April 2024 | DC Beacon

The

Documenting lost WWII stories

By Glenda C. Booth

Many stories from World War II have been lost, many heroes forgotten.

For instance, on a bombing raid in Japan, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Francis Stevenson took the seat of future U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson on the B-26 Wabash Cannonball when Johnson briefly deplaned.

Johnson ended up on another bomber, while Stevenson’s bomber was hit, killing everyone on board. Johnson went on to become president.

More than 421,000 Americans died in World War II. For the past four years, volunteers from a project called Stories Behind the Stars are documenting each person’s life in 500 words.

John Rutherford, a retired reporter living in McLean, Virginia, wrote the miniprofile of Stevenson. He and his 400 fellow volunteers see writing these stories as a way to honor brave Americans, most of whom never made the history books.

“These men and women made a tremendous sacrifice,” Rutherford said. “People should know about what they did. I hope we can do it for all the wars.”

Stories Behind the Stars was founded in 2020 by Don Milne, a Kentucky retiree. He hopes his team will finish writing all the biographies by September 2, 2025 — the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Since 2021, volunteers from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries have crafted 42,040 stories. But that means they have much more to do.

Each life story will be linked to war memorials and cemeteries around the world so in-person visitors with smartphones can read the stories on a website, storiesbehindthestars.org.

“Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers from all 50 states and more

than a dozen other countries,” Milne said, “soon anyone will be able to visit the graves and memorials of each of these fallen heroes and read any of their stories via smartphone.”

‘Stories that need to be told’

The project honors everyday people who lost their lives in infamous battles. In the first six months of 2021, more than 130 volunteers

wrote stories about the 2,502 Americans who died in the 1944 D-Day invasion, when Allied forces landed in Normandy, France.

In the second half of 2021, more than 100 volunteers wrote stories of the 2,341 who died when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Nearly 200 volunteers in 2022 and 2023 wrote about all of the 8,700 World War II

Don Milne, founder of Stories Behind the Stars, pauses in Knoxville National Cemetery to read the life story of a soldier, written by his project’s volunteers, on his phone. Many volunteers in the D.C. area are helping to write 500-word biographies about Americans who lost their lives in World War II.

I can see clearly now

I’ve needed eyeglasses since first grade.

Throughout school, my relatively poor vision led me to sit in the front row whenever I could. I think that possibly contributed to my more active participation in class and frequent “teacher’s pet” stigma.

It also fed into my already nerdy nature, as eyeglasses helped me look the part.

To my surprise, over the years the rest of the world seems to have come up with the idea that glasses can actually be cool. Even people who didn’t need vision correction started buying them as fashion accessories. (Another marketing coup by Madison Avenue?)

to wondering what life was like for people before modern glasses and contacts were invented.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

I started musing about all this recently when my distance vision took another turn for the worse, and I found myself again struggling to read the eye chart and trying to figure out what frames looked best on me. (Not so easy to do when you can’t see much of anything from more than a few inches away.)

Now that I’m seeing clearly again, I got

nologies give us — regardless of age and vision deficit — the ability to see, read, hear and multitask anything and everything 24/7.

Lucky us! We never have to sit back and think anymore!

I imagine tribal elders with aging eyes were no longer able to go out to the hunt or work the fields. They probably weren’t much help in providing security, either.

In short, back in the “old days,” as one’s vision declined, a person had a lot of free time to sit back in the village and think about things.

Perhaps those with a good memory and a repository of educational experiences began to share some good stories they recalled and to offer advice to the younger folk.

Such a person might also help judge disputes between people, or come up with pearls of wisdom. Maybe one’s close vision would permit whittling to carve useful tools or works of art.

But by and large, I imagine, life slowed down considerably when your eyesight declined, which freed your mind to shift into another gear.

Today, glasses and other modern tech-

The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore and Howard County, Md. Readership exceeds 400,000.

Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

Marketing

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com

Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com

Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 31 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

Instead, we are saturated with countless videos and websites, endlessly “streaming” entertainment, listening to podcasts while we exercise, drive or ostensibly talk with our spouse, and posting on social media intimate details of our days as they happen.

The pressure (compulsion?) to continually consume — and contribute to — today’s multiple media has become so overwhelming, in fact, that we may find ourselves tuning out any ideas or thoughts that contradict or question our instincts. We don’t feel we have the time to consider or evaluate difficult or unpleasant choices, or to listen to opposing views.

No, we are almost never able to sit alone for any length of time with our own thoughts anymore. As a result, we almost never get to be truly thoughtful .

Of course, a person can go “offline,” whenever they like. Have a “tech fast” or “social media sabbath.”

I do so at least weekly myself, and I find the quiet time rewarding and enriching.

We all need some time to recharge before giving it another go.

But that’s not the kind of thing I’m suggesting here.

I’m talking about taking off one’s glasses or contacts, literally and figuratively. Letting oneself go “legally blind” for a while. (You folks with 20/20 uncorrected vision will have to come up with a different approach. Maybe smear some reading glasses with Vaseline.)

Give yourself time for your thoughts (and blood pressure) to settle, for the cacophony of daily life to dissipate. Let your vision go blurry — on purpose.

See where your thoughts take you and where you take them. Maybe ask yourself some of the bigger questions about life that you may not have pondered for a while.

What I’m hoping we find, given enough time to rethink some of the things we think we know, is that the world is less crystal clear and much more blurry than we thought.

It’s at that point that we’ll know we are finally seeing clearly again.

Letters to the editor

Dear Editor:

A shout-out goes to the letter writer Rita Grotsky, who responded to the column of “As I See It” (February 2024) regarding why older people choose to stay in their homes. She does a great job of giving all the reasons for this.

My husband and I were among those who chose to live in a condo after many decades of living in our home in Chevy Chase, not move to an assisted living residence.

Although we did move from a house to a large condo to get rid of the upkeep of a home, we wanted to be among a variety of people and chose instead to have help come to us when help was needed. Since my husband’s death I am very fortunate that our daughter moved back to the area and has been available to provide that help when I need it.

Not all of us need full-time help, nor do we want to give up our homes that we lov-

ingly created in our lifetime.

So thank you, Rita Grotsky, for giving me so many other reasons for the choices we made.

Theresa Galvin Chevy Chase, MD

Dear Editor:

I really feel an article needs to be done on how many homeless people over 55 are on the street, living in their cars without any help from case workers.

I have been living in my car since May 2023. I want to work, but no one wants to hire a 60-year-old man.

We are willing to send taxpayer money across the water to Ukraine, Israel, etc., but I need help right here.

The USA is sad. Just look in the streets and the people living on them. The shelter is not our friend or safe.

David Abbey Silver Spring, MD

Prince George’s County hosts a countywide community cleanup event to keep communities appealing and attractive on Sat., April 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. Community organizations and groups are encouraged to participate. For more information and to register (by April 19), visit mypgc.us/growinggreen.

Fitness & Health

SLEEP TIGHT

Steroids, beta blockers, decongestants and antidepressants can interfere with sleep

POWER OF PROBIOTICS

Some people swear by probiotics for weight loss, but there’s no proof yet

HEART-HEALTHY FRUIT

Apples, apricots, bananas and berries can lower cholesterol and blood pressure

CATCH YOUR BREATH

Short of breath? Anemia, allergies or vitamin deficiencies could be the cause

Silent brain changes precede Alzheimer’s

By Lauran Neergaard

Alzheimer’s disease quietly ravages the brain long before symptoms appear. Now scientists have new clues about the dominolike sequence of those changes — a potential window to one day intervene.

A large study in China tracked middleaged and older adults for 20 years, using regular brain scans, spinal taps and other tests.

Compared to those who remained cognitively healthy, people who eventually developed the mind-robbing disease had higher levels of an Alzheimer’s-linked protein in their spinal fluid 18 years prior to diagnosis, researchers reported last month. Then every few years afterward, the study detected another so-called biomarker of brewing trouble.

Scientists don’t know exactly how Alzheimer’s forms. One early hallmark is that sticky protein called beta-amyloid, which over time builds up into brain-clogging plaques. Amyloid alone isn’t enough to damage memory — plenty of healthy

people’s brains harbor a lot of plaque. An abnormal tau protein that forms neuronkilling tangles is one of several co-conspirators.

The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a timeline for how those abnormalities pile up.

The study’s importance “cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Richard Mayeux, an Alzheimer’s specialist at Columbia University who wasn’t involved in the research.

“Knowledge of the timing of these physiological events is critical” for testing new ways of treating and maybe eventually even preventing Alzheimer’s, he wrote in an accompanying editorial.

The findings have no practical implications yet.

One drug seems to slow progression

More than 6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. There’s no

cure. But last year a drug named Leqembi became the first approved medication with clear evidence that it could slow the worsening of early Alzheimer’s — albeit for a few months.

It works by clearing away some of that gunky amyloid protein. The approach also is being tested to see if it’s possible to delay Alzheimer’s onset if high-risk people are treated before symptoms appear. Still other drugs are being developed to target tau.

Tracking silent brain changes is key for such research. Scientists already knew that in rare, inherited forms of Alzheimer’s that strike younger people, a toxic form of amyloid starts accumulating about two decades ahead of symptoms and at some point later tau kicks in.

What the study found

The new findings show the order in which such biomarker changes occurred with more common old-age Alzheimer’s.

Researchers with Beijing’s Innovation

Center for Neurological Disorders compared 648 people eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and an equal number who remained healthy. The amyloid finding in future Alzheimer’s patients was the first, 18 years or 14 years prior to diagnosis depending on the test used.

Differences in tau were detected next, followed by a marker of trouble in how neurons communicate. A few years after that, differences in brain shrinkage and cognitive test scores between the two groups became apparent, the study found.

“The more we know about viable Alzheimer’s treatment targets and when to address them, the better and faster we will be able to develop new therapies and preventions,” said Claire Sexton, the Alzheimer’s Association’s senior director of scientific programs.

She noted that blood tests are coming soon that promise to also help by making it easier to track amyloid and tau.

—AP

Study questions plastic’s effect on heart

By Carla K. Johnson

We breathe, eat and drink tiny particles of plastic. But are these minuscule specks in the body harmless, dangerous or somewhere in between?

A small study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine raises more questions than it answers about how these bits — microplastics and the smaller nanoplastics — might affect the heart.

The Italian study has weaknesses, but it is likely to draw attention to the debate over the problem of plastic pollution. Most plastic waste is never recycled and breaks down into these particles.

“The study is intriguing. However, there are really substantial limitations,” said Dr. Steve Nissen, a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s a wake-up call that perhaps we need to take the problem of microplastics more seriously. As a cause for

heart disease? Not proven. As a potential cause? Yes, maybe.”

What did the study find?

The study involved 257 people who had surgery to clear blocked blood vessels in their necks. Italian researchers analyzed the fatty buildup the surgeons removed from the carotid arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the brain.

Using two methods, they found evidence of plastics — mostly invisible nanoplastics — in the artery plaque of 150 patients and no evidence of plastics in 107 patients.

They followed these people for three years. During that time, 30 (or 20%) of those with plastics had a heart attack, stroke or died from any cause, compared to eight (or about 8%) of those with no evidence of plastics.

The researchers also found more evi-

dence of inflammation in the people with the plastic bits in their blood vessels. Inflammation is the body’s response to injury and is thought to raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

“I hope that the alarming message from our study will raise the consciousness of citizens, especially governments, to finally become aware of the importance of the health of our planet,” said Dr. Raffaele Marfella of the University of Campania in Italy, who led the study, in an email.

What are the problems with the study?

It’s very small and looked only at people with narrowed arteries, who were already at risk for heart attack and stroke. The patients with plastics had more heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol than those without plastics. They were more likely to be men and more likely to be smokers.

The researchers tried to adjust for these risk factors during their statistical analysis, but they may have missed important differences between the groups that could account for the results. This kind of study cannot prove that plastics caused their problems.

The researchers had no information on

what the people consumed or breathed that might account for the plastics.

The specimens could have been contaminated in the lab. The researchers acknowledge as much in their paper and suggest that future studies be done in clean rooms where air is filtered for pollutants.

The researchers suggest the risk of heart attack, stroke or death was four times greater in the people with the plastics. That seems high, Nissen said.

“It would mean that these microplastics are the most important cause of coronary heart disease yet discovered. And I just don’t think that’s likely to be right,” he said.

More research is needed, said Dr. Philip Landrigan of Boston College. Landrigan, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal, said it is the first report suggesting a connection between microplastics and nanoplastics with disease in humans. Other scientists have found plastic bits in the lungs, liver, blood, placenta and breast milk.

“It does not prove cause and effect, but it suggests cause and effect,” he said. “And it needs urgently to be either replicated or disproven by other studies done by other investigators in other populations.”

Breaking down acute and chronic pancreatitis

By Sebastian Strobel, M.D.

Dear Mayo Clinic: I’m in my late 50s and was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis. My symptoms came on suddenly.

My wife is concerned my symptoms may develop again, and she wants me to have testing to determine the cause. What are the testing and treatment options available for pancreatitis?

A: Simply put, pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. Located behind the stomach in the upper abdomen, your pancreas produces digestive enzymes and hormones that regulate how your body processes sugar.

Pancreatitis is caused by the irritation and inflammation of the cells of your pancreas. This occurs when digestive enzymes released by the pancreas become active while still in the pancreas.

Pancreatitis can occur in two forms: acute or chronic. More people experience an acute form of pancreatitis, which appears suddenly.

Mild cases of pancreatitis typically can be resolved in days with treatment. Severe cases of acute pancreatitis can cause life-threatening conditions, such as kidney and lung failure.

Acute pancreatitis symptoms include severe upper abdominal pain, abdominal pain that extends to your back and shoulders, yellowing of the skin, tender abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and fever.

Treatment for acute pancreatitis consists of IV fluids and medication to manage pain. You can eat if tolerated, or tube feeding may be necessary. Once your pancreatitis is under control, your healthcare team will determine what

caused the pancreatitis attack. Treatment depends on the cause.

A procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, uses a long tube with a camera on the end to take pictures of your pancreas and bile ducts. This helps your healthcare team see if stones are blocking the bile duct.

If so, the stones can be removed using tools passed through the endoscope. The bile duct and pancreatic duct enter the bowels in the same area. This is why a blockage of the bile ducts can cause pancreatitis.

If gallstones caused your pancreatitis — with or without bile duct blockage — your healthcare team may recommend surgery to remove your gallbladder. This procedure is called a cholecystectomy.

Surgery may be done before you go home if your attack is mild. In severe cases, surgery may be done later to let the inflammation go down.

Causes and symptoms

Consuming several alcoholic drinks a day over many years can be one cause of pancreatitis.

If this is the cause of your ailments, your healthcare team may recommend you enter a treatment program. Continuing to drink alcohol may worsen your pancreatitis and lead to serious complications, including chronic pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis that occurs over many years can damage your pancreas and lead to chronic pancreatitis. It causes permanent damage and scarring of the pancreas.

See PANCREATITIS, page 7

MAIL

For free materials about area housing communities, just complete and clip this coupon and mail, or take a picture and email it to the

Housing Communities

District of Columbia

❏ Chevy Chase House (See ads on pages B2, B13)

Maryland

❏ Brooke Grove (See ads on pages B5, B6, B10, B12)

❏ Charles E. Smith Life Communities (See ad on page 14)

❏ Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 8)

❏ Flats at Sandy Spring, The (See ad on page B4)

❏ Grandview, The (See ads on pages 3, B12)

❏ Homecrest House (See ads on pages B10, B15)

❏ Leggett, The (See ad on page B8)

❏ Park View Bladensburg (See ad on page 13)

❏ Park View Columbia (See ad on page 13)

❏ Park View Emerson (See ad on page 13)

❏ Park View Laurel (See ad on page 13)

❏ Riderwood (See ads on pages 1, 3, B10)

Virginia

❏ Ashby Ponds (See ads on pages 1, 3, B13)

❏ Benchmark at Alexandria (See ads on pages B7, B11)

❏ Chesterbrook (See ad on page 10)

❏ Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 9)

❏ Falcons Landing (See ads on pages B6, 32)

❏ Greenspring (See ads on pages 1, 3, B6)

❏ Harmony Senior Living (See ads on pages B3, B13)

❏ Residences at North Hill (See ads on pages B11, B15)

❏ Sommerset (See ad on page 6)

❏ Vinson Hall (See ads on pages B4, B12)

❏ Woodleigh Chase (See ads on pages 3, B11)

Medications that can interfere with sleep

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I am wondering if one of my medications is interfering with my sleep. Which types of drugs are more likely to do that?

A: Medications that affect sleep can be prescription drugs or over-the-counter remedies. Here are some common culprits:

Antidepressants. Antidepressants are typically prescribed to treat depression or anxiety, and they have varying side ef-

fects, even within the same drug class. For example, among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), fluoxetine (Prozac) can be stimulating and may make it hard to fall or stay asleep.

Beta blockers. Beta blockers such as metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) and atenolol (Tenormin) are used primarily to treat high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat. These medications can sometimes decrease the body’s natural levels of melatonin, a hormone that helps

regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Decongestants. Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine help shrink swollen membranes in the nasal passages, allowing more air to pass through them. But they can be stimulating. They can raise your blood pressure and heart rate, and may cause insomnia in some people.

Diuretics. Diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix), torsemide (Demadex), and hydrochlorothiazide reduce the amount of sodium and water in the body. They’re prescribed to treat high blood pressure, kidney disorders, liver disease, and fluid retention caused by heart failure. Diuretics don’t affect sleep directly, but they can interrupt sleep if they make you go to the bathroom during the night.

Smoking-cessation drugs. Over-thecounter nicotine replacement medications such as nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges can cause someone to have unusual dreams or nightmares and wake them up. The prescription drug varenicline (Chantix) also can cause nightmares.

Steroids. Oral steroids such as prednisone are used to reduce inflammation inside the body. Prednisone stimulates the production of the stress hormone cortisol and mimics what stress does to the body, which can make it hard to fall asleep and disrupt the sleep cycle.

What to do about it

There are a number of things you can do if you think your sleep problems could be related to one of your medications.

Practice good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day; avoid caffeine after lunch; don’t drink alcohol or eat close to bedtime; turn off electronic screens an hour before bed; and sleep in a cool, dark, comfortable spot.

Take the medication during the day. This applies to drugs that make it hard to fall or stay asleep, cause nightmares, or make you get up and go to the bathroom.

Take a lower dose. Ask your doctor if lowering your medication dose will help you get better sleep.

Switch to a new medication . If you’ve tried everything and sleep problems are becoming distressing, ask your doctor if you can switch to a medication that won’t affect your sleep.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu.

© 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Can probiotics help with weight loss?

By Meera Shah

Dear Mayo Clinic: My friend insists that taking a probiotic supplement has helped her lose 50 pounds by keeping her gut bacteria in check. Will taking a probiotic in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise help me lose weight?

A: It is true that the gut bacterial population in people who are obese differs from the population in people who are lean. Whether this difference contributes to obesity or is a consequence of obesity is unknown.

So far, research hasn’t yielded clear answers. Although taking a probiotic is unlikely to cause harm, it may not help fight obesity.

