March 2016 | Baltimore Beacon

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For good friends Susan Bank and Suzanne Levin-Lapides, their love of miniatures — in their case, dollhouses — is an extension of their professional interest in interior design.

The two worked together for years at a design firm, developing a friendship that saw them through raising their children as well as pursuing their careers.

Bank, who lives in Owings Mills, was inspired to start collecting seriously more than 30 years ago. Now 70, she has both dollhouses and room boxes that she displays in her finished basement (“they take up a lot of room!”). There she enjoys them

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MARCH 2016

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Making a world in miniature

By Carol Sorgen Paula Setters Driftmeyer didn’t have a dollhouse when she was a little girl. Now 58, the Perry Hall resident is making up for lost time with her collection of “room boxes” — think dollhouse rooms but without the house surrounding them.

“I’m fascinated by their small size,” said Driftmeyer, the executive director of a nonprofit organization. “Anything you can imagine in real life, you can make in miniature.”

A room box is a three-dimensional display of miniature environments made to scale. While some represent typical rooms such as bedrooms, kitchens, and the like, room boxes can also display both exterior and interior views that are whimsical as well as realistic.

Some miniaturists, like Driftmeyer, focus primarily on room boxes, while others may prefer to work on larger projects, such as dollhouses or miniature villages.

Driftmeyer’s collection of rooms numbers about a dozen so far, with themes ranging from a Southwest room to a sleeping porch, garden shed, and abbey ruin.

“Whatever strikes my fancy,” she said. Her “corner rooms” were recently featured in Miniature Collector magazine.

What draws Driftmeyer to the world of miniatures is the quality of the workmanship on such a tiny scale — whether it’s the minute caning on chairs to thumbnail-size paintings. “I imagine myself living in this setting,” she said, “where everything stays perfect and the dishes never get dirty!”

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

Exploring Key West’s wildlife and wild life, as well as a national park nearby; plus, where not to go — and when — this year page 23

Paula Setters Driftmeyer is shown with one of the “room boxes” she creates and collects. She has plenty of company in her pursuit of making and showing the dollhouselike rooms: A group called Maryland Miniature Enthusiasts holds monthly meetings and regular exhibits, and museums like the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago include dollhouses in their collections.

herself, as well as shows them off to visiting friends and grandkids.

Levin-Lapides was drawn into collecting dollhouses by Bank. The two became avid collectors, attending dollhouse and miniature shows, and talking “endlessly” about designs for their structures.

Levin-Lapides built her first dollhouse herself, and then added a miniature garden, an “art studio” in a barn complete with loom and easels, and a small Nantucket cottage.

Though she has had to downsize (for real) in recent years, Levin-Lapides said that the hobby was a wonderful way to express a love of structure and interiors on a small scale, as well as sharing “a passion for the arts and love of collecting” with a good friend.

Miniatures are a big business Ruth and Ron Dubois are so enthralled by the world of miniatures that they started a business, Forever Friends, in their Olney home. It began as part-time work, but has been almost full time since they “retired” 12 years ago.

Ruth, 68, meets with customers to help them decorate their dollhouses, while Ron, 74, handles everything from building and repairing, to adding electricity, wallpaper, shingles and more.

“I’ve always been a doll person,” said Ruth, recalling the dollhouse her father built for her when she was a child.

Whereas most dollhouses were once See DOLLHOUSES, page 27

ARTS & STYLE

The craft of beading connects artist with historical traditions; plus songs still carry the show in South Pacific page 26 TECHNOLOGY k Technology/privacy trade-off k How to block calls and texts

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FITNESS & HEALTH 7 k What is (and isn’t) normal aging? k Fight the flu naturally LAW & MONEY 17 k A 2016 stock market game plan k What’s required for RMDs? ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Discover what’s next A recent survey of older adults in the business leaders, successful (and strugarea found that more than 40 percent ex- gling) entrepreneurs, creative high-tech pect to work full or part time product developers, as well after turning 65. as experts in aging and busiMany want to work to stay ness for a one-day intensive active and engaged, but a sigseminar about opportunities nificant percentage also say in the “longevity economy” they’ll need to work because — that is, ways to capitalize their savings and investments intelligently on the growing are insufficient (especially needs of aging boomers and with the stock market as older Americans. volatile as it is now).

This will be the 13th year There are local services, as for What’s Next (and my 7th we’ve reported in the Beacon, FROM THE to appear on the program, that can assist you in prepar- PUBLISHER speaking about how to comBy Stuart P. Rosenthal ing yourself for, and finding, a municate effectively with new job. older adults through print But nearly a quarter of all new business- media). The good news is, this year’s es are started by people age 55 to 64, ac- event will take place at the Omni Shorecording to a 2013 study, so entrepreneur- ham Hotel in Washington, D.C., so you ship is also alive and well. don’t need to travel far to attend.

If you’ve thought about starting your The What’s Next summit is produced own business, and particularly if you each year by Dr. Mary Furlong, a profesmight consider a product or service aimed sor of entrepreneurship as well as serial at the 50+ consumer market, there’s an entrepreneur herself. Mary founded both event coming up soon (and nearby) that SeniorNet, the first social network and could be a good investment. computer training service for older adults, Called “What’s Next: the 2016 Boomer and Third Age Media, one of the first InterBusiness Summit,” this one-day event on net portals targeting boomers.

Wednesday, March 23, will bring together The author of Turning Silver into Gold:

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How to profit in the new boomer marketplace, Furlong shares her expertise on 50+ consumers and their preferences as a consultant to major corporations, a resource for new businesses, and a matchmaker for business relationships at her annual conferences.

So, what can a person learn at What’s Next this March? A good deal of the programming focuses on the latest technologies and services available both to address the needs of older consumers and to assist business owners in managing their businesses.

I particularly enjoy hearing from entrepreneurs who have gotten off to a strong start, as well as valuable lessons from those who now know why they failed.

Some venture capitalists who fund new business will be present, and you’ll hear how to craft a pitch they might even listen to.

Speakers include bloggers like Laurie Orlov, who keeps tabs on the latest products for aging in place, and surveys older adults on their use of technology.

Also speaking will be experts from established organizations like the Pew Research Center, AARP and Consumer Reports, as well as leaders from the new “sharing economy” businesses, such as Lyft and Airbnb.

Find out what it means to have a “digital strategy,” to engage in “multi-media marketing,” and hear about the “riches in the niches.”

Yes, there tends to be a lot of jargon at

these things, but learning what these terms mean and how to use them can be helpful, too.

In addition to 18 break-out sessions — ranging from “funding and growing your start-up,” to “the business of caregiving,” to “focusing on financial security in later life” — you can sit down for lunch with your choice of speaker, author, analyst or entrepreneur. There’s one hosting each lunch table.

I always leave What’s Next with my head bursting with ideas and my pockets full of business cards. The challenge is to actually pursue the relationships that start there and make something productive happen.

If you’re just casually exploring the idea of starting a business, or have no interest in the “senior/boomer” market, you might not want to invest the time or money for a program of this type.

But if you’re already investing in books and seminars, and are serious about going out on your own, for what you can get out of this event, the price is actually quite modest.

Early bird registration is $275. Our readers have been kindly offered 20 percent off (making it $220) by using this promo code: wn16beacon. For more information or to register, go to www.boomersummit.com.

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

Dear Editor: The publisher’s column “Out of Pocket, Part II” in February’s Beacon discusses why pharmaceutical companies have lobbied hard against importing drugs into the U.S. The first explanation is that pharmaceutical company manufacturers say that it costs $2.6 billion to bring a new drug to market.

This widely quoted estimate is based on a November 18, 2014 announcement from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. But on the same day, a feature article in the New York Times, “$2.6 Billion to Develop a Drug? New Estimate Makes Questionable Assumptions,” by pediatrician Aaron E. Carroll, stated that, “We should take this announcement with a grain of salt.”

One reason for the skepticism is that the Tufts study includes $1.2 billion as an “opportunity cost.” As Dr. Carroll explained, instead of investing in research and development, a pharmaceutical company could have used its money elsewhere, such as investing. But a pharma-

ceutical company that uses its money to invest in the stock market instead of using it for research and development stops being a pharmaceutical company.

Another reason, which is of particular concern to taxpayers, is that a fairly large amount of research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and some drugs are developed as a result of this taxpayer-supported research. Therefore, the total costs of drug development are not borne by pharmaceutical companies.

Estimates of what it costs to develop a new drug vary widely, from less than onetenth of the $2.6 billion from the Tufts study to as high as $5 billion. Perhaps we will know with certainty only when pharmaceutical companies open their books for close scrutiny.

Michael S. Altus Baltimore Dear Editor: Thank you for your February cover arSee LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 27

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

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Technology &

Innovations Technology’s benefits vs. (privacy) costs

By Anick Jesdanun and David Hamilton This year, consumers will be entrusting even more of our lives and intimate details to our technologically advanced cars, homes, appliances and even toys — and to the companies that build them.

Are we ready for that?

You might, for instance, like the idea of turning on your TV with a spoken command — no more fumbling for the remote!

But for that to work, the TV needs to be listening all the time, even when you’re not watching. That means even when you’re discussing something extremely personal, or engaged in some other activity to which you’d rather not invite eavesdroppers.

How much should you worry? Maybe your

TV never records any of your casual conversations. Or maybe its manufacturer is recording all that, but just to find ways to make the TV better at understanding what you want it to do. Or maybe it retains everything it hears for some other hidden purpose?

You may never know for sure. At best, you can hope the company keeps its promises on privacy. More important, you have to trust that its computer systems are really secure, or even those promises can suddenly become worthless. That part is increasingly difficult to guarantee — or believe — as hacking becomes routine.

Technology pros and cons Indeed, every technological benefit

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comes with a cost in the form of a threat to privacy. Yet not paying that price has its own cost: an inability to participate in some of technology’s helpful achievements.

Because smart gadgets thrive on data — data about you and your habits, data about what large numbers of people do or say or appear to want in particular situations — it’s difficult not to share pretty much everything with them. Doing otherwise would be like turning off your phone’s location services, which disables many of its most useful features.

The consequences aren’t restricted to phones and TVs: • Kids will be able to talk to more toys and get personalized, computer-generated responses. Does the “don’t talk to strangers” rule apply if the stranger is the Hello Barbie talking doll or Dino, the dinosaur powered by IBM’s Watson artificial-intelligence system?

• Cars will work with GPS technology and sensors in parking meters, roads and home appliances to help route you around traffic and turn on your living-room lights as you approach the driveway. But that can also generate a detailed record of your whereabouts.

• Thermostats from Nest and other companies will get smarter at conserving energy when you’re away. Potential burglars might find that information handy.

• Home security cameras are getting cheaper and more plentiful, but they’re sometimes insecure themselves, especially if you set them up without care. There’s already a website that streams video from

cameras that have no passwords.

• Wearable health devices will track your heart rate, fitness levels and more — and share achievements with friends and family. But slacking off may carry a heavier cost than those extra holiday pounds if your insurance company yanks discounts for not meeting fitness goals.

Incremental loss of privacy The pending onslaught of privacy tradeoffs might seem trivial when it comes to a talking — and listening — Barbie doll. But maybe it’s less so when your phone knows enough about you to remind you it’s time to leave for an important interview (if the alternative would be losing a shot at that job) or your smart home can really tell you if you turned off the oven before leaving for an international trip.

“The encroachments on our privacy are often self-inflicted, in the sense that we will accept the trade-off one bit at a time,” said John Palfrey, co-author of Interop: The Promise and Perils of Highly Interconnected Systems.

And these trade-offs can be quite subtle.

Technological advances typically offer immediate, tangible benefits that, once you’ve put enough of them together, can indeed revolutionize daily life. Can you imagine living your life without a smartphone?

In contrast, the risks tend to be diffuse, abstract and often difficult to ascertain even if you’re paying attention. In a recent study, the Pew Research Center said about See LOSS OF PRIVACY, page 5

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How to block telemarketing calls and texts

By Kaitlin Pitsker If you’d rather not get another offer to fix you up with a “free” cruise, a few simple steps can eliminate most such annoying calls and text messages.

Start by adding your landline and cellphone numbers to the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov). Your number should appear on the list the next day, and most sales calls will stop after your number has been on the registry for 31 days.

Registration does not expire, but it’s a good idea to occasionally verify that your number is still listed on the website.

Unfortunately, political organizations, charities and companies with which you have done business within the past 18 months are exempt from the do-not-call restrictions. And robocalls, which use automated dialers to place calls (and which are generally illegal if they’re trying to sell you something), won’t be deterred, either.

Helpful services, devices

A smarter smartphone

So what else can you do? If you have either a landline or a VoIP phone (which uses an Internet connection rather than a phone line), ask your phone company about anonymous-call rejection. This service weeds out calls from companies that have withheld their names and numbers from caller ID — a common tactic among robocallers.

For more control over incoming calls, consider a device such as Digitone Call Blocker Plus (about $100). The box plugs into your phone line, allowing you to approve welcome callers and banish others to a blacklist.

If you have a VoIP-based phone service, Nomorobo offers a simple solution. The free service, which works with Frontier, Verizon FiOS and Vonage, among others, compares incoming calls with a list of known robocallers. When a blacklisted call comes in, your phone rings, then drops the call.

