May 2014 | Baltimore Beacon

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Most Marylanders know that flag maker Mary Pickersgill sewed the original Star-Spangled Banner in 1813 in a house on Pratt Street — on the same city block the museum calls home today.

But few people realize that Grace Wisher, a young African American indentured servant in Pickersgill’s household, also worked on the flag that became a national icon.

Now for the first time, the museum will highlight Wisher’s contribution to Ameri-

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MYERS

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One flag with many meanings

By Carol Sorgen John Milton Wesley is a man “torn between two flags” — the Confederate flag of his Mississippi Delta youth, and the American flag that signifies the opportunities this country has given him.

A writer and musician who performed at the second inauguration of President Obama, the 65-year-old Columbia resident grew up across the street from Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, who brutally murdered 14-year-old African-American Emmett Till for reportedly flirting with Bryant’s 21year-old wife, Carolyn.

Wesley recalled that the “rebel” flag that flew in the South during that time was a frightening sight, standing as a symbol of racism and oppression.

On the other hand, the American flag represents to Wesley his work during the Civil Rights movement, the education and professional opportunities he has had since moving North, and tragically, the loss of his fiancée in the September 11 plane crash at the Pentagon.

It was then that Wesley first wore an American flag pin in his lapel, signifying that “we were all Americans, no matter what our color.”

Wesley will share his feelings about what the American flag means to him during a series of oral history performances that will be presented as part of “For Whom It Stands: The Flag and the American People,” an exhibit being mounted by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum beginning May 17 and running through Feb. 28, 2015.

The first oral history performances will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 17 at the museum. Additional performances are scheduled in September, November and December.

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SEE SPECIAL INSERT Housing & Homecare Options following page 18

Jo Ann McKinney shares her evolving feelings about the U.S. flag in an oral history presentation that is part of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s exhibit “For Whom It Stands: The Flag and the American People.” The original Star-Spangled Banner was sewn 201 years ago on the same block of Pratt Street on which the museum is now located.

can history in this major exhibition that “promises to make important connections between the flag as an artifact of history and as a living symbol of our national identity,” said Dr. Brent D. Glass, director emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

An investigation into the history and representation of the United States’ flag as an icon of our nation and its people, “For Whom It Stands” is a 3,200-square-foot exhibition featuring more than 75 works of art, artifacts, documents and photographs.

According to project curator and scholar of flag art Dr. Michelle Joan Wilkinson, the exhibition is especially focused on how individuals and groups with different histo-

ries and agendas engage the icon — from visual artists who have employed the U.S. flag for their own aesthetic and political effects, to war veterans, new immigrants, entertainers called upon to perform the national anthem, and everyday citizens.

“Through this exhibition, we want to expand the historical narrative about whom the flag represents, and share the contemporary contexts of its lived meanings,” Wilkinson said.

As part of the exhibition, the museum has commissioned Baltimore-based vocalist Sho’dekeh to create a sound installation featuring pivotal interpretations of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

See FLAG, page 31

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

Geyser and grizzly gazing in Yellowstone; plus, a step back in time to Andy Griffith’s home page 24

FITNESS & HEALTH k Get a colonoscopy on the run k Is “expired” food dangerous?

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LAW & MONEY k Investing for the long-term k Innovative companies

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ARTS & STYLE k Preakness fun facts k Eclectic Japanese vases

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Once more, with feeling Those of you who have been reading my soned (and reasonably argued) positions monthly column for a few years know that on matters of the day — be more likely to elicit response from readers?

I occasionally write about my Why should I get more posparents’ experiences with itive feedback to personal healthcare, finances, moving columns laced with angst or and the like. pathos or vented anger, when You also know that my fathey seldom had answers to ther, may he rest in peace, the questions I raised? died a few weeks ago, just shy of his 94th birthday, and that I think I am only recently, my 84-year-old mother has and gradually, coming to unmoved to this area from Texas derstand why this may be so. to be near my brother and me.

When it comes to major The first time I wrote about FROM THE changes in life — the various my parents in this column, I PUBLISHER turning points we all experiwas concerned that readers By Stuart P. Rosenthal ence — all the objective informight think it odd that I mation in the world cannot rewould discuss personal matters in this ally prepare us for what we will encounter. space. After all, the Beacon generally focusI have spent 25 years working with our es on topical news and objective informa- staff to write, select and edit articles meant tion, rather than personal accounts. to cover every aspect of our lives after 50: the But I received many favorable comments health conditions and challenges, financial — from friends and strangers alike — to hurdles and legal matters, family matters, that first column. And indeed, later columns employment issues, housing options, even that touched on my personal experiences entertainment and travel opportunities. and those of my parents continued to genWhile we were gathering and sharing all erate an unusual amount of response. this practical knowledge, I thought I was For years, I’ve wondered: Why was this also absorbing everything I would need to so? Wouldn’t my more objectively re- know to prepare myself and my family for searched columns — or my carefully rea- the future. I wasn’t going to be blindsided

Beacon The

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

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

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

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal

by unexpected problems or feel helpless or uninformed!

But the columns I wrote about my family, as I look back on them, were not crowing about how everything fell into place beautifully.

On the contrary, they generally shared my frustrations and disappointments in how real life often didn’t match up to my expectations. It was the surprises, the challenges, the failures of our systems that moved me to write those columns.

Many readers saw their own reality mirrored in my words. Others were happy just to see me recognize that an individual’s experiences may differ — sometimes greatly — from the “typical” or regular case.

And everyone, I think, appreciated having human feelings added into the mix.

One ingredient often missing from our otherwise well-written and helpful articles is how it feels to experience a change.

There’s just no substitute for experience when you want to know not what the best “answer” or option is, but how it will feel when you choose it.

Each of us will face life’s challenges in our

own personal way. But when we get a glimpse into how other people live their lives, and how each decision they make truly affects them and their family, we gain a new and valuable perspective.

So I plan to continue writing, occasionally, about my family’s experiences. I can tell you now that, despite my state-of-the-art knowledge about many topics, in these few weeks since my father passed away, my mother has daily enlightened me as to how it feels to cope with the loss of a spouse (after 63 years of marriage), the move to another state, the separation from one’s friends and support network, and the adjustment to a new community.

Needless to say, there is fodder here for several columns.

I hope many of you will, in turn, share your thoughts and personal experiences with me and our readers as well.

Thanks, as always, for reading this column and for reading the Beacon.

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

Dear Mr. Rosenthal: Your eulogy to your dad was so touching.

He had to be the greatest kind of person.

How lucky for him to have you for a son.

My deepest sympathy to you and your family.

Helen Santoni Baltimore Dear Mr. Rosenthal: Although your father has passed away, he encourages me through your tribute at his funeral.

I also take my nutrition by stomach tube since November 2011. Since then, I have been getting better nutrition than I had be-

fore, and am much stronger.

I live alone and daily use five cans of liquid food over seven feedings, two hours apart.

I have been unable to find anything [written] on long-term tube feeding by self-care. Information about how long your father was doing so would be helpful.

Robert Fisher Baltimore Dear Mr. Rosenthal: Thank you for the beautiful story about your dad, “A man of valor.” May his memory be a blessing. I know it will.

Leslie Kassal Baltimore

• Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King

BEACON BITS

May 10

SALUTE TO 1950s AIR TRAVEL

• Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben

The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, located at the

• Contributing Editor ..........................Carol Sorgen

Martin State Airport, presents Open Cockpit Day on Saturday, May 10 from 11

• Graphic Designer ..............................Kyle Gregory

a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can experience air travel of the 1950s, board the muse-

• Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin, ........................................................................Jill Joseph • Publishing Assistant ....................Rebekah Sewell

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions:

The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 1st of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 35 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

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um’s 1952 Martin 404 passenger airliner and sit in the pilot’s seat of one of the museum’s jet fighter aircraft. The museum’s exhibit “They Answered the Call,” a salute to the World War II employees of the Glenn L. Martin Company, will be open to tour The airport and museum are located at 701 Wilson Point Rd. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children. For more information, call (410) 682-6122 or see www.mdairmuseum.org.

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Health Fitness &

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NOT SO SWEET Too much sugar can raise blood pressure and cause early death HEART-POUNDING CONDITIONS Check with your doctor to find out causes for a rapid heartbeat OLDIES BUT GOODIES Food expiration dates don’t necessarily mean the food is unsafe to eat VIRUSES VS. CANCER Viruses harnessed to fight cancer, including deadly multiple myeloma

Smile! Your colon is on candid camera

By Matthew Perrone A kinder, gentler approach to one of the most dreaded exams in medicine is on the way: U.S. regulators have cleared a bitesize camera to help screen patients who have trouble with colonoscopies.

The ingestible pill camera from Given Imaging is designed to help doctors spot polyps and other early signs of colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared the device for patients who have had trouble with the cringe-inducing colonoscopy procedure, which involves probing the large intestine with a tiny camera embedded in a four-foot long, flexible tube.

The Israeli company’s technology, developed from missile defense systems, uses a battery-powered camera to take high-speed photos as it slowly winds its way through the intestinal tract over eight hours. The images are transmitted to a recording device worn around the patient’s waist and later reviewed by a doctor.

While Given’s wireless, image-beaming

system may sound like science fiction, it’s actually more than a decade old. In 2001, the company received FDA approval for a similar device used to get a close-up view of the small intestine.

At that time, analysts expected Given’s approach to grow into a direct competitor to traditional colonoscopy. But company studies found that images taken by the mini-camera were not quite as clear as those from the in-office procedure.

As a result, the company has pursued a more limited market for its device: patients who have trouble undergoing standard colonoscopies.

lysts estimate the new PillCam could grow to sales of over $60 million in North America by 2019, with room for expansion as the technology improves.

MorningStar analyst Debbie Wang said the company has shrewdly positioned the device as another tool in the gastrointestinal specialist’s kit, rather than a direct competitor.

“Given’s management understands that the traditional colonoscopy is the gastroenterologist’s bread and butter right now,” Wang said. “So they didn’t want to do anything that would position this as a substitute.”

Not for everyone

Cheaper, but prep is same

In February, the FDA cleared the company’s PillCam Colon for patients who have experienced an incomplete colonoscopy.

Given estimates 750,000 U.S. patients are not able to complete the procedure each year, due to anatomy issues, previous surgery or various colon diseases.

Even with this limited indication, ana-

Wang notes that Given’s PillCam costs $500, significantly less than the roughly $4,000 rate for colonoscopy. Eventually, she thinks doctors may use the device to attract adults who avoid regular screenings due to fears of pain, embarrassment and general discomfort.

However, the preparation is similar to

that for a colonoscopy, and the PillCam procedure may require up to three more cups of bowel prep solution during the day of the procedure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines currently recommend regular colonoscopies beginning at age 50 and continuing through age 75, though most U.S. adults don’t follow the recommendations.

In December, Irish medical device firm Covidien said it would buy Given for about $860 million. Given Imaging, headquartered in Yoqneam, Israel, markets seven lines of medical devices and surgical supplies, including PillCams to screen the esophagus and small intestine. PillCam Colon was previously approved in 80 other countries, including in Japan, Europe and Latin America.

To see a video of the PillCam Colon’s journey through an intestine, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMbC B2_vCt0.

— AP

Women face additional risks for stroke

By Marilynn Marchione Just as heart attack symptoms may differ between men and women, so do stroke risks.

Now, the American Heart Association has issued its first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. They focus on birth control, pregnancy, depression, and other risk factors that women face uniquely or more frequently than men do.

The advice applies to patients like Denise Miller, who suffered a stroke last year that fooled doctors at two northeast Ohio hospitals before it was finally diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic. She was 36 and had no traditional risk factors.

“There was nothing to indicate I was going to have a stroke,” other than frequent migraines with aura — dizziness or altered senses such as tingling, ringing ears or sensitivity to light, Miller said.

These headaches are more common in women, and the new guidelines flag them as a concern. Miller recovered but has some lingering numbness and vision problems.

Each year, nearly 800,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is

blocked by a clot or bursts. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death for women and the fifth-leading cause for men.

The key to surviving one and limiting disability is getting help fast, and recognizing symptoms such as trouble speaking, weakness or numbness in one arm, or drooping on one side of the face.

New guidelines for women Stroke risk rises with age, and women tend to live longer than men. Women are more likely to be living alone when they have a stroke, to have poorer recovery, and to need institutional care after one.

Certain stroke risks are more common in women, including migraine with aura, obesity, an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, and metabolic syndrome — a combo of problems including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

General guidelines for stroke prevention currently focus on controlling blood pressure and diabetes, quitting smoking, getting more exercise and healthy diets.

The new ones add gender-specific advice, said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, stroke chief

at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. She led the panel that wrote the guidelines, published in Stroke, a Heart Association journal.

Birth control pills: Women should be checked for high blood pressure before starting on oral contraceptives because the combination raises stroke risks. The risk is small but rises steeply in women ages 45 to 49. More than 10 million American women use birth control pills.

Pregnancy: Strokes are uncommon during pregnancy but the risk is still higher, especially during the last three months and soon after delivery. The big worry is preeclampsia — dangerously high blood pressure that can cause a seizure and other problems. “It doubles the risk of stroke later in life, and it quadruples the risk of high blood pressure” after pregnancy, Bushnell said.

Aspirin: It’s usually recommended for anyone who has already had a stroke, unless the stroke was caused by bleeding rather than a clot, or if bleeding risk is a concern, Bushnell said. Aspirin also is often recommended for people with dia-

betes to lower the risk of stroke and other problems.

A low-dose aspirin every other day “can be useful” to lower stroke risk in women 65 and older, unless its benefit is outweighed by the potential for bleeding or other risks, the guidelines say.

Migraines: Women are four times more likely to have migraines than men, and they often coincide with hormone swings. Migraines alone don’t raise the risk of stroke, but ones with aura do. Using oral contraceptives and smoking raise this risk even more, so the guidelines urge stopping smoking.

Irregular heartbeat: Women over age 75 should be checked for atrial fibrillation.

Doctors do this by taking a pulse or listening to the heartbeat.

Menopause: Hormone therapy should not be used to try to prevent strokes.

The new guidelines put women’s issues “on the table” so more doctors talk about them, said Dr. Shazam Hussain, stroke chief at the Cleveland Clinic. “Gender does make a difference. The medical community has neglected it for some time.”

— AP

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Sugary diet can triple risk of early death

By Lindsey Tanner Could too much sugar be deadly? The biggest study of its kind suggests the answer is yes, at least when it comes to fatal heart problems.

It doesn’t take all that much extra sugar, hidden in many processed foods, to substantially raise the risk, the researchers found. Most Americans eat more than the safest amount.

Having a cinnamon roll with your morning coffee, a super-sized sugary soda at lunch, and a scoop of ice cream after dinner would put you in the highest risk category in the study. That means your chance of dying prematurely from heart problems is nearly three times greater than for people

who eat only foods with little added sugar.

For someone who normally eats 2,000 calories daily, even consuming two 12ounce cans of soda substantially increases the risk. For most American adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the main source of added sugar.

Lead author Quanhe Yang of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called the results sobering, and said it’s the first nationally representative study to examine the issue.

Sugar raises blood pressure Scientists aren’t certain exactly how sugar may contribute to deadly heart problems, but it has been shown to increase blood pres-

sure and levels of unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides. It also may increase signs of inflammation linked with heart disease, said Rachel Johnson, head of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee and a University of Vermont nutrition professor.

Yang and colleagues analyzed national health surveys between 1988 and 2010 that included questions about people’s diets. The authors used national death data to calculate risks of dying during 15 years of follow-up.

Overall, surveys of more than 30,000 American adults, age 44 on average, were studied.

Previous studies have linked diets high in sugar with increased risks for non-fatal heart problems and for obesity, which can also lead to heart trouble. But in the new study, obesity didn’t explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar.

Added to many foods The researchers focused on sugar added to processed foods or drinks, or sprinkled in coffee or cereal. Even foods that don’t taste sweet have added sugar, including many brands of packaged bread, tomato sauce and salad dressing.

Naturally occurring sugar found in fruit and some other foods wasn’t counted.

Most health experts agree that too much sugar isn’t healthy, but there is no universal consensus on how much is too much. U.S government dietary guidelines issued in 2010 say “empty” calories, including those from added sugars, should account for no more than 15 percent of total daily calories.

The authors divided participants into

five categories based on sugar intake, from less than 10 percent of daily calories — the safest amount — to more than 25 percent.

Most adults exceed the safest level; and for 1 in 10 adults, added sugar accounts for at least 25 percent of daily calories, the researchers said.

The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.

As sugar intake increased, risks climbed steeply. Adults who got at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar were almost three times more likely to die of heart problems than those who consumed the least — less than 10 percent.

For those who got more than 15 percent — or the equivalent of about two cans of sugary soda out of 2,000 calories daily — the risk was almost 20 percent higher than the safest level.

Sugar calories quickly add up: One teaspoon has about 16 calories; one 12-ounce can of non-diet soda contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar or about 140 calories.

Many cinnamon rolls have about 13 teaspoons of sugar. One scoop of chocolate ice cream has about 5 teaspoons of sugar.

Dr. Jonathan Purnell, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute, said while the research doesn’t prove that “sugar can cause you to die of a heart attack,” it adds to a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that limiting sugar intake can lead to healthier, longer lives.

— AP

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The Baltimore County Health Department is holding free, 10minute, hearing screenings in honor of “May is Better Hearing and Speech Month.” Two will take place on Monday, May 5 and Friday, May 16 at the main conference room on third floor of Drumcastle Government Center, 6401 York Rd. Two more screenings will take place on Wednesday, May 7 and 14 at the Eastern Family Resource Center, 9100 Franklin Square Dr. To schedule an appointment, call (410) 887-6443.

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People who have had a heart attack are at significant risk of having another one. If this happens, calling an ambulance and rushing to the nearest hospital that has a catheterization lab is crucial.

But the nearest hospital is often not the same as the one the patient previously visited, and medical records might not be available.

The new CathMaps+ app for Android and iPhone devices stores documentation of the patient’s cardiac medical history so that it can be easily presented to the attending physician in an emergency situation.

✃

New app for heart patients

F R E E

Distinguishing between prescription pill bottles is a difficult task for blind and visually impaired individuals. Deciphering dosage instructions is even more difficult.

But special labels called ScripTalk, embedded with a tiny antenna and microchip, can read all the information on the label aloud, including warnings and prescription number, using a special reader. The reader, by En-Vision America, has an adjustable volume and can read the label in multiple languages.

CVS/pharmacy now offers the ScripTalk labels on prescriptions ordered online at CVS.com. Customers can also obtain a free ScripTalk reader from En-Vision America that will enable them to listen to the information on the ScripTalk label.

“The lack of accessible labels on prescription drug containers puts people with vision loss at serious risk of medication mishaps,” said Paul Schroeder, vice president of programs and policy at the American Foundation for the Blind. “We applaud CVS/pharmacy for taking steps to provide

I N F O R M AT I O N

Prescription drug labels that ‘talk’

speech access to label information for customers with vision loss, along with its willingness to evaluate methods to improve large print labels.”

To request the labels with a prescription ordered through cvs.com, call 1-888-2273403.

For more information on the reader and to order a free device from En-Vision America, call 1-800-890-1180 or go to http://bit.ly/talkinglabel.

— Barbara Ruben

F R E E

Health Shorts

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Health shorts From page 5 Patients can also use the app to locate and receive directions to the nearest catheterization labs in many countries around the world, shown on an interactive map.

CathMaps+ was created by Danny Oberman, who himself experienced a cardiac incident in 2013. Because of this experience, and his personal understanding of what it means to live with an elevated risk of a heart attack, Oberman envisioned creating a tool that would help alleviate the associated anxiety.

“By cr eating and launching the CathMaps+ app, it is my hope that heart disease patients and their families will be equipped with a sense of normalcy and peace of mind as they go about their daily lives, and even travel,” he said.

“As a life-or-death condition, the idea of suffering a repeat [heart attack] can be an almost constant concern. This app will help offset patient anxiety while also serv-

ing as a valuable tool for cardiologists and the medical community overall.”

— Barbara Ruben

Online doctor reviews aren’t too popular; doctors are glad Ratings of doctors are less popular than those of toasters, cars and movies, when it comes to online consumer sites. That’s according to a survey that found most adults hadn’t checked online physician reviews — and most said a conveniently located office and accepting patients’ health insurance was more important.

Still, the sites do appear to be swaying opinions. About a third of patients who viewed online sites sought out or avoided physicians based on their ratings.

The findings come from a nationally rep-

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

resentative Internet-based survey of 2,137 adults. Results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More than one-third of those surveyed had checked out online reviews for movies, restaurants, appliances or electronics, and more than 1 in 4 viewed online car ratings. But less than 1 in 5 said they had viewed online physician ratings.

