company that makes the devices available at chains including Chili’s and Olive Garden, said restaurants see more orders of dessert and appetizers with Ziosk devices. Dessert orders also tend to have more coffees attached to them, said Ziosk CEO Austen Mulinder. “The Ziosk will always remember to ask, ‘Do you want to add coffee to that?’” he said. Most restaurants that use Ziosk devices use them to let people order appetizers, desserts and drinks. With entrees, Mulinder said it makes more sense for a server to take the order, rather than having people passing around a device. Chili’s has cited other benefits of Ziosk, including the collection of customer spending data. The devices also generate money from games that people can play while waiting. That revenue more than offsets the cost of the devices in most cases, Mulinder said.

alized offers for loyalty members and mobile app users, which include the recent rollout of “real-time” suggestive selling based on past purchases for people ordering ahead on their smartphones. The company says the efforts are yielding positive results, with spending by loyalty members up by 8 percent in the latest quarter. “We think that the steps we’ve taken regarding personalization are a driver of that,” said spokeswoman Maggie Jantzen. The company has also been turning the acquisition of reward points into games. That includes ones like “Starbucks Bingo” that reward members for making particular purchases. Panera’s loyalty program also incorporates members’ past purchases. Unlike in most programs, Panera loyalty members do not know when they’ll get their next reward, or what it will be. Blaine Hurst, Panera’s president, said

Starbucks, Panera Starbucks is pushing into more person-

See RESTAURANTS, page 6

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Lock your phone to prevent data breaches computer, USB drive or cloud storage service. It’s always a good idea to make backup copies. Quick: Think of your best friend. Do you know his/her phone number? While some information can be replaced, it can turn out to be more of a hassle than you bargained for, and some items may be irreplaceable. Enable a service with remote tracking. This is a service that exists on most phones. In the event your phone is stolen, you can remotely lock your phone and even erase its data while the GPS tracks its movement in a criminal’s hands. See LOCK YOUR PHONE, page 6

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Even if you are using Wi-Fi for browsing and not for shopping, banking or anything else that requires passwords or account data, on a public, open-source network, your personal information can be exposed unwittingly. Download with discretion. Before downloading any apps to your phone, always do a quick search to make sure they come from a legitimate site or publisher. Check user reviews for any complaints. To move forward, back up. If you have photos, videos, music, emails, contacts or any other information that you want to make sure you can access if your smartphone if ever hacked, lost or stolen, then make sure they are all backed up on a

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As an alternative, your fingerprint may be sufficient to protect your phone — if it has a fingerprint sensor and if you don’t mind the invasiveness of a phone company having a unique identifier for you. Set your phone to auto-lock. Auto-lock means that your phone will automatically require a password for you to re-enter after a certain amount of time. This feature is important, especially in public places where phones that look alike can be accidentally swapped. You can set the auto-lock time by going into your phone settings and choosing from immediately up to several minutes, even hours. Saving passwords isn’t smart. Make sure any mobile banking or financial apps have passwords that are not automatically saved on your phone. It may be convenient, but it’s also potentially dangerous. Turn off GPS, Bluetooth and wireless features. When you’re not using them, that is. Not only do they drain the battery life, but thieves can pair their Bluetooth device with yours to hack personal information or even track you. Be careful on Wi-Fi networks. Wi-Fi is another channel for thieves to remotely access your data undetected. Only connect your phone to secure networks with passwords, especially in public places that offer free Wi-Fi.

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By Justin J. Kumar Your phone is essentially a one-stop shop for your data and, if stolen or exposed to identity thieves, can compromise your identity and financial accounts. People are using smartphones for more of their digital needs, but even if you don’t use mobile banking or financial apps, your phone could store sensitive data from online shopping, social networking, games and more. An unsecured phone poses a major security risk that makes you vulnerable everywhere you go. Here’s a quick checklist of how to protect your data from identity thieves by securing your mobile phone: Password-protect your phone. A password locks your phone, so that anyone who picks it up can’t just rummage around in your mobile life. Use a complex and unique password, beyond just numbers if possible. A good password mixes letters, numbers, punctuation and special characters. Use unexpected transformations. “Dollars” is a very easy password to crack, but so are the common variations “Doll@rs” and “Doll@r$.” Instead, try inserting a random character in a less predictable way to get something such as “D[]//@r$” or “D{}LL@r$” for increased security.

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By Barbara Ruben

out a cell phone signal. While the Hiking Project is part of outdoors store REI, both the website and app are free of advertising. www.hikingproject.com Hiking Project is free at the Apple App Store and on Google Play

Go take a hike

Music lessons

You don’t need to scale Mount Everest to net the many benefits of hiking. Even a moderate one-hour hike can burn around 400 calories. Find a trail near you at www.hikingproject.com, which features GPS and elevation data, as well as user-generated tips for almost 14,000 trails, from beginner to advanced hikes. The website also offers a forum where hikers can compare routes and hiking tips. Then download the app, which shows where you are on a map of a trail at all times. It even works offline, so you can use it with-

If you’ve never learned to read music or don’t understand how scales or chords are formed, MusicTheory.net can help. The site offers interactive lessons on everything from how to understand clef marks and ledger lines, to constructing minor scales. Interactive exercises quiz you on what you’ve learned. While the information on the site is extensive and free of charge, users can purchase additional lessons on an app linked at the site. www.musictheory.net Website instruction is free; Theory

Beacon Links & Apps

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Lessons, $2.99 from the Apple App store

Free NFL games Watching NFL football games on your phone used to be mainly limited to Verizon customers. Now anyone will be able to watch football games on the go for free on Yahoo’s app, now that Verizon owns Yahoo. Verizon’s five-year deal with the NFL takes effect in January, in time for playoffs. Verizon bought Yahoo in June, and AOL in 2015, and wants to combine the two to build a digital ad business to rival Facebook and Google. It hopes adding more sports streaming will help grow the audience for its media business. Games will stream on various apps and mobile sites. Yahoo Sports and NFL mobile apps are free from both the Apple App Store and Google Pay Yahoo.com on mobile (but not

Yahoo.com on computers)

Senior savings You know you qualify for discounts at myriad establishments, but it’s hard to remember exactly when the deal is (Tuesdays? Wednesdays?) and exactly how much you can save. The Senior Savings app lists more than 200 places — including restaurants, groceries, travel, entertainment and more — that offer discounts for customers starting at age 50. They can be organized alphabetically by store or business, or by age. Senior Savings, 99 cents at the Apple App store.

Getting on the move Seeing your everyday exercise stats helps you think about how to get more. The Moves app activity diary automatically records any walking, cycling and running you do. You can view the distance, duration, steps and calories burned for each activity. Moves also calculates how many calories you burn while idle. You can also add calculations for gym training and more than 60 other activities. The app is always on, so there’s no need to start and stop it. Just keep your phone in your pocket or your bag. But be aware that the app can cause your phone battery to drain more quickly. Moves, free in the Apple App store and from Google Play

Lock your phone From page 5 You can even set your phone to automatically wipe your data if your phone password is entered incorrectly several times. Of course, a full reset would be a last resort to protect personal information, and hopefully you remembered to back up your data. If you are changing or upgrading smartphones, then make sure that all of your personal information and content is erased from your old phone after you have uploaded it into your new one. Many phones have built-in reset features that will restore all settings to their defaults. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Restaurants From page 4 customers can be placed into one of “thousands” of rewards tracks, based on their spending habits. If their spending habits change, they can shift into different tracks. And the methodology is expected to get more sophisticated. Hurst says companies have been collecting massive amounts of data on customer spending habits, and thinks they will find new ways to use that information. — AP

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Health Fitness &

LATEST SCOOP ON COFFEE There’s increasing evidence that coffee is good for you, or so says WHO NEW SHINGLES VACCINE A new vaccine provides over 90% protection; much more than the older shot BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE Palliative care helps relieve symptoms and pain for those who are very ill EXPAND YOUR MIND Foods like berries and salmon can help grow new neurons

New injectable drugs reduce migraines By Marilynn Marchione New, long-acting drugs may hold hope for millions of people who often suffer migraines. Studies of two of these medicines, given as shots every month or so, found they cut the frequency of the notoriously painful and disabling headaches. The drugs are the first preventive medicines developed specifically for migraines. They work by interfering with a substance involved in modifying nerve signaling and progression of pain and symptoms. Migraines plague more than a billion people worldwide, more than 38 million in the U.S. alone. They’re more severe than an ordinary headache — throbbing, squeezing pain and pressure, often accompanied by vision problems, sensitivity to light, noise or smells, and nausea. They can leave people unable to work or do simple things like cooking or even hold a conversation. “It’s a whole new direction” for treatment, and an important advance for people who don’t want to take, or aren’t helped by, the daily pills sometimes used now to prevent recurrences, said Dr. Andrew Hershey, neurology chief at Cincinnati Chil-

dren’s Hospital Medical Center. He had no role in the research, but has tested other migraine drugs and wrote a commentary published with the studies in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Headache days cut in half One study tested erenumab (er-EN-yoomab), from Amgen and Novartis, in about 900 people who averaged eight migraines a month. Nearly half had already tried other preventive medicines. For six months, they were given monthly shots into the abdomen of a high dose of the drug, a low dose, or a dummy medicine. The number of days they suffered migraines each month dropped by three to four in the drug groups and nearly two in the placebo group. Half of the patients on the higher dose saw their migraine days cut at least in half. “I very definitely benefited,” said Anne Vickers, who got the lower dose through one of the study leaders at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Missouri. “I can have anywhere from 15 to 18

headaches per month, and probably five of those days are migraines,” she said. But that dropped 40 percent on the drug. “I have three kids, so for me it meant having more days when I was able to live my everyday life, cook a meal at home, go to events at school.” The second study tested fremanezumab (frem-uh-NEZZ-yoo-mab), from Teva Pharmaceutical, for chronic migraine — defined as headaches on 15 or more days per month, at least eight of them migraines. About 1,000 patients were given monthly shots for three months: One third got the drug each time, another third got the drug the first time and then dummy shots the next two times, and the rest got dummy shots each time. Monthly headache days dropped by four to five in the groups given the drug, and by two to three for those given dummy treatments.

Some caveats — Average reductions of one or two days a month are modest, but “there are some patients who have had a complete re-

sponse. They become headache-free,” Hershey said. — No worrisome side effects emerged, but the studies were very short, so longterm safety and effectiveness are unknown. — The new drugs were not tested against existing ones, only against placebo treatments. — Many study leaders work for, or have other financial ties to, the drugmakers, and the companies helped analyze the results. — Biotech drugs like these tend to be very expensive, and if they’re approved, insurers may set big copays or require patients to try older medicines first, Hershey said. On the other hand, when the drugs did work, the benefit was seen right away, so there’s less financial risk in trying one or two doses. “The patient will know quickly if this is a drug for them, and if not, move on to something else,” Hershey said. Both drugs have been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval. Eli Lilly and Co. and Alder Biopharmaceuticals also are testing similar drugs. — AP

Maryland starts selling medical marijuana By Brian Witte Maryland began the sale of medical marijuana to residents in pain in late November, ending years of delays by embarking on a program that features some of the most liberal policies in the nation on who can qualify for the prescribed cannabis. Dozens of people stood outside a licensed dispensary, Potomac Holistics in Rockville, where owners began making sales soon after receiving their first shipment a few weeks ago. William Askinazi, one of the owners, said people who work at the store were euphoric that the day had finally arrived. More than half of all U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures “You can tell there’s a buzz, and we’re excited for so many reasons,” Askinazi said. “We’re giving care to people who need it.” A long line of people cheered as sales

began. Denise Broyhill was among the first in the door to buy marijuana tablets. She said she was upbeat and relieved after years of delays by authorities in making medical marijuana available in the state. “After waiting so long, I’m looking to have some good pain management.” Broyhill said. Patrick Allison, of Annapolis, was also among the first in line. He said he suffers from ankylosing spondylitis — a form of arthritis that causes inflammation of the spinal joints that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. “It’s about time,” Allison said. “I live in chronic pain. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I’m about an eight right now on a scale of one to 10, head to toe. The only thing that works for me is marijuana.” Maryland approved its first medical marijuana law in 2013. But the effort stalled because it required academic medical centers to run the programs, and none stepped forward.