To ban nuisance calls and messages from reaching your smartphone, use an app such as Truecaller (free; Apple and Android) or PrivacyStar (free; Android). These apps combine public databases with crowdsourcing and their own algorithms to identify annoying or suspicious calls and texts.

Most smartphones have built-in features to screen out unwanted calls. To block a number that has contacted your

Loss of privacy

Step One in managing interactions with our newly smart digital companions comes down to simple attentiveness. Grandparents, for instance, can be actively involved in what their grandkids are doing — in this case, by taking the time to review and delete conversations from ToyTalk’s website.

Step Two might be learning to say no.

Many services ask for birth dates, phone numbers and even income levels just because they can — and few people resist.

If enough people rise up, companies will stop. There’s precedent: So many people fed up with online ads have turned to ad blockers that websites are taking steps to make ads less annoying.

There will always be a trade-off, but the balance can shift — AP

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half of American adults have no confidence that they understand what’s being done with their data, and about a third are discouraged by the amount of effort needed to get that understanding.

In short, convenience usually wins.

Shiny new things are inherently attractive, and it takes a while for some of us to get uneasy about the extent to which we may be enabling our own surveillance.

Humans have made this bargain with technology for some time. When cameras were invented, legal scholars debated how far you can go snapping pictures of people in public. That’s no longer an issue — although the camera on a drone in your backyard is.

See BLOCKING CALLS, page 6

F R E E

From page 4

iPhone once from calling or texting you again, tap the info icon next to the number and select “Block this caller” at the bottom of the screen.

Most Android users can do the same by selecting the nuisance call or text, clicking on the three-dot menu icon, and choosing “Add to auto reject list.”

Apple’s latest iOS update cleared the

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Beacon Links & Apps

By Barbara Ruben

LINKS All about town If you’re moving to a new city, or just want to get to know your own domicile better, the City Data website can put facts about neighborhoods, restaurants, real estate and more at your fingertips. The site is organized by state, with information about most major metropolitan areas, as well as some smaller ones.

Whether you have a question about safety in a neighborhood you’re thinking of moving to, or want to know about the

new shopping center being built down the road, robust forums for each area provide a way to ask questions and read discussions on dozens of subjects organized by metropolitan area. www.city-data.com

The grand(parent) life Launched in 2015, website Camp Nana Papa offers articles on grandparenting, a section to share photos and memories of your grandchildren, and a marketplace of products and gifts for grandparents and their grandchildren.

The site takes its name from the picture book, The Adventures of Camp Nana Papa, about two children who enjoy a weekend of fun with their grandparents. The book is written by website founder Donnie Cranfill. www.campnanapapa.com

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

There is nothing like a...Digidame?

Four years ago, Lois Whitman-Hess decided to start a daily blog called Digidame to help the 55+ crowd better understand the “ever changing digital world. The real challenge is just not understanding what these technologies do, but how to use them,” she says on the site.

Her blog posts encompass much more than technology, and include travel, politics and art. But she regularly comments on such topics as new gadgets from the recent Consumer Electronics Show. https://digidame.wordpress.com

figured out where you set down the TV remote? What was that third item besides paper towels and toothpaste you need on your next Target trip?

Instead of trying to retrieve all the minutiae of life from the recesses of your brain, you might want to try the Wonderlist app to help jog your memory. It allows you to create as many lists as you need, share them, check them off, prioritize items, get reminders and more. In addition, you can sync the lists across platforms, accessing them on your desktop, phone or tablet.

Wonderlist is free for Apple and Android devices, and is also available online at www.wunderlist.com.

Easy ebook borrowing

APPS Lots of lists What were you planning to do after you

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Get recent bestsellers to read right on your tablet or computer. The 3M Cloud Library app and website allow those who have library cards from Baltimore and Montgomery Counties and the District of Columbia to browse hundreds of recent books and download the ones they want to read.

Books automatically disappear from your device after three weeks, but if you’re not done, you can take them out again.

Some of the most popular books have a waiting list, and the app will tell you exactly how many days it will take to get your hands on that new John Grisham or Gillian Flynn novel.

3M Cloud Library is free for both Apple and Android devices, and is also available online at www.3m.com/us/library/eBook.

Blocking calls From page 5 way for content-blocking apps, such as 1Blocker and Adblock Browser (also available for Android phones), to knock out ads that make it difficult to load or read content in your phone’s browser. (Note: Some Web sites that are supported by ad revenue are beginning to block access to content by devices that block ads.)

If an unwanted call or message gets through and you find yourself talking with a live person, firmly tell him or her to add you to the company’s do-not-call list. If it’s a robocall, just hang up —even if the recording invites you to press a number to opt out.

You can file a complaint against illegal robocallers anytime, and against telemarketers once your number has been registered at www.donotcall.gov for 31 days.

All contents © 2016 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Fitness &

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FIGHT COLDS NATURALLY Try probiotics, oil of oregano, green tea and vitamin D to battle germs PARENTING PREDICAMENTS How not to overstep boundaries with your adult children — and vice versa HARD TO SWALLOW Use care with calcium and other horse pills, which can lead to ER visits TREATMENT AT ANY AGE Those in their 90s can still benefit from heart surgery and cancer therapy

What’s normal for aging and what’s not?

As we age, we all notice changes in our bodies, from our reflexes to our libido.

But some physical changes aren’t a normal part of the aging process. “It’s important to know about them, so we can do all we can to keep ourselves as healthy and active as possible,” said Suzanne Salamon, M.D., a geriatrician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Check out these common age-related health changes to see what’s normal and what’s not.

1. Normal vision changes: The lenses in the eyes become cloudy in later years. “As a result, older people need much more light to be able to see, read and avoid falling,” Salamon said. Also normal: impaired closeup vision and an increase in “floaters.”

Not normal: Loss of peripheral vision, which is a possible symptom of glaucoma, or a sudden increase in floaters accompanied by flashes — a sign of problems with the retina.

Next step: Schedule a comprehensive eye exam with an ophthalmologist.

2. Normal hearing changes: It may be harder to hear someone speaking, espe-

cially with background noise.

Not normal: When it sounds like everyone is mumbling, and you don’t hear the phone or the doorbell ring. Don’t ignore it.

“Hearing loss can cause social isolation when people avoid gatherings because they can’t hear the conversations,” Salamon said.

Next step: Report symptoms to your primary care physician. A simple earwax buildup may be causing the problem. If not, the next step is a hearing evaluation with an audiologist or a visit to a hearing aid specialist.

3. Normal thinking-skills changes: You may misplace keys, forget someone’s name, or take longer to learn something new.

Not normal: Forgetting how to drive, cook, do your finances, or find your way home, especially when accompanied by mood swings and agitation. The cause could be as simple as a lack of sleep or a side effect from a medication. Or it could be an early sign of a disease that causes dementia.

Next step: Report symptoms to your primary care physician, or make an appointment with a neurologist or a geriatrician for a memory screening.

4. Normal urinar y changes: The bladder muscles get weaker, causing more frequent and more urgent need to urinate.

In men, prostate enlargement may require nighttime bathroom visits.

Not normal: Frequent bathroom breaks that interfere with normal daily function or normal sleep patterns. “This needs to be checked out to make sure it’s not a bladder infection or an overactive bladder,” Salamon said.

Next step: Report symptoms to your primary care physician, or make an appointment with a urologist.

5. Normal sleep changes: We spend less time in the deepest stages of sleep as we age. As a result, you may wake up feeling less rested.

Not normal: Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or falling back to sleep after you’ve been awake in the middle of the night.

Next step: Talk to your doctor or go to a sleep specialist. Get a physical exam to make sure there isn’t an underlying cause of sleep problems, such as a medication side effect.

Go to bed and get up at the same time each

day to improve your sleep-wake pattern.

6. Normal taste and smell changes: Some diminishment may make it harder to taste food or detect strong odors.

Not normal: Diminishment that leaves food tasteless. “This can lead to less enjoyment of food, and as a result, poor nutrition and weight loss,” Salamon said.

Next step: Talk to your primary care doctor, or make an appointment with a neurologist or an ear, nose and throat specialist. Often, loss of taste and smell is caused by sinus blockages, but it may signal a neurological condition.

7. Normal fatigue: You may have less energy or endurance than you did when you were younger.

Not normal: A constant feeling of exhaustion. “This often is the result of diseases, such as heart problems or anemia, or a side effect of medications,” Salamon said.

Next step: Report your symptoms to your primary care physician. © 2015. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Rising numbers of new drugs pass muster

By Matthew Perrone Approvals for first-of-a-kind drugs climbed last year, pushing the annual tally of new U.S.

drugs to its highest level in 19 years.

The rising figures reflect an industrywide focus on drugs for rare and hard-to-

treat diseases, which often come with streamlined reviews, extra patent protections — and higher price tags.

Newly approved meds Among the many interesting medications recently approved by the FDA are the following: Kybella (Deoxycholic Acid) — This is known as the “double chin” drug, because once injected, due to the fat-busting bile acids that make up the drug, it improves the appearance of unwanted fat under the jawline. It’s like a chin tuck without the knife!

Addyi (Flibanserin) — This pill supposedly puts women “in the mood,” but sales are less than desirable for Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the new female lust drug.

Why do I think that? Consider that over half a million men filled Viagra prescriptions its first month out, back in 1998. Addyi is clearly not overwhelming

women, because it was prescribed only 227 times during the first month.

Addyi targets dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain and it’s taken daily, so it’s really more like an expensive antidepressant than a sex pill: it costs about $800 a month!

Lenvima (Lenvatinib) — Taken by mouth, this drug is used to treat tough cases of thyroid cancer. It was tested in 392 participants with progressive thyroid cancer that was unresponsive to radioactive treatments. About 65 percent of the participants saw a reduction in tumor size, compared to two percent in those who received a placebo.

Lenvima’s side effects included heart problems, hypertension, fatigue and

body aches, as well as swelling and problems with your voice.

Aristada (Aripiprazole lauroxil) — This new injectable drug treats schizophrenia, severe depression and bipolar disease.

The FDA’s approval of this powerful antipsychotic was based, in part, on the efficacy data of a highly popular drug in this class called Abilify. Americans spent over $7.5 billion dollars for Abilify between October 2013 and September 2014!

Aristada is a long-acting drug that ultimately becomes Abilify, after a few chemical reactions inside your body. So Aristada could be thought of as the parent drug.

— Suzy Cohen

The Food and Drug Administration approved 45 drugs with never-before-sold ingredients in 2015, edging past the previous year’s tally of 41, which had been the highest number since 1996.

FDA drug approvals are considered a barometer of industry innovation and the government’s efficiency in reviewing new therapies.

While the trend toward specialty medicines is good news for industry and patients, it is likely to fuel the ongoing debate over rising prescription drug prices.

That issue has become a top concern for consumers, a subject of congressional scrutiny, and even an issue on the presidential campaign trail. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both outlined proposals designed to curb drug costs.

Many new drugs are pricey The FDA is not allowed to consider prices when approving medicines, though some experts argue it should.

One of the most expensive drugs of the See NEW DRUGS, page 9

8

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Some effective ways to fight colds and flu I think I am a real germaphobe because own “medicinal herb tea” (wink) and then I get very conscious when someone sitting drink it. next to me starts coughing, It will not taste pleasant. especially when they don’t You will probably curse me. cover their mouth. I’ll let the But it’s going to help you. first one slide, but if it hapSqueeze some lemon and pens again, I am apt to leave honey into it, both for flavor or hand them a Kleenex. and health effects.

Is it just me or are you that The key ingredients in way, too? If you feel like you’re oregano are carvacrol and thycoming down with something, mol, both of which inhibit the here are five things that may growth of hundreds of mihelp: croorganisms.

DEAR 1. Oil of oregano is a super PHARMACIST 2. Probiotics should be strong germ fighter. Essential By Suzy Cohen taken daily for proper immunioil of oregano is sold at health ty, but when you feel cold or food stores and online in a little flu symptoms coming on, I feel dropper bottle. Put one or two drops in your like you should at least double up on the

dose. I am not afraid of taking probiotics throughout the day. I’m more afraid of feeling miserable and sick.

High-quality probiotics will improve the quality and count of your healthy diseasefighting bacteria. Some strains will even induce IL-10-producing regulatory T-cells, which is a scientific way of saying they reduce inflammation, and can help improve immune function as well as inflammatory disorders of the gut, like painful Crohn’s.

3. FluNada. This is a natural over-thecounter spray that I typically squirt into my throat. You can also spray this product into your nose, because that is the point of entry for germs.

FluNada contains a homeopathic blend of wintergreen, eucalyptus and elderberry essential oils. It is available at Walgreens and other pharmacies. When you feel like you’re coming down with something, that is the time to use it.

This product was tested by two independent labs and found to be effective against multiple cold and flu strains, including swine, bird and seasonal flu. FluNada provides non-drowsy relief from multiple symptoms, including runny or blocked nose, sore throat, cough, and body aches and pains.

4. Green tea. If you keep rummaging around in my purse, you will find teabags of flavored green tea. It is common for me to ask the waitress at a restaurant for a little cup of hot water “because I have my own medicinal herbs.” Sam affectionately scolded me once saying, “Do you realize we live in Colorado? She thinks your little ‘medicinal herbs’ are a different kind of green tea!”

The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea (its most abundant catechin or antioxidant) was shown in numerous studies, including a 2005 article in Antiviral Research, to have antiviral effects by unraveling the viral membrane.

