May 2015 | Baltimore Beacon

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High schoolers earn and learn

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY MEL TANSILL

By Danielle Rexrode and Carol Sorgen While still a freshman in high school, Dominique Chandler began working as a waiter at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, hoping to earn some money toward college. But unlike most first jobs, this one gave Chandler more than just a paycheck — he got the wisdom and support of 2,300 adopted grandparents.

“I love what I do,” said Chandler, who is now the supervisor at the Charlestown’s Atrium Restaurant. “Working here has given me the opportunity to gain valuable work experience through hands-on training, and provides a sense of responsibility and maturity,” Chandler continued.

“One of the many valuable life lessons I have learned from working here is to have respect for your elders. The lives they have lived, the experiences they have gone through, and the challenges they have overcome in their lives are noteworthy.”

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Cross the Atlantic in style on the Queen Mary 2; plus, the latest whiz-bang offerings on new cruise ships, and how to get the cheapest rental car insurance page 27

Earning pay, scholarships Charlestown’s six restaurants are currently staffed with 269 high school students who mainly work as hosts and servers. In addition to a regular paycheck, students have the opportunity to earn up to $600 a semester through a scholarship program funded by the community’s residents and management.

Since 1988, the program has awarded more than $2.3 million. Students become eligible for the scholarship by completing 1,000 hours of work and carrying at least a 2.0 grade point average. Eligible students receive $1,200 per year with a lifetime maximum of $4,800 toward higher education.

Chandler, a graduate of Maritime Academy (formerly known as Walbrook High School), attended the Community College of Baltimore County and later Stratford University, where he studied advanced culinary arts with scholarship money he received from the Charlestown fund.

“We have students working here from about 30 different city and county schools,” said Lateshia Griggs, Charlestown’s human resources recruiter. Students must be at least 15 years, 8 months old to apply for work there. Once hired, they work three four-hour shifts each week.

“We look for students who have an outgoing spirit, a willingness to learn, great com-

ARTS & STYLE Dominique Chandler, supervisor of Charlestown Retirement Community’s Atrium Restaurant, visits with resident Roberta Poulton. Chandler began his career as a server at Charlestown while still in high school in a program that offers scholarships to students — and gives them an opportunity for intergenerational conversation.

munication skills, and a friendly, enthusiastic personality,” said Griggs. In turn, “the residents share a lot with the students about their lives and career paths, and I believe it helps to shape their future career goals.”

Chef de Cuisine Kira Brosig began working as a server at Charlestown at age 15 while a student at Western Technical High School.

“I went to high school down the street from Charlestown, and I also had a friend who was working here,” said Brosig. “The opportunity to earn money to further my education was very enticing.”

Brosig attended Anne Arundel Community College and majored in business management while continuing to work at Charlestown as a dining room captain. After receiving her culinary arts certificate, she

went on to become a line cook and then sous chef before earning the title chef de cuisine.

“I feel blessed to know the residents here,” said Brosig, who is now married and expecting her second child. “Every one of them has a story. They watched me grow up, and still want to know how I’m doing and what is going on in my life.”

Roberta Poulton speaks with new students at orientation about what life is like as a resident. “A lot of the students haven’t had relationships with people from this generation,” said Poulton, a retired pediatric nurse. “I tell them their perception of what a ‘senior’ is might not be what you will See HIGH SCHOOLERS, page 14

Rebellious souls haunt Ibsen’s Ghosts; plus, fun but challenging duck-pin bowling is ideal for many page 34

TECHNOLOGY 3 k Understanding online shopping k Helpful new software FITNESS & HEALTH 8 k Stents for stroke patients k Saunas may help you live longer LAW & MONEY k Tech stocks soar k Ways to avoid probate

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Plane thoughts What I didn’t tell you in my column last on a wing encrusted with snow as we trunmonth, about the future of print media, dled along the runway, heading for the “de-icing pad.” was that I wrote it partially in There, a line of planes preparation for a speech I pulled up alongside a line of was to give on that topic at a white trucks, in whose cherrynational conference. picker baskets stood men bunIt so happened that I flew to dled in padded orange jumpChicago for the conference on suits. They wielded hoses that March 24, the very day Gernoisily (and blessedly) blasted manwings Flight 9525 was inthe wing with what appeared tentionally crashed into the to be hundreds of gallons of French Alps by its co-pilot.

I fly on commercial airlinde-icing fluid.

But once we took of f ers several times a year for FROM THE through the gray clouds and both business and pleasure, PUBLISHER and I am not a particularly By Stuart P. Rosenthal left the dreary, windy city beneath us, we were soaring nervous air passenger. But I always seem to be of two minds when I fly. above a fluffy white carpet of cloud enjoying First, I still find flying to be the amazing a glorious sunny day and a brilliant blue sky.

For some reason, I am always astonished and exhilarating experience I first felt upon taking off in an airplane as a child. to see that the sun is always shining in a And second, I confess that I pray with clear blue sky above the clouds. Similarly, I great fervor that this flight not be my last am always surprised come evening time to experience on earth, regardless of how ex- realize that the stars and the moon are always there, too. It’s just that the sun’s rays hilarating it might be!

During these particular flights to and during the days so brighten our atmosfrom Chicago, I continued to have both phere as to erase most of them from view.

So many things hide in plain sight. feelings, only more so.

By the time of this return trip, we knew On the return flight, I boarded prior to sunrise on a Chicago morning enjoying a a lot more about the circumstances of the light snowfall. My window seat looked out originally mysterious plane crash earlier in

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the week. We knew, for example, that the co-pilot had acted intentionally, and that he had a history of psychological problems he had hidden from his employer.

I read one account that quoted a former girlfriend of his who had heard him say, “One day I’ll do something so that everyone will know my name.”

Those telling facts reminded me sharply of an earlier experience I believe I related once before in this column.

I ran into a fellow with whom I had a casual acquaintance. In one of our earlier conversations, he had described to me the company he had founded and still ran. It sounded like a very successful operation, and I felt a twinge of jealousy.

On this particular occasion, he didn’t seem his usual chatty self. I casually asked him how he was doing. He answered me in a way I have never heard before or since. In a soft monotone, he said, “I’ve never been worse.”

It took me a second to process the unexpected reply, and I gave him a quizzical look as I muttered, “I’m sorry to hear that.” We stood there for an awkward moment, but were quickly interrupted by other people, so I slipped away.

The next day, I learned the fellow had committed suicide that very night.

I attended the funeral, both to show my respects and to try to better understand who he was and why he would have done such a

thing. Of course I learned nothing of the sort.

But I did learn a very important lesson: When you are given a glimpse into another human being’s deep sadness or depression, you don’t just mutter you’re sorry and walk away. You will never forgive yourself if you don’t at least ask, “Would you like to talk about it?”

I have had several opportunities since then to do just that with other friends, and while I don’t think I’ve saved any lives, I think it’s made a difference.

I wonder how many people might have noticed something about the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, that suggested he was depressed or suffering from a psychological malady. Conditions of this sort are all too common in today’s world, and the conditions themselves keep many sufferers from seeking treatment that could help them.

The sun may always be shining somewhere above us, but when we’re walking around under a cloud, it’s hard to remember that.

Sometimes, maybe, a caring word or listening ear may cause a break in the clouds, or melt a layer of ice, and help prevent a tragedy.

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.

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May 2

NATIVE PLANT SALE AT ROBERT E. LEE PARK Support your backyard ecosystem with a native plant sale on Sat-

urday May 2, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (rain date Sunday, May 3). Growing native plants encourages beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife in your community.

At the Robert E. Lee Park Nature Council at 1000 Lakeside Dr. For more information, visit www.relpnc.org.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei

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mission to deliver ideal healthcare experiences. For more information, call (443)

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GILCHRIST HOSPICE CARE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS Gilchrist Hospice Care is the largest nonprofit hospice organization in Maryland, providing home hospice care in Baltimore, Har-

ford and Howard Counties, and Baltimore City, as well as inpatient hospice care in Towson. To learn more about becoming a hospice volunteer, call (443) 849-8239 or visit www.gilchristhospice.org.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

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Technology &

Innovations Fluctuating online prices stump shoppers

By Anne D’Innocezio Online shopping has become as volatile as stock market trading. Wild, minute-byminute price swings on everything from clothes to TVs have made it difficult for shoppers to “buy low.”

A growing number of retailers are using software that changes online prices based on demand, competition, inventory and other factors. The main goal is to undercut rivals when necessary, and raise prices when demand is high and there’s no competitive pressure.

But the new online tools can change the price on a single item — say, a sweater — dozens of times throughout the day. And that can leave shoppers confused about

when they can get the best deal.

Take Aishia Senior, who recently watched the price on a coat she wanted rise and fall several times between $110 and $139 in a span of six hours on Amazon.com. She was so frustrated by the price fluctuations that she ended up not buying the coat on the site at all. “It’s definitely annoying,” said Senior.

“What exactly is making it go up and down?”

Retailers want to appease deal-hungry shoppers with the ever-lower prices they’ve come to expect since the recession. But they also want to protect their bottom line, which is difficult to do because lower prices cut into profits.

Retailers used to check prices of their rivals’ websites and then manually change

the prices online. But that was a tedious task and many stores made price changes only once a day.

Trend started by Amazon The idea of minute-by-minute monitoring of online prices started with Amazon.com, which for years has used its own software to do so. Scott Stanzel, an Amazon spokesman, said, “We have a cost structure that allows us to adjust our pricing quickly.”

After years of losing customers to Amazon because of its ability to offer deep discounts, Wal-Mart and others have started following the online retailer’s lead. Eric Best, CEO of Mercent Corp. — a software company that changes prices on two million products every

hour — said the majority of his clients (which include Office Depot, Guess and HSN Inc.) make minute-by-minute pricing changes.

For instance, on a recent Monday, the price of Beats Studio headphones fluctuated between $269.95 and $199.95 with four price drops and five price increases on Amazon.com. Likewise, the price of a Meyer’s 15-Piece Cookware Set went between $138.95 and $80.99 with three price drops and three price increases, according to Mercent.

Automated price changes Wal-Mart Stores Inc. built its online See ONLINE SHOPPING, page 4

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Online shopping From page 3 price monitoring tool two years ago. And since overhauling its e-commerce business last summer, the world’s largest retailer now can make price changes in a few minutes that used to take up to 24 hours.

“We have the ability to make thousands of changes on any given day,” said Ravi Jariwala, a Wal-Mart spokesman.

Abt, a consumer electronics retailer in Chicago, started using online pricing software from a company called Market Track that tracks all of its products. It said over holiday weekends it changes prices on several hundred items each day. “This is the most efficient tool we have to gauge competition and adjust pricing,” said Jon Abt, the retailer’s president.

All the price changing has made it difficult for shoppers to predict when they can get the lowest prices, said William Poundstone, author of Priceless: The Myth of Fair

Value. After all, he said, even the retailers don’t know from minute to minute, since the programs are automated.

“It’s like high speed trading,” Poundstone said. “Sometimes, you lower the price. Then, you may raise it back up.”

There are some predictable pricing patterns, though. Jenn Markey, vice president of marketing at 360pi, a price tracking company, says some stores time online price changes to reflect the behavior of customers. For example, some change prices on videogames in the evenings instead of during the day.

Shoppers may also come to recognize pricing patterns of specific retailers. WalMart and Amazon tend to spread price changes uniformly throughout the week, Markey said. But the majority of Sears online price changes happen on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Meanwhile, Costco makes a majority of its online price changes on Saturday and Sunday.

— AP

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Beacon Links

By Barbara Ruben

Taking flight Do you ever hear a plane, look up in the sky, and wonder where it’s going?

With Flight Radar 24, you can look online or with apps for Apple and Android devices at flights around the world.

The site shows airplane icons dotting the map, so that you can track, say, your daughter’s flight back home to Chicago. Just click on an icon to view detailed information about the flight.

The site also shows airport delays.

To get the most out of the site, be sure to read the FAQ and How it Works sections. www.flightradar24.com

Fight fraud and abuse The federal government’s Consumer Protection for Seniors page helps you learn about the rights of older adults, detect and prevent Medicare fraud, and more. The page links users to sites that fight elder abuse and advocate for nursing home residents.

There is information on how to detect and fight Medicare and Social Security fraud, and you can download a copy of the 150-page Consumer Action Handbook or order a free copy. www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors/ Consumer.shtml

Healthy advice Keeping up with health information can be time consuming and a bit daunting. But Greatist.com tries to make it simple and fun with great graphics and articles like, “29 Insanely Easy, Healthy Meals for One” and “The 10-Minute Yoga Routine That Will Help You Fall Asleep Fast.”

Greatist’s mission is simple: “We don’t think you need six-pack abs to be happy. Because Greatist celebrates choosing whatever healthy means to you. Our mission? Help the world think of health in a healthier way.” http://greatist.com

Become multi-lingual Want to learn a few words in Swedish, Japanese or Russian? The See BEACON LINKS, page 7

reliability

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That’s why we’re pleased to report that 2014 marked our best-ever performance in reducing both the frequency and the duration of power outages, as measured by accepted industry

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Apr. 23

LEARN MICROSOFT EXCEL

A class at the North Point Branch of the Baltimore County Library will teach participants the basics of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program. The class is offered on Thursday, April 23 at 2 p.m. The library is located at 1716 Merritt Blvd. To register, call (410) 887-7255.

standards. And when it comes to operational satisfaction, product experience and brand trust, BGE was named a Utility Customer Champion in a 2014 study of 127 leading utilities nationwide.* We remain committed to delivering reliability and earning our customers’ satisfaction every day, in everything we do, because we believe that’s smart energy.

To learn more, visit BGE.COM/Reliability. *Cogent Reports’ Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement TM study

RELIABLE ENERGY. SMART ENERGY.

Apr. 25

INTRODUCTION TO E-MAIL

Learn basic email skills at a class at the Randallstown Branch of the Baltimore County Library on Saturday, April 25 at 9 a.m. The library is located at 8604 Liberty Rd. To register, call (410) 887-0770.

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❏ Diabetes & Exercise Study (see ad on page 16)

Health Study Volunteers ❏ Breast Cancer & Exercise Study (see article on page 16) ❏ Diabetes Aspirin Study (see ad on page 17) ❏ Elderly Falls Study (see ad on page 16) ❏ Gastrointestinal Study (see ad on page 16) ❏ HYPNOS Diabetic Sleep Study (see ad on page 17)

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Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 or fax to (410) 248-9102.

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On the home front, the robotics federa-

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For free materials on housing communities and health studies, just complete and clip this coupon and mail or fax it to the Beacon.

★

The key to building a better robot is imbuing it with humanoid senses — only better. While the human eye can see 30 frames per second, for example, robots today can see thousands of frames per second. Cognex (symbol CGNX; recent price, $51) is a leading developer of machine-vision technologies used to monitor production lines, guide assembly robots, detect manufacturing defects and track parts.

