February 2024 | DC Beacon

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VOL.36, NO.2

United by Birmingham childhoods

FEBRUARY 2024

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY JASON SAULER PHOTOGRAPHY

LEISURE & TRAVEL

Warm up in Barbados; plus, truffle hunting on a Virginia farm, and city transit discounts you can plan in advance page 26

Ann Jimerson, left, and Amos Townsend, right, were 12 years old when the KKK bombed a church in their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls. Today Jimerson and Townsend visit schools together each fall. Jimerson shows students a photo of a stained-glass rosette from the church, pictured above, which she donated to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Townsend holds the book children read in school before their visit, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963.

said Townsend, who now lives in Burtonsville, Maryland. “I had so suppressed those memories that they all came back to me 40-plus years later.”

Coming together decades later Kids in Birmingham was founded by Washington, D.C. resident Ann Jimerson, who was deeply affected by her Alabama childhood, too.

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She was also 12 years old and living in Birmingham when she learned that the Ku Klux Klan church bombing had killed four African American girls, ages 14 and 11, who were in a basement restroom.

Founded in 1873, the 16th Street Baptist Church was the oldest Black Baptist church in Birmingham. In 1963, civil See HISTORY, page 37

ARTS & STYLE

Barbra Streisand’s long-awaited memoir; plus, a second act as a harmonica-playing poet, and three books on Abe Lincoln page 30

FITNESS & HEALTH k Small ways to help the planet k Ideas to rekindle romance

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ASHBY PONDS Ashburn, VA GREENSPRING Springfield, VA RIDERWOOD Silver Spring, MD 964563_SB

By Glenda C. Booth When Freeman Hrabowski was 12 years old, in 1963, he was so inspired by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that he not only marched in the Children’s Crusade for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama, for three days, but he went to jail for five.

When Hrabowski reached the steps of city hall, ardent segregationist and Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor spat in his face, picked him up and threw him into the police wagon.

A math whiz, Hrabowski grew up to become president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. His childhood experiences “taught me that tomorrow can be better than today — only if I am prepared to be part of the solution,” he said in an interview with the Beacon.

Amos Townsend was also 12 years old and living in Birmingham on the day of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed four girls. His family was attending a service at Saint Joseph Baptist Church service a dozen blocks away.

Townsend instantly felt “a sense of loss over no longer having a place that could be considered a sanctuar y. Not even churches were safe spaces anymore for a kid just trying to go to Sunday school,” he said.

Both Townsend and Hrabowski are members of a group called Kids in Birmingham, a meeting place for people who grew up in that city in the tumultuous 60s.

Established a decade ago, Kids in Birmingham is a nonprofit that provides an online and in-person platform for people to connect and tell their stories.

At one Kids in Birmingham event recalling the day of the church bombing, Townsend was moved to tears.

“I had never had that release before,”

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The last move Those of us who were lucky enough to tirement community. Every time I stop by go to college may have cozy memories of one, either for work or a visit, I think, campus life. Everything we “Now this is living.” needed was close by.

The staff smile at people and A short stroll through a call the residents by their tree-lined campus led us to the names. The hallways are imdining hall, library, gym and maculate. There’s always someclassrooms. On the way, we’d thing to do. The food smells recognize fellow students and better than college grub, too. wave or stop to chat.

So why do so many of us It was hard to be lonely in vow to live and die at home? college. Just outside our An AARP poll found that aldorm rooms, there were conmost 90 percent of people versations to be had in the over age 65 want to stay in AS I SEE IT hallways, TV shows to watch their homes permanently.

By Margaret Foster together in the common My parents seem to be in room, a lawn to flop down on that bucket. They are reluca blanket to study, play guitar or shoot the tant to move because they want to mainbreeze with friends. tain their lifestyle: lunches with friends, tai Part of me would love to go back to col- chi classes, walks in the woods. As my falege — to live near my friends again, to ther put it recently, “Women love retirehave every meal prepared for me, to learn ment homes. Men die within a few new things every day. months.”

From my vantage point, at age 52, the He suspects that men don’t make social closest thing to a college campus is a re- connections as quickly as some women, so,

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without enough to do, they decline. (His own father, who made friends wherever he went, adored his weekly “Chatterbox Club” with other men at his retirement community.) So my parents are staying put.

My in-laws were also determined to stay in the house they’ve lived in for 50 years — a beautiful 100-year-old bungalow that feels warm and welcoming when you walk in the door.

The house where they raised three children has a thousand stories. As John Cheever put it, our lives are “chronicled in scuffed baseboards.”

So many memories there, so many great parties. Their Fourth of July parties were epic: Everyone wore holiday-appropriate costumes (Thomas Jefferson, the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, even Interstate 85) and whooped it up all day and night.

Even now, although my in-laws are hovering around 80, they host us every week for dinner, drinks and laughter.

“We love our house,” my mother-in-law said recently, “and we couldn’t imagine leaving.”

But she and her husband recently put their names on the waitlist of a popular retirement community in Silver Spring, and

they’re excited about the upcoming move.

What happened?

Well, first their health wobbled; him with mobility issues and her with arthritis.

Then it became difficult to keep up with all the work, from laundry to cooking to home repairs.

“Yes, I love the house, but after a while, it becomes a burden,” my mother-in-law said.

They didn’t come to a decision overnight, she said; it was a process that took months, even years. They needed to psychologically accept that the house was too much to handle, she explained, that maybe life would be easier elsewhere.

Besides, the retirement community they chose looks rather fun. Folks were hanging out at the bar, reading the paper.

Others chatted on a bench outside. To me, it sounds ideal, just like a university campus.

And yes, their children and grandchildren will still visit every Sunday. And as for their longtime home, it will make a perfect party venue for a new generation.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinions on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day.

Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: This is my first time writing to the Beacon, although I’m a longtime reader. I especially like your “From the Publisher” column and information.

But today, after reading the front-page article “Finding joy again after a loss” by Glenda Booth [January 2023], I wanted to tell you about the joy I find writing poetry with my writing group.

I am in the second chapter of my own life, and after a lot of loss, I am sharing the surprising joy that writing has brought.

Writing has become a doorway to my second chapter.

Margarete D. Levy Via email Dear Editor: Contrary to Bob Levey’s article “A curmudgeonly defense of using cash” [December 2023], liking to use cash instead of credit cards is not “an age-related attitude.”

I am probably older than Mr. Levey, but I agree with the younger generation that credit cards are the preferred way to pay.

He bases his animosity to credit cards on four “reasons” that are not based fact: “1. Not every credit card transaction is seamless,” for which he cites one incident that happened to him 15 years ago, which could have been prevented had he set up

his account properly.

“2. It’s really easy for a thief to copy down, or skim, any credit card number,” which is unlikely as card information is now captured with just a touch to a scanner. And if it does happen, and the card needs to be replaced, the major inconvenience of waiting for a new card that he mentions is trivial, since most people have more than one card, so no “big delay and big headache.”

And “3. The annual enrollment fee.”

This reason is so trivial that it doesn’t even need to be mentioned, since there are hundreds of credit cards with no annual fee, and most of them give a percentage of spending back as rewards.

“4. Security that isn’t so secure.” Whether you sign your card or not has no effect on whether it is secure.

Mr. Levey gets cash from an ATM machine twice a month. Maybe he is unaware of the instances of fraud involving skimming of PINS from those machines, and the funds lost that way would be vastly more than what can be lost from fraudulent use of a credit card.

He can be a curmudgeon, but he needs to get his facts straight if he’s going to write about an issue in the Beacon.

Kira Lueders Kensington, MD

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Health Fitness &

HOPE FOR ALZHEIMER’S Study finds that life-saving drugs can penetrate the brain faster with ultrasound AFTERNOON SLUMP For energy all day long, try snacking on fruit, nuts, yogurt, fruit or hard-boiled eggs HAIR LOSS MYTHS Medication, stress and aging can cause hair loss, not lack of protein HEALTHY GUT, HEALTHY HEART Diet can affect the heart, so eat more veggies and fiber and less processed foods

Ways to improve your piece of the planet

By Leanne Italie The fight against climate change requires the mass cooperation of industries, companies, governments and communities, but individuals also have a role to play.

Little things make a difference and feel good, too. Here are a few small, easily achievable ways to lead more climatefriendly lives:

Make the most of groceries Food waste is an enormous environmental concern, yet it’s often ignored in the conversation about how to live more sustainably, said Lauren Phillips, associate editorial director for news at Better Homes & Gardens.

“Once you start noticing how much food you throw out, it’s a simple shift to start thinking about how you can use your excess groceries before they go bad,” she said.

Plan grocery shopping more strategically so you have little to no excess. Buy only what you need, even if BOGO is on!

Other steps: Commit to eating all your leftovers. Keep a sharp eye on expiration

dates so you use foods in time. Buy locally grown, in-season fruits and vegetables. Invest in glass or bamboo containers for food storage. Freeze things.

Real Simple’s senior home editor, Hannah Baker, recommends beeswax wraps instead of plastic to seal leftovers when a container doesn’t work.

And then there’s composting food scraps.

“This one can be easy, so long as you consistently take your compost out and wash the bucket,” Baker said. No meat or dairy products in the compost pile, she cautioned.

Is takeout your routine? Jono Waks, in Brooklyn requests that his orders come with no plastic utensils.

“If they give it to me, I go back and make them take it out of the bag. The Thai place down the block thinks I’m a hoot because I go back with the plastic,” he said.

How do small steps like these make him feel?

“Like a lonely drop of water in a great big ocean of environmental despair, but I can only control what I can control,” Waks said.

Buy quality; it lasts Try to buy high-quality items rather than cheap throwaways.

“Considering longevity in the products you purchase will ultimately cut down on how much you buy and throw away over time,” Phillips said.

That applies to pretty much everything shoppable: furniture, home goods, clothes, appliances, shoes. When you calculate cost per wear or cost per use, the ultimate financial burden is much lower than the money spent replacing a cheap vacuum cleaner, say, after a year or two.

Or what about shopping thrift? Finds are everywhere.

Check out antique and second hand stores, and also see whether you can give a second life to any treasures tucked away at home.

Walk, bike, bus (if you’re able) If ditching the car or Uber sounds daunting, pledge to do it for trips of a mile or less to get started. If four wheels are the only way to go, there’s always a good old-fashioned carpool. Or simply try to combine errands to make fewer trips.

Break out the cloth napkins all week long That goes for cloth towels rather than paper ones, too.

“I switched to cheery reusable cloth napkins,” said Rachel Cooper in Chicago. “Not only does it elevate every meal and brighten up my tablescape, but it saves paper.”

While you’re at it, skip the plastic bag liners for small trash cans that aren’t used for messy stuff, like those in the bedroom or office.

Speaking of garbage, why not make a habit of picking up some after your daily run or walk?

When it comes to cleaning, look for eco-friendly cleaning products, including concentrates. Some brands offer the chance to refill bottles, instead of buying new ones. Concentrates contain less water than non-concentrates, so take less energy to ship. Instead of a heavy plastic jug of liquid detergent, buy laundry detergent sheets instead.

See GREEN TIPS, page 5

Make your partner fall in love all over again

By Kimberly Blaker It likely comes as no surprise that keeping the romance alive in a relationship requires effort. But when women feel their romantic relationships becoming stagnant, they often blame the man in their life for not being romantic enough. Yet 44% of men say it bothers them “a lot” that their wife or girlfriend isn’t more romantic, according to a study of 80,000 participants by Chrisanna Northrup.

It turns out that both men and women crave romance. Try the following to reap the rewards of your partner falling in love with you all over again.

Be spontaneous. Routine and spontaneity are opposites. Routine, which typically sets in once a relationship is established, often leads to monotony. But what keeps relationships alive early on is the excitement of spontaneity, which lends itself to discovery about each other and new things. When couples lose their spontaneity, life becomes routine and dull.

Practice spontaneity. Do things on a

whim with your partner to awaken the feelings you both felt when your relationship first blossomed.

Write a love note. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, although it could be. Just a simple “I love you” or “I can’t wait to spend time with you this weekend” placed in your partner’s lunch box is sure to make their day. If you’re good with words, write a poem. If not, borrow one and leave it on your lover’s pillow.

Laugh at your mate’s jokes and also with your partner. No matter how corny your partner’s jokes, genuinely laugh when they’re trying to be funny, even if you have to laugh because the joke is so corny. Not only will your laughter boost your spouse’s ego, but it’s good for your relationship, too.

There’s more: Numerous studies, including a 2015 study by Laura E. Kurtz in the Personal Relationships journal, have found that shared laughter brings couples closer together. So watch sitcoms, go to the comedy club, hang out with other fun

couples, or be silly together.

Physical affection. This is so simple and can be done anytime and any place.

Hold hands when you’re watching TV or out and about. Give a kiss on the cheek or walk over and give a shoulder massage.

Pat your partner on the butt, or walk up from behind and wrap your arms around him or her. There are so many ways and opportunities to show your affection.

Make your partner’s favorite dinner. The adage goes that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. The same can be true for women. Go all out and prepare their favorite dinner and dessert.

Don’t forget the candles, wine and soft music for a romantic ambiance.

Take your mate on a date. Make a plan for something you both enjoy but haven’t done in a while. Better yet, plan something special your spouse particularly enjoys that you haven’t been keen to do in the past. Then, make the most of it, even if it isn’t your favorite activity, and let your partner know how much you enjoy seeing

him or her happy and spending time together.

Need some ideas? Go to a sporting event, concert or play; visit a museum; or go golfing or bowling.

Pay a compliment. Everyone loves a compliment, especially from a significant other. Tell him how his blue shirt brings out his dreamy, blue eyes. Compliment her new haircut. Or let him know how much you appreciate his handyman skills.

Look for genuine reasons to compliment your partner often.

Initiate sex. If your partner is the primary initiator of sex, your initiating it can go a long way toward bringing back the romance. In fact, men need to feel desired as much as women do, according to a survey conducted by Sarah Hunter Murray, Ph.D. So practice coming on to your lover more often.

Give a gift. Men don’t place as much importance on receiving gifts as women.