5. Vitamin D is a strong immune modulator and reduces susceptibility to all sorts of infections. Also, vitamin D controls the expression of more than 900 genes involved in hundreds of physiological functions.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

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INTERGENERATIONAL TECH HELP Are you having problems with your smartphone? Do you have

questions about your laptop or tablet? Schedule an appointment to meet with Natasha, an intern from Dundalk High School at the Ateaze Senior Center, to discuss your technological problems. Sign up at front desk for your one-hour appointment, offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. Make sure to bring your electronic device with you to your appointment. The center is located at 7401 Holabird Ave., Dundalk. For more information, call (410) 887-7233.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

New drugs From page 7 year was Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Orkambi for cystic fibrosis, priced at $259,000 for a year’s supply. The drug improves lung function in patients with the deadly inheritable disease, which causes the buildup of sticky mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other internal organs.

Pfizer’s breast cancer drug, Ibrance, was priced at $118,200 per year, which was typical of new cancer drugs. Even some drugs for more prevalent diseases came with high price-tags: Bristol-Myers Squibb’s hepatitis C pill, Daklinza, costs $63,000 for a 12-week regimen.

Analysts say drugmakers are getting better at picking the most promising drugs in their research and development pipelines. Between 2007 and 2011, only one in 19 drugs entering early-stage testing actually reached the market, according

to industry data analyzed by Bernstein’s Tim Anderson. Today, one in 13 earlystage drugs make it to market.

“These improvements hopefully reflect the pay-off from the industry’s conscious decade-long efforts to ‘turn around’ R&D,” Anderson told investors in a research note last year.

But development takes longer Still, drugmakers continue to face R&D challenges. Anderson notes that the overall time to discover and develop one new drug has been rising for more than a decade, currently averaging about 14 years. The figure was about 11 years in the late 1990s. The increased development time has been driven by the growing complexity of drug trials, and demands for more data from health insurers.

A separate report from Deloitte suggests the largest pharma companies could learn from the R&D strategy of their mid-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

LGBT CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Caregiver Support Group meets every first and third Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the LGBT Health Resource Conference Room at Chase Breston Health Care, 2nd floor, 1111 N. Charles St. The group provides support and understanding for caregivers in this unique situation, while offering the opportunity to meet other caregivers in the community. For more information, email lgbt@chasebrexton.org or call (410) 837-1216.

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size competitors, who tend to focus on a particular family of diseases or conditions.

These smaller companies tend to have lower R&D costs and higher sales per product, according to Deloitte.

“Our analysis indicates that companies who maintain a consistent therapy area

9

footprint are projected to deliver higher R&D returns,” the company stated.

Despite the difficulties of drug development, experts expect the approvals trend to continue. IMS Health predicts 225 new drugs will be approved worldwide between 2016 and 2020.

— AP

10

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Don’t parent an adult child, and vice versa Dear Solutions: I used to be able to correct my children when they were younger. Even when they got older and were adults, when I saw them making some really bad mistakes, and especially if they did something wrong, I could still give them a good tongue lashing.

Now my son is in the middle of a tough conflict that he brought on himself. I thought a good tongue lashing would help straighten him out. But as soon as I

opened my mouth I got clobbered. He doesn’t want to hear me.

Doesn’t experience and knowing better count anymore? What am I supposed to do?

— Old Dad Dear Old Dad: You’re supposed to take the tongue that did the lashing and bite it! When he was younger, that tongue did its job. Now that he’s an adult, you have to move your ears onto center stage and just listen!

Treating Difficulty Standing, Walking, Sitting, and Sleeping attributed to Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, Painful Swollen Legs, Poor Circulation, and "Growing Pains" in Children.

I am a patient who had severe foot pain for 2 years, with no relief in sight....by the end of the 4 days I was 85% pain free in both feet. I thank God for Dr. Goldman and his passion for research in healing people with foot and leg pain.

– Alvin, Baltimore

As a podiatrist with over 30 years experience, I have always focused on non-surgical treatment of foot and leg pain. I find that most people with foot or leg symptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, cramping or difficulty walking) , even those who have had other treatments, including surgery of the foot (or back), can be helped, usually in 1 or 2 visits.

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— Dr. Stuart Goldman Fellow American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Marquis Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare Author, multiple articles on Foot & Leg Symptoms

WATCh reAL PATieNT TeSTiMoNiALS oN heLPForYourFeeT.CoM

Tell him how bad you feel that he’s hav- you’re still here, you can still make deciing trouble, and ask if there’s anything you sions. You’re both adults now, and you’re can do to help. each in charge of yourself.

Memorize my adult chilSoften it (since you’re afraid dren/mature parents golden of alienating her) by telling her rule: “Do not advise without lovingly that she makes you their consent.” Stop interfering feel secure, and that some day with his mistakes. They’re his, if you can’t make decisions for and he has a right to them! yourself anymore she is the Knowing better is no exkind of caring person who can cuse. So, do all those wondertake charge and help you. ful things you were taught Meanwhile, tell her you years ago: button your lip, bite value her opinion, you’d like SOLUTIONS your tongue, etc. Got it? Just her advice, and then you’ll

By Helen Oxenberg, nod. make your own decisions.

MSW, ACSW Dear Solutions: Since your mother had to say My daughter treats me this to you also, you and your like a doddering old fool. Although I’m daughter probably share a “takeover gene.” past 80, I’m not doddering, and I’m Sometimes it’s the child who is most like not a fool. you that is the hardest to get along with.

She doesn’t live too close, but every Dear Solutions: time she visits she starts to direct me.

I have a nephew I’m very fond of, exIf we go shopping, she tells me what to cept that he has never learned to live buy and actually puts things back that within his means, so he’s always asking I’ve chosen, saying, “Oh, you don’t re- me for help financially. I’ve been helpally need that.” ing him, but what would you suggest to If I’m babysitting my grandson (my change this without alienating him? other daughter’s child), when she’s — Aunt there she takes over completely, telling Dear Aunt: him what to do and what not to do.

You’d better start making this a definite, I love her, and I don’t see her too written-down payback agreement. Otheroften. So I don’t want to alienate her. wise, since he can’t seem to live within his But I want to say to her what my moth- means, he’ll just continue to live within er used to say to me when I was young your means. You can help him by being and tried to boss people around: nice, but firm.

“Who died and left you in charge?” © Helen Oxenberg, 2016. Send questions — Still With It to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, Dear With It: MD 20915. To inquire about reprint rights, Say it! Then tell her very nicely that call (609) 655-3684.

Share your opinion: write to the editor.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

Health Shorts Dietary supplements can be hard to swallow A study in the New England Journal of Medicine casts light on a little-known hazard associated with America’s multibilliondollar dietary supplement habit: difficulty swallowing among older people who take vitamin and mineral supplements — particularly calcium supplements.

Using a decade of records from 63 hospitals, researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimated that 23,000 Americans end up in the emergency room because of bad reactions to dietary supplements. This includes herbal supplements and those containing vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients (such as amino acids).

Among people 65 and older, choking and swallowing difficulties accounted for 38 percent of emergency room visits associated with dietary supplements. Calcium supplements are common offenders, which is not surprising given the “horse pill” jumbo-sized form they often come in.

In the case of iron and potassium pills, the more likely problems were nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Many people also complained of mild to moderate allergic reactions to vitamin and mineral supplements, possibly because of ingredients added to hold the pills together.

Older men often take vitamin and mineral supplements for good reasons, but it’s important to take only the recommended doses, and to ingest the pills one at a time and with lots of water.

It may also help to take large pills with a little applesauce or pudding. If your pharmacist says it’s OK, you might be able to split some tablets into two pieces for easier swallowing.

— Harvard Men’s Health Watch

Beware non-invasive pelvic mesh surgery Mesh implants used to repair pelvic collapse in women will face new federal scrutiny, under rules responding to thousands of injuries reported with the problem-prone devices.

In January, the FDA said that makers of pelvic mesh must submit new applications demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of their products. The change follows years of reports of pain, bleeding and in-

fection among women receiving the implants. Those complications sometimes require multiple surgeries to remove or reposition the mesh.

Plastic mesh is often used to strengthen the pelvic wall in cases of so-called pelvic organ prolapse. That’s a condition in which the bladder or other reproductive organs slip out of place, causing pain, constipation and urinary issues.

The mesh is often inserted through the vagina, using a small surgical incision.

This is the procedure that has resulted in more than 20,000 personal injury lawsuits.

The FDA action does not apply to mesh inserted through the abdomen, an alter-

nate approach that requires a larger incision. Nor does it apply to mesh products when used to treat other conditions such as hernias or urinary incontinence.

The FDA action comes more than four years after the agency concluded that women getting vaginal mesh have more complications than women who undergo traditional surgery with stitches.

The FDA said vaginal mesh will now be classified as a “high-risk” medical device, subject to additional regulatory requirements. Previously, the implants were considered “moderate-risk” devices.

— AP

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Lab-grown vocal cords may restore voice

By Lauran Neergaard From mom’s comforting croon to a shout of warning, our voices are the main way we communicate, and are often something we take for granted unless something goes wrong.

Now researchers have grown human vocal cords in the laboratory that appear capable of producing sound — in hopes of one day helping people with voice-robbing diseases or injuries.

Millions of people suffer from voice impairments, usually the temporary kind — such as laryngitis from a virus or a singer who overdoes the performing.

But sometimes the vocal cords become too scarred and stiff to work properly, or even develop cancer and must be removed. There

are few treatments for extensive damage.

Your voice depends on tiny but complex pieces of tissue that must be soft and flexible enough to vibrate as air moves over them — that’s the way they make sound — but tough enough to survive banging together hundreds of times a second.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported the first lab-grown replacement tissue that appears pretty close to the real thing: It produced some sound when tested in voice boxes taken from animals.

“There is no other tissue in the human body that is subject to these types of biomechanical demands,” said Dr. Nathan Welham of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who led the work published in Science Translational Medicine. “This lends prom-

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ise or hope to one day treating some of the most severe voice problems that we face.”

How they did it The vocal cords, what scientists call “vocal folds,” sit inside the larynx or voice box, near the Adam’s apple in the neck.

Welham’s team started with some rare donations of vocal cords from four patients who had had their larynx removed for noncancerous reasons, and from one deceased donor. The researchers culled two types of cells that made up most of the tissue, and grew a large supply of them.

Then they arranged the cells on 3-D collagen scaffolding, and the two cell types began mixing and growing. In 14 days, the result was tissue with the shape and elasticity of human vocal cords, and with similar chemical properties.

But could it work? To tell, the researchers turned to a technique that sounds, well, strange but is a staple in voice research.

They took a larynx that had been removed from a large dog after its death and attached it to a plastic “windpipe” that blew in warm air to simulate breath.

A dog’s voice box is pretty similar to a human’s, Welham said. So the researchers cut out one of the native canine vocal folds and glued a piece of the new bioengineered tissue in its place.

Sure enough, the human tissue vibrated correctly and made sound — a buzzing al-

most like a kazoo, the recordings show.

It didn’t sound like a voice because it takes all the resonating structures of the mouth, throat and nose to “give the human voice its richness and individuality, and make my voice sound recognizable to my loved ones and you to yours,” Welham explained.

But that raw sound was essentially the same when the researchers tested the unaltered dog larynx and when they substituted the newly grown human tissue, suggesting the sound should be more normal if it were placed inside a body, Welham said.

Rejection may not be an issue Wouldn’t the body reject tissue grown from someone else’s cells? Further study using mice engineered to have human immune systems suggested this bioengineered tissue may be tolerated much like corneal transplants, less rejection-prone than other body parts.

This is a first-stage study, and it will take far more research before the approach could be tested in people, cautioned Dr. Norman Hogikyan, a voice specialist at the University of Michigan, who wasn’t involved in the new research.

But “I was impressed,” Hogikyan said.

Growing replacement tissue “is an important step that’s potentially useful in treating scarring from a wide range of reasons.”

— AP

BEACON BITS

Mar. 3

LEARN COMPUTER GAMES

Learn different computer games to develop and challenge your brain at the Arbutus Senior Center library on Thursday, March 3, from 2 to 3 p.m. The center is located at 855A Sulphur Spring Rd. To reserve a seat, call the Arbutus Senior Center at (410) 887-1410.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

Health Studies Page

13

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Can weight loss reduce cancer recurrence?

By Dr. Jessica Yeh Being overweight is a common problem that increases the risk of certain cancers and can decrease survival. About 65 percent of adults in Maryland are overweight, and there are more than 260,000 cancer survivors in the state. This number is expected to increase because of improvements in treatment and early detection.

Studies suggest an association between excess weight and cancer, but we don’t fully understand why. For this reason, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University are conducting a research study on weight loss and a common diabetes medication (Metformin) that might affect the risk of cancer recurrence.

Cancer survivors sought The new study, SPIRIT, (Survivorship Promotion in Reducing IGF-1 Trial), funded by the State of Maryland and the Johns Hopkin Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a research program for cancer survivors who are overweight.

The program aims to get a better understanding of how weight loss and Metformin may affect a hormone produced by

the body (IGF-1), which is potentially related to cancer survival.

To take part in the study, participants must be 18 or older and have been treated for one of the following types of cancer with solid tumors: breast, prostate, lung, colon, melanoma of the skin, endometrial, liver, pancreatic, rectal and kidney. Other cancers may qualify as well.