Factory automation should account for more than 80 percent of the company’s revenues in 2015, and that segment is growing by 20 percent a year, according to Canaccord Genuity, a Canadian financialservices firm.

The Cognex share price has risen 59 percent over the last year.

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Cognex

tion expects 31 million robots to be sold for personal use from 2014 through 2017, most tasked with domestic chores.

You may be familiar with the Roomba vacuum cleaner, made by iRobot (IRBT; $34). The company claims roughly 75 percent of the robot vacuum market. That’s less than 20 percent of the U.S. market for higher-end vacuums, leaving plenty of room for growth, even with vacuum leader Dyson scheduled to enter the robotics market later this year.

IRobot also makes bomb-disarming robots for the military. That segment is struggling as U.S. defense spending declines and troops are pulled from harm’s way.

But the company’s disciplined research and development in that area are driving innovation in broader product lines focused on three key robotic capabilities: the ability to navigate, perceive the surrounding environment, and interact with it.

For example, IRobot’s “telepresence” bots (they look like a mobile stand with a screen on top) allow doctors to consult from afar, or business people to meet or manage remotely. After mapping out your office (or factory floor or medical center), the bots can show up automatically for scheduled events, or simply enable you to virtually roam distant halls at will, interacting with those you meet.

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. © 2015 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Robots become investment opportunity

By Anne Kates Smith Robots are an increasingly important and widespread segment of the workforce.

The auto industry remains the largest market for robots. But they can also be found neutralizing land mines for the military, fulfilling orders in warehouses, and assisting in surgical procedures in hospitals.

The International Federation of Robotics estimates that 1.3 to 1.6 million industrial robots are in use. In 2013 (the latest year for which figures are available), nearly 180,000 robots were sold — the most ever in a single year. Spending on robots worldwide is expected to jump from an estimated $27 billion in 2015 to $67 billion by 2025, says the Boston Consulting Group.

Here are two companies to watch (or possibly buy):

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

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Tech Shorts

By Carol Sorgen

Fraud and ID theft protection Financial abuse of seniors is on the rise, with seniors reportedly losing more than $2.9 billion annually to financial exploitation. Financial abuse includes unauthorized credit/debit card charges, telemar-

keting fraud, identity theft, fraudulent bank withdrawals, home improvement scams, predatory lending, inappropriate investments and estate planning improprieties.

EverSafe, a new company in Columbia, Md., protects older adults from fraud, identity theft and unscrupulous telemarketers. Financial accounts and credit reports are monitored around the clock for suspicious activity, defined to include excessive withdrawals, missing deposits, unusual charges, and changes in spending patterns.

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

EverSafe’s software identifies abnormal patterns of financial activity and potential issues with transactions. When an account is linked, EverSafe reviews the last 90 days of history for suspicious activity and sets alert parameters to a personal profile.

From then on, EverSafe scans accounts daily.

No account numbers are available, no money can be moved, trusted advocates have “read-only” access to financial accounts, and EverSafe verifies the identity of all users during the enrollment process using a knowledge-based authentication test.

At the member’s option, EverSafe supports the assignment of a family member or trusted advocate to assist in the monitoring of financial accounts. In addition to daily alerts, the software also sends a weekly summary.

As soon as suspicious activity is identi-

fied, an alert is dispatched to the account holder and trusted advocates. They can then mark the alert as OK, or red flag it for follow up and remediation. When suspicious activity is marked with a red flag, the resolution process begins.

You can easily maintain notes, set follow-up dates, and request EverSafe’s support to help you create your recovery plan.

There are three plans and pricing structures: EverSafe Essentials offers 24/7 account monitoring for $4.99 a month; EverSafe Plus, includes identity theft and account monitoring and one credit bureau report for $9.99 a month; and EverSafe Gold, which includes two credit bureau reports along with identity theft and account monitoring for $19.99 a month.

See www.eversafe.com.

See TECH SHORTS, page 7

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM EXHIBIT

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum hosts “Dance Theatre of Harlem: Forty Years of Firsts,” an exhibition highlighting the many accomplishments of African Americans and other minorities who defied stereotypes, and gravity itself, to pursue their passion and pave the way for future generations of artists. The exhibition runs through Sunday, August 30, Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. The museum is located at 830 E .Pratt St. General admission is $8. Admission for those 65+, youth (age 7-17), and students (with ID) is $6. Tickets can be purchased at www.rflewismuseum.org, by calling (443) 263-1875, or in person.

Dr. Goldman is currently investigating and treating patients with Lower Extremity symptoms attributed to FIBROMYALGIA. Many may have relief, without medication or therapy, within 1-2 weeks.

Most people with foot or leg symptoms (arthritic, aching, burning, or cramping), even those who have had other treatments including surgery of the foot (or back) can be helped, usually in 1 or 2 visits.

Many people with Difficulty Standing or Walking attributed to Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis, Neuropathy, Poor Circulation or Poor Balance can be helped quickly without medication. If I cannot help you, I will refer you to another specialist.

H ELP F ORYOUR F EET.C OM

Tech shorts From page 6

Preserving your family’s story Reflections, from KDB Software, is a biographical tool developed by and for baby boomers and seniors to help them tell both their own life stories and that of their parents, so that their family narratives can be

Beacon links From page 4 site BaBa Dum has five games in 13 languages that help players pick up a smattering of a foreign language.

Be forewarned that the site is almost entirely picture based, with no real directions, but it is pretty intuitive.

Choose your language by picking the flag of the country you’re interested in. But if you don’t know that Portugal’s flag is red and green with a seal in the middle, you may be out of luck — or ask Google for guidance.

You can sign in to see to keep track of your progress. http://babadum.com

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

shared with their children and grandchildren in what the company calls “wisdom preservation.”

You don’t have to be technically proficient to use the program, as it has been designed to be user-friendly. By answering simple interview questions, users can create an electronic “book” of their life, similar to an encyclopedia and organized in volumes including: “Me,” “Family,” “Friends,” “Journey,” “Regrets,” “Bucket List,” “Advice” and “Ramblings.” cies to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires and more. Click on the menu on the left side of the screen to get specific information on more than 20 types of disasters. Each item provides a list of potential hazards as well as what you can do before, during and after disaster strikes. www.ready.gov/be-informed

Reflections works on a PC or Macintosh computer, and runs on a variety of web browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome or Safari), keeping the information safe in “the cloud” and readily accessible to authorized users and viewers.

The program comes in two varieties: Individual and Guide. The Individual program is for people who will be using it themselves and entering their own information. The Guide program is for a friend or family member who will be entering in-

formation for other people who either can’t, or don’t, use a computer. The cost for either program is a one-time registration fee of $199.

Both options can be used on an unlimited basis and include no-cost access for any family or friends who are invited to view your information. There is also unlimited email-based customer support.

To learn more, see www.my-reflections.com.

BEACON BITS

May 6

IPAD AND IPHONE WORKSHOP A hands-on workshop for those who own iPhones or iPads and

need help or have questions will be held the Seven Oaks Senior Center on Wednesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. The center is located at 9210 Seven Courts Dr. Register by calling (410) 887-5192.

Take a vacation without leaving your community.

Be prepared Winter’s snow and ice may be a memory, but that means the season of severe thunderstorms and hurricanes is just around the corner. FEMA’s website provides helpful tips on preparing for disasters — from storms to terrorism.

Learn about various types of disasters, ranging from chemical emergen-

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May 3+

MARYLAND HOUSE AND GARDEN TOURS

The annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage returns for five weekends this spring from Sunday, May 3 through Saturday, May 30. A longstanding Maryland tradition, the Pilgrimage provides access to some of Maryland’s most noteworthy private properties. The 2015 tour includes 44 private homes, gardens, farms, wineries, churches and historic sites in five counties. They are St. Mary’s County (Sunday, May 3); Dorchester County (Saturday, May 9); Anne Arundel County (Saturday, May 16); Baltimore City/Roland Park (Sunday, May 17), and Washington County (Saturday, May 30). Advance tickets for each tour are $30 per person ($35 day of). Catered lunches will be available on all tours.

Purchase tickets and get more information at www.mhgp.org or (410) 821-6933.

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Health Fitness &

STATIN WARNING While statins can reduce cholesterol, they may not be good for your heart THE WHOLE (GRAIN) TRUTH Myths and facts about whole grains and gluten-free claims to health PARE DOWN YOUR PILLS Review your medications with your doctor to see if you can cut down HOW TO TALK TO KIDS How to get the conversation started with your grandkids and other youth

Game changer: Stents for stroke patients

By Marilynn Marchione Stroke experts are reporting a major advance: Stents similar to the ones used to open clogged heart arteries can also be used to clear a blood clot in the brain, greatly lowering the risk a patient will end up disabled.

Patients treated with these brain stents were far more likely to be alive and able to live independently three months after their stroke, doctors reported at a recent American Stroke Association conference.

The treatment was so successful that three studies testing stents were stopped early so the devices could be offered to more patients. One study also found the death rate was cut almost in half for those given the treatment.

“This is a once-in-a-generation advance in stroke care,” said the head of one study, Dr. Jeffrey Saver, stroke chief at the University of California, Los Angeles.

An independent expert, Dr. Lee Schwamm of Massachusetts General Hospital, called it “a real turning point in the field.” For many patients, “this is the difference between returning home and not returning home,” although only certain types of patients can be offered it, he said.

Stroke care “needs to be completely

changed” to make the treatment more widely available, said Dr. Walter Koroshetz, acting director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

“This has taken stroke therapy to the same place that heart attack therapy is now,” he said.

Work faster, less damage Most of the 800,000 strokes in the U.S. each year are caused by a blood clot lodged in the brain. The usual treatment is clot-dissolving medicine called tPA. When that doesn’t work, doctors sometimes try devices pushed through blood vessels to pluck out the clot, but several studies found they didn’t help.

However, newer devices — metal mesh cages called stent retrievers — open an artery much faster and with less damage to the blood vessel. Unlike heart stents, which stay in place to prop the artery open, the brain stents flatten the clot, trap it and are removed with it.

Two brands are sold in the U.S. — Trevo, made by Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Solitaire, made by Covidien, now part of Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. They won FDA approval in 2012 based on their ability to remove a clot

— not because there was evidence they improved patient outcomes.

Last fall, the first solid evidence that these devices actually improved patient recovery arrived. A study in the Netherlands that tested a variety of clot removers, mostly stents, found these treatments greatly lowered the risk of disability in patients whose clots were not dissolved by tPA. Stroke experts said at the time that more studies were needed to confirm the success. The three new studies do that. All were stopped early because independent monitors saw better results three months later in those treated with devices after tPA failed to dissolve their clots.

Two studies tested just the Solitaire stent, and the third tested a mix of devices, but mostly stents. Patients all sought help fast, had clots that were not opened by tPA, and had no evidence of irreversible brain damage on CT scans.

Highlights of the studies — A study in the U.S. and Europe on 196 patients found 60 percent of those treated with a Solitaire stent were free of major disability versus 35 percent of those given just tPA. Covidien sponsored the trial.

— A study led by Australian researchers

of 70 patients found 71 percent of those given a Solitaire stent were free of major disability versus 40 percent of those given tPA alone. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and others paid for the trial.

— A study led by Canadian doctors of 316 patients found 53 percent treated with a stent or other clot-removing devices were free of major disability versus 29 percent of those given just tPA. Ten percent of patients given both treatments died versus 19 percent of those given just tPA. Covidien and others paid for the study, and some study leaders have financial ties to the companies.

The Canadian and Australian studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Stent treatment is not for everyone, and it won’t help people who had a stroke some time ago. It is not known if stents would help people who were not given tPA first, or those who seek help too late to get it.

The key to surviving a stroke is getting help fast — tPA must be given within four and a half hours after symptoms start.

For more stroke information online, see http://stroke.nih.gov and www.strokeassociation.org.

— AP

Frequent saunas may increase longevity

By Lindsey Tanner Frequent sauna baths may help you live longer, a study of Finnish men suggests. It would be welcome news if proven true — in Finland where hot, dry saunas are commonplace, and for Americans who have been shivering in a snowy Nordic-like winter.

Previous research suggested that saunas might improve blood vessel function and exercise capacity, and lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

The new study links long, hot sauna baths with even more benefits, including fewer deaths from heart attacks, strokes, various heart-related conditions and other causes.

The research was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

About 2,300 Finnish men, in their early 50s on average, were asked how often they used saunas. The rates ranged from once

weekly to every day. During almost 20 years of follow-up, more than 900 of the men passed away.

The researchers took into account characteristics in addition to sauna use that would affect survival, including cigarette smoking, weight, physical activity, blood pressure and cholesterol, and income.

Longer, frequent saunas best Deaths from heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems were nearly two times more common in men who used saunas once weekly than in those who used saunas at least four times weekly.

Deaths from other causes were also more common in men who used saunas infrequently.

The amount of time spent in the sauna mattered, too. Fatal heart-related deaths were less common in men whose sauna sessions lasted more than 19 minutes,

compared with those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna.

As for the reasons saunas might help, Dr. Jari Laukkanen, a University of Eastern Finland researcher and the lead author, said it could be that high temperature and humidity may cause beneficial physiological changes in the cardiovascular system. But he said more research is needed to determine how and why saunas might prolong survival.

They are clearly relaxing for many people, and the camaraderie they offer may also benefit health, said heart specialist Dr. Rita Redberg, editor of the medical journal. “Clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent,” she said.

What saunas work best?

Sauna rooms were 79 degrees Celsius, or 174 degrees Fahrenheit, on average for the most frequent users, but slightly lower

for men who only used saunas once weekly. Finnish sauna rooms typically allow users to regulate temperature by pouring water on heated rocks.

In Finland, nearly every home has a private sauna, often a separate room built into the basement. Families often use them together, and older apartments often have common saunas.

The study is based on observational information, and more rigorous research is needed to determine if saunas, or some unmeasured factor, might explain the results.

The authors said similar studies are needed in women to determine if they would gain the same benefits.

They said the research doesn’t apply to saunas that operate at lower temperatures and don’t allow pouring water on rocks to regulate heat, nor to steam rooms or hot tubs.

— 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 5

9

Use artificial sweeteners in moderation

By Judy Thalheimer, R.D The label says, “no sugar added,” “sugar-free” or “diet.” So what makes the food or drink inside the package so sweet?

Chances are it’s an artificial sweetener, a chemically processed sugar substitute.

Also known as non-nutritive, non-caloric or high-intensity sweeteners, these synthetic sweeties are hundreds or even thousands of times sweeter than table sugar.

Artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates, so they don’t raise blood sugar levels. This makes them a good alternative to sugar for people with diabetes. They also don’t contribute to tooth decay and have virtually no calories, so they’re a popular

option for weight loss.

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere — in soft drinks, juice drinks, gum, candies, yogurt, ice cream, baked goods, breakfast cereals and individual sweetener packets for home use. The big question is, are they safe?

Safety testing As with any food additive, a company that wants to put an artificial sweetener in a food or drink has to get permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA reviews all the scientific evidence provided by the company to make sure the product is safe.