The law was changed in 2014 to allow doctors certified by a state medical cannabis commission to recommend marijuana for patients with debilitating, chronic and severe illnesses.

For many conditions Medical marijuana will be available to Marylanders for any condition that is severe in which other medical treatments have been ineffective, as long as the symptoms “reasonably can be expected to be relieved” by marijuana. Patients with a chronic or debilitating medical condition that causes severe appetite loss, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe muscle spasms also can have access, as well as people with glaucoma or post-traumatic stress disorder. “In Maryland, there are very liberal qualifying conditions,” Askinazi said. Even further, in addition to physicians, Maryland will allow nurse practitioners, dentists, podiatrists and nurse midwives to

certify patients as eligible to receive marijuana. People authorized to recommend the use of medical marijuana will also be able to do so for patients from other states who travel to Maryland. David Johnson, of Frederick, said he was relieved that he could now have access to medical marijuana to ease pain from nerve damage. He said he’s tired of driving in pain to pharmacies in search of opioids. “It’s been a nightmare,” he said. “This is a godsend.” Howard County has three dispensaries: Remedy Columbia, Greenhouse Wellness in Ellicott City, and the latest, Zen Leaf in Jessup. Zen Leaf cultivates and processes its medical cannabis products in the same building as its dispensary. Products allow patients to inhale the marijuana (through smoking or vaping), ingest it (through food or pills), or absorb it through sprays, creams or patches. — AP

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Latest scoop on coffee’s health benefits By Dr. Robert H. Shmerling What a difference a few years can make. Not long ago, I was learning about the dangers of coffee — how it could raise your blood pressure, make your heart race, impair sleep, and maybe even cause cancer. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken coffee off the possible carcinogen list. And there’s increasing evidence that coffee might actually be good for you. So good that doctors might begin recommending it. What’s changed? It’s all about the evidence.

Possible benefits Over the last several decades, coffee has been among the most heavily studied dietary components. And the news is mostly good. Moderate coffee consumption (three to four cups per day) has been linked with longer lifespan. In fact, a November 2015 study in Circulation found that coffee consumption was associated with an 8 to 15 percent reduction in the risk of death (with larger reductions among those with higher coffee consumption). Other studies have found that coffee drinkers may have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke), type 2 diabetes,

Parkinson’s disease, uterine and liver cancer, cirrhosis and gout. The reason that coffee drinking might be beneficial is unknown. One factor, of course, could be the caffeine. But that can be hard to sort out from the research because many studies do not distinguish whether the coffee is caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Possible health risks A number of studies have linked coffee consumption to health problems, including: Bladder and pancreatic cancer. Studies performed more than 30 years ago suggested a potential link between coffee consumption and cancers of the bladder, pancreas, and possibly others. Since then, better research has largely refuted these concerns. In fact, some of the older studies raising red flags about a cancer link have since been used as examples of “fishing expeditions” and weak research methodology. Esophageal cancer. In its recently released report, the WHO has raised concerns that drinking coffee (or other beverages) at temperatures higher than 149 degrees F may increase the risk of esophageal cancer. However, this is not unique to coffee. And drinking coffee at such high temperatures is unusual among most coffee drinkers in the US. Cardiovascular disease. Studies linking

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coffee consumption to cardiovascular disease have mostly observed it with higher consumption (well above four cups per day). And some of these studies did not account for smoking, which often accompanies coffee consumption and is, of course, an important cardiovascular disease risk factor on its own. Other concerns include modest and temporary elevations in blood pressure, and fast or abnormal heart rhythms. Bothersome, but mostly minor, side effects. The caffeine in coffee can impair sleep, cause a “speedy” or jittery feeling, and even cause anxiety. Heartburn, frequent urination (because caffeine is a diuretic), and palpitations are problematic for some coffee drinkers.

An about-face from WHO In a June 2016 report, the WHO officially lifted coffee from the list of potentially carcinogenic foods. It went on to designate coffee as potentially protective against cancer of the uterus and liver. And the WHO is not the only organization to include coffee in its list of foods that are probably harmless and possibly healthy. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (commissioned by the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture) thoroughly reviewed the evidence and declared that “moderate coffee consumption (three to five cups per day) can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern...” And the World Cancer Research Fund International concluded that coffee consumption was linked with a lower risk of several types of cancer.

coffee consumption, you might feel tempted to increase your intake or to start drinking it if you don’t already. Here’s my take: If you don’t like coffee, there is no current recommendation to drink it anyway. However, if we can figure out why coffee might have health benefits, it’s possible that a medication can be developed that provides those benefits without the side effects (or taste) of coffee or caffeine. Or, faced with a choice of a new medication or coffee, one might choose the latter. If you are already a coffee drinker, it should be reassuring that, after decades of research, no strong link can be found between coffee intake and cancer and, to the contrary, a number of health benefits seem to accompany coffee consumption. But, I’m not sure the evidence is powerful enough to recommend an increase in your daily habit. One reason is that we don’t know for sure that coffee consumption actually caused the health benefits observed in these studies. Some other, unmeasured factor could be responsible. Another reason is that the overall effect was small. And it’s worth noting that some people are quite sensitive to the side effects of coffee. Moderate your coffee intake. Although we don’t have proof that drinking six or more cups of coffee is dangerous, the risk of side effects is lower with moderation. Don’t drink beverages at very high temperatures (i.e., over 149 F). In addition to the potential risk of esophageal cancer, there is a risk of burning yourself. It’s unusual that a food on the “cancer risk list” comes off of it — and it’s even more unusual that such foods then be-

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Health Shorts OTC pain pills often can replace opioids Emergency rooms are where many patients are first introduced to powerful opioid painkillers. But what if doctors offered over-the-counter pills instead? A new study tested that approach on patients with broken bones and sprains, and found pain relievers sold as Tylenol and Motrin worked as well as opioids at reducing severe pain. The results challenge common ER practice for treating short-term, severe pain. They could prompt changes that would help prevent new patients from becoming addicted. The study has limitations: It only looked at short-term pain relief in the emergency room, and researchers didn’t evaluate how patients managed their pain after leaving the hospital. But given the scope of the U.S. opioid epidemic — more than 2 million Americans are addicted to opioid painkillers or heroin — experts say any dent in the problem could be meaningful. Results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Long-term opioid use often begins with a prescription painkiller for short-term pain, and use of these drugs in the ER has risen in recent years. Previous studies have shown opioids were prescribed in nearly one-third of ER visits. About one out of five ER patients are sent home with opioid prescriptions. The study involved 411 adults treated in two emergency rooms at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Their injuries included leg and arm fractures or sprains. All were given acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, plus either ibupro-

Coffee From page 8 come considered a healthy choice. But as the millions of people drinking coffee every day will tell you, when it comes to

fen, the main ingredient in Motrin, or one of three opioids: oxycodone, hydrocodone or codeine. They were given standard doses and were not told which drug combo they received. Patients rated their pain levels before taking the medicine and two hours later. On average, pain scores dropped from almost 9 on a 10-point scale to about 5, with negligible differences between the groups. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen affect different pain receptors in the body, so using the two drugs together may be especially potent, said Dr. Andrew Chang, an emergency medicine professor at Albany Medical College in upstate New York, who led the study. He noted that a pill combining ibuprofen and acetaminophen is available in other countries. His findings echo research from Canada and Australia testing that pill against opioids for pain relief.

Nearly half of cancer deaths are due to lifestyle A new look at cancer in the U.S. finds that nearly half of cancer deaths are caused by smoking, poor diet, and other unhealthy behaviors. That’s less than commonly-cited estimates from more than 35 years ago, a result of new research methods and changes in American society. Smoking rates have plummeted, for example, while obesity rates have risen dramatically. The study found that 45 percent of cancer deaths and 42 percent of diagnosed cancer cases could be attributed to what the authors call “modifiable” risk factors. These are risks that are not inherited, and mostly the result of behavior that can be changed — such as exposure to sun, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, drinking alcohol and, most importantly, smoking. coffee, there’s nothing like it. Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is faculty editor of Harvard Health Publications. © 2017. President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The study used 2014 data and was conducted by the American Cancer Society. It was published online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Smoking was the leading risk by far, accounting for 29 percent of deaths. Excess body weight was next at 6.5 percent, and alcohol consumption was third at 4 percent. Excess body weight was associated with 60 percent of uterine cancers and about one-third of liver cancers. Alcohol intake was associated with 25 percent of liver cancers in men and 12 percent in women; 17 percent of colorectal cancers in men and 8 percent in women; and 16 percent of breast cancers in women. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or tanning beds was associated with 96 percent of skin cancers in men and 94 percent in women.

FDA to crack down on stem cell treatments U.S. health authorities recently announced plans to crack down on doctors pushing stem cell procedures that pose the gravest risks to patients. This is part of an effort to police a burgeoning medical field that previously has received little oversight. The Food and Drug Administration laid out a strategy for regulating cell-based medicine, including hundreds of private clinics that have opened across the nation

in the last decade. Many of the businesses promote stem cell injections for dozens of diseases, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and even Alzheimer’s. They can cost $5,000 to $50,000, but there’s little research that such procedures are safe or effective. Most of the new clinics offer adults stem cells isolated from fat. Practitioners collect the fluid from patients via liposuction, treat it with chemicals, and then inject it back into the body to treat various conditions. Researchers for years have called for a crackdown. FDA officials said they will focus their enforcement efforts on “bad actors” who inject stem cell mixtures into the bloodstream, nervous system or eyes. Regulators say those procedures pose the biggest risk to patients. “We’re going to be prioritizing places where we see products — not just being promoted inappropriately — but putting patients at potential risk,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told reporters on a conference call. Gottlieb said the agency plans to use discretion in overseeing lower-risk procedures such as injections for achy joints. Stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler called the FDA announcement a “positive sign,” suggesting many clinics will now need to seek FDA permission before promoting experimental stem cell procedures. Stem cells have long been recognized for their ability to reproduce and regenerate tissue. And while emerging research suggests that they will eventually be used to treat a range of debilitating diseases, they are currently only approved for a handful of medical procedures. — AP

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Palliative care is for anyone seriously ill Dear Mayo Clinic: What’s the difference between palliative care and hospice care? Answer: People often confuse palliative care and hospice care, thinking they are the same thing. But they’re not. Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for anyone who has a serious illness. Hospice care is a form of palliative care for people whose illness has advanced to the point that they likely have less than six months to live.

Relieving symptoms and pain Palliative care can be useful to people of any age who have a serious illness, no matter the stage of the disease or long-term outlook. The goal of palliative care is to help people living with illness feel better overall. If you opt to have palliative care, it doesn’t limit other care, or take the place of therapies used to treat or cure disease. Palliative care can be provided together with curative treatment.