The 2012 sur vey may overestimate awareness among the general population, since about 1 in 5 Americans don’t have Internet access. But the researchers attempted to compensate for that by providing free Internet-connected computers for consumers without access.

The results suggest that online doctor ratings have gained popularity since earlier surveys. That’s a concern, since there’s no way to know if a review is real or fake, or what might have motivated the reviewer, said lead author Dr. David Hanauer, a pediatrician and associate professor at the University of Michigan.

Consumer reviews of doctors can be found on dozens of online sites, including some that rate only doctors, as well as some, like yelp.com, that cover a panoply of goods and services. Most reviewers don’t include their full names or remain anonymous.

Some other sites with doctor reviews include Healthgrades.com, Zocdoc.com, RateMDs.com and Vitals.com.

Some doctors who oppose the idea of online reviews make their patients sign “gag orders” agreeing not to post comments about them online. Hanauer said he doesn’t do that. He added that he hasn’t found any reviews of himself online.

The American Medical Association — the nation’s largest physicians’ group — is wary of the sites. “Anonymous online opinions of physicians should be taken with a grain of salt, and should certainly not be a patient’s sole source of information when looking for a new physician,” Dr. Ardis Dee Hoven, AMA’s president, said in a statement.

— AP

BEACON BITS

May 21

IRVIN B. LEVINSON MEMORIAL LECTURE

This year’s 16th Annual Irvin B. Levinson Memorial Lecture will be held on Wednesday, May 21 from 6 to 9:15 p.m. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Presenters include Glenn J. Treisman M.D., Ph.D., who will speak on “Depression and Demoralization in Patients with Chronic Illness,” and Doreen Horan, LCPC, FAMI, who will speak on “Creative Grief Counseling for Children and Adults.” The lecture will be held at Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc., 8900 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville. Category A or I CEUs are available for psychologists and social workers. For more information, call (410) 653-8900, or email info@sollevinson.com.

May 14

YOUR ACHING BACK For those who have

been diagnosed with degenerative disc conditions and want to learn about the treatment of back and related leg pain, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is offering a learning workshop on Wednesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. To register, visit www.hopkins_bayview/community_s ervices/seminars_screenings/registration.html or call (410) 550-KNOW (5669).

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

7

Rapid heartbeat can have many causes

By Dr. Howard LeWine and Dr. Michael Craig Miller Q: Other than anxiety, what can cause your heart rate to increase when you’re not exercising?

A: Rather than just listing the causes, here’s my approach to investigating a rapid heartbeat.

First, I’d like to know if you have any other symptoms. That especially includes chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and/or feeling faint. Any of these could suggest an abnormal heart rhythm. If you have any of these and a fast heartbeat, you should call your doctor right away.

Ideally, I’d want you to check your pulse at the time you feel your heart rate is high.

You can check your pulse at the wrist or on the neck. At the wrist, lightly press the index and middle fingers of one hand on the opposite wrist, below the fat pad of the thumb. At the neck, lightly feel for your carotid pulse next to your windpipe. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds, and multiply by four. That’s your heart rate.

Sometimes, it can feel like your heart is racing when actually it is in the normal range, which is less than 100 beats per minute. Doctors refer to a heart rate of 100 or higher as tachycardia.

As long as you feel perfectly fine, tachycardia rarely has a serious cause. But if you have other symptoms with tachycardia, you should see your doctor.

Your doctor would first determine if the heartbeat is regular (steady, like clockwork) or irregular (jumping around or skipping beats).

Causes of a regular rapid heartbeat (regular tachycardia) not related to exercise or anxiety include: 1. Fever 2. Dehydration 3. An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) 4. A heart rhythm abnormality, such as atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter and ventricular tachycardia. However, these would almost always cause additional symptoms, not just a fast heart rate.

The most common cause of a very ir-

BEACON BITS

May 1

FOR WOMEN WITH CANCER

This free program helps women with cancer feel better about their appearance, with an emphasis on learning make-up techniques. A trained cosmetologist will lead the group, which will take place on Thursday, May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sinai Hospital, Cancer Institute Conference Room, 2401 W. Belvedere Ave. Admission is free. A free cosmetics package is included. The deadline to register is one week prior to program. For more information or to register, call (410) 601-WELL (9355).

regular, fast heartbeat is atrial fibrillation.

I suggest that you call your doctor to discuss your symptoms. If he or she has any concerns, the next step would be a routine EKG. Additional testing might include wearing a heart monitor, called a Holter or event monitor. This device records your heart rate and rhythm for 24 hours or longer.

Q: What exactly is a panic attack? It feels like I’m uncomfortable and scared of everything. I need to return to work.

Any helpful advice?

A: A panic attack is a wave of intense fear. Added to the fear are uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as a pounding heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, stomach upset and lightheadedness.

Panic attacks often come with no warning, but sometimes they have a specific trigger.

People who suffer from panic attacks

may avoid situations where an attack might start. In particular, they’ll keep away from places such as theaters or airplanes, where it would be hard to get away quickly.

Panic attacks are common, but the symptoms don’t last. That is, they have a beginning and an end. But what you describe — being scared of everything — doesn’t sound like a panic attack. Your anxiety and fear sound more constant.

Thus, you may have “generalized anxiety disorder.” With this disorder, a person has nearly constant feelings of worry or anxiety.

These feelings are either unusually intense or out of proportion to the reality.

You may feel that you’ve always been a worrier. Or the anxiety may be triggered by a crisis. You may have extra stress at work or in your family.

Although the crisis eventually goes away and the stress passes, an unexplained feel-

ing of anxiety may last for months or years.

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include restlessness, irritability, poor concentration, muscle tension and sleep problems.

A wide range of anxiety-related physical symptoms may seem like symptoms of heart disease, respiratory illness, digestive diseases and other medical illnesses.

I recommend speaking with your primary care doctor. He or she can evaluate whether there is any medical illness contributing to how poorly you feel.

If all that checks out, get a referral to a mental health professional who can discuss your treatment options. There are many very effective treatments — such as medicine and psychotherapy — for both panic and generalized anxiety. © 2014 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Food expiration dates aren’t about safety

By Margaret Lampert Emily M. Broad Leib directs the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. Here are excerpts from a recent Kiplinger interview with Leib regarding food packaging:

Q: In your recent study “The Dating Game,” you argue that date labels on food are misleading and unclear, and say Americans throw away billions of pounds of food as a result. What is this costing us?

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Ongoing

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A: We know a family of four spends between $1,365 and $2,275 per year on food that is wasted. A study out of the United Kingdom found 20 percent of total household food waste was caused just by confusion over dates — not because food went bad or was inedible.

And over a billion dollars’ worth is thrown away annually in the U.S. before it even gets to consumers because of expiration dates. Retailers don’t sell the items, and as a result, they bump up the prices on other food items.

Q: Why are the labels confusing?

A: People believe expiration dates are related to safety. But the dates are not defined by law; they’re a manufacturer’s best guess of when the food is at peak quality.

There’s no saying a few days later it won’t still be at top quality.

The “sell by” date in particular leads to

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waste because it’s an indicator from manufacturers to retailers that they can sell food up to this date, and it’s still going to be fresh for consumers. But people can generally add on five to seven days to that date.

Q: What can we do to avoid throwing out edible food?

A: Expiration dates can provide some guidance. But for foods such as milk and cheese, first smell them or taste a tiny bit.

If the food doesn’t taste good, don’t eat it.

Foods such as cereal and crackers might get stale, and you can choose whether or not you want to eat them, but they’re not unsafe.

People get really nervous about meat and poultry. But if they go bad and smell before you cook them, that should be your indicator.

Q: How can we make the most of our food budgets?

A: Plan meals in advance and think about how to use leftovers. People forget how many things you can freeze successfully. And many don’t keep their refrigerators cool enough; that leads to a lot of waste.

Shelf-life guides, such as the Food Marketing Institute’s “Food Keeper” guide and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Kitchen Companion Safe Food Handbook,” are helpful.

Q: What do you make of retail outlets for expired foods that are springing up, such as the one planned by former Trader Joe’s president Doug Rauch, in Boston?

A: You can get good bargains by buying food past their dates, if you’re willing to take the risk that food will not be at top quality. But remember that these dates are about quality and not safety, so they are not a safety risk. © 2014, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed By Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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May 3

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

9

Longer Medicare for therapies, home care

By Barbara Ruben After losing a federal class action lawsuit, Medicare has done an about-face on a policy requiring beneficiaries to show that their conditions are improving in order to receive coverage of skilled nursing care and therapy services.

For decades, patients with such chronic conditions as Alzheimer’s, arthritis and Parkinson’s disease, would have their care terminated if they weren’t doing better.

The settlement “makes it absolutely clear that skilled care is covered by Medicare for therapy and nursing to maintain a patient’s condition or slow decline — not just for improvement,” said Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit Now that this so-called “improvement standard” has been abolished, it is easier for patients to get coverage for physical,

BEACON BITS

Apr. 25

FORGOTTEN MOVIE THEATERS

The Baltimore National Heritage Area presents a series of free “It’s More Than History” brown bag lunches.

“Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore Forgotten Movie Theaters” will take place on Friday, April 25 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Board of Estimates room on the second floor of Baltimore City Hall, 100 N. Holliday St. For more information, email amydavisimages@gmail.com.

speech and occupational therapy, as well as home health and nursing care — and coverage is available retroactively to the date of the lawsuit.

If patients paid for care themselves because their claim was denied between Jan. 18, 2011 and Jan. 24, 2013 (between when the lawsuit was filed and when it was settled), they must submit a request for a new review by July 23, 2014. For review of denied claims filed from Jan. 25, 2013, through Jan. 23, 2014, the review form must be submitted by Jan. 23, 2015.

The for m can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/claim_review_form. The form is titled “Request for re-review of Medicare claims related to the settlement agreement in Jimmo v. Sebelius.”

A fact sheet on the process is available from Medicare at http://bit.ly/medicareobservation.

Not widely publicized Medicare has not widely publicized these changes, however. The agency updated its policy manual last December and informed healthcare providers, Medicare Advantage plans, bill processors and others on the medical and payment end of the process. But Medicare wasn’t required to inform beneficiaries.

Other Medicare limits to nursing home

care remain the same, and a doctor must prescribe skilled nursing home care for coverage. Home care also requires a doctor’s order.

Medicare caps the amount it will pay for physical and speech therapy at $1,920 a year. Occupational therapy has a separate $1,920 limit. Providers can get the cap raised to $3,700 for these services if they are medically necessary.

BEACON BITS

May 2

ORAL CANCER AND HEARING SCREENINGS Seven Oaks Senior Center, 9210 Seven Courts Dr., presents free

health screenings to test for oral cancer and hearing difficulties, sponsored by the Baltimore County Department of Health, on Friday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. Appointments are required. For more information, call (410) 887-5192.

10

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Artificial hand can ‘feel’ what you touch

By Lauran Neergaard It’s not quite the bionics of science fiction, but European researchers have created a robotic hand that gave an amputee a sense of touch he hadn’t felt in a decade.

The experiment lasted only a week, but it let the patient feel if different objects — a bottle, a baseball, some cotton, a mandarin orange — were hard or soft, slim or round, and intuitively adjust his grasp.

It will take years of additional research before an artificial hand that feels becomes a reality. But the research is part of a major effort to create more lifelike and usable prosthetics.

“It was just amazing,” said Dennis Aabo Sorensen of Aalborg, Denmark, who lost his left hand in a fireworks accident and

volunteered to pilot-test the bulky prototype. “It was the closest I have had to feeling like a normal hand.”

This isn’t the first time scientists have tried to give some sense of touch to artificial hands; a few other pilot projects have been reported in the U.S. and Europe.

This newest experiment is among the most advanced, essentially creating a loop that let the robotic hand rapidly communicate with Sorensen’s brain so he could feel and react in real time. The work was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

“It was interesting to see how fast he was able to master this,” said neuroengineer Silvestro Micera of Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, who

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led the Swiss and Italian research team.

“He was able to use this information immediately in a quite sophisticated way.”

A touchy challenge Scientists have made great strides in recent years in improving the dexterity of prosthetics. But the sense of touch has been a much more difficult challenge, and is one reason that many patients don’t use their prosthetic hands as much as they’d like.

Consider: Grab something and your own hand naturally grasps with just enough force to hang on. Users of prosthetic hands have to carefully watch every motion, judging by eye instead of touch how tightly to squeeze. The results can be clumsy, with dropped dishes or crushed objects.

“You always have to look and see what’s going on, so that’s what is so much different from this new hand that I tried,” Sorensen, 36, said in a telephone interview.

First, doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital implanted tiny electrodes inside two nerves — the ulnar and median nerves — in the stump of Sorensen’s arm.

Those nerves normally would allow for certain sensations in a hand. When researchers zapped them with a weak electrical signal, Sorensen said it felt like his missing fingers were moving, showing the nerves still could relay information.

Meanwhile, Micera’s team put sensors on two fingers of a robotic hand to detect information about what the artificial fingers touched.

For one week, cords snaked from a bandage on Sorensen’s arm to the artificial hand, and the electrodes zapped the nerves in proportion to what the sensors detected.

“It is really putting the brain back in control of the system,” said biomedical engineer Dustin Tyler of Case Western Reserve University. Tyler wasn’t involved with the European work, but leads a team in Ohio that recently created and tested a similar touch-enabled hand. “That’s an important step.”

Added neurobiologist Andrew Schwartz

of the University of Pittsburgh: “It shows with a few sensors and some pretty elementary technology that they can recover a fair amount of functionality.”

To be sure Sorensen used touch — and didn’t cheat by looking or hearing telltale sounds — he wore a blindfold and headphones as Micera’s team handed him different objects.

“Suddenly I could tell if it was a hard object,” Sorensen recalled, describing sensations that changed along with his grip.

“The response, the feedback from the arm to my nerves and to my brain, they came very strong.”

Other approaches studied Micera cautioned that much more research is needed — starting with proof that these nerve implants can last. For safety reasons, Sorensen’s were surgically removed from his arm after the brief experiment.

But a lot of work is underway.

In Ohio, Tyler’s team recently issued video showing a blindfolded man gently pulling stems from cherries without crushing them, thanks to similar implanted nerve stimulators and a sensor-equipped prosthetic hand.

The main difference, said Switzerland’s Micera, is in how the nerve electrodes are implanted. For better control, the European approach puts them inside the nerve rather than around it, but that’s more invasive and some researchers worry it could damage the nerve over time.

In Pittsburgh, Schwartz’s team is about to test another approach — a brain-controlled robotic hand for the paralyzed that would “feel” through electrodes implanted in a brain region known as the sensory cortex.

Whatever the approach, touch is a complex sense, and these are all basic first steps involving how someone grasps — not more sophisticated sensations such as texture or temperature.

“There is definitely tremendous value to having a sense of touch, a sense of feeling from the hand,” said Case Western’s Tyler.

“What that feeling is, how we use it — that’s yet to come.”

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

11

How viruses are used to combat cancer

By Dr. Stephen Russell Dear Mayo Clinic: I’ve read that some day it may be possible for doctors to use viruses to cure cancer. How does it work? What types of cancer could it affect?

Answer: A considerable amount of research is currently underway that’s examining the use of viruses to fight cancer.

It is an exciting field of study that could have an impact on the treatment of many forms of cancer. Recent clinical trials of virus therapy for one type of blood cancer, multiple myeloma, have been particularly successful.

Engineering viruses to use as tools to treat cancer has long been an area of interest for cancer researchers. At its core, the concept is simple.

Viruses naturally come into the body and destroy tissue. The idea in cancer treatment is to harness that destructive power, and focus it on cancer cells. The viruses used for this purpose are called oncolytic viruses.

In the multiple myeloma study, a measles virus was used to target the cancer cells.

The specific form of the virus is actually a strain of the measles vaccine that was developed in the 1950s. Laboratory research has shown it to be quite effective in infecting and killing cancer cells. But because it is a vaccine strain, it is not able to damage healthy body tissues.

For the clinical trial, the researchers modified the virus so it could be easily seen on imaging studies, such as a nuclear medicine scan.

To do this, they included in the virus a gene naturally present in the thyroid gland. One of the tasks of the thyroid gland is to remove iodine from the blood.

So when the thyroid gene is in the virus, the location of the virus can be tracked in the body using an iodine scan.

In the future, the thyroid gene in the virus may be used to absorb a potent form of radioactive iodine treatment to enhance the power of the measles virus against cancer. But for now, it’s only a tracking tool.

Multiple myeloma was chosen for the study in part because it can be a challenging cancer to treat effectively. It often appears throughout the bone marrow and in the skull, ribs, limb bones, spine and pelvis.

Results showed that high doses of the modified measles vaccine virus did have an impact. In one patient in particular who had several tumors, as well as cancer in her bone marrow, the virus treatment appeared to effectively attack and destroy the cancer cells without significant side effects.

With those results in mind, research will continue to the next phase of clinical trials. The focus for those trials will remain multiple myeloma.

But other kinds of cancer are being studied to see if oncolytic viruses could be an effective treatment for them, as well.

They include ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, mesothelioma and brain cancer. Development of a variety of other oncolytic viruses is ongoing, too.

The hope is that eventually these viruses will be able to provide long-term control of cancer with just one dose. That is very different from today’s existing cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which must be given repeatedly and can be associated with some severe side effects.

Although a significant amount of research remains before viruses can be used as standard cancer treatment, the future for this therapy looks promising.

— Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To submit a question, write to: medicaledge@mayo.edu. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. © 2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

13

How you can lose weight by eating more Americans have a nasty habit of depriving ourselves when we want to drop pounds. We often believe that cutting calories is the secret to success, but we just wind up feeling hungry all the time.

It may surprise you that one healthy alternative to the hopeless feeling of hunger is to actually add food to your diet.

Evidence suggests that adding nutrientdense, fiber-rich foods to your diet can actually help reduce your cravings. The secret? Fiber slows down the digestion of food, so you get a slow and steady source of glucose rather than ups and down in blood sugar levels.

Most Americans don’t get enough fiber.

On average, we take in 15 grams a day of the 25 to 38 grams that are recommended,

depending on gender.

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Also, apples are rich in a very powerful kind of fiber called pectin. Pectin is typically used as a gelling agent and stabilizer in foods, such as jams and jellies.

Pectin also is effective in delaying the emptying of the stomach by slowing the movement of food from your stomach into your small intestine. That works to discourage overeating and help you sustain that full feeling for a greater length of time.

Still have your doubts? One study showed that substituting pectin for regular fiber doubled the time it took subjects’

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stomachs to empty, keeping them full that much longer. In another study, scientists found that when participants ate an apple or a pear before meals, they experienced weight loss.

So, while it might seem counterintuitive, adding in those extra calories before meals can actually help you stay full for longer so that you resist those dangerous junk foods between meals.

But that’s not all. Apples also provide many positive health benefits, including anti-cancer benefits.

One report published in 2008 claimed that apple extracts and components have been shown to influence multiple mechanisms relevant for cancer prevention in in vitro studies. They also went on to say that

epidemiological observations indicate that regular consumption of one or more apples a day may reduce the risk for lung and colon cancer.

The next time you’re looking around for something to eat, grab an apple. By the time you’ve taken that last bite, you probably won’t be hungry anymore. You may just find that, over time, it helps you become a slimmer, healthier you!

WhatDoctorsKnow is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and health care agencies across the U.S. Online at www.whatdoctorsknow.com. ©2014 Whatdoctorsknow.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Studies Page

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Can your smartphone help outsmart IBD? Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are recruiting patients for a study to determine whether a smartphonebased telemedicine system decreases disease activity and improves quality of life.

The “TELE-IBD” study targets patients with a confirmed diagnosis of either ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or indeterminate colitis, and who have had a flare-up of their condition in the last two years.

“We are getting better at treating Crohn’s and colitis, but patient outcomes are still less than ideal,” said Dr. Raymond Cross, associate professor of medicine and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-director of the Digestive Health Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“We anticipate that TELE-IBD will improve outcomes through more frequent monitoring, better adherence to medications, improved education, early detection of side effects, and more rapid initiation of medical therapy for a flare.”

Inflammatory bowel diseases, comprised of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s dis-

ease, are chronic, inflammatory conditions of the intestines that affect nearly 1.5 million people in the United States.

IBDs are auto-immune disorders When people have an IBD, their body’s immune cells attack the intestinal lining, causing inflammation and ulcerations, which can produce gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and cramping.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease both affect young people, with the peak onset in the 20’s and 30’s, although they can affect children and older people as well.