Most testing is done on rats and mice,

Caregiving resources at city libraries A new Caregiver Corner initiative at Baltimore City library branches will help support area caregivers who take care of older adults and individuals with disabilities, as well as relatives raising children under 18 years of age.

The initiative will provide kiosks at all 23 branches of the Baltimore City Enoch Pratt Free Library, stocked with information and resources from all city aging services as well as programs for older adults and their caregivers.

The Baltimore City Division of Aging and Care Services will also provide a representative who will rotate through the 23 sites each month to answer questions and provide additional help and support.

“Caregiving is one of the most important and challenging jobs an individual will ever have,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Caring for a loved one is an activity that cuts across most demographic groups, but is especially prevalent among adults ages 30 to 64, a group traditionally still in the workforce.”

Because family members are the major provider of long-term care servic-

es — and research shows that caregiving takes a heavy emotional, physical and financial toll on them — many caregivers who are also employed experience conflicts between these responsibilities.

“Being a caregiver is one of the most overwhelming and most humbling jobs a person can have,” agreed Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. “Fifty-five percent of Baltimore City family caregivers report that they need financial support, and 46 percent say that they need more rest and more resources to help them. We have to take care of those who care for others.”

Rawlings-Blake noted that her administration is developing a strategic plan, B’more Senior Friendly, that will focus on resources and services provided to seniors in the city.

Twenty-two percent of caregivers are assisting two individuals, while eight percent are caring for three or more. Almost half of all caregivers are over age 50, making them more vulnerable to a decline in their own health.

and the number of test subjects, the amount of the sweetener they are fed, and how long the study lasts can have a big impact on the outcomes. Not surprisingly, different studies show different results, which can create a lot of confusion for people.

Watchdog groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, rightly call attention to studies that raise concerns about safety, urging the FDA to review products as new information emerges. At this time, however, the National Cancer Institute says there’s no clear scientific evidence that any artificial sweeteners approved in the U.S. cause cancer.

The FDA does set Acceptable Daily Intakes, so (as with most things) moderation is key.

Artificial sweeteners can help cut calories or make it possible to have a sweet treat that doesn’t raise blood sugar, but don’t overdo it, and keep an eye out for new high-quality studies.

Artificial sweetener safety guide 1. Acesulfame-potassium. (Acesulfame K, Ace-K).

Products: Sweet One, Sunett. FDA-approved 1988. Typically used in frozen desserts, candies, soft drinks, drink mixes, gelatin desserts, yogurt, chewing gum and baked goods. Used with aspartame in Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Pepsi.

Safety: The FDA reports that more See SWEETENERS, page 10

10

Fitness & Health | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Sweeteners From page 9 than 90 studies support the safety of Acesulfame-K. Watchdog groups are calling for new studies to answer questions about possible cancer risk and thyroid damage.

2. Advantame. Approved by the FDA in 2014 for use as a sweetener and flavor en-

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

hancer in foods, except meat and poultry.

Safety: Before approving advantame, the FDA reviewed 37 animal and human safety studies. They also looked at what happens to advantame in our bodies and whether it is likely to cause cancer.

3. Aspartame. FDA-approved in 1981.

Products: Equal, NutraSweet, AminoSweet, Sugar Twin. Used in powdered

drink mixes, soft drinks, breakfast cereals and other dry packaged foods. Cannot be used in baked goods, because it breaks down at high temperatures. The only sweetener in Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper.

Safety: According to the FDA, aspartame is one of the most exhaustively studied substances in the human food supply, with more than 100 studies supporting its safety. Watchdog groups, however, point to several studies that say it might increase cancer risk. Some people report headaches from aspartame.

Note: People with the rare genetic condition phenylketonuria (PKU) should not consume products containing aspartame.

4. Neotame (Newtame). FDA-approved, 2002. This chemical cousin of aspartame is not currently found in soft drinks and not used often in packaged foods because it doesn’t taste quite like sugar. It can be used in baked goods, but will most likely be mixed with another artificial sweetener or sugar to compensate for the taste.

Safety: In determining the safety of neo-

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tame, the FDA says it reviewed data from more than 113 animal and human studies designed to identify possible toxic effects.

Watchdog groups say neotame appears safe, but caution that it has not been tested by independent researchers.

5. Saccharin. FDA-approved: before 1958.

Products: Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet ‘N Low, Necta Sweet. Approved for use in processed foods, beverages, fruit juice drinks, and bases or mixes, and as a sugar substitute for cooking or table use.

Safety: Studies showing saccharin caused cancer in rats nearly led to a ban in 1977.

Thirty human studies have since found that saccharin is safe for human consumption.

Note: It’s recommended that a 150-lb. person not have more than 8.5 packets of saccharin a day according to safety levels established for this sweetener.

6. Sucralose. FDA-approved: 1999.

Products: Splenda. The most common artificial sweetener. Found in baked goods, kettle corn, frozen desserts, ice cream, soft drinks and prepared meals, often mixed with aspartame or ace-K. Safety: The FDA reviewed 110 safety studies in approving the use of sucralose.

Brand-new research found sucralose caused leukemia in mice.

Note: A small child who drinks more than 2-3 cans of sucralose-sweetened soda a day could exceed the Acceptable Daily Intake.

7. Sugar alcohols (erythritol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and others). Not sugar or alcohol, these sweeteners are reduced calorie, but not calorie-free. Found in ice creams, cookies, puddings, candies and chewing gum labeled “sugar-free” or “no sugar added.”

Today most sugar alcohols are made in a lab, but many exist in nature so they’re not technically considered “artificial” sweeteners. Most sugar alcohols have no FDA approval date because they are not regulated as food additives.

Safety: Safe, but may cause gastrointestinal distress if you consume too much.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2015 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 28

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information, call (410) 887-1245.

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 5

11

An important warning if you take statins Sometimes blind faith leads to a disas- Known problems with statins ter. Sometimes a miracle. Where will you What an irony! The problem is that end up? many other studies have found similar disIf you’re one of the millions astrous effects of statins on of people diagnosed with high the heart. It has to do with micholesterol, you will more tochondrial dysfunction, than likely be given a prewhich means that the little scription statin pill. These generators in your heart cells work well to reduce cholesget sick. terol, and come in many Your heart is a very high brand and generic forms: Loenergy muscle. It requires vastatin for Mevacor, atorvasthriving mitochondria in tatin for Lipitor, pravastatin order to churn out ATP, your for Pravachol, fluvastatin for energy molecule. Statins are DEAR Lescol, simvastatin for Zocor, toxic to mitochondria because PHARMACIST pitavastatin for Livalo, and rothey deplete coenzyme Q10,

By Suzy Cohen suvastatin for Crestor. which is needed for healthy Statins affect many pathmitochondria. ways in the body. They are strong anti-inStatins also deplete a special protein flammatories, and are being tested for called “Heme A” that totes oxygen and their use in cancer patients. As for choles- iron to your heart. Its long-term depletion terol reduction, they work by crushing a interrupts ATP production and leads to natural enzyme in your body that would cellular fatigue, among other major probotherwise produce cholesterol. lems.

I want you to make a mental note, You cannot survive long-term without statins do not suck out gooey cholesterol adequate ATP production, so it needs to from your arteries, nor do they negate be restored. Fatigue, cramps, muscle cheese fries. No, these drugs merely sup- weakness, memory loss, depression, canpress the new production of cholesterol by cer… you must have ATP in your body or your body. Here’s where blind faith (take else! this pill and you’ll feel better) collides with Statins also inhibit the biosynthesis of scientific research. vitamin K2, which we manufacture if we Last month, a study was published in have healthy intestinal gut flora. Do you? I the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology don’t know anyone who has a perfect gut. entitled, “Statins stimulate atherosclerosis K2 comes from fermented veggies. It and heart failure: pharmacological mecha- protects our arteries from calcium plaques nisms.” Repeat: “Statins stimulate athero- or atherosclerosis. Without enough K2, sclerosis and heart failure.” Whoa! statin-induced or not, we are comproThe researchers concluded, “The epi- mised. demic of heart failure and atherosclerosis Today, we know statins also block very that plagues the modern world may para- special, powerful proteins known as sedoxically be aggravated by the pervasive lenoproteins because they contain seleniuse of statin drugs.” um. The most famous of those is called

glutathione peroxidase, which protects muscle tissue from free radical damage (oxidation).

Your heart is the busiest muscle in your body. It has to work 24/7. Your heart muscle cells are ‘burned’ from all the oxidation (due to the impairment of selenoprotein biosynthesis), and this is a factor in congestive heart failure. This reminds me of Keshan’s disease, which is heart failure due to low selenium.

If you have to take statins, please use the lowest dose possible. Be diligent about putting back the nutrients that statins interfere with, such as coenzyme Q10, selenium and vitamin K2, along with other heart-healthy nutrients.

However, there are exceptions to taking

these nutrients, so ask your doctor (yes, the same one that gave you the statin).

This is a classic case of drug mugging (where a medication depletes essential nutrients), so I hope you will consider replenishing some of the affected nutrients, especially if you have uncomfortable or new symptoms. Talk to your physician about dosages of these vitamins, because this is a highly individual matter.

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

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

We specialize in short-term rehabilitation and long-term relationships.

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Myths and facts: whole grains vs. gluten

By Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D. At first glance, whole grains like whole wheat, barley, quinoa and brown rice may not seem controversial, but misconceptions and half-truths abound, creating barriers to meeting the U.S. Dietary Guide-

lines recommendation to consume at least three servings of whole grains a day.

Here’s what we learned on the subject at the recent conference “Whole Grains: Breaking Barriers,” organized by Oldways, a Boston-based nonprofit food and

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nutrition organization: Myth No. 1: Much of the wheat found in food products is genetically modified (GMO).

Fact: Not true. Despite what some popular, gluten-free diet books claim, there is no GMO wheat commercially available in the U.S. Myth No. 2: Today’s wheat crops have been bred to contain more gluten than in the past.

Fact: Wrong again. The level of gluten in today’s wheat crops is similar to what it was in the 20th century. However, the average consumption of gluten-containing products has increased, as gluten is added as a thickener or stabilizing agent to a lot of processed foods — such as soy sauce, ketchup, spice mixes, processed meats and chicory coffee.

Myth No. 3: Eliminating gluten from

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your diet, including that found in whole wheat, is a great way to help you lose weight.

Fact: There’s no evidence that getting rid of gluten will help you lose weight. In fact, research shows that people who consume whole grains, many of which contain gluten, either lose weight or gain less weight over time, compared to people who consume little or no whole grains.

If you lose weight on a gluten-free diet, it’s most likely because you’re eating fewer calories as a result of the recommended dietary restrictions.

Myth No. 4: Gluten-free products are lower in calories.

Fact: If only! A lot of gluten-free products are actually higher in calories than gluten-containing products, because of the extra fat and sugar sometimes added to make up for the missing gluten — a protein that helps provide structure and body to baked products. Read labels.

Myth No. 5: Grain consumption triggers inflammation.

Fact: Actually, research shows that consuming whole grains can help reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is associated with a higher risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Myth No. 6: Whole grains are bland and boring.

See GRAINS VS. GLUTEN, page 13

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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 5

Grains vs. gluten From page 12 Fact: It’s not your mother’s whole grains you’re seeing on the shelves. The number of flavorful, light whole-grain products has grown exponentially over the last several years. The variety you’ll find in almost any supermarket is impressive, from whole-wheat pearl couscous and organic 7grain pancake and waffle mix, to almond whole-grain bread and whole-grain waffles.

Myth No. 7: Whole grains are dense and heavy.

Fact: While some whole-grain products are much more dense than products made with processed white wheat flour, today there are many products made with wholewheat white flour (from a different strain of wheat than most wheat products), which are much lighter in color and flavor than the whole grains of yesteryear, and still provide the health benefits of whole grains.

Myth No. 8: Whole grains take too long to cook.

Fact: Again, while traditional whole grains, like brown rice, take much longer to cook than their highly refined counterparts, many whole-grain products, such as multi-grain rices, brown rice and brown and wild rice mixes are now available that cook in a minute or two in the microwave.

Myth No. 9: All grains send blood sugar on a roller coaster ride of peaks and valleys, and have a negative effect on health.

Fact: It’s actually the opposite. Eating whole grains helps maintain lower blood sugar levels, and people who eat the most whole grains, whether they contain gluten or not, are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Myth No. 10: Avoiding grains that contain gluten will lower your risk of several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Fact: Your risk will be reduced only if you’re avoiding highly processed refined grains, such as cakes, cookies and doughnuts made with refined white flour, whether or not they contain gluten. But don’t confuse the idea of avoiding processed refined grains with avoiding all grains. Whole grains, whether they contain gluten or not, can benefit your health in a variety of ways.

Myth No. 11: All wheat, including whole wheat, is addictive and must be cut out of the diet in order to feel better and be healthy.

Fact: Not so. Wheat has no addictive properties. You may have read that researchers have identified a compound in wheat that can interact with opioid receptors in the brain, which is where addiction takes place. But the same compound is found in milk, rice and even spinach. And no one worries about becoming addicted to spinach!

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2015 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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May 21+

TELEPHONE SUPPORT GROUP FOR ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVERS

A virtual support group for dementia caregivers that provides a safe and confidential environment for conversation, support, guidance, resources and education from the comfort of your own home or office is now available the third Thursday of every month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Register by calling 1-800272-3900 or emailing ywright@alz.org. Once registered, you will be given the call-in number and participant code for the meeting.

Ongoing

HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR MEN

The Men’s Health Center (MHC), operated by Total Health Care, Inc., is located at 1515 W. North Ave. and provides primary care, screening and health education to uninsured males residing in Baltimore City. Based on screening, the center provides referrals to various specialty care services including oral health, STD, podiatry, radiology, cardiology, urology, ophthalmology, substance abuse and mental health service. For more information, call (410) 383-8300 or visit www.totalhealthcare.org/locations/mens-health-center.

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High schoolers From page 1 experience here at Charlestown. We aren’t sitting around in rocking chairs. We are busy taking college classes, joining clubs, and attending events — it feels more like a college campus than a retirement community.”

This month, the residents will celebrate the current class of graduating students with a graduation ceremony held in the John Erickson Conference Center. It is an opportunity for the students to introduce their families from home to their resident family at Charlestown.

Poulton said she has met many students who started out as servers and went on to become managers or work in the culinary arts field.

Judah L. Ronch, dean and professor at UMBC’s Erickson School of Aging, com-

mented on the mutual benefits of programs like the one at Charlestown. “High school students gain a unique perspective on the aging population, while also reinforcing their social and customer service skills, while elders enjoy being ‘grandparents by proxy’ to these young people,” he said.

“Such experiences encourage students to start thinking about the aged in our society, and how they need to be cared for and respected,” Ronch continued.

Ronch added that such a program gives both students and elders “a comfortable space” in which to form relationships.

“The residents have the opportunity to shape this generation without it being their ‘job.’ It’s socializing but without a lesson plan, so to speak.”