See COUPLES ADVICE, page 6

Green tips From page 4

Help the birds and the bees

Reduce the juice at home The National Resources Defense Council, an environmental action nonprofit, has lots of easy ideas for saving electricity at home.

Start with turning things off. Don’t just

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Doug Tallamy, who teaches ecology at the University of Delaware in Newark, urges gardeners to plant more native plants to feed and shelter beneficial wildlife like pollinators.

Choose groundcovers and plantings that are caterpillar-friendly, Tallamy advised, calling caterpillars key in the local food web. Pollinator-friendly garden patches can be as small as containers on a balcony, he said.

Lastly, he said, don’t use weed killers and quit fogging for mosquitos — he suggests a natural larvicide like Mosquito Dunk for more effective and less harmful protection that’s a lot cheaper, too. [Ed. Note: Montgomery County restricts the use of certain pesticides in private lawns; see montgomerycountymd.gov/lawns/law.]

Other tips for more sustainable gardening include catching rainwater at your drainpipes or in buckets for the garden. Inside, capture shower water for houseplants.

hit the light switch when you leave a room; completely turn off the TV, computer and cable boxes when they’re not in use.

Or unplug them completely. They’re sucking a little bit of energy if they remain lit up when powered down. Chargers for cell phones, tablets and other cordless devices do the same when they’re not in use but remain plugged in.

Other energy-saving ideas from the NRDC: • Buy smarter bulbs. An LED light bulb uses up to 85% less energy to deliver the same amount of light as incandescents.

• Don’t run the dishwasher when it’s not full.

• Set your washing machine to the appropriate water level and wash all but your dirtiest clothes in cold water.

• Air-dry clothing when possible. If you can’t quit your dr yer, ditch the dryer sheets, Baker said.

“Dr yer sheets can increase dr ying time, which wastes energy, plus they aren’t reusable, and you can go through them super quick,” she said. “Instead, try using reusable wool dryer balls.”

• Set your refrigerator temperature between 28 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer between 0 and 5. Make sure both are sealed tightly. Try the dollar bill test on the doors: If the bill shut into the door easily slides out, replace the gaskets. © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Couples advice From page 4 Still, it can be a very romantic and meaningful gesture when done out of the blue,

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

regardless of gender. Look for something the other will love, such as tickets to a game, a favorite movie on DVD, or something useful for their favorite hobby or sporting activity.

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Show your unconditional love.

Women often fall for and marry men with the idea they can “fix him.” Over time, this results in constant badgering to change, wreaking havoc on romantic feelings. Learn to accept your partner’s shortcomings and love them unconditionally. You’ll likely see your partner’s romantic side shine through again.

Spoon. Cuddle before falling asleep and when you wake up. It’ll make you both happier and improve your relationship because of the endorphins it releases, particularly oxytocin, the love hormone.

Say ‘I love you’ in a deep and meaningful way. During a romantic moment, say something you really mean, such as, “You’re my soul mate,” “I want to be with you forever,” “You make my life whole,” or whatever you honestly feel for your mate.

Give a massage. Both men and women enjoy getting pampered. So give a foot or back massage, or have your partner strip down for a full-body treatment. Massage also increases oxytocin, improving the romance in your relationship.

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance writer, former columnist and author.

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Drugs may reach brain faster with ultrasound

By Lauran Neergaard Scientists have found a way to help Alzheimer’s drugs seep inside the brain faster — by temporarily breaching its protective shield.

The novel experiment was a first attempt in just three patients. But in spots in the brain where the new technology took aim, it enhanced the removal of Alzheimer’s trademark brain-clogging plaque, researchers reported last month.

“Our goal is to give patients a head start” by boosting some new Alzheimer’s treatments that take a long time to work, said Dr. Ali Rezai of West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, who led the study.

At issue is what’s called the blood-brain

barrier, a protective lining in blood vessels that prevents germs and other damaging substances from leaching into the brain from the bloodstream.

But it also can block dr ugs for Alzheimer’s, tumors and other neurologic diseases, requiring higher doses for longer periods for enough medication to reach their target inside the brain.

Now scientists are using a technology called focused ultrasound to jiggle temporary openings in that shield. They inject microscopic bubbles into the bloodstream.

Next, they beam sound waves through a helmet-like device to a precise brain area.

The pulses of energy vibrate the microbubbles, which loosen gaps in the barrier enough for medications to slip in.

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Prior small studies have found the technology can safely poke tiny holes that seal up in 48 hours. Now, Rezai’s team has gone a step further — administering an Alzheimer’s drug at the same time.

Some new Alzheimer’s drugs, on the market or in the pipeline, promise to modestly slow the worsening of the mind-robbing disease. They’re designed to clear away a sticky protein called beta-amyloid that builds up in certain brain regions. But they require IV infusions every few weeks for at least 18 months.

“Why not try to clear the plaques within a few months?” Rezai said, his rationale for the proof-of-concept study.

Small study yielded ‘compelling data’ His team gave three patients with mild Alzheimer’s monthly doses of one such drug, Aduhelm, for six months. Right after each IV, researchers aimed the focused ultrasound on a specific amyloid-clogged part of each patient’s brain, opening the blood-brain barrier so more of that day’s dose might enter that spot.

PET scans show patients’ amyloid levels before and after six months of medication.

There was about 32% greater plaque reduc-

tion in spots where the blood-brain barrier was breached compared to the same region on the brain’s opposite side, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This pilot study is elegant but too tiny to draw any conclusions, cautioned Dr. Eliezer Masliah of the National Institute on Aging.

Still, “it’s very exciting, compelling data,” added Masliah, who wasn’t involved with the research. “It opens the door for more extensive, larger studies, definitely.”

Rezai is about to begin another small test of a similar but better-proven drug named Leqembi. Eventually, large studies would be needed to tell if combining focused ultrasound with Alzheimer’s drugs makes a real difference for patients.

Masliah said it’s also important to closely check whether speedier plaque reduction might increase the risk of a rare but worrisome side effect of these new drugs — bleeding and swelling in the brain.

Alzheimer’s isn’t the only target. Other researchers are testing if breaching the blood-brain barrier could allow more chemotherapy to reach brain tumors, and ways to target other diseases. © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

9

Six high-fiber vegetables to add to your diet

By Ariel Klein We all know that consuming a good amount of fiber is important for our overall health, but do we know why?

“Eating more high-fiber vegetables is one of the best things people can do for their health,” explained nutrition expert Meghan Novoshielski M.S., RDN. “Fiber helps with weight loss, keeps blood sugars stable, protects cardiovascular and digestive health and fuels a healthy gut microbiome.”

And while many vegetables contain an adequate amount of fiber, Novoshielski says that a good rule of thumb for even more fiber is to grab veggies that are darker in color, like spinach.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults eat between 25 to 30

grams of fiber per day, but since many people don’t get enough vegetables in their daily diets, Novoshielski recommends adding high-fiber ingredients (such as veggies) to your meals.

1. Carrots. Did you know that a serving of boiled carrots contains more fiber than raw carrots? But don’t worry, it’s not by much: a cup of boiled carrots has 5 grams of fiber, while a medium-sized raw carrot has about 2 grams. Whether you’re adding them to a salad, a curry or dipping them into delicious hummus, carrots are a great veggie to have on hand each week since they’re so versatile.

2. Broccoli. It should come as no surprise that broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables to add to your diet. Katherine Gomez, a registered dietitian, noted, “Just

one cup of broccoli has about 5 grams of fiber. It also contains antioxidants and vitamin C, which can strengthen our immune system and lower the risk of chronic illness.”

3. Eggplant. If you love eggplant parmesan or stuffed eggplant, you’ll be happy to know those dishes contain a good amount of fiber. Just like cauliflower, eggplant has about 2 grams of fiber per cup.

4. Brussels sprouts. Is there anything more delicious than a freshly shredded Brussels sprout salad? These crunchy little green veggies have over 4 grams of fiber per cup, and they’re truly a superfood. They have plenty of nutritional benefits and may even protect against certain types of cancer.

5. Spinach. If Popeye taught us any-

thing, it’s that spinach can make us grow big and strong. Katherine Gomez, RD, said, “Spinach has about 4 grams of fiber per cup, and it also contains iron, which is necessary for producing red blood cells.”

Enjoy spinach as a side dish, or mix a handful into your favorite pasta recipe.

6. Peas. There’s a reason peas are usually one of the first vegetables we introduce to babies. “A cup of peas has about 9 grams of fiber, and they are an excellent source of B vitamins, which are crucial for energy metabolism,” Gomez said.

Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges.

Online at RealSimple.com. © 2023 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ongoing SENIOR WOMEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE The Golden Girls of Northern Virginia, a senior women’s softball league, is looking for players. Any woman over age 40 can join, and all skill levels are welcome. The Golden Girls play most Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings from May through July and from Sept. through Oct. in Vienna. For more information, visit goldengirls.org.

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Feb. 27+ Visit the Memory Café at Arlington Central Library for a comfort-

LOVE IS IN THE AIR, AND SCAMMERS ARE ON THE PROWL Millions fall for scams each year, losing money, time, and their personally identifiable information.

able, supportive environment where people with dementia and their family caregivers can socialize and enjoy meaningful dementia-friendly activities together. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Quincy Room, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, contact bwisom@arlingtonva.us.

Remember: Be mindful of who you meet on dating apps and social media Never send or forward money to someone you haven’t met in person Be skeptical of those who can never meet or talk via video chat

Learn more: disb.dc.gov/page/romance-scams If you are the victim of a romance scam or another type of scam, report it to the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) Enforcement and Consumer Protection Division at 202.727.8000 or see disb.dc.gov/reportfraud.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

The best snacks to eat for energy all day

By Jessica Cording, MS, RD Snacking often gets a bad reputation, but strategic snacking can help us maintain stable energy throughout the day so we don’t crash and run out of steam. It can also help us avoid dips in mood that may be related to unstable blood sugar, which plays a big role in energy levels.

For the most filling snacks that will help keep your energy levels up, aim for a combination of protein, fat and fiber. Choose complex carbohydrates over their refined counterparts so you don’t burn through them so quickly (think whole grains over refined grains or an apple instead of apple juice).

Keeping added sugar to a minimum will

also help avoid an energy crash from a heavy carb load. So, check the labels of granola, yogurt, energy bars and other packaged snacks to see where they fall in terms of added sugar.

Here are three snacks to help you maintain energy all day: 1. Fruit and nuts (or seeds) This is a classic combo of protein, fat and carbs that will fuel your brain and body for hours. If you’re allergic to nuts, go for sunflower, pumpkin or another favorite seed. You can also do nut or seed butter if you prefer a creamy texture over crunchy.

You can use fresh, frozen or dried fruit (just be mindful of any added sugar and

know that portion sizes are smaller for dried fruit).

Here are a few pairings to consider: • A medium apple with 1 tablespoon of almond butter • 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries with 1 tablespoon of sunflower seed butter or tahini • 1 medium orange and ¼ cup shelled pistachios 2. Plain Greek yogurt with berries You’ll get protein from the yogurt and fiber from the berries for another snack idea with staying power. Go for low-fat or whole milk yogurt instead of fat-free to promote more stable blood sugar. If plain yogurt is too tart for you, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.

If you’re not feeling the fruit, try a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax, which are also good sources of fiber, not to mention plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Hard-boiled eggs and cherry tomatoes A hard-boiled egg or two paired with cherry tomatoes is another easy way to snack on protein, fat and fiber. The eggs

offer built-in portion control. They also are rich in choline, an essential nutrient that’s especially important for cognitive function.

They provide vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are important for many body functions.

Cherry tomatoes provide fiber as well as important vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and vitamin A — both nutrients are important for immune system function — and potassium, a mineral many Americans don’t get enough of.

If tomatoes aren’t your thing, try another fruit or veggie you love, such as carrots, celery, cucumber or zucchini. And if you don’t eat or don’t like eggs, you can swap in ¼ cup of hummus.

Water-rich fruits and vegetables are also a great way to keep you hydrated. This is important for energy, as even mild dehydration can cause us to feel sluggish.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life.

Online at eatingwell.com. © 2024 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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11

Is hair loss related to protein deficiency?

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. Q: My hair seems to be getting thinner, and I see more on my hairbrush now. Should I be eating more protein?

A: For most people with hair loss, inadequate protein is not to blame.

It’s true that severe protein malnutrition may cause hair loss. But people with adequate access to food, a normal appetite and normal digestion should not lose hair due to low protein intake.

In fact, it’s more important that you get “enough” protein, not that you eat “a lot” of protein. A healthy, average adult diet includes about 50 grams of protein daily, representing about 10% of the total calories. You can easily get that much from a turkey sandwich, a glass of milk and a cup of yogurt.

The most common causes of hair loss are unrelated to protein intake. These include: • Male pattern baldness: A combination

of genetics and hormonal influences cause hair follicles to shrink, producing less and less hair over time • Injury to the hair, including heat and chemical exposures at the salon • Medications: A long list of drugs can cause hair loss • Stress over a major illness • Thyroid disease • Childbirth: During pregnancy, hair grows thicker, and after delivery, hair loss is common.

Rare causes of hair loss include liver failure, kidney failure and skin diseases (such as alopecia areata or lupus).

For people with protein malnutrition, there are much bigger health concerns than hair loss, such as poor immune function, poor wound healing, lack of energy and muscle weakness.

Common causes of protein malnutrition include inadequate access to food, abnor-

mal absorption of nutrients by the digestive tract (as may occur with colitis, infections or other intestinal diseases), HIV, cystic fibrosis, unusual diets and anorexia nervosa.

Other risk factors for protein malnutrition include: • Poor appetite • Swallowing problems • Taking multiple medications • Depression • High nutrient requirements (as with children) • Repeated “flares” of illness requiring hospital stays • Alcoholism It is rare to develop protein malnutrition in the absence of risk factors as long as you have access to a balanced diet. So,

adding protein to your diet is unlikely to slow or prevent hair loss in the absence of protein malnutrition.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about your protein intake and hair loss. Simple blood tests can provide useful information. Even if your protein levels are normal, your doctor may be able to identify another readily treatable, reversible cause of hair loss.

Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is a senior faculty editor at Harvard Health Publishing and corresponding member of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Feb. 16

YIN YOGA

Try this free class to explore the grounded and introspective Yin Yoga practice, where postures are held for longer periods. Bring a yoga mat to the Dolley Madison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean, VA, on Fri., Feb. 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. Register at bit.ly/YinYogaFairfax. For more information, call (703) 356-0770 or email libDM@firfaxcounty.gov.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Warm up mornings with a fresh casserole

By Family Features On a cool, crisp morning, it’s hard to beat an exciting twist on a breakfast classic.

This French Toast Casserole is crisp on top while soft and moist in the middle, coming fresh out of the oven with the aroma of maple syrup and pecans that will have the whole house eager for a bite.

It’s easy enough to make fresh in the morning but can also be prepared the night before — so all you have to do is add the topping and pop it in the oven.

Find more fresh breakfast recipes to start your day at Culinary.net.

French Toast Casserole 1 loaf French bread (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes 5 large eggs 1 ½ cups unsweetened milk 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon sea salt maple syrup, for serving

Topping: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted 2 tablespoons brown sugar ½ cup chopped pecans 1 cup frozen strawberries 1 cup frozen blueberries confectioners’ sugar, for dusting Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 9-by-13inch baking dish. Place bread cubes in baking dish. In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes.

If making casserole ahead, cover baking dish and refrigerate overnight. If baking immediately, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to allow bread to soak up egg mixture.

To make topping: Drizzle casserole with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Top with strawberries and blueberries.

Cover and bake 35 minutes; then uncover and bake 10-20 minutes, or until topping

is browned and egg mixture has mostly set.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

Source: Culinary.net

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Mar. 4

PRIDE DISCUSSION GROUP (VIRTUAL)

Join the social hour to connect with other LGBTQ+ older adults for discussion and fun. This free group meets on Mon., March 4 from 4 to 5 p.m. on Zoom. For more information and to receive the Zoom link, email info@seniorplanet.org.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

Health Studies

13

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Volunteers with asthma needed for NIH study

By Margaret Foster If you or someone you love suffers from asthma, you know how frightening an asthma attack can be — gasping for breath, unable to get enough air.

Researchers want to know what causes inflammation in the lungs that leads to asthma and other diseases. A study is underway now at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute comparing lung cells from healthy people with those of people with asthma.

Anyone who is 75 years old or younger with asthma — from mild to severe — is eligible. Healthy volunteers are also wel-

come for this study.

Participating in the study “would help us generate new knowledge that would increase our understanding of the biology of asthma that may potentially facilitate the development of new treatments in the future,” said Dr. Stewart Levine, the study’s principal investigator.

The study requires two in-person visits to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. On the first visit, Levine’s team will screen patients and verify that they have asthma (or are a healthy volunteer). If they qualify, they would return for an overnight stay.

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Mar. 2+

After participants are admitted to the Clinical Center, they’ll undergo a bronchoscopy with mild sedation. In a bronchoscopy, doctors collect lung samples with a pencil-thin tube. The procedure is safe but may trigger an urge to cough. Patients will be compensated for their time.

“We greatly appreciate people’s time,” Levine said. Many people enjoy their time at NIH so much that they sign up for multiple trials, he said. “People tend to like their experience here.”

With this study, Levine’s team may be

able to pinpoint the causes of airway inflammation and discover ways to treat lung diseases like asthma, which affects more than 27 million Americans.

“I went into medicine to help people,” Levine said. “I can accomplish that goal on an individual level, when I take care of patients, and [through] research that allows me to generate knowledge that may help people more broadly.”

To learn more about this NIH study, #99-H-0076, or other studies, call 1-866444-1132.

Paid Volunteers Needed to participate in hearing research

FREE PAPER SHREDDING

You will be compensated $15 to $20/hour for your time!

For Arlington County, VA residents, free paper shredding is held

Who? Persons 18 - 30 years old with normal hearing Persons 60 – 85 years old with either normal or mildly impaired hearing American English must be your first language.

Where? University of Maryland, College Park, MD What does the research involve? You may be asked to listen to sentences, tones, or noise bursts. You will then be asked to react to a particular sound or sentence. This will take approximately 20 hours scheduled over multiple weeks.

Or you may be asked to complete tasks that involve passively measuring brain activity.

This will take approximately 13 to 15 hours scheduled over multiple weeks.

the first Saturday of the month (if a holiday, shredding shifts to next Saturday).

Limit of two boxes or two paper bags per customer. You can also drop off asphalt, ceramic tile, concrete, earth, masonry block, rock and sand (small pickup truck load or 3 cubic yards of material only). Stop by Earth Products Yard, 4300 29th St. S., Arlington, VA, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For further details, contact Ms. Carol Gorham hearing@umd.edu, 301-405-4236

Center Stage Lifestyle.

C O M P L I M E N TA RY E V E N T S F O R P O S I T I V E AG I N G. Rockville’s most interesting 62+ community invites you to LifeLAB events at Ring House, part of Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC). After the event, join us for a tour to see how Ring House empowers lifelong learners to live their best lives at any age or stage. With the stylish comforts of a boutique hotel, Ring House residents receive proactive wellness and discreet health services in an enriching environment dedicated to the arts and positive aging.

Join us at one (or all) of our LifeLAB events.

C U T T H E C L U T T E R W E B I N A R | W E D N E S DAY, F E B. 7 • 10–11 A .M. T H E F I R E O F TA N G O: A PA S S I O N AT E P E R F O R M A N C E | W E D N E S DAY, F E B. 14 • 4:30–6:30 P.M. F O R AG I N G F R E E D O M: E N D U R A N C E , E S C A P E A N D T H E U N D E R G R O U N D R A I L R OA D W E D N E S DAY, F E B. 21 • 11 A .M.–12:30 P.M.

To RSVP, call 301-381-4779 or visit CESLCBeacon.org.

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Who knew? A healthy gut helps your heart

By Julie Corliss Your gut microbiome — a collection of trillions of microorganisms inhabiting your intestinal tract — has wide-ranging effects on your health. Your unique mix of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses reflects your genes, your age, the medications you take — but most of all, what you eat.

Over the past two decades, numerous studies have explored how gut microbes and their breakdown products (metabolites) affect factors linked with heart disease. For the most part, the findings support the same basic advice health experts recommend: Follow a mostly plant-based eating pattern and cut back on highly processed foods. Doing so can help promote a more diverse, healthier microbiome.

“The standard American diet — appropriately called SAD — features a lot of processed foods that are high in sugar, artificial sweeteners and unhealthy fats,” said Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of nutrition-

al and metabolic psychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

This nutrient-poor diet can lead to dysbiosis, an overgrowth of harmful microbes. When bad microbes thrive in the gut, they form pro-inflammatory breakdown products and toxins, Dr. Naidoo explains. The resulting low-grade, body-wide inflammation contributes to obesity, poor mental health, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Animal vs. plant-based foods One metabolite of interest is trimethylamine (TMA), which is created when gut microbes feed on choline, a nutrient found in red meat, fish, poultry and eggs. In the liver, TMA gets converted to trimethylamine Noxide (TMAO).

While some research suggests a link between TMAO and artery-clogging plaque, the evidence isn’t consistent. Still, the advice to limit red meat consumption — the main

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source of TMA in the diet — makes sense.

But according to Dr. Naidoo, there’s no need to avoid those animal-based foods, which is something most Americans aren’t especially keen on doing. Instead, people should focus more on what they’re not eating — namely, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Diversify your diet A woefully small percentage of adults — only about 10% — eats the recommended daily amount of fruit (one-and-a-half to two cups) or vegetables (two to three cups).

Don’t limit yourself to only a few favorites like apples or broccoli, said Dr. Naidoo.

“Eat a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables on a regular basis to bring biodiversity to your microbiome,” she said.

Despite a recent uptick, whole grains make up less than 16% of the average American’s total grain intake. Whole grains such

as oats, quinoa, spelt and barley are healthier choices than most “whole-wheat” bread, which isn’t always made with 100% whole grains. Other foods that promote gut health include beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains are good sources of fermentable or prebiotic fiber, which gets broken down by bacteria in your colon to form short-chain fatty acids. These compounds then circulate through the bloodstream and interact with receptors on cells that quell inflammation. The fatty acids also appear to play a role in keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check.

You can also increase good gut bacteria levels by consuming probiotics, which are found in fermented foods (see box). “Try adding a little bit of these foods to your meals and then grow from there,” Dr. Naidoo suggested. © 2023 by Harvard University

Try these fermented foods Eating fermented foods may help dampen inflammation in the body.

When shopping, look for the words “contains live cultures” when choosing yogurt or kefir, a yogurt-like drink with a tart flavor and a thinner consistency than yogurt. While both products are usually made with dairy milk, they also come in nondairy versions made from almond, coconut or oat milk.

Another beverage, kombucha, is a fizzy, tart, slightly sweet drink made from fermented tea that’s often flavored with fruits and herbs. Look for brands without added sugar.

For fermented products made from

vegetables, look in the refrigerated section and check for the words “naturally fermented” on the label. When you open the jar, check for telltale bubbles in the liquid, which signal that live organisms are inside.

If you’re a fan of spicy food, try kimchi, a spicy, reddish fermented cabbage dish from Korea made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar and chili peppers.

From Japan, there’s miso (a strong, salty paste made from soybeans fermented with brown rice) and tempeh (a firm, chewy product made from fermented soybeans). © 2023 by Harvard University

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15

What to do about shaky hands, angina

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: I have developed a tremor in both my hands. It gets worse when I get nervous. Is this the start of Parkinson’s disease? Can it be treated?

A: It’s not surprising that you associate tremor with Parkinson’s disease. But it is much more likely that you have essential tremor, a very common disorder.

Tremor is the shaky movements of your hands, limbs, head or voice that you can’t control. Sometimes tremor is a normal reaction to a situation, such as fear, fatigue or anger. It also can be a side effect of too much caffeine, a medication, or withdrawal from alcohol, a drug or medicine. When a tremor occurs during activities, and there is no emotional or chemical cause, essential tremor is a likely possibility.

Essential tremor is different from Parkinson’s disease. Essential tremor is most noticeable when your body is in action, such as when you are writing, typing or pouring a beverage. The shakiness is often called an “intention tremor” because it worsens when a person is trying to do something.

In contrast, people with Parkinson’s watch their hands shake when they rest in their lap. But when they reach out to grab or hold something, such as a cup of coffee, the shaking stops.

Essential tremor usually starts in midlife or later. As many as one in four people develop essential tremor as they age.

The name of this condition indicates that the cause is unknown and that it occurs on its own, without another explanation. You are more likely to develop essential tremor if you have a parent or sibling with the condition. In fact, genetic mutations have been linked to “benign familial tremor.”

The most common initial symptom is shaking of the hands, but other areas, including the arms, legs and head, are frequently involved. A trembling voice may

be a symptom of essential tremor.

For mild symptoms, no treatment is needed. Avoiding caffeine and stress and getting plenty of rest can be helpful.

However, for symptoms that impair quality of life, most doctors prescribe either a beta blocker, usually propranolol, or primidone, an anti-seizure medicine. If the initial choice doesn’t work well enough, you can try the other, and sometimes taking both helps the most. Alternative medications are topiramate and gabapentin. Both are anti-seizure drugs but are often used for other indications, such as migraine and chronic pain.

Q: I get chest heaviness if I walk too fast or get excited. It goes away quickly when I stop or calm down. I think I have angina. Will I need to have a stent or surgery?

A: Your symptoms suggest that you have stable angina. But you definitely need to call your doctor to arrange a thorough medical evaluation of your symptoms.

If your doctor confirms it is angina, most likely it is due to coronary artery disease. Angina happens when the network of arteries that nourish the heart are narrowed by fatty and calcified plaque, a condition called atherosclerosis. The classic symptom — chest discomfort during physical exertion — is known as stable angina because it occurs in a predictable pattern.

For decades, cardiologists debated the best way to treat this problem: a procedure to reopen the artery (angioplasty and a stent) or optimal medical therapy medication.

The rationale for doing angioplasty on people with stable angina came from a long-held assumption that turned out to be wrong. Until about 30 years ago, the collective opinion was that atherosclerosis was an inexorable, progressive disease that would eventually cause a heart attack.

Doctors now recognize that most heart attacks occur in arteries that are only about

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30% to 40% blocked but harbor so-called vulnerable plaque that ruptures without warning. The resulting blood clot blocks blood flow, triggering a heart attack.

Several major trials confirm that for people with stable angina, stents don’t offer any advantage over optimal medical therapy when it comes to preventing heart attacks or death.

Medications help treat (and perhaps stabilize and even reverse) atherosclerosis in all the heart’s arteries, whereas stents address only specific spots. Drug therapy is also less expensive and has fewer serious side effects.

Understandably, people with stable angina worry about having a fatal heart attack. But studies show that the risk is low — only

about 0.4% per year in people who are careful to address all their risk factors. That means not smoking, eating a healthy diet with plenty of plant-based foods, getting regular exercise and managing stress, in addition to taking the right combination and doses of medicines.

In contrast to stable angina, unstable angina tends to occur without warning, with only slight exertion or even when you’re resting or sleeping. Angina that becomes more frequent, worsens or lasts longer than usual is considered unstable and may signal a heart attack. If your chest discomfort or other symptoms don’t get better within 10 minutes, call 911. © 2023 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Why do older people get eye floaters?

By Amir Khan, M.D. Dear Mayo Clinic: My dad mentioned that he has several dark spots and cobweb-like strings that interfere with his vision. Is this something to be concerned about? What can fix this condition?

A: Dark spots, such as those you describe, may be eye floaters. These black or gray specks, strings or cobwebs typically drift about when you move your eyes and appear to dart away when you look at them directly. They may be most noticeable when you look at a plain, bright background, like the blue sky or a white wall.

People who need glasses to see distance, called being nearsighted, are more likely to get floaters. They also are more common in adults older than 50, as well as in people who’ve experienced eye trau-

ma or inflammation inside the eye.

The presence of a few long-standing floaters usually is not a cause for concern. Most are caused by age-related changes that occur as the jellylike substance inside the eye, called vitreous, becomes more liquid. When this happens, tiny fibers within the vitreous tend to clump and can cast tiny shadows on the retina.