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People who receive palliative care can have a wide range of illnesses — such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, dementia, kidney failure and stroke. Doctors who specialize in palliative care have expertise in relieving symptoms that often accompany serious illness — such as pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, sleep problems and depression. Palliative care also takes into account a person’s emotional and spiritual well-being. In many cases, palliative care provides services to the entire family, helping everyone involved better cope with the disease. Teamwork is a key part of both palliative care and hospice care. Palliative care professionals can come from a wide range of medical specialties. In addition to physicians, the team includes nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. It is important to note that palliative care professionals become part of a patient’s healthcare team. They replace no one. This means that the palliative care professionals will not take the place of your doctors or any other established care team members. Instead, palliative care experts work with those providers to offer a coordinated approach.

Hospice is for terminally ill As a subset of palliative care, hospice care is intended for people who have no further options to treat a life-threatening illness effectively, or for whom those treatments don’t provide them with improved quality of life. Hospice focuses on providing the highest quality of life possible, while supporting the whole family. Hospice recognizes dying as part of the normal process of liv-

ing, affirms life, and neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice care is for terminally ill people expected to have six months or less to live. This doesn’t mean that hospice care will be provided only for six months, though. Hospice care can be continued for as long as the individual’s doctor and hospice care team confirm that the illness remains lifelimiting. Hospice care can be provided at home. But it is also offered in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and dedicated hospice centers. With hospice, treatments are offered for many symptoms, such as constipation, pain and nausea, among others. If symptoms cannot be controlled at home, then admission to a hospital may be necessary, even if an individual is enrolled in hospice. If you or someone close to you is dealing with a serious illness, talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits of palliative care, and the palliative care services offered through your healthcare organization. Palliative care can be useful when navigating any serious illness, helping patients and families feel better — physically and emotionally. — Jacob Strand, M.D., Palliative Care Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Jan. 25+

BRUSH UP ON MEDICARE

Two free 90-minute courses on Medicare will be presented by Howard County Office of Aging and Independence, at the Howard County General Hospital Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Columbia. On Thursday, Jan. 25, at 10:30 a.m. a 90-minute refresher course on coverage options and information sources is scheduled. On Monday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. the subject is learning to use the Plan Finder tool on medicare.gov to compare and review Medicare prescription drug plans available. To register for either class, visit www.hcgh.org or call (410) 740-7601.

Feb. 9

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HELP WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Howard County General Hospital will offer a free course called Mental Health First Aid on Friday, Feb. 9 at its Wellness Center, 10719 Charter Dr., Columbia. The class will deal with recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and suggest appropriate actions to assist. It is open to residents of Howard County only. To register or learn more about the class, visit hcgh.org or call (410) 740-7601.

Feb. 8

YOGA PHILOSOPHY

Learn about the spiritual power hidden within the human body at this yoga class at the Howard County Central Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. Explore each of the seven chakras, or energies, including their locations in our bodies, how they drive our lives, and what happens when energy is blocked. The class takes place on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Registration is preferred by calling (410) 313-7800.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

New shingles vaccine boosts protection By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: I recently read that the new shingles vaccine might be better than the older vaccine. I did have one shot of the older vaccine about seven years ago. Should I get this new one? A: Shingles is caused by the same virus — the varicella zoster virus — that causes chickenpox. Once you have had chickenpox, the virus that caused it remains alive inside your nerves. It is inactive, but it can

be reactivated later in life. This causes shingles. When the virus reactivates, the infected nerves, and the skin the nerves go to, become inflamed, causing a burning or stabbing pain. A few days later, when the virus reaches the skin, a rash of blisters appear along the affected nerve. The skin may be very sensitive, unable to tolerate even the lightest touch. Up to 10 percent of adults who get shin-

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gles experience long-term pain, even after the rash has healed completely. This condition is called post-herpetic neuralgia. It may last for months or even years. Until recently, only one shingles vaccine — called Zostavax — was available. In the large clinical trial that led to its approval by the FDA, the vaccine cut the risk of getting shingles by 51 percent, and the risk of postherpetic neuralgia by 67 percent. While a 50 percent decreased risk is okay, that’s not great. Also, Zostavax starts losing its protective effect against shingles within a few years.

Effective, but insurance issues The newer vaccine appears to be both much more effective and provide longer protection. It’s called Shingrix. In a large four-year study, it continued to provide over 90 percent protection against shingles across all age groups. As opposed to one shot only for Zostavax, Shingrix requires two shots (two to six months apart) in order to be maximally protective.

Side effects of both vaccines are minimal. But Shingrix does not have the longterm safety record that Zostavax has. The FDA approved Shingrix in October 2017 for people ages 50 and older. A CDC advisory panel supported the recommendation and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices agreed, including people who have already received Zostavax. The CDC has not yet released formal recommendations for Shingrix. So, medical insurance probably would not cover the $280 cost of the two shots today. But I expect that to change in the near future. Like you, I have already had Zostavax. I do plan on getting Shingrix once it is covered by my medical insurance. Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2017. President and fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Feb. 15

OPIOID OVERDOSE RESPONSE PROGRAM

Feb. 20

FREE HEARING SCREENINGS

Noting the rising number of opioid overdose deaths in the area, Howard County General Hospital is offering a free program focusing on administering an antidote for overdose, and instructions for rescue breathing on Thursday, Feb. 15. The hour-long session will be held at 6 p.m. at the hospital’s Wellness Center, 10710 Charter Dr., Columbia. For more information and to register, call (410) 313-6274.

Dr. Mary Carson, clinical audiologist from Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions in Ellicott City, will perform free hearing screenings on Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Glenwood 50+ Center, 2400 Rte. 97, Glenwood. Call the center at (410) 313-1400 to schedule a 15minute appointment.

Jan. 26

HEALTH AND FITNESS APPS

Want to make your health resolutions easier? Learn about health and fitness apps for your smartphone or tablet during the Miller Branch Library’s Appy Hour on Friday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to noon. The library is located at 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Registration is preferred by calling (410) 313-1950.

Feb. 10

VALENTINE’S TRUFFLES AND WINE

The Robinson Nature Center is hosting two sessions of trufflemaking and wine tasting on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. at the Center, 6692 Cedar Ln., Columbia. The program teaches participants to hand roll chocolate truffles, and includes sampling six wines from Liganore Vineyards in Mt. Airy. The fee is $27 for each session. For more information and to register, visit www.howardcoutymd.gov/rap or call (410) 313-7275.

Feb. 17

CIVIL WAR REENACTOR AT B&O MUSEUM

Reenactor Ed Gantt will speak about the contributions of colored troops during the Civil War in conjunction with an exhibit about African Americans from Howard County who served in the war. The event takes place at the Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is located at 2711 Maryland Ave., Ellicott City. For more information, call (410) 313-7275 or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/rap.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Foods and games to improve your brain If you want to know how to grow a that is important, there is some new re- crease brain activity in the hippocampal re- brainiac-ness. bunch of new brain cells, termed “neu- search that suggests that the hormone gion and help you create new neurons. This information is opinion only. It is not rons,” and keep them as that makes you feel hungry, This gives us a whole new perspective intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conhealthy as possible, let me tell called ghrelin, may be the when it comes to healing the brain and dition. Consult with your doctor before using you one quick thing about thing that triggers the whole growing new healthy brain cells. any new drug or supplement. neurogenesis. birth of new neurons in the So, enjoy a big bowl of blueberries, have Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist Neurogenesis is the science first place. a long work out, and then crash on the and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist of spurring the growth of neuOn the topic of exercise: I couch for some fun video gaming, and just and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To rons in your brain. Without definitely want you to go to feel your mind ignite with newfound contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com. neurogenesis, you’d be dead. Body Pump and Zumba, but BEACON BITS In fact, we can grow as many you should also be exercising as 700 new neurons a day. your brain. By that, I mean enLEARN PHOTOSHOP Scientists have found that gage in puzzles, math probLearn the basics of Adobe Photoshop photo editing software. DEAR several things actually help PHARMACIST lems and spatial video games. Manipulate digital photos using effects and filters to enhance spur on neurogenesis. The By Suzy Cohen This brings me to my next your own photos, or to create your own images and graphic designs. The free bigger challenge, however, is idea for you. How about playclass takes place at the Howard County Central Library, 10375 Little Patuxent keeping your new neurons. ing Super Mario 3D? Pkwy., Columbia, on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. An additional class Neurogenesis is a dynamic process that This particular video game (and also takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at the same time. You must register by calling reduces risk of Alzheimer’s, insomnia, anx- Super Mario 64) have been used in two im(410) 313-7800. iety, dementia and other cognitive prob- portant research studies on the brain, where lems. Avoiding foods high in glutamate and it was proven that spatial video games inMSG will help you, and so will eating a clean, fresh diet of foods filled with a lot of what I call “light foods” — meaning plantbased salads and veggies that utilize light for the photosynthesis process. AL L Additionally, there are foods that are particularly adept at growing brand new SMOKE neurons in our brains, while also activating FREE protective pathways to nurture them and APAR TMENT HOMES FOR THOSE 62 AND BETTER keep them thriving. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true, that what we choose to eat impacts our mind to some degree. The most potent neuron-loving foods include: • Green tea, berries, citrus, apples, and dark chocolate (due to the flavonoids) • Blueberries (due to the flavonoids and anthocyanin) • Red grapes (because the skin has ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EASTERN SHORE ORE resveratrol) Furnace Branch 410-761-4150 Easton 410-770-3070 410 770 3070 • Wild-caught salmon and other fatty Severna Park 410-544-3411 fish (due to the DHA fish oils) HARFORD COUNTY Oddly, researchers have found that eating BAL LTIMORE CITY Bel Air 410-893-0064 chewier foods — as opposed to soft, mushy Ashland Terrace T errace 410-276-6440 foods — are helpful to neuronal growth. As Box Hill 410-515-6115 Coldspring 410-542-4400 you eat a baked potato (instead of mashed HOWARD COUNTY potato), think about that! BAL L TIMORE COUNTY On the topic of food, we also have wellColonial Landing 410-796-4399 designed trials to show that intermittent Catonsville 410-719-9464 Columbia 410-381-1118 fasting, caloric restriction and exercise Dundalk 410-288-5483 Ellicott City 410-203-9501 promote the growth of new brain cells. So Fullerton 410-663-0665 Ellicott City II 410-203-2096 keep that up, too. Miramar L anding 410-391-8375 Everyone talks about enhancing BDNF Emerson 301-483-3322 (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) as a Randallstown 410-655-5673 Snowden River 410-290-0384 method of growing new brain cells. While Rosedale 410-866-1886

Jan. 31+

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

SPRING INTO EXCEPTIONAL SENIOR LIVING AT F I V E STAR SENIOR LI VING

See what’s blooming this spring at Five Star Senior Living. Join us for a tour and discover a full schedule of Lifestyle360 activities, chef-prepared meals offering flavor and flexibility, and exceptional senior living experiences. At Five Star, the possibilities are endless.

CALL TO SEE HOW YOU CAN BLOSSOM THIS SPRING. HEARTLANDS AT ELLICOTT CITY 3004 North Ridge Road • Ellicott City, MD 21043 • 410-461-9494 Independent Living • Assisted Living • Respite Care • On-site Rehabilitation SOMERFORD PLACE COLUMBIA 8220 Snowden River Parkway • Columbia, MD 21045 • 410-313-9744 Bridge to Rediscovery™ Memory Care Program • On-site Rehabilitation www.FiveStarSeniorLiving.com ©2018 Five Star Senior Living

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

A Publication from the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence

Volume 8, No. 2 • February 2018

Prevention and Action for a Healthy Heart

ccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov), heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. One in five adults have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and more than 100 people die of CVD every hour. Of the 65 million people diagnosed with high blood pressure, 70 percent do not have it under control. Now for some good news — you can make changes in your diet and lifestyle to lower your risks, even if you already have some form of heart disease. A 12 to 13-point reduction in systolic blood pressure (top number) can reduce your risk of a heart attack by 21 percent, and your risk of stroke by 37 percent! And, lowering your cholesterol level by just 10 percent may reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by approximately 30 percent. The Howard County Office on Aging and Independence can help get you back on track, with programs aimed at preventing and reducing the impact of heart disease in older adults.

• Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/aging to find fitness classes for all levels at your local 50+ center, or check out the Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center for options. • Join a peer support group to help manage stressors in your life. OAI’s SeniorsTogether program offers a wide range of groups which meet regularly to discuss current events, men’s issues, low vision and more. Powerful Tools for Caregivers empowers caregivers to provide better care for their loved ones while minding their own health. • Manage your chronic conditions with the support of others who are walking the same road. Living Well: Take Charge of Your Health workshops offer a practical, self-directed approach to handle the effects of hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions. For more information about these and other OAI programs, call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-1234 (voice/relay) or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/aging.

Prevention is – and should be – your number one goal. Things you can do to maintain heart health at any age: • Stay current with annual exams, screenings, and physicals. • Get regular blood pressure screenings, and know your numbers. High blood pressure and prehypertension often have no symptoms; checking your blood pressure is the only way to know for sure whether it is too high. Take advantage of free BP screenings at Howard County 50+ centers. • Get and stay active. Regular physical activity, especially cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, may help maintain heart health (but check with your doctor first). • Eat a heart-healthy diet to reduce your risk of heart disease. Look online for reputable sources of nutritional guidance (like DashDiet.org or Eatright.org), or schedule a one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian at our 50+ Centers. • Manage stress; aerobic exercise, meditation, and yoga are great healthy ways to deal with stress. Take time to relax and make time for social activities; join a class to meet other people and stay connected. If you have already been diagnosed with a chronic condition like high blood pressure or hypertension, don’t panic. Instead, take action. Here are some ways to get started: • Visit your healthcare provider regularly for screenings, ask for (and follow) their advice regarding diet and physical activity levels that are appropriate for you. • Schedule time with a registered dietician to make sure your diet is “heart healthy.” • Consult an exercise specialist at the Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) to find a program that you will enjoy and stick with.

LIVING WELL WITH HYPERTENSION Tuesday, February 13 • 1:00 to 3:30 PM Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044

Wednesday, February 14 • 4:30 to 7:00 PM Howard County General Hospital Bolduc Family Outpatient Center 1 Pavilion Classroom 5755 Cedar Lane, Columbia 21044

Friday, March 16 • 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM The Village in Howard 6061 Stevens Forest Road, Columbia 21045

Tuesday, March 20 • 1:00 to 3:30 PM Elkridge 50+ Center 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge 21075 $5 participation fee • To register, call: Carla Johnston, Health and Wellness Coordinator Howard County Office on Aging and Independence cjohnston@howardcountymd.gov • 410-313-3506 (VOICE/RELAY) WWW.howardcountymd.gov/livingwell

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The 50+ Connection

Guard Against Tax ID Theft By Rebecca Bowman, Administrator Howard County Office of Consumer Protection

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

National Consumer Protection Week March 4-10

Tax season may have just begun, but identity thieves are at work all year long!

he Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses your Social Security Number (SSN) to make sure your filing is accurate and complete, and that you get any refund you are due. Unfortunately, identity thieves who access your SSN can file a phony tax return to get a refund from the IRS, and may use your SSN to get a job or claim your child as a dependent.

Theft victims usually don’t find out about the crime until receiving a notice from the IRS which claims: • IRS records (e.g. W-2 forms) showing wages received from an employer they don’t know; • more than one return was filed in your name; • you received wages you failed to report. While an unexpected notice or letter from the IRS may alert you that someone else is using your SSN, note that the IRS does not initiate contact with a taxpayer by sending an email, text or social media message that asks for personal or financial information. If you get such a text or email, do not reply or click on any links. If you think someone used your SSN for a tax refund or a job, or the IRS sends you a notice or letter indicating a problem, contact the IRS immediately. Specialists will work with you to get your tax return filed, get you any refund you are due, and protect your IRS account from identity thieves in the future. Call the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490; note the date of your calls and keep copies of all correspondence.

Saturday, March 3 • 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. FREE Document Shredding at 11:00 East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft and scams? The Howard County Office of Consumer Protection is partnering with AARP and the Howard County Public Library System to present “Shred ID Theft.” Learn how to select a tax preparer, find free tax prep services and avoid tax-related scams and ID theft.

Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer for more details on this event and other consumer education materials.

P4C Pet Evaluations

As with other types of ID theft, file a police report and check your credit report for fraudulent accounts. You can also place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit reports.

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

Reduce Your Risk

410-313-7461 • igleysteen@howardcountymd.gov

Ingrid Gleysteen, PROGRAM COORDINATOR

• Keep your financial and tax records secure. Use strong passwords and always use security software with firewall and anti-virus protections. • Learn to recognize and avoid phishing emails, as well as calls and texts from thieves posing as banks, credit card companies or government agencies. • Don’t click on links or download attachments in texts or emails from unknown senders.

PET EVALUATIONS: FEBRUARY 1 Evaluations are held at the Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way Columbia 21044

For more information about this or other consumer issues, contact the Howard County Office of Consumer Protection by calling 410-313-6420 (voice/relay); by email consumer@howardcountymd.gov or visit us at www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer. The 50+ Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence. This publication is available in alternate formats upon request. To join our subscriber list, email kahenry@howardcountymd.gov

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

The 50+ Connection

Say you saw it in the Beacon

DID YOU KNOW?

If you have two or more chronic conditions, you may be at risk for malnutrition!

Malnutrition can cause muscle loss and dizziness, increasing your risk of falls!

African American History February 2018

Meet Storyteller Janice Greene Janice Curtis Greene is an accomplished storyteller, an American Griot, folklorist, historian, author and spiritual revivalist. Her costumed portrayals of historical African American females have delighted audiences across the United States for over 20 years, garnering her numerous awards including the Harriet Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award. Don’t miss these free performances: The Triumphs and Tragedies of Harriet Tubman Friday, February 2 • 11:00 a.m. Glenwood 50+ Center • Register at 410-313-5440 The Courage of Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks Tuesday, February 27 • 10:00 a.m. Bain 50+ Center • Register at 410-313-7213

DISCOVER AND LEARN • • • •

WHY muscle matters HOW nutrition affects falls HOW !" #$! $%"&#' ()"!$*% +%, -&*,. WHAT you can do to eat better and improve your health

Wednesday, February 21 1:00 to 3:30 pm North Laurel 50+ Center

!""#$%&'()*#+,-,.#/,012#3045)62#78#9:;9<

!"#$%&'()*(+,-.$&)/'%0&1'#)2(.)$.-+23'(2,)425$%*2,& To register or for more information, contact:

JEANNIE DECRAY jdecray@howardcountymd.gov 410-313-6535 (VOICE/RELAY)

Elkridge 50+ Center Grand Re-Opening! Monday, March 5 • 8:30 a.m. 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge 21075 Taught by HCC nursing instructors and staff, this five-week course will provide learners with helpful information to care for a loved one in the comfort and safety of their own home. The course will address day-today challenges for both the care recipient, as well as the caregiver.

Howard Community College Health Sciences Building, Room 364 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044

Thursdays • 5 to 8 PM | April 19 thru May 17 $

195 (includes $160 in fees) • Course XH-599 7117

Registration opens February 15 online at howardcc.edu For additional information or questions, contact Kathy Wehr at kwehr@howardcountymd.gov. AN EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

Enjoy facility tours, health screenings and education, fitness center equipment demos, new member registration and more! Don’t miss this memorable occasion in the history of Elkridge! Please join Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman, the Office on Aging and Independence and the Howard County Library System at the

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY ELKRIDGE 50+ CENTER AND THE ELKRIDGE LIBRARY AND DIY EDUCATION CENTER FOR THE

Saturday, March 10 TIME AND ADDITIONAL DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED

410-313-5192 (voice/relay) www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

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The 50+ Connection

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Howard County 50+ Centers

SPOTLIGHT ON THE

EAST COLUMBIA 50+CENTER www.howardcountymd.gov/50pluscenters for all 50+ Center events

Discover a world of fun at the East Columbia 50+ Center By Meridy McCague, Director, East Columbia 50+ Center

elcome to East Columbia 50+ Center, conveniently located inside the recently renovated East Columbia branch of the Howard County Library System on Cradlerock Way in Columbia. I think it says a lot about our center that we continued to thrive throughout the entire construction process, thanks to the support of our members and the wide variety of popular programs we offer Monday through Friday. The East Columbia 50+ Center first opened in this location in 1994. The Center’s boutique-like nature allows staff to craft programs that are flexible and responsive to the interests of our members, including offering activities during evening hours by popular request. We’ve always been open until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, but we recently added a legal clinic, and now offer the Language Café on Tuesday evenings as well. Though we are small in terms of square footage, our monthly calendar of center activities offers many options for participation and enrichment. Our programs focus on three main areas of concentration: Learning communities, such as book clubs, art classes and volunteer groups. The “Sew Who Cares” group fashions hats and scarves for shelter animals to entice prospective owners and created sleep mats made from grocery bags for the local homeless community. Our popular Clutter Buster group concentrates on living a minimalist lifestyle with monthly challenges and a lot of laughter. And, our partnership with the Columbia Association’s Youth and Teen Center provides one-on-one technology instruction, as well as a monthly Tech Café, so our members can get help with phone, tablet and laptop issues from our teen tech specialists. Group socialization at East Columbia supports meeting others with similar interests, so whether you enjoy chess, cards, or mahjong, you will find a comfortable “home away from home” atmosphere while spending time with friends old and new. There’s nothing better than a warm afternoon tea to stimulate great conversation! The welcoming community you will find at the East Columbia 50+ Center is also enhanced by the diversity of our membership. Physical fitness options offered at the Center include traditional aerobic exercise classes such as strength training and yoga, and dance classes from soul line to ballroom. There is a strong concentration of Qigong and Tai Chi options which include plenty of practice sessions and learning opportunities.

Recently, we have been celebrating the accomplishments of our Tai Chi students who traveled to China to compete. Seventeen students made the trip, accompanied by their instructor, Jao Ping Mao, returning with great stories to share - plus three trophies and 50 gold medals! (See the article on the front page of the Beacon’s February issue for more about the Tai Chi group’s trip to China). Join us to celebrate their accomplishments at our Chinese New Year event on Thursday, February 8 featuring the Jow Ga Lion Head performance at 6:00 p.m.

Laurie Anderson leads the Latin Jam Happy Hour at the East Columbia 50+ Center. Commitment to excellence defines how the staff at East Columbia works to support its members and programs. We are always looking for new avenues for you to to explore and adventures to pursue. Drop in, meet our team and let us help you find the right program to bring good health, happiness or a renewed sense of purpose to your life. For more information, contact us at 410-313-7680 or eastcolumbia50plus@howardcountymd.gov. • Consult an exercise specialist at the Office on Aging and Independence (OAI) to find a program that you will enjoy and stick with. • Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/aging to find fitness classes for all levels at your local 50+ center, or check out the Ellicott City 50+ Fitness Center for options. • Join a peer support group to help manage stressors in your life. OAI’s SeniorsTogether program offers a wide range of groups which meet regularly to discuss current events, men’s issues, low vision and more. Powerful Tools for Caregivers empowers caregivers to provide better care for their loved ones while minding their own health. • Manage your chronic conditions with the support of others who are walking the same road. Living Well: Take Charge of Your Health workshops offer a practical, self-directed approach to handle the effects of Hypertension, Diabetes and other chronic conditions.