Cross explained that the cause of IBD is speculative. “Genetics play a significant role, but other factors, including diet, the environment, antibiotics, smoking, anti-inflammatory drug use, and the composition of bacteria in our intestines all may contribute to IBD,” he said.

While there is currently no cure for IBD, Cross said existing medications are able to help alleviate symptoms and prevent flares of the disease.

“A patient can have essentially a normal life on medical therapy,” he said. “Never-

theless, their symptoms may affect them throughout their lifetime, with times of remission and other times of flares. The goals of our medical therapy are to eliminate flares, or if flares occur, to make them less severe than they’ve been in the past.”

A previous pilot study confirmed that telemedicine technology to monitor patients with IBD is feasible and resulted in improved clinical outcomes.

Researchers will be examining several potential benefits in this study — decreased disease activity, better quality of life, decreased utilization of healthcare services, improved patient education, decreased depression and anxiety, and improved patient self-management.

Volunteers needed Patients will be randomized into three groups.

No intervention group: Patients will receive the current standard of care, including routine and as-needed office visits and phone calls, and education fact sheets from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

Weekly home monitoring group: Partici-

pants will receive weekly text messages from the TELE-IBD system to answer questions about disease symptoms, side effects, to check body weight, and to receive medication reminders and educational content. Participants receive action plans after each self-testing session. Alerts are generated to a nurse coordinator if certain clinical criteria are met.

Bi-weekly home monitoring group: Same as above, but every other week.

Participants must be age 18 or older, with a confirmed diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or indeterminate colitis.

They cannot have had flares of the disease in the last two years or have an ileostomy or colostomy. Those with uncontrolled medical or psychiatric disease, a degenerative neurologic condition, unstable angina Class III/IV, severe congestive heart failure, or severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cannot take part in the study.

The goal is to enroll 375 participants.

The estimated study completion date is October 2015.

To learn how to enroll in the study, call (410) 706-3397 or (410) 706-5943.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

RAVENS HELP PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED The mission of the Maryland Ravens is to promote the abilities of

the physically challenged through wheelchair sports. To learn more about volunteering, visit www.mdravens.org, call (410) 825-5359 or email mdravens@aol.com.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

15

Some natural alternatives to common meds Dear Pharmacist: What are some popPain relievers — Willow bark and Calular medications and their natural ifornia poppy are two herbal remedies counterparts? used to relieve pain by holistic — A.T. physicians. There are drug inDear A.T.: teractions and side effects to This is a great question, herbs, too. But these two and there are a lot of different herbs offer effects like natural things that come to mind. aspirin and natural (weak) For example, when I think of opiate drugs (respectively). popular medications, I think of Antacids — Slippery elm, allergy drugs (antihistamines), marshmallow root, digestive pain relievers, antacids, blood enzymes, DGL and probiotics pressure drugs, cholesterol reare my go-to supplements DEAR ducers and sleeping pills. here.

It’s not that they directly PHARMACIST That covers a lot of ground. By Suzy Cohen reduce acid (they don’t), but I’ll give you some options here, they help reduce gut inflammabut these natural choices do tion and other problems that not work as strongly as a drug, and I’m not could trigger the burn. recommending you stop your drugs and There is also the possibility you need take these, either. That sort of decision is more acid to digest your food, in which between you and your doctor. With that case you might try betaine HCL with said, here are some interesting ideas. pepsin supplements.

Allergy drugs (antihistamines) — Blood pressure drugs — Grape seed Quercetin, a supplement that occurs natu- extract can help reduce systolic blood rally in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful pressure (the top number). Potassium citmast cell stabilizer, which means that it rate found in foods and supplements can helps reduce histamine in the body. do so, too. Be careful though, not everyThink of it as a natural version of lorata- one can take potassium, it has interactions. dine, a popular, effective drug used to treat Magnesium is a strong anti-hypertenallergies. As a benefit, quercetin may help sive as well. You’ll want to eat more basil, with other things like stress-induced anxiety, and perhaps garlic. I recommend eating asthma and inflammatory pain syndromes. garlic, or taking “aged garlic” supplements.

Cholesterol reducers — I think of natural “statins” here, such as Red Yeast Rice or vitamin C, particularly “liposomal C.” Coenzyme Q10 can help, as can a cup of Tulsi tea each day.

Sleeping pills — This category is perhaps the hardest. As humans, we sleep thanks to melatonin and GABA. To get this pathway running, you have to go slowly and carefully, under supervision.

Supplements of 5-HTP turn into serotonin, then melatonin (provided you have good B vitamin status), but I suggest low doses.

Special “phenylated” GABA supplements may help, like “Kavinace” sold online. Lemonbalm, hops and passionflower are other natural relaxation herbs to discuss with your doctor.

In summary, there are many choices you can consider. I’ve only touched the surface.

I love natural options, but your safety comes first. While natural, and expected to be safer than pharmaceuticals, botanicals may cause similar interactions, allergies and setbacks.

Always discuss changes to your health regimen with your doctor because each of us is different.

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

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

Diabetes Research Study 50-80 year old men & women with Type 2 Diabetes are needed to participate in an exercise research study at the University of Maryland/Baltimore VA Medical Center.

Call 410-605-7179.

Mention code: EPC-DM.

BEACON BITS

May 21

SPRING INTO SHAPE Looking to get into shape, but don’t know how to start safely?

Join Johns Hopkins sports medicine specialists Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, Dr. Sameer Dixit and spine physiatrist Dr. Akhil Chhatre on Wednesday, May 21 as they discuss the dos and don’ts of starting a fitness regime. Learn how to build a program that will give you lasting results by understanding the various facets of getting fit, including exercise physiology, injury prevention and goal setting.

The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

Refreshments will be served. The workshop will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Sheraton Baltimore North, 903 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. To register, call (877) 546-1009.

Have You Fallen?

Seeking Men and Women to participate in a research study at the University of Maryland & Veterans affairs of Baltimore to better understand balance and the prevention of falls in aging individuals.

you will receive: • Health evaluation • Balance, step, strength, and/or flexibility exercises • Compensation for your time If interested call: 410-605-7179 & Mention code: LIFT Baltimore VA/University of Maryland Gerontology Recruitment Line *You must be at least 65 years old and in good health *Participants will be seen at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and University of Maryland School of Medicine *You will attend approximately 41 visits for 1 to 4 hours of time per visit

CaLL Today!

Are You Experiencing Memory Problems?

Enroll now in a clinical study at the NeurExpand Brain Center.

Principal Investigator and Medical Director, Dr. Majid Fotuhi, is conducting a clinical study evaluating the effects of two dietary supplements, Fruitflow w® (Tomato extract) and Resveratrol (Grape extract) on memory, blood flow to the brain, and fitness.

To be eligible you must: t #F CFUXFFO BOE ZFBST PME t )BWF NJME NFNPSZ DPNQMBJOUT t #F JO HPPE IFBMUI BOE IBWF B primary care physician Compensation will be provided to eligible participants for their time and also for referring other participants who enroll.

SM

SM

For more information, please call 410.494.0193 www.NeurExpand.com

16

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Getting whole grains without high sodium Q: I’d like to eat more whole grain like boxed seasoned brown rice, that include products, but I need to limit sodium, large amounts of sodium (some contain and many are surprisingly about 500 mg. of sodium per high in sodium. What do serving), choose plain, unseayou suggest? soned whole grains (0 mg. sodiA: It’s true that an easy way um) and add your own herbs, to consume whole grains is lemon juice and other sodiumwith breads and cereals, free flavorings. though whether whole grain or Some whole grains that not, these often contain high cook in less than 15 minutes amounts of sodium. So, to keep include bulgur, quick-cooking sodium in check, try expandbrown rice, whole-wheat cousing your vision of whole grains cous, quinoa and whole-grain NUTRITION to less processed options. pasta. Try wild rice, millet, barCompare labels to find lower WISE ley, wheat berries, amaranth sodium options like old-fash- By Karen Collins, and freekeh (“free-kuh”) when ioned or one-minute oatmeal MS, RD, CDM you have more time for cookrather than instant, and shreding. ded wheat rather than higher-sodium types If some of these grains are unfamiliar to of cereals. you, check the Whole Grains Council webInstead of prepared whole-grain mixes, site http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-

grains-101/whole-grains-a-to-z or recipes from the American Institute for Cancer Research www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancerrisk/diet/reduce_diet_recipes_test_kitchen. html for ideas. Then have fun experimenting!

Q: Do pedometers really help if you want to be more active?

A: They can. Overall, studies suggest that using a pedometer tends to produce a greater increase in physical activity than simply having a goal of walking 30 or 40 minutes a day.

That’s important because being moderately active at least 30 minutes a day is one of the top recommendations to lower cancer risk from the American Institute for Cancer Research. And health benefits accrue even when physical activity occurs in blocks of 10 or 15 minutes rather than all at once.

But it can be hard to keep track of these

small blocks. This is a problem pedometers may solve.

Studies show that simply wearing a pedometer might lead to only small improvements for many people if they do not have a goal and do not track progress toward that goal.

Some programs recommend a target of 10,000 steps a day from the start, which is associated with meeting the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity a day. If someone’s goal is weight loss, a target of 11,000 to 12,000 steps a day may be more effective.

To reach these targets, some experts recommend setting individualized gradual increases to avoid getting physically or psychologically overwhelmed. They suggest taking a week to establish a baseline average, and then creating a new target each week by adding 500 or more steps a day beyond the previous week’s target.

Just wearing a pedometer isn’t magic, but it can increase awareness of your activity level, track your progress toward a specific goal, and (perhaps most importantly) increase your self-confidence that you really can achieve a healthy level of physical activity.

The American Institute for Cancer Research offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days.

Courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research. Questions for this column may be sent to “Nutrition Wise,” 1759 R St. NW, Washington, DC 20009. Collins cannot respond to questions personally.

BEACON BITS

May 1

LEGAL ADVICE

The Catonsville Senior Centers presents “Law Day” on Thursday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Louis Weinkam Jr. of the Law Offices of Weinkam & Weinkam will be present to assist with advanced directives and powers of attorney.

Appointments are required. Sign up at the center’s reception desk at 501 N Rolling Rd. For more information, call (410) 887-0900.

May 19+

MYRTLE BEACH TRIP

Seven Oaks Senior Center is sponsoring a trip to Myrtle Beach from Monday to Friday, May 19 to 23. There will be exciting shows, four dinners, four breakfasts and more. The cost is $599. A $100 deposit will reserve a space. For more information, call (410) 529-2341.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

17

Raisins raise the nutrient bar in scones

By Lori Zanteson Raisins have been revered since ancient times. Grapes were dried into tiny wrinkled gems as early as 2000 BCE, when they were eaten and used as decorations during feasts and religious ceremonies, as well as utilized for barter currency and prizes during sporting events by the Romans.

Grape varieties, such as Thompson seedless, Muscat, Sultana, and Malaga, are the most popular to dehydrate, whether by sun or oven drying.

A one-quarter cup serving of raisins delivers 6 percent Daily Value (DV, based on 2,000 calories per day) of satiating dietary fiber, 9 percent DV of heart-healthy potassium, and a dose of health protecting antioxidants. However, because most raisins are made from white grapes, they do not contain a significant amount of resveratrol, the healthy antioxidant found in red grapes.

Raisins are readily available year-round, both in bulk and small packages. Choose richly colored, moist raisins when you can hand select or see them through the pack-

aging. Store them in an airtight container, and refrigerate or freeze for longest life — up to six months.

Pour a little hot water over raisins to “plump” them before use. Especially delicious in baked scones, quick breads and muffins, raisins are easily tossed onto hot or cold cereals, yogurts and salads, as well as added to pilafs and stuffing, trail mix, or eaten straight out of hand.

Notable nutrients

1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup milk ¾ cup raisins Milk and sugar for topping Preheat oven to 450 degrees F Stir together biscuit mix, sugar and raisins. Blend egg and milk; add to dry mixture, stirring thoroughly.

Turn out onto lightly floured board. Pat and roll into an oblong about ½-inch thick.

Cut in diamonds by making diagonal cuts with a knife. Prick tops with fork; brush

with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake on greased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 12 scones.

Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories, 3.5 g. fat, 23 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 230 mg. sodium.

Recipe adapted courtesy of California Raisin Marketing Board. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition. © 2014 Belvoir Media Group, distributed

by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

1 ounce of seeded raisins contains: Calories: 83 Dietary fiber: 2 g. (8 percent recommended Daily Value) Potassium: 231 mg. (7 percent DV) Copper: 0.1 mg. (7 percent DV) Iron: 7 mg. (4 percent DV) Manganese: 0.1 mg. (6 percent DV)

Raisin scones Ingredients: 2-1/3 cups whole grain biscuit mix 3 tablespoons sugar

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Treating Difficulty Standing or Walking, attributed to Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Neuropathy, Poor Circulation or Poor Balance I am a patient who had severe foot pain for 2 years, with no relief in sight....by the end of the 4 days I was 85% pain free in both feet. I thank God for Dr. Goldman and his passion for research in healing people with foot and leg pain.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

How to shield a son from his no-good dad Dear Solutions: She once tried to contact him when My daughter is going back and forth my son was small and was sick, and trying to make a decision he threatened to sue her about how to handle somefor slander if she named thing with her 20-year-old him as the father. He was son. really nasty to her.

Since she never marSo she took care of herried, she and my grandson self, and she did well withlived with me for many out him. years as he was growing My grandson asked about up. his father once when he She is asking me for adwas younger, and she told vice, and since I’m unhim that the person wasn’t SOLUTIONS sure, I’m asking you. She’s responsible enough to be a

By Helen Oxenberg, afraid her son is going to husband or father. Now that MSW, ACSW have a problem with rejeche’s a young adult, he may tion if he tries to contact or want to contact him. even see his biological father.

How should she prepare him to be She was never married to his father welcomed or to have the door because she found out after she was slammed in his face? pregnant that he was already married.

— Unsure

Dear Unsure: She should not do anything unless or until her son asks. Then honesty is her only option.

You say she’s done well, so I assume her son has a good self image, which will help him deal with rejection. He must be reassured that, if he is rejected, it has nothing to do with him but only with the unfortunate character and fears of this man.

Your daughter’s job now is to be flexible, give her son a lot of love, and be there if he needs her.

Dear Solutions: My parents live across the country.

Their 40th anniversary is coming up, and I don’t know whether I should plan a celebration for them.

When I feel like I won’t do it, I get guilty feelings. But when I think of doing it, I resent them. If I had a sis-

ter or brother, it would be easier.

Besides, I don’t know what to plan even if I decide to do something. Any suggestions?

— Phil Dear Phil: So you feel stuck between a rock and a hard place? If you don’t do it, you feel guilty because they’ve been good to you, and they’re getting older. If you do it, you resent the fact that they never supplied you with sisters or brothers to help you out.

First, count the advantages you’ve gotten from being an only child — no sibling rivalry, all the attention and love, and oh yes, all the money. You can count the disadvantages if you want to waste your time.

Instead, round up the usual relatives and friends of theirs and ask them to help you plan this and to help you carry it out — aunts, uncles, cousins, surrogate siblings. So start making travel plans. © Helen Oxenberg, 2014. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 29

NewBegins Here

Your

HOW TO USE E-READERS

The Essex branch of the Baltimore

Lifestyle

APARTMENT HOMES FOR THOSE 62 AND BETTER!

Ask about our Smoke-Free Communities

County Public Library, 1110 Eastern Blvd., presents an information session called “Tablets and E-readers: See and Touch” on Tuesday, Apr. 29

DESIGNED AND MANAGED FOR TODAY’S SENIORS AT THESE LOCATIONS:

at 6:30 p.m. This will include a brief

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

EASTERN SHORE

introduction to tablets and e-readers

• Furnace Branch 410-761-4150

• Easton 410-770-3070

and how to download e-books from

• Severna Park 410-544-3411

HARFORD COUNTY

the library. For more information, call

BALTIMORE CITY

• Bel Air 410-893-0064

(410) 887-0295.

• Ashland Terrace 410-276-6440

• Box Hill 410-515-6115

• Coldspring 410-542-4400

HOWARD COUNTY *Newly Renovated! • Colonial Landing 410-796-4399

BALTIMORE COUNTY

June 21

ORIOLES AT YANKEE STADIUM

• Catonsville 410-719-9464

• Columbia 410-381-1118

• Dundalk 410-288-5483

• Ellicott City 410-203-9501

Travel on Saturday, June 21 as they

• Ellicott City II 410-203-2096

travel to Yankee Stadium in New

• Miramar Landing 410-391-8375

• Emerson 301-483-3322

York. The Yankees will take on the

• Randallstown 410-655-5673

• Snowden River 410-290-0384

Baltimore Orioles. The trip departs

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

from Long Gate Park & Ride in

* Fullerton 410-663-0665

* Rosedale 410-866-1886

*Newly Renovated!

*Newly Renovated!

• Taylor 410-663-0363

* Bladensburg 301-699-9785

• Towson 410-828-7185

• Laurel 301-490-1526

• Woodlawn 410-281-1120

• Laurel II 301-490-9730

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

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Ellicott City as well as Cromwell Bridge Park & Ride in Towson. The $135 trip includes terrace seating close to the infield at the game. For more information, call (410) 4421330, ext. 4.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION

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B-1

B-2

Housing Options | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Respite care offers a break for caregivers

By Barbara Trainin Blank Even as she neared age 100, Lucy Miller (not her real name) was able to remain at home with her son and caregiver, John.

But when John fell and needed surgery, they knew she couldn’t live by herself while he was in rehabilitation.

While John was recuperating at Augsburg Lutheran Home and Village, a nonprofit, faith-based senior community in Baltimore County offering a continuum of care, his mother stayed at Augsburg’s assisted living for a month until he was well enough to care for her at home again.

The Millers were taking advantage of respite care — temporary assistance for a care receiver to offer time off for the family caregiver.

The value of respite care With its 24/7 schedule and high stress factor, caregiving without a break can burn a person out. Respite care allows them to go on vacation, meet other family obligations, deal with a medical emergency, or just recharge so they can become more effective caregivers.

“Respite guests enjoy all the amenities residents do — including a cozy private furnished room, individualized quality care plan, 24-hour healthcare, three gourmet meals a day, scheduled activities, a library, entertainment and more — on a beautiful 52-acre campus,” said Rhonda Meyers, Augsburg’s marketing manager.

In some cases, a retirement community resident caring for a spouse in independ-

PICKERSGILL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Value. Independence.

V Confidence. f fidence.

Hiring a caregiver If a caregiver is going away for a short time, “We would recommend a homecare 24-hour caregiver,” Friedel added.

Common thread ds in the fabric of retiremeent freedom For more than two centu uries, Pickersgill R tirement Communityy has had one Re vision—providing valuee, independence and confidence for seniors.

615 C H E S T N U T A V E N U E , T OW S O N , MD 21204 • 888-877-9883

Adult day care For a few hours’ respite here and there, another option is an adult day care center — a non-residential facility supporting the health, daily living and social support needs of adults in professionally staffed, group settings.

One example is Extended Family Adult Daycare, Inc., in Baltimore.

Centers typically operate 10 to 12 hours per day and provide meals, activities and general supervision. They may focus on care only for persons with a specific condition, such as dementias, or may be available for any adult with the need for supervision during the day. Many centers have a nurse on-site and may also offer support groups for caregivers.

See RESPITE CARE, page B-3

On the cover: his grandson Corey Vaughn, right, with whom he lives in a farmhouse on a lake in Virginia.

Access to onsite rehab ehab and two lev levels v vels of assistance promotes ongoing independence, with the confidence of knowing that higher levels of care are available ble right he her here on campus, if and when needed.

Value. Independence. Confidence.

W W W.P I C K E R S G I L L R E T I R E M E N T. O RG

Homecare agencies place professional caregivers, short or long term. Among them is Options for Senior America, which provides primarily nonmedical home care.

Services include help with mobility, medication reminders, exercises, personal hygiene, transfers, light homemaking, companionship, and transport to medical appointments, senior centers and more.

“The majority of respite care cases for our agency involve a caregiver going away for a period of time who wants to know his or her loved one is well taken care of,” said John Weigel, community relations manager of the Baltimore office.

But respite care can also be needed if a caregiver wants to get away for a few hours once in a while, to go shopping or have lunch with friends. “Options for Senior America has a two-hour minimum for the day, but it may be hard to find an aide locally (in the area of the caregiver) to do that,” Weigel noted.

Al Weaver (center) continues to water ski with the help of

W are the area’s only rental, continuing We care community, yy, with no entrance fee or turnover of assets, and a not-for-profit mission that allows us to deliver extraordinary value. a alue.

C ll us at Ca -9883 to arrange a personal tour. r r.

ent living might request a higher level of care, at least temporarily, relieving the caregiver of hands-on responsibilities.