Although usually harmless, not all floaters are nonthreatening clumps of vitreous, so it is a good idea to have any new floaters examined with a dilated eye exam by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. If he has not already done so, you should suggest to your father that he see a local eye specialist.

In the event that your father notices a sudden increase in floaters in one eye, he should seek immediate medical at-

tention. In particular, prompt attention is needed if he sees light flashes or experiences a loss of peripheral vision. These changes may signal the presence of a retinal tear or a retinal detachment.

If caught early, a retinal tear may be able to be treated with a laser. If the tear has progressed to a retinal detachment, then surgery in the operating room is needed to repair the detachment. If left untreated, full detachment can lead to vision loss in the affected eye.

In rare situations, an eye care professional may recommend surgical treatment. That can involve surgery to remove the vitreous, which is called a vitrectomy. However, there are risks, including bleeding and retinal tears, and the surgery may not remove all the floaters.

Another treatment used infrequently for impaired vision caused by eye

floaters is laser therapy. This treatment uses a laser to break up the floaters, making them less noticeable. Laser therapy risks are still not completely known.

As with any eye problem, if you are concerned about eye floaters, it is best to discuss your situation with an eye care professional, who will conduct a complete eye exam. By examining the back of the eyes and the vitreous, your eye care professional can determine the cause of the floaters. — Amir Khan, M.D., Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © 2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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DIRECTOR S MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

Dear Seniors, After weeks of cold winter air and beautiful snowfall, February is here with a multitude of exciting holidays and new experiences!

Despite those challenges, we hope you are staying safe and warm. Inclement weather can be rough, but I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to our sister agencies — the Department of Public Works, Office of Unified Communications, and the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. Their exceptional efforts ensured prompt clearing of our streets, sidewalks, and pathways (Thank you, Serve DC Snow Team!). Also, thanks to DACL’s Information and Referral Assistance Unit for their commitment and support during the inclement weather. Should you require assistance during a winter weather event, please be sure to give us a call at (202) 724-5626, and our team will support you!

February is not only about winter but also a time for giving and spreading love to those around you. It brings me immense joy to invite you to our inaugural Valentine’s Day celebration, “Red, White, and You.” This event guarantees an afternoon filled with fun, food, and community. This celebration will be an opportunity to come together, share laughter, and celebrate the bonds that connect us. For your convenience, the celebration will take place at two locations. Join us at the Deanwood and Edgewood Recreation Centers from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. To RSVP, simply give us a call at (202) 724-5626.

Speaking of hearts, this month also marks the observance of American Heart Month. I encourage you to collectively take a step towards wellness by incorporating small lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a heart-healthy diet, staying physically active, and scheduling regular check-ups if possible — all of which can significantly impact our cardiovascular well-being.

Moreover, February is dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history. Let’s take this opportunity to learn, celebrate, and recognize the profound impact of African Americans on the District: Pioneers like Benjamin Banneker, who mapped out the streets of our Nation’s Capital, or DC resident Carter G. Woodson, the Founder of the Association for the Study of African American History and Negro History Month, which later expanded to Black History Month.

The history of empowerment and courage is all around us.

In the spirit of recognizing community strength and being a pioneer, I am thrilled to extend an invitation for you to make your mark on DC history as well. The application for Ms. Senior DC 2024 is now open! This awesome opportunity allows District women age 60 and older to showcase their talents, wisdom, and contributions to our city. The application deadline is Thursday, February 29, 2024, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this empowering experience. To apply, please visit tinyurl.com/ msseniordc24 or call (202) 724-5626.

Wishing you a month filled with love, laughter, and moments that warm the heart.

Best regards, Charon P.W. Hines

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Join DACL for a Valentine’s Day Party: Red, White, and You DACL invites you to be a part of our special celebration at the Red, White, and You event on Wednesday, February 14, 2024!

This heartwarming gathering will take place at both the Deanwood Recreation Center and Edgewood Recreation Center, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., bringing District seniors together for a day of joy and togetherness. Want to RSVP? Give us a call at (202) 724-5626.

Living Boldly

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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DACL Seniors joined Congratulations to DACL’s Mayor Bowser in the 19th FY 2024 ADRD Grantees MLK Day Walk and Parade Great news! Mayor Bowser and DACL have awarded $250,000 in grant funding to Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Day Care Center and Iona Senior Services for our Fiscal Year 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) program. This grant focuses on advancing programs that make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s and other related dementias.

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Living Boldly is published by the Information Office of the DC Department of Aging and Community Living for DC senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the DC Department of Aging and Community Living or by the publisher.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

© OKSANABRATANOVA, DREAMSTIME.COM

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Don’t want to cook? Try the meal delivery services on page 22.

Enlist an entourage to make life easier

By Katherine Reynolds Lewis If it takes a village to raise a child, it can take a small town to support an aging adult.

As we get older, the range of professionals and services we rely on for physical, financial and daily living support expands and shifts. They are your entourage as you age.

Who will be your entourage? The people and services that support you fall into these categories: Health care. For much of your life, you may have gotten by with just a primary care doctor and possibly a therapist for mental health care. In retirement, you’ll likely add specialists such as an ophthalmologist, a dermatologist and a physical therapist. Later in life, you may develop conditions that require a cardiologist, gastrointestinal doctor, rheumatologist, pulmonologist or oncologist.

Home care. Outside help may begin as

a want, but it becomes a need for those who age in place. Indeed, less than 10% of seniors plan to move into a retirement community, according to Colin Milner, chief executive officer of the International Council on Active Aging, and they will have to plan ahead to have help in place.

“We have to start adopting these different service providers early on,” he said.

Personal care. The basic activities of daily living that can trigger long-term care insurance benefits when you can no longer perform them on your own include bathing, dressing and grooming, going to the toilet, getting into a bed or chair, feeding yourself and walking.

Food. The possibilities range from a personal shopper or chef to simply using the delivery service of your local grocery store.

Fitness and wellness. Should you hire a personal trainer or attend exercise classes at an upscale gym, local community center or virtually? These are the kinds

of fitness decisions you make as you age.

Fun and friends. Don’t overlook friends or potential friends. You can cultivate neighborhood friendships by hosting potlucks or offering to help bring your neighbors’ packages inside. These nearby relationships can help in an emergency.

Transportation. As you age, transportation options may become limited by vision, hearing or mobility challenges.

When a family member or a paid driver takes you on errands and to doctors’ visits, they’re part of your entourage. Explore public transit options in your city. [Ed. Note: Local nonprofits called “villages” can provide rides and more; see “Villages can help neighbors age in place” in the January 2024 Beacon.]

Finances. You may enlist someone to manage your nest egg, whether that’s an independent financial planner or a mutual fund company. An accountant, tax preparer or H&R Block may assist you in paying

Uncle Sam each April. At some point, you might rely on a family member or trusted adviser to manage paying bills and sorting through correspondence.

Communication and technology.

From Amazon to Walmart, almost everything can be delivered to your doorstep.

However, if online ordering is confusing, home delivery is off the table.

The Geek Squad or other in-person technology support services can help you fix computer or electronics bugs. Your local library may also provide tech classes and hands-on help. And many consumer electronics companies have online and telephone support.

In addition, Senior Planet from AARP offers free live online tech-related classes, among other subjects. To join a class, visit seniorplanet.org or call 1-888-713-3495. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Find room for philanthropy in any market

By Peter J. Klein We have all been feeling the squeeze as of late, and philanthropy is feeling it, too.

The costs of things we buy, be it food, clothing or even entertainment (have you seen the price of a baseball game recently?) seem only to go one way — higher.

Economists blame inflation, pandemic remnants and supply-chain challenges.

We’re left with two issues: The things we buy are increasing in cost, and the sources of our money’s growth (stocks, bonds, etc.) are declining — hence, the squeeze.

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FREE VIRTUAL 50+ EMPLOYMENT EXPOS Don’t miss JCA’s employment expos for Montgomery County, MD residents on Tue., March 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents of

Northern Virginia can register to attend the Feb. 15 and Apr. 18 NOVA expos. All job seekers age 50+ are welcome to attend any of the expos. Registration is required at VirtualExpos.AccessJCA.org. For more information, call (301) 2554209 or email EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.

The financial squeeze may make us reconsider donating to the causes we care about, but now’s the time to keep giving.

Giving back is not only the right thing to do, but it also feels good to know you are making a positive impact in the world.

Here are a few ways to find room for philanthropy, even in challenging economic times: 1. Take a closer look at your finances. Evaluate your finances and see if there’s anything excessive to cut. Donate funds to a charity of choice by creating (and sticking to) a reasonable budget.

Once you can set aside money to donate, consider automating a monthly contribution so you won’t be tempted to spend the money elsewhere.

Depending on your economic situation, you may also consider contributing to a donor-advised fund (DAF). A donor-advised fund allows investors to contribute to a charitable fund while still keeping control over the assets.

With these funds, donors get an immediate tax deduction while controlling how to invest the assets (including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, Bitcoin and crypto, among others) and for which charities over time.

Contributing to a DAF during a high-income year is a great opportunity to maximize both your philanthropic efforts and charitable tax benefits.

A DAF allows you to start small and encounter far less of the red tape that comes with private foundations. A DAF also does not mandate a certain cadence with respect to grants. In fact, the capital continues to grow tax-free (though it is no longer yours) until you and your family decide which nonprofits you would like to support.

2. Make donating a family effort.

In September 2022, Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, transferred the company’s ownership to two nonprofits fighting climate change. Patagonia estimates that $100 million annually will go toward environmental efforts.

To plan and implement his legacy gift, Chouinard established a board of trustees and included his family in the planning process. When a donor’s family understands the big-picture goal, they’ll likely want to support and contribute.

Donors who include their families in discussions about their intentions will find it easier to get them on board.

See PHILANTHROPY, page 21

Makes a great gift! | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

Philanthropy From page 20 Not only can contributing to a nonprofit as a family create memories and a bond, but it also puts more resources in the same place. Instead of each family member donating to a different cause, multiple people support the same cause and create a more significant impact.

3. Support nonprofits in other ways.

There are several ways to support nonprofits that don’t cost money but still make a big difference.

Start by volunteering your time. Nonprofits need helping hands to get things done. With volunteers, they can carry out their mission. Look for volunteer opportu-

nities in your area related to causes you care about.

Donate your unused miles or points to a specific charity or a cause. If you’re not using them, consider donating your credit card points or rewards cash to nonprofits.

Donating points means no tax deduction, but you don’t have to open your wallet to support your favorite nonprofit.

If you’re ready to spring clean or declutter your home, donate items to organizations in need. From books and cell phones to computers and eyeglasses, there’s someone who can benefit from it. Make sure to get a receipt for tax deductions.

Contractors and business owners may also consider donating their services to help a nonprofit. Teaching a class, provid-

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Donations to charities have been on a roller coaster these last few years due to the pandemic and the financial market, and these organizations are feeling the squeeze on both ends. As donors, it is up to us to help charities continue to fight for important causes as much as possible. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Feb. 19

GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHDAY PARADE Alexandria’s annual George Washington Parade takes place on

Mon., Feb. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. It follows the traditional route along Fairfax and Royal streets. For more information, including parking, maps, route and status, visit washingtonbirthday.com or email gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com.

Feb. 19+ FREE ADMISSION TO MOUNT VERNON Enjoy free admission to George Washington’s beloved home at Mount Vernon on Presidents’ Day and George Washington’s birthday. Mansion tours are timed, and tickets will be distributed first-come, first-served. Arrive early to receive the earliest tour times. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mon., Feb. 19, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thu., Feb. 22. Mount Vernon is located at 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon, VA. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit bit.ly/FreeMountVernon.

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ing consulting or working on a project pro bono is a way to support a cause.

Finally, spread the word about your favorite nonprofits. If you’re active online, share social media posts from the organization to boost awareness, or drop a donation link into your next email newsletter. Sharing, talking about and engaging with charitable organizations does make a difference.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Skip the cooking and have meals delivered Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good healthy meal delivery options for seniors who don’t cook or get out much?

My 80-year-old father, who lives alone, has a terrible diet, and I worry about his health.

—Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, There are actually a wide variety of healthy meal delivery options that can help non-cooking seniors who live at home. Here are several top options:

Community-based programs A good place to start is to find out if there’s a senior home delivery meal pro

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gram in your dad’s area. Meals on Wheels across the U.S. deliver hot meals daily or sevis the largest program that most people eral times a week, usually around the lunch are familiar with, but many hour, to people over age 60 who communities offer senior have problems preparing meals meal delivery programs sponfor themselves, as well as those sored by other organizations with disabilities. Weekend that go by different names. meals, usually frozen, may also To find services available be available, along with special in your dad’s area, visit Mealdiets (diabetic, low-sodium, sOnWheelsAmerica.org, kosher, etc.). which offers a comprehensive Most of these programs directory on their website, or typically charge a small fee call the area aging agency SAVVY SENIOR (usually between $2 and $9 near your dad. Call the Elderper meal) or request a donaBy Jim Miller care Locator at 1-800-677-1116 tion, while some may be free to get the local number. to low-income seniors who qualify for Most home-delivered meal programs Medicaid. There are also some Medicare Advantage plans that cover limited meal service benefits.

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Another great option for your dad is to order him some pre-made meals online from a meal delivery service company.

These companies provide a wide variety of tasty meal choices and will usually post the nutrition information for their meals right on their website.

Most companies will also cater to a host of dietary and medical needs, such as low-sodium and low-carb meals, diabetic meals, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian op-

tions. Plus, the ordering process is very easy.

Depending on the company you choose, the food arrives either fresh or frozen, and most companies deliver all across the U.S. Prices generally start at around $8 to $13 per meal plus shipping; however, many companies provide discounts or free shipping when you order meals in bulk.

And most companies work with Medicaid and some Medicare Advantage plans to help reduce costs.