For more information about these and other Office on Aging and Independence programs, call Maryland Access Point at 410-313-1234 (voice/relay) or visit us at www.howardcountymd.gov/aging.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

REDUCE RMDS With some simple strategies, you can pay less tax when you take required minimum distributions from retirement accounts SLOW RISE IN INTEREST Banks (especially online ones) are inching up the interest rate that customers earn on savings FOOTING THE BILL How to keep your credit score intact when you dispute a bill or can’t afford to pay it

An alternative to Medicaid spend-down By Eleanor Laise Picture this: Your spouse has made a permanent move to a nursing home. You don’t have long-term care insurance, Medicare won’t cover the cost, and you have too much money to qualify for Medicaid — but not nearly enough to afford the nursinghome bills. The monthly tab — easily $8,000 or more for a semi-private room — is rapidly depleting your nest egg. Now what? This is where a Medicaid-compliant annuity might rescue your retirement. You buy an immediate annuity — owned by and payable to you — that meets a number of special requirements, transforming cash that would otherwise prevent your ill spouse from qualifying for Medicaid into an income stream that helps you preserve your quality of life. Medicaid starts covering the nursing-home stay, and your monthly bills become manageable. For an average family, “it takes 50 years to save a couple hundred thousand dollars,” said Dale Krause, president and chief executive officer of Krause Financial Services, in De Pere, Wis. When nursing-home bills start eating into that nest egg, “they all do the math and say, ‘we’re going to be broke.’” For those who have the luxury of time, there are better ways to plan for long-term care costs. If you’re relatively young and healthy, you may be able to get long-term care insurance — or simply turbocharge your savings with the aim of self-insuring any long-term care costs. But for couples in a crisis situation, who

are watching their life savings evaporate as they pay nursing-home bills, a Medicaidcompliant annuity may be the only way to preserve a livable income for the spouse who remains at home.

Medicaid-compliant annuities Medicaid recipients generally cannot retain more than $2,000 in cash. But when one spouse enters a nursing home and the other remains in the larger community, a number of special rules apply. The healthy spouse can keep a certain amount of assets, which varies by state. (In Maryland, the amount is $123,600 in 2018). Note: Bank accounts and investments — including IRAs, in most states — count toward that threshold. Your primary residence, household items, personal effects, car, a limited amount of life insurance and a prepaid burial plan typically don’t count, though the uncounted amount of your home equity may be limited.) The healthy spouse’s income isn’t counted when determining Medicaid eligibility. And while the Medicaid recipient generally must use his available income to pay for his care costs, the healthy spouse can keep some or all of that income — as much as $3,090 a month in 2018 — if she otherwise would not have enough to live on. Couples trying to squeeze under Medicaid’s asset limits are confronted with difficult choices: They can spend down their life savings, leaving little for the healthy spouse to live on, or the couple can give away

money, which will trigger a period of Medicaid ineligibility if the gift is made less than five years before applying for Medicaid. A properly structured Medicaid-compliant annuity can reduce the need for such drastic measures. These annuities aren’t without controversy. Some states in recent years have sought to limit their use — backing down only after losing a series of lawsuits brought by annuity purchasers who were improperly denied Medicaid benefits. And a bill introduced in Congress early last year would count half the income from a healthy spouse’s annuity when determining the Medicaid eligibility of the institutionalized spouse — but that measure has gained little momentum.

Many rules to follow Medicaid-compliant annuities must be single-premium immediate annuities and irrevocable — meaning the payment amount, duration of payments, and parties to the contract can’t be changed. Payments must be made in equal amounts, and are typically guaranteed for a certain number of years, rather than for

the rest of the annuitant’s life. Generally, the state must be named as a beneficiary. So if you die before collecting all the guaranteed payments, the state can recover from the remaining payments some or all of the value of the Medicaid assistance provided. Who should consider a Medicaid-compliant annuity? People with moderate savings — perhaps $500,000 or less — who find themselves paying nursing home bills out of pocket. Jake Lowrey, president of Lowrey Financial Group, in Beverly, Mass., said most of his clients purchasing Medicaid annuities have $200,000 to $300,000 in savings. For people who are not in a crisis situation, these aren’t good investments. Because they’re designed for people in desperate straits, they generally offer minimal returns — perhaps 1 percent or so. People with millions of dollars are much better off earning a market rate of return on their money and paying the nursing-home bills themselves, according to William Browning, an elder-law attorney at BrownSee ANNUITY, page 20

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

How retirement savers can reduce RMDs By Brian Vnak Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are the congressionally-mandated, annual taxable withdrawals from retirement accounts required of savers after they reach the age of 70½. The rules surrounding how and when to take RMDs are complicated and arcane, and taking them creates a ripple effect throughout your financial plan that could set you up for some unpleasant surprises. Those who have a significant portion of their assets in tax-deferred accounts (like 401(k)s, 403(b)s and traditional IRAs) are especially at risk. If your RMDs are large, you may find that you have more income than you need.

It sounds like a great problem to have — until you realize that your RMD may bump you up to the next tax bracket. That not only has implications for your immediate tax bill, it also could impact how your Social Security benefits are taxed. Increasing your income can make up to 85 percent of your Social Security benefits taxable. And to follow the ripple even farther downstream, since premiums you pay for Medicare Parts B and D are based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) from two years prior to the year in which you pay your premiums, a higher AGI caused by RMDs could mean you’ll be paying higher Medicare premiums, as well. Here are four ways to reduce RMDs so

you can avoid the ripple effects of excess income. Draw down on IRAs before age 70½. Once you turn 59½, you can withdraw your IRA funds without penalty, regardless of your working status. Spreading your withdrawals out between ages 59½ and 70½ means that you get to spend money when you need and/or want it, and you won’t have to withdraw huge chunks of money later in life when you may not need the additional funds. Keep in mind that “no penalty” isn’t the same as “no taxes” — you’ll still be required to pay tax on those withdrawals. Of course, there are smart ways to spend these withdrawals, but there are also some not-so-smart ways. Make sure

your spending objectives are in alignment with your retirement and lifestyle goals. Will you spend that money on travel while you’re still able-bodied? Will you use it to purchase long-term care insurance? You need to make the choice that best fits your own retirement picture. Execute a Roth conversion. A Roth conversion allows you to move money from a tax-deferred account to a taxfree Roth account. You’ll pay income tax on the entire amount converted, but you won’t ever have to take RMDs from the Roth (at least according to current tax law). By proactively making Roth conver-

Annuity

advance planning. Because you don’t want to tie up money that could be needed for other expenses, you should only buy a Medicaid-compliant annuity when you know your spouse has moved to a facility

permanently, Krause said. And the amount that you should invest in the annuity will be determined in part by how your finances look on the “snapshot date” — the date your spouse has spent 30 consecutive days in the facility.

cy — she gets an additional $1,267 of guaranteed monthly income. And George immediately qualifies for Medicaid. He has monthly Social Security and pension income of $1,500, and $823 of that is shifted to Betty to bring her up to the Medicaid spouse’s $3,090 monthly income allowance. George can also keep $45 of his monthly income for personal needs, so his Medicaid co-pay is just $632 — saving the couple $6,618 a month. These annuities are sold by insurers such as Nationwide and ELCO Mutual Life & Annuity. But your first stop if you’re considering a Medicaid annuity should be an elder-law attorney. (Find one at naela.org.) “When you put your spouse in a facility, there’s a whole gamut of legal issues you have to get through,” Browning said. A good elder-law attorney will update your estate plan and powers of attorney — then help you determine whether a Medicaid annuity might be right for you. © 2017, Kiplinger, All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 19 ing & Meyer, in Worthington, Ohio. Medicaid annuities don’t allow for much

An example of the savings Krause Financial offers this example of how a Medicaid annuity might help a couple burdened with unmanageable nursinghome bills: George, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, enters a nursing home where the monthly bill is $7,250. He and his wife, Betty, have $200,000 in bank accounts and other countable assets. If they pay the nursing home bills out of pocket, they’ll have spent down enough for George to qualify for Medicaid within 16 months. Most of their nest egg will be gone, and Betty will be left with her $1,000 monthly Social Security check. If instead Betty invests $103,000 in a Medicaid-compliant annuity with a term of 83 months — her remaining life expectan-

See RMDs, page 21

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Banks inch up depositor interest rates By Ken Sweet Slowly, but surely, being a saver is paying off again. For years after the recession, banks paid next to nothing on deposits — much to the detriment of savers everywhere. Now, banks have increased lending and need more deposits, so they’re willing to pay higher interest rates. The big publicly traded banks are paying roughly 0.40 percent on their deposits right now, which is up from 0.24 percent two years ago, according to a report from Autonomous Research after the major banks reported their 2017 third quarter results.

A one-year CD is now paying an average of 0.63 percent, which is up from 0.45 percent two years ago. That’s according to depositaccounts.com, a website that tracks interest rates on savings accounts and CDs. An interest rate of 0.40 percent or 0.63 percent may not sound like much, but analysts expect that banks will continue to increase payouts on deposits as competition ramps up. “We have been waiting for this to happen for a while now,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economy analyst at BankRate.com. During the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest

RMDs

any non-spousal beneficiaries who inherit a Roth IRA are required to take RMDs (spouses can avoid RMDs depending on how they take them), typically over their lifetime. The good news is that these RMDs will continue to be tax-free to the beneficiary. Move your money to an employersponsored plan. Still working in your 70s? If you own less than 5 percent of the company where you work, you may be able to delay taking RMDs from your pretax employer-sponsored plan until April 1 of the year after you retire. This also may allow more time to make Roth conversions. Bonus idea: The super-savvy among us may use this opportunity to roll over pretax funds from old IRAs or 401(k)s into their pretax company plan if the plan will accept this type of rollover. This strategy is commonly referred to as a “reverse rollover,” and it could save you a bundle.

From page 20 sions, you’re able to lock in the tax on your tax-deferred savings today, rather than potentially paying a higher rate (on a larger amount!) in the future. For example, let’s say you’re a single filer with $60,000 in taxable income and $800,000 in a traditional IRA. It may be advantageous to convert up to $22,500 of your traditional IRA savings into a Roth IRA to “fill up” your 22 percent tax bracket (under the new tax law starting in 2018). You’ll be taxed at the 22 percent ordinary income tax rate now, but since the converted amount is now in a Roth, it won’t be subject to RMDs in the future. And you’ll enjoy all the typical benefits of a Roth account: tax-free growth and distributions. For those building their financial plans with estate planning in mind, remember that

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rate to near zero, and kept it that way until December 2015. While the Fed’s move made the cost of borrowing substantially cheaper nationwide, it had a secondary effect of cutting the interest rate banks were paying on deposits. In particular, seniors got hit hard since they tend to keep their money in low risk products like money markets, CDs and cash.