While there are intergenerational programs at many retirement communities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

the like, the difference is that a program such as Charlestown’s builds relationships.

“Relationship is the key word,” Ronch explained. “The residents see these kids every day. It’s not just a ‘hit and run’ occasional visit.

There are benefits to ongoing relationships that you don’t get from occasional contact.”

Ronch acknowledged that such programs require an extra level of management responsibility, but he feels that the investment more than warrants the effort and would like to see other communities offer similar programs.

One such program is at Oak Crest, another Erickson Retirement Community, located in Parkville. The Student Scholars Program at Oak Crest is modeled after the one at Charlestown and is just as successful, say both residents and students.

Dr. Jack Orth, 83, a retired family physician at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, moved to Oak Crest with his wife five years ago. The former resident of Harford County became familiar with the program while serving on the Residents’ Advisory Council.

“Why does this win-win relationship between the students and residents work so well?” he asked. “It’s that generous people are being generous with each other. With their vibrant personalities, the students remind us that this is a great time in our lives. In turn, the residents want to see that the students have the means to achieve their dreams.”

This year marks the 19th year of the program at Oak Crest, with an awards ceremony scheduled for April 22 with 38 student honorees, plus family members, residents and dignitaries.

Over the last 18 years, the program has raised over $2.36 million, assisting 671 students in advancing their education. The funds are mainly generated from residents. A resident committee partners with management in developing the annual fundraising campaign. Employees and outside donors can also contribute.

“This program is a special part of the overarching culture at Oak Crest,” said Todd Sullivan, director of philanthropy. “It reflects a special symbiotic relationship between the residents and students, both finding joy in the experiences and stories of the other. Even in tough times, both generations find comfort in a friendly hug and even a shoulder to cry on.”

One of this year’s awardees, Meghan Kozlowski, works in the Windows Restaurant at Oak Crest and will be attending a local college in the fall.

“Working at Oak Crest has been, and still is, a great experience for me,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place to have as a first job because it teaches you a lot of values and how to be responsible. Residents have made an impact on me by showing me how much they appreciate everything that I do for them.”

Additional reporting by Jeffrey Getek.

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 5

15

Can you pare down your medications?

If you can’t remember the last time you did an inventory of your pill bottles, you may want to add that to your to-do list.

Like some items in your wardrobe, the drugs that suited you at one point may not work as well as you go through life.

Your kidneys and liver are responsible for clearing drugs from the body. As you age, these two organs clear drugs more slowly. As a result, drugs remain at higher levels in your blood for a longer time, so a dose of a drug that was optimal for you 20 years ago may be too high today.

With age, people also gain fat and lose muscle mass, which contains water. This shift also changes the way drugs are distributed to and broken down in body tissues.

And if you have developed some chronic conditions, you may be taking more prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications than you did 20 years ago. Each of those drugs has the potential to suppress or enhance the effectiveness of other drugs you take.

For example, there are hundreds of over-the-counter supplements and prescription drugs that can change the speed at which the anti-clotting drug warfarin (Coumadin) is metabolized.

Because drugs stay in the body longer as we age, their side effects can be more

severe. The following are especially likely to have significant side effects: 1. Benzodiazepines. This category of medications to treat anxiety or insomnia includes long-acting drugs like Valium (diazepam) and Klonopin (clonazepam), and shorter-acting ones like Xanax (alprazolam).

They’ve been associated with increased risk of falls, confusion and memory loss.

They also tend to create dependence, and you can have withdrawal effects if you stop taking them.

2. Medications containing diphenhydramine. Developed in the 1940s, diphenhydramine has been sold over the counter as Benadryl for allergy relief for decades. It also makes people drowsy, so it’s been incorporated into sleeping aids like Zzzquil and Sominex. It constricts blood vessels, leading to confusion, blurred vision and other side effects.

“It’s the one drug I advise my older patients never to use,” said Dr. Sarah Berry, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

3. Antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants, including amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), doxepin (Sinequan), and imipramine (Tofranil) can cause drowsiness and sudden drops in blood pressure, increasing the risk of falls and accidents.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, like fluoxetine (Prozac), were once thought to be safer, but recent research has indicated that they’re also associated with an increased risk of falling.

4. Sleeping pills. The so-called Zdrugs — zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), and zopiclone (Imovane) — have many of the side effects of benzodiazepines, including next-day drowsiness.

“The increased risk of falls and fractures is high, especially when you first start,” Dr. Berry said. In 2013, the FDA lowered the maximum recommended dose of Ambien for women from 10 mg. to 7.5 mg. due to concerns for driving safety and mental acuity with the higher dose.

A great way to make sure you’re taking

only the drugs you need is to put all of the prescription and over-the-counter drugs and supplements you take into a bag and bring it to your next medical appointment.

Sometimes the drug or dose your provider thinks you use isn’t exactly the same as the one you’re taking. Bringing in everything is a good way for the doctor to see everything you take.

And you should ask your doctor the same two questions about every drug in the bag, Dr. Berry said: “Do I need to be taking this?” and “Could I get by with a lower dose?”

— Harvard Women’s Health Watch © 2015. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Studies Page

M AY 2 0 1 5 — 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 exercise help beat cancer fatigue?

By Carol Sorgen The Baltimore VA Medical Center is currently recruiting postmenopausal breast cancer patients for a research study on the effects of exercise on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in the United States, and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths.

During and after treatment, women with breast cancer frequently experience cancer-related fatigue, stress and depression.

They also show a decline in physical activity and function, which significantly impacts quality of life.

The reasons for this fatigue are likely due to multiple factors, such as physical deconditioning, loss of muscle mass, increase in inflammation throughout the body, insulin resistance, and changes in muscle and fat metabolism.

Medication causes joint pain In postmenopausal women, hormone re-

ceptor-positive tumors are the most common breast cancers, and drug therapies that block the production or effects of estrogen (known as aromatase inhibitors, or AIs) are the standard of care for long-term estrogen suppression in these patients.

Thanks to effective drugs like these and others, there are estimated to be over 2.97 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., and this number is expected to climb to 3.79 million by January 2022.

The estrogen deficiency AIs cause, however, results in multiple side effects, including joint and muscle aches, which can result in less physical activity and physical deconditioning.

An article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reports that up to 50 percent of women taking AI suffer from joint pain and stiffness within six months of beginning their treatment. Patients cite this as the most common reason for not following their treatment plan.

Hence, researchers want to identify

Diabetes Research Study 50- to 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.

Parking and compensation for your time will be provided.

Call 410-605-7179.

Mention code: EPC-DM.

methods to reduce side effects so that patients continue to follow their treatment plan and experience as few side effects as possible.

Because exercise has been proven to be beneficial for individuals suffering from osteoarthritis, researchers are hopeful that it will have the same benefit for those suffering AI-related joint pain.

Current therapies mainly focus on helping patients who develop symptoms, rather than prevention of those symptoms.

Researchers hope that understanding the role of exercise in preventing side effects from AI will allow them to translate these findings into therapy guidelines.

What the study entails Participants in the Baltimore VA Medical Center’s study will be randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group will participate in supervised aerobic and resistance training two times a week for 14 weeks at the VA Medical Center at 10 N. Greene St. Participants in the second group will be counseled on American Cancer Society

and American College of Sports Medicine physical activity and nutritional guidelines at the beginning of the study, and will be contacted by a physician or nurse who will provide support and encouragement during weeks two, six, 10 and 14.

Participants in both groups will be evaluated on their level of fatigue, muscle performance and musculoskeletal symptoms.

To qualify for the study, patients must be between the ages of 40 and 80, experience mild fatigue, and have stage I, II or III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

They must have already completed standard surgery and chemotherapy (if needed), but may undergo radiation therapy during the study.

Participants must also be non-smokers, have been postmenopausal for at least a year, and not already be participating in a regular exercise program.

The exercise programs and counseling in the study are free. No additional compensation is provided.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Monica Serra, PhD, at (410) 6057000, ext. 4199 or monica.serra@va.gov.

BEACON BITS

May 7+

HARBOR PAINTINGS The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum Park in

Fells Point will display works by Baltimore County artist Liz Brasser. The majority of the paintings on display are a result of the artist’s work from this past summer, when she could be found painting in the early morning hours on the various docks and piers of Baltimore’s colorful harbor. “Portraits of the Harbor and the People of My Life” opens with an artist’s reception on Thursday, May 7, from 6 to 9 p.m., accompanied by live music from the Preludio String Quartet. The exhibition and sale will continue until June 30. The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum Park is located at 1417 Thames St. The museum is open Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call (410) 685-0295 or visit www.douglassmyers.org.

Want to Prevent Falls in the Elderly?

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

Intergenerational conversation starters When you get together with a child, with my grandmother about conversation grandchild or younger neighbor, do you starters, and she told me a story about how, when she was my age, find it easy to engage in conshe learned an important lesversation? If you answered no, son about communication. you aren’t alone.

She explained that whenevMany people feel awkward er she went to her orthodonand say they don’t know what tist appointment in Washingto talk about when they are ton, DC, she read a magazine with a member of the younger the doctor had in his office generation. Hopefully, that is waiting room titled Calling All something I can help change.

Girls. She vividly remembers Different generations actually an article that was all about do have a lot to talk about. how to start conversations One topic that is a great GENERATIONS with others. The advice was to thing to talk about is school. TOGETHER ask questions. It was a simple Both the young and old have By Alexis Bentz suggestion, but it really works. experienced it before, and it My grandmother has used that advice could be interesting to compare experiences and think about change over time for decades and she says it has taken her (teachers, lessons, clubs, community serv- far. She became a beloved teacher, and has also written a few short books, and her ice, etc.).

That is another thing you can discuss: communication skills really helped her change. You can talk about how times reach those goals.

A few great questions to ask youngsters have changed from years ago until now.

Talk about the differences in technology, are: What are you reading? What did you or the differences in clothing and style, or do today? What is your favorite movie? Are you participating in any fun after-school the differences in literature and media.

And there are so many world events and activities? If you had three wishes, what issues you can debate, from when you would they be?

Finally, a great follow up question to any were in school until now.

You can also tell stories, recall memories, inquiry you make is, “why?” Asking for exor even create a tale. You can also talk about planations and seeing another’s point of how to arrange for ongoing means of com- view can really stimulate a conversation.

I will elaborate on many of these ideas munication; for example, becoming a pen pal or email pal, or learning how to Skype in future columns. But in the meantime, why not give a few of these topics a try? and text.

Alexis Bentz is a middle-school student at Another simple but beneficial thing that you can do is just ask a question. I spoke Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville, Md.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

VOLUNTEER AT CROMWELL VALLEY PARK Cromwell Valley Park, located just outside Towson, offers opportuni-

ties for volunteers to participate in a variety of programs, from assisting with school field trips and special events, to gardening and trail maintenance. For more information, call (410) 887-2503 or visit www.cromwellvalleypark.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

19

Don’t give in to an elder’s discrimination Dear Solutions: tween her and her grandfather. Your grandMy granddaughter is a lesbian and daughter must be who she is even if it means is “out of the closet.” not going to her friend’s home One of her best friends is any more. straight, and she doesn’t If her friend is a real friend, want her grandparents — she’ll understand and won’t with whom she lives — to ask her to lie. know about my grandDear Solutions: daughter because her What do you think about grandfather “hates gays.” age dif ference relationThe irony is that her friend ships where the woman is tells her that the grandfaolder than the man? I’m ther likes her a lot.

48 years old and divorced.

SOLUTIONS It took my granddaughMy friend’s nephew is 22,

By Helen Oxenberg, ter a long time and a long and as strange as it MSW, ACSW struggle to come out to our sounds, I’m very attracted own family, and now she’s to him. being asked to go back in the closet I can feel that he’s very attracted to for her friend’s grandparent. me also, but he’s very shy. Should I Since we’re talking about the grand- make the first move, since he’s so parent generation, she asked me for shy? some advice about how to handle this.

— Older Woman Suggestions?

Dear Older Woman: — Emma You’re right. He’s shy about 26 years!

Dear Emma: If you really felt this was the right thing She should tell her friend that the closet to do, you wouldn’t be asking. Male or fedoesn’t have a revolving door — out is out! male, 22 is very young, very inexperiIt might do her friend’s grandfather some enced, very vulnerable. Someone 48 and good to discover that “some of his best divorced is practically from another planet. friends (or his granddaughter’s) are gay.”

I know there are May-December marHowever, that’s his problem, and that’s be- riages that have worked, but not many.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 30

CANCER SYMPTOMS YOU CAN’T IGNORE Early detection of cancer symptoms is vital to early diagnosis and treatment. Johns Hopkins Medicine will host an interactive webi-

nar on Thursday, April 30, from 7 to 8 p.m., with a surgical oncologist and gastroenterologist who will discuss cancer symptoms such as bleeding, gastrointestinal issues, and unexplained changes in weight. For more information, call (877) 546-1009 or visit www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthseminars.

And when they do, it’s usually for unusual reasons.

Attraction and real love is mostly onesided and short-lived in this kind of relationship. So don’t turn his head. Turn yours — in another direction.

Dear Solutions: I’m what I guess people would call a handyman. I’ve always been good at fixing things and figuring out what’s wrong and can be fixed.

Now I’ve retired, and acquaintances and friends who know what I can do ask me, and I do these things gladly.

However, other people in the community have heard of me and are constantly asking me if I would mind doing this or that “little thing.”

I don’t charge anyone — although I could use the money — but it is getting a little overwhelming.

I would still do it for close friends, but how do I tell others that I want to be

paid now? I feel a little embarrassed about asking. I don’t want to alienate people.

— Harry Dear Harry: So you want to be paid, but you also want to be liked.

Tell people that you’ve actually started a little “handyman” job part time, and will be happy to help them, but can’t do it free for one and not others.

You can, however, still do it as a favor for close relatives and very close friends.

After all, you don’t want to go to a family or friend’s dinner party and be handed a bill for the meal. So, one hand washes the other, even if one is a handyman’s hand. © Helen Oxenberg, 2015. 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.

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Money Law &

SIDESTEP PROBATE Plan your estate carefully to avoid probate’s costs and delays MUTUAL FUNDS REOPEN Some closed funds are opening, but does that mean you should invest?

ABCs OF MEDIGAP A guide to choosing supplemental insurance to fill Medicare’s gaps ALL ABOUT IRAs IRAs can be used for investments other than stocks and bonds

Most mutual funds doing well this year

By Stan Choe Sometimes, nearly everyone wins.

Last quarter was a winner for the vast majority of mutual-fund investors, as 87 percent of all funds delivered gains. Rising stock markets around the world and a drop in interest rates drove the returns, continuing a years-long run for funds.

To be sure, the gains were typically smaller than what investors enjoyed earlier in this bull market. But they were widespread. Of the 95 different fund categories that Morningstar tracks, 84 logged gains on average.

Those with losses were often in niche areas, such as Latin American stock funds or emerging-market bond funds, and likely play only a supporting role in portfolios.