In 2004, husband and wife James and Blanca moved into independent living at Riderwood, a continuing care community in Silver Spring, Md. Bianca did well until she fell last year.

The couple’s physicians suggested that Blanca needed more-intense care — and James, her caregiver, needed rest.

“To stay in independent living, she’d have to be able to do things on her own,” said James, who happily visits his wife 10 minutes away at Arbor Ridge, the skilled nursing building at Riderwood.

At Riderwood, respite care is generally provided internally, said Lori Hamilton, director of extended care. “If the facility has a pretty high [occupancy], it may be hit or miss when someone from outside the community is looking for a respite room. So it’s good to have a backup plan.”

Theoretically, respite care is available for between three and 30 days. But any kind of admission takes a lot of paperwork, especially in assisted living, so shorter stays are less likely.

At Oak Crest, an Erickson facility in Parkville, respite rooms also tend to be filled with existing residents — with independent living residents placed in assisted living or skilled nursing if the primary caregiver is burnt out or needs to go away.

“We have a waiting list for beds (for community residents),” said Michael Friedel, director of extended care. “But internally, we do respite care maybe once every couple of months.”

BN

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

B-3

Living with Granddad on the waterfront

By Judi Hasson Al Weaver was unhappy with his living situation, but he didn’t know what to do. A widower with Parkinson’s disease, Weaver was staying at an independent-living facility that he didn’t care for.

He tried visiting his daughters, spending a week with one, then the other. It was difficult because they were working, and he was alone most of the day.

In April 2012, Weaver’s grandson, Corey Vaughn, a professional water skier and coach, stepped forward to help. “Granddad living with me is a very natural fit,� said Vaughn, 27. “He showered my life with love and the gift of his time and energy, and to get the chance to return that favor even a fraction has been a blessing.�

Lakeside living

Respite care

respite� for caregivers.

To locate adult day care centers, check the website search tools on www.agingcare.com, www.caring.com, www.alz.org or the Maryland Health Care Commission: http://mhcc.maryland.gov/consumerinfo/longtermcare/adultdaycare.aspx.

Barbara Trainin Blank is a freelance writer and coauthor of What to Do about Mama? A Guide to Caring for Aging Family Members.

From page B-2

common as families look for solutions to care for aging relatives.

Gail Hunt, president of the National Alliance for Caregiving, said family members are taking on a greater caregiving role because “people are just living longer,� and seniors want to avoid institutional care. A 2009 survey by the alliance estimated that 18 percent of caregivers are between 18 and 34, like Vaughn.

Precious time together Vaughn was in Mexico working at a resort when his grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, died in 2011. He came home to take care of his grandfather.

On a typical day, Vaughn makes their meals and helps Weaver get dressed. He

also provides his granddad with assistance for bathing and other personal hygiene. “Moving at an 83-year-old’s pace can have its challenges and limitations, but what in life doesn’t present challenges?�

Vaughn said.

For Weaver it’s a life without hassles or loneliness, and offers precious time to spend with Vaughn, one of his 10 grandchildren. His grandson takes him to the barbershop for a haircut, to the movies for fun, or to hang out with new friends and Vaughn’s students.

In 2012, Weaver and Vaughn were on the road for 50 days when Vaughn skied competitively and coached. Vaughn “really See GRANDSON, page B-4

WATERSIDE ACTIVE ADULT HOMES!

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Families can choose to have from one to five days a week of adult day care services.

Some centers also offer care on weekends.

You may find the same service in a senior community. Oak Crest recently instituted a program called Intermissions, which provides day care for people in different stages of dementia, offering a “mini-

These days are slow and sweet for Weaver and Vaughn. Weaver, 83, spends the spring, summer and fall at Vaughn’s water skiing school, Peace Love and Water Skiing, in Bumpass, Va., about an hour from Richmond. Vaughn instructs about 70 students a year.

They live in an old farmhouse next to a lake. Usually, Weaver uses a riding lawn mower to get down the hill to the lake, or Vaughn drives him to the dock to watch the classes. “Everyone is younger than me,� Weaver said, laughing. “It makes me feel younger to watch the lessons.� He retired from a management job at NASA in 1988.

Their lifestyle may be a bit unusual, but the living arrangement is becoming more

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Apartment homes at Charlestown and Oak Crest are going fast. Don’t miss out on the retirement lifestyle you deserve.

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INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING

Weinberg Senior Living 410-753-3976 Weinberg Senior Living provides quality, affordable apartments for people 62-plus and those younger than 62 with disabilities. Our communities have been designed from the ground up to meet the needs of our residents and provide them the opportunity to live an active and social lifestyle. Our communities feature amenities such as libraries, community rooms and dining areas where residents may enjoy meals, group activities and visits with friends and family. Additionally, our communities offer a variety of floor plan designs, services and programs that support Weinberg Senior Living’s mission to help people age in place, gracefully.

Our staff members are friendly, supportive, professional and eager to assist residents. More than just employees, they enjoy what they do and take pride in the communities where they work.

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

The Greens at English Consul 410-789-3000 4120 Oak Road, Halethorpe, MD 21227 www.GreensAtEnglishConsul.com Located in Halethorpe, The Greens at English Consul offers a mix of affordable one- and two- bedroom apartments for seniors 62 +. The Greens at English Consul provides its residents with amenities including a fitness center, party room, beauty parlor, game room, library, cyber café, wellness room and community room. In addition, a calendar of social events and activities is planned each month for residents’ enjoyment. The thoughtfully designed apartment homes feature open-concept floor plans with modern, sought after amenities such as walk-in closets, washer and dryer hookups and Energy Star appliances. The neighborhood offers convenience and accessibility for senior citizens with churches, stores, restaurants, the MARC Train and major interstates all within a two mile radius of the community. Rents from $683.

Don’t Wait, call for your tour today! An Equal Housing Opportunity Community.

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Housing Notes

By Barbara Ruben

New Brightview communities Three new Brightview Senior Living independent and assisted living communities in the Baltimore area have recently opened or will open soon.

Brightview communities include a pub, billiard room, salon, café, movie theatre and fitness center. Independent living apartments have one or two bedrooms and full kitchens, while assisted living apartments have kitchenettes. Dementia care residents also have private apartments.

Housekeeping, utilities, meals and transportation are included in the rent.

Brightview Severna Park has already opened, with 144 apartments: 71 independent living, 47 assisted living, and 26 dementia care. For more information, call (410) 544-1605 or see www.brightviewsev ernapark.com.

Brightview Perry Hall in Nottingham will open this summer. It will have 148 apartments: 38 independent living, 36 assisted living, and 29 Alzheimer’s and memory care.

For more information, call (410) 529-1903 or see www.brightviewperryhall.com.

Brightview Rolling Hills in Catonsville will open in early 2015 with 143 units — a mix of independent, assisted living and dementia-care apartments. For more information, call (443) 840-9154 or see www.brightviewrollinghills.com.

Affordable living in Dundalk and Halethorpe Two new affordable apartment communities opened in Baltimore County this spring: the Greens at Logan Field and the Greens at English Consul. The communi-

ties have one- and two-bedroom apartments for those age 62 and older with low to moderate incomes.

Apartments in both communities have open-concept floor plans and washer and dryer hookups. The buildings have a library, cyber café, fitness center and health suite.

The Greens at Logan Field in Dundalk has 102 units, while there are 90 apartments at the Greens at English Counsul in Halethorpe.

Rent — which is based on income, number of people in the apartment, and size of the unit — ranges from $395 to $920. The minimum annual income to qualify for the communities is $9,480, and the maximum income is $40,080 for two people.

The apartments were built by Enterprise Homes and are managed by Habitat America. For more information on the Greens at Logan Field, call (410) 288-2000 or see www.greensatlogannfield.com.

For more information on the Greens at English Counsul, call (410) 789-3000 or see www.greensatenglishconsul.com.

New apartments at old stadium Heritage Run at Stadium Place, a new community created by Presbyterian Senior Living in partnership with GEDCO, will open this summer at the former site of Memorial Stadium.

Rent for the one- and two-bedroom apartments includes utilities. Heritage Run has regularly scheduled activities and transportation, an onsite fitness center, and a community room. The community allows pets and is tobacco free.

On April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Stadium Place will hold an open house in conjunction with the iConnect Generations Expo — a community health resource fair featuring exercise activities, dance performances, family caregiver presentations, health See HOUSING NOTES, page B-6

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Bay Forest Senior Apartments 410-295-7557 930 Bay Forest Ct. Annapolis, MD 21403 www.firstcentrum.com Love to be close to the water?

Then you will love it at Bay Forest Senior Apartments. An affordable independent community for persons 62 years of age or better! A beautifully landscaped country setting with plenty of parking for you and your visitors. Only 10 minutes from Annapolis Historic City Dock, which offers a variety of stores, restaurants, banks and the Watermark Cruises boat tours. Just a few minutes’ drive from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and walking distance to the Quiet Waters Park. You’ll love the 24-hour emergency maintenance service, many activities hosted by the resident association and the convenience of joining fellow residents at the nutrition site located in the community room for a hot lunch Monday through Friday. Come visit Bay Forest soon. We’re waiting for you!!

Grandson From page B-3 pushes me, and it works out well,” Weaver said. “He makes me do things I wouldn’t ordinarily do when I exercise.”

Back on water skis Vaughn coaxed Weaver to try one of his lifelong passions again — water skiing.

Weaver had taught his entire family to water ski when they were kids and has skied most of his life.

“I skied for the first time in seven years when I was in Acapulco [with Vaughn].

That was a lot of fun,” Weaver said.

Kathy Cannon, one of Weaver’s daughters and Vaughn’s aunt, said the arrangement is good for the family and for her father.

“When you have a person who struggles with Parkinson’s and has trouble walking around, it’s pretty amazing to get

him up on water skis,” she said.

Vaughn’s girlfriend, Amelia, accompanied the pair on a ski trip to Costa Rica and often spends time with Granddad.

“She obviously contributes to the normalcy of my life,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn said that only family members care for his grandfather. Relatives step in to give Vaughn time off. Weaver contributes to household expenses and pays for his own personal costs.

Both men love the arrangement.

“Vaughn is a joy to live with,” Weaver said. And Vaughn has an answer to anyone who wants to know why a guy in his 20s is hanging out with his grandfather.

“I would rather spend most of my waking hours making memories with this guy that I love,” he said, even if it means “occasionally losing out on the opportunity to do normal 27-year-old stuff.” © 2014, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

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How to think about assisted living options

By Dr. Leslie A. Morgan Older adults and their families often face difficult decisions about whether to try to remain at home — managing complex health conditions themselves or with aides — or to move to an Assisted Living (AL) community, where daily needs are addressed, such as meals, housekeeping, and assistance with bathing, dressing and medications, as required.

While AL may be unaffordable for some, it can be a good solution for others whose health requires monitoring, whose mobility is challenged by stairs, or whose health results in unwanted isolation, due to the difficulty of connecting with friends or community members.

Once a decision has been made to move into an AL community, most people want to remain there as long as possible. The marketers and managers often encourage potential residents to think of this as “their home,” and may describe it being the last move needed. Additionally, no one wishes to think that their health status may decline enough to require additional care, which might indicate a move to a nursing home.

But it’s a good idea to think ahead. AL settings typically require residents to move out in certain circumstances. These may involve the development of greater healthcare needs than the community can meet (such as tube feedings), or issues related to a resident’s safety of the safety of others — such as trouble standing, wandering away, needing help to eat, or aggressive be-

haviors toward others.

Less care than nursing homes In addition, assisted living is not intended to provide the same services as nursing homes are able to offer, since nursing homes have larger staffs, more equipment and more medically-trained personnel.

Nursing home care is also, correspondingly, more expensive, unless the person receiving care is eligible for Medicaid or is willing to spend down their remaining assets to qualify for Medicaid.

While ALs have limits to the care they provide, those limits vary across settings.

To maximize one’s stay in AL, there are several important steps to undertake early.

In our research in AL at the University of Maryland Baltimore County over the past 10 years, we have observed that some providers are willing to accommodate residents with changing needs, while others are less flexible.

So, while things change over time, several steps may help to make sure your stay is as long as possible, and the disruption is deferred or perhaps even avoided.

requiring transfer may help you decide if this is the right community for you.

2. Ask whether residents are permitted end-of-life care. Some ALs are open to having outside services, like hospice, in the AL, enabling a person to remain in a familiar environment to the end of their lives. Others consider such care to be beyond the scope of AL. 3. Think about the money. Some people must leave AL care because they have outlived their resources; this often results in a move to a nursing home. Though no one knows how long they will live, people often live much longer than they expected to, so consider cost as one of many important factors in your choice of an AL. 4. Develop a productive working relationship with the staff and managers

of the AL. While it is likely that there will be challenges along the way, establishing a positive relationship before issues arise is generally helpful to coming to an understanding about what actions are best.

5. Consider alternatives. While moving is disruptive, other ALs may be better able to care for you or your family member. Be open to selecting, or moving to, another AL if required.

Some ALs also welcome the hiring of private care aides to supplement services they provide. While an aide can be costly, moving to a higher level of care is also costly and may offer less privacy. Staying in the AL, if adequate care or supervision can be provided, may be the best option.

Leslie A. Morgan, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology and gerontology at UMBC.

Finding the right facility 1. Avoid surprises. Before signing a contract, ask about the community’s policies regarding conditions or behaviors that could require you to move out. Someone with dementia may enter an AL calmly but later become loud or disruptive. Knowing the kinds of health or other circumstances

L’Chaim

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Charlestown 410-709-3069 715 Maiden Choice Lane Catonsville, MD 21228 www.ericksonliving.com Come and see our exciting new look!

After a year of multimillion-dollar renovations, Charlestown is better and more beautiful than ever! No other community in the area has invested so much in their residents and campus. If you’re considering your options for retirement — now is the time to take a closer look.

Our expansive makeover includes the new Terrace Café and performing arts center, plus a remodeled clubhouse with a brand new pool, fitness center and Fireside Restaurant. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. More renovations are coming soon!

Discover the new Charlestown! Call 410-709-3069 for your free 45-page Charlestown brochure.

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Online home-price estimates vary widely

By Patricia Mertz-Esswein If you’re thinking of selling or refinancing your home, or you’re simply curious to see its latest market value, you can get an estimate in seconds.

Just plug your address into an online home-value estimator, such as Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Eppraisal.com or the CoreLogic tool often found on bank websites.

All estimators collect data from public records, pull the facts for your home and recent comparable sales, and run the data through a computer model to produce an estimated value.

But the results are only as good as the data input. I put four estimators to the test for my home and received wide-ranging results — a difference of more than $200,000 between the highest and lowest estimate!

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Williamsburg Homes 410-997-8800 5485 Harper’s Farm Rd Columbia, MD 21044 www.williamsburgllc.com Osprey Landing offers a variety of rancher and two-story detached home plans, from 1500 to 2500 square feet, with first floor master suites, up to 4 bedrooms, two-car garages, gourmet kitchens and options for expansion space, and more. Grand Opening prices are from the mid $300’s.

Skippers will appreciate the opportunity to lease a boat slip in the private community marina, and all residents enjoy the year-round splendor of Marley Creek. Hike or ride your bike on our nature trail.

Launch your kayak, fish or cast your reel from our community pier.

The choices for an active lifestyle are numerous!

Easily reached from Baltimore and points north and east via Routes 2 and 100, Osprey Landing is close to everything and everywhere you want to be.

How recent is the data?

Each of the estimators started with outof-date information because the public record of my home failed to reflect an additional bedroom and many square feet of living space that resulted from a major renovation we did with proper permits. (All the estimators except Eppraisal let you edit your home’s data and update the valuation.)

Also, the estimators can’t assess the impact of good or poor condition, extra quality in design and construction, renovations that didn’t require permits, a purple exterior, or a dump next door, said Richard Borges, president of the Appraisal Institute.

Housing notes From page B-4 screenings and cooking demonstrations.

Heritage Run is located at 1080 E. 33rd St. in Baltimore. For more information, see www.heritagerun.org or call 1-855-5394789.

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

The Greens at Logan Field 410-288-2000 3455 Dundalk Avenue Dundalk, MD 21222 www.GreensAtLoganField.com The Greens at Logan Field is a new community offering affordable one- and two- bedroom apartments for seniors 62+. The community has amenities including an arts and crafts room, laundry center, library, cyber café, fitness center and health suite for wellness check-ups and visiting doctors and a multipurpose room for social events and programs. The management staff coordinates all the services and social activities for the residents. The apartment homes feature open-concept floor plans with amenities such as washer and dryer hookups and a fullyequipped kitchen with Energy Star appliances. Handicap-accessible apartments are available. Located adjacent to the Logan Village Shopping Center and on two major bus routes, The Greens at Logan Field is convenient to shopping and entertainment. Rents from $685.

Call today to schedule your tour! An Equal Housing Opportunity Community.

Home equity continues to rise Americans 62 years old and older now have more equity in their homes than at any time since mid-2008, according to data recently released by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.

The new information comes from the Reverse Mortgage Market Index, which analyzes trends in the home values, home equity, and mortgage debt of homeowners 62 and older. The index is updated quarterly and tracks back to the start of 2000. It has now risen for six straight quarters.

Over the past two years, the aggregate home equity held by Americans 62 and older grew 12.5 percent to a total of $3.34 trillion. Mortgage debt held by seniors stands at $1.08 trillion — a slight increase from the prior two quarters when debt levels were at 1.07 trillion.

Over the long term, home equity has

Assessing the details Zillow and Trulia describe their estimates as a “starting point.” Zillow also recommends that you supplement a “Zestimate” with a visit to a property, an appraisal, or a comparative market analysis from a real estate agent.

I followed that advice with the help of Chris Pritchard, an agent with McEnearney Associates, a McLean, Va., real estate agency. She observed that my home has many unique features that make a comparable analysis challenging.

For example, we can’t add a paved driveway or a patio, deck or garage because of a local ground-coverage limit. She estimated my house’s market value close to Trulia’s estimate. Zillow’s estimate was about $80,000 higher, Eppraisal’s was $52,000 lower, and CoreLogic’s was $121,000 less.

Zillow.com and Trulia.com are most useful if you’re buying or selling a home.

You can see list prices of homes on the market or check recent sale prices (although they may be neither current nor comprehensive).

The sites also list price history and property taxes, so you can see market values for your neighbors’ homes, and check out how much they paid for them and what they pay in property taxes.

Patricia Mertz Esswein is an associate editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. © 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance proven to be a valuable resource. The collective home equity of Americans 62 and older has grown by 83.7 percent since the Reverse Mortgage Market Index began in 2000.

More mortgage and credit card debt Although seniors may have more equity in their homes, more are carrying mortgages and have credit card debt than 25 years ago, according to a recent report from the National Center for Policy Analysis.

Compared to two decades ago, the spending patterns of today’s retirees have changed dramatically: • Since 1989, the percentage of 65- to 74-year-olds with a mortgage or home equity loan payment rose from 21 percent to 37 percent in 2010. For 75-year-olds and above, that number rose from 6 percent to 21 percent.

• Additionally, a greater portion of seniors’ expenditures is going toward mortgages and home equity payments. In 2012, interest payments constituted 4.3 percent of expenditures for those in the 65 to 74year-old range, an increase from 2.7 perSee HOUSING NOTES, page B-8

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

B-7

FREE HOUSING AND OTHER INFORMATION For free information from advertisers in this special section, check off those that interest you and mail this entire page to the Beacon. Please do not request info if you are not interested.

All replies will be entered into a random drawing for Casablanca tickets to be held June 2, 2014.

HOUSING COMMUNITIES ❑ Bay Forest Senior Apartments . . . . . . .B4 and B11 ❑ Charlestown . . . . . . .B3 and B6 ❑ Christ Church Harbor Apts . . .B2 ❑ Glen Forest Senior Apts . . . . . . . . . . . .B9 and B11 ❑ Meadows of Reiserstown . . . . . .B9 and B11 ❑ Oak Crest . . . . . . . . .B3 and B9 ❑ Park Heights Place . . . . . . .B10 ❑ Pickersgill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 ❑ The Greens at English Consul . . . . .B4 and B8 ❑ The Greens at Logan Field . . .B6

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Tudor Heights . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Walker Mews . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Warren Place . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Weinberg Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . .B4 and B12 Weinberg Gardens . . . . . . . .B12 Weinberg House . . . . . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Manhattan Park . . .B12 Weinberg Manor East . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Manor West . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Park Assisted Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Place . . . . . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Terrace . . . . . . . . .B12 Weinberg Village Community .B12

❑ Weinberg Woods . . . . . . . . .B12 ❑ Westminster House Apts . . . .B8 ❑ Willamsburg Homes . . .B3 & B6

FUNERAL SERVICES ❑ Sterling Ashton Schwab Witzke Funeral Home . . . . . .B10

HOME CARE SERVICES ❑ Options for Senior America . .B5

MOVE ASSISTANCE ❑ Abilities Network . . . . . . . . . .B3 ❑ Easy Movers, Inc . . . . . . . . . .B9

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 also include the free info coupon on page 5.