Pancreatitis

From page 5

Chronic pancreatitis can lead to weight loss, pain, diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Its symptoms include upper abdominal pain, indigestion, abdominal pain that worsens after eating, or unexpected weight loss. Oily, smelly stools, called steatorrhea, or jaundice, which is yellowing of the eyes and skin, can occur with pancreatitis.

Treating chronic pancreatitis may involve changes to your diet, pain management and taking enzymes to improve digestion.

First and foremost, it is important to understand that weight gain is essentially a function of energy imbalance. You gain weight when you take in more calories than your body burns.

And there is some evidence that bacteria in the gut play a role in how efficiently the body extracts energy from the food that reaches the small intestine.

Your digestive tract, also called the gut, contains trillions of bacteria. Many of those bacteria play useful roles in the body, including metabolizing nutrients from food.

While much of the bacteria in the gut are valuable, some are not. Studies have

Additional factors that increase your risk of developing pancreatitis include cigarette smoking, obesity, diabetes and a family history of pancreatitis.

Talk with your healthcare team about sudden or persistent symptoms related to pancreatitis. — Sebastian Strobel, M.D., Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org.

© 2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

been performed about how an imbalance between good and bad gut bacteria could contribute to certain medical disorders.

Eating foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut that contain probiotics — “good” bacteria — or taking a probiotic supplement have been credited with health benefits. There is some evidence that probiotics might improve gut health.

To date, however, the only studies that have shown convincing results that changing the composition of gut bacteria — sometimes called the gut microbiome — affects weight have been performed using germ-free mice.

An analysis of the results of published research studies that have investigated probiotics and weight loss revealed no clear answers. That is partly because re-

search methods varied widely among those studies, and a range of different probiotics were included.

What is clear is that the most important factor determining the makeup of the gut microbiome is diet. But, that calls into question which comes first. Does obesity lead to a certain type of microbiome? Or does a certain type of microbiome lead to obesity? At this point, this is unknown.

Plant-based foods help the gut

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables appears to help good bacteria in your gut thrive. It also can be beneficial in filling you up and limiting overeating of snack

See PROBIOTICS, page 8

Judge Marybeth Ayres Judge

Jennifer S. Fairfax Judge

Louis M. Leibowitz

Judge J. Bradford McCullough

Seven fruits that are good for your heart

By Brierley Horton, MS, RD

Fruit (yes, fruit!) has the power to improve your heart health. That’s because it’s loaded with nutrients that can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure — which are good for your overall heart health. Plus, research shows that people who eat four or more servings of whole fruit a day significantly lower their risk of developing high blood pressure.

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried are all great ways to add more fruit to your diet.

Do aim, however, to eat whole fruit as much as possible to reap the most rewards.

The best heart-healthy fruits

1. Apples: Turns out an apple a day could actually keep the doctor away. Not only are apples a good way to add fiber to your diet and good-for-you flavonoids, but a couple of studies also found that people who regularly eat apples are less likely to develop high blood pressure.

Seek out shiny-skinned apples that are

firm and free of bruises. Then, store them in the refrigerator fruit crisper to extend their juiciness and crispness.

2. Apricots: Apricots deliver a handful of vitamins (A, C, E and K), plus fiber. And their orange hue comes from carotenoids, an antioxidant. Fresh apricots have a fleeting season from May to August (look for fruits that are firm and plump). Fortunately, dried apricots deliver the same nutrients.

When shopping, look for a grapefruit that’s heavy for its size and springy to touch. At home, store it in the fridge, but for a juicier fruit, serve it at room temp or warm, not chilled. Remember that grapefruit (and its juice) interacts with some prescriptions, so check with your doctor before adding it to your meal plan.

3. Bananas: Eat a banana and you’ll get vitamins B6 and C. You’ll also get fiber, potassium and magnesium — all three of which are key nutrients that may help keep blood pressure in check. When shopping, look for firm bananas at any size as size doesn’t affect quality.

4. Berries: Whether it’s blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries that you’re drawn to most, all berries are great sources of vitamin C and fiber. And eating a high-fiber diet has the potential to help lower cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Don’t forget, frozen berries are just as healthy as fresh so you can enjoy berries year-round.

5. Grapefruit: Serve up grapefruit for a dose of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Plus, in a study of women (published in 2014 in the journal Food & Nutrition Research), those who regularly ate grapefruit or drank its juice had higher “good” HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides.

6. Oranges: This citrus favorite is a real winner in the heart-healthy fruits category: research shows that the flavonoids in oranges have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers. They also may help improve blood pressure and can ward off your risk of developing atherosclerosis. Like the other fruits in this list, oranges also give you potassium and fiber.

7. Peaches: Pick up yellow peaches for a hit of beta-carotene. Men who have higher blood levels of beta-carotene were less likely to die of heart disease or stroke, per a study published in 2018 in the journal Circulation Research. Peaches also deliver fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, E and K.

Better Homes and Gardens is a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at www.bhg.com.

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

bacteria makeup in the gut.

foods and other unnecessary calories.

Also, limiting fat, sugar and animal sources of protein can help maintain a healthier gut microbiome because research shows that diets high in those foods correlate with a more unfavorable

The most reliable way to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, so you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming.

© 2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Make time for the best kind of tea: ‘true tea’

By Lori Zanteson

Tea has been enjoyed for more than 5,000 years. Its consumption is supported by modern research for related health benefits and disease risk reduction.

Tea contains polyphenols, antioxidant plant compounds associated with health benefits.

The four types of tea known as “true” teas — white, green, Oolong and black — are all made from the leaves of the evergreen shrub, Camellia sinensis.

1. White tea is the least processed, and is made from buds and certain leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.

2. Green tea is produced from freshly harvested leaves, immediately steamed to prevent oxidation, or exposure to oxygen.

3. Oolong tea is oxidized for a short period of time.

4. Black tea is completely oxidized.

The varying degrees of oxidation may affect the health-promoting, antioxidant compounds of each type of tea, rendering them unique.

Drink to good health

Tea has been widely studied and is associated with many evidence-based health benefits:

• Heart health: Evidence suggests that regular tea consumption (about two cups per day, unsweetened) may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and may help reduce blood pressure, total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

• Cancer prevention: Tea polyphenols may also play a role in cancer prevention. Research shows that catechins may be powerful inhibitors of cancer cell reproduction.

• Lowering diabetes risk: Dietary polyphenols, such as those in tea, may lower risk of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes by helping regulate blood sugar management due to their ability to increase blood sugar, or glucose, excretion through urine and improve insulin resistance.

• Gut health: Many polyphenols are unabsorbed until they reach the large intestine where they are broken down by gut bacteria. They feed beneficial gut bacteria, which contributes to diversity of the gut microbiome, helping improve gut function and maintain a strong immune system.

Steep often

Drinking tea more often is easy when you learn to do it in different ways — like sipping iced tea instead of water, for

example. Hot or cold, the benefits are the same, but avoid less-healthy add-ins, like sugar or creamer. Also, feel free to drink different teas for different benefits, and add lemon juice for an extra antioxidant boost.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800829-5384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com.

© 2024 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

VA Relay # 800-828-1120

www.culpeppergarden.org

Watch out for new Medicare card scam

By Toni King

Dear Toni:

I am concerned about a phone call I received yesterday from a representative with Medicare asking all types of personal questions and informing me that there was a new plastic Medicare card with a chip like a credit card. I told the caller what you said during your online Medicare webinar about not giving personal information over the phone.

I’m concerned that I could have made a mistake and that I have missed the new Medicare card. What should I do, or who should I call to see if Medicare is trying to contact me? Sometimes it is hard to know the right thing to do when it involves Medicare.

—Deidre

Hello Deidre: Don’t stress yourself out because there is NOT a new plastic Medicare card with a chip being issued! This is a Medicare scam that is targeting

America’s Medicare population. Your Medicare card is still the same card you currently have.

Medicare and Social Security will NEVER call your home or office and ask for your personal or banking information.

Medicare already has all the information needed to verify that its agents are speaking with you when they call. If the government needs information from you, a letter would be sent from the specific government agency (such as Medicare), telling you what information is needed and how to contact them with any questions.

The most recent Medicare card update was in April 2019 to include a random identification number of numbers and letters. It no longer displays a Social Security number.

Taxpayers are losing over $100 billion a year to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, according to estimates from the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. Fraud hurts Americans because when thieves steal from Medicare and Medicaid, less money is available for healthcare claims.

There is an organization called Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) that helps Medicare beneficiaries learn to detect fraud and abuse. To report Medicare fraud or abuse, call the SMP toll-free number, 1877-808-2468, or visit the SMP website at smpresource.org to locate the closest SMP office in your state.

The SMP website discusses common Medicare Fraud Schemes such as telemedicine, genetic testing, hospice, Medicare card scams, and the list goes on.

Here are a few tips to help protect you against Medicare fraud:

— Have a safety script by the

phone, and do not give out personal information to anyone who calls. Stick to the script no matter what! (Have someone help you write your script.)

— Never give your Medicare or Social Security number to strangers who call you on the phone or come to your door. Just like you tell your grandkids not to talk to strangers, you need not speak to these strangers either. Play the “Stranger Danger” game.

— Do not accept “free” offers in exchange for your Medicare number. Remember, there is nothing “free.” The fraudsters will have Medicare pay for whatever they are offering and will use your Medicare number to get it paid for.

My team members are instructed never to write a client’s Medicare number in our files. We also advise clients never to email us sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers or a picture of their new Medicare card.

Medicare/Medicaid fraud is exploding, and the only way to stop it is to let your friends know what I have just told you. We need to stand together and stop those who only want to make a fast dollar from Medicare and Medicaid and, most especially, from you.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664. The “Medicare Survival Guide” advanced edition and her new “Confused about Medicare” video series are available at ToniSays.com.

© 2024 The Moultrie Observer, Moultrie, Ga., moultrieobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nine reasons for shortness of breath

Experiencing shortness of breath, medically termed dyspnea, is common. It’s a sensation where you’re uncomfortably gasping for breath, feeling suffocated, yet it’s distinct from air hunger. This could be a fleeting issue, often tied to exercise or temporary ailments like bronchitis, but for some, it becomes a persistent whisper of a deeper problem, hinting at inefficient oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange within the lungs.

Let’s go over the most common conditions linked to shortness of breath:

If you’re battling unexplained shortness of breath, consulting with healthcare practitioners is paramount, especially if the problem is persistent or worsening. Multiple opinions can provide a broader perspective on your condition, aiding in uncovering the root cause.

By Suzy Cohen

1. Respiratory disorders: Asthma, COPD, pneumonia, COVID-19, pulmonary embolism, pleurisy, lung cancer and pulmonary edema significantly affect lung function, making breathing a laborious task. Treatments for this may include steroid inhalers like betamethasone, or bronchodilators like albuterol, and possibly antibiotics for infection clearance.

2. Cardiovascular issues : Conditions like heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or heart attacks disrupt efficient blood pumping, limiting oxygen supply to the lungs and causing breathlessness. Treatments may include ACE inhibitors, digoxin, nitroglycerin, and/or natural supplements like CoQ10 or lifestyle changes are crucial.

3. Anemia: This condition, due to a lack of healthy red blood cells, reduces oxygen transport, leading to fatigue and shortness of breath. Blood tests can reveal anemia, with treatments including iron or vitamin supplements.

4. Anxiety and panic disorders: The physical manifestations of psychological stress or panic attacks can include episodes of shortness of breath, emphasizing the need for mental health support.

5. Obesity: Excess weight strains the heart and lungs, making minor activities feel overwhelmingly exhausting.

6. Pet allergies: For those with allergies, especially chronic asthma, pets can trigger allergies and shortness of breath. Antihistamines and inhalers can provide temporary relief.

7. Vitamin B12 and zinc deficiencies: Essential for red blood cell production and immune function, respectively, deficiencies in these nutrients can compromise respiratory health. Genetic factors like the MTHFR genetic polymorphism may also impact B12 levels impacting oxygen transport.

8. Magnesium deficiency: Crucial for muscle and nerve function, a lack of magnesium can weaken respiratory muscles, necessitating supplementation. Did you know drinking caffeinated beverages will reduce your levels of magnesium? That’s right, coffee is a drug mugger of mag!

9. Hypothyroidism: A deficiency in thyroid hormone can lead to fatigue and breathlessness, often intertwined with B12, iodine and iron deficiencies. Treatment may include hormone therapy or supplements to enhance T3 conversion.

Finding the root cause and taking care of it will allow you to embrace life more fully, and get up the stairs more easily too! Be careful with exercise if you suffer from this condition, and just work out to your comfort.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe

heroes and heroines buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Most of the stories document people’s lives: their birthplace, parents, high school, college, spouses, jobs, military service, and how and where they died.

Writers describe patriots who showed courage, defied the odds or were victims of tragic accidents. They write about prisoners of war, and some whose fate and whereabouts are still unknown.

Rutherford alone has written 1,600 biog-

raphies in two years, “stories that need to be told,” he said.

He has written, for example, about the women who served, many as nurses and Red Cross volunteers who got close to the front lines.

One example is the story of Dorothy Jane Burdge, an “American Red Cross girl” who handed out coffee, donuts, gum and cigarettes to exhausted troops across Europe. She died in a plane crash.

Rutherford is now writing about those lost when a German submarine torpedoed and sank the troop ship SS Leopoldville, killing 763 American soldiers and 56 crew mem-

bers within five miles of Cherbourg, France.

Reporting is not new to Rutherford. After an Army stint in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970, he reported for United Press International for 10 years, and then was an NBC Network News producer for 30 years.

Why they write

Retired lawyer and Chevy Chase resident Les Wiesenfelder spends on average of 20 hours a week writing, and has completed 700 stories. He’s now the only person writing about the 5,100 people connected to Maryland. He’s completed 560 bios so far.

“I hate being bored. I need something to occupy my time and my mind,” he said.

He’s also inspired by his parents, who escaped Nazi Germany. “The Nazis murdered my uncle and grandmothers,” he explained. “I do this because of my gratitude for the Americans who rescued the world from the Nazis.”

Doria Owen, a retired special education teacher who lives near Baltimore, was exploring genealogy online during the Covid pandemic and came upon Stories Behind the Stars. In the past year, she has written more than 130 stories.

Owen starts by using websites like Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com and Findagrave.com, and ends up searching further — combing old newspapers, yearbooks and census records to find out more about her subjects.

Her current projects include military people lost when the Japanese sank the USS Robalo , a submarine, in the south China Sea in 1944. She’s also writing stories about the 1,015 casualties from the German bombing of the HTM Rhona in the Mediterranean Sea in 1943.

“I’m making the people more than numbers or dates,” she said, “telling the story of who they were. Some were very young. Some never met their children. Some mothers lost more than one son. I’ve got-

ten emotional over some of the stories.”

Her own grandfather came home from Europe, but he never discussed his experiences. “So many did not come home,” she said.

Susan Milstead Murphy, who retired from a film and video career and lives near Richmond, had three uncles who served in World War II. She never knew why one, Glenn Cochran, never came home.

About 15 years ago, when cousins cleaned out their grandmother’s home, Murphy received a box of materials about him, an Army Air Corps navigator. In the box were five photographs of her uncle in his leather helmet, silk ascot and bomber jacket.

She also found government notifications, including the dreaded telegram, “We regret to inform you. . .” sent to her grandmother.

The box revealed his final mission, Murphy said. “I then learned he flew out of England on bombing missions over Germany. His airplane crashed into the North Sea in December 1942.”

After Murphy learned about her Uncle Glenn, she became inspired to tell the stories of other fallen soldiers, she said, and now volunteers for Stories Behind the Stars.

“I want people to know about this 22year-old whose life was cut way too short,” she said.

No experience necessary

The project does not seek out professional writers. Anyone is welcome to write a 500-word life story.

“Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, only two percent were professional military,” according to the project website.

“It is fitting that this project too be undertaken by normal, everyday people whose main qualification is that they want to preserve a remembrance of the World

People over 65 should get another Covid shot

Older U.S. adults should roll up their sleeves for another COVID-19 shot, even if they got a booster in the fall, U.S. health officials said in February.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans 65 and older should get another dose of the updated vaccine that became available in September — if at least four months has passed since their last shot. In making the recommendation, the agency endorsed guidance proposed by an expert advisory panel.

“Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection ... for those at highest risk,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement.

Some doctors say most older adults are adequately protected by the fall shot, which built on immunity derived from earlier vaccinations and exposure to the virus itself. And preliminary studies so far have shown no substantial waning in vaccine effectiveness over six months.

However, the body’s vaccine-induced defenses tend to fade over time, and that happens faster in seniors than in other adults. The committee had recommended COVID-19 booster doses for older adults in 2022 and 2023.

COVID-19 remains a danger, especially to older people and those with underlying medical conditions. There are still more than 20,000 hospitalizations and more than 2,000 deaths each week due to the coron-

WWII stories

From page 12

War II fallen for all to see.”

People can write as many or as few stories as they wish, on their own schedule. The project’s managers encourage writers to take the free “boot camp” online training to learn how to conduct research and to use Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com and Fold3.com.

Volunteers are also needed to help with basic research, databases, photos and other tasks that don’t require writing.

Many people get hooked on the project, Milne said. They love starting with a name — someone they know nothing about —and uncovering the details of the person’s life. The stories they write are lasting tributes.

As Owen, a grandmother of 15, put it, “Everyone has a story. No one wants to be forgotten. Someone will want to know someday.”

For more information, visit storiesbehindthestars.org.

avirus, according to the CDC. And people 65 and older have the highest hospitalization and death rates.

In September, the government recommended a new COVID-19 shot recipe built against a version of the coronavirus called XBB.1.5. That single-target vaccine replaced combination shots that had been targeting both the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version.

The CDC recommended the new shots for everyone 6 months and older, and allowed that people with weak immune systems could get a second dose as early as two months after the first.

Most Americans haven’t listened. According to the latest CDC data, 13% of U.S. children have gotten the shots and about 22% of U.S. adults have. The vaccination rate is higher for adults 65 and older, at nearly 42%.

“In each successive vaccine, the uptake has gone down,” said Dr. David Canaday, a

Case Western Reserve University infectious diseases expert who studies COVID19 in older people.

“People are tired of getting all these shots all the time,” said Canaday, who does not serve on the committee. “We have to be careful about over-recommending the vaccine.”