Participants must have completed treatment at least three months prior to joining the study and have an anticipated treatment-free life span of 12 months or longer.

They must have a BMI of 25 or greater, but cannot weigh more than 400 pounds.

In this study, researchers will gather information about cancer survivors’ health, and then assign eligible participants to one of three groups: self-directed weight loss, health coach-directed weight loss, and Metformin treatment.

For each participant, the group assignment will be randomly made, like drawing a number from a hat. Researchers will then compare the three groups on IGF-1 hormone level and other health outcomes.

The researchers intend to enroll 120 people in SPIRIT.

BEACON BITS

March

BRAIN HEALTH The Baltimore County Department of Aging is sponsoring a series

of events through March that focus on the brain — such as brain fitness, brain foods, normal aging versus dementia and more. For a complete list of events being held at senior centers throughout the county, visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/aging or call (410) 887-2594.

The Johns Hopkins University ProHealth Center in Gwynn Oak is now starting enrollment in the SPIRIT program.

The ProHealth Center is located off of Security Boulevard, and is convenient to get to from I-695 or route 40W. Participants in SPIRIT will be asked to make six visits over the course of one year, which will include blood tests, blood pressure measurement, and other measurements.

Compensation provided Each participant will receive up to $300 for their participation in SPIRIT over a

year-long period. Most importantly, the results from this study may ultimately benefit current cancer survivors, their families, and result in more cancer survivors.

If you would like more information about the SPIRIT study or to see if you qualify, e-mail spirit@jhmi.edu or call Johns Hopkins ProHealth at (410) 2811600. You can also get more information by visiting the study website: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gim/research/prohealth.

Dr. Jessica Yeh is the study’s principal investigator.

14

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Complex treatments can work at any age

By Lindsey Tanner Irwin Weiner felt so good after heart surgery a few weeks before turning 90 that he stopped for a pastrami sandwich on the way home from the hospital. Dorothy Lipkin danced after getting a new hip at age 91. And at 94, William Gandin drives himself to the hospital for cancer treatments.

Jimmy Carter isn’t the only nonagenarian to withstand rigorous medical treatment.

Very old age is no longer an automatic barrier for aggressive therapies — from cancer care like the former president has received, to major heart procedures, joint replacements and even some organ transplants.

In many cases, the nation’s most senior citizens are getting the same treatments

given to people their grandchildren’s age — but with different goals.

“Many elderly patients don’t necessarily want a lot of years. What they want is quality of life,” said Dr. Clifford Kavinsky, a heart specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “They want whatever time is left for them to be high quality. They don’t want to be dependent on their family. They don’t want to end up in a nursing home.”

Treatment for Carter, 91, has included surgery, radiation and a new cancer drug with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. It seems to be working — Carter announced in December that brain scans show no signs of the melanoma that was found in August.

An individual decision The nation’s 90-and-up population, about 2 million people, nearly tripled in recent decades, and the pace is expected to continue.

Many are struggling with more than one agerelated illness that make them poor candidates for aggressive and often costly care. But plenty remain robust enough to give it a try.

Lipkin, now 93, had hip replacement surgery two years ago in the Philadelphia area.

Arthritis made walking difficult and painful.

She’d been a good dancer in her younger days, and had tried to remain active, so her doctor recommended the operation.

“Otherwise I was going to be in a wheelchair the rest of my life,” Lipkin said. Soon after, she made a video doing a line dance to show how well she was healing. In the winter, she lives in Florida, walks at least

half an hour daily, and leads “a normal life.”

Lipkin says having such major surgery at her age should be an individual decision.

Doctors agree. Some 90-year-olds are fitter than some 60-year-olds, but they say other considerations need to be in the mix.

At MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the oldest patients are evaluated by geriatricians — specialists in medical care of the elderly — to make sure they’re able to tolerate harsh treatments. Physical and mental health are assessed. So is social support — whether there are family members or friends available to help during treatment and recovery.

“We do believe that cancer care should not be limited by age,” said Dr. Beatrice Edwards.

See TREATMENTS, page 15

BEACON BITS HEALTH RISKS RELATED TO HEARING LOSS

Mar. 8

Johns Hopkins Medicine presents an online seminar on how agerelated hearing loss is linked to numerous health problems in older adults. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, March 8, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Register at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthseminars or (877) 546-1009.

Ongoing

PUT PAIN IN ITS PLACE

The Baltimore County Department of Aging presents a series of seminars on osteoarthritis pain and strategies for preventing and controlling it. For more information and a complete schedule, call (410) 8872040 or visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/aging/healtheducation.

Ongoing

IMPROVING MEN’S HEALTH

Johns Hopkins physician Kevin Billups discusses the state of men’s health, and ways to improve it online at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mens_health_vitality_program. Learn more about taking part in the Men’s Health Vitality program on the site as well.

Mar.+

NEW LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM

Har Sinai Congregation is launching a new daytime learning program open to the public called SPICE, designed to promote social interaction and educational enrichment. Three classes will be offered this spring: “Great American Music: Broadway Musicals,” “Famous Jews Who Changed the World,” and “Muslims, Christians and Jews.” Costs and start dates vary depending on the class. Download a brochure to register at http://harsinai-md.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/12/SPICE-Brochure.pdf or contact Jo-Ellen Unger at (410) 654-9393.

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

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

For Information, please call the Baltimore VA/University of Maryland Gerontology Recruitment Phone Line

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

Treatments From page 14

Less invasive treatments While many elderly patients are healthy enough to tolerate conventional treatments, advances including more targeted, less toxic drugs and minimally invasive surgery techniques are opening the door to others.

Gandin, the 94-year-old, was diagnosed more than 10 years ago with prostate cancer.

Treatment with radiation and chemotherapy failed to stop cancer from spreading to his lungs and bones. He’s now on hormone treatment that he said is controlling the disease.

A retired Exxon Mobil auditor, Gandin helps take care of his wife of 74 years in their assisted living home in Houston, and is not ready to give up on treatment. “I’m an eternal optimist — that’s what has carried me through,” he said.

Weiner, a retired furniture manufacturer representative, had a hardened, leaky aortic valve — a common condition in late life that can lead to disability and death.

Open-heart surgery is a common option

for heart-valve surgery, but some doctors hesitate to perform it in aged patients, said Kavinsky, the Chicago heart specialist.

Dr. Joseph Lamelas, Weiner’s surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, used a newer approach, implanting a new valve through a small incision on the right side of the chest.

After four days in the hospital last January, Weiner was back home in Boca Raton, Florida, and was well enough to have two big 90th birthday celebrations less than a month later.

Even transplants Organ transplants are less common but not unheard of in the very old. Since 2013, there have been more than 100 kidney transplants in patients aged at least 80, including one in an 88-year-old, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Its records show that since 1987, the nation’s oldest kidney transplant recipient was a 96-year-old.

There are generally no strict age limits on transplants. Dr. Dorry Segev, a Johns Hopkins Medicine transplant specialist, said frailty is a more important factor, and

BEACON BITS

Mar. 13

HONORING THE WOMEN IN OUR LIVES

Gilchrist Grief Services will host a high tea on Sunday, March 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Gramercy Mansion, 1400 Greenspring Valley Rd. in Stevenson. This will be an afternoon of remembering those women who have made an impact in our lives. After tea and sharing, guests will craft together a memory item in honor of these special women. Registration is required by Feb. 29. Cost is $40 per person. For more information or to register, email gs_grief@gilchristservices.org or call (443) 539-4086.

Ongoing

DENTAL AND MEDICAL VOLUNTEER TRIP

Ecuadent Foundation’s mission is to bring free dental and medical care to the impoverished children of Ecuador through yearly mission trips. Volunteer opportunities are available for licensed dental and medical professionals, and for volunteers to help with fundraising, administrative duties and supply acquisition. For more information, contact (410) 561-1800 or email info@ecuadent.org.

his center measures it rigorously, including assessing patients’ grip strength, walking speed and muscle mass.

Ethical and financial issues complicate decisions on providing costly treatments to the very old, and life expectancy has to be considered, Kavinsky said.

“When you start doing procedures on a 90-year old, you have someone who has already exceeded the average lifespan in America,” he said. “How far should we go

15

to keep them going?”

Dr. Joseph Dearani, chairman of cardiac surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said a good gauge is whether treatment would likely help patients live well for at least another two years.

He said costs to the patient, their family and society also should be weighed, so that treatment is given to the right patients, and “for the most part, that happens.”

— AP

BEACON BITS

Feb. 27

BLACK HISTORY MONTH OPEN HOUSE

Celebrate Black History Month with an open house at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day includes interactive tours, activities and entertainment. Free. The museum is located at 830 E. Pratt St. For more information about the museum, call (443) 263-1800 or visit www.lewismuseum.org.

Supervised Exercise Research Healthy men & women 50-80 years old needed to participate in an exercise research study at the University of Maryland / Baltimore VA Medical Center. Work with Doctors and Exercise Physiologists to safely start exercising. Participation involves tests to measure your fitness and function. You will receive medical and fitness evaluations.

Parking and compensation for your time will be provided.

Call 410-605-7179.

Mention code: EPC-DM.

16

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Five myths about the health benefits of tea

By Kerri-Ann Jennings You probably already know that tea is an incredibly healthy beverage. In fact, studies show that if you drink tea regularly, you

may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and diabetes, plus have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones.

But not everything you’ve heard about tea

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SUPPORT THE ANIMALS

The Baltimore Humane Society provides for the care of suffering and homeless animals. It operates an animal shelter, spay-neuter center, memorial park and wildlife sanctuary. For information on making donations and/or volunteering, contact (410) 833-8848 or visit www.bmorehumane.org.

Ongoing

HELP NEGLECTED CHILDREN

A court-appointed special advocate, or “CASA,” is a trained volunteer advocate who serves as the eyes and ears of the court in cases of child abuse and neglect. CASAs gather information from the youth, biological parents, foster parents, teachers, counselors, etc., and make recommendations to the judge as to what is in the youth’s best interest. Call (888) 844-2272 or visit www.marylandcasa.org to learn more.

YO U R

New

is true. Here are five myths about tea busted: Myth 1: Adding milk to tea negates the health benefits.

Although some studies have suggested adding milk to tea undoes its heart-healthy benefits, recent research says that’s not necessarily the case. Roughly the same amount of catechins (antioxidants linked with a reduced risk of some cancers) were absorbed from milk-tinged tea as from plain black tea, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Myth 2: Peppermint tea is a good choice for tummy troubles.

While a cup of herbal tea can help to soothe an upset stomach, mint is not necessarily the best choice. Peppermint aggravates a condition known as GERD (gastrointestinal reflux disease) — recurrent heartburn.

A better choice for an upset stomach —

LIFESTYLE BEGINS HERE

ALL COMMUNITIES ARE SMOKE-FREE

A PA RT M E N T H O M E S F O R T H O S E 6 2 A N D B E T T E R

especially nausea or motion sickness — is ginger tea. Just steep a quarter-size piece of fresh ginger in boiling water.

Myth 3: Tea is healthiest when nothing is added to it.

The citric acid in a squeeze of lemon juice — or lime or orange juice — will help to preserve the flavanoids in tea if you’re brewing it ahead (such as if you’re making iced tea).

The flavanoids are the compounds deemed responsible for many of tea’s health boons.

Also, adding honey to your tea may make you more productive on the job, suggests a small 2010 study published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental. When study participants drank the two together, researchers found that areas of the brain associated with attention worked more efficiently than when tea was sipped solo.

Myth 4: Herbal tea is tea.

Actually, true tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. While black, green, oolong and white teas come from this plant, herbal varieties are usually made from the flowers and even bark of other plants.

Herbal teas are technically tisanes.

Myth 5: Tea doesn’t go bad.

Tea does have a shelf life: six months.

After that, it starts to lose its antioxidants.

A 2009 study in the Journal of Food Science showed that catechins in green tea decreased markedly over time. After six months, catechin levels were 32 percent lower.

Make the most of the antioxidants by storing tea in a sealed container in a dark, cool place.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2016 Eating Well, Inc. Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

EASTERN SHORE

Furnace Branch 410-761-4150

Easton 410-770-3070

Severna Park 410-544-3411

HARFORD COUNTY

BALTIMORE CITY

Bel Air 410-893-0064

Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440

Box Hill 410-515-6115

Coldspring 410-542-4400

HOWARD COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY

Colonial Landing 410-796-4399

Catonsville 410-719-9464

Columbia 410-381-1118

Dundalk 410-288-5483

Ellicott City 410-203-9501

Fullerton 410-663-0665

Ellicott City II 410-203-2096

observes Women’s History Month in

Miramar Landing 410-391-8375

Emerson 301-483-3322

March with its World War II exhibit

Randallstown 410-655-5673

Snowden River 410-290-0384

“They Answered the Call.” A tribute

Rosedale 410-866-1886

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Taylor 410-663-0363

55 AND BETTER!

Bladensburg 301-699-9785

BEACON BITS

March

WOMEN ON THE WWII HOMEFRONT

The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, located at Martin State Airport in Middle River,

to the 1940s employees of the Glenn L. Martin Company, photos and artifacts include those that salute the

Towson 410-828-7185

Laurel 301-490-1526

Rosie the Riveters, the women who

Woodlawn 410-281-1120

Laurel II 301-490-9730

kept the home-front industries mov-

= NEWLY RENOVATED

ing when the men went to war. The museum is open Wednesday through

www.ParkViewSeniorLiving.com

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is located at 701 Wilson Point Rd.