Fed raises rate again The Fed’s main interest rate rose a quarter point to 1.5 percent in mid-December. As the Fed raised rates, banks initially were happy to charge borrowers higher rates while keepMaximize charitable gifting. If you planned on giving your RMDs to charity because you don’t need the excess income, consider doing a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA. This provision allows you to donate up to $100,000 annually from your IRAs to the charity of your choice. The QCD counts toward your RMD requirement, and helps to avoid raising your AGI, which, as we previously discussed, can help avoid Medicare premium increases. The QCD allows you to potentially avoid unnecessary taxation, and your favorite charity gets more money. It’s a win-win. Planning for RMDs is rife with complica-

ing the amount of interest they were paying on savings accounts and CDs low. Banks take on deposits in order to turn around and lend that money out. The goal for a bank is to make more money on the interest on its loans than the interest rate they are paying to fund those loans. The more demand there is for loans, which typically happens in a steadily growing economy, the more deposits a bank needs. For years after the financial crisis, loan growth was tepid as banks throttled back on lending, the U.S. consumer deleverSee BANKS, page 22

tion. Make one misstep and you could be setting yourself up for years of expensive consequences. The earlier you plan for future RMDs, the better. Ask yourself and/or your adviser the following questions to help you determine if your RMD planning strategies are fully sound: • Do you understand the projected size and impact of RMDs to your situation? • How does your RMD plan integrate and/or support the pursuit of your financial goals and objectives? © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Refusing to pay hurts you more than them By Liz Weston Oh, the injustice of it all. Who among us hasn’t felt abused as a consumer? We get billed for stuff we didn’t receive, or that doesn’t work, or that didn’t live up to its hype. Companies charge us unexpected fees and insist the costs were revealed in the fine print. Health insurers take customer disservice to a whole new, awful level, inexplicably refusing to pay for services they promised to cover, and deluging us with impossibleto-decrypt paperwork. It’s understandable if you feel that enough is enough. But taking a righteous stand against paying an unfair bill can boomerang on you — hard. Here are some situations where you might be tempted to refuse to pay, and what you might want to consider doing instead.

Billing disputes Several years ago a friend refused to pay

a bill for Internet service that didn’t work. The collection account that later appeared on his credit reports nearly cost him a job offer. (He paid off the collection and wound up taking a job with a different employer.) The balance of power is tilted heavily in favor of companies and collection agencies that can report an unpaid bill to the credit bureaus. You can include a 100-word dispute in your credit files, but good luck getting anyone to read it. The credit scores most lenders and insurers use don’t factor in those statements. Employers, who typically use credit reports rather than scores to evaluate applicants, may see your statement, but it may not affect hiring, firing or promotion decisions. What to do instead: Settle disputes before a bill goes to collections. Consider asking a government regulator for help (search online for “Who regulates (company name)?” to find the agency), or turning

to a lawmaker whose staff can help with constituent disputes. As a last resort, consider paying the bill, then suing the company in small claims court. If you used a credit card to pay the bill, you’re in luck. Credit card users have a powerful, built-in weapon to deal with shoddy services or goods — the chargeback. A chargeback, which reverses a payment to a merchant, prevents damage to your credit report for nonpayment while a dispute is resolved.

Medical bills For about 43 million people, or 1 out of 5 credit reports, there’s overdue medical debt, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For 15 million people, medical bills are the only overdue debt on their credit reports. Clearly, many of us are having trouble paying our medical bills — or thinking they have been paid when they haven’t, since many ricochet between healthcare providers and insurers, sometimes for months. The latest versions of the FICO and VantageScore credit scoring models treat medical debt less harshly than other collections, but most lenders use older versions of the scores. The toll can be significant: A single collection account can drop a 680 FICO score by 40 points, and a 780 score by 100 points. (The most widely used credit scoring formulas, such as the FICO 8, use a 300-to-850 range.) What to do instead: If you have health insurance, follow up on every medical bill you receive to make sure it gets paid. If you don’t have insurance or can’t pay your bill, ask healthcare providers if they have charity programs or payment plans that

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aged, and businesses pulled back on borrowing as well. Bank executives said they had little need for deposits. In an interview with the Associated Press in early 2016, then-US Bank CEO Richard Davis said there was no reason to incentivize people to deposit money at the bank since there was nothing the bank could do with the money in the first place. But nearly a decade after the crisis, loans of all types — with the exception of residential mortgages — are now at record-high levels. And the growing demand for loans requires banks to gather up deposits to fuel their lending business.

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Online banks offer higher rates The online-only banks, which typically pay the most for deposits, are paying even more these days. Goldman Sachs’ online savings account GS Bank pays an interest rate of 1.29 percent on its savings account, with no minimum deposit.

could make the costs more manageable.

Federal student loans Only half of recent graduates strongly agreed that college was worth the cost, a 2015 Gallup-Purdue Index poll found. That may explain why about 1 in 10 borrowers who were scheduled to start paying their federal student loans in 2013-14 have defaulted instead, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Refusing to pay your loans is shortsighted. The default hurts your credit scores, which will make other borrowing difficult and can increase the cost of items like car insurance and cell phone plans. But that’s just the start. Government collectors can seize your tax refund, take a portion of your wages without going to court, and literally pursue you to the grave. The U.S. Supreme Court decided a portion of Social Security benefits, which are typically off-limits to creditors, could be seized to repay delinquent federal student loans. What to do instead: The education department offers several affordable repayment options, including an income-based plan that can reduce required payments to zero. Struggling borrowers can find plenty of information at the education department’s Federal Student Aid site. For private student loans, consider calling the loan servicer directly to ask about options, such as interest-only payments. This column was provided to the Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.” Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. For those able to lock up their savings for a longer period of time, GS Bank is paying 2.37 percent for a five-year CD, with a minimum $500 deposit. Goldman is partially using its new deposits to fund a new consumer lending product known as Marcus, which is causing Goldman to be more aggressive with its interest rates in order to fund those loans. Ally Bank is paying 1.25 percent for deposits to its online savings account. So is American Express, through its Personal Savings account. The largest of the banks are still being stingy, however, since their size means they don’t need to compete as aggressively for deposits. JPMorgan Chase is paying only 0.04 percent on a standard savings account, Bank of America is paying 0.03 percent, and Wells Fargo, apparently with zero need for deposits, is paying 0.01 percent on a basic savings account. All three banks have CDs with slightly higher rates, but savers looking to maximize the interest they’ll earn on parking their money should shop around. — AP

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Loud and lively Palermo, Italy is worth the trip to Sicily. See story on page 24.

New Orleans: music, museums and meals der to shoulder, taking in the color and, for many, colorful beverage concoctions. At the same time, those seeking something more educational, but no less enjoyable, can find a fascinating history to explore, a rich cultural mélange to experience, and attractions for people with a variety of interests.

PHOTO BY PISA PHOTOGRAPHY

By Victor Block Quick quiz: Think swinging jazz and soulful blues played in music clubs and by street musicians outside. Picture sidewalks crowded with people sipping beverages from plastic cups as they stroll along. If you guess that describes New Orleans, you’re right — but there’s more. Now see yourself visiting museums whose focus ranges from food and festivals, to history and mystery. Where? New Orleans again. Many visitors to “the Big Easy,” as the city is nicknamed, are on a quest for fun and frivolity, and both are there in abundant supply. The hub of activity is the famous, some might say infamous, French Quarter. The iconic district of cobblestone streets lined by hotels and restaurants, shops and art galleries is centered on Royal Street. The scene is very different just a block away on Bourbon Street, which lives up — or down — to its reputation as the playground of the South. T-shirt shops and other touristy traps vie for attention with posters touting “adult entertainment.” Crowds of revelers often have no choice but to move along slowly, at times shoul-

Many museums

PHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

Anyone seeking to delve below the surface of the city’s well-known appeals has an inviting choice of museums that await exploration — nearly four dozen span the alphabet from A (Art) to Z (Zoo). Together they offer insight into both aspects of New Orleans for which it is famous, as well as lesser known, but no less intriguing, tidbits. And so during our recent visit, my wife Fyllis and I spent time walking along Bourbon Street, enjoying music both in bars and outside, and partaking of meals that will linger in our minds long after they left our taste buds. But we also satisfied our curiosity at several museums among the many in the city which, we concluded, too many people may overlook. A good place to being an exploration is the Historic New Orleans Collection. From its rather modest start, this institution has expanded to occupy 10 historic buildings on two campuses in the French Quarter. Exhibits present the intriguing history and colorful culture of New Orleans, Louisiana and the entire Gulf of Mexico region. They document major historical events that have shaped the area, and describe and demonstrate the everyday lives of people who passed through and settled there. Guided tours provide in-depth information for those seeking more than a casual introduction, Visitors to the vast Mardi Gras World studio can watch arand changing exhibits tisans create floats for parades in New Orleans and other offer insight into various locations around the world. This year, Mardi Gras takes aspects of the city’s and place on Feb. 13.

Mule-drawn carriages offer a leisurely way to explore New Orleans’ French Quarter. Drivers regale tourists with true stories and amusing anecdotes about the city and its colorful cast of characters.

area’s story. I found two exhibits particularly intriguing in very different ways. One, titled “Giants of Jazz: Art Posters and Lithographs,” includes 17 larger-thanlife portraits by famous 20th-century poster artists. Among music legends depicted in the collection are Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, along with information about their ties to New Orleans. “Storyville: Madams and Music” relates another, very colorful chapter in the story of music in the city’s past. Created in 1897, the Storyville neighborhood operated as a city-sanctioned red light district until 1917. It attracted visitors with its saloons, music and dance, along with its many brothels. Pioneering musicians who later went on to become famous played there for tips. The exhibit recalls this colorful time with photographs, oral histories and recordings. Holding center stage is a collection of pocket-sized directories known as “Blue Books,” which presented Storyville as a luxurious playground of lavish mansions, fine music and elegant women. In contrast, some items in the collection paint a very different picture of the reality.

Mardi Gras on the mild side Of course, New Orleans is synonymous with Mardi Gras — the multi-day carnival, parade and excuse for over-eating and

over-imbibing which has been celebrated there since the early 18th century. Two museums offer opportunities to experience the wonder of the festivities without the wildness. Mardi Gras World is where floats for parades in New Orleans and other locations around the world have been made since 1947. In a studio so vast it could almost have its own zip code, visitors see artisans constructing lavishly decorated floats literally from the ground up. The scene is set in a video, followed by a taste of King Cake, a treat closely associated with Mardi Gras. This confection, which is believed to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870, is served throughout the carnival season. During the tour, Fyllis and I felt like Lilliputians in a world of giants. We were dwarfed by much-larger-than-life likenesses of cartoon figures, movie personalities and fantasy creatures. Oversized animals and flowers the size of trees loomed over us. A different take on Mardi Gras comes forth at the Backstreet Cultural Museum. Don’t let the nondescript exterior of the house that contains this collection put you off. The two rooms and hallways inside are jammed with memorabilia that pay homage to New Orleans’ African-American carSee NEW ORLEANS, page 25

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Palermo, Italy offers a lively slice of Sicily By Cain Burdeau For many travelers, Italy is seen as romantic, mysterious and a bit chaotic, with torpid heat, gorgeously rich colors and irresistible food. In reality, of course, every region has a distinct culture and identity. But Palermo — the ancient capital of Sicily and jewel of the Mediterranean — lives up to the Italy of popular imagination. It’s joyful and colorful, rich in art and cuisine, but also disorgan-

ized, unable even to reliably collect the garbage. Life is busily lived on the streets here. Clothes hang haphazardly from balconies. Motor scooters zip down narrow alleyways (often driven by children going the wrong way). People shout in Sicilian — a dialect incomprehensible to many Italian speakers — back and forth across streets and from windows. They gesture, sing and openly

observe others. All this plays out in a city steeped in religious rituals, intricate history, stunning art and stunning decay. It’s a place living amid the past — a past lost in so much of today’s modernizing Italy. It’s also a culture that can seem oddly familiar to outsiders, likely due to the waves of Sicilians who emigrated to the U.S. and made their mark on everyday American life in everything from food to pop culture. Part of The Godfather was filmed here, and the Mafia remains a force despite government crackdowns and the public’s outrage and resistance in the wake of bombings that killed two anti-Mafia magistrates and others with them in 1992.