CDC officials say that among those who got the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine, 50% fewer will get sick after they come into contact with the virus compared with those who didn’t get the fall shot. —AP

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL

MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

The Greens at Hammonds Lane: 410-636-1141

Park View at Furnace Branch: 410-761-4150

Park View at Severna Park: 410-544-3411

BALTIMORE CITY

Ednor Apartments I: 410-243-0180

Ednor Apartments II: 410-243-4301

The Greens at Irvington Mews: 410-644-4487

Park Heights Place: 410-578-3445

Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440

Park View at Coldspring: 410-542-4400

BALTIMORE COUNTY

Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344

Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660

Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888

The Greens at English Consul: 410-789-3000

The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100

The Greens at Logan Field: 410-288-2000

The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988

Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464

Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 • 55 & Better

Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665

Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375

Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886

Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363

Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185

Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

EASTERN SHORE

Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070

HARFORD COUNTY

Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064

Park View at Box Hill: 410-515-6115

HOWARD COUNTY

Park View at Colonial Landing: 410-796-4399

Park View at Columbia: 410-381-1118

Park View at Ellicott City: 410-203-9501

Park View at Ellicott City II: 410-203-2096

Park View at Emerson: 301-483-3322

Park View at Snowden River: 410-290-0384

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785 • 55

Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526

Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

Roasted chickpeas add crunch to salad

By Steve Dunn, America’s Test Kitchen

Our hearty, chickpea-centric chopped salad began with zapping the chickpeas in the microwave to dry out their plump interiors and rupture their exteriors. Then, pan-frying the slightly dehydrated legumes caused their papery skins to blister and crackle while their dense insides puffed and crisped.

We tossed the crunchy chickpeas with a zippy spice mix and set them aside to cool before scattering them atop a salad of arugula, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sweethot Peppadew peppers, and salty-rich feta.

A gutsy honey-Dijon vinaigrette finished things off with sweetness and tang.

Chopped Salad with Spiced Skillet-Roasted Chickpeas

Serves 2

Note: any salad greens can be substituted

Health shorts

From page 13

Should you drink water with meals?

There has been some confusion about the importance of drinking water with meals and snacks. In fact, there have even been

for the arugula. If Peppadews are unavailable, substitute pepperoncini.

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon plus teaspoon table salt, divided

¼ teaspoon plus teaspoon pepper, divided ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula, chopped coarse

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup),

some concerns regarding water intake and potentially negative impacts on digestion.

However, Michael F. Picco, a physician from the Mayo Clinic, notes, “There’s no concern that water will dilute digestive juices or interfere with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal actually aids digestion.”

Regular and adequate water intake is essential for good health. Especially important is to consume enough water (and

divided

1 cup jarred hot Peppadew peppers, sliced thin

1. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Spread chickpeas over the plate in an even layer. Microwave until exteriors of chickpeas are dry and many have ruptured, 8 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, combine paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a single layer of paper towels. Heat oil in a 12inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Transfer chickpeas to skillet, spreading into a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are golden brown and make a rustling sound when stirred, 4 to 8 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chickpeas to a large bowl and toss with paprika

other beverages) to ensure that your body can effectively absorb and use the nutrients in the food you eat.

Water also acts as a natural stool softener and helps prevent or lessen constipation. Drinking water around meal time may help take the edge off hunger and may assist in weight management.

It’s always important to consider your own personal situation. If you have been advised by a physician to limit water or

mixture to coat. Transfer chickpeas to the prepared sheet to cool slightly (do not rinse bowl). Carefully pour off oil from skillet into a liquid measuring cup. (You should have about 3 tablespoons. Add extra oil as needed to equal ¼ cup.)

4. Whisk vinegar, honey, Dijon, thyme, remaining teaspoon of salt, remaining teaspoon pepper, and reserved oil together in a small bowl. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, arugula, ¼ cup feta, Peppadews, and half of chickpeas in the now-empty large bowl. Drizzle with three-quarters of vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle remaining feta and chickpeas over top and serve, passing extra vinaigrette separately.

© 2024 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

fluids at any point throughout the day, you should heed that advice. If you want to increase your water intake, be sure to bring it up at your next medical appointment.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800829-5384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com.

© 2024 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

Dear Seniors,

DIRECTORS MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

A new season is here! As we transition from winter’s cool embrace and blossom into the gentle warmth of spring, I hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and health. The days are becoming longer, the sun is shining brighter, and new flowers are budding each day. Just as the seasons shift, so do our everyday lives. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “spring” as a sudden movement or to move upward or forward. It’s our time to move forward and embrace new things in our lives, for each season brings its own unique charm and blessings!

As we enter the second quarter of 2024, discussions are already underway regarding the upcoming fiscal year 2025 for District seniors. At the end of February, DACL had the honor of partnering with Mayor Bowser for the FY25 Senior Budget Engagement Tele-Townhall. Seniors congregated at Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center in Ward 8 and various watch parties across the city, eager to hear directly from Mayor Bowser about how District funds are allocated and their impact on the aging community.

This invaluable event provided seniors with a platform to voice their perspectives on the city’s achievements and their current priorities, needs, and concerns for the forthcoming fiscal year. Following the Tele-Townhall, I prioritized meeting with seniors who could not attend, recognizing the significance of your insights and feedback as we strive to enhance the aging experience in the District! The suggestions and changes proposed during these discussions are instrumental in our efforts to make our city the best place to age.

Change can be daunting, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. The continued evolution of DC is a testament to our community’s resilience and commitment to supporting one another and making the District better, especially our amazing seniors. Let’s embark on this journey of change together with optimism in our hearts and a “spring” in our steps. Remember, with every change comes new opportunities, new experiences, and new joys to be discovered.

Wishing you all a season filled with warmth, wellness, and wonderful new beginnings.

Warm regards,

Charon PW Hines Director, Department of Aging and Community Living

DACL Meets with FY2024 Lead Agencies

DACL’s senior leadership connected with our lead agencies for FY2024 to discuss how our partnership and initiatives benefit DC’s older adults daily and explore avenues for ongoing support in the future.

Ward 1 Lead Agency: DACL in partnership with East River Family Strengthening Collective

Ward 7 & 8 - East River Family Strengthening Collective

Ward 2 & 3 Lead Agency: IONA Senior Services

Ward 4: Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Day Care Center

Ward 5 & 6: Seabury Resources

50th Anniversary of the DC History Conference

DC Public Library, in partnership with the DC History Center and Humanities DC, brings you the 50th DC History Conference. The DC History Conference is an interdisciplinary, community conference considering the District’s past, present, and future. The first conference was organized in 1973 and delivered in January of 1974, marking this as

the 50th year of the conference. Since then, the conference organizers have provided a welcoming, educational, and stimulating forum for original research on and engagement with the history of the Washington, DC metropolitan area—prioritizing the local city but including nearby Maryland and Virginia, and the federal government.

DACL in the Community

The work of DACL is in our communities with you! Check out some of the amazing events and activities DACL staff participated in last month!

DPW Spring Services

Spring is here, and it’s crucial to keep our city blossoming. The Department of Public Works (DPW) has begun its annual Spring Services, which will run through October 31, 2024. These services include street sweeping, alley cleaning, graffiti removal, mowing, and DPW’s helping hand at neighborhood cleanups. Visit dpw.dc.gov for more information.

Save the Date for Senior

Fest

On May 29, 2024, the Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) will partner with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to host the annual Senior Fest on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)! The event will feature music, live entertainment, exhibitors, health screenings, games, food, and more. For more details, visit www.seniorfest.splashthat.com.

National Scam Day

Annually, scammers take about $2.8 billion from seniors in the United States. To combat this statistic, DACL’s Adult Protective Services Team (APS) held a forum with DC seniors to recognize “National Slam the Scam Day” on Thursday, March 7. This event was held in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, giving seniors skills to detect and defend themselves against scams. If you think you or a loved one have been scammed or have questions about scamming, please call the APS hotline, 202-541-3950.

Seabury Resources for Aging turns 100

By Margaret Foster

One of the oldest nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. area has been helping older adults for 100 years. Seabury Resources for Aging, founded in 1924, will celebrate its centennial next month at a gala at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Seabury began with a small home for older adults: just four rooms in a house on Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest Washington. Its tradition of affordable senior housing continues today with three small group homes in Northeast Washington as well as two retirement communities: Seabury Friendship Terrace in Tenleytown and Seabury at Springvale Terrace in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“Our mission is to provide personalized,

affordable services and housing options to help older adults in the greater Washington, D.C. area live with independence and dignity,” said Dawn M. Quattlebaum, chief executive officer of Seabury Resources for Aging.

Today, the nonprofit helps close to 10,000 older adults and caregivers in the area, providing not only housing but nutritious meals, yard work, cleaning, transportation to medical appointments and personalized care management.

Its care managers work with older adults’ neighbors, friends, family and clergy to help them age safely in their own neighborhoods.

History of Seabury

In 1923 several people in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington recognized the

need to support elderly congregants. The following year a Washingtonian named Cornelia Jones donated her house on Wisconsin Avenue to the group, which named it the Episcopal Church Home, housing 31 people. By 1927 the group had acquired three more houses.

In its early years the group’s “board of lady managers” raised money with “teas, concerts, card parties [and] rummage sales,” according to a 1930 letter from board member Sally Fauntleroy Johnson. She and others kept the Episcopal Church Home going even during the Depression years.

“The foundations of the greatest success are laid not in days of universal prosperity, when anybody can succeed, but always in days of uncertainty and difficulty,” Johnson wrote.

baum’s origin story. Her grandmother lived with her family when she was young, so she watched her family act as caregivers as her grandmother aged.

“I learned from my parents and from my grandmother how to age gracefully, how to age well — but also what is required in order to do that. You have that family and community support,” said Quattlebaum, who has worked at Seabury for 35 years.

One former D.C. councilmember, Elissa Silverman, said Seabury’s programs, particularly Care Management, which was established in the 1990s, have been critical for her family.

In the 1950s the group, by then known as Episcopal Senior Ministries, acquired a Federal-style mansion in Georgetown from former board member Ella Sevier. Located on three acres on Q Street, the Episcopal Diocesan Home operated as a 39-unit retirement home until 1992. (The mansion’s upkeep proved too expensive.)

Meanwhile, in 1966 the organization purchased property in Tenleytown owned by the Brazilian Embassy. That property became what is now Seabury at Friendship Terrace, affordable housing apartments for 180 older adults.

Episcopal Senior Ministries rebranded itself in 2010, changing its name to Seabury Resources for Aging to “make all feel welcome to its home and services,” according to Seabury’s website. The nonprofit is named after the first Episcopal bishop, Samuel Seabury.

Support for older adults

Seabury’s mission aligns with Quattle-

“My parents are in their 80s, and I feel clueless about how to tackle the difficult but necessary issues to discuss and face with them. I’m grateful for Seabury, and services like [their] Care Management, that help families navigate these challenging decisions we all have to make,” Silverman told Seabury.

A pioneer in D.C.

Seabury has added many programs throughout the years, working closely with city government even before the D.C. Office on Aging (now known as the Department of Aging and Community Living or DACL) was formed in 1975. Working with DACL today, Seabury is the lead service agency in Wards 5 and 6.

One of Seabury’s biggest impacts in Ward 5 is the Model Cities Senior Wellness Center, which Seabury manages. It’s a popular meeting place that offers a full schedule of classes and programs for people 60 and older, including tai chi, chair fitness, nutrition, Spanish, art, field trips to New York City and more.

Seabury

From page B-2

One member of the Model Cities Senior Wellness Center, Delores Powers, said the center has been a vital part of her life since 2009. In fact, she now volunteers there five days a week.

“It’s just a great place to be. If my family’s looking for me, they know where to find me,” Powers said.

“It’s important in my life and everyone else’s lives because we have someplace to go during the daytime. We don’t have to sit at home and watch TV all day or babysit. We don’t have to sit at home and be isolated from what’s going on in the world. When we come to the center, we are connected to other people.”

What it’s like to live in a Seabury community

Seabury’s three housing communities — Home First Residences, Seabury at Friendship Terrace, and Seabury at Springvale Terrace — are well loved.

“At Friendship Terrace there is a sense of family,” said Portia Stewart, a resident of Friendship Terrace.

Buddy Moore, a resident of Friendship Terrace for the past five years, has found that to be true, too.

“It’s a very close group of individuals,” Moore said. “We have a mixture of nation-

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

LIVING ALONE GROUP (VIRTUAL)

Sharing experiences can be valuable to those living alone, whether by choice or loss. Sibley Senior Association (SSA) hosts a discussion group on coping with living alone (not a bereavement group). The meetings take place on Zoom on the third Monday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. Free. To receive the link, register by calling SSA at (202) 364-7602 or by emailing Ken Gordon at kengordon@alum.mit.edu.

Ongoingi

PARKINSON’S CLUB (VIRTUAL)

This free wellness and prevention program for people with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners is led by a speech pathologist and focuses on maintaining communication skills. The group meets every Monday from 3 to 4 p.m. on Zoom. For more information and to register, contact Brooke Ballenger at bballenger@kensingtonsl.com or (301) 946-7700

alities here, and we all seem to get along quite well.”

There’s always an activity going on, said Moore, the former president of the resident association.

“We celebrate everything. You name it, and management celebrates it,” he said. “We have parties all the time. Generally we have a nice crowd no matter what.”

The Tenleytown location of Friendship Terrace is excellent, too, Moore said.

“Fortunately for us, we’re sort of away from the activity on Wisconsin Avenue. Even though we can walk to Target, CVS, places that we need to go, when we’re in our building, it’s very quiet here.”

Growing to help more people

Over the years, Seabury has paid attention to the needs of older adults in D.C. and has stepped up to help. For instance, Seabury volunteers provide transportation for older blind adults. Its Out and About program focuses on helping LGBTQ+

older adults in Wards 5 and 6 stay connected to their community. Seabury hopes to continue to grow in coming years.

“We’re looking forward to seeing can we expand some of these programs to other jurisdictions,” Quattlebaum said.

At the Gala for the Ages on May 16, Seabury will honor two centenarians, 100 and 104, as well as people in a Hall of Fame

who helped expand the organization’s work.

Seabury’s leaders and volunteers will “highlight not only the past, but also let our community know our plans for the future 100 years,” Quattlebaum said. “We just don’t get to that milestone every day.”

For tickets, more information about Seabury’s programs or to volunteer, visit seaburyresources.org.

Finding the right retirement community

By Daniel Bortz

Many older adults decide that a retirement community will be their next move. However, retirement communities can vary significantly in terms of their housing options, amenities, healthcare services and the lifestyle that they offer.

Here are seven steps to help find the right retirement community for you.

1. Choose a location for the retirement community search

Step one is to figure out where you want to live.

Consider your motivation for moving. Are you looking to be closer to family? That’s the main reason baby boomers purchased a new home in 2022, according to the National Association of Realtors’ annual Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report.

Are you looking for an area with more affordable housing? Do you want to live in a bustling city or a quiet suburb? Does your ideal retirement entail living near the beach?

2. Set a budget

Establishing how much you’d like to spend on housing is crucial. Your budget should include not only your monthly housing costs but also entrance fees — many retirement communities charge them, according to the National Invest-

ment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), with entry fees ranging widely, from $40,000 to more than $2 million.

Once you’ve determined what you can afford, you can zero in on the retirement communities that fit your budget.

3. Decide whether you want to buy or rent

Some retirement communities offer only rental properties, some offer only homes for sale, and some offer both. Consider whether you want to put down roots or have the flexibility of renting.

It’s easy to be dazzled by the amenities, like swimming pools and golf courses. If you intend to purchase rather than rent, then consider what the retirement community property market is like.

4. Consider what level of care you’re looking for Retirement communities offer different levels of healthcare, from independent living communities to assisted living, to communities that specialize in memory care. Some offer several options for care, with different association dues depending on the level of assistance you select.

If you are uncertain how much care you may need, then a Life Plan Community (formerly called Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs) may be for

PHOTO BY ERICKSON SENIOR LIVING

you. These settings aim to enable retirees to shift from independent living to higher levels of care as they age.

5. Look at a community’s amenities and services

Retirement communities offer a variety of on-site amenities and services — such as beauty salons and barbershops, libraries, gyms and exercise classes, yoga studios, swimming pools, clubhouses, housekeeping, dog parks, spas, art studios, lakes,

pickleball and tennis courts, restaurants, continuing education, laundry, game rooms, movie theaters, live entertainment, and transportation to nearby shopping centers and grocery stores.

The trend of niche retirement communities is growing, so if one community just doesn’t feel right, consider one with a different culture or focus. There are communities linked to universities, for example,

PLAN YOUR NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE

Whether they are returning from a vacation to Italy or a trip to the grocery store, our residents love coming home to Vinson Hall Retirement Community –where government or military association is no longer required! From friendly faces and exciting social activities to an experienced team on your side, discover the endless possibilities of a first-rate retirement.

There’s plenty of people to meet and fun to be had at retirement communities like Riderwood in Silver Spring, Maryland.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Brooke Grove Retirement Village

301-321-8707

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org

You’ll feel it as soon as you drive onto our 220-acre campus of lush pastures and hardwood forest—all that makes independent living at Brooke Grove different. Beautiful cottages in a truly picturesque setting. Maintenance-free living, with more time for what you really want to do. Personalized fitness programs, meals prepared by talented chefs, clubs and social events. Neighbors who share your interests and passions. Come for a visit and see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most soughtafter retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Greenspring Retirement Community

877-589-9570

7440 Spring Village Drive • Springfield, VA 22150 GreenspringCommunity.com

Greenspring. Everything You Need for Vibrant Senior Living. For active living with peace of mind, all directions point to Springfield’s premier continuing care retirement community.

Fun and Enrichment Every Day

Choose from a variety of stylish apartment homes—all just steps from amenities like a pool, fitness center, and five restaurants.

Outstanding Financial Value

One convenient Monthly Service Package covers all utilities, property taxes, and maintenance in and around your home.

Health and Well-Being Services

Enjoy easy access to services like an on-site medical and multiple levels of care, should your needs ever change.

Get your FREE brochure today! Call 877-589-9570 or visit GreenspringCommunity.com

ASSISTED LIVING • INDEPENDENT LIVING

Falcons Landing

(703) 293-5054

20522 Falcons Landing Circle Potomac Falls, VA 20165

www.falconslanding.org

Located in scenic Loudoun County, Falcons Landing is a vibrant hub for residents who have retired from work, but not from life! Designed for seniors with military or government backgrounds and their spouses, this Life Plan Community offers the chance to be among peers with a common bond of service. Consistently recognized as one of the Best Senior Living communities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, including 2023-24, Falcons Landing was recently named one of “America’s Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities 2024” by Newsweek. Locally, this nonprofit was voted “2023 Best Retirement Community” in the Northern Region and a “2023 Best of” finalist in Loudoun County in two reader surveys. Schedule your visit today!

Communities

From page B-4

for retirees who want to stay intellectually active.

Others focus on wellness or spirituality, and there’s even a Jimmy Buffett-themed retirement community. Some offer horse riding, chicken coops and media lounges where residents can record and produce podcasts.

What lifestyle and culture do you want in a retirement community?

Pro tip: Don’t overlook the value of access to gardens and parks. Studies show older adults living in neighborhoods with more green spaces live longer and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, slower cognitive decline, lower cancer rates, and better overall health.

6. Research the facility’s reputation

Do your homework by seeing whether a retirement community has received complaints through the Better Business Bureau, and by reading online reviews.

U.S. News & World Report offers a database of the best retirement communities based on survey data from more than 250,000 residents and their family members at about 3,500 senior living communities nationwide.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Caring.com also compiles ratings and reviews of 55-plus communities, providing a search tool that lets you filter by city, state or Zip code.

To get a sense of the community’s financial health, review the occupancy rate, financial statements and audit report. For non-profit communities, ask to see their IRS Form 990.