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

Professionally managed by The Shelter Group. www.thesheltergroup.com

Admission is $3. For more information, call (410) 682-6122.

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

Say you saw it in the Beacon

17

WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT What you need to know about required minimum distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s, including tax issues and penalties

Money Law &

MAKING IRAS LESS TAXING You may pay less tax on IRA withdrawals if you start taking them sooner or use a qualified longevity annuity contract

How to react to the stock market selloff

By Anne Kates Smith There’s nothing like a market rout to remind investors of the importance of following the tenets of sound investing. The declines during January and February were doozies, making the start of 2016 a baptism by fire. In the first four trading days of the year, the Dow Jones industrial average racked up a loss of nearly 1,000 points, or more than 5 percent. Selling continued to accelerate, and by Feb. 9 was down nearly 8.5 percent for the year.

The impetus for the selloff here is a freefall in Chinese share prices, as investors fret over just how sharply the world’s second largest economy is slowing. Add to that concerns about the course of Federal Reserve action, saber-rattling between Iran and Saudi Arabia, North Korean’s claim that it has tested a hydrogen bomb and launched a satellite, plunging oil prices, and the fact that the current bull market is nearly seven years old (making it the third-longest since the Great Depression), and you have all the ingredients for a significant downturn.

The market mayhem is particularly worrisome for retirees, who have less time to make up for big market declines.

Here are some tips for how to survive the current turmoil:

Don’t panic China’s worries, strictly speaking, aren’t ours, although what’s happening in China has a ripple effect throughout the world economy. China accounts for just 7 percent of U.S. exports, representing less than 1 percent of our gross domestic product.

Kiplinger’s expects the U.S. economy to expand by 2.7 percent this year, and analysts expect earnings for U.S. companies to rise by about 6 percent from 2015.

Those are not the conditions for a severe and protracted bear market.

Still, if what looks like a correction today turns into a bear market tomorrow, don’t forget one of the important lessons from the devastating 2007-09 downturn, said financial planner Cicily Maton, of Aequus Wealth Management Resources, in Chicago: “Even in the worst of times, recoveries happen within a reasonable period.”

Remember, the headlines are not about you. “What’s happening in the headlines is probably not what’s happening in your personal account,” said T. Rowe Price senior

financial planner Judith Ward.

Retirees, especially, are likely to have a healthy mix of bonds and cash in their accounts to temper stock-market declines.

The market is not a monolith, and some of your stock holdings may buck the downtrend as well.

Look long-term Even retirees should have an investment horizon long enough to weather this storm, or worse. In a retirement that can last decades, new retirees should keep 40 to 60 percent of their assets in stocks, said T. Rowe Price. And because stocks stand up to inflation better over time than do bonds and cash, even 90-year-olds should keep at least 20 percent of their assets in stocks.

Check your withdrawals Fight the urge to cut and run, and avoid selling your depreciated stocks, if you can.

Cut back on withdrawals from your portfolio to meet living expenses, especially if you’re taking out more than 4 to 5 percent annually, and consider deferring gifts, trips and other discretionary expenditures until the market stabilizes, said Anthony

Frank, Frank

Ogorek, of Ogorek Wealth Management, in Williamsville, N.Y. “You want to take as little from your assets as possible,” said T. Rowe’s Ward. “This is a good time of year to plan your budget,” she said. “Maybe this year you don’t have to treat for a family-reunion cruise.” Recall that you have until the end of the year to take required minimum distributions from your retirement account if you are 70½ or older.

Review your allocation If you’ve been regularly rebalancing your portfolio, you’ve already been cutting back on stocks periodically over the past few years. Now is a particularly good time to revisit your investment mix and make sure that it is consistent with your tolerance for risk.

“We always tell clients to use downturns like this as a bellwether,” said Maton. “No one should lose sleep over what’s happening in the stock market. If they are, then they’re over-exposed.”

Make sure you’re diversified. Investors who’d planned to dump bond holdings in anticipation of higher interest rates just See STOCK MARKET, page 18

& Scherr, LLC

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Elder Law, Estate & Special Needs Planning Medical Assistance Planning and Eligibility Advance Medical Directives / Living Wills Trusts / Estate Planning and Administration Wills / Powers of Attorney Disability Planning / Special Needs Trusts Guardianship

410.337.8900 | www.frankelderlaw.com | 1.888.338.0400 Towson | Columbia | Easton

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BEACON BITS

Ongoing

COUNTY RESOURCE GUIDE AVAILABLE

“Community Resources 2016” provides up-to-date information and resources for older adults, baby boomers, caregivers, families, adults with disabilities and professionals. The latest edition is available at Baltimore County Senior Centers. To view online, visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/communityresources.

Ongoing

BALTIMORE CITY SENIOR CENTERS

Fourteen senior centers are located in Baltimore City, offering a wide range of services, programs and activities that help meet the social, physical and intellectual needs of older adults. For a complete listing, visit http://health.baltimorecity.gov/seniors/senior-centers or call (410) 396-3835.

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Stock market From page 17 got a good lesson in how bonds, especially high-quality government issues, can provide ballast in a portfolio.

Since the start of the year, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond dropped from 2.27 percent to 1.73 percent in the first five weeks of the year. Because bond prices and interest rates move in opposite directions, iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF, $110.77), an exchangetraded fund that tracks intermediate-term Treasuries, has climbed 3.3 percent.

In general, investors should own a mix of domestic and foreign bonds, U.S. and overseas stocks, and within the stock allocation, a variety of market sectors. No one sector should claim more than 5 to 10 percent of your holdings, said Ward.

Stick with high-quality holdings This is no time to speculate. Look for com-

panies with dependable earnings, impeccable balance sheets and healthy dividends, or funds that invest in such companies.

Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX), a member of the Kiplinger 25 list of great no-load mutual funds, delivers steady returns with below-average volatility by focusing on companies with low debt, high profitability and a consistent history of raising dividends. PowerShares S&P 500 High Quality Portfolio (SPHQ, $22.32) is a good choice for ETF investors.

Opportunistic investors can use market volatility to think about buying quality stocks on the cheap. One such stock is Apple (AAPL, $94.50), which has dropped 28 percent from its record high because of worries about slowing iPhone sales. Apple’s shares sell for just nine times estimated earnings for the fiscal year that ends in September.

All contents © 2016 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 16

-

-

FAMILY CAREGIVERS CONFERENCE

The annual Family Caregivers Mini-Conference will be held on Saturday, April 16, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Edgemere Senior Center, 6600 N. Point Blvd. Learn new ways to enhance your health and well-being, decrease your stress level, and gain knowledge about resources and programs to assist in your caregiving. Admission is free. For more information, call (410) 887-4724.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

19

All about required minimum distributions

By Kevin McCormally It’s a watershed year for the baby boom generation. In 2016, the first of the boomers — those born in the first half of 1946 — will reach age 70 1/2. Their present from Uncle Sam is a demand that they begin withdrawing funds from their traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s.

If you’re among those at the head of this parade, you need to know the ins and outs of required minimum distributions (RMDs). If your parents or grandparents are the ones moving into RMD-land, do them a favor and share this with them.

The RMD calendar If your 70th birthday falls between Jan. 1 and June 30, you’ll turn 70 1/2 in 2016, and you must take your first required distribution from your traditional IRAs. If your birthday is July 1 or later, your first RMD will come in 2017.

Generally, you must take RMDs by Dec. 31, but first-timers can wait to take their initial payout until as late as April 1 of the following year. So if you reach 70 1/2 in 2016, you can postpone your first withdrawal until 2017. But doing so means you’ll have to take two distributions in 2017.

Be sure to check whether that could push you into a higher tax bracket, cause more of your Social Security benefits to be taxed, or subject you to the Medicare high-income surcharge a couple of years later.

Note: The RMD rules do not apply to original owners of Roth IRAs. Because the government doesn’t get to tax Roth withdrawals, it doesn’t care whether you ever withdraw that money (although your heirs must take withdrawals).

Pinpoint how much to withdraw You don’t need a computer or a degree in accounting to figure out how much you must withdraw from your IRAs. First, find the 2015 year-end balance of every traditional IRA you own. Second, add them together. Third, divide the total by a factor provided by an IRS table that’s based on your age and life expectancy.

For most IRA owners who turn 70 1/2 in 2016, the divisor is 27.4. So, for example, if your IRAs held a total of $500,000 at the end of 2015, your RMD for 2016 is $18,248.

An IRA owner whose spouse is more than 10 years younger and the sole beneficiary of the account must use a different, larger factor. [See sidebar, “When your spouse is much younger,” on page 20.]

Once you know how much you must withdraw from your IRAs, you can choose which accounts to tap. You can withdraw the total RMD from a single IRA, or spread the withdrawal over several accounts.

Slightly different 401(k) rules Reaching age 70 1/2 also triggers re-

quired distributions for most 401(k) owners. But the rules aren’t exactly the same as for IRAs. First, if you have more than one workplace retirement plan, you must figure the RMD for each account (based on the same life-expectancy factor that applies to IRAs), then withdraw separate RMDs from each account.

You can’t pick and choose which account to tap, as you can with IRAs. If you’re still working at 70 1/2 (and you don’t own 5 percent or more of the company), you can delay your first RMD until the year you stop working.

Most RMDs are taken in cash, but they don’t have to be. If you own stock or mutual fund shares you’d like to hold on to, for example, you can have the shares transferred to a taxable account. As long as the value of this in-kind distribution equals

your RMD, you’ll be square with the IRS. You’ll owe tax on the shares you transfer, just as if you had withdrawn cash. But your tax basis in the transferred securities — the amount you’ll use to determine the gain or loss when you ultimately sell them — will be the market value on the date of the transfer.

An in-kind distribution might make sense if, say, you own shares that have fallen in value but that you expect to recover. If you keep the shares in an IRA, any increase in value will be taxed in your top tax bracket when you ultimately pull the money out of the IRA. But if you move the shares to a taxable account and hold them for more than a year, any post-transfer appreciation will be treated as a tax-favored long-term capital gain, with a tax rate as low as 0 percent, depending on your other income.

Tax considerations Most payouts from traditional IRAs are fully taxed in the year you withdraw them.

But it’s clear from the tax form that that’s not always the case. If you have ever made a nondeductible contribution to your IRA, then part of every withdrawal will be taxfree.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s up to you — not the IRS or the IRA sponsor — to know what’s what. You should have filed a Form 8606 with your tax return for each year you made a nondeductible contribution, and the most recent version should show the total of all your nondeductible contributions (minus any part that has been withdrawn).

That amount is your basis in your IRA, and you need to figure the ratio of the See RMDs, page 20

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20

Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

RMDs From page 19 basis to the total in all your traditional IRAs. If your basis is 5 percent of the total, for example, then 5 percent of your withdrawal will be tax-free.

As a general rule, an IRA sponsor will withhold 10 percent of your payout as taxes to be sent to the IRS. But, unlike tax withholding on wages, this payment is completely voluntary. If you want to block withholding — or have more than 10 percent withheld — simply tell your IRA sponsor at the time you request the distribution.

Withholding tax on your RMD may simplify your life if it permits you to avoid making quarterly estimated tax payments during the year. Some IRA owners, in fact, use large withholdings from late-in-theyear RMDs to cover their tax bill on both the IRA payout and investment earnings.

Such withholding can protect you from an underpayment penalty because withholding is considered paid evenly through the year, even if it comes in late December.

If you are withdrawing your RMD via monthly or quarterly payments from the IRA, you may need to file a Form W-4P with the sponsor to either block withholding or determine the amount to be withheld. If your state has an income tax, be sure to check on your state’s rules about tax withholding on IRA payouts.

What about penalties?

One of our tax laws’ most draconian penalties is reserved for those who fail to take as much out of their IRAs as the RMD rules demand. The penalty is equal to 50 percent of the amount you failed to withdraw. It’s as though Uncle Sam were saying that, if you don’t want the money, he will be happy to take it off your hands.

If you miss the RMD deadline, though, don’t automatically send a check to the IRS. The agency can, and often does, waive the penalty for taxpayers who have a good excuse — such as getting lousy advice from a tax preparer or IRA sponsor, or becoming seriously ill just before year-end when you had planned to make the required withdrawal.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

WEB RESOURCE FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

The website www.disability.gov connects people with disabilities, their families and caregivers to resources on a variety of topics, including how to apply for disability benefits, find a job, get healthcare or find and pay for accessible housing. Local community organizations are also listed to help you get the support you need.

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

If you think you have a good excuse, the IRS will review your case before making you pay the penalty. First, though, get the required amount out of your IRA as soon as possible, to show good faith. Then, figure the penalty on Form 5329, but don’t send a check. Instead, attach a statement to the form explaining why you failed to meet the deadline. If the IRS agrees that your request for a waiver is reasonable, you’re okay. Otherwise, you’ll get a bill.

Remember, the M in RMD stands for

minimum. You can always take more out of your IRA than the RMD demands (although you’re probably best off leaving the money in the tax shelter until you need it).

And there is no requirement that you spend the money once it comes out of the account. You have to pay tax on the distribution, yes, but you can immediately reinvest it in a taxable investment account.