One entry per household please.

Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________E-mail_______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________________ State ______________________ Zip ____________________ Phone (day) _______________________________________________ (eve) ________________________________________________ BB 5/14

Please provide your telephone number and e-mail address so we may contact you promptly if you win the drawing.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Don’t get scammed by a moving company

By Glenn Gillen Selling your home and moving to a new community can be physically and emotionally exhausting. On top of all the tasks associated with relocating to a new home and deciding what to keep or discard, the last thing you want to deal with is a potential moving scam.

The National Council on Aging reports that seniors are often targets of scams because they are considered to have accumulated savings over their lifetime, even though

low-income older adults are also at risk.

From August 2012 to August 2013, the Better Business Bureau had 1.4 million inquiries and 9,000 complaints about moving companies. “Complaints to BBB about movers are primarily about damaged or lost goods, and final prices in excess of original estimates,” said Mallory Wojciechowski, spokesperson for BBB of Eastern North Carolina.

How can you avoid moving scams? Try these tips.

Enjoy the Beacon?

Tell your friends.

Get local advice Step away from the Internet. Instead of relying on websites, ask around for suggestions. Chances are your neighbors may have used a reputable company that they can recommend.

Ask local real estate agents. They know local movers and will most likely know which ones have the best reputations.

Vet the companies or have someone else do so for you. Look at companies that have a physical location in your area, and have been in business for 10 years or more.

Ask for an in-home estimate. Move estimates are usually based on not only distance, but also the weight of the items being moved.

Never accept estimates over the phone from companies that will not send a representative to your home. Seniors are often targeted for telephone scams because they make twice as many purchases over the phone as average Americans.

Get in-home estimates from three different companies, and be suspicious of extremely low quotes. Disreputable movers often lowball the estimate but then tack on unreasonable charges at the end.

If your move is interstate, ask the company for its U.S. Department of Transportation license and Motor Carrier number, and then verify it at www.protectyourmove.gov.

Ask for references and take the time to call them. That way you can get a true evaluation from past customers.

Don’t pay up front, and don’t pay cash.

“Seniors are often perceived as easier to persuade, and are often asked to pay cash upfront for these types of services,” added Wojciechowski.

Be proactive Ask for pickup and delivery dates in

Housing notes From page B-6 cent in 1990.

Seniors are allocating more of their money toward discretionary purchases, but credit card debt has skyrocketed as well: • For 65- to 74-year-olds, the average

writing.

Ask for a bill of lading. This is a written contract that sets forth terms and conditions of your move, and should be provided by all commercial movers for both interstate and intrastate moves. Read it carefully and keep a copy until the move is completed to your satisfaction.

Take inventory of your items to be moved. Ask the movers to prepare a written inventory, or prepare your own. Take photos or video of your valuable property prior to the move so you will be better able to note any damage after shipment.

Ask for the truck to be weighed. The company may trick you into thinking the truck is heavier than it is, and raise the price. Make sure you are only paying for what you need.

Consider getting full-value protection.

Investing in full-value protection means any lost or damaged articles will be repaired or replaced, or a cash settlement will be made to repair the item or replace it at current market value.

Ask, ask, and ask. Don’t be afraid of bothering the workers. You have a right to know everything. You are paying good money for your belongings to be transferred, and should ask as many questions as you need.

If you are not satisfied with the service you received after the move, let the company know as soon as possible. If needed, file a written complaint with the company no later than nine months after delivery.

For interstate moves, contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at 1888-368-7238 or http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Note, however, that FMCSA cannot resolve claims. For complaints about intrastate moves, contact your state Attorney General’s office and lodge a complaint. credit card balance was $6,000 in 2010, up from only $2,100 in 1989. For individuals 75 and above, the average balance was not even measurable in 1989 but had ballooned to $4,600 by 2010.

For the full text of “How Are Seniors Spending Their Money?” see www.ncpa. org/pub/ib135.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Finding the right long-term care facility

By Kimberly Lankford About 10 years ago, when Donna Braley was 79, her family started to notice that she was having trouble doing the things she’d always loved to do — crocheting, cooking, doing crossword puzzles. Because her children lived in different states, it took a while for them to piece together their stories and discover that their mother needed help.

The family hired a geriatric care manager, and “her assessment made it obvious to us that Mom would soon no longer be able to live at home without full-time caregiving,” said her daughter Kathi Dunn.

The family moved Braley to a semi-independent apartment in a locked Alzheimer’s facility in Roseville, Calif., near her son Scott and his wife, Amy. But after she was there for a few months, she became combative and difficult to manage.

So they found another Alzheimer’s facility that “looked like a model home with a gourmet chef,” said Amy. “But it was too large.” Braley would roam the huge hallways and go in and out of people’s rooms, disturbing their belongings.

When money started to run short, the family searched for another option. They heard about a 15-person facility that focused on dementia, which seemed like a better fit and was less expensive.

The third time was the charm: For the past two years, Braley has required total care and uses a wheelchair full-time, but the staff at her new home has found ways for her to be as active as she can. When her grandchildren visit, they play in the backyard as if it were grandma’s house, and the residents’ families watch out for one another.

Start the search When it’s time to get extra care for your parents or spouse, you may be forced to decide quickly, especially if your loved one has been in the hospital and needs extra help as soon as he or she is released.

“You’re making a traumatic and impor-

tant decision under pressure,” said Byron Cordes, a geriatric care manager. “The hospital may say you need to move your dad by the end of business today, then just hand you a magazine about senior-living options and say, ‘Good luck finding a nursing home,’” he said.

Cordes recommends that you take the time to find out exactly what your spouse or parent needs. That often means talking to the doctor, social worker, nursing staff, case manager and discharge manager. Or it may mean hiring a geriatric care manager to help coordinate the various care providers.

It can be challenging to balance quality and cost. According to the Genworth 2013 Cost of Care Survey, the median price of a private room in a nursing home tops $6,900 per month nationally (and can be much higher in this area). Assisted living facilities on average cost more than $3,400 per month (again, more around here).

So unless your loved ones have longterm-care insurance, they — or you, if you’re helping to pay the bills — may not be able to afford the ideal setting for very long. Medicare covers very little long-term care, and most people aren’t eligible for Medicaid until they’ve spent almost all of their money.

But new resources can help you make the decision.

“The landscape has changed for senior housing,” said Andy Cohen, CEO of Caring.com, where people share reviews of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. “Some are more like college dorms for seniors, with good food, transportation and activities. A lot of children feel guilty, but after they visit these places, they say that mom’s healthier and happier.”

Assisted living in many cases can take the place of nursing-home care, at least in the early stages of care, said Sandra Timmermann, a gerontologist in Fairfield, Conn. Some facilities (including ContinuSee LONG-TERM CARE, page B-11

B-9

ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY

Meadows of Reisterstown Senior Apartments 410-526-3380 300 Cantata Court Reisterstown, MD 21136 www.firstcentrum.com Enjoy carefree leisure living at The Meadows — an affordable senior apartment community for seniors 62+. Each spacious one- and twobedroom apartment features a fully equipped kitchen, roomy closets and a balcony or patio. You can exercise the mind in the library and media room or the body in our fitness area. Keypad entry and the emergency response system provide peace of mind.

The atmosphere is filled with gracious living. Here, you will appreciate not having to worry about maintenance chores. At the same time, you can take advantage of nearby shops, library, banks, postal services, grocery store and convenience to I-695.

We invite you to tour The Meadows of Reisterstown.

INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Oak Crest 410-670-7244 8820 Walther Boulevard Parkville, MD 21234 www.ericksonliving.com Oak Crest in Parkville is nearly sold out. There’s only one way to make sure a place is waiting for you at this vibrant retirement community once you’re ready to move — join the Priority List today!

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INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY

Glen Forest Senior Apartments 410-969-2000 7975 Crain Hwy Glen Burnie, MD 21061 www.firstcentrum.com Glen Forest is centrally located to the numerous conveniences of the region, including Baltimore Washington International Airport, the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and North Arundel Hospital. This independent living community for persons 62 years of age or better is also convenient to local shopping and dining that can be found throughout the Glen Burnie and Baltimore area. A shopping mall is located right across from the property which includes grocery, clothing and other shopping stores, banks and restaurants. While living at Glen Forest you will enjoy many activities hosted by the resident association, a senior center nutrition site that serves a hot lunch Monday through Friday for a nominal fee and carefree 24-hour emergency maintenance service. Come visit and see why our residents love it here at Glen Forest.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Decor made-to-order with 3-D printers

By Sarah Wolfe Looking for that perfect light for your home office? A new chair or coffee table?

You might try making it yourself, at home, with just the click of a button.

Three-D printing, a novelty once reserved for science fiction, is going mainstream thanks to cheaper, more accessible technology.

The printers, which now cost as little as $300, use lasers to blast out layer upon layer of plastics or other materials, forming three-dimensional objects.

And if you don’t have the time, money or inclination to invest in a 3-D printer of your own, there are hundreds of websites selling lights, coasters, sculptures, furniture and even wallpaper crafted by 3-D printers.

New York-based Shapeways, for example, allows users to make, buy or sell threedimensional designs. Products include a delicate, twig-like egg cup for $8 and a lamp that looks like a nuclear mushroom cloud for $1,389.

“We are consistently amazed by the incredible uses our customers find for these

materials,” said Alex English, owner of the 3-D printing plastics retailer ProtoParadigm.

Here are just some of the decor items you can buy or build with 3-D printing:

planters, you can design or find just about anything home-related using 3-D printing technology.

Shapeways recently added glazed ceramic to its list of materials, making it possible to craft personalized plates, mugs, salt and pepper shakers, and Lighting other items for the table.

Among the most popular Blogger and tech conand dramatic 3-D products sultant Michael Sitver defor the home are lights — signed some personalized coasters whether ceiling pendants, table in about 90 minutes using a 3-D lamps or floor lamps.

CAD software called Autodesk InBelgium’s MGX by Materialise, a ventor. He printed them up at pioneer in 3-D printing, is known Nuke lamp Shapeways’ website. for museum-quality, futuristic de“This is a great project for beginners,” signs. Among the most popular is the Bloom table lamp (about $2,600) — a said Sitver, of Weston, Conn. “because deflower-bud-inspired design with joints that signing it doesn’t take too much work, but you can expand or collapse to release or it helps beginners get acquainted with the contain light, according to marketing man- tools involved and the process.”

He calls his new coasters a “wonderful ager Katrien Vandenplas. conversation Shapeways ofpiece.” fers dozens of lamps created by some of the site’s Furniture more than 11,000 It might sound “shop owners,” or like a tall order, designers.

The but it’s possible to honeycomb-incraft tables, chairs and other furnishspired Veroni lampings with 3-D printshade, for instance, ers as well. costs as little as $15 and comes in a variThey’re not ety of colors and cheap though, at 3D wallpaper materials, ranging least not yet. from the standard plastic to raw metal and A day bed crafted from white nylon plassteel. tic will run you nearly $20,000 on Shapeways, while .MGX by Materialise offers Wall hangings several chairs, stools and tables that look Statement pieces for your walls run the more like works of art than something to gamut in the 3-D printing world. sit on. They also run into the thousands.

Shapeways’ ethereal “Whales” ($48) But there’s a lot that’s still possible with lends modern sophistication this burgeoning technology, espewith its airy rendition of two cially as it gets cheaper and swimming whales crafted more accessible. from white plastic. They al“When kids are exposed to most seem to spring off the this technology, they don’t wall. Florida-based Proton even blink an eye when 3D Studio offers a little something is printed,” Vankitsch with a Pop Art-like denplas said. “When they are plastic Pi symbol ($21) and the older, 3-D printing will fit into Veroni lampshape word “geek” crafted in orange their lives much like the Internet plastic script lettering ($24). and smartphones fit into our lives today.”

Sweden’s Kredema Design has one of For more information online, see: the more “off the wall” home-decor prodShapeways: www.shapeways.com ucts: a three-dimensional wallpaper that MGX by Materialise: www.mgxbymate rolls out away from the wall to form rialise.com shelves, magazine holders and even lampProtoParadigm: shades. Made from sheets of acrylic and www.protoparadigm.com Proton 3D Studio: www.etsy.com/ca/ wallpaper, the “Off the Wall” collection is shop/Proton3D available by special order only.

Kredema Off the Wall line: http://www.

Accessories kredema.se/offthewall From picture frames to vases and even — AP

Fill our the reader reply coupon on page B-7 for a chance to win tickets to Casablanca.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Long-term care From page B-9 ing Care Retirement Communities, known as CCRCs) offer a range of care, and residents can move to another wing or facility in the same community if they need more supervision.

Or you can hire a caregiver to provide extra assistance in an assisted living facility so that you don’t have to move your spouse or parent to a nursing home. And people with dementia and Alzheimer’s have many options for memory care.

Medicaid generally covers nursing homes but not assisted living facilities, so you can usually choose assisted living only if your loved one has enough savings or long-term-care insurance to pay for it.

(Maryland is one of several states offering Medicaid waiver or voucher programs, which allow a limited number of people to use Medicaid money for assisted living; see Medicaid.gov for each state’s rules.)

The Medicare Nursing Home Compare tool (www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html) assesses more than 15,000 nursing homes throughout the U.S. based on inspections, complaints and staffing ratings. But it doesn’t include most assisted living facilities, which have different licensing requirements in each state.

You can go to the Eldercare Locator (www.eldercare.gov, 1-800-677-1116) or your local Area Agency on Aging for help finding assisted living facilities, but these resources don’t assess the services.

Several services can help you with your search. CareScout (www.carescout.com) includes ratings and profiles for more than 90,000 assisted living facilities, nursing homes and home-care providers. For $495, you can work with a care advocate, who helps assess your needs and narrow the list to three or more facilities to visit. The advocate can also negotiate discounts at the facilities.

Many Genworth policyholders get free access to CareScout for themselves or their parents, and some employee-assistance programs include access to similar services.

Hire a pro?

A geriatric care manager can help you explore your options. Care managers are also familiar with local facilities and benefits programs, so hiring one can be a good idea if your family has multiple siblings or if you’re researching care options from a distance.

Go to www.caremanager.org to search for care managers throughout the U.S. They generally charge $100 to $180 per hour, and are not allowed to accept finder’s fees from facilities.

After you narrow your list to two to five places, visit and ask questions. And don’t just talk with the marketing people; talk with the people who are providing the care.

“Go completely unannounced and walk in at whatever time of day you can,” said Cordes. “I’ve been in nursing homes when they’ve announced that a tour is coming in.

You see the housekeeping staff spraying the halls with Febreze and closing the doors to patients’ rooms.” See how people are treated at mealtime, and how they’re treated at 8 p.m.

Next, schedule a meeting with the marketing director to get more details about how the facility cares for residents. Every nursing home resident is required to have a care plan. What would be in the care plan for your spouse or parent? What activities would the facility offer? How are the residents’ physical needs monitored?

Ask about the patient-to-staff ratio (Cordes usually recommends 18 to 20 patients per caregiving staffer). What type of specialized training do the staff have in dealing with your spouse’s or parent’s medical condition? Ask if your loved one will get any time outside the facility, especially if he or she is in a locked memorycare wing of a long-term care facility (some have courtyards).

Ask for a list of the costs, especially for assisted living. In some facilities, you may get a set number of hours of personal care, and you may be charged extra if your spouse or parent needs more.

After your visit, ask yourself: Is this a place where you would want to spend time? Is it clean? How does it smell? Are the residents showered, with clean clothes? Is the food healthy and tasty?

How would your spouse or parent fit in with the other residents?

“Does the staff treat the residents with respect or, better yet, like beloved grandparents?” added Amy Braley.

Your loved one may start out in assisted living but eventually need care in a nursing

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home. No matter what, monitor their care with the same critical eye you brought to the selection process. If the place isn’t a good match, don’t be afraid to move your spouse or parent to one that feels like home. © 2014, Kiplinger. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribute Content Agency, LLC.

The Meadows of Reistertown offers the maintenance-free, independent lifestyle you’ve been looking for in a retirement community.

• Social, Educational and Recreational Events • Patios or Balconies • Individual Climate Control • Convenient to Shopping, Banking and Restaurants

• Emergency Response System • Controlled-Access Entry • Hair Salon • Elevators • Smoke-Free • Small Pets Welcome

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410-526-3380

BEACON BITS

May 17

SENIOR COMMUNITIES OPEN HOUSE Three senior housing co-ops in Randallstown, Md. are hosting an

open house and bazaar on Saturday, May 17 from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

Tour the campus and meet new neighbors. There will be activities for children,

300 Cantata Court • Reisterstown, MD 21136

www.firstcentrumcommunities.com

food and live entertainment. The co-ops are located on Old Court Road. For more information, call (410) 342-8003, ext. 8016. For waitlist information on the coops, visit www.csi.coop or call 1-800-362-0548.

Apr. 30

HEALTH AND FITNESS FAIR

930 Bay Forest Ct. • Annapolis, MD 21403

410-295-7557

Parkville Senior Center will hold a health and fitness fair on Wednesday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be free hear-

ing, oral cancer, vision, bone density and blood pressure screenings, as well as educational presentations and community resources. The center is located at 8601 Harford Rd. To make an appointment for a screening, call (410) 887-5338.

7975 Crain Hwy. • Glen Burnie, MD 21061

410-969-2000

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Your Life,

Enriched

ENJOY THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE in one of our communities designed just for you. Weinberg Senior Living provides quality, affordable apartments for seniors and younger residents with disabilities.* Our residents will make you feel at home, and the friendly staff will be there to answer any questions that you might have. You’ll enjoy getting to know your neighbors and making new friends. In addition, you will find residents who take active interest in their community and meet regularly to discuss ways to improve their campus, inside and out.

They work together to keep Weinberg Senior Living beautiful and accommodating to your lifestyle. You owe it to yourself to see how good the best years of your life can be.

Weinberg Senior Living apartments are owned by CHAI, a local non-profit organization. CHAI’s mission is to develop and support thriving stable communities in Northwest Baltimore. In addition to constructing new housing and renovating existing housing, CHAI promotes many programs and services that help seniors to continue to live independently.

www.WeinbergSeniorLiving.com

Senior Living

Perfectly designed residential communities for seniors and younger residents with disabilities* located in Northwest Baltimore:

NEW SENIOR HOUSING

OPENING SOON! Weinberg Manor South 3417 Fords Lane Baltimore, MD 21215

Call 410-358-5881 for more info.

Weinberg Village Community 3430 Associated Way Owings Mills, MD 21117 410-356-4660 weinbergvillage.net Weinberg Gardens 1500 Bedford Ave. Pikesville, MD 21208 410-602-8200 weinbergpark.com Weinberg House 16 Old Court Road Pikesville, MD 21208 410-602-2405 Weinberg Manhattan Park* 5715 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215 410-466-8080 Weinberg Manor East* 3601 Fords Lane Baltimore, MD 21215 410-358-5581 Weinberg Manor West 3615 Fords Lane Baltimore, MD 21215 410-358-9393 Weinberg Park Assisted Living* 5833 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215 410-664-0100 Weinberg Place* 2500 West Belvedere Baltimore, MD 21215 410-542-4111 Weinberg Terrace 1450 Bedford Ave. Pikesville, MD 21208 410-602-3950 Weinberg Woods 3211 Clarks Lane Baltimore, MD 21215 410-318-6625

*Certain communities are for 62 years of age or older and younger residents with disabilities. professionally managed by

PERFORMANCE. PEOPLE. PRIDE.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

19

INVESTMENT REPORT PRIMER A lexicon for learning to read a company’s annual 10-K report TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Buying online? Try on glasses, shoes, clothes and more for free THE MOTHER OF INVENTION Familiar companies, like 3M and General Electric, are also innovators

Don’t be mislead by funds’ 5-year returns

By Stan Choe Fabulous can have a flip side.

It’s something investors should remember as mutual funds’ five-year return figures grow more eye-popping by the day.

Many funds have more than doubled over that time, but that’s due in part to the calendar hitting the five-year anniversary of the March 9, 2009 bottom for the market.

That means the darkest days of the financial crisis are no longer counted in fiveyear returns, leaving only the recovery that sent the Standard & Poor’s 500 index to a record high.