7. Tour retirement communities in person

Once you’ve narrowed your options to a few communities, touring them in person can give you a better feel for what it’s like to live there.

Talk to residents about their experiences, pay attention to how staff and residents interact, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and stay for dinner so you can sample the food.

The bottom line: Selecting the best retirement community for you depends on a variety of factors, most notably your budget, lifestyle preferences, and what kind of healthcare you’re looking for.

Also keep in mind: Where you want to live in retirement could change as you get older and experience changes in your health, finances or desired lifestyle.

© 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

HOME TREE CARE 101 CLASS

When you sign up for a Home Tree Care 101 class with Conservation Montgomery, an arborist/Maryland Licensed Tree Care Expert will come to your community for a walking tour to evaluate the condition of individual trees. They will also demonstrate pruning, mulching and removal of invasive vines that you can manage on your own at home. Classes are available in English or Spanish, and the cost is $25. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/HomeTreeCare101.

Ongoing

VOLUNTEER WITH JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

Junior Achievement Finance Park is a collaboration between DMVarea schools, businesses, educators and volunteer mentors to teach students to be financially capable. Volunteers help guide small groups of middle-school students through a personal budgeting experience, from goal-setting to saving, shopping and bill paying. For a list of individual volunteer opportunities and to sign up, visit myja.org/volunteer.

We’ve Built a Legacy Of Trust For 50 Years. Who Better To Trust With Your Legacy?

For

Paul Riekhof P:

How to declutter if moving or downsizing

By Dawn Wotapka

Spring — and spring cleaning — are now upon us. With the changing seasons, you may be looking for ways to declutter your home, especially if you’re moving or downsizing.

Once he retired, Jakob Miller finally had the time and energy to organize his threebedroom home. But as he looked around the mountain of clutter, he quickly discovered that thinking he could do everything at once was a mistake.

“I was so excited to get started that I didn’t realize how overwhelming the task would be,” he recalled. “I was overwhelmed and exhausted, and I barely made a dent in the clutter.”

Not so simple

Experts have made downsizing and decluttering seem simple: Keep, trash or donate. If only it were that easy.

“Decluttering can seem daunting, especially for retirees and those nearing retirement who may have accumulated decades’ worth of clutter,” said Aaron Traub, owner of My Professional Organizer in Dallas.

For anyone who’s planning a move or just downsizing to a smaller place, the process often requires sifting through a literal lifetime of memories and mementos — children’s art doodles, yellowed newspaper clippings, a grandmother’s shawl — making the process emotionally draining.

But it doesn’t have to be that way, especially if you consider the opportunity to offload a lot of your stuff a fresh start.

“I always recommend that my clients focus on the idea of what they want to keep — what will support their lifestyle today, and their hopes and dreams for tomorrow, rather than the more traditional idea that we have to declutter to get rid of stuff,” said Danie Smallwood, a self-described decluttering mindset coach based in Bethesda, Maryland.

“One is about the present and the future, the other is based in fear of letting go of the past — whether past memories or dreams or hobbies that just didn’t work out or that we’ve outgrown.”

The goal is to “pare down the contents of your home to the things you honestly use and love,” said Diane Quintana, an organizer in Atlanta.

“If you don’t love or use the other things, then they are just clutter taking up valuable space in your home.”

Retirement, or planning for it, is the perfect time to invoke your inner Marie Kondo — the popular Japanese organization expert — who, famously, emphasizes keeping only those items that “spark joy” in you.

Although older people can get wrapped up in their memories and the trinkets of their past, Kondo counsels: “Truly precious memories will never vanish even if you discard the objects associated with them.

“No matter how wonderful things used to be, we cannot live in the past. The joy and excitement we feel here and now are more important.”

Tips from the experts

Whether you’re preparing for a big move or just starting your fall cleaning, here are some tips on how to start effective downsizing and decluttering:

1.Don’t try to do it all in one day. Downsizing and decluttering need to be done consistently. “Even if all you can manage is dealing with one paper from the mountain that has built up on your desk, commit to doing that one tiny thing every single day,” Smallwood said.

“Will you unclutter your whole desk that way? No. But you will create the confidence in yourself that you are someone who declutters, who sticks with it, who can keep it up — and that’s the most important step you can possibly take in the beginning.”

Whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes a day, or a full day on the weekend, “setting aside dedicated time to declutter will help ensure you progress,” Traub said.

2. Start with easy wins. Gather all trash, clean the fridge and pantry, and then collect and organize receipts and paperwork, which likely have minimal sentimental value.

Next, “look for things that are out of place, like piles of books, clothes, shoes, small appliances,” Quintana said. “Can you put these things away? If you can’t put them away, can you make room for them by decluttering where they would go?”

Then move on to other smaller areas. Consider tackling individual drawers before moving up to something slightly larger, such as a closet or a spare room, suggests Darcy Speed, who trains other organizers and home stagers at Ultimate Academy. “There are usually fewer decisions to be made regarding what to keep and what to donate,” she said.

3. Stop collecting more stuff, even if it means telling friends and family members to skip this year’s birthday present. “If you continue to accumulate things through the decluttering process, you’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, and you’ll be a lot slower in reaching your goals,” said Lisa Dooley, author of More Space. More Time. More Joy! Organizing Your Best Life.

4. Consider getting outside help. Professional organizers can map out a process and timeline while keeping things moving.

“It can be helpful to have an objective outsider around when things start to get stuck,” said Melissa Gungi, a San Franciscobased professional organizer who works with retirees and seniors.

“I also encourage getting help for the smaller bumps, like hiring haulers for a couple of hours to move heavy things around or take trash out, or finding resources for where to donate and recycle things.”

5.Give yourself grace with a ‘maybe’ box. If you’re on the fence about a particular item, set it aside, suggested Smallwood. The hardest decisions will involve holiday ornaments, scrapbooks, pictures and other items that tear at your heart.

“Sentimental items will slow you down, and the goal is to get through as much as you can, as quickly as you can,” she said.

When the box is full, “put a note on it and a date when you will revisit those contents,” she said. “By then, your decluttering muscles will be stronger” and you’ll be able to make a decision.

6.Ask yourself when was the last time you used something. If you haven’t used it in the past year or so and don’t expect you’ll need it in the near future, it’s probably safe to get rid of it, said Traub.

7. Involve your family. Ask them to go through any possessions they may have left behind.

You may think about keeping this stuff for your heirs, but keep in mind that “very rarely do your children have the same attachments to items that you have,” said Jil McDonald, an interior designer with Jil Sonia Interior Designs, in Vancouver, Canada, who recently

downsized significantly. “They want to create their own new memories.”

Instead, discard the items, but “take pictures and videos to keep the memories alive,” suggested John Linden, a Los Angeles-based interior designer.

8.Declutter periodically. Finally, be sure that your old habits don’t return. “Make sure to declutter on a regular basis,” Linden said, “and be conscious of what new items you are bringing into your home.”

For Jakob Miller, “Decluttering gave me a sense of peace and clarity,” he said.

“Just start small; take it one step at a time. And you’ll be amazed at the results.”

2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION

Check off advertisers of interest and mail this entire coupon to the Beacon with your contact info. Or you may take a picture of your completed coupon and email it to housing@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

All coupons received by April 20 will be entered into a random drawing to win two tickets to see Jersey Boys at Toby’s. You need not request advertiser info to win.

HOME HEALTH CARE

r Best Senior Care . . . . . .B14

r Ashby Ponds/Erickson .B13

r Benchmark at Alexandria . . . . . .B7, B11

r Brooke Grove Retirement

. .B5, B6, B10, B12

. . . . . . . . . . .B2, B13

r Grandview, The/ Erickson . . . . . . . . . . . .B12

r Greenspring/Erickson . .B6

r Falcons Landing . . . . . . .B6

r Flats at Sandy Spring, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4

r Harmony Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .B3, B13

Homecrest House . . . . . . . .B-10, B-15

r Housing Initiative

Partnership . . . . . . . . . .B2

r Leggett, The . . . . . . . . . . .B8

r Residences at North Hill . . . . . .B11, B15

r Riderwood/Erickson . .B-10

r Vinson Hall . . . . . .B-4, B-12

r Woodleigh Chase/ Erickson . . . . . . . . . . .B-11

r Eric Stewart/ Long & Foster . . . . . .B-14 SENIOR

r Seabury Resources for Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B16

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this entire coupon to:

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227. You may return the free info form on page 5 together with this coupon.

Name

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Riderwood Retirement Community

877-742-4390

3140 Gracefield Road

Silver Spring, MD 20904 Riderwood.com

Silver Spring’s Premier Destination for Senior Living Riderwood is the region’s favorite continuing care retirement community for a reason. Three reasons, to be precise:

1. Apartment Homes to Fit Your Budget

Choose from a variety of apartment homes that are free from maintenance and big on modern style.

2. Resort-Style Amenities and Activities

You’ll find opportunities for dining, fitness, entertainment, education, and more just steps from your door.

3. Services to Enhance Your Well-Being

Enjoy the convenience of an on-site medical center staffed by full-time providers, plus multiple levels of care, should your needs ever change.

Get your FREE brochure today! Call 877-742-4390 or visit Riderwood.com

INDEPENDENT & PERSONAL CARE COMMUNITIES

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House 301-244-3579

14508 Homecrest Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 www.homecresthouse.org

Homecrest House is a non-profit, affordable, subsidized senior adult community nestled amidst 10 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds with its own lake, neighboring Leisure World. The three residential buildings on the B’nai B’rith Homecrest campus provide 235 apartments for Independent Living, some designed for adults with physical mobility challenges, and 42 apartments offering Enhanced Care Services. We are excited to have you come and see our elegantly renovated community buildings. You’re invited to tour this incredible transformation.

For a personalized tour now, call 301-244-3579 or visit us at www.homecresthouse.org

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

Brooke Grove

Retirement Village

301-321-8707

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org

This community hums with warm-hearted camaraderie and a zest for life shared by residents and staff alike. Experience all that makes assisted living at Brooke Grove extraordinary. Cozy, homelike dwellings with easy access to beautiful courtyards and walking paths. Caring staff trained in using memory support techniques, building independence and lifting self-esteem. Innovative LIFE® Enrichment Programming with meaningful activities and off-site adventures. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing care retirement communities in the state. Living here is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

Inspīr Embassy Row coming to D.C.

Maplewood Senior Living is bringing a new 174-unit luxury senior living residence to Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Inspīr Embassy Row will have amenities such as an indoor heated saltwater pool, steam room, sauna, salt room, movie theater, salon and spa.

With a prime location on Massachusetts Avenue at the end of Embassy Row, the eight-story building will have studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences. The property is less than two blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro Station.

“You can utilize all the shopping, the restaurants and the Sunday market…it’s pretty popular,” said Laurie Thomas, Inspīr Embassy Row’s executive director.

The community will offer an integrated care model with an interdisciplinary care team and different levels of clinical care, from as-needed services to assisted living and memory care with highly trained staff. There will also be 24-hour care for those in need, as well as physical and occupational therapy.

Wellness coaches can personalize a health and fitness program with onsite activities such as yoga, meditation, brain fitness, water aerobics, balance training and spiritual practices.

Culinary options include a café, two restaurants with outdoor dining options, and a rooftop bar and lounge. Inspīr is committed to implementing the culinary selections that residents request, and their relatives are welcome enjoy meals on-site.

“We love having [residents’] relatives come in. A very big piece of what we do is create a home-like atmosphere, except with luxury surroundings and high-class cuisine,” Thomas said.

Inspīr Embassy Row will also offer highend programming — comedy shows, opera recitals, classical music concerts, trips to the Kennedy Center and Ford’s Theatre, and classes in partnerships with local universities.

“Cultural events are very big on our agenda. We’re really into live entertainment as well as lifelong learning,” Thomas said.

Inspīr Embassy Row is currently under construction, but the leasing gallery is open daily at 1417 22nd St. NW, Washington, D.C.

The anticipated opening date for Inspīr Embassy Row is December 2024. For more information and to schedule a meeting, contact Laurie Thomas at (202) 2932100 or visit inspirseniorliving.com.

Vinson Hall opens to all

Vinson Hall Retirement Community, a Life Plan Community in McLean, Virginia, has opened its independent living building to non-veterans over 60 for the first time.

What began in 1969 as a retirement home for Navy widows that opened in 1969 grew into an assisted living and nursing residence; a memory care and assisted living residence; and short-term rehabilitation, which won U.S. News & World Report’s Best Short-Term Rehabilitation this year.

Those residences have long been open to the general public, but last fall was the first time Vinson Hall’s independent living apartments became available to those who are in good physical, cognitive and financial health.

“We’re excited for the next chapter,” said Stephanie Lawrence, senior director of marketing at Vinson Hall.

“We’ve always been in a state of evolution, and we’re continuing to evolve and to provide the best care we can and the best lifestyle we can.”

Vinson Hall has won many awards and accolades over the decades, including Best of Alexandria last year.

For more information about Vinson Hall, visit vinsonhall.org or call (571) 556-3735.

Alexandria’s new 55+ apartments now leasing

If you’re 55 or older, there’s a brand new apartment building in Alexandria designed just for you.

Residences at North Hill’s 279 apartments range from one to three bedrooms, with a fitness center in each building. One four-story building is reserved for adults over 55, with 63 one-bedroom and twobedroom apartments available at discounted rent to those who qualify.

Residences at North Hill is adjacent to a new 12-acre public park. North Hill Park, which opened last fall, has walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds — even a pickleball court. The apartment complex is located on a bus line within walking distance of restaurants, a pharmacy and a coffee shop.

The property along Richmond Highway, formerly part of a mobile home park, was developed by Pennrose LLC and is overseen by Pennrose Management Company.

“Thanks to the steadfast support and cooperation of Fairfax County and its Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Pennrose and Community Housing Partners are thrilled to welcome the 55+ community of Fairfax County into brand-new affordable apartment homes in an amenitized and service-rich community,” said Patrick Stewart, regional vice president at Pennrose.

For more information or to see if you qualify, visit ResNorthHill55Plus.com or call (571) 200-2537.

Consider community with all levels of care

Dear Savvy Senior:

Can you help me identify some good senior living communities that offer all levels of housing and care, from independent living to nursing home care? I am in my late 70s and know I need to downsize from my current house, but I want my next move to be my last.

—One Move Mary

Dear Mary,

also find them in this newspaper as well as the Montgomery County Seniors’ Resource Guide.] Once you’ve located a few, call them to find out if they have any vacancies, what they charge and if they provide the types of services you want.

SAVVY SENIOR

If you want your next move to be your last, an all-inclusive retirement community — also known as Life Plan Community or a continuing-care retirement community (CCRC) — is a great option to consider. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips to help you locate one.

By Jim Miller

Take a tour: Many Life Plan Communities encourage potential residents to stay overnight and have a few meals in their dining hall. During your visit, notice the upkeep of the facility and talk to the current residents to see how they like living there. Also, check out the assisted living and nursing facilities, and find out how decisions are made to move residents from one level of care to another.

What are Life Plan Communities?

Life Plan Communities are different from other types of senior housing because they provide all levels of housing, services and care in one convenient location.

While the appearance and services of Life Plan Communities can vary greatly, most provide apartments or sometimes single-family homes for active, independent older adults. In addition, they also offer onsite assisted living for seniors who require help with basic living tasks like bathing, dressing or going to the bathroom, and nursing home care for residents when their health declines.

Life Plan Communities also provide a variety of resort-style amenities and services that include community dining halls, exercise facilities, housekeeping, and transportation, as well as many social and recreational activities.

But be aware that all these services come at a hefty price. Most communities have entry fees that range from less the $100,000 to more than $1 million, plus ongoing monthly fees that generally range from $2,000 to $5,000 for singles ($3,000 to $6,000 for couples) depending on the facility, services and the contract option you choose.

With more than 2,000 Life Plan Communities in operation throughout the U.S, finding a facility that fits your lifestyle, needs and budget will require some legwork. Here are some steps that can help you proceed:

Make a list: To find Life Plan Communities in the area you want to live, go to MyLifeSite.net and Caring.com, which provide online lists. [Ed. Note: You can

Do some research : While on your tour, find out who owns the community and get a copy of their most recently audited financial statement and review it. Also find out their occupancy rate. Unless it’s a newer community filling up, occupancy below 80% can be a red flag that the facility is having financial or management problems.

To investigate the community’s longterm care services call your state longterm care ombudsman (see LTCombudsman.org), who can tell you if the assisted living and nursing care services had any complaints or problems. You can also use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare.

Understand the contract and fees: Most Life Plan Communities offer three types of contracts: Life-care, or Type A contracts, which have the highest entry fee but cover all levels of long-term care as needed; Type B, or modified contracts that have lower entry fees but limit longterm care services in the initial fee; and Type C, or fee-for-service contracts, which offer the lowest entrance fees but require you to pay extra for long-term care if you need it.

You also need to find out what yearly price increases you can expect. How much of your entry fee is refundable to you if you move or die? And what happens if you outlive your financial resources?

To help you sort through all this, consult with your financial advisor or lawyer before committing.

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

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Woodleigh Chase

1-877-211-6968

4595 Burke Station Rd. Fairfax, VA 22032

WoodleighChase.com

Woodleigh Chase Is Now Open!

For distinctive retirement living, look no further than Woodleigh Chase, the premier senior living community now open in Fairfax. Enjoy a variety of stylish floor plans, exciting amenities, and services to enhance your health and well-being—all in a location you love!

Stay active and enjoy countless opportunities to explore hobbies, entertainment, education, and more. The on-site medical center is just steps from your door and security staff trained in emergency response is just moments away.

Don’t wait to learn more!

Only a limited number of apartment homes remain. Call 1-877-211-6968 or visit WoodleighChase.com for your free brochure.

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE Benchmark at Alexandria

571-496-9470

3440 Berkeley Street Alexandria, VA 22302 BenchmarkAtAlexandria.com

You'll see and feel the award-winning Benchmark Experience from the moment you step into Benchmark at Alexandria, the area’s newest senior living community. Surrounded by restaurants like Silver Diner as well as shops and cultural attractions, you'll enjoy best-in-class amenities — a rooftop terrace with Washington Monument views, multiple restaurantstyle dining venues, a full social calendar, a wide range of wellness opportunities, easy underground parking, personalized care and more, all facilitated by a team who is dedicated to keeping seniors connected to what matters most to them. Visit to experience the indescribable warm feeling we refer to as the Benchmark Experience!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY Residences at North Hill

571-200-2537

7250 Nightingale Hill Lane Alexandria, VA 22306 ResNorthHill55Plus.com

Don't miss your opportunity to live in Alexandria’s newest Active Adult (55+) community! The brand new, affordable apartments at Residences at North Hill feature open floor plans with bright, oversized windows, modern kitchens with dishwasher, large closets, ceramic-tiled baths, outdoor patios and more. The vibrant community also boasts top-notch community amenities, such as a wellness fitness room, community room, and ample outdoor space that includes being next to North Hill Park! The community is thoughtfully designed to create a safe, welcoming and independent living experience for residents. Visit our website to learn more or call 571-200-2537 Monday through Friday!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

The Grandview 1-844-366-4206

6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 150-B Bethesda, MD 20817

TheGrandviewSeniorLiving.com

Introducing The Grandview

The Grandview, a brand new senior living community by Erickson Senior Living™ is coming soon to Bethesda, Maryland. Offering active, independent living and higher levels of care on a beautiful campus, it will be close to local shopping, dining, and entertainment.