All contents © 2016 the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

When your spouse is much younger Q: My wife is 17 years younger than I am. I recall reading that I need to take special steps when I calculate my required minimum distributions from my IRA. Is that true?

A: Yes. Most people use life-expectancy table III, the Uniform Lifetime Table, in Appendix B of IRS Publication 590 to calculate their RMDs (required minimum distributions).

But if your sole beneficiary is a spouse who is more than 10 years younger than you, then you need to use life-expectancy table II, the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy, to determine your RMD. You won’t be required to withdraw as much money each year as you would if your spouse were older.

For example, if you turn 70½ in 2016 and need to take your first RMD, you would divide your account balance as of the end of 2015 by 27.4. If you had $100,000 in your account, you’d need to withdraw $3,649.64. But if your sole beneficiary is your spouse and she is age 53, you’d divide your account bal-

ance by 32.6 and would need to withdraw only $3,067.48.

Make sure your IRA administrator knows your spouse’s birthdate, so it will use the correct table when calculating your RMDs, especially if you’ve signed up for automatic RMD withdrawals.

This is also a good time to make sure your beneficiary designations are up-todate, according to Judith Ward, a certified financial planner with T. Rowe Price.

“If this is a second marriage, make sure the ex-spouse is no longer the beneficiary on your accounts,” she said.

The beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and life insurance supersede the information in your will. Even if you have updated your will, your IRA will go to your designated beneficiary; that’s true even if you have been divorced, married or wanted to change your beneficiary for any reason since you set it but neglected to make the change.

— Kimberly Lankford, the Kiplinger Washington Editors

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

21

How to minimize taxes on IRA withdrawals

By Elliot Raphaelson Many readers are concerned about tax issues, specifically the impact of the required minimum distribution (RMD) and what tools are available to mitigate it.

Under current regulations, at 70 1/2, when you will be required to make minimum withdrawals from your traditional IRA, you should project what your taxable income is likely to be at that milestone.

Consider additional taxable income from non-retirement assets, pensions and/or Social Security. Take these projections into account to estimate the minimum distribution you will have to make starting at 70 1/2.

You may project that your tax bracket will be higher then than it is now. Moreover, as you get older, and the percentage you have to withdraw increases (because your life expectancy decreases), your marginal tax rate may become higher as you age. Is there a way you can avoid paying more tax than you have to?

Start taking withdrawals now One strategy is initiating a withdrawal plan from your IRAs before you reach 70 1/2, even if you don’t need the funds now.

This could make sense if you know your marginal tax rate will be higher.

For example, many readers have indicated that they intend to wait until 70 before they start receiving Social Security payments. For many recipients, much of this extra income will be taxable, so many individuals will be facing a higher marginal tax rate even without counting the required IRA withdrawal.

Another option is converting some of your IRA funds into a Roth IRA. One advantage is that those funds will no longer be included in your traditional IRA when you reach 70 1/2.

Accordingly, the amount you have to withdraw because of RMD will be less.

Another advantage is that income from (and appreciation of) the securities in the Roth account will not be taxable. Moreover, your beneficiaries will have no income tax liability.

The major disadvantage is that the funds you convert to a Roth will be taxable at ordinary income tax rates in the year you convert. Consider making conversions gradually to prevent increases in your marginal tax rate. If you do convert to a Roth, you may withdraw your initial prin-

cipal without penalty. However, there is a penalty for withdrawing interest or dividends if you withdraw them before a fiveyear holding period.

Consider a special annuity Another option is the use of a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC).

QLACs can be used in traditional IRAs for lifetime income starting at a future date. If you have a traditional IRA, you can defer 25 percent of the total of all your IRAs or $125,000, whichever is less.

The only requirement is that payments have to start at a specified date no later than at age 85. This alternative makes sense if you are concerned about ensuring future income and you want to minimize your taxes

starting when you reach 70 1/2. An excellent source for QLACs is Stan Haithcock (website: www.stantheannuityman.com).

Vanguard has put together an excellent webcast with a transcript on its website, vanguard.com. It’s called “Managing your IRA assets before and throughout retirement.” In this webcast, specialists from Vanguard answer questions from callers on a wide variety of topics, including the impact of RMDs, use of Roth IRAs, effective tax policy, use of charitable deductions, and a wide variety of other topics that will help you manage your IRAs. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2016 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Feb. 24

GET ANSWERS TO FINANCIAL QUESTIONS

Join a licensed insurance provider from Symmetry Financial Group for a question and answer session on long-term care benefits, retirement income, mortgage protection, final expenses and grandchildren college funds at the Catonsville Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.

The center is located at 501 N. Rolling Rd., Catonsville. For more information, call (410) 887-9100.

Mar. 2

LUNCH AND A SHOW AT TOBY’S

Enjoy lunch and the musical South Pacific at Toby’s Dinner Theater in Columbia on Wednesday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The $82 cost includes transportation and all gratuities. Call Parkville Senior Center at (410) 882-6087 for reservations.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

23

Leisure &

Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles west of Key West, has a Civil War fort and a variety of exotic birds. See story on page 24.

Exploring Key West’s wildlife and wild life

Diversions galore On this tropical island of coral rock 1.5 miles wide and four miles long, also known as “Key Weird,” bars buzz at 11 a.m., tshirts broadcast brash messages, and

“Margaritaville” blasts out of storefronts.

A dessert restaurant, Better Than Sex, promises “the most decadent sweet dining experience,” offering Tongue Bath Truffle and Kinky Key West Cream Pie. Over the years, the town’s laid-back, bohemian persona lured notables like Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and John James Audubon, plus pirates, shipwreck salvagers, Cuban refugees and more. Cuba is 90 miles away; Miami, 150.

Even the town’s above-ground cemetery, built in 1847 at the island’s highest point (18 feet), has its quirky side. One headstone says, “I told you I was sick.” Another, “Now I know where he is sleeping at night.”

Strolling the streets is a favorite pastime. At all hours, there’s a parade of eccentrics — from the well off to the struggling, including hippies, oddballs, wayward youth and vacationers.

On the “Duval crawl,” the 15-block asphalt ribbon between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, there are 66 bars, including Ernest Hemingway’s hangout, Sloppy Joe’s.

Also known as Key West’s Bourbon Street, Duval is the route traveled by zombie parades, naked bike races, and the biggest blowout of all, October’s Fantasy Fest. This year’s theme is “Political Voodoo and Ballot Box Barbarians.”

At the daily sunset street party in Mallory Square, aspiring acrobats, magicians,

© WIZDATA/SHUTTERSTOCK

By Glenda C. Booth A mother hen and her three chicks were hell-bent on crossing the street, so I stepped out and stopped the traffic on the main drag that slices down the middle of Key West, Fla. Roosters crowed nearby.

No one seemed to notice. Chickens and roosters in the middle of town? Key West marches to its own drum.

Chickens, roosters, six-toed cats, owl butterflies, conches, frigatebirds, and sooty terns. There’s definitely wildlife, at these southernmost points of the U.S. But in Key West, the most salient feature is the wild life. Quirky, freewheeling, irreverent Key West, where U.S. 1 ends and begins, “is the greatest of all the endof-the-road towns,” wrote the late Charles Kuralt in his 1995 book, America.

“This assures its lack of decorum,” Kuralt wrote. “The island is full of dreamers, drifters and dropouts, spongers and idlers and barflies, writers and fishermen, islanders from the Caribbean and gays from the big cities, painters and pensioners, treasure hunters, real estate speculators, smugglers, runaways, old Conchs and young lovers.”

© JOE BILOUS

Key West visitors can enjoy glorious sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico, this one viewed from the southernmost point in the keys. A daily sunset party in Mallory Square includes acrobats, magicians and other performers.

This Key West home, where Ernest Hemingway wrote such books as A Farewell to Arms in the 1930s, is now a museum that features his typewriter and other mementos, along with numerous descendents of the writer’s six-toed cats.

buskers and fire jugglers perform for free.

Key Westers brag that the morning sun rises like a fireball over the ocean and melts into the ocean at twilight.

Hemingway and Truman homes Beyond the ubiquitous hawkers of tacky souvenirs and garish T-shirts, Key West has some small-town charm and intriguing nuggets, including 3,000 historic structures. Many houses combine classical New England with Bahamian features like wraparound porches.

Victorian and pre-Victorian homes have elaborate lattice work. The second floor porch of the “eyebrow houses” covers windows to keep houses cool.

The steamy island environment inspired Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s to pen novels like A Farewell to Arms and Death in the Afternoon. At what’s today called the Hemingway House, “the spirit moved him,” tour guides maintain.

The two-story, Spanish colonial home and carriage house-studio featuring his Royal typewriter are preserved a la Papa.

Descendants of his six-toed cats meander through the gardens.

The lighthouse across the street, built in 1846, perhaps helped “befuddled”

Ernest find his way home from Sloppy Joe’s. It offers great views at the top of its 88 steps.

Another famous home is the Little White House, where President Harry Truman and wife Bess escaped from the Washington White House — a mansion the president called “the big white jail.”

On a 45-minute tour of this Bahamianstyle home, guides explain that 85 to 90 percent of the furniture is authentic, such as the fold-up poker table Bess commissioned so she could disguise Harry’s favorite amusement.

Truman, visitors learn, was dubbed the “uncommon common man.” Reporters called him, “Truman, the human.” Six presidents have stayed there.

A respite from the town’s frenzy is the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens, built between 1846 and 1859. Today it showcases 28 first-edition, hand-colored lithographs and engravings of 22 birds, exquisitely done by John James Audubon.

Examples: roseate spoonbill, sooty tern, and brown pelican.

Another de-stressor is the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. Around 60 butterfly See KEY WEST, page 24

24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

West of Key West — Dry Tortugas Park

Key West From page 23 species from around the world flutter among a garden of flowering plants. They

foot wingspans soar like hang gliders.

Fort Jefferson, built between 1845 and 1876 but never finished, stands as an example of 19th century masonry fortification. Located on Garden Key and armed with eight-foot thick walls, the fort helped protect ship traffic and patrol the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.

The Union Army held 800 prisoners in the fort in 1864. The most famous was Marylander Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set the leg of President Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Imprisoned for being a “conspirator,” Mudd also helped treat yellow fever patients while he was there. President Andrew Johnson pardoned him in 1869.

Visitors can visit Dr. Mudd’s cell, from which he wrote his wife, “After every rain, our quarters leak terribly, and it’s not unusual to dip up from the floor 10 and 12 large buckets of water daily.” Visitors can see the officers’ quarters, barracks, magazines and cannons.

The Dry Tortugas offer adventurous

are captive bred in the tropics on their native host plants, not collected from the wild.

You might see the world’s largest — the owl butterfly, with an eleven-inch wingspan — and what looks like an eight-winged but-

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By Glenda C. Booth Seventy miles west of Key West is the “flip side” of that raucous isle — the slowpaced, undeveloped, near-quiet Dry Tortugas National Park, a seven-island cluster of coral reefs and sand.

This 100-square-mile park gets its name from the sea turtles that greeted Ponce de Leon in 1513, and from the absence of fresh water, hence “dry.” Visitors go for a Civil War prison, coral reefs, birds and shipwrecks.

It may be dry, but there’s life there. The islands have sea grapes and trees like the Portia tree, Geiger tree, buttonwood, date palms, and coconut palms. Floridians joke that the gumbo limbo tree is “the tourist tree” because its red peeling bark reminds them of naive tourists who end up with sunburned, peeling skin.

Birders delight in species rarely seen north of Florida. Between March and September, 100,000 sooty terns nest on the islands, joined by 10,000 brown noddies and others. Magnificent frigate birds with eight-

Dry Tortugas National Park features the 19th century Fort Jefferson, once used to protect ship traffic and patrol the Gulf of Mexico. During the Civil War, it housed about 800 Confederate soldiers, including Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set the leg of President Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

snorkeling because of numerous shipwrecks, including the Norwegian Windjammer wreck, a ship also called Avanti,

which sank in 1907. Coral reefs and sea

terfly. It’s actually a breeding pair, coupling.

Elsewhere on Key West, opportunities abound to sunbathe, swim, snorkel, sail, fish, golf, or simply do nothing.

While seafood — fish, conch, crab, shrimp, lobster — is prominent on menus, eating in Key West is a diverse fusion of styles and tastes. Many delight in the Cuban dishes, like roast pork, black beans and rice, arroz con pollo, and boliche, a beef-sausage dish.

Tropical fruits like mangos, papayas and coconuts are easy to come by. Serious foodies stress that true Key lime pie uses only Key limes, Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, and a pastry crust, not graham

cracker. Oh, and it is yellow; never green.

While enjoying patio dining, you might find chickens or roosters pecking around your feet. It’s all part of Key West’s eggcentric charm.

For a full range of lodging, dining and activities information, including coming events, visit www.fla-keys.com. (Flakey, get it?)

You can fly directly to Key West, or fly to Miami and then drive or take the Keys Shuttle, Keys Express Shuttle, Key West bus, or Greyhound bus. Currently, the lowest round-trip fare from BWI to Key West is $600 on Delta in mid-March. However, it’s $316 on Delta to Miami.

See TORTUGAS PARK, page 25

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

25

Where not to go — and when — this year While you may be reading plenty of “where to go in 2016” stories elsewhere, I’ll be a contrarian and address the question of places and times you should seek to avoid.