The anniversary was a key milestone because many potential investors scrutinize a fund’s five-year record when deciding whether to buy a fund. It’s important, though, to put those stellar performance numbers in context and to temper expectations.

Market conditions are stacked against both stock and bond mutual funds having such strong returns over the coming five years, analysts say. Plus, some of the funds with the best five-year returns led the pack because they focused on the riskiest invest-

ments. Many conservative managers, meanwhile, got left behind in the bull market.

To see how big (and potentially misleading) the numbers are, check the performance of the largest mutual fund by assets.

Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index fund (VTSMX) has a five-year annualized return of 23.2 percent, according to Morningstar. At the end of 2012, its five-year annualized return was 2.2 percent.

To be sure, investors already have some experience with this effect. Something similar happened with funds’ three-year returns in early 2012.

A fund’s three- and five-year returns are typically the numbers that average investors find most important, said David Mertens, a principal at Jensen Investment Management. Its mutual funds include Jensen Quality Growth (JENSX), which has Morningstar’s gold medal analyst rating.

Mertens would prefer that investors give greater weight to a fund’s returns over 10 years or even longer. But “people tend to buy what’s just happened,” he said.

“People buy yesterday’s story.”

Before you invest, here are some key considerations to put that story in perspective:

Repeat performance doubtful Stocks are unlikely to rise as dramatically, in part because they don’t look as cheap as they did in 2009. One popular way to measure whether a stock is expensive is to divide the price of a stock by its earnings per share over the last 12 months.

Robert Shiller, a professor at Yale University and one of the winners of the Nobel Prize in economics last year, takes it a step further. He thinks it’s misleading to look at just one year because earnings can surge or drop in an economic cycle. To smooth out distortions, he looks at the S&P 500’s level versus its average earnings per share over the prior 10 years, adjusting for inflation.

By that measure, the S&P 500 in March 2009 was at its cheapest level in 23 years.

Now, it’s nearly twice that level and back above its average since World War II. That suggests future gains for stocks won’t come from a further rise in price-earnings ratios as much as from growth in earnings.

This year, analysts forecast earnings per share for S&P 500 companies to rise 7.9 percent.

For bond funds, strategists are more pessimistic given expectations that interest rates will rise from their relatively low levels. Five years ago, the yield on the 10year Treasury note was 3 percent and on its way down. Falling interest rates help bond mutual funds because they push up prices for existing bonds.

Now, the 10-year Treasury’s yield is below 2.7 percent, but strategists say it’s on its way up. Many bond mutual funds in 2013 had their first down year in more than a decade amid rising interest rates.

Last five years have rewarded risk The top-performing stock fund over the last five years has been the Direxion Monthly NASDAQ-100 Bull 2x fund (DXQLX), which has a 60.7 percent annualized return. But it’s not what most people would consider a core investment. The See 5-YEAR RETURNS, page 20

How to be a successful long-term investor I have frequently emphasized the imporIn this edition, Siegel analyzes the tance of a diversified portfolio and of hav- economies of China and India, and proing a significant portion of vides information that will common stocks in your portprovide guidance for investfolio, even in retirement. ing in these economies. He Although I have been redevotes a lot of attention to tired for 18 years, I still mainglobal markets, discussing tain about half of my portfolio the nature and size of these in some form of common markets and sharing his longstocks — either the shares term projections. He also emthemselves or mutual funds phasizes the importance of inor exchange-traded funds cluding global investments in (ETFs). your portfolio.

THE SAVINGS In a prior column, I recom- GAME mended Stocks for the Long By Elliot Raphaelson Guidelines for growth Run by Jeremy Siegel (McThe most important chapGraw-Hill) for investors who ter for most investors takes up wanted to invest in common stocks. Siegel the subject of structuring a portfolio for is a professor of finance at the Wharton long-term growth. Siegel specifies guideSchool of the University of Pennsylvania. lines for successful investing, which reHe has revised and updated the book, quires maintaining a long-term focus and a now in its 5th edition. I have reviewed the disciplined investment strategy. latest edition, and I believe it contains valuHere are some of the principles he recable information for investors who expect ommends, with my commentary. to continue to invest in the stock market.

• Keep your expectations in line with

history: Over the last two centuries, stocks have returned between 6 and 7 percent after inflation, including re-invested dividends.

Furthermore, stocks have sold at an average price/earnings (P/E) ratio of about 15.

In the future, he points out, there may be reasons that the stock market may rise to a higher P/E ratio than 15, such as lower transaction costs and lower bond returns.

A good rule to remember when you are projecting the future is “the rule of 72.” If you divide 72 by the expected total annual return, the result is the number of years for your investment to double in value.

Thus, an 8 percent return will double your investment in nine years.

• Stock returns are much more stable in the long run than in the short run: Investments in stocks will help you compensate for future inflation; bond investments will not. There will be years in which the overall stock market will be negative.

That should not prevent you from main-

taining a significant portion of stocks in your portfolio following a fall in stock prices. Investors who bailed out of stocks completely following the stock market fall in 2008 found it very difficult to get back in the stock market, and as a result they missed excellent returns in the last few years.

• Invest the largest percentage of your stock portfolio in low-cost stock index funds. This may be one of the best recommendations, especially for investors who don’t have a huge portfolio. In this way, even if you have a small portfolio, you have the same diversification as a large investor in the same fund.

A good example of this principle in action is the track record of a broad-based fund such as Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares (which I have invested in for many years), and which returned approximately 30 percent in 2013.

• Invest at least one-third of your eqSee INVESTOR, page 21

20

Law & Money | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

5-year returns From page 19 fund is meant more for short-term traders than long-term investors.

It uses leverage in its attempt to double the monthly results of the Nasdaq 100 index, before fees and expenses. While that supercharges gains when the market is strong, it also accelerates losses during downturns.

The fund lost 82.8 percent in 2008.

The reward for risk taking can also be seen among target-date mutual funds, which many savers depend on for their retirement accounts. These funds own mostly stocks when an investor’s retirement date is far off, and automatically migrate toward bonds as the date nears. But some have less in stocks than others, even if they’re targeted at the same year of retirement.

The Wells Fargo Advantage Dow Jones

Target 2025 fund, for example, is more conservative. That’s why it’s in the bottom 3 percent of its peer group for five-year returns. But in 2008, its greater emphasis on bonds helped to cushion the stock market’s losses, and it was in the category’s top 7 percent.

The good news is that investors don’t have to look back too far to see how a fund manager performed in a variety of markets, according to David Lafferty, chief market strategist for Natixis Global Asset Management. It has $867.2 billion in assets under management.

Since the late ‘90s, stocks have undergone three bull markets (the dot-com boom, the housing bubble, and the most recent recovery for stocks) and two bear markets (the dot-com bust and the financial crisis).

— AP

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

How to read a company’s annual 10-K report If you own stock in a U.S. corporation, you have probably received a copy of its Form 10-K — the annual filing required by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Don’t be put off by the form’s intimidating appearance. There is important information in there you might want to be familiar with. Here, we highlight some key sections — and what to focus on in each.

Business. The first part of the 10-K provides a thorough look at what the firm does or makes, its divisions, and where its products are made and sold.

It also gives information on key customers and competitors, and where the company stands in its industry.

Risk factors. Listed in order of importance, these are the factors that may adversely affect the company’s business. Much of this section may seem obvious, such as P&G’s disclosure that “our businesses face cost fluctuations and pressures that could affect our business results.” But read carefully, and you may ferret out less-obvious risks, such as a disproportionate share of sales coming from a single product or customer.

Management’s discussion and analysis. In Part II of the 10-K, the company reports and analyzes its performance over the past year compared with the previous year’s results.

Income statement. This is a basic report of sales, expenses and profits.

Ideally, you want to see a trend of rising sales and earnings. A 10-K typically shows three years of results, as well as

a five-year summary in the section called “Selected Financial Data.”

Focus on the trend in net earnings rather than earnings per share, in part because share buybacks, which cut the number of outstanding shares, can skew earnings per share and thus camouflage a drop in overall profits.

Balance sheet. This is a snapshot of the company’s assets (such as cash and inventory) and its liabilities (such as outstanding debt). Zero in on how much long-term debt the firm carries and whether retained profits — the earnings a company reinvests in its business — have grown in each of the past three years.

Notes to financial statements. To some people, the 10-K notes matter as much as the statements. That’s because Note 1 describes the accounting methods used to prepare the financial statements. If a company has made a change to its methodology from the previous year, that renders a comparison of the current year’s financial statements with the previous year’s useless.

Auditor’s report. Look for this key sentence: “In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly...the financial position of the company.” That means the company has honestly described its finances over the past year to the best knowledge of the accounting firm that is auditing the 10-K. — Nellie S. Huang, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. © 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

21

Online retailers let you try before you buy

By Joseph Pisani The fitting room is coming to your home.

Some online retailers that sell jeans, eyeglasses and shoes are shipping their products to customers for free to try on at home before buying them. It’s a way for newer online brands to hook potential customers.

A credit card is needed, but nothing is charged unless the items aren’t returned on time. The limit for how long you can keep items is usually about a week. Shipping is free both ways, and there’s no obligation to buy anything. Most of the companies tend to sell higher-priced items.

It’s in some ways a much slower way to shop. You have to wait for the box to arrive, which can take days, and then arrange to send items back if you don’t like anything.

But online retailers say it works for busy professionals and others who can’t make it to a store or need help trying things on.

“Our customers tend to have more money than time,” said Rob Wright, the founder of Bungalow Clothing, which sells high-end women’s clothing online and ships boxes of clothes for free for 10 days.

Wright said customers like trying on items at home because they can see if they match with the jackets or shoes they already have in their closet.

No pressure to buy And being at home can be more comfortable than an in-store fitting room.

“There’s no pushy salesperson and no

Investor From page 19 uity portfolio in international stocks, specifically those not based in the United States. Siegel cautions investors not to overweigh your portfolio in high growth countries whose P/E ratio exceeds 20.

• Tilt your portfolio toward value stocks by buying passive indexed portfolios of value stocks. Siegel points out that value stocks, which have lower P/E ratios and higher dividend yields, have had better results and lower risk than growth stocks. I agree completely. I have consistently invested in this type of index fund, and the results have been very good.

• Establish firm rules to keep your portfolio on track. Siegel devotes a chapter to discussing the common psychological pitfalls that cause poor market performance. It is too tempting to buy when everyone is bullish and sell when everyone is bearish.

Worried that the stock market is due for a correction? Siegel offers the following guidance for 2014: “This bull market is not over, although gains won’t be as large as 2013. Stock returns likely to average 6 percent to 7 percent over the next three to five years.”

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at elliotraph@gmail.com. © 2014 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

funky lighting,” said Wright.

Eric Clark agreed. “Stores are annoying.

They try to upsell everything,” he said.

Clark, who owns a tutoring company called Quincy Tutoring in Massachusetts, used to buy his prescription glasses from brick-and-mortar stores. That changed last spring when he stumbled upon Warby Parker, an online seller of eyeglasses, on social media site Twitter. “I had never even heard of them,” Clark said.

He gave Warby Parker a try after seeing that the company would send him five pairs of frames to try on at home for free. When he received the glasses, he snapped photos of himself wearing them and uploaded them to photo-sharing app Instagram. His friends told him which ones they liked best, and he ended up buying two pairs for about $300.

If you plan to try out one of these retailers, make sure you read the rules carefully

first. You don’t want to keep items for longer than allowed or you’ll have to pay for stuff you don’t want. And if you damage an item, you’ll pay for it.

When asked to enter a card number, use a credit card instead of a debit card. Some of the sites will put a hold of different amounts on your account, which is later removed, to verify that your card works. You don’t want that hold to potentially bounce a

check against your checking account.

Here are some of the companies that offer free home try-on programs: Clothing and bras: There are a couple of clothing retailers to check out. One is www.bluerdenim.com. Denim, which sells American-made premium jeans for $98 and more, ships up to three pairs that you See ONLINE RETAILERS, page 23

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

OPT OUT OF BGE SMART METER

BGE is prepared to accommodate customers who wish to decline having a smart meter installed. To opt-out, visit www.bge.com/smartmeteroptout or 800-685-0123 or send a letter to Smart Meter Opt Out BGE, P.O. Box 1475, Baltimore, MD 21203 and include your name(s), address account number, phone number and email address. For more information on smart meters, visit www.bge.com/smartenergy.

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Consider shares in innovative companies

By Anne Kates Smith If we knew what the next big thing was, we’d all make a fortune, right?

Maybe the next-best thing for investors is to seek out the innovators. These are the companies that dream up the new things — or new ways to make them or get them to customers.

You’ll find innovators in such esoteric fields as genomics and cloud computing, of course. But other innovators create products that may be as familiar to you as the office supplies in your desk drawer or the car in your garage.

3M (symbol MMM, $132). Since 1948, this industrial conglomerate has encouraged employees to spend 15 percent of their work time on their own projects. It was through one of these efforts that PostIt Notes came to be in the early 1970s.

More recently, Popular Science named 3M’s Enhanced Combat Helmets one of the 100 best innovations of 2013.

Investments in new products and manu-

facturing have pinched profit margins lately. Still, the company, which sells thousands of products ranging from special films for LCD displays to Scotch tape, hiked its quarterly dividend 35 percent in December, to 85.5 cents a share. The stock yields 2.6 percent.

General Electric (GE, $25). GE has operations in everything from aviation and oil and gas to healthcare and home appliances.

Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch consider it the leader in building out the “industrial Internet.” The phrase, coined by GE, refers to networked machines embedded with sensors and other instruments that collect and analyze huge amounts of data in order to adjust the machines’ performance — even in real time.

The company is also focusing on clean energy and is a dominant player in the wind-turbine business. The stock trades at 15 times estimated 2014 earnings (just a bit more than the overall U.S. stock market) and yields an attractive 3.4 percent.

Online retailers

has a similar home try-on program.

Made Eyewear, www.madeeyewear.com, makes the process a bit simpler, sending out glasses with the prescription you need, so you can keep the ones you want right then and send the rest back. Made Eyewear’s glasses start at $84.

Shoes: There’s at least one women’s shoe company that offers at-home try outs. Brian James Footwear, www.brianjamesfootwear.com, will give you 12 days to try on up to five pairs of shoes for free.

The company sells its own brand of boots, wedges, flats and sandals that sell for about $98 and up. Shoes that are shipped back have to be in their original condition.

Zappos (www.zappos.com) sells men’s and women’s shoes (and women’s clothing).

Unlike the above companies, Zappos charges you up front for your order, but shipping is free (no minimum order), and returns may be shipped free as well for up to one year from purchase, provided items are unworn and in original condition. That’s close to being an at-home try out.

— AP

From page 21 can try on at home for seven days.

Bungalow Clothing, www.bungalowclothing.com, which sells everything from $200 jeans to $700 leather jackets, lets you text the company when you’re ready to ship the box back, and they’ll arrange for FedEx to pick it up.

Women can try bras at home, too. True & Co., https://trueandco.com, which sells bras that average around $25, allows women to try up to five at home for five days.

Glasses: There are also a few eyeglass sellers to choose from. The glasses that Warby Parker, www.warbyparker.com, sends out are samples that don’t have prescription lenses in them. So you’ll need to send them all back, and then the company will send you a fresh pair of the ones you want. Most prescription glasses cost about $95; sunglasses with a prescription lens cost more.

Rivet & Sway, http://rivetandsway.com, which sells $169 glasses for women only,

Ford Motor (F, $15). Investors hammered Ford shares in December when the company warned that pretax profits in 2014 would be lower than 2013 levels as a result of the most aggressive product-launch schedule in its history. The carmaker also said that sluggish economies in Europe and South America put it behind schedule in meeting mid-decade financial goals.

But investors overreacted, according to Morningstar analyst David Whiston. He thinks the stock’s fair value is about $26 per share, a whopping 69 percent above the current price. (Other analysts see the

stock trading at about $20 within a year.)

Whiston said that Ford’s focus on quality is paying off. “Ford now makes cars that people actually want to own, instead of vehicles that are purchased only because of heavy incentives.”

Anne Kates Smith is a senior editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. © 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

A visit to Mount Airy, N.C., the birthplace of Andy Griffith and a model for Mayberry. See story on page 26.

Geyser and grizzly gazing in Yellowstone Mesmerized by a shallow, baby blue pond resembling a child’s finger painting, my friend Julia said, “I want to jump in the jacuzzi.” Tempting, but it’s a no-no.

These are very hot spots that can scald humans and most animals. The hottest temperature recorded is 459 degrees Fahrenheit, 1,087 feet below the surface.

You wonder how anything could live there, yet rangers say that the colors are created by microbes living in extreme conditions.

© ROUSSIEN | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Glenda C. Booth They spew, they gurgle, they boil, they froth. Some spurt, some burp, some suddenly erupt. Geyser-rich Yellowstone National Park is the land of hydrothermals and thermophiles, a geologist’s paradise, where deep forces inside the earth seem to both eke out and leap out at will.

Early 19th century adventurers who happened upon the mysterious area, such as American author Washington Irving, told tales of “hidden fires, smoking pits, noxious steams, and the all-pervading smell of brimstone.”

Old Faithful, which gurgles and steams steadily and jets out a 150-foot-or-so plume, is Yellowstone’s most famous geyser. But there are more than 10,000 thermal features in the park — geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles — making it the largest collection of hydrothermal features on the planet. Among them are scalding pools, hissing vents, bubbling chocolatecolored puddles, seething crevices, and squiggly streams that look like skim milk or runny scrambled eggs.

In this land of extremes, each has its own “personality.” The magmatic heat that powered volcanic eruptions approximately two million, 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago, continues to power this broad cauldron of geologic activity. Rangers say that every year new hot springs and geysers appear and others become dormant.

A geological wonderland Established in 1872, 2.2 million-acre Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park and certainly qualifies as a “bucket list” candidate. It lies in northwest Wyoming, with one percent in Idaho and three percent in Montana.

The Grand Loop Road, circling 142 miles inside the park, can be traveled in a day and a half, but full immersion in the Yellowstone experience takes several days. You will miss much of it if you don’t leave your car and set out on foot.

The geyser basins — Norris, Porcelain, Upper and others — are other-worldly landscapes. Steam rises from seen and unseen holes, cracks and vents. Broad desertlike expanses are tinted with shades of turquoise, emerald, yellow, red and brown.

Aquamarine, limey green and orange rivulets snake across what to Earthlings seems like Martian land.

Buffalo roam across a road in Yellowstone National Park. The park is also home to big horn sheep, grizzly bears, wolves, moose and antelope, not to mention its famous geysers.

© LANE ERICKSON | DREAMSTIME.COM

Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States and one of the biggest in the world. Microbes in the hot spring produce the vibrant hues.

Geysers have names like the Morning Glory pool, Grand Prismatic Spring, Dragon’s Mouth, Sapphire Pool, Mustard Spring, Black Growler and Whirligig. All live up to their names. Even the glop, glop, glop of the mudpots bedazzle. This liquidy netherland tickles all the senses. Some exude a sulfury rotten-egg smell.

Old Faithful spits out 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water every 60-100 minutes (a sign predicts eruption time), expelling steam, water and microbes on a more reliable “schedule” than any of the other big geysers.

A circular bench attracts a regular audience of geyser watchers fixated on steamy wisps and puffs that spurt out, speed up, then become five-foot splashes, and climax into a roaring watery column reaching 106 to 184 feet and lasting one to five minutes. The person next to me commented, “It’s like someone pushed a button.”

Hot springs, frigid lake Mammoth Hot Springs is a staircase resembling a wedding cake with white frosting and skim milk flowing over the layers, one of the world’s best examples of limestone travertine terraces. Some formations look like soft, cottony mounds. Water constantly seeps over and down the layers.

The volume of water remains relatively constant, but the terraces — like living sculptures — change constantly. Here, too, heat-

loving microorganisms flourish, creating tapestries of white, orange, green and tan. Visitors can climb to the top on a series of boardwalks. Bison and elk usually wander nearby.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is a 20-mile-long canyon of yellow, pink and orange-brown cliffs that plunge down 1,200 feet on each side. Two waterfalls roar through the canyon. Visitors can get great views from overlooks along the rim.

A new generation of lodgepole pines is replacing those destroyed by the 1988 fires that scorched 1.2 million acres in Yellowstone. Lodgepole pines are adapted to, and indeed depend on, the natural cycles of fire. Their pine codes release seeds, to start the next generation, only when temperatures reach 113 to 120 degrees.

Yellowstone Lake — 20 miles long, 14 miles wide and 132 square miles of surface area — is North America’s largest mountain lake (Lake Tahoe is bigger, but lower).

An 1869 visitor, David Folsom, described the lake’s “crystal waves dancing and sparkling in the sunlight as if laughing with joy for their wild freedom.”