The Grandview will feature a variety of stylish, maintenancefree apartment homes that suit every need and budget, with impressive features and finishes. Residents can stay engaged with a host of amenities and enjoy predictable spending with a single, streamlined monthly bill. Perhaps best of all, experience peace of mind with a variety of health and well-being services right on campus.

Call 1-844-366-4206 or visit TheGrandviewSeniorLiving.com today to learn more about vibrant senior living coming soon to Bethesda.

LIFE PLAN COMMUNITY

Vinson Hall Retirement Community

571-556-4136

6251 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 www.vinsonhall.org

For more than 50 years, Vinson Hall Retirement Community has offered older adults a spirit of adventure in retirement. A home base for curious, engaged, well-traveled residents excited about the possibilities of their next chapter. This year we are thrilled to announce that government or military association is no longer required for entry. Veterans and civilians alike can join us in the heart of McLean, VA — a lively community a short hop from our nation's capital. From the friendly faces of our experienced team to the peace of mind of knowing that our not-for-profit life plan community is invested in your future, a first-rate retirement is waiting for you! Contact us at vinsonhall.org or 571-556-4136 to schedule a tour.

REHABILITATION

Brooke Grove Retirement Village

301-321-8707

18100 Slade School Road

Sandy Spring, MD 20860 www.bfg.org

Imagine an extraordinary staff and the best therapies and equipment—in a beautiful environment that rejuvenates and restores. Physical therapy spaces bathed in sunlight. The quiet comfort of a garden walk or relaxing massage. Imagine getting back to the activities that matter to you. Our new, state-of-the-art rehab addition at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center offers innovative therapy services for seniors, including NeuroGym® Technologies mobility training, the Korebalance system and much more. Visit us to see why Brooke Grove Retirement Village is one of the most sought-after continuing-care retirement communities in the state. Rehab here is simply different… because what surrounds you really matters.

Should you sell your home for a smaller one?

By Sandra Block

If you spent your teenage years waiting anxiously for one of your siblings to get out of the shower, the idea of selling your spacious, multi-bathroom home and moving into a smaller house or condo may feel like a reversal of fortune.

Yet for many retirees, downsizing makes financial and practical sense. Younger baby boomers — those currently ranging in age from 57 to 66 — made up 17% of recent home buyers, while older boomers — ages 67 to 75 — accounted for 12%, according to a 2022 report from the National Association of Realtors Research Group.

Boomers’ primary reasons for buying a home were to be closer to friends and family, as well as a desire to move into a smaller home, the report said.

A smaller house or condo typically requires less maintenance and may be more accessible than a two-story suburban house. And at a time when homeowners age 62 and older have more than $12 trillion in home equity, downsizing offers a way to free up some of that equity for other purposes, such as shoring up retirement accounts or saving for long-term care.

For retirees Fred and Shelby Bivins, selling their home will enable them to realize their dream of traveling in retirement. The Bivinses have put their 2,050-squarefoot Arizona house on the market and relocated to their 1,600-square-foot summer condo in Wisconsin. Eliminating the cost of maintaining their Arizona home will free up funds for overseas trips.

With help from Chris Troseth, a certified financial planner based in Plano, Texas, the Bivinses plan to invest the proceeds from the sale of their home in a lowrisk portfolio.

Once they’re done traveling and are ready to settle down, they intend to use that money to buy a smaller home in Arizona.

“Selling their primary home will generate significant funds that can be reinvested to support their lifestyle now and in the future,” Troseth said. “Downsizing for this couple will be a positive on all fronts.”

The effect of mortgage rates

For all of its appeal, downsizing in today’s market is more complicated than it was in the past. With 30-year fixed interest rates on mortgages at 7.5%, many younger homeowners who might otherwise upgrade to a larger home are unwilling to sell, particularly if it means giving up a mortgage with a fixed rate of 3% or less.

More than 80% of consumers surveyed in September by housing finance giant Fannie Mae said they believe this is a bad

time to buy a home, citing mortgage rates as the top reason.

As a result, buyers are competing for limited stock of smaller homes, said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst for Realtor.com.

Here, though, many retirees have an advantage, Jones said. Rising rates have priced many younger buyers out of the market and made it more difficult for others to obtain a loan.

That’s not an issue for retirees who can use proceeds from the sale of their primary home to make an all-cash offer, which is often more attractive to sellers.

While the U.S. median home price has soared more than 40% since the beginning of the pandemic, prices have risen more slowly in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, Jones said.

“Out of all of the regions, the Midwest tends to be the most affordable,” she said. “You can still find affordable homes in areas that offer a lot of amenities.”

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported in October that mortgage purchase applications slowed to the lowest level since 1995, as the rapid rise in mortgage rates has pushed many potential buyers out of the market.

However, because of tight inventories, there’s still demand for homes of all sizes, Jones said, so if your home is well maintained and move-in ready, you shouldn’t have difficulty selling it.

“The market isn’t as red-hot as it was during the pandemic, but there’s still a lot to be gained by selling now,” she said.

Other costs to factor in

If you live in an area where real estate values have soared, moving to a less expensive part of the country may seem like a logical way to lower your costs in retirement.

But before you move to a lower-cost locale, make sure you take inventory of your short- and long-term expenses, which could be higher than you expect.

Selling your current home, even at a significant profit, means you will incur costs, including those to update, repair and stage it, as well as a real estate agent’s commission (typically 5% to 6% of the sale price).

In addition, costs for your new home will include homeowners insurance, property taxes, state and local taxes, and homeowners association or condo fees.

Nicholas Bunio, a certified financial planner in Berwyn, Pa., said one of his retired clients moved to Florida and purchased a home that was $100,000 less expensive than her home in New Jersey. Florida is also one of nine states without an income tax, which makes it attractive to

retirees looking to relocate.

Once Bunio’s client got there, however, she discovered that she needed to spend $50,000 to install hurricane-proof windows.

Worse, the only homeowners insurance she could find was through Citizens Property Insurance, the state-sponsored insurer of last resort, and she’ll pay about $8,000 a year for coverage.

Her property taxes were higher than she expected, too. When it comes to lowering your cost of living after you downsize, “it’s not as simple as buying a cheaper house,” Bunio said.

Don’t forget good healthcare

Before moving across the country, or even across the state, you should also research the availability of medical care.

“Oftentimes, those considerations are secondary to things like proximity to family or leisure activities,” said John McGlothlin, a CFP in Austin, Texas. McGlothlin said one of his clients moved to a less expensive rural area that’s nowhere near a sizable medical facility. Although that’s not a problem now, he said, it could become a problem when they’re older.

If you use original Medicare, you won’t lose coverage if you move to another state. But if you’re enrolled in Medicare Advantage, which is offered by private insurers as an alternative to original Medicare, you may have to switch plans to avoid losing coverage.

To research the availability of doctors, hospitals and nursing homes by Zip code, go to medicare.gov/care-compare.

At a time when many older adults suffer from loneliness and isolation, a sense of community matters, too. Bunio said one of his clients considered moving from Philadelphia to Phoenix after her daughter accepted a job there. The cost of living in Phoenix is lower, but the client changed her mind after visiting her daughter for a few months.

“She has no friends in Phoenix,” he said. “She’s going on 61 and doesn’t want to restart life and make brand-new connections all over again.”

Consider renting for a while

Once you’ve settled on a community, consider renting for a few months to get a feel for the area and a better idea of how much it will cost to live there.

Bunio said some of his clients who are behind on saving for retirement or have high healthcare costs have sold their homes, invested the proceeds and become permanent renters. This strategy frees them from property taxes, homeowners insurance, homeowners association fees and other expenses.

Thanks to the construction of new rental properties in several markets, the rental market has softened in recent

months, according to Zumper, an online marketplace for renters and landlords. In 75 of the 100 cities Zumper surveyed, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment was flat or down from the previous month.

Tap into home equity

Even if you opt to age in place, you can tap your home equity by taking out a home equity line of credit, a home equity loan or a reverse mortgage.

At a time when interest rates on home equity lines of credit and loans average around 9%, a reverse mortgage may be a more appealing option for retirees. With a reverse mortgage, you can convert your home equity into a lump sum, monthly payments or a line of credit. You don’t have to make principal or interest payments on the loan for as long as you remain in the home.

To be eligible for a government-insured home equity conversion mortgage (HECM), you must be at least 62 years old and have at least 50% equity in your home, and the home must be your primary residence.

The maximum payout for which you’ll qualify depends on your age (the older you are, the more you’ll be eligible to borrow), interest rates and the appraised value of your home. In 2024, the maximum you could borrow was $1,149,825.

There’s no restriction on how homeowners must spend funds from a reverse mortgage, so you can use the money for a variety of purposes, including making your home more accessible, generating additional retirement income, or paying for long-term care. You can estimate the value of a reverse mortgage on your home at reversemortgage.org.

Up-front costs for a reverse mortgage are high, including up to $6,000 in fees to the lender, 2% of the mortgage amount for mortgage insurance, and other fees. You can roll these costs into the loan, but that will reduce your proceeds.

For that reason, if you’re considering a move within the next five years, it’s usually not a good idea to take out a reverse mortgage.

Another drawback: When interest rates rise, the amount of money available from a reverse mortgage declines. Unless you need the money now, it may make sense to postpone taking out a reverse mortgage until the Federal Reserve cuts short-term interest rates, which is unlikely to happen until late 2024 (unless the economy falls into recession before that).

Even if interest rates decline, they aren’t expected to return to the rock-bottom levels seen over the past 15 years, according to a forecast by “The Kiplinger Letter.” And with inflation still a concern, big rate cuts such as those seen in response to recessions and financial crises over the past two decades are unlikely.

This article first appeared in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine. © 2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ashby Ponds

877-664-5445

44795 Audubon Square

Ashburn, VA 20147

AshbyPonds.com

Five Reasons to Love Senior Living at Ashby Ponds

There are so many benefits to life at Loudoun County’s premier continuing care retirement community! Here’s just a small sample:

1. Choose from a variety of maintenance-free apartment homes to fit your style and budget.

2. Discover a wealth of resort-style amenities and activities for virtually every interest.

3. Dine on delicious, chef-prepared meals in your choice of nine on-site restaurants.

4. Secure your future and gain peace of mind with our time-tested financial model

5. Enjoy convenient health and well-being services just steps from your door.

Get your FREE brochure today! Call 877-664-5445 or visit AshbyPonds.com.

ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE

Harmony at Spring Hill (571) 348-0575

8350 Mountain Larkspur Drive Lorton, VA 22079

www.harmonyatspringhill.com

Imagine a senior living community that feels more like home, where the dining is always delicious, the apartments are spacious and inviting, and your days are filled with activities that are meaningful to you. Harmony Senior Services at Spring Hill is designed to offer residents an unparalleled living experience, surrounded in comfort, free from the burdens of home maintenance, and always supported to their highest level of independence. Take the first step toward a brighter future. Schedule your visit today.

Chevy Chase House

202-905-0708

5420 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC 20015

www.chevychasehouse.com

Chevy Chase House provides boutique assisted living for older adults looking for personalized care without compromising lifestyle and active living. In addition to 24-hour nursing available, the community features Life Inspired, the daily activities program that promotes overall wellness, socialization, and a Chef-prepared dining experience. Unique to the Chevy Chase House is its partnership with FOX Rehab to not only provide on-site physical, occupational and speech therapies, but also employs a full-time exercise physiologist to help residents with improving balance and mobility, strength training, and fall prevention programming.

Conveniently located on Connecticut Avenue in D.C.

Call 202-905-0708 to schedule a tour or stop by Chevy Chase House to learn more.

In-home care can help you age in place

By Heidi Godman

Most people want to age in place and live at home for as long as possible: According to an AARP survey, three-quarters of people 50 and older are hoping to do so.

But managing this successfully may mean hiring outside help, such as health aides who can assist you with daily activities that have become challenging.

You might wonder when exactly it will make sense to seek that service. How will you know when it’s time? What can aides do for you? What are the costs and how can you make the most of their help? Keep reading for some answers.

What difficulties do you face?

An easy way to know if it’s time for outside help is if your health takes a sudden turn for the worse — perhaps as the result of a fall that affects your mobility.

But more often, the need for professional assistance at home isn’t so obvious. It develops gradually, as certain abil-

ities — such as cooking, cleaning or driving — become more difficult.

Even if you’re busy, happy and able to do your own tasks and errands now, there may come a time when the balance shifts and daily activities become challenging.

“A lot of times these observations are made by family members or friends, and they start the discussion about getting help,” said Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief of gerontology at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

You don’t have to wait until family and friends urge you to get outside help. Salamon recommends that you periodically assess your abilities and how well you’re managing on your own.

For example:

• Is it harder to get in and out of the bathtub because of muscle weakness or balance problems?

• Has driving become difficult be-

cause of vision changes, arthritis or other reasons?

• Are you keeping up with your medication regimen or are you sometimes not sure if you’ve taken pills?

• Are cooking and cleaning becoming much more of a chore than they used to be?

• Do you find grocery shopping or errands overwhelming?

• Do you need help bathing or getting dressed?

Be honest about the answers, and let your needs be your guide.

“You might not need a home health aide yet. Maybe you only need a cleaning service to come in every other week,” Salamon said. “But if you need more assistance, it’s probably time to hire health aides.”

What can aides do?

Health aides are professional caregivers. There are two main types of aides.

• A certified nursing assistant (CNA): This is a trained, licensed professional who can provide hands-on physical care, such as helping you get up and down from a chair or bed, bathing, dressing, feeding, brushing teeth and using the bathroom.

A CNA can also perform homemaker services, such as cooking, light housework, transportation, shopping, oversee-

ing medication routines, and sharing meaningful activities or conversation.

• A companion: This is a registered professional who can provide homemaker services but is not trained in body mechanics and cannot provide hands-on care.

What can an aide accomplish if you start out with just a few hours per week? Plenty.

You might want to set up a regular routine that includes doing laundry, changing bed linens, going on a walk with you, and making a large meal that can be frozen into smaller portions.

Or you might want to focus on a theme for each once-a-week visit. For example, the aide can help you do errands one week, do some light house cleaning the next week, and help you cook the week after that.

“This is your opportunity to get the help you need, whether it’s with jobs around the house or basic activities of daily living,” Salamon said. “In the long run, it’s the kind of service that will keep you living on your own longer.”

Where to find help; what it costs

The best place to find aides is through a private duty care agency, which vets and employs the aides, and takes care of their taxes and Social Security withholdings.

How can you find a reliable private duty care company? Salamon suggests asking for recommendations from friends, your doctor, local senior services, or your local

Area Agency on Aging.

Private duty care is expensive. In this area, costs average $30 to $35 per hour, typically with a three- to four-hour minimum per week.

Those fees add up quickly. For example, if you need help two days per week for three hours per day, you’ll pay about $720 to $840 per month.

Costs are not typically covered by Medicare, but they may be covered by Veterans benefits. And they are sometimes covered fully or partially by long-term care insurance, state or local agencies on aging, or nonprofit groups.

What holds people back from hiring inhome care aides? Cost is a factor, of course.

Even if it isn’t, you might not jump at the chance to hire home health aides. It could be that you feel you don’t need them yet, or that you’d be uncomfortable with

strangers in your home.

But the sooner you can become accustomed to having professionals assist you with parts of your care as they become challenging, the better prepared you’ll be later, when you might require much more assistance.

Trying services now can set you up with contacts — and caring people — you might need to lean on more often as time goes by.

How can you get over your reluctance?

“Remember that you don’t have to commit to private duty care forever. Just try it for a few hours once a week.

“If it doesn’t go well, consider alternatives, such as eventually moving into assisted living,” Salamon said.

Heidi Godman is executive editor of Harvard Health Letter.

© 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Money Law &

The biggest regrets financial planners see

By Andrew Rosen, CFP®, CEP

The old adage is to live with no regrets. It is a great mantra, to be honest, and we regret the things we don’t do much more than the things we do.

Thinking back on my life, I have two large regrets. First, I regret not doing study abroad in college over winter break, as I sat home and missed out on the experience of a lifetime. Second, I definitely regret not having those heart-to-heart fatherson conversations with my old man before he passed prematurely.

A front-row seat to regret

Financial planners get a front-row seat to learn about people’s regrets and accomplishments. Here are some of the biggest regrets I’ve seen, read and heard about from clients, friends and even journalists I truly respect. I hope one of these items strikes a chord with you and can encourage you not to make the same mistakes others have.

Regret No. 1: Spent too much time working. In almost every list I’ve read and people I’ve spoken to, they all say the same thing: They wish they had worked less. The blood, sweat and tears they spilled for their jobs simply were not worth it.

Regret No. 2: Not taking better care of themselves. Most older people look back and wish they’d taken better care of themselves. If they had, in most cases, they would have a better quality of life in their later years. Of course, it is a hard thing to do in your younger years, when you consider yourself invincible, to think what that extra smoke, drink, food and lack of exercise can lead to in your later years.

Regret No. 3: Not enjoying the moment more. This one comes up all the time in my client meetings. I’ve also heard this from big-time executive friends of mine who tell me they’ve traveled the world through work and haven’t seen a

damn thing. When asked, they almost exclusively wish they’d stopped to smell the roses more often.

Regret No. 4: Not following their dreams. So many elders express regret for not following their dreams. Maybe it was because they were scared or didn’t have the right cheerleader urging them on. Perhaps it was life’s circumstances of needing a “safe job” to support their young family.

In any event, not following passions and dreams is something many people end up regretting when they look back on their lives.

Regret No. 5: Not being a better parent/child/sibling, etc. It is always those closest to us whom we tend to treat the worst. Maybe it is because we are so comfortable around them that we lose any filter or consideration for their feelings. Whatever it is, there probably isn’t one of us who doesn’t feel they could be better in this department.

Regret No. 6: Not spending enough time with the kids. This aligns with No. 5, but I think it is worth its own regret. They say you spend most of your time with your children when they are a newborn until they’re 18 years old. As a matter of fact — mind-blowing statistic here — if you take from age 18 through the rest of your life, you will spend the equivalent of a 19th year with your kids. That is it. So, if you want a motivator to spend more time with your kids, look no further.

Regret No. 7: Not sharing their feelings with those closest to them. This goes in line with my life’s biggest regret. It’s one of those “tomorrow is never promised” concepts. Tell me there isn’t someone right now with whom you need to share how you truly feel about them.

If you want to make someone’s day or have a paradigm shift in a relationship, be

Four questions to ask your financial planner

By Kate Ashford

Only one-third of men correctly estimated how long a 60-year-old man in the U.S. could expect to live, according to a 2022 TIAA Institute survey. And fewer than half of women got it right for a 60-year-old woman.