Football weekends

In October, two years ago, I planned to visit a friend in Boone, N.C. But when I checked, all the local motels were either sold out or posting prices triple what I expected.

Spring break Unfortunately, I had picked Young folks age 16 to 21 can the weekend of a big football be quite nice when they’re game at Appalachian State alone or in small groups. But University for my visit, and hundreds or even thousands the local hospitality industry of them, each trying to see decided to cash in on the huge TRAVEL TIPS who can drink the most beer surge in demand. Fortunately,

By Ed Perkins or smoke the most pot, can I was able to find a reasonable render a destination area uninhabitable for rate in Lenoir, just 25 miles away. their elders.

But that scenario is re-enacted hundreds Spring break dates vary from school to of times during the fall season, whenever a school, but the high season is March university with a big-time football program through early April. hosts a game in its small-town setting. This Popular destinations tend to vary from problem won’t arise for another 10 months, year to year, too, but for the most part you however, so if you plan to visit a “college encounter lots of breakers on Florida’s East town,” you have plenty of time to check Coast beaches, the Texas Coast, and near- dates before you book accommodations.

by Caribbean and Mexican resorts. Massmarket cruises can also be break targets.

Europe in August If you’re considering a vacation during When you visit Paris or London in Authe spring break period, either avoid gust, you often wonder where all the locals beach destinations entirely or choose an went. The answer is simple: They went to obscure one. And if you’re thinking about the beach or the mountains. So if you hana cruise, have your cruise agency check ker for a week in Normandy, make that on whether a sailing has a lot of spring week some time other than August. break bookings before you commit.

Of course, the folks who run visitor at-

Tortugas Park From page 24 grasses are home to creatures like stingrays, the queen conch, and brain coral.

For travel and other information, visit www.nps.gov/dr to and www.dr ytor tugas.com. Day trips from Key West are the

most practical option via ferry, the Yankee Freedom. Day trip rates, which include a tour, breakfast and lunch, are $165 for those 62 and older, $175 for other adults.

Call 1-800-634-0939.

Beware: There are no restrooms, snack bars, or lodging (except camping) on the islands.

tractions don’t leave, so the tourist spots will run full-tilt for the benefit of foreign visitors. But throngs of visitors can clog a city, too, so maybe just avoid Europe in August entirely if you can.

Blockbuster events You can’t blame hotels and restaurants for hiking prices when their city or region hosts a blockbuster event. After all, Economics 101 says that price sets the balance between supply and demand.

Although you can encounter major events almost anywhere, anytime, these are so big that, unless you’re attending, you really want to avoid them: • Political conventions. The GOP convenes in Cleveland July 18 to 21; the Dems convene in Philadelphia July 25 to 28.

• Olympic Games. The 2016 Olympic Games will be in Rio, Aug. 5 to 21. Host cities are notorious for hiking prices, and if Rio follows London’s 2012 pattern, hotel prices will

be at least double the usual rates, and restaurants will either hike prices, be mobbed, or both. Steer clear of Rio during the Games — but expect some good post-games deals.

• Public holidays. Many non-Christian countries celebrate Christmas because they enjoy the festivities and the commercialization. Beyond Christmas and New Year’s, however, public holidays vary a lot around the world. Check publicholidays.global/ for any area you’re likely to visit.

• Trade fairs. In my experience, trade fairs don’t overwhelm a host city as much as they used to, but if you’re heading for Europe, check www.trade-shows.eu before you commit to a major European city.

Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Perkins’ new book for small business and independent professionals, “Business Travel When It’s Your Money,” is now available through www.mybusinesstravel.com or www.amazon.com. © 2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

26

MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Style Arts &

Does South Pacific provide an enchanted evening at Toby’s Dinner Theater?

See review on page 28.

Artist revives longtime interest in beads An ancient art form Beading is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia. From there, it spread to Egypt, where Egyptian artisans created images of gods, kings and mortals wearing broad collars fashioned from molded tubular and teardrop beads.

Beadwork in Europe has a history dating back thousands of years to a time when shells and animal bones were used as beads in necklaces.

At the end of the 14th century, glass beads began being made in Murano, Italy, and beaded flowers became popular in France around the 16th century.

In the Americas, glass beads have been in use for almost five centuries, with the

Cherokee using bead work to tell stories through patterns in the beads, which they made from dried berries, gray Indian corn, teeth, bones, claws or sea shells. Beadwork continues to be a popular Native American art form today, mostly using glass beads imported from Europe and, more recently, Asia.

Exacting, but relaxing On her website, www.theafine.com, Fine notes that while other people might find beading exacting and methodical, she

finds “playing with beads” freeing and artistically satisfying. Each piece of her bead art — which ranges from jewelry to Judaica — is hand-sewn by Fine herself, one tiny glass bead at a time.

“It’s very exacting work, but I find it relaxing,” she said. “It grounds me.”

Fine’s designs are inspired by her travels (Italy and Russia, for example, provided a wealth of ideas), by history and, at times, just by whim. “Sometimes I don’t See BEADS, page 29

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEA FINE

By Carol Sorgen Thea Fine is a self-described “recovering health policy wonk who writes.” Now, though, after a long career in the federal government, Fine prefers to describe herself as a beading designer.

The Ellicott City resident first learned how to bead as a child during summer vacations with her maternal grandmother, Rose — “a Renaissance woman who never met a craft she didn’t love.”

Fine, now 66, turned away from beading when she was in her teens, but picked it up again about 15 years ago. After years trying every other craft she could think of, “I took one refresher class, and I was off and running,” Fine said. “My hands were happy again.”

Thea Fine’s bead art designs are inspired by her travels, history and her imagination.

She will display her work at the American Craft Council Show, Feb. 19 to 21 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

Dollhouses

them, such as telescopes and espresso machines.

From page 1 Victorian in style, now they encompass virtually every decade and design aesthetic — from the World War II era, to mid-century modern, to ultra-contemporary.

“I can’t keep myself to one style,” said Ruth, adding that between her collection and the shop, more than 40 percent of their house, plus their garage, is devoted to all things tiny. “Being a miniature collector takes over your life,” she said.

Despite that, Ruth and Ron continue to travel extensively in pursuit of the latest dollhouses and accessories, attending shows in England, the Netherlands, Chicago and Philadelphia, to name a few. “We love the enthusiasm and excitement of finding new artisans,” said Ruth.

One such craftsman close to home is Columbia resident Mike Barbour, who began making miniature dolls in 2004.

After taking a one-day doll-making class, Barbour said he realized he enjoyed expressing himself through creating “little people.”

“I’ve become passionate about creating character figures which are life-like in proportion, yet have elements of humor, caricature and emotion,” he said. “I want my creations to evoke an emotional response, whether it be a portrait doll for a family member, or a more fantastical figure from your favorite book or story.”

In addition to miniature people and animals, Barbour creates tiny accessories for

Museum-quality miniatures

Letters to editor

such as a tour of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and, more importantly, support from the Casey Cares staff have been a ray of hope in often challenging situations.

I’ll never forget the time we were presented with Ravens-Steelers tickets on Thanksgiving. The smile it brought to my son’s face could have lit all of M&T Bank stadium that night.

Thank you, Casey Cares, and thanks to those who are involved with making it such a wonderful organization that deserves the recognition you gave it.

Mitchell Weitzman Owings Mills

From page 2 ticle profiling the Casey Cares Foundation (“Brightening Ill Children’s Days”).

Our family is truly thankful for the blessings Casey Cares has provided. We moved to the Baltimore area from Rockville several years ago, and were almost immediately hit with caring for our children’s health conditions without the benefit of family or friends in the immediate area.

The hospital staff at Johns Hopkins referred us to Casey Cares. Special events

THE COLUMBIA ORCHESTRA

The history of dollhouses goes back about 400 years to European baby house display cases, which depicted idealized interiors. In the 18th century, smaller dollhouses with more realistic exteriors began to appear.

Early dollhouses were handmade, but following the Industrial Revolution and World War II, they were increasingly mass-produced, which also made them more affordable.

Dollhouses run the gamut — from simple boxes stacked together to be used by children for play, up to multimillion-dollar structures displayed in museums. In fact, one of the most popular exhibits at the Baltimore Museum of Art was the Cheney Miniature Gallery.

The gallery was made by acclaimed miniature maker Eugene Cupjack, who fashioned a series of 17th to 19th century English and American rooms, all scaled one inch to one foot (the accepted modernday size for miniatures).

At the Phoenix Art Museum, the Thorne Rooms were conceived and in large part created by Narcissa Niblack Thorne, who collected miniature furniture and household accessories during her travels to England and the Far East shortly after the turn of the 20th century.

Beginning in 1930, Thorne created these interiors to hold her ever-growing

collection of miniature objects. Many of the rooms are faithful replicas, down to the minutest details, of existing houses in the United States and Europe. Some of the rooms even contain period-style rugs that Thorne had woven specifically for each space.

Thorne and the craftsmen she worked with completed nearly 100 such rooms, which are currently in museum collections in Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Knoxville, as well as Phoenix.

Enthusiastic camaraderie There is great camaraderie among miniatures enthusiasts, many of whom belong to groups such as the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (https://miniatures.org) and Maryland Miniatures Unlimited (check out their Facebook page), which holds monthly meetings and biannual exhibits at the Baltimore County Historical Society.

Martha Hendrickson, 66, has been a member of Maryland Miniatures Unlimited for about 10 years. Hendrickson, who lives in Lutherville and teaches art at the Bykota Senior Center, first became interested in miniatures when her husband bought her a dollhouse kit.

It happened to resemble the engineer’s house at the Montebello Water Filtration

27

Plant where Hendrickson’s family, the Armstrongs, lived for 25 years from 1912 to 1938. Hendrickson’s grandfather, James W. Armstrong, was in charge of the design and construction of the plant, and later became its supervisor.

Hendrickson started making the house from the kit, but then completely customized it — building from scratch the porches, chimneys and interior rooms in the same layout as the real house. “It was fun to figure out how to create details such as downspouts, cellar storm doors, and chimneys so they were realistic,” she said.

Through Maryland Miniatures Unlimited, Hendrickson has made many friends and enjoys the sharing of ideas, materials and resources. Club members work on joint projects — such as an exhibit of Baltimore rowhouses, complete with the iconic marble steps, which was displayed in 2013 at a Historical Society show.

“It’s a fun hobby,” said Hendrickson. “I love seeing things in miniature, figuring out how to make things look real, and replicating different periods in history.”

As Paula Setters Driftmeyer put it, “It’s a world I can lose myself in.”

For more information about Forever Friends, visit www.foreverfriendsminis.com.

Mike Barbour can be contacted through www.mikebarbour.com.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 20

BALTIMORE CHORAL ARTS CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY

Music Director Tom Hall leads the full chorus and orchestra in a performance celebrating Baltimore Choral Arts’ 50 years on Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m. in Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College. The performance includes works by former Music Director Theodore Morrison as well as Bach, a world premiere by Baltimore composer James Lee, III, and the Mozart “Requiem.” All former chorus members are invited to join in the musical finale, singing the “Hallelujah Chorus,” from Handel’s “Messiah.” The audience is invited to a champagne reception following the performance. Tickets are $25 to $40 and are available at www.BaltimoreChoralArts.org or by calling (410) 523-7070.

Through March 20

Concert sponsored by:

SYMPHONIC POPS MAR192016 7:30pm Jim Rouse Theatre Get your tickets now for our most popular concert of the year! Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Teelin Irish Dancers, music from the Emerald Isle and Finian's Rainbow, as well as favorites from Les Misérables & more!

This lush, exotic musical of two love stories, both filled with the passion of wartime romance and the challenge of overcoming prejudice for love.

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

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

Tickets range from $10-$25 ($3 service fee may apply) 410-465-8777 www.columbiaorchestra.org

D in

ner & Sho w

TobysDinnerTheatre.com RESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY!

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Songs still carry the show in South Pacific Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” “There Is Nothing Like A Dame,” “This Nearly Was Mine,” “Happy Talk,” “Honey Bun,” “A Wonderful Guy,” “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught (to Hate).” Definitely no updating needed there.

Thwarted love The action focuses on the usually upbeat, perky nurse Nellie Forbush, who describes herself as a “hick” from Little Rock, Arkansas.

She becomes shocked when she learns that Emile de Becque, the middle-aged, selfexilled French planter with whom she falls in love, had once been married to a Polynesian with whom he fathered the two adorable mixed race children who live with him.

Nellie breaks off their relationship, believing that she can’t help herself, that racial prejudice was born in her. She does recant before curtain time, when she, her lover and the two cute kids are reunited.

Meanwhile, Lt. Joe Cable. This Princeton grad beds a native girl, Liat, at the insistent invitation of the girl’s mother, the earthy Bloody Mary, who sees a wedding on the beautiful Bali H’ai horizon.

Unfortunately, the lieutenant, who does fall for the sweet, fragile girl, also ends the af-

fair, because he believes his hometown Philadelphia upper crust would be outraged at the pairing.

The American Seabees on the island are all cutups, and they exuberantly do their things, which include “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” and “Honey Bun,” in wonderfully, if by now rather clichéd, musical numbers.

PHOTO BY JERI TIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

By Robert Friedman It wasn’t a completely enchanted evening.