Even though the lake has 110 miles of shoreline, the National Park Service discourages swimming because summer water temperatures rarely get above 60 degrees. Interesting Yellowstone factoid: The See YELLOWSTONE, page 25

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Yellowstone From page 24 lake drains into the Gulf of Mexico, via the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

Wowed by wildlife The Northeast section of the park, from Mammoth Hot Springs to the Northeast entrance, is the least visited part of Yellowstone, the quieter side. It has broad vistas, sagebrush-dotted valleys, fields and ponds.

The area is a favorite place for spotting wildlife, including elk, moose, bears and sandhill cranes. Don’t miss the petrified tree.

“Yellowstone animals are not tame,” National Park Service materials make clear.

People have been gored by bison and elk.

That aside, wildlife viewing is the lure of Yellowstone for many. At least 67 types of mammals live in the park.

The park’s grizzly bear population has rebounded, with probably around 700 in the region — the second-largest concentration in the lower 48 states. The park has black bears, too. Hikers beware: Always carry bear-repellent pepper spray.

Bison graze and wander freely, often near people and buildings. While they can seem docile and tame, bison can sprint three times faster than people can run, say officials.

Yellowstone is home to bighorn sheep, wolves and pronghorns. Pronghorns, America’s antelopes, can sprint 60 miles

per hour. There are also bats, pikas, beavers, marmots, voles and porcupines.

Brightly colored dragonflies swirl.

Killdeer, a bird with a double banded “necklace,” nests on bare ground in the geyser basins. Its name reflects the sound of its call. Rangers can advise where to see wildlife and optimal times.

How to visit Yellowstone The towns of Cody and Jackson Hole, Wyo., Bozeman and Billings, Mont., and Idaho Falls, Idaho, have airports. The park has five entrance stations in Montana and Wyoming. See http://www.nps.gov/yell /planyourvisit/entrances.htm to plan your travel. United has flights from BaltimoreWashington International Airport to Jackson Hole in mid-May for around $550 round trip.

You need a car to explore at your own pace. Some commercial companies provide bus tours in the park in summer. See http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/tr anspinpark.htm.

From early November to early May, most park roads are closed. Services re-open in mid-May. Temperatures may be cool then.

In the spring, rejuvenation is underway.

Wildlife rear their young. Reddish baby bison emerge. Grizzlies are fresh out of hibernation, perhaps digging gophers out of holes. In June, wildflowers display their splendor.

Summer is the most popular season to

visit, when the geyser areas are without snow. Summer activities include fishing (permit required), hiking, horseback riding and wagon rides. Roads are often under construction and crammed with crawling, family-filled vehicles, as the curious scan for wildlife.

Fall weather can be unpredictable. The elk rut, or mating period, peaks in late September. Visitors may catch some antler wrestling and bugling as male elk try to establish dominance and attract females. Fall is also the height of migration of birds of prey.

Winter transforms Yellowstone into broad snowy landscapes, with crisp temperatures and steaming geyser basins. Visitors can take snow coach tours.

Winter can be optimal wolf-watching time because the wolves stand out against the snow. After being extirpated, there

25

were no wolves in the park in 1994. Now, after they were reintroduced, there are over 300.

For winter travel, thoroughly research Yellowstone and the National Park Service website for road conditions and services.

The park has nine lodges and five reservation campgrounds. See www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com or call 1-866439-9375. The Old Faithful Inn, a national historic landmark that opened in 1904, brings the outside in, with its multi-story lobby of lodgepole pine, including twisted lodgepole supports, and an 85-foot stone fireplace. There are many lodging options outside the park in the gateway communities.

Information is available at the four visitor centers in the park, online at www.nps.gov /yell and www.yellowstoneassociation.org, and by calling (406) 848-2400.

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OCEAN CITY DAY TRIP

Enjoy Springfest in Ocean City on Thursday, May 1, courtesy of Seven Oaks Senior Center. This day trip will include entertainment, crafts and refreshments. The trip cost is $25. To reserve your spot, call (410) 529-2341.

May 7

ATLANTIC CITY DAY TRIP

Ateaze Senior Center invites you to spend the day at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, on Wednesday, May 7. The cost is $35 with a bonus back. To reserve a spot, call (410) 285-0481.

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May 7

ARLINGTON HISTORICAL TOUR

Liberty Senior Center presents a day trip tour exploring the history of Arlington, Va. Hear accounts of heroism and personal sacrifice as you tour Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, May 7. Lunch will be served at Phillips Flagship Restaurant. Cost of the trip is $75. To reserve a spot, call (410) 887-0780.

May 10

May 12+

OFF TO BROADWAY See Motown, The Musical on Broadway, with the Woodlawn Senior Center, on Saturday, May 10. For more information or reserve a spot, call (410) 887-6887.

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Join the Reisterstown Senior Center on this trip to Great Cedars Hotel and Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. from Monday, May 12, to Friday, May 16. Tickets cost $334 per double. Call (410) 8871143 to secure your spot.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Step back in time to Andy Griffith’s home

Andy Griffith slept here Andy, as he’s known locally, was born

here in 1926 and lived in a modest twobedroom, one-bathroom home at 711 E. Haymore St. — a favorite photo stop on the squad car tours.

Available for overnight or weekly rentals through the local Hampton Inn, Andy’s Homeplace Bed and Breakfast is replete with ‘60s furnishings, right down to the vintage magazines on the coffee table and chenille coverlets on the beds.

The late actor had his first brush with stardom in the 1930s on the stage at the Rockford Street School, just down the road from his boyhood home. The elementary school was later renovated into a community theatre and arts center and renamed the Andy Griffith Playhouse.

A bronze TV Land statue of Andy and Opie “goin’ fishin’� stands near the playhouse and adjacent Andy Griffith Museum.

The museum was a labor of love for boyhood friend Emmett Forrest, who amassed an eclectic array of items from Griffith’s life.

The collection begins with his early childhood, but the bulk of the collection features movie posters, props, photographs and other memorabilia from his movies and two major television shows — “The Andy Griffith Show� and “Matlock.� Cast members also donated items, including the salt-andpepper suit worn by Don Knotts, who was

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PHOTO BY LISA HALVORSEN

By Lisa Halvorsen Not long after I arrived in Mount Airy, N.C., I found myself in the back of a squad car. I didn’t know what to think when the sheriff informed me he was taking me downtown, but as we rumbled down Main Street past the Bluebird Diner, Floyd’s City Barber Shop and Snappy Lunch, I suddenly felt a sense of dÊjà vu, as if I had been here before.

And, in a way, I had.

My ride in the police car, a classic blackand-white 1963 Ford Galaxie 500, was courtesy of Squad Car Tours and had nothing to do with me breaking the law. Instead it was a unique introduction to the friendly community that inspired Mayberry — the setting for “The Andy Griffith Show� during its eight-year run in the 1960s.

Mount Airy, birthplace of Griffith, has embraced its connection to the fictionalized town, where crime was seldom more serious than jaywalking and Sheriff Andy Taylor always had time for son Opie.

It was a place where no one stayed a stranger for long, just like this modern-day town of 10,000 tucked against the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Virginia state line.

Visitors to Mount Airy, N.C., birthplace of Andy Griffith and Mayberry’s alter ego, can take a tour of the town in a black-and-white 1963 squad car. The town pays homage to Griffith in many ways, including an Andy Griffith Museum and a bed and breakfast in his boyhood home.

Deputy Barney Fife on the earlier series.

The $3 museum admission ($5 with audio guide) includes access to two exhibits at the playhouse — the “Mayberry to Mount Airy� photo display, and an exhibit on the original Siamese twins, Eng and Chang Bunker, who resided in the area in the 19th century.

If the playhouse is closed, the museum has a key. Admission also is good for the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall at the Earle Theatre on North Main Street, within easy walking distance of the museum.

Forever Mayberry

the museum on a regular basis to greet fans, pose for pictures and sign autographs.

The genial octogenarian moved here from Los Angeles after attending Mayberry Days, which got its start more than 50 years ago. The annual four-day gathering in September of fans, lookalikes and actors from the show features music, big-screen airings of reruns, and an hour-long parade up Main Street. There’s even a pork chop sandwich-eating contest hosted by Snappy Lunch, which was mentioned, but never visited, on the TV show.

Owner Charles Dowell tinkered with the recipe, the diner’s signature dish, for

Betty Lynn, who played Barney’s girlfriend Thelma Lou on the show, stops by

See MAYBERRY, page 27

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Mayberry From page 26 several years before coming up with the unusual combination of a fried boneless pork chop coated in an egg batter and served on a bun dressed with chili, coleslaw, mustard, onions and tomatoes.

At $4.05, it’s the most expensive item on the menu, which includes a $1.80 ham and cheese sandwich and $1.85 breaded or allmeat hamburger.

Mayberry devotees also flock to the Bluebird Diner, which serves its own version of the pork chop sandwich, and the Mayberry Soda Fountain, where soda jerk David Jones dishes up malts and ice cream daily.

Barney’s Café and Opie’s Candy Shop capitalize on the Mayberry theme, as do a number of businesses with Mayberry in the name, including the Mayberry Motor Inn — where curious visitors can ask to see the Aunt Bee Room, with its assortment of personal items, clothing and the bedroom set that once belonged to Francis Bavier, who played Opie’s favorite aunt.

At Floyd’s City Barbershop, Russell Hiatt, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Howard McNear (Floyd the barber on the show), will be only too happy to “lower your ears” or snap a photo to put on the wall of his two-chair barbershop. The cost of a haircut? Only $8.

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake Wally’s Service Station on South Main for

a working station. A tow truck shares space with the gas pumps in front of a double-bay garage. A closer look reveals that the pumps haven’t worked since “Hi-test” was an option, and the original Gulf station, built in 1937, is now a gift shop that sells old-fashioned candy and soda pop, moon pies and Mayberry souvenirs.

Just as in the TV town, customers sip bottles of Grape Nehi from comfortable rocking chairs, and wave and say “Hey” to passersby as auto mechanic Goober Pyle always did.

Next door to the station, the departure point for the squad car tours, just past the faux store fronts of Fred’s TV and Radio Repair and Foley’s Market, is a recreation of the Mayberry Court House. Here visitors can call Sarah on the candlestick phone, or lock themselves up in the old city jail like Otis, Mayberry’s friendly town drunk, did when he needed to “sleep it off.”

Other celebs and attractions While Andy may be the biggest draw for Mount Airy, he’s not the only celebrity with strong ties to the community. Donna Fargo, a Grammy award-winning country music star, lived here, as did Tommy Jarrell.

His story is told at the Earle Theatre’s Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, which was established by the Surry Arts Council to honor the legendary fiddler and banjo player and other local musicians.

The 1930s-era theater shows first-run

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movies, although also hosts jam sessions and WPAQ’s Merry-go-round, a live broadcast of old-time music, every Saturday just as it has since 1948.

Exhibits about Fargo and Jarrell can be viewed at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History on North Main, along with photos and other information about Eng and Chang Bunker.

27

The conjoined twins settled in nearby White Plains after years of touring as a curiosity act, married sisters, and produced 21 children. Some of their relatives still live in the area today.

In addition, this four-story repository of the area’s history contains displays on See MAYBERRY, page 28

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Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Mayberry From page 27 everything from the Saura Indians, the earliest inhabitants, to the first communities in the “hollows,” early commerce, natural history and more.

One of the exhibits describes the local granite industry and the world’s largest open-face granite quarry, in operation since the late 1800s, which can be viewed just off the Donna Fargo Highway in Mount Airy. It’s a popular stop on the squad car tour.

Wineries and hiking trails Old North State Winery and Brewery, across the street from the museum, is among the nearly three dozen wineries in the Yadkin Valley, which is quickly becoming recognized as a preeminent winemaking region. Many of the wineries on the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail, including Shelton Vineyards, Round Peak and Carolina

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Heritage Vineyards, are open to the public for tastings and on-site sales.

At the North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology at Surry Community College, which has its own working vineyard and bonded winery, students learn the art of winemaking and produce their own wines.

The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival is held on the third Saturday in May in Elkin, a laidback community with small-town appeal that lends itself to leisurely strolls down Main Street. Several of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The quaintly historic village of Rockford, part of Dobson, also has a number of well-preserved buildings, including the Rockford Methodist Church built in 1913, a Masonic Lodge circa 1797, and an antebellum home circa 1848 that is now the Rockford Inn Bed and Breakfast.

The old-timey general store with its creaky, uneven wooden floors and nearly 100 different kinds of old-fashioned candy

for sale has been in nearly continuous operation since 1890.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the Yadkin Valley is a premier destination for hiking, water sports and other outdoor recreation.

The 3,703-acre Pilot Mountain State Park has an expansive network of trails for hikers and horseback riders, including the 35-mile Sauratown Trails system that connects to Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury. The centerpiece of the park is the 2,421-foot Pilot Mountain with its distinctive rocky “knob” at the summit.

Several characters on the “Andy Griffith Show” referred to the neighboring town of Mount Pilot, a nod to this mountain and town of the same name.

The Overmountain Victory National Trail, popular with hikers and mountain bikers, can be accessed from the trailhead in Elkin. The “overmountain men,” a Revolutionary War patriot militia, used this same route to travel to South Carolina where they defeated the Loyalists in the

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Battle of Kings Mountain in October 1780.

For kayakers and canoeists, the Yadkin River, which flows through Pilot Mountain State Park, provides plenty of opportunities to get out on the water.

Visitors to Mount Airy — a place where the pace is a little slower and townsfolk welcome everyone like family — will discover that there’s still a little Mayberry left in the world.

If you go Mount Airy and the Yadkin Valley offer plenty to do every season, but if your interest lies with Mayberry, visit the last weekend in September for the annual Mayberry Days festival.

Contact the Surry Arts Council for specific dates and schedule at 1-800-286-6193, or visit the web site at www.mayberrydays.org.

To tour Mount Airy by squad tour (available year-round), call (336) 789-OPIE or visit www.tourmayberry.com.

The area has a number of affordable accommodations, but for a unique experience, book Andy's Homeplace Bed and Breakfast, at $175/night for the entire house. For reservations, call 1-800-565-5249.

Or rent one of the Arts and Craft-style mountain cabins at White Sulphur Springs (www.wsscabins.com), built on the site of the former historic White Sulphur Springs Hotel, just 10 minutes from downtown Mount Airy. To reserve a cabin, starting at $165/night, call 1-866-901-1910 or email info@whitesulphurspringsNC.com.

The Rockford Inn Bed and Breakfast (www.rockfordbedandbreakfast.com) offers vintage accommodations, from $119/night including breakfast, in a historic village close to several wineries. The Vineyard suite, overlooking a vineyard, occupies an entire floor of the inn. Call 1-800-561-6652.

Mount Airy is about a five-hour drive from downtown Washington, D.C. The closest airport is Greensboro, N.C., where you can rent a car for the one-hour drive.

To plan your trip, visit www.verysurry.com or call 1-877-999-8390. Or stop by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce at 200 North Main Street in Mount Airy, which can be reached at 1-800-948-0949 or (336) 7866116 or online at www.visitmayberry.com.

Lisa Halvorsen is a travel writer based in northern Vermont.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

MEDIA SPONSORS:

FOOD DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS

Eastern Interfaith sorts, packs and distributes food to needy people in the Essex area. Through donations from local churches, companies and the federal government, EIO distributes more than 20,000 tons of food annually to more than 2,800 residents. The pantry is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For information about volunteering, call (410) 391-6181.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

29

Arts &

A flowering of Japanese ceramic vases at the Walters Art Museum. See story on page 32.

What do you know about the Preakness?

By Carol Sorgen Whether you’re a regular at the track or not, if you live in Baltimore, you know all about the Preakness, the second jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Then again…how much do you really know? As the third Saturday in May approaches, let’s see just how Preaknesssavvy you are.

What is the Woodlawn Vase?

Presented each year to the winning Preakness owner, the silver Woodlawn Vase was created by Tiffany and Company in 1860 as a trophy for the now defunct Woodlawn Racing Association.

In 1983, the Vase was assessed for $1 million, which makes it by far the most intrinsically valuable trophy in American sports.

Until 1953, winners were awarded possession of the vase until the following Preakness. That changed when A. G. Vanderbilt’s horse, Native Dancer, won the Preakness, but Vanderbilt’s wife was a tad leery of being responsible for the vase’s safekeeping.

Since that time, the winning owner receives a $30,000 sterling replica on a permanent basis, while the real thing is on display at The Baltimore Museum of Art. It is brought to Pimlico under guard for the annual running of the Preakness.

What about that Black-Eyed Susan Blanket?

One of the Preakness’s longstanding traditions is to drape a blanket of BlackEyed Susans across the shoulders of the winning horse. The blanket, which meas-

ures 18 by 90 inches, takes three people two full days to create.

First they attach a layer of greenery to a perforated spongy rubber base. After that, they string more than 80 bunches of Viking daises together on flocked wire, and interweave them into holes. The ends of the wire are snipped closely, and the whole back of the blanket is covered with thick felt.

Because Black-Eyed Susans do not bloom until June in Maryland, the centers of the daises are painted with black lacquer to recreate the correct appearance.

The blanket is then sprayed with water and refrigerated until it is presented to the winner on Preakness day.

Why do they paint the weather vane?

As soon as the results of the race are official, a painter climbs to the top of the replica Old Clubhouse cupola to paint the weather vane, applying the colors of the winner’s silks to the jockey and horse. The weather vane remains in those colors until the next year.

The practice began in 1909 after the original building’s arrow-shaped weather vane was struck down by lightning. As a replacement, the Maryland Jockey Club commissioned an ornamental ironworker to forge a vane in the form of a horse and rider. It was christened that spring by coating it with the colors of the silks of that year’s winner, Effendi, and the tradition has continued ever since.

Is the Preakness always run on a Saturday?

The Preakness, which will be held on May 17, has been run on a Saturday afternoon since 1931. The original winner’s trophy, created by Tiffany and Company in 1860, is on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

It is now, but that hasn’t always been the case. Since 1931, the Preakness has been run on Saturday afternoon, but it has also been run 14 times on a Tuesday, 13 times on a Friday, six times on a Monday, five times on a Wednesday, and four times on a Thursday. But never on Sunday!

Is there a home field advantage?

How many Maryland-bred horses have won their home race? Only eight: Cloverbrook (1877), Dunboyne (1887), Refund (1888), Sly Fox (1898), Challedon (1939), See PREAKNESS, page 30

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Preakness

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Apr. 22+

M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

HISTORY OF LOCAL BURLESQUE

From page 29

Celebrate the local history behind burlesque at “Workin’ the

Kauai King (1966), Bee Bee Bee (1972) and Deputed Testamony (1983). Maryland-based winners include Man o’ War (1920), Native Dancer (1953) and Spectacular Bid (1979).

And finally, just what does the word Preakness mean?

The story goes that it all started with a northern New Jersey tribe of Native Americans known as the Minisi. They called the area where they lived “Pra-qua-les,” meaning quail woods.

The spelling changed throughout the years until it eventually evolved into Preakness (a variation of that was Preckiness, used by General George Washington in describing the area where his troops were quartered in the winter of 1776-77).

Almost a century later, thoroughbred owner Milton H. Sanford took a fancy to the name, and called his farms — one in

Tease: The Art of Baltimore Burlesque,” from Tuesday, April 22 through Sunday, May 11 at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. Burlesque’s evolution will be explored from the early 20th century through the present through live performances, exhibits, and historical and contemporary artifacts. Times vary and admission is free. For more information, visit www.workinthetease.com or call (410) 900-1150.

Cars, boats, furniture, antiques, tools, appliances Everything and anything is sold on

Radio Flea Market Heard every Sunday, 7-8:00 a.m. on 680 WCBM

Luncheon All Marylanders 100 years of age and older, or who will be age 100 by December 31, 2014, are invited to attend the 22nd anniversary

Maryland Centenarians Recognition Luncheon Thursday, May 8, 2014 • 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Martin’s West 6821 Dogwood Rd. • Baltimore, MD

call (410) 664-0911 or email doctorodd@comcast.net SPONSORS: AARP, The Beacon Newspaper, CARE Services, Community College of Baltimore at Catonsville, Elizabeth Cooney Agency, Maryland Department of Aging, Social Security Administration

BEACON BITS

Apr. 26+

WEST SIDE STORY IN BALTIMORE The classic Tony Award-winning musical West Side Story comes

to Baltimore on Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Sunday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St. Tickets range from $32 to $87. For more information, call (410) 547-SEAT or visit www.baltimorebroadway.com for tickets.