Advisers call this longevity literacy — understanding how long you’ll live in your retirement years. It’s a crucial part of your retirement strategy, and it’s important that you and your financial professional are on the same page. You should be talking about things like what your planner is using as your life expectancy, how you’ll cover future healthcare costs and whether you need to account for any spending related to aging parents.

Getting this right means your money will last for as long as you do. Here are the questions to ask your adviser:

1. What are you using as my life expectancy?

No one can know when they’re going to die, but your health and family history can help your planner make a good guess. How long did your parents or your grandparents live? Do you have any health conditions?

“I’ve started, a few years ago, asking a

lot of health questions of my clients,” said Mitchell Kraus, a certified financial planner in Santa Monica, California. “They should let their adviser know of any health concerns that might cause their life expectancy to be shorter.”

Planners often work with software that can model what will happen to your finances if you die at different ages based on the assumptions you’re making. You can explore various scenarios together and decide what makes the most sense.

“If you’ve got longevity in your family, let’s boost it up to [age] 97 or even 100,” said Timothy Knotts, a CFP in Red Bank, New Jersey. “We want to make sure we don’t have this thing that keeps you up at night, which is, ‘Am I going to run out of money?’”

2. What should I be doing about long-term care?

The big wild card in your financial plan is whether (and how long) you’ll need long-term care. There’s a reasonable chance you’ll need some kind of support, so talk to your planner about the best way to prepare.

You may want to plan to purchase longterm care insurance at some point or a hybrid policy that combines permanent life

insurance with a long-term care rider. Or it may be better to self-insure and plan to use savings for long-term care needs if insurance is too expensive.

“It’s something that, unfortunately, many of us aren’t good at — the risk and uncertainty thing,” said Paul Yakoboski, a senior economist with the TIAA Institute. “This is where an adviser could be extremely valuable — to help us understand likelihoods and scenarios and the costs attached to them.”

3. How should I prepare to pay for healthcare needs?

You may have seen Fidelity’s statistic that a 65-year-old couple today may need $315,000 to pay for healthcare expenses in retirement. It’s a daunting figure. But making the right healthcare decisions once you’re eligible for Medicare can help.

“I think if people have Medicare and a Medicare Supplement, I’ve actually found they have a pretty good chunk of their healthcare paid for,” said Clark Randall, a CFP in Dallas.

This is because Medicare Supplement Insurance, otherwise known as Medigap, can pay for most out-of-pocket costs associated with your Medicare plan. As long as you can

pay the premiums, many of your costs may be covered if you have a big health event.

“We also build in some percentage for out-of-pocket expenses,” Knotts said.

4. Should we include any planning for my parents?

If there are older adults in your life who may need your support later, make sure your adviser knows this and builds it into your retirement plan to the extent that’s possible. Do you anticipate bringing them to live with you or potentially moving in with them? Do you expect an inheritance, or do you expect to have to help pay their bills?

“I will ask, ‘Do your parents have enough money to support themselves in retirement?’” said Catherine Valega, a CFP in Winchester, Massachusetts. Clients may be doing everything right, she said, but it doesn’t mean their parents have done everything right.

Considering these questions may facilitate a conversation with your loved ones about the future, which can be helpful for everyone. If they’re young enough, you can also encourage your parents to look into long-term care insurance for themselves.

For five steps to take before marrying later in life, see page 19.

BEACON BITS

May 1

TRADEMARK BASICS WEBINAR

If you are interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for federal registration, join this free webinar by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Wed., May 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This session discusses types of trademarks, selecting a trademark, filing and registration, finding help and more. Register at tinyurl.com/TrademarkWebinar. For more information, email TMWebinar@uspto.gov.

SENIOR SPRING RESOURCE FAIR –

May 9

Join us at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, May 9 at B’nai B’rith Homecrest House, Moskowitz Social Hall, 14510 Homecrest Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20906. More than 20+ senior service agencies will be present to answer questions. Light refreshments will be served while they last, and you may win a gift at the raffle. For more information call (301) 598-4000 ext. 79.

Regrets

From page 17

vulnerable and simply share your true feelings. It will be reciprocated in most cases and appreciated in almost all cases.

Regret No. 8: Holding grudges and/or not trying to reconcile. Being angry takes so much more effort than being happy. Now, I’m not telling you there are people who haven’t wronged you or vice versa. But as we know, life is short, and most people are too proud to take the first step in making amends. This tends to be a big regret for most, even if we tell ourselves that we are better off without those people in our lives.

BEACON BITS

Mar. 19

Regret No. 9: Not saving more. No surprise that I hear this one often. Funny, though, as usually people fall into two camps — wishing they’d saved more or wishing they’d saved less and lived more. In any event, it is a tricky balance, leaving many of us questioning whether we could have done a better job. I get it, and financial planners are here to help!

There are plenty more regrets out there, but these tend to be some of the ones I come across most often. My only hope in writing this is that you are motivated to avoid at least one of these.

© 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

FREE VIRTUAL 50+ EMPLOYMENT EXPOS

Don’t miss JCA’s employment expos for Montgomery County, MD residents on Tue. Mar. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents of Northern Virginia can register to attend the Feb. 15 and Apr. 18 NOVA Expos. However, ALL job-seekers who are age 50+ are welcome to attend the Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia Expos. Registration is required at VirtualExpos.AccessJCA.org For more information, call (301) 255-4209 or email EmploymentExpos@AccessJCA.org.

LOWER ENERGY COSTS PRESENTATION

May 1

Find ways to lower utility bills, apply for energy assistance and help keep money in your pockets when you stop by the Illumination Station at Davis Library on Wed., May 1 between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. This free event takes place at 6400 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, MD. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (240) 777-0922.

Five steps to take before marrying after 50

By Kate Ashford

Getting married when you’re an older adult comes with complications: You and your spouse may have assets from years of working, and you may have children from previous relationships. Tying the knot could affect your Social Security benefits if you’re widowed or divorced. You will need to update estate documents and beneficiary designations and may even want to consider a prenuptial agreement.

Working together to create a financial plan that incorporates your new family structure is essential. Here are the steps you should take if you walk down the aisle in your later years:

1. Talk to each other

Before you marry at this stage of your life, have a frank conversation about money with your spouse-to-be — and consider involving a financial professional.

“Working with a planner can really help because there can be some conversations people aren’t used to having,” said Jaymon Meikle, a certified financial planner in St. Joseph, Missouri. This is a time to set expectations: Are you keeping your money separate or commingling your funds? How will you divide expenses going forward? What will happen when one of you dies?

Even if you aren’t combining finances, you must understand your partner’s financial situation to organize your tax planning, from tax bracket management to Roth IRA conversions. “There has to be coordination,” said Rob Schultz, a CFP in Encino, California. “You can’t do financial planning for one spouse and not consider the other spouse’s situation if they’re married.”

2. Update your beneficiaries

A new marriage is a significant change in legal and financial status, and your financial plan should incorporate it. That means, among other things, updating ben-

eficiaries on all accounts since beneficiaries trump anything you have in a will.

“What we do typically is we have all the beneficiaries laid out so nothing goes through probate,” said David Demming, a CFP in Aurora, Ohio. “That’s where we have the dialog: Who do you want to have these funds?”

Check both primary and contingent beneficiaries to ensure that you still agree with your choices — and that there are no surprises. “Someone has come to me after a death, and we go through what they’re going to be receiving,” Schultz said. “And their current spouse had an ex-spouse as a beneficiary, and that’s heartbreaking.”

3. Weigh a prenuptial agreement

You or your betrothed may be coming into the marriage with significant assets or property, which can get sticky if you ever divorce. A prenuptial agreement can outline what you owned before the marriage and what will happen should the marriage end.

“Usually there’s a primary goal that drives what the focus of the prenup is,” said Kaylin Dillon, a CFP in Lawrence, Kansas. “If it’s to make sure you have protections in place for children from a previous relationship, that prenup is going to look very different than if your primary goal is to make sure that income from a family business remains separate property.”

If you have property, significant retirement assets, a pension, a business ownership or an ownership interest in a family business, or you have children from a previous relationship, it’s something to think about.

“Prenups are really flexible documents,” Dillon said. “Contract law leaves a lot of room for people to be creative.”

4. Check with Social Security

Marriage affects your Social Security benefits, so make sure you understand the ramifications of taking that step. If you’re

not yet 60, remarrying makes you ineligible for any survivor’s benefits if you’re a widow or widower. If you’re divorced, remarriage means you can’t collect benefits based on your ex-spouse.

“That’s something to consider, especially if Social Security is going to be a significant portion (of your retirement) or something you’re going to depend on,” said Kassi Fetters, a CFP in Anchorage, Alaska.

Your financial professional can advise on this, or you can call your local Social Security office for more information.

5. Ask about a trust

One of the considerations of marrying later is whether and how you’ll leave assets to any children you may already have. If you die

without a will, your assets will generally go to your spouse. A trust gives you more control over the inheritance you want to leave.

Consider if two people — Bob and Susan — marry each other, and both have children from a previous marriage. “If Bob predeceases Susan, the worry could be that she’ll take the inheritance and give it to her kids,” Meikle said. “You can lay things out in a trust so that Susan is still taken care of while she’s alive, but then Bob’s money will go to Bob’s kids, and Susan’s money will go to Susan’s kids.”

An estate attorney can assess your situation and recommend a trust that will accomplish your goals.

—AP/NerdWallet

Upcoming Conference to Address the Need for Affordable Housing

As our population ages, the demand for affordable housing options for older adults in Montgomery County continues to grow. With retirement approaching and often living on fixed incomes, many residents face the challenge of finding accessible and affordable housing that meets their needs.

According to AARP, a significant portion of older adults spend more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving little room for other essential expenses such as healthcare and groceries. This financial strain can lead to housing instability and, in some cases, homelessness among older adults.

Accessibility and safety are also critical to allow people to age in place comfortably and maintain their independence. For example, people may experience mobility limitations or require accommodations such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps.

To address these challenges, policymakers and community leaders must prioritize affordable housing

initiatives targeted specifically to older adults. This could involve expanding subsidies and rental assistance programs to make housing more affordable for those on fixed incomes. Developing age-friendly housing communities with features like universal design and accessibility modifications can also help meet these needs.

Collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private developers is crucial in these endeavors. Public-private partnerships can leverage resources and expertise to finance and build affordable housing projects. Tax incentives and regulatory reforms may also incentivize developers to prioritize affordable housing for older adults.

Furthermore, communities can support aging in place initiatives by providing access to essential services such as healthcare, transportation and social support networks.

By prioritizing affordability, accessibility and availability in housing development

and policy, we can ensure that county residents can age with dignity and security in their communities. Investing in affordable housing for older adults is not only a matter of social responsibility but also an investment in the well-being and resilience of our aging population.

To help address these crucial issues, the Montgomery County Commission on Aging presents its annual Public Forum, bringing together public and private stakeholders, nonprofits, community groups and citizens to advance ideas and actions on affordable housing for older adults in Montgomery County. The program is free and open to all. Please make a note of it:

Who should attend:

County officials and staff

Housing advocates

Faith-based communities

Financial institutions

Community groups

Villages Developers Builders

Mark your calendars! Please plan to attend! Spread the word!

For questions, please contact: tremayne.jones@ montgomerycountymd.gov

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

Leisure & Travel Leisure &

See story on page 23.

Disney World is worth a visit at any age

By Tina Collins

Walt Disney once said, “Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.”

Visiting Disney World in 1974 remains my happiest childhood memory. Before our family trip, I spent months poring over pamphlets and guidebooks in that world without the internet. Decades later, I found myself obsessively studying websites and apps to plan my husband’s 60th birthday adventure, his first visit to the mecca of magic.

The park may be much larger, but the warm and cozy feelings that Disney creates remain the same. We gleefully donned the large buttons they give guests to designate special status as a first-time visitor. There are no age limits to special treatment in Disney World.

If you’re an adult visiting Disney World for the first time in decades, prepare to be wowed and possibly overwhelmed. Located in Orlando, Florida, Disney World is a huge immersive bubble of fantasy, both nostalgic and futuristic. Opened in 1971, it is an ever-evolving place that embodies Disney’s spirit of guest service known as the Four Keys: safety, courtesy, show and efficiency.

Disney World is the size of San Francisco, with four theme parks, two water parks, four golf courses, two miniature golf courses, at least 25 hotels, more than 200 restaurants and a 120-acre shopping and dining complex called Disney Springs.

All four main theme parks have attractions for all ages. EPCOT (Experimental

Prototype Community of Tomorrow), a favorite of adult guests, is a utopian park Walt Disney himself envisioned in the 1950s and 60s. The park has two sections: The World Showcase travels the globe with architecture, cuisine and entertainment from 11 countries. The World of Discovery features rides with a unique blend of science, technology and intergalactic travel. EPCOT is sprawling but has many delightful detours and corners to discover.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios combines charming settings with thrilling rides. Adults will appreciate its well-appointed streets and old Hollywood glamour. One of its newer neighborhoods, Galaxy’s Edge, is an impressive, immersive area modeled after the Star Wars movies where storm troopers interrogate tourists and even the bartenders stay in character. This is where the future of Disney is on display, and it takes entertainment to a whole new level.

For a quiet respite, Animal Kingdom takes you on safari (Disney cares for more than 2,000 live animals), through the ruins of an Indian palace, and into Pandora: The World of Avatar. The beautiful landscapes and roaming wildlife make this park a lovely and relaxing escape.

The Magic Kingdom remains the heart of Disney World. Nostalgic adults will find new magic to add to their old memories of Peter Pan’s Flight or Space Mountain. The park is beautifully laid out with artistic touches and creative elements that returning adults may notice for the first time.

Escape from the real world

Despite its reputation for cuteness, Disney World maintains a level of sophistication that enchants both adults and children. More than once, I saw a parent joyfully crying more than the child upon meeting beloved storybook characters in person.

Adults can appreciate the tremendous effort required to maintain the parks: thorough security checks, costumed cleaning crews and unique food. No detail is overlooked, right down to the designs of the trash cans.

Two things stand out: The park and its employees are there to serve you with a smile, and the guests embrace the positivity. No one complained about the security checks or waiting in line.

Also, it is a world without cars — unless they’re the cartoon variety. For those of us who drive everywhere and spend hours in traffic, taking Disney World’s free buses, monorail, boats and skyliner can be a relief.

The number one thing to know about visiting Disney World is that it encompasses approximately 40 square miles, and you may walk 10 miles in one day. This traveler went from a sedentary 1,500 steps a day to over 18,000 steps trekking through the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

To maintain that happiness, pack extra comfortable shoes and first aid for feet. Some travelers say, “There is no tired like Disney tired,” but it’s an exhilarated ex-

haustion. Plus, there are cookies the size of dinner plates to fortify your excursion.

Go early, stay late

You will not follow the strict budget you set for yourself. I thought I had no interest in the nearly endless arrays of collectible Disney pins in every store in every park, but somehow, I ended up with quite a haul of these mini souvenirs along with multiple ears. Such is the spell cast by Disney.

The most magical time in every park is when the gates first open and during latenight hours (usually for guests staying in one of the 25 Disney resorts). It’s a good idea to retreat to your hotel to rest during the middle of the day, which can be hot and crowded.

We rode all the most popular rides in the Magic Kingdom by ourselves at midnight. The Haunted Mansion is still the best ride in the park, and even better at midnight. Wandering the beautifully lit streets under the night sky will transform your experience into a true fairytale.

Perhaps the real magic of Disney is how the ideas of one creative visionary from the last century live on in this one. Disney World makes those ideas tangible and expands upon them with every generation. What Disney knows is that a happy life is always rooted in wonder and delight.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida opened in 1971, and its castle, like the rest of Disney World, has evolved since then. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or late at night, when crowds are low.

PHOTO © JONI HANEBUTT | DREAMSTIME.COM

A lakeside escape isn’t far away.

No, it’s not Africa; it’s Florida. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the newest of the four theme parks that make up Disney World, guests glimpse giraffes, lions, elephants, rhinos and monkeys on a safari ride through Disney’s 110-acre sanctuary.

PHOTO © WISCONSINART | DREAMSTIME.COM

PHOTO BY MARRIOTT AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION HOTELS

For a lakeside escape, head to Columbia

By Glenda C. Booth

At dawn, as the sun’s rays glinted across Lake Kittamaqundi, 30 Canada geese floated silently across the water, casting their longnecked shadows on the silvery surface.

This is the view from a balcony room at the Merriweather Hotel in Columbia, Maryland. Although the hotel is within sight of the Mall in Columbia and earshot of Route 29’s steady drum of traffic, it feels like a world away from D.C.’s urban and suburban hubbub. Sure, the 212-room hotel sits beside suburban office buildings, parking lots, a Wegman’s and townhouses. But inside and on the lakeside of the hotel, nature is at the forefront.

Located between D. C. and Baltimore, the Merriweather Hotel, one of Marriott’s 200 worldwide Autograph Collection hotels, offers a convenient weekend getaway or “staycation.” A few nights there would be a perfect gift for harried parents who need a little time away, but not too far away.

Each of the Autograph hotels has a theme, and for the Merriweather, it is nature and music combined. The Merriweather Post Pavilion, a concert venue, is steps away.

Inside and out

The Merriweather’s décor features birdthemed art by local artists. Some reservation packages include an in-room Crosley record player and a long-playing record set with more than 200 tracks titled “For the Birds: The Birdsong Project.” A collective of artists and conservationists, the Birdsong Project blends music, poetry and art representing cultures from 31 countries. Proceeds from the record sales benefit the National Audubon Society. Some of the records are actual bird calls, like doves and sparrows. One poem, titled “Counting Birds,” was written by Jim Harrison and is read by Sean Penn. Even the chocolates on your pillow, in the shape of Maryland crabs, invoke nature.

The hotel lobbies display posters of Merriweather Post concert performers, like Peter, Paul and Mary, Linda Ronstadt, Cyndi Lauper, the Everly Brothers and Bruce Springsteen.

Lake Kittamaqundi

The hotel’s rooftop pool and lounge, open Memorial Day to Labor Day, is a favorite place to decompress and soak in vistas in all directors.

Guests are easily lured outside to Lake Kittamaqundi, or “meeting place” in the Piscataway language. The 27-acre manmade lake is one of five in Columbia, all connected.

A one-mile paved trail through the woods around the lake offers wildlife viewing opportunities. In the winter, waterfowl that paddle around the lake include common mergansers, hooded mergansers, piedbilled grebes, ring-necked ducks, wood ducks, American black ducks, buffleheads and year-round great blue herons. Visitors might spot a beaver, red fox, river otter, muskrat or white-tailed deer.

In the warmer months, observers might see an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, a common whitetail dragonfly or a red-eared slider turtle.

People can launch their own canoe and kayak from a public dock nearby. Anglers, amateur and pro, might catch bluegills, pumpkinseeds, black crappies, carps and large-mouth bass from the shoreline, dock or a boat.