Largest fund shows trend Consider the mutual fund that’s a centerpiece of many retirement accounts: Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index fund. It’s the largest fund by assets — nearly double the size of the No. 2 fund — and it delivered its 10th quarter of gains in the last 11 despite starting the year slowly.

It was down more than 3 percent in midJanuary, hurt by worries about plunging profits for energy companies. The fund tracks the performance of the broad U.S. stock market, and 7 percent of its portfolio is in the oil and gas industry.

But stocks recovered as the quarter pro-

gressed, and the fund ended up returning 1.8 percent. It got a particular boost from smaller companies in its portfolio. It owns everything from Tel-Instrument Electronics, which has a market value of about $20 million, to Apple, which is more than 30,000 times larger.

Tel-Instrument Electronics stock jumped 20 percent last quarter, more than Apple or the large-cap Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

It was a similar trend across the market, and small-cap stock funds generally beat their large-cap rivals.

Small cap stocks excel The average small-cap growth stock fund returned 5.8 percent, versus 3.5 percent for the average large-cap growth stock fund. That’s a turnaround from last year, when small-cap stocks were generally listless due to worries that they’d become too expensive relative to their earnings.

The surging dollar helped fuel demand for small-cap stocks. The dollar jumped to its highest level against the euro in more than a decade, and it also set multi-year highs against the Japanese yen, Canadian dollar and other currencies.

That hurts U.S. companies that do lots of business abroad because sales made in euros or yen are worth fewer dollars than a year ago. Such companies are typically big, while small-cap stocks generally do more of their business in the United

States, so their revenue isn’t as affected.

A look at some of the other trends that drove fund performance last quarter: Foreign stock funds led the way.

Central banks in Europe and Japan are pushing big stimulus programs for their economies, sending their stock markets higher. Japanese stock funds returned an average 10.9 percent last quarter, the best performance of any fund category. European stock funds returned an average 4.8 percent.

Funds that “hedge” to negate the effect of shifting currency values had even higher returns. While the falling euro helps revenues for European exporters, it also erodes returns of European stocks when translated into dollars.

Healthcare stock funds are still hot.

Healthcare stock funds have been some of the best, not only over the last quarter but also over the last year. They returned an average 10.7 percent from January through March, second-best among 95 fund categories. Over the last year, they’ve returned 32.4 percent, also good for second place.

Earnings for healthcare companies are growing faster than for the rest of the market, attracting investors. But stock prices have shot up so quickly that worries are rising they’ve become too expensive.

Even the Federal Reserve has made some noise. Nearly a year ago, in July 2014, it said that valuations “appear to be

stretched” in biotechnology. The Nasdaq Biotechnology index has surged about 35 percent since then.

Bond funds are defying expectations.

Rising interest rates are one of the biggest fears for bond-fund investors.

They can cause losses by knocking down the price of existing bonds.

Coming into the year, much of Wall Street projected that interest rates would rise. The economy was strengthening, and the Federal Reserve was expected to raise its key short-term interest rate for the first time since 2006.

But the Federal Reserve indicated in March that it may move slower in increasing rates than many expected. Several economic reports also came in weaker than expected, and interest rates dropped during the first quarter. That drove most bond funds to gains last quarter, with long-term bond funds delivering the biggest returns.

Index funds are still the top choice for investors.

Investors continued their march into index funds last quarter, and out of funds run by stock pickers. Nearly $23 billion flowed out of actively managed U.S. stock funds in the year’s first two months, while $12 billion went into their index-fund rivals.

Index funds offer lower expenses than actively managed ones. And over the last 10 years, they’ve also offered better performance.

— AP

Tech stocks soar in a strong resurgence

By Stan Choe Whenever you hear, “this time is different,” the wise move is usually to ignore it.

But when it comes to technology stocks, which are flying at levels unseen since the dot-com boom was about to go bust, mutual-fund managers are insisting that this time really is different. And they’re largely right.

The Nasdaq composite index is trading near its record level set in 2000, but the lofty level is better supported this time.

Tech companies are more profitable, and they’re paying dividends. Analysts are judging them based on how much cash they generate rather than how many eyeballs they attract on the Internet.

And investors are now only mildly interested in tech funds, instead of clamoring for them. That means fund managers don’t expect a repeat of what happened the last time the Nasdaq was this high, when the index went on to plunge nearly 80 percent in less than three years.

And strategists along Wall Street, from Goldman Sachs to Deutsche Bank, say technology remains one of the more attractive sectors of the market.

Check out big, older stocks To be sure, warning signs are flashing that the overall stock market may be too expensive. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is trading at close to its highest level

in a decade relative to its earnings. And particularly high valuations for pockets of the tech sector are making bargain-hunting investors wince, such as the hot socialmedia and big-data arenas.

But fund managers say big, well-established tech stocks still look ready to deliver more gains.

Consider Paul Meeks, who may have more reason than anyone to steer clear. In 2000 he was running the Merrill Lynch Internet Strategies fund, which launched the same month that the Nasdaq peaked. The fund started with more than $1 billion in assets, but lasted less than two years before it merged with another fund as the dot-com bubble deflated.

“I learned from the lashes on my back, from making mistakes,” Meeks said.

He’s now portfolio manager of the Sextant Growth fund, which can invest in stocks from any sector, not just Internetrelated companies, and can sell stocks and move into cash if things look too expensive.

But Meeks still keeps a big chunk of his fund in technology stocks, about 25 percent at the end of last year. Some of his biggest holdings include Apple and Facebook. The fund ranked in the top 17 percent of its category in 2014, Meeks’ first full year at the helm.

See TECH STOCKS, page 21

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

Tech stocks From page 20

It’s not the year 2000 Among the reasons managers say tech is much better positioned now than in 2000: Profits are bigger.

Tech companies slashed costs to improve profitability after the dot-com bubble burst. “Tech spent the better part of the last decade in its own private recession,” said Josh Spencer, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price Global Technology fund.

“Tech frankly kind of grew up while nobody was looking at it.”

The sector is reaping the benefits. Tech companies kept about 18 cents of every $1 in revenue as operating profit last year, more than any other sector and nearly double the average for the S&P 500.

Valuations are better.

The price of a stock generally depends on how much profit a company generates and how much investors will pay for it. Because tech companies are earning much more now than in 2000, their price-earn-

ings ratios look much more reasonable.

Cisco Systems, for example, trades at 18 times its earnings per share over the last 12 months, versus 270 times in March 2000.

As a group, technology stocks are among the least expensive in the market. Only the telecom and financial sectors have lower prices relative to their expected earnings.

Dividends exist.

In 2000, dividends were seen as a sign of weakness. Investors wanted all available cash to fund more growth. Perceptions have changed. Technology is now the biggest dividend payer of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500, and has a yield of 1.5 percent.

Investors are more skeptical.

In 2000, investors scrambled into tech stock funds, and the demand pushed valuations ever higher. Investors are now more circumspect. They put a net $1.8 billion into tech mutual funds and exchange-traded funds over the last year, according to Morningstar. That’s less than went into such niche categories as global real estate or gold mining stocks.

Of course, the growth potential that

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technology stocks offer also comes with big price swings. New technologies are constantly making older ones obsolete, leading to more volatility.

During the dot-com bubble, people were too exposed to something that should have been a sideline to their portfolio rather

21

than the core, said Meeks, who said he, too, lost money when the Merrill Lynch Internet Strategies fund fell.

That’s why managers suggest keeping tech stocks as only a portion of a diversified portfolio, not as its centerpiece.

— AP

22

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Plan ahead to avoid probate’s costs, delays Probate is a process by which property is distributed to a decedent’s beneficiaries.

In most situations, it is time-consuming, offers no benefits, and can result in expensive, avoidable legal expenses.

In probate, the will is filed with a local court; the decedent’s property is identified and appraised; debts are paid; challenges to the will’s validity are adjudicated; and the remaining assets are distributed as the will specifies.

Normally, probate takes approximately up to a year, often longer. The executor appointed in the will is responsible for hiring a probate attorney, when required.

Even with a modest estate, attorney fees can be substantial. Probate costs vary by state, but you can expect them to be ap-

proximately 5 percent of the value of property in the estate.

Steering clear of probate There are ways to avoid probate, and it’s in the interest of your heirs to investigate these options. An excellent source is 8 Ways to Avoid Probate (Nolo) by Mary Randolph, J.D. Here are a few strategies.

• A living trust. A living trust is a revocable trust, meaning you can change it at any time while still living. You specify the beneficiary of any assets in the trust agreement, as you would in a will. After your death, the assets go directly to your inheritors without probate and without a waiting period. You can name alternate beneficiaries.

Court challenges to living trusts are through probate. rare. It is generally more difficult to chal• Payable-on-death accounts. Bank lenge a living trust than a will in court. account assets, including certificates of deA living trust does not elimiposit, can easily be kept out of nate the need for a will. Almost probate by simply designating no one transfers everything to them as payable-on-death and a trust. Any assets not transtelling your bank the name of ferred to your trust won’t pass your intended beneficiary. under the terms of the trust Your beneficiary will have imagreement. You can use a mediate access to the funds “pour-over” will directing any after your death. remaining property be poured The only disadvantage is over into your living trust. that you can’t name an alterA disadvantage of the livnate beneficiary. So if your THE SAVINGS ing trust is that is more work, GAME original beneficiary dies, adand more expensive, to cre- By Elliot Raphaelson vise your bank to change the ate and maintain than other beneficiary. probate-avoidance alterna• Transfer-on-death regtives. Although it is the most flexible way istration for stocks and bonds. Unless to avoid probate, not everyone needs one. you live in Louisiana or Texas, you can Ask your attorney. name someone to inherit your stocks, • Naming a beneficiary for your re- bonds or brokerage accounts without protirement accounts. When you establish a bate. retirement plan, you will be asked to name • Property held in joint ownership. beneficiaries (and optional alternative The following ways to own property in ones). You may change beneficiaries at any joint ownership avoid probate: joint tenantime up to your death. A will does not over- cy with right of survivorship; tenancy by ride beneficiary elections you make on the entirety; and community property with these forms! Any beneficiary changes must right of survivorship (applicable only in be made on the forms associated with your five states). Ask your attorney for advice. retirement account. If you have a named © 2015 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed beneficiary, the accounts will not go 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 5

23

Some closed mutual funds are reopening

By Stan Choe The velvet rope is dropping in front of more mutual funds.

Some smaller corners of the market have stalled recently, even as the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closes in on its record high. That means some fund managers are once again welcoming new investors, after they had closed their funds years ago to new money.

More than a dozen mutual funds have reopened their doors over the last year, according to data compiled by Morningstar.

The number doesn’t include funds that have partially re-opened — those that still bar new entrants but allow longtime investors to add more money.

Why funds reopen Funds reopen to investors when they’re looking for new cash to invest. That usually comes after assets have shrunk because their corner of the market has broadly struggled or because the fund’s managers have made poor investment choices. In 2008, when the financial crisis sent global markets plunging, at least 46 mutual funds reopened to new investors.

The funds that have reopened over the last year cover a grab bag of categories, including natural resources and dividend-paying stocks. But more than a quarter of them

focus on small-cap stocks, which hit a wall last year. Small-caps had their worst performance in 16 years relative to large-cap stocks.

“You look at the market as a cycle, and there tend to be times to sow and times to reap,” said Buzz Zaino. He’s the lead portfolio manager of the Royce Opportunity fund, which has closed twice since 2003, when the small-cap market was hot and buying opportunities were scarce. It has also reopened twice, when the market was down and cheap stocks were easier to find.

Analysts generally see it as a sign of good stewardship if a fund closes before growing too large. A bigger pile of assets can mean more fees for fund managers, but it also forces them to use it. Stock pickers can run out of ideas they feel strongly about if they have too much cash.

Another danger for small-cap stock funds in particular is that a fund could build up too big a stake in a single stock, which makes selling later on more difficult.

straight years through 2009 by focusing on high-quality, small-cap stocks that hold up better during downturns.

Since closing, assets for the Perkins Small Cap Value fund have shrunk to roughly $1.7 billion from a peak of close to $3.5 billion. Its investing style held it back in the years following the financial crisis, when low-quality stocks surged.

The fund lagged the average return for its category in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Then in 2014, small-cap stocks stalled due to

worries they’d become too expensive relative to their earnings.

In mid-2014 the fund began considering reopening, said co-manager Justin Tugman. The slowdown for small-cap stocks meant that valuations were looking more attractive, and the fund’s managers saw more potential buying opportunities.

Another co-manager of the fund, Tom Reynolds, said that in the past six to nine See MUTUAL FUNDS, page 24

An open and closed case study One of the latest funds to reopen is the Perkins Small Cap Value fund, which has a silver analyst rating from Morningstar.

The fund closed to new investors in 2010 when a rush of interest was pushing its asset level higher. That’s because the fund easily beat competitors for three

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

The ABCs of picking a Medigap policy

By Christopher J. Gearon People enrolling in traditional Medicare should buy a supplemental insurance policy to cover the substantial gaps left by deductibles and co-payments, according to consumer advocates.

But choosing a private Medigap plan can be daunting.

That’s what Joyce Katen discovered when she turned 65 last May. “I got so confused,” says Katen, a clothing manufacturing consultant in New York City. She turned to the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), a consumer group that helped her choose a policy among numerous offerings.

Like others approaching age 65, Katen first needed to decide how she’d protect

herself against Medicare’s large coverage gaps. Most beneficiaries have two options.

They can go with a private Medicare Advantage plan, which covers all Medicare benefits, provides drug coverage and limits outof-pocket costs. Or they can opt for traditional Medicare and buy a separate Medigap policy and a Part D prescription-drug plan.

For Katen, that decision was easy. Advantage plans restrict your selection of providers, and Katen said she wanted to be able to use any doctor she chooses, as traditional Medicare allows.

Filling in the gaps Then came the hard part for Katen: choosing a supplemental insurance policy.

Medigap policies are sold by private insur-

BEACON BITS

May 4

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Recognizing Maryland’s warfront and home-front role in support of the World War II victory is the focus of events sponsored by the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum. The Ghost Army’s industrial camouflage is the topic for the museum’s free program on Monday, May 4 at 7 p.m., to be held at the Lockheed Martin auditorium at 2323 Eastern Blvd.

Speaker Rick Beyer will discuss his book The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery. Although this event is free, a photo ID is required for entry into the auditorium building. For more information, call (410) 682-6122 or visit www.mdairmuseum.org.

ers in 10 standardized benefit designs, named A through N. With some exceptions, coverage and price generally increase as you move up the alphabet.

Plans C and F are held by a majority of the 9 million Medigap beneficiaries. Both pay the deductible for Medicare Part A, which covers hospital costs, and for Part B, which covers outpatient costs. The deductible for Part A is $1,260 for each benefit period in 2015, and the annual Part B deductible is $147. (Plans E, H, I and J are no longer sold, but if you hold one, you can continue to keep it in most cases.)