A mosaic of cultures Before being bombed by Americans in World War II and ransacked by the Mafia after the war, Palermo was for centuries one of Europe’s most splendid cities — rich with churches, palaces, theaters, villas. Much of that illustrious past remains, albeit faded, but so does deep poverty. There are medieval Arab-Norman palaces (La Zisa, La Cuba, the Norman Palace), fantastic churches (the main cathedral with tombs of Norman royalty, and the Cathedral of Monreale with extraordinary mosaics), art-filled Spanish palaces, the grand Teatro Massimo opera house, and much more. What makes the city unique is the mixture of cultures across centuries: a tapestry of Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Jewish, French, English, Spanish and Italian influences. “You need an encyclopedia to describe the Palermitan,” said Pietro Tramonte, a retired accountant who runs an eccentric outdoor bookstore. “Here you find a laboratory, just like when life began. It’s an impossible mosaic. But we’re forced to live together.” Just then, a man in a car hails Tramonte from the end of the alleyway. He’s dropping off a strange donation: hardbound books about fascism by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. “Palermo is the fountain of serendipity,” Tramonte continued. “When a foreigner comes to Palermo, he should let himself go. Let yourself be a feather in the wind, and you can find that that wind can take you to beautiful places.”

Lively outdoor markets Outdoor markets are some of the best places to revel in Palermo.

Vendors shout out prices. Butchers slice, pound and weigh meat. Fishmongers’ stands display decapitated swordfish. Things sizzle in pots and pans at kiosks: chickpea fritters (panelle), potato and egg rolls (crocche), stuffed rice balls (arancine). Your head spins at the movement, the flashes of life: A fellow brushes by with a pushcart full of sardines for sale; another tries to catch your attention to buy a bouquet of flowers. You admire displays of oranges, lemons, apples, strawberries, lettuce heads, broccoli and tomatoes as mouth-watering works of art. You’re in a stream of people, moving, buying, looking, talking, bumping into each other with bags full of food. A scooter blows its horn and plows through. Your senses are assaulted by mounds of olives and dried tomatoes, bunches of rosemary and bay leaves, cheeses. “We were born here, and we will die here,” said Francesco Andolina, a fruit and vegetable vendor whose family has been getting up before dawn and working until dusk in the Ballaro market for generations. But Palermo’s most famous market, the Vucciria, is a shadow of its former self. Merchants now offer antiques and souvenirs to tourists. The streets are no longer slick with vegetable and fruit remains. “All the people want to go to the supermarkets with their carts,” Andolina said, as he mockingly pretended to push a cart.

Italy’s culture capital Palermo recently restricted most cars from the city center. “Now you can hear your own footsteps, you can hear your voice. That was taken away when there were cars,” said Sara Cappello, a folk singer and storyteller. And in 2018, Palermo is being celebrated as Italy’s Capital of Culture. “We deserve to be the cultural capital because we are a wonderful city,” she added. She then thinks of the city’s continuing problems: Trash piling up, corruption, unregulated development, poverty. “We mistreated our city so badly,” she said. “But maybe this too is the fascination of Palermo.” The lowest roundtrip airfare to Palermo in early February from BWI is $1,312 on Alitalia. To learn more about Palermo, see www.officeoftourism.org/europe/italy/ Sicily/palermo.asp. — AP

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The Howard County Office of Transportation will host a public information and input meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Dr., Ellicott City. The meeting is to begin the process of recommendations for the county’s prioritized projects to be submitted to the Maryland Department of Transportation for funding. Those unable to attend the meeting who want to submit comments should email dcookson@howardcountymd.gov, write to Howard County Office of Transportation, c/o David Cookson, 3430 Court House Dr., Ellicott City, MD 21043 or call (410) 313-4312.

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New Orleans From page 23 nival traditions and celebrations. Artifacts, photographs and films tell part of the story. Hand-sewn and elaborately decorated costumes line the walls, their variety of bright colors presenting a challenge to the largest box of Crayolas. Some of the outfits pay homage to Native Americans, who are remembered for the assistance they once provided to slaves who were running away from their owners. The displays also include hints of Africa, voodoo and other references to African-American history and customs.

A taste of the supernatural Speaking of voodoo, and folks in New Orleans often do, there’s no better place to explore and experience that mysterious combination of religion and superstition. It was transported to New Orleans by slaves from West Africa in the early 18th century. I got my voodoo fix at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, a miniscule but mesmerizing collection that I found to be both educational and entertaining. Visitors are overwhelmed by a haphazard jumble of paintings, sculptures, dolls, masks and other artifacts. One painting depicts a voodoo exorcism that took place around 1850. The Gris-Gris room displays objects used to invoke supernatural powers which,

I learned, are rarely used for evil. Rather they seek to achieve fortune, luck and love. A hollow “wishing stump” is festooned with notes that people left, along with a money offering for their ancestral spirits. Other tokens donated to please otherworldly beings include alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and chewing tobacco. We rounded out our stay with three additional museums that deal with vital facets of what makes New Orleans such a magnet for tourism. The aptly named Old U.S. Mint was built in 1835. During its decades of operation, it produced millions of gold and silver coins. Today, it displays treasure of a different kind, including instruments that were played by notable musicians, and other memorabilia that trace the history of jazz from its humble beginnings on the city’s streets. Another feature is a series of free jazz concerts. Only in New Orleans would there be a national park devoted to jazz, and the Jazz National Historical Park fills the bill. The Visitor Center is the place to start, and it’s where jazz-related walking tours take off. The exhibits are not just about music, but also local history, cultures, wetlands, wildlife and food. Food has top billing at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, along with local beverages of the city and the South. There’s a separate exhibit area for each southern state, telling the stories of the

various cultures that contributed to the region’s culinary heritage. At the associated Museum of the American Cocktail, demonstrations by chefs and occasional tastings round out the menu. Whether enjoying distinctive dining, listening to world-class jazz, or checking out any number of other attractions, New Orleans offers a surprisingly complete menu of choices. Those who take time to explore its variety of museums leave with an understanding of an often-overlooked aspect of the city’s past, and present.

Planning your trip Visitors to New Orleans who prefer to stay in the center of action might like the French Quarter Guest Houses, a group of four inns with a strong sense of the past. For example, the Inn on Ursulines, originally built in the 18th century, is one of the oldest structures in the Quarter. The traditional Creole cottage once was owned by Marie Laveau, a well-known voodoo priestess. Rates begin at $100 for two people. For information about these Guest Houses, call (800) 535-7815 or visit www.frenchquarterguesthouses.com. Other places to stay combine proximity to the center of town with a much quieter setting. At the Frenchmen Hotel, the guest rooms overlook a swimming pool set in an old traditional New Orleans brick courtyard, which adds a bit of authentic local ambience. Rates begin at $89. For more in-

formation, call (504) 945-5453 or see www.frenchmenhotel.com. When it comes to dining, the challenge is choosing among so many famous, and fabulous, places to eat. One “must” for many visitors is the venerable Antoine’s, which was established in 1840 and now is operated by the fifth generation of the founder’s family. Menu prices keep pace with the elegant setting and service. Popular items include chicken breast stuffed with fresh mushrooms served over onion rice ($27) and fresh Gulf fish prepared several ways ($27$40). For more information, call (504) 5814422 or visit www.antoines.com. What hungry history buff wouldn’t be attracted by a sign reading “The Original Pierre Maspero’s, Est. 1788”? The building in which the restaurant is located served as a slave exchange and as the meeting place where Andrew Jackson planned the Battle of New Orleans, during which the American troops he led defeated the British. Today, people gather there to sample local fare like fried alligator ($12.50) and seafood pot pie ($24.50). For more information, call (504) 524-8990 or go to www.originalpierremasperos.com. The least expensive flights from BWI in early February are on Spirit Airlines for $106 roundtrip and on American Airlines for $181. For more information about New Orleans, visit www.neworleansonline.com or call (800) 672-6124.

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Columbia 50+ Center tai chi practitioners show off the medals they earned in China. See continuation of the cover story on page 28.

Retiree rekindles passion for painting

Abstracts and collages So now the artist, who does most of her

painting using acrylics, not only is attempting to put on canvas what is in front of her eyes, but that which arises within her when she confronts the object(s) and the canvas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really like representational painting,â&#x20AC;? she said, adding that she was first drawn to the late 19th century style of the early Impressionists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now I think my best work is that which I produce intuitively,â&#x20AC;? she said, noting that her collages and abstracts are, for her, â&#x20AC;&#x153;both enlightening and freeing. They fulfill a need for me to create in a different way.â&#x20AC;? Rakis appreciates viewing the abstract expressionist work of Jackson Pollack and Willem de Kooning, and the collages of Picasso, among others. But she says she is not all that much influenced by the great artists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of my stuff comes from within,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How can I make this mine?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

A new chapter Rakis sees her return to art as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chapter Threeâ&#x20AC;? of her life. Chapter One began in Detroit, where she was born, continuing in Washington, D.C., where her family moved when she was five. There she attended Calvin Coolidge High School and got interested in art â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;mostly commercial art from the ads I saw in newspapers.â&#x20AC;? Unfortunately, her urge to go to art school was dampened by several factors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; she was the youngest daughter in a strict

Greek-American family, circa early 1960s; she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t own a car to get to far-away Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; her parents were leery of her living on her own. Instead, she enrolled in a nearby cosmetology school, from which she got a diploma at about the same time she graduated high school, then

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULINE RAKIS

By Robert Friedman Former homemaker, beautician and banker Pauline Rakis is making up for lost painting time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pursuit she had put on hold for decades. At 74, she is now on a full brush-on-canvas schedule four days a week, at least six hours a day. One of the 25 artists who own and operate the co-op Artists Gallery in Ellicott City, Rakis spent many earlier years styling the hair of other women, bringing up three children, and working as an executive vice president for Bank of America, PNC and M&T banks. But after more than three decades of minding other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money, Rakis decided to revive the long-dormant artistic interests of her high school and young adult years. In 2003, she took a sketching class, then went on to weekend art workshops. In 2007, she took the first of several trips to France (and later, to Greece and Canada) to learn how to paint â&#x20AC;&#x153;en plein airâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; outdoors, that is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That first trip to France introduced me to what being a painter meant,â&#x20AC;? Rakis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Learning to paint outside was challenging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, the experience of being totally immersed in painting for 10 days was amazing. It introduced me to elements I had never considered: architecture, nature, light, color, shapes. It taught me that I must look beyond the object I was attempting to paint.â&#x20AC;?

See ARTIST, page 29 After retiring from a career as a bank executive, Pauline Rakis found art classes rekindled an interest in painting that had lain dormant since high school. She now exhibits her abstract work at the Artists Gallery in Ellicott City and in group shows around Maryland.

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Tai Chi From page 1 practiced tai chi. He told CNN that practicing the exercise “gave the same immunity boost as a vaccine developed for shingles.” Irwin also said that a 2015 study found that tai chi, over several weeks, “reduced cellular inflammatory responses in patients suffering from insomnia.” He was asked why this ancient routine — which originally developed as a martial art for self-defense and has evolved as a graceful form of exercise — brought about all these healthful results. “We simply don’t know,” Irwin said, “but we have various clues. When we practice tai chi, we’re slowly moving. But we also have to be present in this moment — not tomorrow, not yesterday, but in this moment. “Being present in the moment,” he added, “turns off all these kinds of stories that we tell ourselves, that our brain tells our body. When we’re telling all these sto-

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

ries about all these horrible things that have been happening to us, we get an activation of these stress response pathways. “So being present in the moment helps us maintain a sense of calmness, but also short circuits activation of the stress pathways.”