Farm-to-table restaurant

The Lake Restaurant called Lāk spotlights farm-to-table fine cuisine at lunch and dinner daily. Chef Kristina Brown, trained at the Culinary Institute of America, serves a mouthwatering grilled muenster sandwich, duck confit and balsamic cherries on sourdough. Other distinctive dishes are homemade ricotta, bourbon sourdough and Maryland crab cakes. She beautifully presents a Frenched chicken breast topped with grilled peaches and a bourbon-peach sauce. Another top choice of her diners is mahi

mahi with chimichurri, a mix of olive oil, parsley and red pepper flakes.

The hotel’s Rookery Bar (yes, it’s named for a colony of birds) offers special seasonal cocktails like a Lāk Old Fashioned with a splash of vanilla to bring out the flavor of the bourbon and warm the innards in winter. The bar’s toddies do the same.

For quick eats, the hotel’s café sells homemade pastries, sandwiches and Lavazza coffee.

Nearby attractions

The Merriweather Post Pavilion, located in a park called Symphony Woods, is a 0.7-mile walk from the hotel. For more than 50 years, the venue has featured rock, country, rhythm and blues, pop, jazz, hip-hop, alternative, electronica and classical music. The concert season is typically from the beginning of May to the middle of October. The hotel’s VIP Concert Package includes shuttle service to the pavilion.

There’s plenty of “retail therapy” at the Mall in Columbia, half a mile away, with more than 200 stores.

For travelers wanting a car-free stay, taxis and Ubers are available from the BaltimoreWashington International Airport’s Amtrak station.

The Merriweather Hotel is located at 10209 Wincopin Cir., Columbia. For nightly rates, call (410) 730-3900 or visit merriweatherlakehouse.com. For more local attractions, see VisitHowardCounty.com and check the lineup of concerts at Merriweather Post Pavilion, merriweathermusic.com.

How much travel insurance do you need?

By Ed Perkins

You’ve probably seen a lot of stories explaining why you need travel insurance. They concentrate on speculating about all the bad stuff that might happen before or during your trip. Although the bad stuff is important, focusing on it is misdirected: You need travel insurance for only one reason: money.

Insurance is all about money. It can’t stop a war or quiet a volcano; all it can do is make sure that you don’t lose money due to that war or volcano. So the formula is simple: If you have more money at risk than you can comfortably walk away from if something bad unexpectedly happens, you need insurance. If you don’t have money at risk, fuggedaboutit.

Most of you face two big potential money risks — risks that could amount to many thousands of dollars:

• Loss of nonrefundable prepayments

Disney

From page 21

If you go

Plan ahead, but don’t worry about seeing everything. Six to eight months is not too early to start mapping out your vacation.

Crowds, costs and weather are the main factors. Late summer and early fall have lower costs and smaller crowds. The months of January to March have milder weather and less rain.

Round-trip flights to Orlando cost around $250, depending on when you go. For travelers who want to take their cars but skip the 14-hour drive, splurge on Amtrak’s Auto Train from Lorton, Virginia, to Sanford, Florida.

If you insist on being a planner and not an aimless wanderer, you will need three things: The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney

and deposits if you have to cancel a trip before you leave home or while you’re traveling because something bad happens to you or a family member.

These days, many airfares let you retain the value if you cancel, but cruises, tours, vacation rentals and many resort hotel packages involve totally nonrefundable advance payments or stiff cancellation penalties. Trip-cancellation/trip-interruption (TCI) insurance covers the risk of losing those payments if you have to cancel.

• High transportation costs if you suffer an accident or illness during a trip that necessitates special transport home. Travel medical insurance (Medevac) covers the costs of repatriation, as high as the cost of a private jet if you can’t get home the way you arrived. It also covers hospital and doctor costs if your regular health insurance doesn’t cover you while you’re travel-

World by Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa. The size of this book may seem off-putting, but it covers everything and is updated yearly.

Next, download the My Disney Experience app to check park hours, showtimes and wait times. You can also book rides, dining reservations (up to six months in advance) and place same-day food orders.

Finally, consider booking your trip with a Disney-specialized travel agency. I connected with Ann & Tara, an Affiliate of Academy Travel. At no cost to you, these delightfully well-versed Disney experts will guide you every step of the way, offer advice, make reservations and create a trip as simple or complicated as you desire.

As an adult over 50, you may be eligible for some discounts and perks at Disney World. For example, you can get a senior discount on your tickets if you’re a member of AARP or AAA.

ing. This is especially important for seniors who depend on Medicare, which does not cover outside the United States.

Many forms of travel insurance cover nuisance items such as a hotel bill if your air connection is canceled or buying stuff you need if your baggage is lost. But in total dollar risk, these items are chump change — and your regular insurance or credit card may cover them, anyhow.

How travel insurance works

You need to know a few technicalities of travel insurance, as well:

• Travel insurance is “named peril” insurance: It pays only if the bad stuff that happens to you is specifically included in the fine print.

• Travel insurance covers only unexpected bad stuff. It won’t cover a volcano eruption if the volcano is erupting at the time you buy the policy. And it won’t cover you if grandma dies due to an illness she was suffering when you bought the policy.

• Most policies exclude coverage if anyone covered by the policy cancels because of a pre-existing medical condition. Many policies, however, waive that exclusion if you buy a policy covering the full value of your trip within a week or two of the time you make your first payment.

A comprehensive bundled policy, including both TCI and Medevac, usually

costs 5% to 15% of the total trip costs. The price of most such policies is based, in part, on your age, with rates getting very high past age 70.

You can buy “cancel for any reason” TCI, often as an add-on to a regular policy, in effect removing the “named peril” limitation. It usually won’t cover the full amount — maybe 50% to 75% — but it lets you decide when to cancel.

You can, of course, avoid the big money risks entirely: Don’t have any money in the game up front. Over the last few years, I’ve never needed TCI because I never had any big bucks at risk. I’ve been flying on frequent-flyer miles, which I could redeposit if I had to cancel, and made only no-deposit hotel reservations. But you can’t do that with cruises, vacation rentals and many tours.

If you need travel insurance, don’t blindly take whatever your airline, cruise line or tour operator suggests; instead, check the big online travel insurance agencies that publish elaborate side-by-side comparisons of different policies, including insuremytrip.com, quotewright.com, squaremouth.com and others.

Email Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net and visit his rail travel website at railguru.com.

© 2024 Ed Perkins. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Arts & Style

By Lynda Lantz

Little Shop of Horrors, at Ford’s Theatre through May 18, is a noir musical full of dark ambitions, cruel acts, flawed characters and some of the most wonderful voices in the D.C. theater scene. Directed by Kevin S. McAllister, the musical leans into its pulp science-fiction and 1950s roots with music, costumes and set.

With music by Alan Menken, the 1982 musical was based on a 1960 B-movie of the same name and was the longest-running off-Broadway show in history. Frank Oz directed the 1986 film.

Seymour (Derrick Truby, Jr.) is on the verge of losing the only (mediocre) home he’s ever known and his job, when Mr. Mushnik feels forced to close his moribund flower shop. Life has never really nurtured Seymour, but his co-worker and crush, glamorous Audrey (Chani Werely), has noticed and appreciated this patient and caring botanist. Audrey urges Mr. Mushnik to take a chance on Seymour’s latest new plant, named Audrey II.

Hilariously, the instant Seymour places the “strange and interesting plant” in the window, a customer slams into the glass window as if

magnetized and scoops up the shop’s rose inventory. Just like that, the plant brings prosperity for Mr. Mushnik and the promise of fame, money and escape for Seymour.

More surprises are in store. The audience gasped when three singers popped up above the back wall of the florist shop as Seymour explained the spooky origin of his plant.

In fact, the “Greek chorus” singers, Chiffon (Nia Savoy-Dock), Crystal (Kanysha Williams) and Ronnette (Kaiyla Gross), steal every scene they are in with their magnificent voices and harmonies. Their choreography and that of the rest of the cast — by Ashleigh King — is inventive and lively.

As the musical progresses, the three women perform in different personas — for example, with the sadistic dentist boyfriend, and later with Audrey II — and their costumes grow increasingly fabulous. Their youthful street clothes give way to a trio of sophisticated red day dresses; slinky, silvery Diana Ross gowns; and dazzling Vegas glitz.

Kindred spirits

The only person not benefiting from the

plant seems to be Audrey. In her moving rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green,” Audrey makes it clear that she and Seymour are kindred spirits. Despite a black eye and people telling her that he’s “no good for her,” though, Audrey insists that, with her past, she better stick with her abusive boyfriend, Orin.

under the bus to do so.

What Seymour hasn’t told anyone about is the disturbing food that makes Audrey II grow. Initially, the plant’s demands only hurt Seymour. Although he’s a teddy bear of a man, intrinsically kind, he wants to live his dreams and begins to throw morality

Little Shop of Horrors blossoms at Ford’s

Leather-jacketed Orin, played by Joe Mallon as one part Nazi and one part Elvis, revels in his ability to inflict pain. He conveys drug use as merely a nitrous oxide-induced giggle, which was unnerving in an audience filled with visiting school groups. No one is sad when the plant gets him. Mallon reappears in quick succession of roles with comically big hair and broad accents.

There’s a coherence to the down-on-itsluck set; the choreography; the lighting of

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN

Chani Wereley plays Audrey and Derrick D. Truby Jr. stars as Seymour in Ford’s Theatre’s spring production of Little Shop of Horrors. The unique but dark musical, directed by Kevin S. McAllister, runs through May 18.

S NT E V E L I PR A S Simone Y

m. Anguish, loss, and equie

aris eat acclaim in P o gr ed t emier Rigel that also pr ozart and y M e, along with symphonies b divine scor d Labadie conducts the rnar egation. Be arisian congr P r’s yond the compose nces far be comforting audie epertoire, al r ed chor of the most iconic works of the sacr rpiece is one e é’s mast aur . Gabriel F awwaits paradise that a r vision of ende placed with a t e e gone—r fear of death ar

This is not your typical R y ny y aris” S “P mphon s ’s o uiem & M qu s R ’s Faaur F é’ eq zart’ ts adie conduc d Lab rd Bernar onductor , c Yooung Simone Y

arathustra ach Z Also spr oung conducts Yo

Lise de la Salle pla

ayys

ozart’s Piano Concert M

o. 9 o N

. Lise de la Salle—“a Yooung leading conductors, Simone Y ayy’s y one of t ama led b for a wild ride of cosmic dr oda e yourself repar . P rg al icebe chestr just the tip of this or is arathustra ach Z ra Also spr ns ass passage that ope br ascending , the famous y ey 2001: A Space O dysse d in s hear A

r with charm, imagination and a dazzling e musical think

sbaritone bas MichaelSumuel ano , sopr y ve Joélle Har onductor , c d Labadie Bernar

. 9. o o N rt elegant Piano Conce ozart’s rforms M )—peost ashington P Wa The W echnique” ( t

s - barit , Michael Sumuel

he W T

on Chorus ashingt

ector tistic Dir , Ar s oger Eugene R

April 4 & 6 | Concert Hall

The K

ennedy Cent

er Chamber

yers: Spring Concert ayPla

April 7 | T , piano oung Oh Jiy , piano t Orkis Lamber , clarinet aul Cigan P s , bas t Oppelt Rober ello , c dy vid Har Da , viola icker uth W R , viola oster Daniel F , violin yna Hepler Da , violin u ing F Y r music. nturies of chambe ee ce om thr classics fr esents mble pr nse a, this acclaimed e rchestr Symphony O ational Composed of titled musicians of the N

orld” Symphony Wo ’s “N vořákD ew W er errace Theat

Billy Childs’ Sax

ophone Concert

, piano Lise de la Salle popularsymphoniesofalltimeConductorXianZhang mained one of the most e t has r rica. I his time in Ame ed during ncounter ák e voř nous music D and indige rican y the African Ame ed b , inspir y, Wo World” Symphony ew ’s “N vořák ama of D ping dr nce the swee Experie o

April 18 & 20 | Concert Hall

AT

TENTION!

mandolinist and orchestra ed ycle for extrovert A narrative song c

SION COMMIS - CO NSO

ous and eclectic, Chris Thile is at er vilishly dext De

o oque t o Bar ass t om bluegr nre—fr ry ge ve home in e

e a will featur chestr work for mandolin, vocals, and or and-new r’s br winne ammy® . The Gr o indie pop jazz t

w! music both old and ne rican ation of Ame on’t miss this brilliant explor . D humor nse of nt se ver-prese , and e y, instrumental virtuosity orytelling, mark whimsical songwriting and st ade his tr

onductor , c obsen Eric Jac

April 23 | Concert Hall

o Leonard Cohen e t A Tribut Is: t reHe It

Chris Thile: ’il dCh L f table , this unforget r of the NSO we w po aw y the r ed b Back a Yeearwood*. rucks, and T ek T er edeschi, D Susan T risha Y , r, , JD Southe orter, egory P , Gr enley, on H risell, D Bill F y r r olds, n F adison Cunningham, Be luminaries including M nds and mble of lege nse dinary e aor with an extr n d Cohe ough the world of Leonar vel thr Trav a

TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE… WHERE, WHEN, and HOW are the questions.

For 19 years, I’ve hosted the weekly radio show “Getting Older with Eric Stewart”. Tune in every Sunday from 10 – 10:30 a.m. on WMAL 105.9 FM for insights into living well while getting older, whether you want to remain in your home, or move to a retirement community.

Eric Stewart

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Seniors Real Estate Specialist

Eric@EricStewartGroup.com

EricstewartGroup.com 301.252.1697

Ford’s Theatre

From page 24

the signs, windows and sky; and the costumes that is truly satisfying. It is as shabby as it is recognizable, while also conveying underlying unease. This aesthetic is most fully realized by Audrey II, a midcentury Grinchy green. When she reaches her engorged maturity, out comes yet another evocative voice, that of Tobias Young, which is as seductive as it is menacing. It seems the plant has ambitions, too.

“Suddenly Seymour” would appear to be a charming love song, but its outdated lyrics urge Audrey to wipe her face clean of her makeup to be able enjoy a new wholesome world where Seymour keeps her safe. Is the song really meant to be taken at face value? How wholesome can

BEACON BITS Apr. 27

For your free copy of my “Rightsizing Guide”, download it from the “Resources” section of EricStewartGroup.com or call 1-866-AGING WELL for a printed copy by mail (also free).

Call me directly at (301) 252-1697 for your personal consultation on real estate matters.

this relationship be when Seymour is hiding secrets and on the verge of committing new crimes?

Little Shop of Horrors immerses the audience in its world, offering both moral decline and musical uplift — but no happy ending.

As a noir musical, Little Shop of Horrors features drug use, physical and psychological abuse, female stereotypes and violence that might not be suitable for all children.

Ford’s Theatre is located at 511 Tenth St. NW, Washington, D.C. The theatre campus also includes a gift shop with concessions, the house where President Lincoln died and a state-of-the-art museum, exploring Lincoln, his assassination and American history. Reservations are recommended.

For tickets, which range from $55 to $95, visit Fords.org.

SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHDAY LECTURE

Visit the Folger Theatre on Sat., April 27 at 7 p.m. to hear Dr. Patricia Akhimie, Director of the Folger Institute, deliver a lecture on the racemaking effects of textual editing in Shakespeare’s Othello. This is a free event, but registration is required at tinyurl.com/FolgerShakespeareLecture. The theater is located at 201 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC. A reception will follow in the Great Hall at 8 p.m. For more information, call (202) 544-4600.

Three books by local authors reveal secrets

In Memoriam

We are saddened to report that our longtime book reviewer and columnist, Dinah Rokach, passed away in March. Dinah began publishing her monthly column in the Beacon in 2017. This was her final column. We know our readers who enjoyed her careful selection of good reads will miss her as much as we will.

—The Beacon

This spring, learn more about history and human nature in these three books by talented local authors.

Gore, and the Democratic National Committee. Nussbaum left the White House, where he served as a senior speechwriter, in May 2022.

THE BIBLIOPHILE

By Dinah Rokach

Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History, by Jeff Nussbaum, 374 pages, Flatiron Books hardcover, 2022 Speechwriters are privy to secrets and inside stories about the politicians who employ them. Washington has made celebrities of some of them, while others toil in the shadows. They form an informal group of insiders who ply a trade that is part literary, part research, part policy wonk.

Jeff Nussbaum is not well known, but the suburban D.C resident has worked for President Joe Biden, Vice President Al

Undelivered publishes 14 speeches that were never given but could have changed history. The speaker may have chosen an alternate course, a speech may have been prepared “just in case” or the planned remarks were preempted by unforeseen events. Nussbaum places all of these speeches and their relevant historical events into rich context.

Highlights of the book include: John L. Lewis’ militant and Martin Luther King’s less-than-soaring rhetoric in their prepared remarks for the March on Washington; King Edward VIII’s speech declining to abdicate; General Eisenhower on the Normandy invasion fiasco; JFK’s broadcast to the American people revealing US airstrikes to destroy Soviet missiles in Cuba; President Richard M. Nixon’s determination to fight impeachment and Hilary Clinton’s victory speech.

Undelivered is a multi-faceted book that also describes the art of political speechwriting and reveals gossip and backstories

about well-known public figures.

Nussbaum has taught at American University’s School of Communication. Reading his book makes you feel as if you’re sit-

ting in on his course as you learn about rhetorical devices employed in speeches,

See

DATES:

DFriday Morning Music Club

6 Performances: Fridays and Saturdays, May 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m.; Sundays, May 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.

TICKETS: $22 Adults; $20 Seniors and Students

Community theater at its best!

WWW.RLT-ONLINE.ORG

240.314.8690

www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre

ENJOY OUR FREE CONCERTS

FMMC Chamber Series:

Fridays, April 5 & 12 at Noon, St George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington

Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m., Student Recital Series, Friendship Hgts Village Center

Friday, April 19 at Noon, Live! at 10th & G, 945 G St. NW, DC

Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m., Lyceum, Alexandria

Friday, April 26 at Noon, Woman's Club of Chevy Chase, Bethesda

Fridays, May 3 & 10 at Noon, St George’s Episcopal Church, Arlington

Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m, Dumbarton House, DC

Friday, May 17 at Noon, Live at 10th & G, 945 G St. NW, DC

Arioso Chorale concert on Thursday, April 11 and Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill, featuring Faure's rarely heard but lovely Naissance de Venus

Avanti Orchestra concert on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m., at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring featuring Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1, with soloist Brannon Cho. Musicians and music lovers are welcome to join FMMC. See FMMC.ORG for more information.

JOIN US AT THE 2024 Washington International Competition for Piano, presented by the FMMC Foundation.

Semifinals: Saturday, May 25, 10 a.m. at GWU’s Phillips Hall.

Finals: Sunday, May 26, 2 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Contestants from around the world will compete for prize awards.

Cast your vote for the special audience prize. This event is free and open to the public. See fmmcfoundation.org for more details.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD THEATRE ROCKVILLE’S HOME FOR THE ARTS 603 EDMONSTON DR.

Silenc(e)

56.

60.

61.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

69.