To figure out which policy is best for you, consider your “health status, family medical history and risk tolerance,” said Casey Schwarz, policy and client services counsel for the Medicare Rights Center.

Healthier beneficiaries who rarely need medical care may be best suited for highdeductible plans. Plans K and L are highdeductible policies that have lower premiums but impose higher out-of-pocket costs. Plan F also offers a high-deductible version.

But new beneficiaries should not choose a plan based solely on their health today. As long as you buy a Medigap policy within six months of enrolling in Part B, an insurer cannot reject you or charge you more because of medical issues. However, if you become ill and want to switch to a plan with better coverage, an insurer can boost the cost or turn you down.

Katen decided to go with the fullyloaded Plan F. Katen, who is healthy, said she would rather pay more for comprehensive coverage and not worry about footing the bill if she gets sick.

“I can’t imagine not having the coverage,” Katen said. She pays UnitedHealthcare, which sells policies under the AARP name, a monthly premium of $261, in addition to the monthly $104.90 Part B premium she pays to Medicare.

Mutual funds

The best-case scenario may be the Tweedy, Browne Global Value fund. Since reopening in 2008, it has produced an annualized return of roughly 5.5 percent. Over the same time, the average foreign, large-cap value stock fund has lost 0.1 percent annually.

But it’s close to a flip of a coin as to whether the fund will outperform its peers.

Among 226 mutual funds that have reopened to new investors since 2000, 112 have gone on to do better than the average fund in their category. That’s almost exactly 50 percent.

Another consideration is that a newly reopened fund could close if it gets hot and assets run up again.

— AP

From page 23 months, the team has been analyzing 10 to 15 new stocks a week as potential purchases.

The fund reopened to new investors at the start of the year.

Is it a good idea to invest?

So, does it pay to invest in a newly reopened fund? One consideration is that it’s typically a contrarian investment. Funds usually reopen only after struggling, whether that’s due to the market they focus on or their own missteps.

Find a plan that fits your needs Depending on the plans offered in your area, Plan N could be a middle ground for See ABCs OF MEDIGAP, page 25

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

25

What you may not know about your IRAs

By Anya Kamenetz While the basics of Individual Retirement Accounts or IRAs are simple, there are aspects of these retirement savings vehicles that can catch some people by surprise..

An IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement savings vehicle. It’s not an investment in and of itself. Once opened, you make annual contributions with a cap, currently $5,500 ($6,500 if you’re 50 or older). You have until April 15, 2015 to make your 2014 contribution, by the way. Then the money is typically placed into long-term investments such as stocks and bonds.

While a 401(k) comes through an em-

ployer, the IRA is open to everyone, and increasingly the recommendation is that pretty much everyone should have one.

But that’s just the beginning. Here are five important IRA facts: 1. IRAs may soon become automatic — and government-mandated.

In January, Illinois became the first state to require employers to offer an IRA. The rule holds if they have at least 25 employees and no other qualified retirement plan.

The only cost to the employer is to automatically enroll employees and offer automatic payroll deduction (employees may manually opt out if they wish).

The rule does not go into effect until at least 2017, but several other states are interested too, and President Obama is said to be friendly towards the idea of a similar federal mandate as well.

2. IRA savings can be used to pay for college.

I want to thank a reader, Tom Mertz, for pointing this one out. Money put away in a retirement account like an IRA, whether yours or your child’s, is not counted as assets against the family’s expected contribution when applying for federal financial aid to college. Yet IRA funds can be withdrawn without penalty to cover tuition at

an accredited college.

However, be careful when using this strategy, because funds withdrawn and spent one year will be counted as income the following year, potentially reducing the financial aid award.

3. It’s possible to put too much money in an IRA. There are generally two kinds of IRAs. With a traditional IRA, the income is taxfree when you put it in, and you pay taxes on the distribution when it comes out of the account. With a Roth IRA, it’s the oppo-

ABCs of Medigap

ums range from $1,752 to $3,768 in Rockville, Md., and from $2,472 to $6,552 in Miami.

change over time, ask for a three- to fiveyear rate history for each policy you’re considering. Also ask for quotes as if you were age 70, 75 and 80.

Some insurers will offer discounts — for nonsmokers, for women and for those who hold several policies with the company, such as homeowners and auto insurance.

While companies in most states can conduct medical underwriting if you apply for a plan after the initial six months are over, there are some exceptions. You can buy Medigap coverage without underwriting if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan and you move out of its service area, or if your insurer stops selling the Medigap plan you

currently have.

Another exception is if your retiree health coverage from a former employer ends. And some states, such as New York, prohibit underwriting after the six-month period.

To compare policies in your area, visit www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/medigap-home.aspx. To get additional help, get in touch with your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program through www.shiptalk.org.

You’ll find rules in your state by visiting the website of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org). © 2015, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 24 many healthy beneficiaries.

“Plan N provides very good coverage and is more affordable than Plan F,” said Ross Blair, senior vice president of eHealthMedicare.com, a division of online broker eHealth Inc. Plan N provides much of the same coverage as Plan F, but it doesn’t cover the $147 Part B deductible. It also charges a $20 co-payment for doctor visits and a $50 co-payment for emergency room visits that don’t result in hospital admissions.

In New York City, UnitedHealthcare offers a Part N plan for $178 a month, compared with Katen’s $261 premium for Plan F. Katen could still come out ahead with Plan N if she had two emergency room visits and 40 visits to the doctor.

Once you choose your plan category, it usually makes sense to go with the company offering the cheapest price for that plan.

Under federal law, all plans offered under the same letter must offer the same benefits.

Prices for the same policy can vary widely, however. For example, annual Plan F premi-

Three pricing methods Besides checking the initial premium, ask the insurer which of the three pricing methods it uses for the plan you’re considering.

Attained-age pricing bases the premium on your age when you buy the policy, with rates rising as you grow older. Premiums can also increase because of inflation.

With issue-age pricing, the premium is based on the age at which you buy the policy (the younger you buy, the less expensive), and it will not change as you age, except for inflation.

Community-rated policies charge the same price to everyone regardless of age, and your annual premium can only increase for inflation.

“We would encourage going with a community-rated plan, with an issue-age plan being the next best thing,” Blair said. He compares attained-age policies to variablerate mortgages, which start off at a low price but can escalate considerably.

To understand how your costs may

See IRA FACTS, page 26

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IRA facts From page 25 site: put in taxed income, withdraw taxfree.

AARP recently reported that some seniors are put in a pickle if they have too much socked away in traditional IRAs. When they reach the age of 70 1/2, they must take a “required minimum distribution” (RMD) each year. But those distributions can knock them into a higher tax bracket.

Using a Roth IRA avoids this problem.

Furthermore, RMD can make more of your Social Security benefits taxable, and

at a higher rate. For individual taxpayers who earn just $34,000 a year, including their RMD, up to 85 percent of their benefit is subject to taxation. High income can also significantly raise your premiums for Medicare Part B and prescription drug coverage, but the income threshold for a single filer is $85,000.

For those of you still planning for retirement, unnecessary costs can be avoided by practicing tax diversification. Although I have always been an advocate of simplifying your retirement savings as much as possible, there can be benefits to making deposits into both traditional and Roth IRAs,

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

as well as into regular brokerage accounts, all of which have different tax rules.

Even if you have an employer-linked account such as a 401(k) or a 403(b), your employer may also offer a Roth IRA at the same time.

If you are currently in a high income tax bracket anyway, you could convert assets from a traditional to a Roth IRA, before the RMDs kick in. In this case you would be taking the tax hit up front in order to avoid a “tax torpedo” in retirement.

Or you could wait till you have a down income year, and simply take some of the money out and spend it, or pay down a debt or a mortgage.

4. IRAs aren’t just for stocks and bonds.

Index funds and target-date funds are good choices for most retirement accounts. But gold coins and bullion are permissible. It’s also possible, though not necessarily easy or recommended, to use IRA funds to invest in a business or in real estate, or to act as a bank and make a mortgage loan to someone else.

But remember, you can’t benefit from any of those investments until retirement.

5. You don’t need a J-O-B to have an IRA. It’s totally cool to open IRAs for kids, as long as they have their own earned income to put in.

For self-employed folks or small business owners, the SEP-IRA is a beefed up

version of the IRA with higher contribution limits, designed to be the main retirement plan for you and even for your employees.

Finally, even homemakers can make deposits in their own IRAs, although the rules change depending on total income and the working spouse’s retirement situation. So I called Jamie Hopkins, associate director of the New York Life Center for Retirement Income at American College, to get all the details.

As Hopkins explained to me, the RMD from an IRA is calculated at the previous year’s account balance divided by one’s life expectancy, as determined by standard actuarial tables.

So if you have $400,000 in an IRA and 10 years’ life expectancy, you could be required to withdraw $40,000 in a single year. This sum is then counted as taxable income.

An RMD can certainly be enough to push many retirees into a higher tax bracket, where they may become vulnerable to what Hopkins calls “the Social Security tax torpedo.”

Hopkins has a final tip on traditional vs.

Roth IRAs. If you’re practicing tax diversification and you have both, leave the traditional IRA to a charity as part of your estate planning. The charity won’t have to pay taxes on that money.

Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2015 Anya Kamenetz. 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 5

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

27

Leisure &

Cruise ships are adding features, such as bumper cars on Royal Caribbean, to draw younger passengers. See story on page 31.

Crossing the Atlantic in style on the QM2 draped at least one sunset sky.

There were sunny days and foggy days, rainy days and windy days, as the ship sailed on with just a slight rumbling sway beneath our feet.

A winter crossing could be a bit rockier.

Still, a New York Times article noted that the North Atlantic’s “heaving beauty is mesmerizing. It’s a volcano of sorts.”

While there were some young families aboard, seniors predominated on our crossing. Some had to traverse the decks and enter the dining areas, bars and theaters using walkers or in wheelchairs. But they all seemed to get around.

Donna and I prefer being devoured by a good book, watching movies and just walking, rather than heavy socializing. We had plenty of opportunities for those pastimes. The QM2 library is the largest at sea (over 8,000 books) and the ship’s Illuminations Theater not only shows movies afternoons and evenings, but also houses the world’s only floating planetarium.

We rounded the promenade deck every morning after breakfast three times, equal to about a mile — and took long treks to find our way around the ship’s 14 decks.

We also lounged on padded deck chairs, taking in the sun when it shone and the salty smell of the wind off the sea while reading our books

PHOTO COURTESY OF CUNARD

By Robert Friedman Aboard the Queen Mary 2, Roger McGuinn, former leadman of the Byrds, sings a shanty of tough and tender times at sea. Then we adjourn to the ship’s ballroom for a white-gloved serving of afternoon tea, finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream, while a young woman with long tresses strums the harp.

It’s a small part of another day aboard the Cunard line’s 14-deck, 1,130-foot long, 148,528-ton flagship during an eight-night, seven-day transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England. The QM2 is the only passenger liner that still makes regularly scheduled crossings, from May to January.

Departing at 5 p.m. from a new pier in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn (today’s humongous cruise ships no longer fit comfortably beside the Manhattan docks), the liner carried a near-capacity 2,382 passengers and a crew of some 1,200 — a 1-to-2 crew-to-passenger ratio.

This wasn’t my first Atlantic crossing, but it was for Donna, my companion, and I could glimpse in her eyes the awesome wonder of an initial crossing.

Since it was summer, the sea was mostly calm, but the wind still whipped up little sudsy caps as we cut through the true blue, and a huge reddish-copper sheet

PHOTO COURTESY OF CUNARD

Most Queen Mary 2 passengers dine in the multi-level Britanna Restaurant, where dinner entrees include roast duck à l’orange and broiled lobster tail, shrimp & scallop feuillantine.

The Queen Mary 2 departs for the seven-day trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, England. It is the only passenger ship that still makes regularly scheduled crossings between the major world ports.

Activity bonanza But other onboard activities were so varied and numerous, you just had to attend at least a few.

For Donna, daily watercolor painting classes returned her to a love of making art that had been interrupted over the years for life’s mundane necessities, like making a living and raising a family.

I actually found myself Lindy hopping part of one night away to “In the Mood” and other swing classics, played by the ship’s big band in the Queen’s Room, which the QM2 says has the largest dance floor in what is, of course, the biggest ballroom at sea.

And still the activities — more classic folk-rock music by McGuinn; Q&A sessions with former Star Trek helmsman George Takei; a one-hour breeze-through of Hamlet by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; jazz sessions by Julliard School faculty and students; lectures on the lives and times of Hollywood icons Cary Grant, Judy Garland and Bette Davis, with snippets from their films; cornball show-biz revues; a sublimely silly parade of female passengers in their best, and worst, hats for the Royal Ascot Ball — and on and on till the midnight hour nightly.

Bars galore, five swimming pools, a health

spa, hot tubs, a casino, and all sorts of meetup groups — coffee klatches for lone travelers; Alcoholics Anonymous gatherings; gettogethers of Friends of Dorothy LGBT (supposedly named after gay idol Judy Garland’s Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz).

Some 30 passengers, all male, were shooting the breeze and downing cocktails at one very informal Friends of Dorothy meeting.

Paul, an apparently successful middle-aged businessman from Palm Springs, Calif., said he frequently takes cruises and ocean crossings with his husband. He said that several women have attended the once semi-secret, now-ubiquitous Friends of Dorothy get-togethers on most of these cruises.

Paul introduced me to his husband Phil, also a prosperous looking near-senior, “We’ve been together 24 years,” said Paul, “and last year, finally, we were allowed to get married.”

Dining choices abound While relatively few of the Downton Abbey crowd had exclusive rights to a couple of fancy dining rooms, the vast majority of passengers dined in the double-deck Britannia Restaurant, where the waiters snapped napkins onto your lap as soon as See QM2, page 28

28

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Send a letter to the editor. See page 2.

M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

QM2 From page 27 you were seated.

There were also specialty restaurants (all Asian, all Indian, all Italian, one operated by celeb chef Todd English) for an extra $10 to $30 per meal. You had to buy your own wine, and you could order it at the table or press the “wine line” button on your cabin phone and discuss your choice with a sommelier.

The food and the service were mostly first-class. There were two dinner sittings, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Donna and I chose the later one. We appeared in the Britannia mostly only for dinner, since we got up too late for the restaurant’s breakfast, which ended at 9:30 a.m. Turning ahead the clock by one hour at noon on five days also messed with meal hours.

But no problem. If you missed a Britannia meal, the Kings Court, a busy cafeteria, served breakfast from 4 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. You did suffer the indignity of

having to tote your tray to a table. Lunch could also be picked up there until 3:30 p.m., just about when tea time kicked in at the Queen’s Room.

Whenever you entered a dining area, a bottle of Purell was at the door, and in the first two or three days, an attendant gave your hands an extra spritz. That was to keep at bay the feared, highly contagious norovirus that has spread among cruise passengers on several recent, highly publicized occasions.

When Jack and Sylvia, our dinner companions from Sarasota, Fla., found out that Donna and I were from the D.C.-area, much political talk followed. It was lefties (us) against righties (them).