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The VOL.11, NO.5

I N

F O C U S

F O R

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P E O P L E

O V E R

throughout Greater Baltimore

One flag with many meanings

By Carol Sorgen John Milton Wesley is a man “torn between two flags” — the Confederate flag of his Mississippi Delta youth, and the American flag that signifies the opportunities this country has given him.

A writer and musician who performed at the second inauguration of President Obama, the 65-year-old Columbia resident grew up across the street from Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, who brutally murdered 14-year-old African-America n Emmett Till for reportedly flirting with Bryant’s 21year-old wife, Carolyn.

Wesley recalled that the “rebel” flag that flew in the South during that time was a frightening sight, standing as a symbol of racism and oppression.

On the other hand, the American flag represents to Wesley his work during the Civil Rights movement, the education and professional opportunities he has had since moving North, and tragically, the loss of his fiancée in the September 11 plane crash at the Pentagon.

It was then that Wesley first wore an American flag pin in his lapel, signifying that “we were all Americans, no matter what our color.”

Wesley will share his feelings about what the American flag means to him during a series of oral history performances that will be presented as part of “For Whom It Stands: The Flag and the American Peo- Jo Ann McKinney shares her evolving feelings about the U.S. flag in ple,” an exhibit being mounted entation that is part of an oral history presthe Reginald F. Lewis by the RegiMuseum’s exhibit “For The Flag and the American nald F. Lewis Museum Whom It Stands: People.” The original beginning May 17 years Star Spangled Banner on the same block of and running through Feb. was sewn 201 Pratt Street on which 28, 2015. the museum is now located.

The first oral history performances will can history in this take place at 11 a.m. and major exhibition that 1 p.m. on May 17 “promises ries and agendas engage the icon — from to make important connecat the museum. Additional visual artists who have performances tions between employed the U.S. the flag as an artifact are scheduled in September, of flag for their own aesthetic November history and and political efas a living symbol of our and December. na- fects, to war veterans, tional identity,” said Dr. new immigrants, enBrent D. Glass, tertainers called upon to perform director emeritus of the Baltimore and the Banner the naSmithsonian In- tional anthem, and stitution’s everyday National Museum of American citizens.

Most Marylanders know “Through this exhibition, that flag History. we want to exmaker Mary Pickersgill sewed the original pand the historical narrative An investigation about whom Star-Spangled Banner in into the history and 1813 in a house representation the flag represents, and share the contemof the United States’ flag on Pratt Street — on the as porary contexts of same city block an icon its lived meanings,” of our nation and its people, the museum calls home today.

Whom It Stands” is a 3,200-square-foo“For Wilkinson said.

But few people realize that t exGrace Wisher, hibition featuring As part of the exhibition, the museum a young African American more than 75 works of indentured ser- art, artifacts, has commissioned Baltimore-based documents and photographs. vant in Pickersgill’s household, vocalist Sho’dekeh to create a also worked According to project curator sound installation on the flag that became a and scholar featuring national icon. pivotal interpretations of flag art Dr. Michelle Joan of “The Now for the first time, the Wilkinson, the Star-Spangled museum will exhibition Banner.” is especially focused on highlight Wisher’s contribution how into Ameri- dividuals and groups with different histoPHOTO BY CHRISTO PHER MYERS

All family and friends of centenarians are also welcome.

Donation: $35. Centenarians admitted free with registration.

For more information or to register,

New Jersey (located in the Minisis’ “quail woods”) and another in Kentucky — Preakness. There is still a Preakness, N.J., today.

Sanford then named one of his colts Preakness, who went on to win Pimlico’s inaugural race in 1870. Preakness made such an impression during his racing career that, three years later, Pimlico named its newest stakes race “Preakness” in his honor.

So there you have it…a few tidbits of trivia to add to your personal collection of Charm City lore.

What else do you need to know? Just that the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes, a 1 3/16 mile test for 3-year old colts, geldings and fillies, will take place on Saturday, May 17, preceded by a week of festivities throughout the city.

Gates open at 8 a.m. at Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. For more information, call (410) 542-9400 or visit www.preakness.com.

For demographic information and advertising rates, call Alan at

(410) 248-9101.

See FLAG, page 31

5 0 MAY 2014

I N S I D E …

SEE SPECIAL INSERT on Housing & Homecare Options following page 18

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

Geyser and grizzly gazing in Yellowstone; plus, a step back in time to Andy Griffith’s home page 24 FITNESS & HEALTH k Get a colonoscopy on the run k Is “expired” food dangerous?

3

LAW & MONEY k Investing for the long-term k Innovative companies ARTS & STYLE k Preakness fun facts k Eclectic Japanese vases

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PLUS CROSSWORD, BEACON BITS, CLASSIFIEDS & MORE

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

Flag From page 1 A major performance of new and remixed interpretations is slated for September 2014, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key’s penning of the poem that would become the country’s national anthem.

Also being planned are an outdoor flag photo mural; a small companion exhibition at the adjacent Star-Spangled Banner Flag House; an array of interactive, educational programs for youth and adults; and “O, Say Can You Feel…The Flag Story Project” — the series of five oral history performances directed by Harriet Lynn of Heritage Theatre Artists’ Consortium, in which John Milton Wesley will take part (and for which he has also written the musical score).

Divided feelings for the flag Govans resident Jo Ann McKinney will also share her thoughts on what the American flag means to her. McKinney, 58, said that her flag story is “evolutionary.”

“My feelings about the American flag have changed during various stages of my life,” she explained. “I say that each part of my story is like a puzzle piece that, when put together, you’ll find a picture of me.”

As a child, McKinney pledged to the flag “because that’s what everyone did,” she recalled. But as a teenager, she saw the flag as a “lie....It did not, and could not, represent or include me or anybody who looked like me,” said McKinney.

“I became rebellious of it,” she added, “refusing to salute it, stand up for it at events, and I definitely didn’t recite the Pledge of Allegiance at that stage in my life.”

McKinney said that at that time she was influenced by many black socially conscious peers and mentors. At their suggestion, she adopted the red, black and green African flag, “and I thought all black folks should.”

“The African flag hung on my wall at home and at work,” she said. “I used black, red and green fabric as a tablecloth.

My entire apartment paid homage to Mother Africa and her flag! I felt more of a connection to it than to the U.S. flag.

“During that period of my life, the flag represented what I felt like as a citizen of

the United States. I developed a parallel of my life to the life of an adopted child who was lost and searching for her birth parents and her roots.”

As she grew into adulthood, however, McKinney said she came to realize that the flag may symbolize many things to many people.

“What became clear to me was that we live in a country where as citizens we are, for better or worse, allowed to voice our opinions about the flag and choose to acknowledge it, or not,” she said. “That notion in itself changed my flag story. I live in a country where I have choice as well as voice.”

By telling her story as part of the oral history project, McKinney said she hopes that others will come away with a more enlightened view.

“I’d like them to know that America has had a checkered past and has not lived up to her promises in many aspects,” she said. “However, if we just stop and think about it, we are privileged in so many ways to live in a country where we can dialog about differences of opinion, of our fears, of our hopes and our desires.

“The old Stars and Stripes dances and sings in the wind for all,” McKinney continued. “She is not culpable for any crime that has been perpetrated against anyone.

She is neither perpetrator nor victim. She just is.

“Her so-called ills have been developed in the minds of man. Her only crime is flying over a land of folks who have so much freedom that they are at liberty to accept her or reject her.”

McKinney acknowledged that today she is still not a “rally ‘round the flag” type of person, but that she feels that she has evolved ”to a place where I can now encourage others to travel their own journey with the U.S. flag and write their own flag stories.”

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum is located at 830 E. Pratt St. The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (on the third Thursday of every month until 8 p.m.), and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

General admission is $8; those 65 and older pay $6. For more information, call (443) 263-1875 or visit www.rflewismuseum.org.

THE ART OF STORYTELLING Stoop Workshops presents “The Art and Craft of True, Personal Storytelling” on Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the

Bolton Street Synagogue, 212 W. Cold Spring Ln. Advanced registration is $45 or $50 at the door. Space is limited. To purchase tickets, visit www.aprilstorytellingworkshop.brownpapertickets.com.

May 31

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

MYSTERY THEATRE DINING Do or Die Mysteries continues its crime spree at the Grand Historic Venue, 225 N. Charles St. on the last Saturday of every

A flag of freedom

BEACON BITS

Apr. 27

31

PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL SEEKS SUBMISSIONS The Baltimore Playwrights Festival (BPF) is accepting plays for possible future production until Saturday, May 31. Plays will be

evaluated for season 34, with public readings and full productions in 2015. For more information, visit www.baltplayfest.org/submit.

month. April’s murder theme is “Dead Center,” and May’s is “Mum’s the Word.”

New murder mystery shows are unveiled every month. Limited seating is available so purchase tickets early. Tickets cost $55 and includes a served dinner (salad, chicken entrée with two sides and dessert), non-alcoholic beverages, an interactive murder mystery show and gratuity. A cash bar is also available. Check-in and cocktails begin at 6:30. Dinner is served at 7, and the show begins at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.DoOrDieMystery.com or by calling (443) 422-3810.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Wabi sabi flower vases feature flaws Mintz, who has authored an accompanying exhibition catalogue, “Japanese Ceramics for the Twenty-First Century,” said that ceramics have played an important role in the artistic and daily life of Japan for thousands of years.

He observed that the last century, however, has witnessed an extraordinary development in the art of Japanese ceramics, which has given rise to works of both exquisite beauty and diversity. Examples range from rough stoneware to delicate porcelain, and from utilitarian objects to imaginative ceramics that combine the influences of sculpture, painting, poetry and philosophy.

The art of imperfection Of the vases on display in “Designed for Flowers,” most contain a visible and inten-

Cordially invites you to our live broadcast of the Mass every Sunday — at 9:00 am WBAL — 1090 on the AM dial.

Begun in 1946, Radio Mass is a 67-year-old Baltimore tradition. We cater especially to the homebound, nursing facilities, imprisoned, and those who otherwise can’t attend Mass in person.

Please join us.

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THE WALTERS, JOHN DEAN

Radio Mass of Baltimore

tional flaw made by the artist, from a deliberate gouge on the rim of a vessel, to a vase that wobbles, to one that holds no flowers at all.

Mintz explained that Japanese design favors the imperfect. This aesthetic philosophy, known as Wabi sabi, is rooted in Zen Buddhism, and celebrates irregular shapes, uneven glazes and cracks.

Leonard Koren, author of Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, has coined his own definition of Wabi sabi: “the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, the antithesis of our classical Western notion of beauty as something perfect, enduring, and monumental.”

This current exhibition, said Mintz, celebrates a gift of 170 pieces of contemporary Japanese ceramics made to the Walters by Betsy and Bob Feinberg.

The Feinbergs, who live in Bethesda, Md., have also made gifts that will benefit Harvard University and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Robert Feinberg is a former president and chairman of the Walters’ board of directors between 2000 and 2006.

The 60 ceramics currently on display in Baltimore date from the early 1970s to the present and represent only about a third of the Feinbergs’ gift. The Feinbergs have said that they chose the Walters for this particular part of their collection of Japanese art because its own collection of East Asian ceramics was a cornerstone of the museum when it opened in 1934.

THE WALTERS, JOHN DEAN

THE WALTERS, JOHN DEAN

By Carol Sorgen With spring upon us, there’s no better time to take in the Walters Art Museum’s current exhibit, “Designed for Flowers: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics,” which runs through May 11.

The exhibit features a wide range of contemporary Japanese ceramic vessels produced for the traditional art of ikebana flower arranging.

“With designs linked to long-standing Japanese traditions and contemporary artistic expression, the exhibition celebrates the works of many of Japan’s greatest living ceramic artists,” said Robert Mintz, chief curator at the Walters. “The exhibition explores the ways contemporary ceramic artists have met the challenge of producing vessels as supports for flowers.”

Not long after that, Betsy’s sister, Amy Poster, then assistant curator of Japanese Art at the Brooklyn Museum, took the couple to see Japanese paintings at the museum and arranged for them to visit a Manhattan art dealer.

Those experiences opened a completely new world to the couple, noted a Harvard University release announcing its own gift from the Feinbergs. Without any idea of forming a collection, they slowly began to discover and to purchase Japanese art, from paintings to ceramics.

Among the artists included in the Walters’ exhibit are Fukami Sueharu, known for his clean lines and distinctly Asian celadon glaze, and Hosokawa Morihiro, who was once Japan’s prime minister before having to resign in scandal.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

“Designed for Flowers: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics” is a special ticketed exhibition. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and young adults, and free for those 17 and under or members. The show is also free from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays. General admission to the Walters’ permanent collection is free.

The Walters is located at 600 N. Charles St. For more information, go to www.thewalters.org or call (410) 547-9000.

BEACON BITS The $2 origins of a collection The Feinbergs’ interest in Japanese art began in 1972, when the couple, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, purchased a $2 poster of a 16th-century screen painting depicting a Portuguese ship arriving in Japan.

FROM PAGE 34

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD L O T C O B R A C O O T H E W E A L L S C L C H A F A I M E B L A Z S D S J H A V O B L A S O A T H

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

P S A E T I E A D W E R E E L M E F A M P O B S M E I A D D L N E R O C O N N U O D R N O D O N

T U P A R A U L T P I L O S E

E L A T E S

P Y R E X

O D I E

R S E R F S S

June 6+

RAPPEL FOR KIDNEY HEALTH

The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland will hold its fifth annual Rappel for Kidney Health event on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna St. Rappel for Kidney Health invites people of all ages to scale down the 32-story building, from the roof to the fifth floor pool deck. Rappel participants include people with connections to kidney disease, including transplant donors and recipients, as well as adventure seekers, media personalities and other local celebrities. To register, support a participant, receive information about corporate sponsorship or see photos of last year’s event, visit www.kidneymd.org or call (410) 494-8545.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

BEACON BITS

May 15

AMATEUR ART SHOW

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

Arbutus Senior Center presents its Third Annual Art Show and Reception on Thursday, May 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the center, 855 A Sulphur Spring Rd., Halethorpe. Admission is free but RSVP by Thursday, May 8. For more information, call (410) 887-1410.

May 29

WINE TASTING AND CANCER SUPPORT

HopeWell Cancer Support and the Wine Source have partnered for the third annual tasting event, featuring wines from the Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy, on Thursday, May 29. The event will include wine tasting stations, hors d’oeuvres, cheese pairings, and a silent auction. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The event begins at 6 p.m. at HopeWell, 10628 Fall Rd. in Lutherville. Tickets are $60 in advance and $75 at the door.

For more information, visit www.hopewellcancersupport.org.

Puzzle Page

Answer: What the sailor with the noisy bunkmate wanted when the ship docked -- “SNORE” LEAVE Jumbles: NAIVE COVEY SWIVEL APPEAR

Scrabble answers on p. 34.

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

BEACON BITS

May 22

WWII DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

Crossword Puzzle

FROM PAGE 33

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

Daily crosswords can be found on our website:

www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus

The Arbutus Senior Center and Senior Helpers will show the movie

Tops of 1974

Honor Flight, a documentary about

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a.m. Plan to stay for lunch after the movie (complimentary for veterans).

The center is located at 855 A Sulphur Spring Rd. in Halethorpe.

RSVP by May 15 to (410) 887-1410.

Write a letter to the editor.

See page 2.

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1 Quantity of luck 5 Position of this word in this puzzle 8 Demonstrated good dining posture 13 Health ins. continuance 14 Ripen 15 Item in Kate Middleton’s wardrobe 16 ___, Dry Place (1999 Vince Vaughn drama) 17 Opposite of post18 Privileged one at the public pool 19 1974’s number one song 22 Blood-related (suffix) 23 The name of over 500 US streets 24 Cheerleader’s specialty 27 Top-rated TV show of 1974 31 Summa Cum Laude, briefly 32 Navy’s realm 33 Opposite or bear 34 Become agitated 37 Rib seasoning 39 Knocked out 40 Looked through the scope 41 Part of a surfer movie costume 43 “___ sells” 44 Top-grossing movie of 1974 49 Leftist grp. of the 60’s 50 It sets “black box” rqmts.

51 Famed fiddler 52 Top athlete of 1974 57 Chaos 60 Debt letters 61 Less straight-laced 62 Jaded and bored 63 Misquote 64 “__, ands, or buts” 65 Curse words 66 “Better dead than ___” 67 Singles

1 Lake, to an Scotsman 2 English horn’s shorter cousin 3 Bricklayer’s tool 4 Antipasto component 5 Restaurant freebie, usually 6 Relative of Shrek 7 Pint-sized 8 Hollywood hand-outs 9 Girl Friday 10 Sigma succeeder 11 ‘Net identifier 12 A bit of butter 13 He may be hep 20 Chinese philosophical forces 21 Toymaker 24 Covered with long soft hairs 25 Exhilarates 26 Maker of measuring cups 27 “___ shall lead them” 28 Petting zoo participants 29 Trucker’s cargo 30 Pop’s partner 31 Healing signs 35 Shriner’s topper 36 Imposing buildings 38 Ingredient in Tofu Parmigiana 42 Logical beginning 45 Viet ___ 46 Less fresh 47 Taboo Bond villain?

48 2012 Olympic host 52 Tease, good naturedly 53 Time long ago 54 Garfield’s pal 55 FIFA’s card dealers 56 Almost alums.

57 Game of Thrones home 58 Almost Miss.

59 Wine container

Answers on page 32.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 4

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

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

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

Business & Employment Opportunities NATURAL FOR RETIREE – Bored or needing extra cash? Deliver in own vehicle: minivan, SUV or other. Light work, good pay, full or part-time, 410-332-1166.

Caregivers LICENSED, EXPERIENCED CNA/GNA seeks overnight and weekend caregiving position. Excellent references provided if interested. Call Millicent, 443-469-7694.

Financial Services COUNT ON ME for your personal accounting and small business planning needs. Experience matters, licensed CPA, MPA, community oriented. Reasonable rates. Call 443-519-7027.

ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING, TAXES – conscientious CPA, 37 years experience, reasonable rates, looking for additional business, personal and eldercare clients. Call 410-6533363.

For Rent WE BUY HOUSES FOR CA$H – Call today, 240-670-6797. Iwant2helpyou.com.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE: Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. 2 2-grave lots. Priced lower than cemetery asking price. Call 410-2527471, 443-465-7915.

GARDENS OF FAITH – Two cemetery plots, Block No. 5, Lot 242, Sites 3 & 4, Sermon on the Mount. Valued at $7,000. Sell for $5,000. Call Pat at 410-426-3218.

FOR SALE, TWO GRAVE LOTS. Side by side. Field of Dreams, Meadowridge Memorial Park. Asking $6,500. Call Doug, 443-250-6697.

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

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

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

LOUDON PARK – ONE CEMETERY PLOT with vault, $1,100 (Value $4,000). Call Dee at 410-325-5467.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SANFORD & SON HAULING & RECYCLING. Trash removal, house & estate cleanouts, garage clean-outs, demolition. Shed, fence & deck removal. Tree trimming & removal, yard work, etc. Licensed and insured. Free estimates over the phone. 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 410-746-5090.

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational.

Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-352-8200.

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Wanted

WE BUY OLD AND NEW JEWELRY, Coins, Silver and Gold, Paper Money Too. Watches, Clocks and Parts, Military Badges and Patches Old and New. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

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

OLD AND NEW WE BUY Sterling Silver Flatware, Tea Sets, Single Pieces, Fountain Pens, Lighters, Tools, Cameras, Glassware, Art Work. Toys From Trains to Hotwheels to Star Wars. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

MILITARY ITEMS Collector seeks: helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, webgear, uniforms, inert ordnance, ETC. From 1875 to 1960, US, German, Britain, Japan, France, Russian. Please call Fred 301-910-0783, Thank you. Also Lionel Trains.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY – pocket and wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, train sets and accessories, old toys, old glassware & coins. 410-655-0412.

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

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

Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834.

Thank you.

BEACON BITS

May 5

AFTERNOON KARAOKE The Catonsville Senior Center, 501 N Rolling Rd., is holding a

karaoke event on Monday, May 5 at 12:45 p.m. Entertain fellow members and have fun. For more information, call (410) 887-0900.

May 18

ART OUTSIDE The second annual Art Outside one-day arts festival around the Druid Hill Park Reservoir returns on Sunday, May 18 from 11 a.m.

to 5 p.m. The event will feature Maryland artists showing and selling their artwork, a Maryland Distinguished Artist Gallery, performing arts from Baltimore area schools, strolling entertainment, children’s arts & crafts, some of Baltimore’s best food trucks, and more. The Druid Hill Park Reservoir is located at 2600 Madison Ave. For more information, call (410) 583-5703 or see www.artoutsidemd.org.

BB5/14

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M AY 2 0 1 4 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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