Some of the best meal delivery companies for older adults, as rated by Verywell Health for 2023, include: • Best Variety: Magic Kitchen (magickitchen.com) • Best Value: Mom’s Meals (momsmeals.com) • Best for Nutrition Consultation: BistroMD (bistromd.com) • Best Plant-Based Meals: Mosaic (mosaicfoods.com) • Best Gluten-Free: ModifyHealth (modifyhealth.com) • Best Chef-Prepared: CookUnity (cookunity.com) • Best for Customization: Snap Kitchen (snapkitchen.com) For more information on this list and their testing methodology, visit VerywellSee MEALS DELIVERED, page 23

Getting Older With Eric Stewart Finally! A radio show where we explore together how to navigate the transition we are all facing. Get good advice for how to age with grace, and make the best financial and housing decisions for your future.

Tune in every Sunday morning from 10 to 10:30 a.m. on WMAL 105.9 FM or go to WMAL.com/Eric-Stewart-Show to listen anytime.

I’m Eric Stewart. When you are considering aging in place or rightsizing your home to an apartment or retirement community, our Seniors Solutions Team is here to provide you with everything you need.

I look forward to speaking with you!

Beacon readers may call me on my personal cell phone at (301) 252-1697 For more information about the Eric Stewart Group of Long & Foster Real Estate, visit www.EricStewartGroup.com 301.424.0900

Makes a great gift! | Law & Money

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Don’t be fooled by ‘simple’ scam emails

By Jamie Feldman Scams have become ubiquitous in the digital age and are becoming more difficult to spot. According to the Better Business Bureau, the most recent iteration includes some key details that, to the blind eye, may fool you into thinking it’s legit.

Like many other scams, this one comes via email and will appear to be from someone you know. “The message looks harmless and casual — like something a friend might really write,” the BBB said in a recent scam alert.

For example, the BBB said, it could be something like: “Hi, how are things going with you? Are you busy? I need a quick favor,” and even ending the message with “Sent from my iPhone.”

That can be a sophisticated scam, complete with the same automated language included on legitimate emails, the BBB

said. If you reply, the scammer may ask you to purchase a gift card for them and send a photo of the pin or the back of the card, claiming they’re traveling and are unable to buy it online.

Don’t give out any information But don’t be fooled. Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them personal and financial information, according to the Federal Trade Commission, whose data finds that scams cost consumers billions of dollars a year.

Gift cards are especially tricky when it comes to scams, as they don’t contain the same protections as credit or debit cards, so you most likely won’t recoup your money.

It’s one of the reasons why gift cards are one of the worst things to keep in your wallet. Anyone can use them, as you are not required to show ID when paying with a gift

Recognize the four basic signs of a scam 1. Scammers pretend to be from a familiar organization or agency, like the Social Security Administration.

They may email attachments with official-looking logos, seals, signatures or pictures of employee credentials.

2. Scammers mention a problem or a prize. They may say your Social Security number was involved in a crime or ask for personal information to

Meals delivered From page 22 Health.com and search for “Best Meal Delivery Services for Seniors.”

Grocery stores and restaurants Depending on where your dad lives, he may also be able to get home-delivered meals from local grocery stores or restaurants. Some grocery stores offer a selection of pre-cooked meals and foods, including roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and

process a benefit increase.

3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may threaten you with arrest or legal action.

4. Scammers tell you to pay using a gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, wire or money transfer, or by mailing cash. They may also tell you to transfer your money to a “safe” account.

—Social Security Administration

fresh soups and salads. Contact the grocery stores in your dad’s area to inquire about this option.

Check with some of his favorite restaurants to see if they offer home delivery — or he could use a restaurant delivery service like UberEats.com, DoorDash.com or GrubHub.com.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author The Savvy Senior book.

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card, and they are an easy target for scammers both during the holidays and otherwise. Scammers take down gift card information and wait until it’s activated to use it.

After being on high alert during the holidays, you might be tempted to let your guard down. But it’s important to remember that scammers are working all year round.

As Kiplinger has previously reported, if you suspect you’ve already been a victim of credit card fraud, there are a few steps you can take. You can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If you notice fraudulent charges, you can call AARP’s Fraud Watch Network helpline at 1-877-908-3360.

To learn more about how to spot, avoid and report scams or steps to help you recover money you’ve lost to a scammer, visit the FTC’s scam reporting page at consumer.ftc.gov/scams. And if you spot a scam, you can report it directly to the FTC’s fraud report site at reportfraud.ftc.gov. © 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

What to do if you’ve been scammed According to the BBB, the best way to protect yourself is to contact the friend directly to confirm that the message is from them. Also, use gift cards wisely, being sure to stay wary of businesses that deal exclusively with gift cards.

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Key income tax deductions not to miss It is no secret that the federal income Medicare premiums associated with Part regulations are very complex. As a result, B, Part D, Medigap and Medicare Advanmany deductions are missed tage. You are considered selfby individuals when they file employed if you are a sole their tax returns. I’ll discuss proprietor using Schedule C, some of these deductions a partner filing Schedule E, a below. limited liability member or an Because of the increase in S corporation shareholder standard deductions, accordwith at least 2% of the compaing to the IRS, almost 88% of ny stock. This deduction is tax filers used the standard not subject to the 7.5% of addeduction on their 2020 tax rejusted income test associated turn. For your 2023 tax rewith itemized deductions. turn, the standard deduction THE SAVINGS If you are self-employed was increased by 7% from last GAME and have been using an itemyear. For individuals, the stan- By Elliot Raphaelson ized deduction because of dard deduction is $13,850; for high medical premiums and joint filers, the deduction is $27,700. other healthcare costs, you should make sure that you would not have lower taxes if you use the standard deduction and Medical premium deductions Many individuals who are self-employed deduct the healthcare premiums and other use the standard deduction. Even if you healthcare expenses from your self-emare self-employed and use the standard de- ployed income on the appropriate schedduction, you are allowed to deduct ule, such as Schedule C.

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Additional retirement contributions after age 50 If you contribute to retirement accounts such as IRAs or a 401(k) and have reached age 50, you should take advantage of the extra contributions you can make.

On your 2023 or 2024 tax return, you are allowed to make the following additional contributions: For IRAs, you can contribute $1,000 in addition to the upper limits ($6,500 for 2023; $7,000 for 2024). For 401(k) plans in 2024, you can contribute an additional $7,500 above the $22,500 maximum for individuals under 50.

As long as you file a joint return, you are allowed to make IRA contributions to a spouse’s IRA even if the spouse does not work or if the spouse does not earn enough to make the maximum IRA contribution.

The only requirement is that the working spouse has sufficient income to cover both IRA contributions.

For example, the maximum IRA contribution for 2024 is $7,000. So, if your earned income is at least $14,000, you can make an IRA contribution for yourself of $7,000 and a contribution of $7,000 for your spouse, even if your spouse has no earned income.

Qualified charitable distributions As long as you are at least 70 1/2, you are allowed to make qualified charitable distribu-

tions (QCDs) of up to $100,000 a year directly from your IRA account to a qualified charity. If you are required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2024 and you intend to make QCDs, then you will be reducing your taxes by using the QCD option.

For example, suppose you are in the 22% tax bracket, which means that when you file your tax return, the last dollar of your taxable income is taxed at 22%. This is known as your marginal tax bracket.

In this example, if you make a $1,000 charitable contribution using the QCD option, you will have reduced your taxes by $220 (22% of the amount of your contribution).

Some IRA custodians establish a separate account for you to make the contribution directly from your IRA to the charity; some custodians will prepare a check for the charity and send it to you to submit; still, other custodians will send the check to the charity directly. If you want to use the QCD option, ask your IRA custodian which alternative the financial institution uses.

Bottom line: Use all the allowable deductions to reduce your taxes. Don’t hesitate to ask your tax preparer if you are taking all the deductions you are entitled to.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2024 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

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Maryland (LRM) initiative, which aligns with his goal of leaving no one behind, including older adults.

“Our administration made a commitment to honor the lives and contributions of older Marylanders by expanding access to critical care and services,” said Gov. Moore.

“If we are going to meet the 21st century needs of this rapidly changing demographic, we must evaluate our programs, advocate for change, target resources, and formulate data-driven policies with a whole-of-government approach.”

Leaving No One Behind Including Older Adults In six years, one in four Marylanders will be 60 years or older, with the proportion of this population expected to grow more rapidly – by some estimates three times as fast – than other groups. Increased life expectancy is good news, but it does not always equate with an enhanced quality of life, especially when considering socioeconomic factors, which play a key role in healthy aging and quality of life.

“Aging well should be a right, not a privilege,” said Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques.

“Keeping up with the quickly changing demographics provides an opportunity to prepare for longer, healthier lives for all Marylanders by investing in future centenarians.”

Since joining Governor Moore’s cabinet, Secretary Roques has prioritized

the wellbeing of older people, their families, and caregivers across all of state government, promoting a bold vision where all Marylanders lead lives that are healthy, financially secure, socially connected, and purposeful throughout their lifespan.

“We won’t solve the issues of longlived societies if all we do is focus on the challenges people face in the later years of life,” she explained.

“We must address broader societal issues like work, education, health and equity starting from birth and continuing throughout the retirement years.”

Governor Moore has shown his support of Secretary Roques and the Department of Aging by recently signing an executive order implementing the Longevity Ready

“

Aging well should be a right, not a privilege

“

Pictured (left to right) are: Multisector Planning Director Betty Romero, Deputy Secretary of Aging Jennifer Crawley, Governor Wes Moore and Secretary of Aging Carmel Rocques as the Governor signed an executive order establishing the Longevity Ready Maryland Initiative last month.

Through the LRM initiative, the Department of Aging will develop a plan to coordinate and build upon existing efforts across state agencies, private and philanthropic sectors, and other stakeholders to tackle real life challenges Marylanders face throughout their lifespan — including access to employment opportunities, a robust care workforce, adequate caregiver support and equitable healthcare.

Maryland Department of Aging Secretary Carmel Roques

Though this is a long-term plan that will be implemented in phases over the next ten years, the department has started engaging stakeholders and collaborating with state and local agencies to address key issues affecting Marylanders. The LRM plan should be presented to the governor on January 1, 2026. To learn more about the LRM initiative go to aging.maryland.gov.

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

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SERGE UZAN/PIXABAY

Travel Leisure &

Discover a delicious delicacy: truffles.

See story on opposite page.

Bask in Barbados’ beaches, gardens, warmth to British rule until 1966, when Barbados was granted independence.

Traces of the island country’s intriguing history are conveniently located in an area slightly more than double the size of Washington, D.C. Bridgetown, the capital and largest city (population about 110,000), earns its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for its well-preserved downtown. Attractions include the Parliament Building (constructed 18701874), Independence Square and Queen’s Park, the site of the former home of the Commander of British Troops (built in 1784). Among more than 500,000 artifacts in the Barbados Museum, housed in an old military prison, are antique paintings and maps of the island.

The museum at Nidhe Israel Synagogue documents the story of the oldest Jewish temple in the Western Hemisphere (1654) and the local Jewish community. It was constructed by refugees from Portugal and Brazil, who brought with them knowledge of sugar production technology, which resulted in the vital role of Barbados in the sugar, molasses and rum industries. More about that later.

On a lighter note, located on a back street in the outskirts of Bridgetown is the childhood home of Rihanna. The songwriter, singer, businesswoman and actress is the second-best-selling female music

PHOTO BY DAVID STANLEY

By Victor Block When my wife Fyllis and I landed in Barbados this winter, we asked a man outside the airport for directions to our hotel. To our surprise, he didn’t give them to us. Instead, he insisted on leading us there in his vehicle.

Throughout our trip to the Caribbean island — our second in 20 years — we were impressed by the friendly, warm people we met. After I unknowingly dropped some money on a restaurant floor, for instance, a waiter followed me to the door and returned it. And the kindnesses continued.

Add this well-deserved reputation for a welcoming populace to a lengthy list of things to see and do, along with a choice of inviting beaches, and it’s little wonder that Barbados serves as a year-round magnet for tourism. In winter, visitors from Great Britain join smaller groups from Canada, the United States and elsewhere seeking to trade frigid temperatures for a sun and sand retreat. Come summer, budget-conscious vacationers enjoy the same attractions at lower cost.

These latecomers follow the footsteps of the first people who visited the island as early as 1,600 B.C.E. and the Amerindians who established villages there during the 4th to 7th centuries.

A small group of English settlers founded a colony in 1627, and that foothold led

PHOTO BY GARY BEMBRIDGE

The remnants of an ancient coral reef, Bathsheba Rock is located in Bathsheba, a small fishing village on the east coast of Barbados.

Barbados’ Parliament building is located in its capital, Bridgetown. Most of the city’s well preserved downtown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

artist of all time, topped only by Madonna.

Gardens to visit — or not Given the tropical setting, it’s not surprising that Barbados is dotted by lush gardens, each with its own allure. Paths in the Flower Forest weave through a rainforest with sweeping views of the Atlantic coastline, passing beneath towering palm trees and through beds of colorful blooms.

The Andromeda Botanic Gardens were created by a horticulture expert who collected plants from around the world to fill every nook and cranny. More than 500 flowering species spill over eight acres, creating the largest floral exhibit in Barbados.

In a setting where many houses are blanketed with flowers, visiting a formal garden might seem to be redundant. It’s easy to get your floral fix during a stroll or a drive. The most brilliant displays are often encountered at colorful chattel houses.

These small bungalows, unique to Barbados, were constructed by formerly enslaved people who were permitted to build on plantation land they did not own. Because they might be forced to leave at some time in the future, they constructed

tiny wood houses, which they assembled without nails. Many people add decorative touches, paint their homes a variety of colors and plant flowers.

Birthplace of rum Other local structures include small, sometimes ramshackle rum shops, which serve as gathering spots for playing dominoes or discussing topics ranging from politics to the national sport of cricket.

They’re reminders that rum was first created — or, more accurately, discovered — in Barbados. When a 17th-century tavern owner named Rumball was searching for an empty shipping barrel, he stumbled across a cask of sugar cane that had fermented. Rumball knew a good thing when he tasted it and began serving the libation to his customers. First called kill-devil, the beverage was later named for its discoverer.

The drink became so popular that the King of England issued an edict directing members of the Royal Navy be given a half pint daily, and George Washington — who visited Barbados in 1751 — insisted that it be served at his presidential inauguration.