Jack, a Dick Cheney lookalike, jokingly dubbed us “limousine liberals” (my 1995 Toyota Camry would be thrilled by the upgrade), and we pronounced Sylvia and Jack to the right of Rush Limbaugh.

But guess what? We actually got along, laughing a lot during meals and finding deeper truths about one another than the political corners we often push one another into.

Note to Congress: It’s not that difficult.

All you have to do is eat, drink and laugh together as you glimpse the sea sweeping by through the bay windows.

At one lunch, we met Tony, a middleaged Londoner, who told us with a Michael Caine accent that he was now spending much of his time attending lectures and enrolling in classes. “I just finished studying about 19th century British colonialism in Southeast Asia,” he said proudly.

When I told him I had lived in Puerto Rico, and that many people there believe the island is a U.S. colony, Tony responded: “Six a one, ‘alf dozen of the other.”

The large majority of the passengers were Brits and Americans, but there were also hundreds of Germans aboard, since the QM2 docked at Hamburg after its stop at Southampton. While most of the Brits and Germans were going home after touring the U.S., for many of the Americans, the crossing was the first leg of a European visit.

Our tablemates were sailing to Hamburg, where they would rent a car, drive to Switzerland, then to France and possibly Venice. “Time is not of the essence,” said Jack, who just turned 70. “What’s most important is relaxing and enjoying ourselves while we travel.”

A relative bargain Donna and I, both members of the shrinking middle class, didn’t have to go into hock to make the trip. I found a great deal less than three weeks before the ship sailed — $699 for each of us — less than $100 a day for transportation to Europe, an inside “stateroom,” entertainment (except for drinks), and food, food and food. There were even free launderettes on the cabin decks.

Donna and I were ready for a vacation and, remembering the good old days on ocean liners, I looked up online “transatlantic crossings.” The bargain fare was offered by Vacations to Go, a Houston-based travel agency. A couple of e-mails and we See QM2, page 29

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

QM2 From page 28 were set to go. For another $40 per passenger, we booked with the agency bus fare from Southampton to London, a two-hour ride. The bus was waiting at the dock.

Our 157-square-foot QM2 cabin was the least expensive type on the liner, whose other accommodations with balconies and even duplex suites could range into the thousands of dollars per passenger.

We had a double bed, work table, TV, telephone, small fridge, and ample closet space, already stocked with bathrobes and slippers. Not too much drawer space.

Bathroom and shower, of course. For seven days, it was cozy and livable, especially if you didn’t pack too much, which you shouldn’t.

Figuring out the attire For the men, a suit and a sports jacket should do, along with everyday wear, depending on the season. Since most of the trip is through the North Atlantic, a sweater and windbreaker are advisable, even in high summer.

For women — well, how dressy do you want to get in the evenings? The QM2’s suggested dress code is probably the most formal at sea. It is dressier than a cruise in, say, the Caribbean.

During the day, people were in casual clothes, including jeans and shorts. But at

6 p.m., the dress code kicked in. While there were no fashion police around to cite you for being under-dressed, most of the passengers got spiffed up for dinner.

How veddy British was the trip? Well, there were four formal dress nights on our eight-night crossing, meaning floor-length or cocktail dresses for the women and either tux or dark suit-and-tie for the men.

On the other nights, guys had to wear jackets but could go tieless. If you wanted to go tieless and jacketless on any night, you had to dine cafeteria-style.

Just about all of the room stewards and much of the restaurant staff were from the Philippines. Jose, our cabin guy, said we should call him Joe. Juan, one of our waiters, introduced himself as Johnny.

Internet service was available for passengers in a computer lounge. It was pretty pricey. There were time plans ranging from $47.95 for 120 minutes to $167.95 for 480 minutes. You could also pay as you go, 75 cents a minute, which may be OK if you just want to say a quick hello to the family.

But if you can’t remain Internet free for the week (unfortunately, who can?) I suggest the 120-minute plan. We paid as we went, and didn’t seem to be on line that long, but wound up with a $70 bill.

I was able to receive and make calls on my smartphone for $2.49 a minute.

When you get the feeling, as you will at times, that you are in a floating luxury resort, find a quiet place on a forward deck

where you can smell the ocean, feel the wind on your face, and view the parting waves, the flaking whitecaps, the endless sea. You’ll get a sense of the journey — one of life’s pleasures, unavailable on today’s cramped, time-warping jet flights.

Currently, the lowest price listed on Cu-

29

nard’s website for the crossing is $999 for an inside cabin. (Last-minute specials like ours may be available if you wait until shortly before sailing and search online.)

For reservations and more information from Cunard, call 1-800-728-6273 or see www.cunard.com.

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31

Cruises work to wow with robots and snow

By Beth J. Harpaz Snow rooms, better Wi-Fi and a continued emphasis on specialty food and drink are some of the trends for cruising in the next year or two.

The industry that put skating rinks and waterslides on ships keeps “coming up with funky, cool things — that wow factor,’’ said Fran Golden, who writes for Porthole.com and USA Today’s Experience Cruise site.

New ships Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas debued in April with the same innovations that made a splash at last year’s launch of its sister ship, Quantum of the Seas: robot bartenders, simulated skydiving, bumper cars, and an observation capsule rising high above the sea.

Norwegian Escape arrives in Miami in November with a snow room offering freezing temperatures for post-sauna invigoration. The ship’s showcase food and drink includes a Margaritaville restaurant, Mondavi-brand wine bar, craft beer from Miami’s Wynwood Brewing, and restaurants offering tapas and Latin seafood from celebrity chef Jose Garces.

Viking, the company known for river cruises, is introducing an oceangoing vessel, Viking Star. With a capacity of 928, it’s small compared with megaships carrying 4,000, but Viking says it will be destination-

oriented, with more time in port around the Mediterranean, Western Europe and Nordic region. All-inclusive prices will cover shore excursions, Wi-Fi, self-service laundry, wine, beer and specialty restaurants.

Looking ahead to 2016, Carnival will launch its first new ship in four years, Carnival Vista, with the first IMAX theater at sea and two new thrill attractions: a 455foot-long multicolored tube slide called a Kaleid-o-Slide, and SkyRide — a cycling ride suspended from a track. A Family Harbor area offers more family accommodation options, and a lounge hangout with largescreen TVs, games and concierge desk.

Regent Seven Seas’ new Explorer ship, also debuting in 2016, will have one of the largest and priciest suites ever offered at sea. The $5,000-a-night, per person, Regent Suite will be 3,875 square feet, with grand piano and private spa.

departs Liverpool on the same route July 4, the date Britannia departed in 1840.

All 2015 Cunard sailings will host anniversary events, such as themed balls. In May, all three Cunard ships — Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria — will rendezvous for celebrations in Southampton and Liverpool.

An emerging trend identified by CruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown is expedition, or soft-adventure, cruising to places like the Amazon.

Land-based tour companies like Lindblad have long offered voyages to exotic destinations, such as Antarctica and the Galapagos. But now luxury cruise companies like Silversea and Seabourn are get-

ting into the business.

“That means the comfort level and sophistication level is going to rise, with more food options, cabins with balconies and suite accommodations,’’ said Spencer Brown, who recently cruised the Peruvian Amazon. “You won’t have to give up the comforts of home to do these trips.’’

Cruise Market Watch says per-person, per-day expenditures on 2015 cruises will average $222, including ticket price and onboard spending. That’s a 3.5 percent increase over 2014.

But there are still bargains. CruiseCompete.com has a webpage devoted to cruises See CRUISES, page 33

Itineraries and events Disney Cruise Line brings Frozen to sea next summer with themed deck parties, character meet-and-greets, menus and performances on select sailings. Disney Magic itineraries include the Norwegian fjords that inspired the hit movie.

Cunard marks 175 years since its first ship Britannia crossed from England to North America. Cunard’s Queen Mary 2

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Consider third-party rental car insurance “Don’t buy the rental company’s grossly A cheaper choice overpriced collision damage waiver (CDW); I recently reported that colliinstead, rely on the coverage sion coverage — primary covyou get for no extra cost erage — is available from thirdthrough your credit card.” party agencies at a far lower For decades, that’s been cost than the amounts rental the mantra of most travel writcompanies charge. ers. It’s still the best overall In response, I heard about a approach for most travelers — driver who faced the foreign but not for all, and not always. rental problem, and instead of Yes, almost all American buying Super CDW for more Express, Diners Club and than $200 a week, bought a Visa cards still cover damage third-party policy from Protect TRAVEL TIPS to a rental car, as do many Your Bubble (protecctyourbubBy Ed Perkins MasterCard and Discover ble.com) for $7.99 a day. Sure cards. But sometimes you either don’t enough, he put a scrape on the car. When want to — or can’t — rely on your credit he returned it, the agent added 621 euros card’s coverage: to his bill — 580 euros for the repairs and a Most credit card collision coverage is 41 euro “administrative charge.” secondary, meaning it pays only what you When he got home, he downloaded a can’t first recover from other insurance, claims form, scanned all the relevant docuand you may not want to risk a big hit on ments, and emailed it back to Protect Your your regular auto insurance for damage to Bubble. In about two weeks, he received a a rental. check covering the 580-euro repair charge Secondary coverage means you may in full but not the administration fee. have to pay the full amount of damage up His conclusion: Fair enough — Protect front and claim reimbursement later.

Your Bubble came through without any Most credit card coverage requires that hassle and was a far better deal than the you decline the rental company’s CDW, rental company’s Super CDW. The only irbut base rates for rentals in some foreign ritation was that initial hit on his credit countries include some CDW, which you card; the claims process was painless. cannot decline. That CDW has a high deductible, however, and some credit card is- Other options suers refuse to cover it because you didn’t Protect Your Bubble isn’t the only source decline it. Rental companies sell “Super for low-cost third-party rental car coverage: CDW” to cover the deductible, but at very • Some comprehensive travel insurance stiff prices. bundles include an add-on CDW option.

The basic problem here is that rental • CSA Travel Protection sells $35,000 of companies grossly overcharge for colli- collision-only coverage for $9 a day sion coverage. Typically, you pay at least through TripInsuranceStore.com. $15 a day, and often up to $30 a day — • When you rent from a big online travel sometimes even more than the base rental agency (OTA) such as Expedia or Priceline, rate. It’s a huge profit center for them. these days the agency typically offers its own

Cruises From page 31 under $300, including three-night trips on Golden Princess and Carnival Imagination starting in California with stops in Mexico.

Bob Levinstein, CEO of CruiseCompete.com, advises “the absolute best deals are going to be last-minute.’’ That doesn’t mean the week before the cruise, but six or seven weeks out, after final payments are due for advance bookings. Last-minute deals work best for folks with flexible schedules who can drive to ports so they don’t need plane tickets, Levinstein said.

Bargain cruises are especially prevalent in the Caribbean and Mexico due to an oversupply in the region, especially among “older and less attractive ships,’’ according to Rich Skinner, co-owner of Cruise Holidays of Woodinville, a Vacations.com brand.

But Skinner also sees “significant increases to both Europe and Alaska prices.’’ And some cruises now have “value-added’’ prices where you pay more but get more included, like alcohol, gratuities or Wi-Fi.

Food and fitness Many cruise lines have partnered with famous chefs to appeal “to a foodie audience,’’ said Golden, of Porthole.com.

Often the name-brand venues onboard are specialty restaurants, so you pay extra, but still less than what it costs to eat at the chef’s land-based restaurant. (An exception, Golden notes: Guy Fieri’s burgers are free on Carnival ships.)

Cruises are also offering more intense fitness options, said Levinstein, like Norwegian Fight Klub, a cardio boxing program. People who are into fitness are wary of cruising “because you eat all the time on a ship,’’ Levinstein said. Cruise lines can overcome those concerns with innovative ways to spend time at sea getting in shape instead of putting on weight.

Wi-Fi on cruises has been expensive and slow, but “there’s definitely a big push to improve,’’ Levinstein said, especially on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Carnival is piloting a social media package, with access to sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, for $5 daily or $25 per voyage. You pay more for email, web-surfing or Skype.

— AP

primary CDW option for around $10 a day.

• Auto Europe quotes rates with and without no-deductible CDW. In Italy, for example, the price difference is $48 a week for a compact car.

• Another independent company, Insure My Rental Car (insuremyrentalcar.com) quotes zero-deductible coverage at $32 a week or $114 per year, but coverage is only $25,000, which may not be enough in a bad collision. That agency offers an alternative of an annual policy, for a tad under $100 a year.

• UK-based Worldwide Insure (worldwideinsure.com) offers an alternative for Super CDW in Europe for 15 pounds (about $24) for a week or 38 pounds annually to travelers age 25 to 84.

The take-away here is straightforward.

If you can accept secondary coverage, and it covers you fully, your credit card remains the lowest-cost way to protect yourself against big damage claims.

But if, for any reason, you want primary coverage, or your credit card doesn’t offer complete coverage, third-party collision coverage can protect you against damage claims for far less than the rental car companies charge.

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

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James Whalen as Pastor Manders, Deborah Hazlett as Mrs. Helene Alving, and Bruce Randolph Nelson as Jakob Engstrand confront each other in Ghosts.

Rebellious souls haunt Ibsen’s Ghosts

A 19th-century soap opera The plot of Ghosts is elegantly simple: a mother welcomes home her “prodigal son,” as Osvald Alving (played by Danny Gavigan), a not-so-starving artist fresh from a lengthy trip to Paris, describes himself. But why he has returned home becomes the hidden force that moves the entire play.

Everyman favorite Deborah Hazlett plays Osvald’s mother, Mrs. Helene Alving, who has an affinity for reading “unrighteous” books that the local reverend, Pastor Manders (James Whalen), believes

only stir Helene’s “rebellious soul.”

Of course, there’s a lot for Mrs. Alving to be rebelling against — being stuck on a large estate where a gray rain never stops, living in a foreboding Jayne Eyre-type manor where everything appears to be colored dark depression brown.

But wait, it gets worse, though entertainingly so.

Truth be told, Ghosts could be described as a 19th century “Real Housewives” episode (my theater companion called it a cross between The Thorn Birds and “As the World Turns”).

Turns out Mrs. Alving’s Mr. Alving was not exactly an adherent to Puritanical Christian values, either. The stereotypical “pillar of the community,” the late Mr. Alving had more in common with Hugh Hefner and Arnold Schwarzenegger — who fathered a child with the family maid — than Cotton Mather.

Speaking of maids, Sophie Hinderberger plays Regina Engstrand, the Alving family servant and ward of Mrs. Alving since childhood. Regina is another facet of modern womanhood: While she doesn’t read scandalous books like her employer, neither is she filled with a sense of duty to family, home and hearth, one of Pastor Manders’ favorite topics. She’s an independent and pragmatic woman who is driven to excel and raise her social station.