Nevertheless, the production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific at Toby’s Dinner theater in Columbia did at times exuberantly, dramatically and tunefully evoke that mid-20th century period when America fought an all-out war and Broadway provided the country’s maximum musical expression.

The lives and times of the Navy Seabees, their officers, some attractive nurses, and a few of the natives on two Pacific islands not yet (till the end of the last act) affected by WWII action are based on James Michener’s short stories in his Pulitzer-Prize winning book, Tales of the South Pacific.

However, I found the stories of the two parallel love affairs in South Pacific so outdated as to no longer be believable. True, times were radically, racially different from today in 1949, when the play began its record run on Broadway. Still and all, the bigotry of two of the story’s main protagonists seems out of sync with their on-stage personalities.

The message of racial tolerance by Oscar Hammerstein and Joshua Logan, who wrote the book together for the musical, was progressive for the time. But I wonder if it is out of the question to give the story a more subtle tone in present-day productions.

Still, the songs! So many, with such wonderful words and music: “Some Enchanted

Strong performances Teresa Danskey, who plays the crucial role of Nellie (played by Mary Martin on Broadway, Mitzi Gaynor on film, and on TV by Glenn Close), brings an innocent, spirited and sweet personality to the performance. She is both shy and forthright in Cast members from Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s producher big numbers, “Cockeyed tion of South Pacific perform in the show’s musicalOptimist” and “I’m Gonna within-a-musical — the “Thanksgiving Follies” put on Wash that Man Right Out of to raise troop morale on the island. South Pacific also includes such timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein’s My Hair.” songs as “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My The role of Bloody Mary is Hair” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” always is a potential show-stealer. Crystal Freeman doesn’t steal so much as context of his role.

I was disappointed in the short shrift solidify — you can believe that she is the husgiven to “You’ve Got to Be Carefully tling business woman/big mama called for in Taught,” sung by Helwig in what felt like a the role. And she hits the right plaintive notes of a special place when she sings the beckon- shortened version, and with less emphasis than it should have been given. The song ing “Bali Ha’i.” carries the musical’s essential message The two male leads, Russell Rinker as the that racial discrimination is a result of nurindependent Frenchman turned war hero, and Jonathan Helwig, as the ill-fated Lt. Cable, ture rather than nature. On the other hand, Helwig put proper feeling into the have fine, if not booming, baritone voices. beautiful “Younger Than Springtime.”

Rinker’s several reprisals of “Some EnJeff Shankle got most of the laughs as chanted Evening” do not shake the rafters, but make the song a singing diaSee SOUTH PACIFIC, page 29 logue that goes along with the emotional

Senior High. !"#$$!%"&"'($!)*+'!"#$ ",!-(.('(*+"&/0"12#(1!"*2&*"3%#4(0!)" +#5"/!6"#33#%*5/(*(!)7"8-3!%(!/1!"+#5%"(/0!3!/0!/1!"&/0" !/%(12"+#5%"'($!7 9&''"5)"*#0&+"&*"#%"4()(*"5)" at www.Integrace.org 301-644-1604 410-795-8801 ©2016 Integrace. All rights reserved.

South Pacific From page 28 the wild and wily Seabee Luther Billis.

Robert John Biederman was officious enough as Captain Brackett, and David Boxley-Reynolds was sufficiently salty as Commander William Harbison.

Mark Minnick directed the play and its oft-times rousing choreography, while Reenie Codelksa was the musical conductor.

Toby’s theater in the round, where large food carts are parked before showtime,

Beads From page 26 know what I’m doing,” she said. “But then it will start to happen.”

She may pair beads of different colors with crystal, semiprecious stones or found objects. Then she hand-sews the beads and other objects together to create a look that can vary from organized lines and geometric forms, to a freewheeling, freeform manner. A tiny “signature” — a single purple bead — is hidden in each piece.

Many of Fine’s works are one-of-a-kind, others are replicable limited editions, and still others have been commissioned by customers, including some that were remade — revived and restyled from old, tired or broken jewelry.

Fine’s work can be custom-ordered, and

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

does not lend itself to much scenic display.

Still, there were really only minimal hints of a tropical island in any of the scenes.

While South Pacific now seems more of a cultural artifact, the words and music of its songs remain alive and beautiful.

South Pacific runs until March 20 at Toby’s Dinner Theater, located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. in Columbia. Doors open two hours before curtain time — 6 p.m. for evening dinner performances (5 p.m. on Sundays), and 10:30 a.m. for Wednesday and Sunday brunch matinees.

There are no shows on Monday.

Tickets range from $55 to $60 for adults, depending on performance, and are $41.50 for children 12 and under at all performances.

An all-you-can-eat meal immediately precedes all performances and is included in the price of your ticket. The food is plentiful, with dinner including a large salad bar, a variety of cold salads and hot side dishes and entrees, a carving station for roast beef, ham and turkey, and concluding with a choice of rich desserts and a do-it-yourself ice cream sundae bar. The matinee brunch cuts down on the entrees and sides

in favor of a variety of breakfast treats.

Specialty drinks of all types (alcoholic and not) can be ordered for additional cost. Many come with souvenir glasses.

Patrons are expected to tip the wait staff based on the full price of their ticket plus any additional items ordered. In fact, tips are the chief source of income for most of the cast members.

For more information, visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (410) 730-8311 or buy online from Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com/venue/172479.

she also exhibits in shows such as the American Craft Council show, coming to the Baltimore Convention Center from Feb. 19 to 21.

Prices for her work range from $55 to $3,000.

A member of the Baltimore Bead Society, Fine observes that beading as a hobby may not be as popular as it once was.

“Crafts go in and out of favor,” she said.

She noted that knitting, for example, once in the craft world doldrums, has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

For Fine, however — whose home is filled with boxes of beads and ongoing projects in various states of completion — beading is more than a hobby.

“It’s a continuation of a career I started as a child,” she said. “It’s connecting yesterday to today through my grandmother.

For me, it’s a labor of love.”

The American Craft Council Retail

Show will feature handmade creations from more than 650 of the country’s top contemporary craft artists, who will be selling jewelry, clothing, furniture and

home décor.

The show runs from Feb. 19 to 21. For admission prices and hours, visit www.craftcouncil.org/baltimore.

FROM PAGE 30

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

H E M H O T A Q U A N S R T A T A L E S N E E I N A L I D S L E A P S O M A T T E R R S E A S A Y

P S T U T E E A P R L E D S A M M E L E T E S L

G E M I N I A O N E A X E

I V E R L I T E L E A P U S S A S T O N T H E D O A E A P D A Y H O I D B O U N O L D S I S A T P O F F A A N A L D S A L

C O N T R A B A N D

B L U E

S E N D

R A N K S

K R I S

H I L L

I S T H E Y S

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Look First 1

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55. It means war 59. Botch 60. Trust without evidence 64. Plain on the moon 65. Lyndon Johnson, for one 66. Long after (on Cheers) 67. “See something, ___ something” 68. Iditarod transport 69. It’s fair in war

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2. Coup d’___ 3. Florida’s state marine mammal 4. Christmas time in the City (of Angels) 5. Sign of twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen 6. Misfortunes 7. Compete 8. Guess, at Athens International Airport 9. Communal opinion 10. Black market products 11. Color, or off-color 12. Gmail button 13. Super-hero hangouts 17. Its stadium is The Sun Bowl 22. Mr. Pibb or Dr. Pepper 24. Marquess-ed down 25. Just slightly 26. Citi Field predecessor in Queens 27. Tony-award best musical of 1977 28. Corrupt 29. One with low degrees 30. Creates a “Top 10” list 31. Kristofferson or Kringle 32. Pie perch 37. Big cheese, in Holland 38. Top rated 39. ___ be surprised 42. Attribute of a firehouse dog 45. Use the setup disk 47. Refines ore 48. Atomic particles 49. One of five Norse kings 52. Neat freak’s phobia 53. Furlong : Distance :: Acre : ___ 54. Apple Store display item 56. It aspires to grow to a mountain 57. The end of Brooklyn and Manhattan 58. Socially reserved 61. Slippery swimmer 62. Lizzie Borden’s weapon 63. Fed. org with a compass in its logo

1. 60 minutes

Answers on page 29.

BALTIMORE BEACON — MARCH 2016

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

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either.

Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

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

Caregivers COMPANION/CAREGIVER – Do you or someone you love need assistance with home care services? Will provide compassionate and reliable services, such as light housekeeping, meal preparation, personal care and companionship, and more. Private and professional reference. Jackie, 443-653-1778.

Events

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Rent CARE FROM CARING HOME ASSISTED LIVING. Room available for you or your loved ones. Looking for a place just like home? Call us today, 443-563-2695 or 443-844-1444. Affordable rates available.

For Sale BATHTUB CHAIR, ARMED POTTY CHAIR. 2 walkers, both with wheels and brakes. One with seat. $100 for all. 410-444-8643. Call 1012AM, 6-10PM. CEMETERY LOT – DULANEY VALLEY Memorial Gardens. Two grave lots priced lower than cemetery asking price. Cemetery will handle sale. Call 410-252-7471. 443-465-7915.

TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE CRYPTS in Cloisters Mausoleum at Dulaney Valley Gardens. Retail value, $15,000. Sell for $7,000 or best offer. 410-870-1442.

2 SIDE-BY-SIDE CEMETERY LOTS. St. Matthews section. Crest Lawn Memorial Gardens, Marriottsville, MD. $2,500 OBO for both.

410-465-3871.

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

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

Home/Handyman Services SANFORD & SON HAULING & RECYCLING. Trash + Junk removal, house & estate cleanouts, garage+ basement cleanouts. Demolition – Shed, deck fence + pool removal. Licensed + insured. Free estimates over the phone. Call 7 days a week, 7 am to 7 pm. 410-746-5090.

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates. 10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285). www.baltimoresbestjunkremoval.com.

Wanted

FLEA MARKET/CRAFT SHOW. Saturday, May 14, 10-2. Vendors invited to sign up now. Bykota Senior Center - Towson. Call 410-887-3094.

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

Call 410-653-3363.

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

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

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

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

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

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise.

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

Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad.

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

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Wanted

COIN CONSULTANT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE who wish to liquidate coin collections. Appraisals, sales, advice, expertise. See me before you go to a coin dealer. Drage Vukcevich, 410744-8139. Evenings/weekends.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-2798834. Thank you.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY – wrist and pocket wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, coins, quilts, old toys, postcards, trains, guns, pocket and hunting knives, linens, fishing equipment and tackle boxes, fountain pens, Christmas garden items, crocks and jugs, lamps and lanterns, pottery, military items, sports memorabilia, advertising signs, paintings and contents of attics, basements and garages. Professional, no pressure individual with over forty years of experience. Lloyd D. Baker. 410-409-4965. 717-969-8114, office.

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

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, rifles, shot guns, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Large quantities are okay. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-9100783.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 3

MEET THE AUTHORS

On Thursday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m., the Gordon Center for Performing Arts and the Ivy Bookshop welcome bestselling authors Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray for a celebration and discussion of their new historical fiction, America’s First Daughter, based on the life, legacy and enduring political influence of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha (Patsy) Jefferson. Tickets for this event, which include a signed copy of the book, are $18 and may be ordered online at www.gordoncenter.com. The Gordon Center is located on the campus of the Rosenbloom JCC at 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. in Owings Mills.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Brain Imaging Study...........................13 Cancer Survivor Spirit Study..............14 Elderly Falls Study .............................14 Exercise Research Study.....................15 Healthy Volunteers Brain Study .........14 Memory Problems Study ....................15 Mind at Home Caregiver Support.......13 Vitamin D Fall Prevention/ Sturdy Study ....................................15

Education

CCBC....................................................5

Events

What’s Next Boomer Summit.............18

Financial Services

Bennett Senior Services......................17 Debt Counsel for Seniors and the Disabled .....................................21 JS Richardson Insurance.....................21

PenFed Credit Union ..........................21

Hearing Services

Hearing & Speech Agency....................9

Home Health Care

Options for Senior America ................25

Housing

Aigburth Vale......................................10 Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace.........28 Charlestown/Erickson ........................11 Cove Point Senior Apts.........................6 Evergreen ..............................................6 Fairhaven/Integrace ............................28 Gatherings at Quarry Place/Beazer Homes..........19 Greens, The...........................................6 Homewood at Frederick .....................29 Linden Park Apts. ...............................26 Oak Crest/Erickson ............................11 Park Heights Place..............................18 Park View Apartments ........................16

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Shangri-La Assisted Living ................29 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers .........24

Housing Referral Service

Oasis Senior Advisors.........................10 Senior Placement Service/Care Patrol ..24

Legal Services

Disability Support Services ..................8 Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm .......17

Medical/Health

Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM...............9 Eldorado Hair Replacement................12 Stuart Goldman, DPM ........................10

Pharmacies

Professional Pharmacy Group ..............8

Real Estate

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

Shopping

Adjustable Bed....................................32 National Photo ......................................4

Radio Flea Market ..............................26 Wilkens Beltway Plaza .......................20 Wow Computer ...................................22

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

CommuniCare Health .........................11 Keswick ................................................9 Manor Care Health Services...............12

Theatres/ Entertainment

Columbia Orchestra ............................27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ........................27

Travel

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

Volunteers

Meals on Wheels of Central MD ..........4

32

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MARCH 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

A Recliner for The Bedroom

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

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