See BARBADOS, page 28

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Truffle hunting in Virginia unearths new flavor

By Victor Block Nadine was excited. She scampered along a haphazard route, pausing now and then to sniff the ground. Occasionally she dug in the dirt, her breath quickening and eyes widening.

But she was not permitted to complete the excavation she had begun. That task was finished by Vanessa, who distracted Nadine with a tasty treat and used a trowel to discover and uncover the object of their search: a muddy brown truffle.

Nadine is a dog, but she’s far from an ordinary canine; she’s trained to find truffles. I recently accompanied her and her handler, Vanessa Shea, on a hunt for those elusive, rather unattractive fungi that more than make up in value what they may lack in appearance.

This quest took place at Virginia Truffles, a family-owned and operated enterprise in Rixeyville, Virginia, a sleepy community within a two-hour drive from Washington, D.C. During the harvest season, December through February, the farm conducts hunting excursions beneath the trees in their truffle orchard.

History of truffles My experience began with an introduction to everything truffle, delivered around a blazing fire pit by Vanessa, her sister Olivia and their mother, Patrice. My fellow adventurers and I benefitted from our hosts’ comprehensive knowledge, which included historical facts, modern practices and recipes for using these highly prized gastronomic gems in a variety of ways.

For example, who knew that truffles were prized at the time of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires, that the Medieval Catholic Church largely banned consumption of “the devil’s fruit,” and that

they were a favorite food of French Queen Catherine de Medici and King Louis XIV? Modern truffling is said to have evolved when French farmers observed their pigs uprooting a favorite food and then trained them for the hunt. However, pigs love truffles and often consumed their prize before the farmer could rescue it, so trackers began training dogs, who happily work for canine treats.

The target of the hunt is an edible fungus that grows several inches underground beneath tree branches. Favorite hosts are oak and hazelnut trees.

While there are no definitive figures for the number of planted orchards in the United States, Margaret Townsend, president of the North American Truffle Growers Association, estimates the number to be as high as 400. In addition to Virginia, they span the country from Maryland, Kentucky and Tennessee to Idaho, Oregon and California.

After learning that Virginia Truffles’ owners waited 10 years after planting their seedlings before they got their first, rather miniscule harvest and that their crop is retrieved during the truncated December-toMarch harvesting time frame, I concluded that raising truffles is as much an art as a science, and qualifies as a labor of love.

odor of the tubers Nadine unearthed was almost too strong for my nostrils or taste buds, the hints of truffle in the food added a unique dimension that I found easy to enjoy but difficult to describe.

During a post-snack visit to the farm’s small on-site laboratory, Patrice described the truffle-cleaning process, which includes cutting out any rotted areas. She described the truffle-grading guidelines adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She also mentioned that some of the tubers the farm sells to nearby whitetablecloth restaurants are priced at more than $120 an ounce.

Patrice also listed some of the many ways truffles add flavor to a variety of

foods, several of which were demonstrated and enjoyed during our snack. While some dishes seem like a natural fit — think eggs, soup, mashed potatoes, sauces, dips, butter and cream — the possibilities for using truffles to titillate taste buds are virtually endless.

Having been hooked by the distinctive scent, lore and taste of this nondescript but delicious flavor enhancer, I purchased truffle-infused salt and pepper to bring home and enjoy, along with memories of a unique experience that long will linger in my mind and on my palate.

Truffle hunts are scheduled through February for $130 or $288 with dinner. For more information, visit virginiatruffle.com.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 7

INTRODUCTION TO TIKTOK Learn about TikTok, the social media platform where more than 1

billion users share videos from silly to informative. This presentation will introduce you to the basics of creating an account, how users interact, privacy settings, most common features and more. Join the free event on Thu., March 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Olney Library, 3500 Olney Latonsville Rd., Olney, MD. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (240) 773-9545.

Post-hunt buffet The love between human and dog was evident as Nadine and Vanessa walked rapidly through the orchard, Vanessa repeating, “Where’s the truffle?” Our trek lasted a little over an hour and produced five black truffles.

A post-hunt mini-buffet included carrot soup, deviled eggs, brie cheese and pastrami, all enhanced with fresh truffle shavings or slices. While the earthy, pungent

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Scope out public transit before your city trip out any preliminaries — no signing up for

By Ed Perkins If your summer trip plans include a few any program. I used that system in London, and it worked fine with days in a big city, chances are both a Visa and an American you’ll be using public transit Express card. The system to navigate the area. And if keeps track — if you run up you do, it’s a good idea to local one-trip fares to a level arrange in advance for whatof a day pass, you automatiever special discounts and viscally get a day pass and pay itor tickets you might use, so no more for future trips. you’re ready to get going Each system is unique. Here right away and don’t waste are some U.S. cities with rotime figuring out your transit bust transit systems and where needs. you’re most likely to need If you haven’t traveled in a TRAVEL TIPS By Ed Perkins some advance arrangements. while, you might be surprised Atlanta: Atlanta’s robust at two basic trends among big metro system includes service to the airU.S. cities: • New payment systems based on port. The system uses special “Breeze” tap cards for fare collection. Some cards — both reusable and reloadable and newer systems allow use of a regular bank one-time options. The base fare is $2.50. credit or debit card; others rely on a Children up to 46 inches tall ride free, with a limit of two children per paying unique paper ticket with RFID capability.

• Special ID cards required for use adult.

Seniors age 65 or over are eligible for a of senior and youth discounts. Driver’s licenses, Medicaid cards and such are no 50% discount, but it requires a special relonger sufficient. In some places, you can duced-fare Breeze card which is issued arrange for that ID online before you leave only in person at one of two offices in home, but others require that you visit a downtown Atlanta during weekday business hours — online applications are not local office in person.

If you don’t need a special ID, many new accepted.

Boston: The system includes a mix of systems accept a credit or debit card with-

light rail, heavy rail metro, regional rail and harbor ferries, with service to the airport. Cash, single-use CharlieTicket, or stored-value CharlieCard are accepted.

The one-way fare is $2.40 on metro and light rail, $1.70 on local buses; fares are distance based for commuter rail and ferry. Commuter rail and ferries accept paper tickets or “mTicket” smartphone app, but not CharlieCard.

CharlieCards and CharlieTickets for non-discounted fares include $11 unlimited-travel one-day pass and a $22.50 unlimited weekly pass. Seniors 65 or over obtain 50% discounts, but only with a Senior CharlieCard, which you can apply for online (mbta.com/fares/charliecard-and-charlie ticket-online-services).

Chicago: Chicago’s heavy-rail “L” serves both O’Hare and Midway, and regional rail also serves O’Hare infrequently.

The basic L fare is $2.50 per ride, $5 for an all-day ticket or $5 single ride at O’Hare.

Regional rail rates are zone-based.

Fare collection is moving to a regional Ventra system using cards or smartphone apps for contactless payment on L, regional rail, and regional buses. Seniors get 50% discounts, but only with an RTA reducedfare card, which you can obtain online in advance (fares.rtachicago.org).

New York. An extensive metro system serves the New York area, with service to JFK and Newark but not LaGuardia. The base metro fare is $2.90 per ride, with tapcard fare collection via an OMNY card or simply your own contactless credit/debit card.

Seniors age 65 or over get 50% discounts, but only with a reduced-fare ID available online (reducedfare.mta.info/ registration).

Other cities: You can apply online for senior ID in San Francisco, (mtc.ca.gov/ news/now-easier-apply-youth-and-seniorclipper-cards). Philadelphia (seniors travel free) and Washington (50% off) require you to have a senior ID card, which you must apply for in person. [Ed. Note: To get a Senior SmarTrip card, show a government-issued photo ID with proof of age at select metro stations or any Montgomery County Public Library. See wmata.com for details.]

Most Canadian and European cities offer a variety of fares and passes useful to visitors but not senior discounts; check before you leave home.

Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net or check out his website at rail-guru.com. © 2024 Ed Perkins. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Barbados

ous aspects of Barbados. An island safari lived up to its name. When our driverguide Wayne told passengers in the openair van to be prepared for a bumpy ride, he was understating the adrenaline-rushing jaunt. He delighted in leaving the bumpy, winding roads and turning onto even more bumpy, winding, muddy, potholed dirt paths through sugar cane fields. As we bounded along, Wayne narrated the drive with lessons on the island’s history, culture and legends.

The excursion ended with lunch at a swanky resort, which contrasted with the Bajan food tour we later took. Its focus is traditional fare and includes stops at bustling street markets, modest local cafes and an ice cream shop. The movable menu included such island favorites as minced beef rolls, macaroni pie and coconut bread.

ny of turtles. Thunder Bay is known for the sound of waves crashing against an offshore coral reef and for outstanding snorkeling. Fyllis and I preferred the calm sea off the beach at Bath.

Beaches are beautiful in Barbados, but they’re only one reason to visit the island.

Fyllis and I enjoyed rediscovering its many alluring attributes on our recent return trip.

From page 26 Fyllis and I followed George’s recommendation during a tour and tasting at the Mount Gay distillery, founded in 1703 and the oldest commercial rum distillery in the world. Exhibits include historic documents and a hand-dug well that continues

to provide water.

The visit began with an offering of rum punch and ended with a tasting of several products. Romal, our guide, offered tips on how to hold our glass, check each rum’s viscosity, and evaluate the taste as robust, complex, salty and so on.

This was one of several tours that Fyllis and I took to explore and experience vari-

Fishing villages, white-sand beaches On any island, fish is a staple of many people’s diets, and a visit to any of Barbados’ fishing villages introduces another facet of the local lifestyle. Generations of families who live in Tent Bay have trawled offshore waters for flying fish, mahi mahi and marlin. People in Skeetes Bay fish by boat and off the jetty, and the market serves as a focal point of the community.

Then there are the beaches, a major magnet for many visitors to Barbados.

With more than 80 beaches, there’s a stretch of sand for every preference. At Alleynes Bay, the mile-long beach offers good swimming, sometimes in the compa-

If you go Given the friendliness of the residents, it’s not surprising that Barbados is a safe destination for visitors. The U.S. Department of State’s list of countries with low crime rates ranks the island close to the top.

Round-trip flights from our area to Barbados start at around $530. Fyllis and I opted to avoid the high-rise hotels that line the beaches. We stayed at the All Seasons Resort, a lovely hideaway with bungalows encircling an expansive lawn and a large swimming pool. Each cottage includes a bedroom, living room, kitchenette and front porch. Rates begin at $135 a night for two people. For more information, visit allseasonsresort.bb.

For meals, we chose casual beachfront eateries ranging from open-air restaurants to tiny hole-in-the-wall places, which give new meaning to the word “local.” A personal favorite was the Surfside Restaurant and Beach Bar (Highway 1, Holetown; 246432-2105). Bountiful portions of sides accompany entrees like the daily catch and pan-seared chicken.

For more information, see visitbarbados.org.

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Style Arts &

For Lincoln’s birthday, read a new biography. See reviews on page 32.

Musician-poet finds new career in retirement

Self-taught in college Bernier became enamored with the harmonica in 1979, when he was a student at Maine’s Bowdoin College. One evening, he heard a housemate play the harmonica in a bluegrass band and decided he wanted to learn, too.

This was pre-internet and pre-YouTube, and there were no local music classes, so Bernier taught himself to play by listening to his friend. He started imitating the greats: Little Walker, Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Wiliams and Walter Horn.

Harmonicas, also called “mouth harps,”

“French harps” and “tin sandwiches,” are featured in blues, jazz, bluegrass, country and folk music.

Over the years he has become a harmonica music historian, tracing the blues’ West African roots through the deep South’s enslaved communities into the 1930s Great Migration and electrification of the music in Chicago, all of which laid the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll, he contends.

The basics: The diatonic harmonica, the most common kind, has 10 holes and plays whole notes. Bernier uses one to play the blues. The chromatic harmonica, which he uses to play jazz, has a slide so musicians can play sharps and flats.

Bernier especially likes to play jazz and regularly performs on Old Town Alexandria’s lower King Street for outdoor diners. Because a harmonica sounds best when it’s warm, he doesn’t play outside if the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Last winter he played indoors at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in Seattle. He’s also played at festivals in Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana.

In August, Bernier drove to St. Louis for the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica convention, a gathering of around 500 people from 15 countries — “a meeting of the tribe,” he quipped.

In the meantime, he occasionally drops in at weekly blues jams put on by “Archie’s Barbershop,” the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, held every Saturday afternoon in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Bernier also joins jams at the Capitol Hill Blues Society.

Bernier has an international audience now, too. He recorded during the pandem-

BEACON BITS

Feb. 18

WASHINGTON REVELS JUBILEE VOICES CONCERT This multimedia program explores the Gullah Geechee culture and

life on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The free concert takes place on Sun., Feb. 18, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/GullahGeecheeConcert.

PHOTO BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

By Glenda C. Booth Some people may get a gold watch or pen when they retire. But Clifford Bernier received harmonicas — not one, but two.

When Bernier stepped down after 30 years at the Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, his employer gave him a gold Seydel harmonica and a 16-hole, chromatic Hohner.

They knew him well. Bernier has been playing the harmonica since he was 19 years old. Now retired, he performs all over the country, combining his harmonica music with poetry, which he studied in college.

In his performances Bernier combines his free-verse poetry with harmonica music. For example, he intersperses lines of a poem about rivers with river-like sounds on the harmonica. “All the rivers run to the blues,” he recites and then plays a riff that sounds like rushing water.

“I need to express myself creatively,” Bernier explained in an interview with the Beacon.

At his Fairfax County home, amid several tables covered with some of his 200 harmonicas, Bernier said he cherishes each one for the nuanced sounds he creates from them.

After Cliff Bernier retired, he devoted his time to playing the harmonica and writing poetry. He performs both simultaneously in venues around the country.

ic with a Portuguese group called Accumulated Dust. He’s featured on the PostColombian America recording, available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

Love of poetry As Bernier’s music career grew, so did his writing career. He has been writing poems since he was 10 years old. As an English major at Bowdoin, he studied various greats, from Chaucer to T.S. Eliot. A few of his favorites are W.B. Yeats, Wallace Stevens and Derek Walcott.

In the early 1990s, he frequented poetry slams in the D.C. area, stepping up to the microphone to read his work aloud. He read his poems between jazz sets at the nowclosed Alexandria restaurant, Bistro Europa.