Enthusiastic practitioners Chris Woodruff believes she has found those calm moments. She had always known, she said, that she was not very athletically or follow-the-leader inclined. “Whenever everyone said go left, I usually went right,” she said. Then, eight years ago, on the lookout to find a way “to keep active, to try something different,” she joined the East Columbia tai chi group. “Everyone was so patient and kind,” she said. “The mindset of the group really made me comfortable. I found a physical exercise that works with mental acuity, balance — and [offers] socialization.” Woodruff waxed poetic about the exer-

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cises, noting their “meticulous flow,” which she said was much like Chinese dry brush painting, where each stroke and ink color evokes the simple-looking, but significant art. “Each exercise,” she noted, “has a story, with bends and stretches called out [by such names] as ‘ladies diving for pearls,’ ‘climbing a mountain’ or ‘reaching for the sky.’ “You memorize the different steps, like a waltz or a fox trot. It helps your memory,” she said. Although she says she considers herself athletically challenged, Woodruff won a gold medal at the China competition. Did she expect that? “Not in my wildest dreams,” she replied. Taiwan-born David Chu, who has lived in the U.S. since 1979, began practicing tai chi nine years ago in Columbia with Mao. Before his recent retirement, Chu owned and operated several restaurants (including a kosher Chinese restaurant bearing his name in Pikesville). Chu now says that because of his increasing interest in tai chi, he plans to visit China again next year, this time for at least six months. “I want to learn the most advanced forms” of the exercises and the meditation, “since I will be doing them for the rest of my life,” he said. Ernie Hilsenrath of Fulton, a 10-year veteran of tai chi, says the graceful regimen must be doing him good because,

having just turned 80, he still feels — perhaps understatedly — “O.K.” Hilsenrath, who had traveled to China twice on business before, found his recent eight days there “astounding.” The semiretired editor and reporter, who now works part-time for NASA’s “Earth Sciences Observer” newsletter, was amazed to find himself a participant in a tai chi tournament in China. “How in the world could I ever imagine that?” he said he still continually asks himself. Pamela Segawa, 67, a third generation Chinese-American from Hawaii, noted that she took up tai chi before having hip replacement surgery two years ago. Four weeks after the surgery, she was back doing the exercises, which she feels helped greatly in her recovery. The 25-year resident of Columbia, who also practices yoga and does pool workouts, took her first trip to China in November with the Columbia group. When she entered the individual competition, which she performed with a sword, “I was very excited, and I wanted to do well.” She garnered a gold medal from the judges. Segawa has been in the Columbia group for the full 10 years of its existence, and had practiced tai chi five years before that. She cannot imagine not practicing tai chi. “I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am able,” she said.

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Artist From page 27 spent the next four years as a hairdresser. The 13 years after that were spent strictly as a wife and mother. Chapter Two, which lasted 34 years,

began in 1978, when Rakis decided it was time to enter the world of finance. Starting part-time, behind the counter, she rose to vice-president at three banks, while also managing to get a business degree from Trinity University in D.C. at the age of 49. Then, in 2012, Rakis “got tired of all the

Area arts classes For those who would like to take up a new art or craft — or perhaps return to an old passion that had been set aside for years — here are some area programs that provide adult arts classes: Artipre Art Institute of Mar yland, Ellicott City, http://artipre.com, (410) 465-7788 Bead Soup, Savage, (240) 4564568, www.bead-soup.com The ClayGround Studio and Gallery, Ellicott City, (443) 812-1158, www.claygroundonline.com Columbia Art Center, (410) 7300075, http://bit.ly/columbia-art-center Howard County Community College continuing education, Columbia, (443) 518-1000, http://bit.ly/HCC-seniorclasses Howard County Office on Aging 5 0 + C e n t e r s , (410) 313-6400,

www.howardcountymd.gov/50pluscenters Howard County Recreation and Parks, (410) 313-4700, http://bit.ly/ Recreation-classes Howard County Arts Council, Ellicott City, (410) 313-2787, http:// bit.ly/hoco-arts-council Kidera Fine Art, Woodbine, (410) 489-0431, www.kiderafineart.com The Queen’s Ink, https://queensink. com/, (301) 497-9449 Roxy’s Art, Savage, www.roxys-art.com, (301) 776-8285 Amateur artists 50 and above are encouraged to enter their works of art in an upcoming regional competition sponsored by the Beacon. Our Celebration of the Arts competition will open April 1. Read the Beacon in coming months for further details, or visit our website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com.

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 — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

mergers, acquisitions” and other high finance shenanigans, and decided to retire from banking and return full-time to her love of art, for art’s sake. Rakis wants the art world, and others, to know that what she spends so many of her waking hours on now “is not a hobby. While I enjoy painting, I don’t paint just for the fun of it. I want to show my works in galleries. I want my paintings to be bought and to be recognized.” She had her first one-woman show last

year at the Art Works Now gallery in Hyattsville, and has had her work shown in group shows in Columbia and Glen Echo, as well as Ellicott City. In 2016, one of her paintings won first place in the members’ show of the Art League in Ocean City. Another work is being showcased now in their “Best of 2017” show. Rakis noted that while her works have not yet gotten a full review by any media critic, she still has time. “I plan to be painting into my 90s,” she said. “Painting is now my life.”

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: OZONE JADED DEAFEN BEYOND Answer: The mortician sought a career change because he had a -- DEAD-END JOB

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus xx Stephen Sherr 1

23 25

37 41 45

51 60

67 69

Across 1. Lancelot and Mix-a-Lot 5. Summit 9. Fabled home builder 12. Water balloon toss failure 13. Evade responsibility 15. Egg cells 16. Biff Loman’s dad 17. Tube-shaped pasta 18. PC linkup 19. With 31, 42, and 57 Across, a Customer Serve-Us line that starts “We” and ends “to us” 22. Start to -scope or -meter 23. Boyhood nickname of Darth Vader 24. A matter of Life (cereal) 25. Brit. timezone baseline 27. Commonality in “sack”, “sick”, and “sock” 30. Last third of an SSN 32. Our options have changed; the line now continues at 32 Across 38. Gold, panned in a Mexican river 39. Mexican river used to pan for gold 40. “___ Miserables” 41. Abbrev. for Regiment 42. To give up on this puzzle, press 1; or to continue the line, press 2 46. ___.edu (website for the National Defense University) 47. One plus two plus three plus four 48. Letter sequence found in only two English words: “already”, and “milreis” 49. Toilet paper thickness measure 51. Visit the dining hall 53. Directors Spike and Ang 57. Before turning the page, please take our brief survey about the conclusion of the line 62. Letters on an Apollo rocket 63. Orange juice solids 64. Writing assignment 65. Sale item at the Mets’ team store 66. Cut off your nose, proverbially 67. Caroline Kennedy, to Bobby 68. One of the Kongs - Donkey or King

Jumble answers on p. 29.

Scrabble answers on p. 29.

69. What Simon does 70. “Channel 2 news comes ___ 11:00” Down 1. Index fingernails, when performing “Here’s the church; here’s the steeple...” 2. Ahead, in the ER triage line 3. Research Triangle’s biggest point 4. River to the underworld 5. Colorado home to the Winter X Games 6. Dote on 7. Knee-baring skirt 8. Marine eagle 9. Communist leadership committee 10. ___ the Terrible 11. West Side Story group 12. Parent Trap ruse 14. Numbers game 20. Member of the Superbowl LI champs 21. Coke machine contents 26. Game-show founder Griffin, who proposed one called “Let’s Do Crosswords” 28. Storm preceder 29. Greet the king 31. Prego taste test foe 32. Ad ___ committee 33. Its official language is Persian 34. Make the ordinary appear special 35. “I ___ ya’ so” 36. Winner of 80 Olympic golds in ‘80 37. It’s inside an env. (or one of its words) 43. Conversational gap 44. Containing some material 45. Boris ___, predecessor of Putin 50. Puppy sounds 52. Domed cathedral areas 54. Use aloe to ___ sunburn 55. Convert a bill to a law 56. Eye sore 57. Finalist in the first World Baseball Classic, in 2006 58. “Don’t wait for me to say all the words!” 59. Dines at dusk 60. Hip bones 61. Nevada gambling town

Answers on page 29.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

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.

Financial DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3-Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-844-855-7670. GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-844-230-2952.

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.

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Health STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-888-9817657 Promo Code CDC201725. DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844366-1003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118. PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR — May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

Home/Handyman Services I WILL MOVE YOUR POSSESIONS OR HAUL them away. No job too small. Don’t pay hefty delivery fees. Call Tim, 410-889-3795 or 443-690-6525. Senior and military discounts. www.tshaulingandmoving.com, also like us on Facebook. BORN AGAIN REFINISHING c/o Vernon E. Madairy Sr. Because your antique and fine furniture is an investment. Photographs at www.bornagainrefinishing.com. Furniture refinishing & repairs. All pieces hand stripped. Restorations. Missing pieces hand-carved. Veneer repair and replaced. Upholstery. Kitchen cabinets refinished. Hand-woven natural cane. Cane webbing. Natural rush. Fiber rush. Wood splint. Residential and commercial. Since 1973 (43 years). 410-323-0467.

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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. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. 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 Legal Services

TV/Cable

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Miscellaneous

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TV/Cable

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ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Events COGS Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Financial Services First Maryland Disability Trust .19

Funeral Services Going Home Cremations . . . . . .28 Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . .24 Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. . . . . .12

Hearing Services Chesapeake Hearing Centers . . . .8 Miracle-Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Charlestown/Erickson Living . . .10 Heartlands Senior Living . . . . . .14 Homecrest House . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Park View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Somerford Place . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Vantage House . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Budget Bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Columbia’s Village Centers . . . .12

Senior Services Senior Connection . . . . . . . . .15-18

Subscriptions

Angels of Eldercare Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Felinton Elder Law . . . . . . . . . . .19 Frank, Frank & Scherr, LLC . . . .22 Lifson Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Medical/Health Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . .10

A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . . .9 HomeCentris Personal Care . . . . .5 Options for Senior America . . . .24

Real Estate Services

Alta @ Regency Crest . . . . . . . . .9

Retail/Services

Legal Services

Home Health Care

Housing

EXIT Spivey Professional Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Long & Foster-Nellie Arrington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Technology TheBeaconNewspapers.com . . . . .3

Theatre/Entertainment Candlelight Concert Society . . . .29 Celebration of the Arts . . . . . . . .26 Columbia Pro Cantare . . . . . . . .27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .27

Tour & Travel Eyre Tour & Travel . . . . . . . . . . .25 Nexus Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

FEBRUARY 2018

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being. All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus, unless otherwise noted. Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org.

living well seminar: “Mindful meditation”

Healthy Living Class: “Mindful meditation”

Parkinson’s Support Group

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 1-2:15 P.M.

February 14 through March 21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2-3:15 P.M.

Discover the health and wellness benefits of meditation and learn the technique of focusing awareness on your breath to help you feel relaxed and refreshed.

Experience guided, mindful meditation in a quiet space. Sessions promote greater focus, reduce anxiety, increase compassion and improve well-being.

WEDNESDAYS • 11-11:30 A.M.

Six-week Session Fee: $20 Preceded by complimentary lunch at 12:30 p.m. FREE. Register by February 5.

Reservations are requested by February 11. Registration opens at 10:30 a.m. on February 14, and the class fee is due at that time.

PFNCA EXERCISE FOR PARKINSON’S CLASSES MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS ONGOING, 3:30-4:30 P.M. Improve posture, balance and circulation while also increasing strength, muscle control and mobility. FREE with a $30 annual Parkinson Foundation registration fee.

caregiver connection seminar: “Changes in Intimacy and Relationships Caused by Dementia” TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 2-3 P.M. 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

301-260-2320 www.bgf.org

When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, changes in intimacy and relationships with care partners often follow. Learn what to expect and discover techniques for managing changes in a loving way. FREE. Register by February 18.

Independent living

assisted living

rehabilitation

long-term care

memory support