Tossed about like a cork in these unsettling waters is Whalens’ Manders. Walking ever ram-rod straight, head held high, he

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Naïve, he is a “bleeding heart” as Mrs. Alving calls him, a term she uses not to berate, but out of affection — an affection Ibsen indicates might have at one time been something more than platonic.

And what’s an Everyman production without a scenestealing performance by resident company member Bruce Randolph Nelson?

Nelson plays Jakob Engstrand, a bearded brigand with a bum leg, a Machiavellian mind and a sly tongue to match. A con man/carpenter/arsonist, Jakob knows just what to say to bend his mark, Pastor Manders, to his will.

Like father, like son?

PHOTO BY STAN BAROUH

By Dan Collins As any theater student can attest, 19thcentury Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was not known for light fare. Ibsen challenged the repression of the Victorian age, the morals of family life, the traditional roles held by men and women in society — the stuff of stuffy university English Lit term papers.

Yet Ibsen has been lauded as second only to Shakespeare as a playwright. His A Doll’s House is said to have been the world’s most performed play by the early 20th century.

And Ibsen is still performed before full houses even today, including Baltimore’s Everyman Theater where Ibsen’s Ghosts continues its run now through May 3.

What does Ibsen have to say to modern audiences, raised on reality television, TMZ celebrity scandals and the Kardashians? Actually, quite a lot, if Ghosts is any indication.

Danny Gavigan stars as prodigal son Osvald Alving, who is welcomed home by his restless mother Mrs. Helene Alving, played by Deborah Hazlett in Everyman Theatre’s production of Ghosts. The Ibsen play, a kind of 19th century soap opera, continues through May 3.

Which brings us back to Osvald Alving, the prodigal son. Osvald, who appears to share Oscar Wilde’s tailor, is pallid, perturbed, and generally preoccupied as he paces the stage, his demeanor as dreary as

the rainy weather. Something ails Osvald’s body and spirit, and what that malady is See GHOSTS, page 37

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Bowlers find traditional game just ducky

Baltimore born?

Legend has it that duckpin bowling actually began in Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century, though there are sports historians who dispute that and say that duckpins actually began in Lowell, Mass., in the 1890s.

There is no disputing the fact, however, that if you’re from Baltimore and say you’re going bowling, you probably mean duckpins. So popular was duckpin bowling here that there were even local duckpin competitions on TV in the 1960s and ‘70s, such as “Bowling for Dollars.”

There are still duckpin-only lanes, such as Stoneleigh and Glen Burnie, as well as Patterson Bowling Center, owned by Charlie McElhose. Patterson, in fact, is the oldest existing duckpin-only bowling alley in the U.S., first opened in 1927. McElhose bought it 20 years ago. (According to Ken Staub, there are only 50 duckpin-only alleys still left in the U.S.).

Besides Baltimore, duckpin bowling centers can be found throughout Maryland and suburban Washington, D.C., as well as in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Indiana.

Declining popularity The popularity of bowling in general has fallen off somewhat, say both Staub and McElhose, which might have something to do with all the other entertainment options available these days.

Stan Kellum, executive director of the Maryland-headquartered National Duckpin Bowling Congress, agrees. “Back in the ‘70s, bowling was so popular it was difficult to get into an alley for ‘open play’ (not affiliated with a league). There’s been a big change in the last 25 to 30 years,” he said.

Still, said Kellum, the game itself is going to be around a long time, and both Staub and McElhose say there’s a steady stream of business, from weekly leagues to standing-room only weekend bowling parties.

At Patterson Bowling Center, McElhose runs two leagues. The oldest player in them

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES MCELHOSE

By Carol Sorgen Harry Macks has been an enthusiastic bowler “off and on” for 60 years. The retired Owings Mills pharmacist still bowls in a weekly league, as he has for more than 50 years. And, as he has all these years, he bowls strictly duckpins.

If you didn’t grow up in Baltimore (or at least on the East Coast), your idea of bowling probably involves a heavy ball (held awkwardly with three finger in holes) that you hope you don’t drop on your toes.

Whereas ten-pin bowling uses balls that range in weight from 10 to 15 pounds, duckpin balls are barely larger than a softball, weigh less than four pounds and don’t have finger holes, but are cupped in the hand.

The pins are arranged in the same fashion as with ten-pin bowling, but are shorter, smaller and lighter. While that makes them easier to knock down, it also makes it more difficult to achieve a strike (ah, so that explains it…and here I thought it was my complete lack of skill!). For that reason, duckpin bowlers get to bowl three balls a frame, rather than just two, as in ten-pins.

Even with the added ball, strikes are not all that common, and a perfect game (a strike in every frame) is said to be impossible. In fact, says Ken Staub, owner of Stoneleigh Lanes in Towson and Glen Burnie Bowling, there has never been a perfect game in duckpins…ever. One of the highest duckpin scores in the country — 278 — was bowled at Stoneleigh.

While duckpin bowling has declined in popularity in recent decades, this homegrown form of the sport, which uses a smaller ball, has stalwart players at Patterson Bowling Center.

is 92. “It’s a good way to stay active and it’s not as risky as, say, roller or ice skating,” he said. With the lighter balls, he added, it’s also easier to get better at the sport.

And the house is full on weekends with groups of parties celebrating birthdays or just having fun with their friends. Still,

McElhose, who is 60 himself, would like to get some younger blood into the game.

“Bowling is a good competitive sport,” said Staub, “with the advantage of being good for both men and women, young and old. Whether you’re 3 or you’re 90, you can bowl duckpins.”

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Ghosts From page 34 finds its roots in the failings of his father.

There is a moment when Osvald makes an off-stage advance toward Regina, and in that moment, Hazlett’s Mrs. Alving reacts as though she has seen a ghost, which, as we learn more details about her late husband’s “degeneracy,” she has.

This play was said to be shocking and scandalous to the audiences who first experienced it, and it’s easy to see why. Issues ranging from incest to adultery, children born out of wedlock, alcoholism, “free love,” suicide, temptation of a man of the cloth, even STDs,

Classifieds cont. from p. 39 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.

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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 5

are all food for thought in Ibsen’s Ghosts, though Ibsen is far more discreet and infinitely more poetic than your typical 21st century reality TV show would be.

Kudos to director Donald Hicken, who keeps the pace quick despite an exposition-heavy exchange or two between Mrs. Alving and Manders.

Ghosts continues at the Everyman Theater through May 3, with performances Wednesday through Sunday, with selected Tuesday evening and Wednesday matinee performances. Tickets range from $40 to $60. Patrons 62 and older can receive a discount of $6 off tickets for Saturday matinees and Sunday evening performances.

Everyman is located at 315 W Fayette St. To purchase tickets, call (410) 752-2208 or visit www.everymantheatre.org.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

VOLUNTEER FOR GIRL SCOUTS

Girl Scouts is the only national organization dedicated solely to girls, who are encouraged to share and explore their hopes and dreams. Be part of their journey by volunteering with Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. For more information, call (410) 358-9711 or visit www.gscm.org.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 38 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

S P U N

T A P A

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A B O W

L A V A

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U N S A Y

T H E R E T U R N S

U N H I P T R E A T S

T E E V I I K S E S I N A T M H E E D A B C O T Y

G R O C E R

E E L E R

T O N R T E L I R L I A S P E

E S E M I X U M E P R E S T P O S E N E S G O A S A G H T E O N D E T B S B

A S S O R T S T Y L E

A L L I T E R A T E

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S W E E P

E V E R

S E R A

B E E R

S T A R

P O K Y

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Crossword Puzzle

PUZZLE PAGE

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Take Turns

by Stephen Sherr 1

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Across 1. Move like Jagger 6. Mother and Silly 11. He has no common sense 14. He wrote “Common Sense” 15. Create the disco version 16. Fundamental principle 17. Crank it!

19. Honestly, it’s a “concentrated aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide” 20. Strict grammarian 21. “The rocks” 22. Give a lifetime achievement award 24. Place for gas, coffee, and cigarettes 27. Space next to the space bar 30. Long Sun. talk 31. Manhunters 32. Thai payment 34. Toe total 35. Hematite and magetite 38. Protest retroactively 42. Gates’ was soft; Dell’s was hard 43. Watercolors and ice sculptures 44. Aquatic mammal 45. Wonderful words on a cake 47. Innocent ___ lamb 49. Sinkerballer’s stat.

50. Close down for the night 54. Brand new 55. Vintage car 56. Vanilla qty.

60. South of Leb. 61. Neglect 64. Girl between Marsha and Cindy 65. Roll downhill 66. Cold and barren 67. Fonzie’s approvals 68. Prepares a manuscript 69. It’s stuffed in a muffin 1. Rode a ferris wheel

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Down

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BB5/15

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Scrabble answers on p. 37.

9

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2. Spanish appetizer 3. Ostentatious display 4. Frumpy 5. There’s one in “two” 6. Root seller 7. Conger chaser 8. Down Under bird 9. TV family since 1989 10. Makes an effort 11. Settle on similar sounds 12. Authority 13. Clean a fireplace 18. MN athlete 23. Create a box of candies 25. It is found twice in Mississippi 26. Olympian’s weapon 27. Take ___ 28. Molten chocolate 29. Retail rejections of The King or The Jedi 33. Special rewards 34. Demolition team’s tool 36. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ___ achieve greatly” (RFK) 37. Red Cross supplies 39. Recipient of “Jr.”, perhaps 40. Pitcher Hershiser 41. The one who lost the game 46. Caught in ___ 47. T-Men 48. In stilettos 50. Board of appeals 51. “Once it’s said, you can’t ___ it” 52. Rhyme for “my eyes” in Daydream Believer 53. Project Runway goal 57. Saloon selective 58. General promotion 59. Moving like a snail 62. Once around the track 63. Relent, like the tides

Answers on page 37.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 5

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

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

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

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

Caregivers DEDICATED & CARING COMPANION – Female, PT, for light housekeeping, personal care, driving, & small chores. Must have references and own transport. Located in Hyde Park area of Essex.

Salary will be $11 per hour + $5 gas allowance. If interested, call 410-218-4358 and leave message.

Financial Services TAXES, ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING, eldercare. CPA 38 years, reasonable rates. Call 410-653-3363.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate RECEIVE MARKET PRICE ON YOUR HOUSE TODAY! Call 24/7 Toll Free 1-800457-8319 ID#3283 or go online to www.FastSell.net. House Buyer Network.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale GRAVE SITES (2), PARKWOOD CEMETERY (Taylor Avenue), Garden of Honor, $4,375 value (each). Sell for $3,000 (each). Negotiable. 410-971-0773.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE, 1426 Reisterstown Road. 410-653-6237. Tuesday-Sunday. Ladies Fine Consignment clothing and accessories.

Spring sale! Ask about our Repeat Buck program.

PARKWOOD CEMETERY – TAYLOR AVENUE – Poplar Lot 831 – Site 2. Also includes one burial vault and one opening and closing of grave site – value $6,685. Sell for $3,300 or best offer, 410-529-1191.

1 2-GRAVE LOT (T&B), Crypt #114, Abbey Gardens area at Dulaney Memorial Gardens.

Asking $2,000. Call Jackie, 410-655-1439.

1 CEMETERY LOT WITH VAULT AND CASKET. Forest Lawn Section, Loudon Park – Wilkins Avenue. $4,200. 410-247-3644.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Wanted

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.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT ON CLUTTER – Looking for participants. Do you struggle with clutter? I am a photographer looking for people who are willing to have their cluttered or messy living spaces anonymously photographed. Compensation provided. Call 571-331-9316 or visit everittclarkphotography.com for more information.

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

Home/Handyman Services

Personals

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.

MARYLAND JUNK REMOVAL – Let us do all the dirty work for you! Junk, snow and debris removal services provided 7 days a week, along with pickup and delivery if needed. We recycle. Please call for a free estimate: 443-4722887 or visit www.mdjunkhauling.com.

SW MALE, 56, EX-MARINE seeking white female companion and possibly more to enjoy life’s simple things. Call Joe, 410-661-4940 or email outerspacw@gmail.com.

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.

ACORN STAIRLIFT, 5 years old in very good condition. Last serviced in April 2014, new battery installed. Reaches over 12 steps. Papers available. Asking $1,000 or best offer. Please call, 410-435-1714.

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

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

Personal Services LEARN ENGLISH – SPANISH – ITALIAN – FRENCH – PORTUGUESE Conversational. Grammatical. Private lessons. Reasonable Rates. Tutoring students. 443-3528200.

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

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

Classifieds cont. on p. 37

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies Aspirin Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Dementia Study . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Diabetes Research Study . . . . .16 Elderly Falls Study . . . . . . . . .16 Gastrointestinal Study . . . . . . .16 HYPNOS Diabetic Sleep Study . . . . . .17 IDEAL Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Events iConnect Generations Expo . . .33 Maryland Centenarian Lunch . .23

Financial Services Bennett Senior Services . . . . .26 Debt Counsel for Seniors and the Disabled . . .24 Golden Real Estate . . . . . . . . .22 JSR Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Salvation Army . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Hearing Services Clarity & Comfort Hearing Center . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Hearing & Speech Agency . . .14 Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . .23

39

Home Health Care

Housing Referral Service

Companioning the Dying . . . .13 Options for Senior America . .11 Senior Companion Program . .29 Seniors Helping Seniors . . . . . .5

Senior Placement Service/Care Patrol . . . . . . . .25

Housing Blake & Sons Waterproofing .26 Briarwood Estates . . . . . . . . . .31 Brookfield Homes . . . . . . . . . .12 Charlestown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Gatherings at Quarry Place . . . .7 Heritage Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Homewood at Willow Ponds . .13 Keller Williams/ Tyrone Maxwell . . . . . . . . . .10 Meadows of Reisterstown . . . .29 Memorial Apartments . . . . . . .24 Oak Crest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . . .6 Park View Apartments . . . . . .28 Shangri-La Assisted Living . . .22 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Westminster House Apts . . . . .37 Woodholme Gardens . . . . . . . .31

Legal Services Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . .21

Medical/Health

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation CommuniCare Health . . . . . . .15 Holly Hill Nursing & Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Manor Care Health Services . .11

Theatres/ Entertainment

Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . .12 Dr. Stuart Goldman, DPM . . . .6 GBMC Urogynecology . . . . . .19 MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital . . . . . . . .10 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . .6 Progressive Rehab Services . .19 Smart Pain Management . . . . . .3

Baltimore Choral Arts . . . . . . .21 Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre . . . . . . .35 Columbia Orchestra . . . . . . . .34 Hollywood Casino . . . . . . . . . .40 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . .34 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . .35

Pharmacies

Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel . . . . .28 Festive Holidays . . . . . . . . . . .29 The Homestead . . . . . . . . . . . .31

CVS Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Lexington Pharmacy . . . . . . . . .9 Rite Aid Pharmacy . . . . . . . . .36 Walgreen’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Tour & Travel

Utilities BGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Retail

Volunteers

Sleep Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 WOW! Computer . . . . . . . . . .32

Baltimore City RSVP . . . . . . .23 Senior Companion Program . .29

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M AY 2 0 1 5 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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