He has read at the Library of Congress twice and appeared on “The Poet and the Poem,” a radio interview broadcast by the Library of Congress.

Bernier has published two chapbooks of free-verse poetry titled “Earth Suite” and “Dark Berries.” In 2011, Arlington-based Gival Press published The Silent Art, a collection of 35 of his free-verse poems that explore physics and jazz.

These days Bernier plays blues and spirituals with the Voices of Woodlawn, a mostly Black ensemble of poets who wrote about their experiences visiting the planta-

tion in the context of the estate’s history of slavery. They have performed all over the country and internationally remotely. He also does readings with the Baltimorebased EC Poetry and Prose collective, which published an anthology titled Portraits of Life.

Blending harmonica tunes with poetry is a far cry from Bernier’s career working on medical instrumentation and safety and performance standards for cardiovascular devices, oxygenators and dialysis equipment.

Because Bernier had a full-time job and was raising three sons, it was hard to play or write for around 20 years, he said. But once he retired, he resumed both passions.

“Combining my poetry and my music happened naturally,” Bernier said.

“Poetry has been accompanied by an instrument since ancient times. Music adds emotion to words, and words add meaning to music. It just happens that my instrument is the harmonica — and I love playing.”

Bernier’s next performances are scheduled for March 13 at the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts, Fort Washington, Maryland; March 21, Open Mic reading at the Baltimore County Arts Guild, Catonsville, Maryland; and June 10 at the Blues through Poetry event at the Silver Spring Blues Festival, Silver Spring, Maryland.

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Streisand writes about acting, music, life Jackie O urged her to write Publishers had sought her life story since at least the 1980s, when then-Doubleday editor Jacqueline Kennedy lobbied in vain to sign up Streisand, who felt she wasn’t ready.

But starting in the late 1990s, Streisand began writing down memories — in longhand, because she couldn’t type. She agreed to a book deal with Viking in 2015, and notes that a manuscript she expected to finish in two years ended up taking a decade, a delay she was relieved to learn is not uncommon in publishing.

“I always wonder about that,” Streisand, 81, said during the interview. “Like, great authors, if it takes them a long time, how do they make a living?”

It helps to have outside income.

In her memoir, Streisand shares vivid, detailed memories of her breakthrough Broadway and film roles in Funny Girl, of recording such chart-topping albums as People and Guilty and making such signature Streisand films as The Way We Were, A Star Is Born and Yentl, which marked the beginning of her unique achievements as a woman who produced, directed and starred in her own movies.

She also looks back on her eight-year marriage to Elliott Gould, her affairs with Ryan O’Neal and Don Johnson, among others, and her enduring relationship with James Brolin, whom she married in 1998.

“Nothing’s impossible,” is how she begins the book’s epilogue.

My Name is Barbra reached the top five on the New York Times bestseller list and has received the kinds of reviews her films and albums inspired: “At heart this is a story so bursting with life, fury, unbelievable ambition and food (Streisand loves to

PHOTO BY NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

By Hillel Italie Her book is called My Name is Barbra, and it runs nearly 1,000 pages. You expected less from Barbra Streisand?

Streisand spent the past decade working on one of the epic narratives in modern show business — her uncompromising rise from working class Brooklyn in the 1940s and 50s to global fame.

During a recent telephone interview, she reflected on her tastes in music, her tastes in film and her sense of destiny, dating back to childhood.

There are reasons Streisand’s memoir, published last November, took as long to wrap up as even her most challenging film projects. For decades, she rarely had the kind of solitar y time needed to settle down and write. And even with her film and concert career essentially over — “I don’t enjoy performing anymore,” she said — the longtime liberal and political activist remains absorbed in the news, no matter how distressing, from this year’s U.S. presidential election to the war in the Middle East.

For Streisand, long one of the most private of superstars, opening up about herself is an ongoing challenge. But, as she explains in her memoir, she felt an “obligation to the people truly interested” in her work.

“I thought writing a book would be easier than making a movie, but boy, was I wrong,” she writes.

Streisand’s records have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and her honors range from multiple Emmys and Grammys to a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute to a Presidential Medal of Freedom. [Ed. Note: Streisand will receive the SAG Life Achievement Award at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards in March.]

eat) that you come away from it exhausted but smiling,” wrote the Guardian’s Emma Brockes.

During her recent interview, Streisand reflected on her tastes in music, the films she made and those she enjoys and her sense of destiny, dating back to childhood.

Life path set at early age

She recalled seeing The Diary of Anne Frank on stage in the 1950s. Even then, she just knew she could do it.

“I said to myself, ‘I’m 14.

I’m Jewish, and I can play that part.’ Well, how did I know that? I don’t know. So there’s a part of me that’s Barbra Streisand, pictured here in 2018, published very self-sufficient or be- her memoir, My Name is Barbra, last November, after lieves in myself.” working on the book for 10 years. Streisand, 81, is But there’s another part, the only recording artist ever to have made numbertoo, a negativity, a doubt — one albums over six consecutive decades. “don’t know if it’s just peomy father, maybe even my mother, that ple who are artistic,” she said, “but it’s a tells you, ‘You can do it.’ I don’t know how dichotomy…And then there’s the part that See STREISAND, page 32 knows from your soul, from my DNA, from

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Books about Lincoln offer new perspectives This year marks the 215th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln was raised on frontier the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Scholars con- farms with scant formal education. Nevertinue researching his life, retheless, he made time to read vealing additional insights and whatever books he could borforming new interpretations. row. When he was able to afLincoln: The Fire of Geford his own reading material, nius: How Abraham LinLincoln selected books excoln’s Commitment to Sciplaining the principles of science and Technology Helped ence and math. His life experiModernize America, by ences touched on many scienDavid J. Kent, 322 pages, tific fields: agriculture, meteLyons Press hardcover, orology and mechanics. He 2022 read to gain an academic unTHE Author David J. Kent, a re- BIBLIOPHILE derstanding of these subjects. tired scientist who is presi- By Dinah Rokach In addition, Lincoln was fasdent of the Lincoln Group of cinated by astronomy and the D.C., provides a unique perspective on principles of logic. He followed with great Lincoln’s interest in science. fervor the latest scientific discoveries and DATES: DATES:

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their practical applications.

Lincoln’s legal practice included patent and copyright cases as well as lawsuits involving new technologies. As a congressman, Lincoln was granted a patent to lift boats through shoals, and as president, he signed a law creating the National Academy of Sciences.

In wartime, Lincoln oversaw the deployment of technological advances on the battlefield and encouraged inventors to submit their ideas to a military panel for review.

Lincoln Looks West: From the Mississippi to the Pacific, edited by Richard Etulain, 263 pages, Southern Illinois University Press paperback, 2023 Octogenarian Richard Etulain, professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico, is the editor of an anthology of nine scholarly essays that explore Lincoln’s policies regarding the western United States.

Lincoln’s home state of Illinois straddled the Mississippi River. In his time, the west was defined as land that was located on the far side of that waterway. Thus, Lincoln was viewed as a “man of the west,” an appellation he warmly embraced.

Lincoln favored federal funds for internal improvements and the construction of a transcontinental railroad. He believed that homesteading should be the basis for settling the west in an egalitarian fashion.

Lincoln sought the establishment of land grant colleges to teach agriculture.

Even when he was immersed in the Civil War, Lincoln found time to engage in the minutiae of patronage appointments and the politics of the territories in the American West.

Other fascinating subjects in Lincoln

Looks West include Lincoln’s Native American policies, his interactions with Mormons and his stand regarding the Mexican War. Lincoln and Reconstruction, by John C. Rodrigue, 168 pages, Southern Illinois University Press paperback, 2022 The assassination of our 16th president at the beginning of his second term, just as the Union emerged victorious in the Civil War, gives rise to speculation about what might have been. This scholarly treatise explores the evolution of Lincoln’s policies regarding re-integrating the Confederate states into the Union.

Lincoln and Reconstruction does more than speculate. It is a rich source of factual material regarding Lincoln the politician.

His goal was to attain achievable objectives through flexibility, weaving together coalitions, moving public opinion through communication while maintaining fealty to the Constitution.

The president was pressured by two opposing forces: abolitionists in his party and the military necessity of keeping the border states in the Union. Lincoln juggled these disparate political pressures keeping true to his inner core of beliefs.

Lincoln also grew in his empathy toward African Americans. What he viewed initially as a war to keep rebelling separatists from leaving the Union evolved into a war to end slavery. Lincoln constantly refined his understanding of what emancipation might mean.

John C. Rodrigue, professor of history at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, eschews secondary sources for the most part and focuses on Lincoln’s own writings.

Streisand

there’s something to act. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end. [With rock songs] you just repeat the phrase.”

From page 31 to describe it. It doesn’t come in a bottle.”

Her father died when she was in infancy.

She was known for that, as “the girl with no father,” she recalled, and for having “a good voice.”

More inspired as a teenager by the soundtrack to Guys and Dolls than by the latest hit from Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry, she preferred Broadway musicals to rock ‘n’ roll.

“I looked for the lyrics first. If I relate to the lyric, I can sing the song. I took for granted my voice.”

In the show tunes Streisand admired, she said, “There is a character playing those parts and singing those songs. So

Early and late ambitions Looking back at her career, Streisand recalls a framed photo she had in her old home, before she moved to Malibu, California. It was of an interview she did at age 19.

“They asked me, ‘What do you want to be?’ It was like, ‘Well, I want to do lots of things. I want to act, sing.’ Oh, I even said I would like to direct an opera someday.

Which I always thought I’d like to do. I never got around to that. Although it’s possible that’s something I could do.” © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Redefine retirement by volunteering

By Family Features Everyone benefits when older adults remain engaged, independent and included.

Instead of letting age define their circumstances, older Americans are embracing change, pushing boundaries and transforming their communities through creativity, commitment and service.

As a first stop for anyone looking to explore volunteer opportunities, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors connect individuals and organizations through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps Seniors matches Americans 55 and older with opportunities to improve their communities through the contribution of time, passion, skills and experience.

“AmeriCorps Seniors is tailor-made for those aged 55 and older,” said Atalaya Sergi, director of AmeriCorps Seniors.

“It provides a space for older adults to take charge of their ‘second act’ and use their time in valuable and impactful ways.

All of our volunteers share a goal of making a difference in their communities, and many see their involvement as a chance to make friends and form meaningful connections.”

More than 140,000 Americans are matched with volunteer opportunities each year through three programs: RSVP, the Foster Grandparent Program and the

Senior Companion Program.

Consider these ways older adults can get involved in their communities:

2016. “They’re teaching me, and at the same time, I’m teaching them.”

Help other older adults Respond to community needs With more than 115,000 volunteers, RSVP is the largest of the programs. The program partners with national, state and local organizations to offer volunteers a wide range of service opportunities, from building houses to delivering food.

“All the people you meet when you’re a volunteer tell you their stories and experiences,” said Srini Srinivas, a volunteer serving with the RSVP program. “You find that very rewarding, and it enriches your life. Doing this service is a way of paying it forward.”

Be a mentor For older adults interested in working with children, the Foster Grandparent Program pairs volunteers with local schools and other programs focused on children, caring for and working with classes, groups or individual students.

“My motto is, ‘There is never a never.

You can always accomplish something.’

I’m here to help the kids learn, be there for them and teach them as much as I can,” said volunteer Priscilla Tsethlikai, who has been involved with the program since

Fostering relationships with other older adults is also a rewarding and needed option. Volunteers serving with the Senior Companion Program give about 20 hours each week and spend time with older adults in need of companionship or help with dayto-day tasks such as grocery shopping, getting to appointments or paying bills.

“Volunteering has changed me; it keeps me grounded,” Carmen Swanson said.

“When you help others and do for others, you enrich your life. My favorite part is being available and of service to them.

Whatever their desire is, whatever they’d like to achieve — if I can execute the task, follow it through and accomplish it, then it makes my day.”

The idea of choosing our own paths as we age has one overarching sentiment: Growing older can and should be empowering.

“We know there are stereotypes surrounding older adults, but we want people to shift their thinking,” Sergi said.

“When the older adults in our communities are engaged, valued and genuinely included, we all benefit.”

For more information and to find volunteer opportunities near you, visit AmeriCorps.gov/YourMoment.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 13

OPEN MIC AT THE WRITER’S CENTER All writers are welcome to share five minutes of their latest work

at the Writer’s Center Open Mic night on Wed., March 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. Signup starts at 6:45 p.m. and is limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read. Prose, poetry and spoken word are welcome. The Writer’s Center is at 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD. For more information, call (301) 654-8664.

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Despite our name, the Friday Morning Music Club presents FREE concerts open to the public every day of the week! We invite you to attend our chamber concerts: Thursday February 8 at 3pm Ingleside at King Farm, Rockville Friday February 9 at 12 Noon St George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington Thursday February 15 at Noon Old Town Hall, Fairfax City Friday February 16 at Noon Live! at 10th & G, 945 G St. NW, DC Friday February 23 at Noon Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase

Tuesday February 27 at 7:30pm Student recital, Goodwin House, Alexandria Thursdays March 1 & 8 at Noon St George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington Thursday March 7 at 1pm The Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda Thursday, March 14 at 7pm Dumbarton House, DC

Also our free orchestra concert on n Saturday March 9, 7:30 pm at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring featuring a performance of Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto.

Musicians and music lovers are welcome to join FMMC. Interested in singing or playing at our concerts? Virtual auditions accepted anytime for voice, piano and instruments, or schedule an in-person audition on March 22, 2024. See fmmc.org for more information on our concerts and auditions.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

How not to answer a telephone poll Politics is webbed into my DNA. Been I did hang in until the bitter end. But if my that way since I was a pup (don’t ask how answers help to elect or defeat a particular long ago that was). candidate, I’ll be very surprised.

I think about politics, talk File the entire exercise about politics, write about polunder: “I wish I had been playitics, lose old friends over poling tiddledywinks instead.” itics. But until the other day, I The pollster and I got off on had never taken part in a pothe wrong foot as soon as she litical poll. asked her first question. It I’ll never take part in another. was: “Which issue do you When I answered the think is the most important in phone, a female voice, obvithe 2024 election cycle?” ously young, obviously read- HOW I SEE IT “I get only one?” I asked. “I ing from a prepared script, By Bob Levey could list 15.” said I had been chosen by “Sir,” she said, with forced Company XYZ to express my political courtesy, “I can only accept one answer.” views. Wise old owl that I fancy myself to So, I voted for climate change. I was albe, I should have hung up. ready gritting my ornery old-guy teeth.

But I decided to ride with it. Chance to More gritting over the second question: put my thumb on the scale, right, old boy? “How do you feel about political polarizaWhat could go wrong? tion in American today?”

Everything could go wrong. Everything “I hate it,” I said. “But that doesn’t do did. justice to your question.”

All the questions were either too general I launched into a spiel about how the or too imprecise. The entire process tried to two major parties aren’t really trying to shoehorn me into either the land of blue or govern or solve problems. I remember the land of red. Life — and politics — can- when the opposite was true, I told my not be a simple matter of yesses or nos. caller. But today, candidates are just trying

to raise money so they can get elected or re-elected.

Here came more forced courtesy: “Sir,” she said, “I’ll put you down for hating it.”

Of course, that didn’t reflect my answer fully. But neither she, nor whoever was paying her, cared about that.

Question Three: Do I feel that the Republican Party really cares about people like me?

“I have no idea,” I said, “because the issue isn’t my feelings. It’s results. I’m all about political parties achieving results.”

“So, you don’t think the Republican Party cares about you?”

“I didn’t say that. You’re leading the witness. My full answer would keep you on the phone with me for ten additional minutes.”

The pollster paused briefly, as if she were trying to decide how to log my reply.

I have no idea what she came up with. By this point, I was almost past caring.

Then Question Four: “Have you ever given money to a political candidate or a political party?”

I refused to answer. If I had said yes, I’d be badgered from now until kingdom come for a buck or two (I am anyway). If I said no, well, who knows? I might have to go back three spaces and lose my turn.

Question Five: “Do Democrats handle the economy better than Republicans?”

My inner senior-citizen wise-guy was rounding into top form by now. “My an-

swer is none of the above,” I said.

“Sir,” said my pollster, “I need an answer of one or the other.”

I told her that I couldn’t give her just one. The economy was so complicated, and the forces that determine it are so far beyond political control, that I… “Thank you, sir,” she said, a bit abruptly.

Then a final question: “Which party do you trust more to keep you and your family safe?”

“Again, I can’t give you a simple answer,” I said. “Keeping me and my family safe is about world politics, not just domestic politics. You are boiling down complicated questions to the point where there’s no more water left in the pot.”

She thanked me for my time. I could tell she didn’t mean it. I was starting to ask her a few questions of my own — Which party commissioned this survey? How did you choose me to interview? — when I heard a click. The poll was over.

Polls get far too much attention in today’s politics. Time and again, they have proven to be less than crystal-ball accurate about who will win on Election Day. But the real issue is why poll questions are so often posed as either-or, and love-itor-hate it. Never before have political issues been so complicated. We’ll never solve them if pollsters keep shoving us into blue or red cubbyholes.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 19

MILITARY CAREERS EXPO

Inova Health Systems invites the military community to explore various career opportunities, clinical and administrative, available at all levels of employment. The organization seeks to recruit new hires at this free event on Mon., Feb. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Inova Conference Center, 8100 Innovation Park Dr., Fairfax, VA. Register at inova.org/careers/salute-to-service. For more information, contact Samantha Pell at (425) 647-6478.

Feb. 22

WRITING WORKSHOP (VIRTUAL)

Join Eastern Shore Writers for a transformative creative writing workshop exploring memories of childhood and home. This free event takes place on Thu., Feb. 22 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Zoom. Register at bit.ly/WritingMemories. For more information, visit easternshorewriters.org.

Mar. 9

FREE POP AND SOUL MUSIC CONCERT

Join the Bloom at Good Hope series for a free concert of beloved pop and soul music featuring vocalist Rochelle Rice and the women’s vocal group Beheld. This event takes place on Sat., March 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center, 14715 Good Hope Rd., Silver Spring, MD. For more information and to RSVP, visit bit.ly/PopSoulConcert.

Mar. 30 WB224

CHERRY BLOSSOM CONCERT

Tenor Jinhai Wang and Medmusic perform Broadway, classical, opera, Chinese folk, Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti, and more at the Medmusic 2024 Cherry Blossom Concert on Sat., March 30, at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets start at $30, with second ticket half off. The concert takes place at Gaithersburg High School, 101 Education Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (240) 688-5135.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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Celebrates 100 Years!

In 2024, Seabury will celebrate 100 years of service to older adults across the greater DC region. For 100 years we have provided affordable housing and services to support people aging with dignity and independence.

Today, we serve over 6,000 people and their families with experienced care managers, high quality senior living communities, free meals to low-income seniors, and much, much more.

Help us celebrate this milestone!

Join us May 16th at the National Museum for Women in the Arts for a Gala for the Ages. To buy tickets or register as a sponsor, visit www.seaburyresources.org/centennial.

Thank you to our Sponsors:

Family & Nursing Care

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Find a new crossword every day on our website at www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com/puzzles.

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Across 1. Sssymbols of Egyptian royalty 5. Choose to be included or excluded from a mailing list 8. Series of mountains 13. Plague villain 14. The Love Boat characters 15. Bloomin’ ___ (appetizer) 16. Polygon in an architectural plan 17. White hat wearer 18. Like a bathroom floor 19. Cloud behind Pepe Le Pew 22. Author of code of ethics for Drs. 23. Tooth number for an upper molar 24. Apprehend 27. “I’ll take that as ___” 29. Up-to-date 30. The video to their song Take on Me has been viewed over one billion times 33. Comets’ paths 37. Wild pig 38. Rustic lodging 39. Home of the Indonesian International Film Festival 40. The cafeteria monitors are alert 45. “and some other stuff, too” 46. Pantry raider 47. Dove call 48. New York to London cruise dir.

49. Key near the space bar 50. Single-stranded carrier of genetic info.

52. Still innocent 60. Abrupt 61. On the cutting ___ 62. Deuce beater 63. More like the fox than the crow 64. Commit a pinball violation 65. Man-eating monster 66. Guilty, Not Guilty, and Nolo Contendere 67. Swallowed a swallow 68. Partners to cones and reels

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Scrabble answers on p. 39.

By Stephen Sherr

2. Opposite of a neat freak 3. Lowly laborer 4. Polynesian island nation 5. Its thickest variety is “Most Stuf ” 6. Nation south of the Ecuador 7. Ark boarding groups 8. Rounded building 9. Japanese ‘toons 10. North-flowing African river 11. “As the saying ___...”

12. Conclusion 14. Chinese president, ___ Kai-shek 20. One of Marvel’s mutants 21. Last part out for most newborns 24. Chivalrous 25. In the neighborhood of 26. He voiced five characters in Who Framed Roger Rabbit 28. Lyrical poet 29. Morning Joe network 30. “Do you live in ___?”

31. Actress Hayes or Hunt 32. Comment to the audience 34. Soldier in a Middle Earth army 35. End for cappucc- or marasch36. The last part of PIN or SSN 41. They hold your horses 42. Captivated by 43. Frozen dessert 44. Longest units of geologic time 49. Transporting shipping containers 51. Golden Globe nominee 52. Scream bloody murder 53. Shallowest of the Great Lakes 54. VHS competitor 55. Do post-production work on a movie 56. Gawk at 57. Therefore 58. One of The Breakfast Club archetypes 59. Sometimes they are bigger than your stomach 60. Recipe amt.

Answers on page 39.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

History From page 1

37

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

rights activists held six meetings and 12 workshops in the church to train people for voting rights sit-ins, boycotts and marches — events that made the church a target for white supremacists opposed to the movement.

Her father, a Baptist minister at a nearby church, scooped some of the stained-glass pieces off the ground and brought them home in a box.

“He and Mom let us peer into that box and carefully handle the sharp, dusty pieces,” Jimerson recalled in an interview with the Beacon.

The shards had a prominent place on a hutch in her family’s home until Jimerson in 2013 donated them to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the “Year of Birmingham,” the year that King wrote his historic “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” on April 16.

It was also the year that thousands of Birmingham youngsters, ages six to teens, held a public demonstration in May called the Children’s Crusade.

Young students left school and marched for three days. Some, like Hrabowski, were jailed. Historians say 1963 was a turning point in the American Civil Rights Movement.

From Virginia to Alabama Before moving to Birmingham, Jimerson lived in Hopewell, Virginia, where her father was a chaplain at a federal penitentiary nearby. Though three years had passed since the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision, which found public school racial segregation unconstitutional, Virginia schools remained segregated.

“Segregation in Hopewell was still so complete that I didn’t have much idea that any African Americans lived in Hopewell,” Jimerson said. “I was an innocent participant in [white residents’] massive resistance” to Brown.

When her father considered a new job in Alabama, Ann, nine years old, urged him to take the job to help bring people together.

So the family moved to Birmingham, where her father worked as executive director of the Alabama Council on Human Relations, which Dr. King said was the only group that “brought the two races together to solve shared problems.”

During the Jimersons’ nightly devotionals, Ann’s parents would talk about racial injustices and the unrest sweeping the country. The atmosphere in Birmingham was tense, she remembers. Her parents warned her and her four siblings not to discuss their father’s work or civil rights issues with their peers or teachers. Still, her family received anonymous, threatening telephone calls.

Kids in Birmingham Jimerson talks about her childhood in

Birmingham with others who were there.

Kids in Birmingham has monthly Zoom meetings with around 20 to 30 participants.

Jimerson formed Kids in Birmingham as not only a support group but a living history project, too. The group’s 65 “storytellers,” who live all across the country, have posted their memories on the organization’s website.

In addition, they received grants from the Alabama Humanities Alliance to work with local teachers on lesson plans for teaching Birmingham’s civil rights story, an effort they call the Coalition for True History. They have completed one grant and are now using the second.

“We wanted to do more than reminisce,” Jimerson explained. “We wanted to find effective ways to give back to Birmingham, with two areas of focus: education and reconciliation.”

“Most Birmingham students don’t know

that history,” Jimerson said. She and Townsend also give talks at local schools, including the Summit School in Edgewater, Maryland.

Hrabowski worries that people today underappreciate the struggles of the 1960s.

“Talking about the Civil Rights Movement today is as far removed as talking about the Civil War,” he said.

Recording unrecorded history Since 2015, Jimerson has also cochaired Desegregation of Virginia Education (DOVE), an organization that collects and preser ves records documenting the state’s refusal to desegregate public schools. Its volunteers gather correspondence, reports, photographs, personal papers, school board minutes, diaries, scrapbooks, yearbooks and records from groups both for and against integration.

So far the group’s volunteers have recorded almost 200 oral histories of people who experienced school desegregation in the state.

“I love listening to people’s stories,” Jimerson said. “It’s an opportunity to capture history that has been lost. In some cases, the oral histories are the only histories of how school desegregation unfolded.”

During her career, Jimerson worked in social marketing and public health for 30 years. After she retired, she turned to civil rights efforts.

“I love playing a part in helping people make connections and seeing the difference it makes for young people to connect with us older folk — and for us older ones to connect with today’s youth. I love this work more than anything I’ve done. It feeds my soul.”

For more information, visit kidsinbirmingham1963.org and bit.ly/DOVEhistory.

38

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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Personals

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Feb. 26

MANAGING YOUR PRIVACY

Visit the Aspen Hill Library on Mon., RETIRED, WIDOW, 64 YEARS, financially secure. Looking for a friend, companion, possible long term, travel buddy. Would like to travel more. I enjoy anything new and different. I enjoy doing most things. (easy to please). I can be shy, sometimes a little awkward at times, funny. Love to eat out, see movies, horseback riding (some), sailing, boating, scuba (some)baseball, hockey game, rides in the country, museums, would love to try skydiving. Would like to share new experiences. Warm weather, beaches or mountains are all good, casual attire. (tip) I can be bribed with chocolate cake if needed. Texting & phone exchanges are Ok, However nothing can replace in person. email me at ronald61559@gmail.com, for pics and talk.

SEEKING ROOMMATE. Looking for a quiet and friendly woman between the ages of 60 - 75 to share a nice house in the White Oak area of Silver Spring, MD. We are a vegetarian household. Please call Carol between 5— 7:30 pm any day of the week. (301) 754-1289.

Feb. 26, from 2 to 3 p.m. to learn essential privacy tips, how ads target you online, how to limit tracking, and where to find browser settings and extensions to better control how your information is shared. You’ll also hear about password managers and why they’re a safe and secure option. This free event takes place at 4407 Aspen Hill Rd., Rockville, MD. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (240) 773-9410.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

FROM PAGE 36 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD A S P S O P T R A N G E F L E A C R E W O N I O N H E R O T I L E D R O O M O B N O X I O U S F U M E S A M A O N E N A B A N O M O D A H A O B L O N G D I S T A N C E S B O A R I N N B A L I L U N C H I S O B S E R V E D A N T C O O E N E E T C A L T R N A Y E T T O B E O B S C E N E E D G E T R E Y T E R S E T I L T O G R E S L I E R P L E A S A T E R O D S

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: EXERT UNIFY SPRUCE OVERDO Answer: They needed a remedy, so they went to a highly-rated doctor to — PROCURE ONE

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Clinical Health Studies Hearing Study (UMD) . . . .13

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39

Medical/Health/ Insurance Center for Healing Family Relationships . . . . . . . . . .14

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40

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

(no alarm necessar sary y) Your years of o ser vice taught yo u th e impor tan ce of o physical f itn ess an d keepin g your body y rea dy for a c tion. At Falcons L an din g thiss idea lives on, but we repla ced th e obsta cle course with walkin g trails, drill sergean nts with personal train a ers an d PT in th e dir t with a state - of- th e -ar t f itn ess center, in cludin g a Junior Oly ympic in door swimm min g pool. You’ll still break a sweat , but n ow it will be with a smile on your fa ce e.

C ALL 70 3- 29 2 3-5054 T O SCHEDULE E A T OUR T O OD AY !

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