By Stephen Sherr

Down

1. St. Louis landmark

2. Gaucho’s weapon

3. Splotch

4. First heading in a Greek dictionary

5. One from Port-au-Prince

6. Not mushy at all

7. End of cent- and vent-

8. Shorten future food prep time

9. Disciple

10. Oil cartel

11. South American nation on the same time zone as South Carolina

12. Cut in a skirt

15. Breaded meat portion

20. Italian wine region

22. Tangelo with an unsightly name

25. Any member of 1 Across

26. SARS-CoV-2, for example

27. Contemptuous

30. Giraffe cousin of Central Africa

31. Absolutely necessary

32. Floating community in Waterworld

34. Become man and wife

36. Hydrocarbon suffix for benz- and butyl-

40. Frequent customers’ requests

41. “___ the torpedoes...”

42. “Blessed is he that ___ nothing, for he shall never be disappointed” (Ben Franklin)

43. Peacock’s pride

44. Spiked gardening tool

45. Fill up a truck

50. First column on a T-shirt size chart

52. Having much foliage

53. Act like butter on a pancake

54. ___ fitness (exercise at the pool)

55. Without legal force

57. Middle-distance track race

58. Painter’s or carpenter’s cost basis

59. One who changes brown to blonde

62. Ground breaker

What’s the matter with these kids? Nada!

We oldies certainly do love our childhood heroes — even when those heroes weren’t always so heroic.

Frank Sinatra? Hung out with mobsters.

Dwight Eisenhower? Might have been an unfaithful husband.

Babe Ruth? Never met a bottle of bourbon he didn’t crack open and adore.

But I’m still stuck on one idol who never fell (or could fall) off his perch: Walter Johnson. He was the legendary flame-throwing pitcher who held the career major-league record for strikeouts for 63 years.

fancy dinner.

One of my tablemates told me that he attended Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, some 50 years ago. He was one of those guys of a certain age who loves to whine about today’s kids. He unloaded on me.

HOW I SEE IT

By Bob Levey

Johnson led the usually horrendous Washington Senators to their one and only World Series championship 100 years ago. He was one of the first five players inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He even threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River on a dare (some say it was the Rappahannock River, but hey, a river is still a river).

Then, after Johnson hung up his spikes, he became a successful farmer, a civic leader, an elected official — truly a man to emulate.

I’ve been a Johnson fan most of my life. But I was brought up short at a recent

Bibliophile

From page 27

insider terms for them and the structure of talks by politicians seeking to sway public opinion.

George Washington and the TwoTerm Precedent: Landmark Presidential Decisions, by David A. Yalof, 107 pages, University Press of Kansas paperback, 2023

This insightful summary of the political and constitutional aspects of the two-term presidential term limit shines a scholarly light on forgotten corners of American history. History buffs will be amazed to learn which presidents seriously contemplated running for a third term.

Author David Yalof, a former D.C. attorney, reveals the circumstances and motivation behind these thwarted ambitions. He puts the background of FDR’s third term, for instance, into the context of the nomination of Republican Wendell Wilkie.

Of course, Yalof includes George Washington’s famous decision to step down after two terms. Washington’s health may have played a factor, but most crucial was his wish to be remembered by posterity for his lack of personal ambition and his fealty to the principles of a democratic republic. Yalof contends that Jefferson’s decision to step down after two terms was greatly influenced by Washington’s example.

However, Grant, Wilson and Cleveland were thwarted by circumstances and intraparty politics. The obscure Springer Resolution, adopted by Congress in 1875, put a

Today’s WJ students have no idea how great Walter Johnson was, this guy asserted. They don’t consider him an example. And the school does nothing to correct this oversight, he insisted.

“When I was a WJ student, we knew everything about him, including his career batting average,” proclaimed this guy (don’t bother looking it up — Johnson batted .235, a very good mark for a pitcher, then or now).

A lifelong skeptic, I couldn’t simply accept what this guy said. Had to go check it out. So, I arranged to spend a morning at Walter Johnson High School.

My eyes were opened very wide indeed. The great pitcher is held in very high esteem at the school that bears his name.

There’s a museum-style display right in the main lobby that honors him, displays clippings about him, even contains one of

kibosh on Grant’s third-term aspirations. Older readers may remember the exclusion of Harry Truman from the 22 nd Amendment, passed in 1951, and the reason he stepped aside after his defeat in the New Hampshire primary.

The fine print on the Twenty-second Amendment not only precludes a third term but a second term for those who served more than two years succeeding to the presidency and re-elected once.

The bibliographic essay in the back is a thorough summation of Washingtoniana that lists fascinating books on this subject, providing expert advice on which books to read and why.

David Yalof is vice provost for academic affairs at the College of William & Mary. He received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virgina and practiced law in Washington, D.C. before earning his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins and going into academic life.

ONE BIG HAPPY

his old, dusty mitts.

The school paper is called The Pitch The yearbook is called The Windup. Student aides are known as “designated hitters.” There’s a bust of Johnson in the school’s art gallery. There’s another out near the tennis courts.

OK, that might all seem like window dressing.

More substantial: The school offers a local history course where a hunk of the curriculum is devoted to the guy they called The Big Train.

On the great pitcher’s birthday, each November 6, the administration springs for 600 cupcakes for students.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s family has donated two seats from long-gone Griffith Stadium, where Johnson pitched for 21 seasons. The seats are on display right near the main entrance to the school — impossible to miss.

“When I interviewed here, I said, ‘Who’s Walter Johnson?’” recalled Nicole Morgan, the principal. “I certainly know now. We celebrate him, recognize him for his contributions to the community.”

Are students on board? Very much so, said Rheem Tungcod and Nick Zampardi, both WJ seniors, both WJ athletes.

Johnson’s accomplishments “are not something that flies over my head,” said

French Braid: A Novel, by Anne Tyler, 248 pages, Knopf hardcover, 2022, Vintage, paperback 2023

Empty nesters will relate to the multigenerational saga of the Garrett family as related by the prolific Baltimore novelist Anne Tyler.

Rather than a long, chronological narrative, French Braid focuses on specific incidents that highlight the family of patriarch Robin Garrett and his wife, Mercy, as well as their three children and select members of the succeeding two generations.

Reading French Braid is like turning the pages of a family album: Children grow up, parents age, and grandchildren have children of their own.

Divorce, death, trauma and tragedy touch all, and the Garretts are no exception. All families have secrets and siblings whose personalities either clash or complement

By Rick Detorie

Tungcod, a basketball player. Even though Zampardi plays football and lacrosse, not baseball, Johnson’s history “brings us closer together,” he said.

As for the faculty, “we all feel a sense of community because of who he was,” said Larry Hurd, Jr., the school’s “athletic specialist” (he’d be called athletic director at most other schools). “It’s a very special place to be.”

My only beef is with the school’s mascot. Until 1990, WJ’s teams were the Mighty Mad Cows, because moos could be heard from the farm across the street when the school opened in 1956.

Suburbia has long since overtaken the neighborhood, however. WJ’s teams were renamed the Wildcats.

That leaves me as cold as the whining of my dinner partner.

Here’s a request to WJHS from this lifelong Walter Johnson fan: Please rename your teams the Shutouts.

Distinctive. Memorable. And true to Walter Johnson’s history (he pitched 110 of them).

Best of all, a certain dinner partner of mine might realize how well “his” school remembers its namesake.

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

each other. Tyler, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1989 for her 11th novel, Breathing Lessons, creates a narrative in which personality traits cross generational lines, akin to genetic physical resemblances.

The significance of the novel’s title is revealed at the end of the book as the Garretts’ grandson escapes pandemic-stricken New York with his own son to hunker down with his parents. Scenarios repeat themselves as the family drama moves forward, just as braided hair, when loosened and undone, remains crimped. Our lives, explains one character, are forever imprinted by our family experience.

Put aside your rose-colored glasses as you read about the evolution of a marriage over five decades. There’s comfort in knowing that others with long-lasting marriages may have deep fissures that only family members can see.

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; Obituaries; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 31.

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

A HOME HEALTHCARE- Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599

MOBILE HAIR & NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Hair Stylist. Women and Men’s Services - All Hair Types. Cuts, Styles, Roller Sets, Color, Perms, Men’s Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. Call 301-338-8251

A CARE AGENCY - Been in business for more than 10 years. Experienced nurses, CNAs, GNAs. Any hours you need. Flat rate for live-in. Duties include cooking, housekeeping, bathing, errands, etc. Tel: 667-231-8235

CAREGIVER WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES live in live out full- time parttime I will do your shopping Dr appointments daily hygiene grocery shopping daily activities I do have 30 years experiences with excellent references call Laverne 301-996-1385.

A COMPASSIONATE HOME CARE COMPANION - Providing loving, trustworthy, devoted care for your loved one. Available part time in Montgomery County. HOSPICE trained, 20+ years experience, A+ references. Please call SADIE (240) 522-9591, leave voice message for reply.

TAKE A BREAK! Retired Registered Nurse is available to support caregivers and their loved ones. Takoma Park/Silver Spring. $20 per hour. 301-445-3778.

RELIABLE PRIVATE DUTY CAREGIVER. Looking for a job to work with the elderly, full time or /part time. In Bethesda/Rockville/Potomac area. You can contact me at this number: 240-353-9057 / 914-299-0204.

TAX PREPARATION: All types of returns, reasonable rates; 35+ years of tax experience and licensed CPA. Located in Gaithersburg, MD near Quince Orchard Rd and Great Seneca Hwy. Call or email: DIANE CHRISTEN CPA; 240355-1135; dianechristen@aol.com.

UP TO $15,000.00 OF GUARANTEED

LIFE INSURANCE! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company - 866-212-1092 or visit www.Life55plus.info/beacon

FINAL EXPENSE INSURANCE WITH MASSMUTUAL. Did you know the average cremation costs between 7K and 10K and the average burial costs between 15K and 25K. Don’t let this burden fall on your loved ones. Contact me at MassMutual. My name: Joseph Rawson. My email: jrawson@financialguide.com. My Web site: https://financialprofessionals.massmutual.com/jos eph-e-rawson. I look forward to working with you.

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

For Sale

NEW WINDOWS FROM WINDOW NATION. Special money saving offer - zero down, zero payments, zero interest for TWO years AND buy 2 windows and get 2 FREE! Offer is valid for select models. Labor not included. Other restrictions apply. Call Window Nation today! 855-909-2278.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK. 2 sites in Block D, Lot 224, Sites 1 & 2. Selling both together for $5995. Call Jim at 540-748-1659.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK Falls Church Va. 2 double depth sites in Block HH. Current price $13,000 each selling for $6,000 each. Phone (910) 575-0258

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY. Two Burial Lots, not adjacent, separated by one Lot. In Block DD Good Location, Near Road. One Lot valued at $9495, asking $4995 each Lot. Transfer Fee $500. Call 703 715 0424 and Leave Message.

PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

TODAY with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-301-960-3174 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

FOR SALE NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK, 2 choice sites in desirable Block A, a $14,000 value. Includes Vaults and Markers an additional $6,000 value. Total package of $20,000 discounted to $8,200 or OBO. Call Joe 703-969-5111.

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-240-650-9189.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

STROKE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-844-485-7035.

Financial Home/Handyman Services Legal Services

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-855653-0087.

JACUZZI BATH REMODEL can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, we’re cutting installation costs in half and offering a FREE safety upgrade! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer.) Offer ends 3/31/24. Call 1-833-994-0538

NORTH VA ELECTRICAL SERVICES. We

Install: Ceiling Fans, Recessed Lights, Chandeliers, Power outlets & Other related work. We are Licensed & Insured. Feel free to call or text to: (703) 898 0797

SLOWING DOWN AFTER 42 YEARS OF CONTRACTING. Small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial work. Will work all over DC area. $45.00 from arrival on job. Andy 703-906-5429.

DOWNSIZING SPECIALISTS, LLC Your trusted partner in estate liquidation! Our easy process helps you decide what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard. Services include estate liquidation, downsizing, estate sales, house and storage unit clean-outs, and junk removal. We buy estates, vehicles, and real estate. Contact Philip at 301-219-3600 or visit DownsizingSpecialists.com. Free estimates. Licensed. Insured. Family owned. Downsizing doesn’t erase history, it shapes the legacy left behind.

AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL HEATING

& COOLING. As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-6910273.

CUSTOM PAINTING, WATERPROOFING, and Handyman Contractor in Silver Spring Md. 40 years serving MD/DC/VA. Insured, licensed, and bonded. Interior and Exterior work. Top knotch preparation and contents protection. Diagnostics and solutions to water penetration problems. Galaxy Painting and Decorating. MHIC#31079. Galaxy Painting and Decorating (301) 530-2600.

FAMILY-OWNED EXTERIOR BUILDING

SERVICES. We build custom wood and vinyl decks, as well as porches. All plans and permits will be included. We work exclusively in the greater Vienna area. For free design and estimates with the owner call (703) 587-7762. Our website is mainstreet-home-improvement.com

FAMILY-OWNED BATHROOM & INTERI-

OR REMODELING SERVICES. We install walk-in showers, new bathtubs, tile painting, grab bars, and handrails. Proudly serving the greater Vienna area. Call today for your free estimate (703) 587-7762 and please visit. mainstreet-home-improvement.com

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-866-478-2363.

Personals

A PRETTY LADY, EARLY 60’S - Retired, interested in meeting an attractive, kind Gentleman 60’S, for fun outings, companionship, possible relationship. Call Anne (240) 351-8001, please leave voice message for reply.

A GENTLEMAN IN HIS 50S SEEKING COMPANIONSHIP and possibly a long-term relationship with a lady in the Rockville area between 50 and 59 who is interested in dancing, moonlight strolls, candlelight dinners, billiards, gardening, and picnics Please email me at mc2928@aol.com.

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

DIRECTV SPORTS PACK - 3 MONTHS ON US! Watch pro and college sports LIVE. Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-572-4953. GET DISH SATELLITE TV + INTERNET! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-844-560-5837

CASH FOR JEWELRY; Gold, silver, costume. Watches, coins, turquoise, dental gold, etc. TheAtticLLC.com. Gary Roman; 301-520-0755. 18-SH-004233

COINS, ANTIQUES, JEWELRY - Liquidating an estate? Moving? Downsizing? Buying antiques, collectibles jewelry, gold, silver, wristwatches, pocket watches, older comic books, toys, trains, older baseball cards, and memorabilia, old golf football, military items, firearms, knives, books, records, Asian antiques, mid century decor, etc. Call Tom: 240-476-3441

WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-464-0958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com).

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS.

Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 & CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403

BOOKS, DVD OR CD COLLECTIONS

WANTED. House calls made. Call Nelson at 240 472 4615 to set up an appointment.

I PERSONALLY COLLECT AND WANT TO BUY old Christmas and Halloween decorations, Herend and Royal Copenhagen porcelain, costume and fine jewelry and other pretty things. I also buy out estates, full or partial. Or, I can send items to auction for you. Please call Susan, (301) 785-1129. Maryland license #2753.

CASH FOR ESTATES; I buy a wide range of items. Art, antiques, jewelry, cultural items, furniture, rugs, collections/accumulations.

TheAtticLLC.com. Gary Roman; 301-520-0755

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990 JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, R&B, DISCO, SOUL, REGGAE, & GOSPEL, ANY VINYL FORMAT 33 1/3 RPM Albums, small 45 RPM’s & some 78 RPM, Also CD’s, Prefer LARGER COLLECTIONS AT LEAST 100 items, PLEASE CALL JOHN 301-596-6201

APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

NEED PATIENT HELP WITH COMPUTERS, Phones, TVs or other technology? Call Phil at Senior Tech Pro! No job is too big or too small. We also safely recycle old computers and other electronics. Maryland (301) 337-0028 Virginia (571) 202-1273.

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call David G. at: 301-3282112 / 301-642-4526

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258

DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-866-365-5170.

DISABILITY or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-866-970-0779 FREE Consultation. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

SWITCH AND SAVE UP TO $250/YEAR on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. For more information, call 1-833-742-1303.

I BUY GUNS: Military/Civilian Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols & MILITARY MEMORABILIA from all wars. I am a licensed Firearms Dealer and can legally purchase from you. Call Tim Frank 703-447-7243 historian1975@gmail.com

www.midatlanticmilitaryantiques.com

ALWAYS BUYING OLD COSTUME JEWELRY, sterling silver flatware & hollowware, school rings, gemstones & broken jewelry, old comic books(pre-1980) & old baseball cards (pre-1975), and other old items you have. Text or call Alex at 571-426-5363 DMV Area

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158, leave message & phone number (please speak slowly).

Adult Day Services

Kensington Club . . . . . . . . .18

Candidate for Office

Elect Sitting Judges Mont. Co. Slate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Mont. Co Board of Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Rita Montoya, Board of Education . . . . . . . . . . . .B3

Employment & Job Training

JCA Career Gateway . . . . . .18

Events

Active Aging Expo . . . . . . .19

Brooke Grove Seminars & Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5

Charles E. Smith Comm./ Ring House . . . . . . . . . . .14

Chevy Chase House . . . . . .B2

Gala for the Ages/Seabury Centennial . . . . . . . . . .B16

Funeral Services

Going Home Cremation . . .22

Home Health Care

Abigal Home Health . . . . . .13

Best Senior Care . . . . . . . .B14

and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington edition).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad:

• $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

• Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To

Housing

Ashby Ponds/ Erickson . . . . . . . .1, 3, B13

Benchmark at Alexandria . . . . . . .B7, B11

Brooke Grove Retirement Village . .B5, B6, B10, B12

Charles E. Smith Life Communities . . . . . . . . . .14

Chesterbrook . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Chevy Chase House . .B2, B13

Churchill Senior Living . . . .8

Culpepper Garden . . . . . . . . .9

Grandview, The/ Erickson . . . . . . . . . .3, B12

Greenspring/Erickson .1, 3, B6

Falcons Landing . . . . . .B6, 32

Flats at Sandy Spring, The .B4

Harmony Senior Living . . . . . . . . . .B3, B13

Homecrest House . .B10, B15

Housing Initiative

Partnership . . . . . . . . . . .B2

Leggett, The . . . . . . . . . . . .B8

Park View Apartments . . . .13

Residences at North Hill . . . . . .B11, B15

Riderwood/Erickson .1, 3, B10

Ring House . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Sommerset . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Vinson Hall . . . . . . . .B4, B12

Woodleigh Chase/ Erickson . . . . . . . . . .3, B11

Legal Services

Farr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . .19

Law Offices of Paul Riekhof . . . . . . . . . .B6

Medical/Health Services

Center for Healing Family Relationships . . . . . . . . . . .8

Chesapeake Hearing . . . . . .12

Eyeland EyeCare . . . . . . . . .11

Ikon Health . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Judy Oh, DDS . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Medical Eye Center . . . . . . .6

Preferred Hearing Center . . .9

Stephen Friedman, DDS . . .22

Real Estate Services/Moving

Eric Stewart/Long & Foster . . . . . . . . . . .B14, 26

Maryland Senior Concierge . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Senior Resources

DC Living Boldly Newsletter . . . . . . . . .15-16

DC DISB/Financial Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Getting Older/Eric Stewart .26 GROWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Maryland Senior Concierge . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Mont. Co. Age-Friendly Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Mont. Co. Aging & Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Mont. Co. SHIP . . . . . . . . .10

Seabury Resources for Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . .