June 2016 | Baltimore Beacon

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A fruitful hobby blossoms

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PHOTO BY MEL TANSILL

By Danielle Rexrode Before Rose Wolford even moved the first piece of furniture into her new apartment at Charlestown retirement community, she was getting her hands dirty in her new garden.

“I actually obtained my garden before I moved in,” said Wolford. “I brought over a few plants from my house, including some annuals and two low-growing woody plants.”

Wolford and other residents of apartment-style retirement communities are discovering that, although they may have left their yards behind when they moved, they can still find a place to plant beautiful blooms and healthy greens.

Raised in Pennsylvania, Wolford found she had a green thumb when she was just four years old. “We grew our own food, more out of necessity than pleasure,” said Wolford. “My mother would always let me have a row in the garden where I could plant flowers, and I really loved it.”

Wolford later built a career as a landscape designer.

This spring, as soon as the threat of frost subsided, Wolford was eager to get her garden going. “Once it’s fit to be outside, I’m out there,” she said.

“I have always loved growing flowers, so I planted an ornamental flower garden. I chose colors that would complement my apartment so that I can cut bouquets and bring them inside.”

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

A visit to magnificent Prague (and beyond) in the Czech Republic; plus, get your fill of cowboys, art and steak in Oklahoma City page 23

ARTS & STYLE

Exercise and camaraderie

Pat Kasuda covers plants in her garden on the grounds of Charlestown retirement community. Charlestown is one of many communities for older adults that provide gardening space for residents. Studies show that gardening is good exercise, improving bone mass and helping people recover more quickly from surgery and illnesses.

In a garden plot near Wolford’s, fellow resident Patricia (Pat) Kasuda grows tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, onions and zucchini. “I enjoy being outdoors,” she said. “I go to my garden daily, and either weed, pick or groom my plants.

“Gardening is great exercise, and I like meeting fellow gardeners, listening to their experiences, and learning new ways to do things in the garden and in the way of preparation, such as canning and freezing.”

A graduate of the Master Gardener program through the University of Maryland Extension, Kasuda, along with fellow gardener David Pollitt, oversees Charlestown’s community gardens. The square spaces are available to residents on a first-come, firstserved basis.

A retired Presbyterian minister, Pollitt

moved to Charlestown from a small farmhouse in Harford County where he grew his own fruits and vegetables.

“We had about 9,000 square feet of gardens,” said Pollitt. “I grew everything you can think of, from asparagus, green beans and lettuce, to strawberries, peaches and apples. We ate our share, and distributed the rest to friends and family. We also made strawberry preserves and applesauce.”

In spring 2012, just a few months after moving to Charlestown, Pollitt planted his first crop of strawberries, lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, and a variety of other vegetables. Since then, he has acquired two additional gardens.

“One is completely dedicated to strawberries,” said Pollitt. “The other two have

all the vegetables. Last year, we froze some of our green beans and peppers and enjoyed cooking with them throughout the fall and winter.” This year, he already has many of the same plants in the ground.

Many gardeners at Charlestown grow more than they can eat, and are happy to share their bounty. Extra fruits and vegetables are left for the taking on a table located near the gardens, but they don’t last long.

In late summer, the gardeners hold a picnic prepared with the fruits of their labor.

“It’s an opportunity to get together and grill hot dogs and have a fun-filled afternoon sharing the goods (and the not-so-goods!) of the growing season,” said Kasuda.

See GARDENING, page 28

Dancers will perform tap, modern, jazz, belly dance and more at Ageless Grace concert; plus, exhibit explores contributions to medicine by Jews page 26 TECHNOLOGY k The latest tech scams k The lure of virtual reality

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FITNESS & HEALTH k Benefits of worrying k Fight Rx denials

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LAW & MONEY 18 k Tax-free muni bonds k Post-retirement employment ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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Healthcare headache Every year, it seems, I meet more people for many of us, could stop a migraine in its who suffer from migraines, as I do. But even tracks in minutes. if you’re not one of the 29 milI remember the day my doclion or so Americans who extor told me of the new mediperience these enormously cine and offered to call in a prepainful headaches, please keep scription for me. For some reareading, as I hope you’ll learn son I no longer recall, I wasn’t something that might prove able to pick it up before the helpful to you all the same. pharmacy closed that day.

I experienced my first miBut then I started to get a graines 36 years ago, shortly terrible migraine that night, after I moved to Washington, and my wife rushed to a 24D.C. I associated them with hour location of the same pharthe area’s renowned pollen FROM THE macy chain to beg them to fill it. count, and called them “sinus PUBLISHER After speaking with my By Stuart P. Rosenthal headaches” — which is what doctor, they agreed to sell my father had always called her one pill — at a price of the severe headaches he used to get. $60. I remember thinking how outrageous But when I went to a doctor for help, he a price that was for a single pill. (Sounds immediately diagnosed me with migraines downright quaint now.) (and said my dad’s headaches were most When we picked up the rest of the prelikely the same: they’re often inherited). scription the next day, paying a much Unfortunately, at the time, there wasn’t more reasonable co-pay, I saw that my inmuch more than aspirin and Tylenol to surance company had paid more than $500 take for the head-crushing pain, and I towards the nine pills, a month’s supply. would stumble to my bed, hands pressing But the medicine worked like magic, and on my temples, and have to sleep it off, gave me back days of my life. often writhing in agony.

Today, decades later, there are generic A few years later, researchers developed versions of Imitrex and many other triptans, Imitrex (sumatriptan), the first of many as well as numerous inexpensive older meds “triptans” — prescription medicines that, that, while developed for other conditions,

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have been found to reduce the incidence of migraines in many sufferers, including myself. I have generally found my co-pays on these drugs cover their entire cost.

So imagine my amazement when, earlier this month, I read a first-person account in the Washington Post of a writer with migraines whose doctor prescribed “a new pain-relief pill” that “set my insurance company back about $900 for eight tablets.”

While the medicine stopped her migraines, it caused her terrible nausea and stomach pain, making her reluctant to take them.

So, did she complain to her doctor (about both the price and the side effects) and ask for another medication? Did she discover in the many Internet searches she described that there are numerous inexpensive generics for migraines that work in different ways and thus might bring on less severe (or even no) side effects?

Apparently not, according to the article.

Instead, she went on a lengthy search for different doctors and different approaches, trying Botox injections, yoga, acetaminophen with codeine (obtained from a Canadian friend), and ultimately acupuncture, the last of which she feels basically cured her.

I’m glad she found a solution, and a nonmedicinal one that that. But I don’t understand why such an intelligent person, who spent hours researching her condition, had not discovered or even asked about other medications or generics.

Some doctors, it seems, start out prescribing the latest pill to their patients, perhaps believing the manufacturer’s assurance that newer is somehow better, and most likely without awareness of its cost to patients and insurance companies.

For this reason, I think all of us need to be

proactive medical care consumers, and ask up front whether there is a cheaper or moretested medication that we can try first. Or if, upon trying a new medicine, we experience serious side effects, we should certainly go back to the doctor and ask for something else.

One more point. I, too, tried various non-prescription alternatives, including massage, acupressure and Botox. Also, I participated in a number of clinical studies of new products over the years.

It was through one such study that I met my current neurologist, who now appears to have truly solved my migraine problem through something as simple as stretches and exercise.

In our first conversation, the doctor asked me extensively about the location and progression of my migraines. Based on my particular symptoms, she prescribed a couple of months of physical therapy focusing on my shoulders and upper back.

The PTs helped me develop a daily 20minute exercise regimen that seems to have all but ended my decades of migraines. Furthermore, when I still occasionally get one, I have learned the stretches I can do to make it go away, usually without resorting to medication.

So, in the end, I think the other writer and I did find our respective solutions in the same way: through dogged research and continued experimentation.

I know not all health problems are susceptible to these types of simple solutions, but I certainly now believe they are worth seeking.

If you have found a simple or alternative solution to a medical problem, please let us hear from you. Email our managing editor, barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com, or write to us.

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

Dear Editor: Your May editorial, “A healthy mind,” is right on the mark about the necessity of finding methods, paths and solutions to address the issue of mental health, and the relevant education that is needed to understand this societal problem.

One divergent thought is related to an ongoing health industry trend to lump together in a single euphemism all causes and factors that contribute to mental health issues [through use of terms such as] “behavioral mental health.”

While this effort addresses much needed public awareness to this behavior, and may also serve to assuage the mind of those who willingly have placed their mental health at risk, it also serves to mask this latter reality, and contributes little to bringing to the forefront a public understanding of avoidable, self-inflicted health problems.

A case in point would be [the condition

known as] COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. While many COPD patients suffer from this pathology involuntarily — due to genetics, allergies, military service, working with asbestos, etc. — we should labor to distinguish the former from [those who developed COPD by choosing to smoke], who now are also bundled in the all-inclusive COPD moniker.

Many other societal pathologies are being swept under the rug by the misdirection of marketing’s focused lexicon.

Let us stop sugar-coating citizen misbehavior and its invariably noxious consequences. By understanding the causes of pathology, be it mental or physical, we can help disseminate the fundamental and indispensable democratic tenet that “rights and privileges are always conjoined with responsibilities.”

JL Puchol-Salva Ellicott City, Md.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Technology &

Innovations Scams can lurk in your Google Alerts

By Bob Niedt Google Alerts are designed to keep you up-to-date on the latest online chatter surrounding your chosen areas of interest. It’s simple to sign up, pick any topic, and receive alerts by email as Google finds rele-

vant new results.

But hidden dangers can lurk in the links that land in your inbox on a weekly, daily or even real-time basis.

Always evolving scammers are succeeding in getting their links to show up in

Google Alerts results seemingly by inserting popular keywords in the titles and pages of their fraudulent sites.

So a Google Alerts user who wants to see, say, anything new on the Web related to “Kiplinger” might receive, in addition to

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legitimate links to Kiplinger.com and to news about Kiplinger, links to spammy or even malicious sites that are making surreptitious use of the name to attract potential victims.

Google, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, certainly strives to identify and block bogus sites, but there’s evidence that some scammers are getting around its defenses.

Watch out for malware Spam disguised in this manner is a new trick, said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee. “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” he said. Davis examined some of the suspicious links Kiplinger discovered in Google Alerts and determined that they led to potentially harmful malware that could infect a computer “instantaneously.”

One popular scam making the rounds is a “Blue Screen of Death” pop-up window that tells a PC user that their machine has been hacked — and to call a certain phone number for “tech support.”

According to Web security site MalwareBytes.org — which maintains a rolling blacklist of rogue Web sites and companies offering phony tech support — calling the number only worsens the problem. Beyond shaking you down for “repair money” (really a ransom for restoring your computer), the “technician” on the other end of the line may use the opportunity to load your computer with spyware to steal valuable personal and financial information.

How to prevent problems What can you do to protect yourself from deceptive links in Google Alerts? For starters, before you click a link in the email, hover over it with your cursor to see if the Web address (URL) points to a legitimate site. If the Google Alerts result purports to be a news story from CNN, but the URL has no connection to CNN, then it’s very likely a scam.

Also, be sure to report the issue. Go to Google.com/alerts, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “feedback” to file a complaint. You can report the alleged spammer to the Federal Trade Commission too.

See SCAMS IN GOOGLE, page 7

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

New device reads for those who can’t

institute is $740, which includes all meals, lodging and music. Contact Encore at brochure. Register online on Encore’s website at http://encorecreativity.org.

❏ Briarwood (see ad on page 28) ❏ Buckingham’s Choice (see ad on page 27) ❏ Charlestown (see ad on page 17) ❏ Christ Church Harbor Apts. (see ad on page 24) ❏ Ednor Apts. (see ad on page 22) ❏ Evergreen (see ad on page 7) ❏ Fairhaven (see ad on page 27) ❏ Gatherings at Quarry Place (see ad on page 4) ❏ The Greens (see ad on page 7) ❏ Linden Park Apts. (see ad on page 27) ❏ Oak Crest (see ad on page 17) ❏ Park Heights Place (see ad on page 27) ❏ Park View Catonsville (see ad on page 20) ❏ Park View Dundalk (see ad on page 20) ❏ Park View Rosedale (see ad on page 20) ❏ Park View Taylor (see ad on page 20) ❏ Shangri-La Assisted Living (see ad on page 25) ❏ St. Mary’s Roland View Towers (see ad on page 29)

★ F R E E

Health Study Volunteers

I N F O R M AT I O N ★

❏ Balance Study (see ad on page 14) ❏ Blood Clot Study (see ad on page 14) ❏ Brain Imaging Study (see ad on page 15) ❏ Cancer Clinical Trials (see ad on page 13) ❏ Coronary Artery Disease Study (see ad on page 15) ❏ Fall Prevention Study (see ad on page 14) ❏ Iron Supplement Study (see ad on page 13) ❏ Irritable Bowel Study (see ad on page 15) ❏ Leukemia Studies (see article on page 13) ❏ Memory Research Study (see ad on page 14)

City_________________________________________State__________Zip____________________ Phone (day)_____________________________(evening)_____________________________ E-mail_____________________________________________________________________________

Check the boxes you’re interested in and return this form to: or fax to (410) 248-9102.

BB6/16

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915

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I N F O R M AT I O N F R E E ★

Housing Communities

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(301) 261-5747 or email info@encorecreativity.org for more information or a

I N F O R M AT I O N

Aug, 1. Prices vary by program and options chosen. The Washington College

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

F R E E

register for Washington College is June 15 and the deadline for Chautauqua is

F R E E

spending a week in a beautiful setting with fellow music lovers. The deadline to

MAIL OR FAX FOR FREE INFORMATION

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singers from across the country interested in improving their vocal technique and

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choral program for adults age 55+ who love to sing. Both programs will draw

I N F O R M AT I O N

Chautauqua, N.Y., from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. Encore Chorale is the nation’s largest

F R E E

Choral Institutes in Chestertown, Md., from July 18 to 22, and

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I N F O R M AT I O N

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F R E E

Ongoing

OrCam costs $3,500, and may be covered by some insurance plans. The cost includes a one-on-one training session for the device.

For more information about the OrCam, see www.orcam.com or call 1-800-713-3741.

★

FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★ FREE INFORMATION ★

BEACON BITS

test subjects were provided with OrCam devices in order to measure its effect on their quality of life. The majority said their quality of life had increased because they could read independently. One patient described the use of the device as “liberating.”

I N F O R M AT I O N

The OrCam has the ability to read almost any printed text — including newspapers, books, signs, labels on consumer products, and text on a computer screen or smartphone. New faces can be added to its facial recognition library by the user.

When the user points a finger at the text or item that they want to identify, the device relays the relevant information to the wearer via a small personal speaker mounted on the glasses near the ear. It generally cannot be heard by other nearby people.

In a recent independent study at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, legally blind

F R E E

By Barbara Ruben A recently released device can read aloud text on everything from restaurant menus to road signs — and even recognizes faces — to help those with visual impairments navigate everyday life. Users simply point to text, objects or faces, and the device tells them what it says or who it is.

Called the OrCam, the device is a small, light and discreet smart camera that is mounted on the frame of the user’s eyeglasses. It is connected by a thin cable to a base unit about the size of a glasses case that can be placed in a shirt pocket.

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Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Here’s what “virtual reality” is really like

By Frazier Moore It doesn’t take a high-tech headset to see that virtual reality (VR) is the rage. It’s being touted as the future for all things sensory — from games to film and television, from storytelling to visual art.

My response as a television critic — and as a dyed-in-the-wool TV viewer — is to ask what this all means to me.

I am not typically an early adopter. My beat as a journalist isn’t newfangled gadgetry. I’m a TV-centric content guy, scrambling to keep up with the torrent of programs that, however more plentiful and varied their providers, still contain themselves in two dimensions.

Even so, VR seems a force to be reckoned with. So I grabbed a Samsung Gear VR headset for a maiden voyage.

‘Walk’ into movie scenes Virtual reality is the link to an alternate

reality, and instantly I’m all in! For example, I find that a wooded, birds-twittering forest on a sunny day is a far more agreeable environment than my stuffy apartment. And that’s even before Reese Witherspoon appears over a rise and, puffing with her backpack, rests herself on a nearby rock.

In character from her 2014 film Wild, she is bedraggled but radiant, and seems close enough and real enough to bother for a sip of her water. Alas, all too quickly Witherspoon resumes her solitary trek, vanishing through trees in the opposite direction, too absorbed in her odyssey to have paid me any notice.

But a dinosaur does. With “Jurassic World: Apatosaurus,” I am in a different kind of forest, stationed a few yards from a colossal dozing reptile sprawled on the forest floor. Then, during this two-minute interlude, it blinks awake, clambers to its

feet, spots me and, staring me right in the face, takes a curious sniff.

Join the circus These adventures pale in wonder to Cirque du Soleil’s “Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities,” which sweeps me into a wondrous spectacle. Beautiful and dazzlingly weird, the dozen-and-a-half performers cavort on a stage where they accept me as a spellbound intruder. They put on quite a show.

Or, maybe more accurately, many shows. As I share their 360-degree space, where and what I look at is up to me. I am free to bob and swivel my head to fix my gaze on anyone or anything. I literally get to call the shots. And after a half-dozen viewings, with my attention leap-frogging from one direction to another, I still can’t take in all the revelry.

If joining a famed entertainment troupe

is remarkable, an even bigger blast is gaining entry to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh.

Thanks to a VR reimagining of Van Gogh’s 1888 “The Night Cafe,” I can take my place within the brushstrokes of the Café de la Gare, whereupon its scattering of tables and chairs, billiard table and lone patron come to life.

But there’s more to explore than the single room the painting has immortalized.

Through a doorway in the corner, I can stray into a never-before-seen side room, where a pianist plays a melancholy tune and — lo and behold — Vincent himself sits listening while meditatively smoking his pipe.

Unlike VR video captured with stationary 360-degree cameras, this Van Gogh tribute is more like a video game, letting See VIRTUAL REALITY, page 7

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

VETERANS WRITING WORKSHOP

The Cockeysville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library will host a series of writing workshops for veterans throughout June, July and August. The program is open to veterans and serving members of the armed forces, active or reserve.

Registration is required. Visit the Cockeysville Branch, 9833 Greenside Dr, Cockeysville, or call (410) 887-

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June 15

ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS The Baltimore County

Restoring Elder Safety Today coalition will host its annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day forum for community members, professionals and concerned citizens on Wednesday, June 15, from

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9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sollers Point Sollers Point Rd. Hear from experts forms of prevention, and means of

AARP will sponsor free shredding of documents after the forum from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The forum is open to the public, free of charge. To register for the shredding event, call (877) 926-8300 or visit www.aarp.cvent.com.WEAADShred16.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

From page 6 me interact more authentically with my surroundings. I can step up to a table or a person, but no farther, as if these objects were really in my way.

And unlike many VR experiences, this one is open-ended. I am free to linger in this otherworldly, painterly realm to my heart’s content. At this cafe, there is no last call. And I am in no hurry to leave.

Why would I? Despite the possible onset of a headache or queasiness (nothing comes without a price, including this technology in its infant stage), VR is a habitat of countless possibilities, an exhilarating refuge that yanks me from the sidelines and thrusts me into the action.

Could VR ever become the default mode for its audience? I can imagine a time when immersion in VR might be as normal a state of self-imposed isolation as earbuds piping music from an iPod is now.

But more pertinent to me, a television guy, is this question: As VR evolves as technology and art, what will be its impact on the act of vegging out with old-fashioned TV? Television has long reigned as the province of the couch potato, viewing passively while free to do other things: answer email, fix a snack, or just nurse a beer. But lost in VR’s altered state, I could easily miss my mouth when trying to take a sip. VR demands full commitment.

Could be, as VR comes of age, television will become not quite old hat, but instead, what radio became with TV’s birth: an atmospheric add-on, just one part of the everyday sensory mosaic.

Similarly, TV, with its grip on public consciousness downgraded, might be recast as an omnipresent supplement to real life.

Not supplementing, but supplanting real life: That’s what VR aims to do.

— AP

©CARLOS DIE BANYULS

Virtual reality

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Scams in Google From page 4 If you want to reduce the chances of spam showing up in your Google Alerts, Davis suggests narrowing your search parameters. Let’s say you’re an investor who is interested in the latest news about dividend stocks. When you first set up your alert, put “dividend stocks” in quotes to indicate that you’re only interested in returning results in which the terms appear together.

You can also limit the sources of your results to “news” and “blogs,” which would exclude broader “web” results.

Also, set your Google Alerts to “Only the best results” as opposed to “All results.”

Finally, unless you’re specifically looking for results from sites outside the U.S., limit the region to “United States.” The shady links we found in Google Alerts pointed to sites in Germany and France, as indicated by the “.de” and “.fr” URL suffixes, rather than the familiar “.com” suffix.

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

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Health Fitness &

WHAT, ME WORRY? Worrying is actually a self-protection mechanism for some people REV UP YOUR METABOLISM Exercise, spicy food, coconut oil and eating more often can help PLUMBING PROBLEMS Helpful answers concerning the related issues of ED, prostate health FEWER SNIFFLES Nasal rinses, like neti pots, can help curb chronic sinus problems

Drug distribution can block competition

By Matthew Perrone The same strategy that Martin Shkreli used to get away with a 5,000-percent price increase on an old drug is used by many other drugmakers to maintain sky-high prices on billions of dollars’ worth of medications.

Before the price hike that made him infamous, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals had to ensure that no competitor would be able to launch a cheaper version of Daraprim, the 60-year-old anti-infection pill that is no longer under patent.

Shkreli had the perfect weapon: A tightly-controlled distribution system that would make it virtually impossible for a competitor to obtain enough Daraprim to develop their own version.

Shkreli, who resigned in December, did not invent the closed distribution technique.

And his former company, Turing, notes that Daraprim was already distributed under such a system when it acquired the drug.

Blocking access Many larger drugmakers have also turned drug distribution into a powerful tool against competition. The strategy

takes advantage of a simple fact: If generic drugmakers can’t get their hands on the original product, they cannot perform the tests needed to develop a generic version.

Typically generic drugmakers purchase drugs in bulk from third-party suppliers.

But when the original drugmaker controls the drug’s distribution, they can simply refuse to sell.

The effect on patients is higher prices for drugs that would otherwise be available as low-cost generics. Doctors say these tactics “continue to stand in the way of patients’ access.”

“The most effective way to improve access and lower prices is to ensure that generic drugs get to market as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Ameet Sarpatwari, of Harvard Medical School, who has studied the issue.

At least 40 drugs worth an estimated $5.4 billion are sheltered from competition by distribution hurdles, according to a study commissioned by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, an industry trade group.

The Food and Drug Administration is aware of the misuse of distribution programs. The agency said in a statement it has received 100 letters from companies that

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say they have been blocked from obtaining drugs for testing purposes. The agency’s own regulations prohibit drugmakers from using certain types of distribution plans to block generic access, but the agency does not penalize companies for the practice.

The trend began in 2007, when the FDA began requiring risk-management plans for certain drugs. The plans often feature various restrictions to make sure drugs are used safely, including limits on who can distribute them.

But drugmakers realized these measures could also be used to keep their drugs away from competitors. And even drugs that didn’t require risk-management could utilize the strategy.

Huge price increase Daraprim is an example of a drug that has no major safety risks and was previously available through various wholesalers and distributors. But last June — three months before its sale to Turing — Daraprim was moved into a closed distribution program, allowing the manufacturer to refuse sales to competitors.

The effect for patients was jarring. The

drug — which treats an infection mainly found in people with HIV and cancer — had previously been available through local pharmacies. Now it is distributed through a specialty division of a single pharmacy chain, which sells the drug at Turing’s list price of $750 per pill. In the months after the price hike, some patients faced co-pays as high as $16,000 when trying to fill a prescription.

“Mr. Shkreli set up a very complicated system to ensure profits, and patients have really suffered,” said Sean Dickson, of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

Turing says it has improved access to Daraprim, including making it available through a patient assistance program for those who can’t afford it.

Drugmakers argue that closed distribution simply protects their interests, making sure drugs are shipped and handled appropriately.

Undermining generics But generic drugmakers say the tactics threaten their business model. “It underSee DRUG PRICES, page 11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

9

You can fight back when drugs are denied

By Eleanor Laise You make a routine trip to the pharmacy to fill a prescription. But the pharmacist tells you your Medicare drug plan won’t cover the drug. You walk away with no medication — and no clear explanation about why you were denied coverage.

More and more seniors are finding themselves in this confusing and potentially dangerous situation, patient advocates say.

Questions about pharmacy-counter denials — and what to do next — are among the most common issues raised by callers to the Medicare Rights Center’s national helpline, said Joe Baker, the center’s president.

“The problem of pharmacy denials and people being confused by Part D prescription-drug coverage is a growing trend,” he said.

It pays to appeal Seniors who are denied coverage at the pharmacy may pay out of pocket for increasingly unaffordable drugs — or, even worse, go without needed medication.

They may need to make several calls to their drug plan to find out the exact reason coverage was denied, and then navigate a complex appeals process to seek a reversal.

But persistence often pays off: In 2013, nearly 80 percent of denials that were appealed were subsequently approved, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Drug denials are rising in part because Medicare drug plans aiming to control costs are imposing “utilization management restrictions” on a growing number of drugs.

These restrictions include step therapy, which requires you to try a cheaper alternative before a pricier drug; limits on the quantity of a drug that your plan will cover in a certain time period; and prior authorization, which means your plan must give approval before the prescription is filled. Such restrictions were applied to 39% of drugs on Medicare drug plans’ formularies in 2015, up from 18% in 2007, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In other cases, coverage is denied because the drug is not on your plan’s formulary. Each fall, review your plan’s annual notice of change, which explains how coverage and costs are changing in the coming year.

Also call the plan to make sure specific drugs you take are still on the formulary and not subject to any new coverage restrictions. You can switch drug plans during Medicare open enrollment, which runs from October 15 to December 7 each year.

If a drug you’re taking is dropped from your plan’s formulary, or you change to a plan that doesn’t cover the drug, you are entitled to a one-time “transition refill” — typically a 30-day supply of the drug.

How to appeal Don’t take the pharmacist’s “no” as your final answer. Take note of the drug name and dosage that you were prescribed, the name

of the pharmacy, and the date when you tried to fill the prescription. Then call your plan and ask for a “coverage determination” — a written explanation of the coverage decision.

The plan generally has 72 hours to respond. But you can ask for an expedited decision, which requires the plan to respond within 24 hours, said Diane Omdahl, president of 65 Incorporated, a Mequon, Wis., firm that helps seniors navigate Medicare.

If the plan tells you that the drug is not on the formulary or that it’s subject to a restriction, you can ask for a coverage “exception.”

In this case, your doctor must write a supporting statement. “It has to really explain why this drug and no other is what the patient needs,” said Jocelyne Watrous, an advocate at the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

The 72-hour clock won’t start ticking until the plan gets the doctor’s statement.

If the coverage determination is not in

your favor, you have 60 days to ask for a “redetermination,” the first level of appeal. If significant dollars are at stake, you can pursue several more levels of appeal — and ultimately have your case heard in federal court.

Since in many cases denials are inappro-

priate, “our advice to clients is always to push back,” Baker said. “When we do that, we find that people get the coverage.”

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

10

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Surprising benefits of worrying (for some)

By Srini Pillay Everyone worries, but some people worry more than others. When worry is excessive, people may develop generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In fact, close to a quarter of people who go to their primary care physicians with anxiety suffer from the condition.

In general, stressful events in childhood and adulthood, having strained economic resources, being divorced, and being female all put you at risk for GAD. But what do all of these different highrisk groups have in common psychologically? Why do they worry so much? And what can they do about it?

A recent study explained why people with GAD worry so much — and the findings may surprise you.

Worry as self-protection While many people think they are just worriers, they do not realize that they actually worry for a reason. Their worry is an attempt to protect themselves!

If you’re wondering how such a nagging, persistent, annoying and sometimes distressing psychological state can be helpful, you’re probably not alone. But the findings do in fact make some sense.

It turns out that worrying about something puts your mind into a negative state, but this helps, because when something negative does happen, you don’t feel that much worse. You’ve already been feeling bad.

For people with GAD, it’s better to feel bad most of the time so that a negative event — someone being ill, sudden finan-

cial challenges, or rejection from a loved one — doesn’t have the power to create a massive emotional swing.

It’s the sudden shift from a neutral or positive mood to a negative one that is of most concern to worriers. They will do anything to avoid this, include preparing to be miserable. They really hate the contrast of a situation unexpectedly going south.

To people who aren’t worriers, this would sound counterintuitive, but they don’t have the same sensitivity to sudden emotional shifts. In fact, for them, worry is undesirable, whereas worriers find worry helpful.

This poses a dilemma for treatment, then. If someone has GAD, just asking them to lose the worry will not work. And if you have GAD, expecting your brain to simply stop worrying on command is a tall order.

Another study has helped us understand that people who are prone to worrying are soft-wired to pay attention to threatening news, thereby building up a library of evidence in their brains that worrying is necessary.

Think about it. On any given day, there are so many threatening things happening in the world — anything from new viruses, terrorist attacks or political conflicts to a hostile email or upcoming storm are all real events.

Yet, if you only pay attention to the threats, you have no space left in your brain to process anything else. Threat becomes your reality, and worry becomes your justifiable response. Anyone telling you to give up your worry will sound out of touch, to say the least.

Getting worry under control As challenging as this sounds, there are things that you can do to retrain your brain to stop worrying. Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of talk therapy where you simply revisit your assumptions in an attempt to reframe your thoughts, works according to some studies but not others.

It’s important to remember that you can benefit from other forms of talk therapy, though, and that you can benefit from medications as well.

But if you want to try changing the way you think right now, prior to therapy or while you’re waiting, you might consider the following approach.

Rather than challenging yourself or someone else about worry, you can actually accept that the worry is serving a purpose — to avoid a sudden negative swing.

Then, start to delve deeper so you can discover that the negative swing you most See WORRYING, page 11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

Drug prices From page 8 mines the whole generic drug approval process,” said Steve Giuli, an executive with generics firm Apotex Corp.

Apotex has repeatedly tried to purchase two specialty cancer drugs sold by drugmaker Celgene. Together the drugs, Thalomid and Revlimid, account for $5.2 billion in sales — more than two-thirds of Celgene’s revenue for 2014.

That’s despite the fact that Thalomid is a 1950s-era drug whose key ingredient is no longer under patent. Because the drug can cause severe birth defects, it is subject to a rigorous distribution program controlled

by Celgene.

“They will never freely sell you the product, even if you negotiate with them for weeks, months, and perhaps years to satisfy all of their onerous concerns,” said Omar Jabri, another Apotex executive.

Worrying From page 10 fear is probably less negative than you think.

Giving up the struggle and control with worry, and accepting that it has not been helpful, is the next step. You can then reexamine your library of negative “proof” and swap out threatening realities for posi-

A Celgene spokesman did not return calls and emails seeking comment on the risk-management program.

In one case, New Jersey-based Celgene went on the offensive, suing Barr Laboratories for attempting to introduce a generic version of Thalomid. Celgene said Barr’s effort would infringe on its intellectual property, since it had patented Thalomid’s risk-management plan.

When generic drugmaker Lannett sued Celgene in 2012, alleging that the company’s tactics illegally blocked competition, the companies reached an out-of-court settlement. Details of the agreement were not disclosed, but Thalomid remains unavailable as a generic.

Meanwhile, the FDA has remained on the sidelines. “The FDA is hesitant to make a call on whether a manufacture is actually intending to delay generic competition,” said pharmaceutical attorney Kurt Karst.

With no apparent solution from the

tive ones. In fact, this kind of deliberate optimism can protect you from GAD. Worry in GAD can be debilitating, but there is an increasing amount of data that shows you can address this effectively.

Srini Pillay, M.D., is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © 2016. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

courts or the FDA, generic drugmakers and their allies are seeking a fix from Congress. A bill introduced in the House would direct the FDA to impose stiff fines on drugmakers that refuse to sell their products to generic drugmakers.

Introduced last summer, the legislation has made little headway on Capitol Hill,

but Dr. Sarpatwari hopes recent concerns about drug prices will attract more attention to the proposal.

“You’re getting Congress to amend the system to require that drug samples be shared under the penalty of actual sanctions,” he said. “That’s ultimately where we need to get to.”

— AP

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

What foods help boost your metabolism?

By Nicci Micco So you’re trying to lose weight. Join the club!

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just turn a knob and rev up your metabolism — your calorie burn — just like that? Well, we all hear about diet and exercise strategies that supposedly do just that.

But do they work? Yes — and no. Here’s

what we know about the subject: 1. Spice things up. Studies suggest that capsaicin, an antioxidant in chile peppers (and also what makes them hot), increases the body’s metabolic rate — slightly.

Is it recommended? Sure! While the metabolic boost you get by adding chiles to your diet isn’t likely to melt away pounds, some research also suggests that

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capsaicin may stimulate brain chemicals in a way that helps you feel satisfied. And when you make your foods delicious with spices — instead of huge amounts of butter or cream — you save calories.

2. Eat more often. By having several mini meals each day instead of fewer, larger ones, you can shift your metabolism into a higher gear more often — and burn more calories. Our metabolisms rev up slightly each time we eat, as our bodies process what we’ve consumed.

Is it recommended? Sure, if it helps keep your hunger in check so that you don’t overeat when you finally sit down to a meal. (And if you’re not having a bunch of snacks that are actually the calorie-equivalent of big meals.)

3. Add coconut oil to your diet. There is some preliminary research to suggest that using coconut oil in place of butter, olive oil or canola oil might help people lose weight by boosting their calorie burn. The fatty acids in coconut oil (called medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT) are shorter and more watersoluble than those in other oils, such as olive or canola, so they’re routed directly to the liver where they’re readily burned for fuel.

There’s no scientific evidence to show that simply consuming coconut oil helps people

lose weight. But research suggests that using an MCT oil in place of olive oil might.

Is it recommended? Not really. Even if coconut oil does indeed help people lose weight, few nutrition experts recommend it, since coconut oil is loaded with saturated fat: 12 grams in 1 tablespoon versus 7 grams in a tablespoon of butter. It also has 120 calories per tablespoon, like all other oils.

4. Exercise. As we age, muscle metabolism decreases — by 1 to 2 percent each decade after age 30. So even if you maintain the same level of exercise and calorie intake as you age, you will tend to accumulate fat over time. Regular exercise (and/or calorie reduction) can help offset reduced muscle metabolism and help you stay lean.

Is it recommended? Absolutely! Exercise not only boosts your resting metabolism so that you’re burning more calories when you’re at rest, heart-thumping activity blasts away calories while you’re doing it and makes you feel great. If you’re just getting started with an exercise program, check with your doctor first.

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

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The Maryland Department of Aging is holding a town hall meeting to provide an opportunity for members of the public to offer public comments on the draft State Plan on Aging covering October 2016 through September 2020. The town hall takes place Wednesday, June 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bykota Senior Center, 611 Central Ave., Towson, Md. Also, through June 1 you can provide input by completing a quick survey online at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/MDoAStatePlanSurvey. For more information, contact (410) 767-1100 or mdoa.executiveoffice@maryland.gov.

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

Health Studies Page

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THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

New treatments for leukemia are studied

By Carol Sorgen Nearly 19,000 new cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will be reported this year in the U.S., according to American Cancer Society statistics.

CLL affects mainly older adults, and the average age at the time of diagnosis is 71.

It is rarely seen in people under 40, and is extremely rare in children. Yet CLL accounts for one quarter of all diagnosed cases of leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer that starts from cells in the bone marrow. At some point, leukemia cells leave the bone marrow and spill into the bloodstream. Once in the blood, leukemia cells can spread to other organs. They also often cause an increase in the number of a person’s white blood cells.

Chronic leukemias can take a long time before they produce symptoms, and most people can live with the condition for many years. But chronic leukemias are generally harder to cure than acute leukemias. Continued research is needed to find improvements in the treatment of CLL.

Testing new drugs Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital, members of LifeBridge Health, are participating in two nationwide clinical trials sponsored by TG Therapeutics aimed at improving treatment options for people with CLL. TG Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company currently developing therapies that target cancers that begin in the cells of blood-forming tissue (bone marrow).

Both studies are Phase 3 trials, meaning the drugs being studied have already been

through two previous phases of testing.

One trial is called the Genuine Trial. It has two arms: The first is the experimental arm, which will assess the efficacy and safety of the drug Ublituximab, a monoclonal antibody that is not yet approved for use by the FDA, in combination with the drug Ibrutinib, which is approved. In the other arm, participants will take Ibrutinib alone.

This study is aimed at participants who have been previously treated for CLL, and have the presence of high-risk features as identified by cellular abnormalities.

Patients taking both drugs will receive three separate intravenous infusions of Ublituximab followed by maintenance infusions and an oral daily dose of Ibrutinib.

Patients in the second arm will receive an oral daily dose of Ibrutinib.

The other trial, called the Unity Trial, will assess the efficacy and safety of Ublituximab used in combination with another drug for which approval is being sought — TGR1202. A second arm of this study compares that combination to the use of the drug Obinutuzumab in combination with Chlorambucil. Both of these drugs are already approved and in use for treatment of CLL. The Unity Trial is for CLL patients without high-risk features, and who either have not had treatment before or need recurrent treatment.

Patients in the first arm of this trial will receive three separate intravenous infusions of Ublituximab, followed by maintenance infusions and an oral daily dose of TGR-1202. Patients in the second arm will receive eight intravenous infusions of Obinutuzumab and scheduled oral doses of Chlorambucil.

Open-ended study Treatments will take place at either Northwest Hospital or Sinai Hospital. Participants do not have to be current LifeBridge Health patients.

Participants will continue in the trial until the doctor no longer feels they are receiving any benefit from it. There is no financial compensation for participation.

Researchers intend to assess the sur-

vival rate of patients treated in both trials over the course of three years. The Genuine Trial is recruiting 330 participants; the Unity Trial, 450.

To learn more about these studies, or to see if you qualify to participate, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and search for the following trial numbers: NCT02301156 and NCT02612311.

You may also call the Oncology Research Office at Sinai Hospital at (410) 601-6120.

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Treatments for ED and prostate problems

By Howard LeWine Q: I recently saw my doctor for urinary symptoms. He said that I have an

enlarged prostate. We decided to wait to start treatment.

But now I wonder if I should take

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Cialis since the TV ads say it helps with symptoms from an enlarged prostate as well as erectile dysfunction. Any suggestions?

A: Difficulties with urination become more and more common in men over age 50. Often the cause is the noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland — benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. As the prostate puts pressure on the urinary plumbing, men experience symptoms such as difficulty starting urination, straining to empty the bladder, and having to get up frequently at night to urinate.

Some men try to live with it, but at some point they may feel the need to explore medical solutions.

BPH’s frequent fellow traveler is erectile dysfunction (ED). A fair number of men develop both ED and symptoms of BPH. And it sounds appealing to take one pill that might help with both.

Since you and your doctor decided to wait before starting medication for the BPH symptoms, perhaps the more important issue for you is ED. If that is the case, I would suggest contacting your doctor to focus on this issue.

Daily tadalafil (Cialis) is the only drug currently FDA-approved for use in men with both ED and BPH. If you did desire medication for ED, you may not need or want to take a pill every

day. Most often men use an ED drug on asneeded basis. Examples include a stronger dose of tadalafil and several similar drugs, such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) and avanafil (Stendra).

If later you decide it’s time for medication to help with BPH symptoms, there are two types of drugs that doctors prescribe.

Alpha blockers — such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), silodosin (Rapaflo), tamsulosin (Flomax), and terazosin (Hytrin) — relax the smooth muscles in the bladder neck and prostate. This improves urine flow and leads to less frequent need to urinate.

If the prostate is enlarged, the doctor may add a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, such as dutasteride (Avodart) or finasteride (Proscar). These drugs can help to shrink the swollen gland and take pressure off the bladder neck.

For men with ED and mild to moderate BPH symptoms who are willing to take a pill every day, tadalafil for daily use is certainly an option.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, please visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2016 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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July 17+

HELP REPAIR HOMES

During the week of July 17, the 33rd annual Baltimore County Christian Workcamp, a volunteer and ecumenical consortium of individuals and churches, will be doing home repair and assistance for the needy throughout Baltimore County. For more information or to volunteer, see www.bcchristianworkcamp.org or email bcchristianworkcamp@comcast.net.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

15

Is there a link between dairy and cancer?

Q: Does a lactose-free diet play a cholesterol. Iron and the B vitamin folate role in reducing cancer risk? that is so important for maintaining healthy A: For people who can’t diDNA are high in all pulses. gest lactose, a naturally occurAs do other pulses, lentils ring sugar in milk, eating or provide both protein and drinking milk and other dairy health-protective phytochemiproducts can lead to uncomfortcals like flavonoids. Their easy able cramping and diarrhea. preparation requires no soakOverall, research shows no ing like other dried beans, so reduction in cancer risk by you can go from pantry to avoiding foods with lactose table in about 20 minutes. (dairy products). In fact, the Pulses are similar in nutrilatest report from the Amerition, but you can enjoy explorcan Institute for Cancer Re- NUTRITION ing the many types for a varisearch (AICR) analyzing the WISE ety of flavors. evidence links milk and calci- By Karen Collins, Cook brown lentils until tenum intake with lower risk of MS, RD, CDM der but not mushy, holding colorectal cancer. salt and any acid ingredients There is some research linking con- (such as lemon or tomatoes) until the end sumption of dairy products with increased to avoid toughening the lentils and inrisk of prostate cancer, but the evidence creasing cooking time. here is not strong.

Brown lentils are part of renowned dishA few studies have also linked high con- es all around the world. They can serve as sumption of lactose with greater risk of ovar- a meat replacement or extender in your faian cancer, but overall research does not vorite stew, soup, chili, or rice- or vegshow any clear link between lactose or dairy etable-based mixed entrée. consumption and ovarian or other cancer.

The little red lentils and yellow lentils Limited animal research even shows possi- dissolve into sort of a purée, so they’re ble protective effects of lactose for the colon. great for thickening soups and stews, The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Ameri- or mashed as in some Indian dal recipes. cans recommend two to three servings of You may also see French lentils, which dairy per day as part of an overall healthy are smaller than more common types, but eating plan. One serving equals 1 cup milk these take longer to cook. French lentils or yogurt or 1 1/2 ounces natural cheese. retain their shape and firmness and add a Q: How do lentils compare nutrition- peppery flavor, making them a great ally to dried beans like kidney beans, choice for salads. black beans and chickpeas?

Whatever your choice, enjoy lentils as a A: Like all pulses (a term that includes quick and easy way to work more legumes dried beans, dried peas and lentils), lentils into your eating habits. are a great source of fiber. Just a half-cup of The American Institute for Cancer Recooked lentils provides nearly as much fiber search offers a Nutrition Hotline, 1-800as two cups of cooked oatmeal, and much of 843-8114, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday it is the type of fiber that helps lower blood through Friday. This free service allows you

to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will return your call, usually within three business days.

Courtesy of the American Institute for

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

BEACON BITS

May 26

HELP YOUR HEART

Heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans. Find out how to prevent heart disease from a representative of the American Heart Association at a seminar on Thursday, May 26 at 10:30 a.m. at the Catonsville Senior Center. The center is located at 501 N. Rolling Rd., Catonsville. Call (410) 887-0900 for more information.

16

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Nasal rinses for chronic sinus problems As spring rolls around, allergies and hay fever cause problems, and so do lingering strains of colds and flu. Maybe you are one of the 40 million people in America who are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms from chronic sinusitis? It translates to a lot of Kleenex, Flonase and Sudafed!

Are you experiencing some of these issues: Sinus pressure, headaches, cheek pain, eyeball pain or pressure behind the eyes, puffy eyes, nasal dryness, or a stuffed up nose?

Do you have moving headaches or shocks in

your scalp, dental pain, or a foul odor that no one else can smell?

Today I’m reviewing some popular devices that can help with chronic sinusitis: Neti Pots — These are small plastic or porcelain containers from which a saline solution is poured into the nostrils. I recommend the porcelain kind. Neti pots and other such devices discussed below are better than oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) because they don’t

raise your blood pressure or cause spaci- ing. You control the pressure or “flush” by ness or insomnia. squeezing the bottle yourself.

But they work superficially, Con — You may get a sinus addressing nasal and maxillary headache afterwards. Some sinus problems (around your people say it causes a sensacheekbones), not those of the tion similar to the feeling you ethmoid sinuses (near the get when you jump into a pool bridge of your nose) or spheand water gets up your nose, noid sinuses (behind your but this goes away. eyes). Luckily those conditions Navage Nasal Irrigation are rare, and you’ll need a CT Getting used to this device — scan of your sinuses to uncover which sends water up one ethmoid or sphenoid sinus nostril and literally suctions it DEAR problems. out the other — takes a try or PHARMACIST Pro — It’s affordable and By Suzy Cohen two. It has a “pulling” effect readily accessible at health rather than a pushing effect food stores and pharmacies. like other devices. Once you Con — You have to tilt your head in an get used to the sensation, you can reap the awkward position to use, and this is prob- benefits. lematic if you have neck or back pain. Also, Pros — It doesn’t require awkward you need to buy distilled water. Please don’t head positions. skimp and use tap water, because your siCons — You have to buy their proprinuses are not equipped to defend against etary brand of salt pods, and the sensation pathogens very well. People have died from of suction can feel bizarre. You also can’t a brain-eating amoeba found in tap water, so control or adjust the flow. be sure to use distilled.

This information is opinion only. It is not NeilMed Rinse intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conPro — This squeeze bottle devise flush- dition. Consult with your doctor before using es you out really well, and is more efficient any new drug or supplement. than a neti pot. Many people claim it Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist helped them after years of congestion. It and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist comes with individual packets of salt with and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To baking soda, which is instantly alkaliniz- contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP

A free support group for those with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers, meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Myerberg Center, 3101 Fallstaff Rd. in Baltimore from 2 to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call (410) 843-7352 or visit jcsbaltimore.org/ parkinsons.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

17

Hard to help loved one with mental illness Dear Solutions: Also — very important — have someMy husband (we’re separated) has one look through his apartment and make been diagnosed as bisure there are no guns or polar. He is not taking his other weapons there. medication, and is so dePlease speak to a doctor pressed he cannot funcand follow through for everytion. one’s sake and safety.

He’s not going to work, Dear Solutions: or bathing, or cleaning his My daughter’s husband apartment, which is filthy left her over a year ago, now with mice. He will not and they’re still in the go to the psychiatrist he midst of conflict over a setwas seeing. tlement. I’m furious at How can I persuade him SOLUTIONS him. to see a psychiatrist and By Helen Oxenberg, I always have my whole take his medication? He MSW, ACSW family, including my daughwill not say how I can help. ter and her children (my I’m afraid he will lose his apartment grandchildren) over for dinner on and his job, and become homeless. I every holiday. So that’s when he calls do not want to forcibly get him to the my house, in the middle of dinner, emergency room. What can I do? and insists on talking to his children Please help. no matter what I say.

— Anonymous My daughter doesn’t want me to Dear Anonymous: say anything or to use the answering You must seek the help of the doctor he machine, because she doesn’t want to had been seeing. That doctor will probably antagonize him, and he knows we’re need to have your husband committed to a all here. I get very upset. psychiatric facility on the basis that he may I don’t want to make things harder be of danger to himself or others. for my daughter, but my stomach Of course, it’s hurtful to do this, but this churns every time I hear his voice. sounds like a necessity for his own safety, as How do you think I should handle this? people in this state are often suicide risks.

— Maimie

Dear Maimie: Put the blame on Mame – I mean Mom. I know you want to help your daughter, but allowing this boor to bully you won’t help her. If your daughter thinks it’s necessary to appease him, then she can do it in her space, not yours.

Remember who you are. This is your home, your dinner and your telephone.

Tell him quietly and firmly that no one is

allowed to interrupt your dinner in your home, and you’ll tell the children he called. Then hang up and let the answering machine do the talking. © Helen Oxenberg, 2016. 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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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Money Law &

A BRIDGE TO RETIREMENT More are trying part-time, flexible jobs as they transition to retirement. But some are remaining in these supposedly “bridge jobs” because they need the income ENCORE GIGS Do you dream about a new career in retirement? Look into teaching English overseas, or becoming a city tour guide or patient advocate

Tax-free muni bonds: not sexy, but steady

By Stan Choe The municipal-bond market looks to be regaining its reputation for delivering reliable if unsexy returns, following several big swings since the financial crisis.

It’s remained sturdy in recent months, even as stocks and other types of bonds have jerked up and down. That has investors, mostly high income earners, once again pouring in dollars in search of safety.

Municipal bonds are issued by states and local governments to raise money to build the school down the street or expand the local sewer system.

In exchange for funding projects meant to be good for the community, investors generally do not have to pay federal income taxes on the interest payments they receive. In some cases, they’re also exempt from state and local taxes.

The largest municipal bond fund returned 2.9 percent last year, more than the largest stock fund’s 0.3 percent. More importantly for twitchy investors, Vanguard’s Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt fund is on pace for its 10th straight month without a loss.

Demand has been strong enough that roughly $16.5 billion has flowed into mu-

nicipal-bond mutual funds over the last year, according to the Investment Company Institute.

Contrast that with the $73.6 billion that left taxable bond mutual funds, in large part because investors were fleeing high-yield funds on worries about their riskiness. Stock funds had even faster rates of withdrawals.

Low, but tax-free, returns Just remember that the reason for muni bonds’ recent popularity is precisely because they’re boring. Don’t come in with expectations of getting rich quickly. Yields are low, which cap future returns, and their strong performance last year and so far in 2016 has pushed yields even lower.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of downside, but the upside is limited too,” said Guy Davidson, director of municipal bond management at AllianceBernstein. “Muni funds can offer stability and income in a volatile world, but I don’t think you should be preaching for excitement given these yields at the moment.”

Yields are low for muni bonds relative to their history, and they can also be lower than taxable bonds with a similar maturity and credit rating. That’s traditionally been

the case because muni bonds’ income is free of taxes.

Top income earners have a federal tax rate of nearly 40 percent, which means a taxable bond yielding 3 percent would generate the same spending power after taxes as a muni bond yielding just 1.8 percent.

Many websites have online calculators that help investors figure out the “taxequivalent” yield of their bond funds.

That’s also why investors hold muni bonds in taxable accounts. If they were in a 401(k) or another tax-deferred account, their tax advantage would be wasted.

The muni bond market has historically been relatively sleepy. Then the financial crisis hit.

Municipal bond funds held up better than most investments, but the largest category of them still lost an average of 2.3 percent in 2008. Returns rocketed higher the next year, but another shock came in late 2010 and early 2011. That’s when a high-profile prediction for a wave of municipal defaults sent investors running for the exits.

The default wave never materialized, but panic set in again in 2013, when worries spiked that interest rates could rise

faster than expected. Since then, the muni bond market has dealt with more scares, like the recent debt crisis in Puerto Rico.

Some trouble spots and risks It’s not just Puerto Rico that has raised concerns. Investors are worried about Chicago and areas that have big pension obligations.

Governments heavily reliant on revenue from the oil industry are also under pressure, following the collapse in the price of crude. The fear is that if local tax revenue craters, it will be difficult for the municipality to pay back investors.

But fund managers say the market sees these as isolated trouble spots. In the rest of the country, tax revenue is on the upswing due to the stronger economy. And many local governments slashed their expenses and held off on issuing debt following the financial crisis.

“Throwing out Chicago and Puerto Rico, muni credit is kind of as good as it’s ever been,” said Nick Venditti, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment manSee TAX-FREE MUNIS, page 19

BEACON BITS

June 19

FATHER’S DAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND BAKE SALE

Celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday June 19, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at a pancake breakfast and bake sale sponsored by American Legion Post 130, 8666 Silver Lake Dr. in Perry Hall. For $7 per person, you get pancakes, scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, sausage links, stewed apples, orange juice, coffee and tea. Bloody Marys and mimosas will be available to purchase. All proceeds from the bake sale will be donated to a local veterans organization. For more information, call the American Legion Post 130 at (410) 870-0625.

July 7+

SUMMER SCHOOL AT PIKESVILLE SENIOR CENTER

Pikesville Senior Center will hold a summer school from July 7 to August 11 with such classes as adult ballet, improvisational acting, reverse glass painting, wine tasting 101 and more. Classes will be held from 6:15 to 7 p.m. and 7:15 to 8 p.m. A dinner option is available from 5 to 6 p.m. A happy hour class review and registration will be held on Thursday, June 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, call (410) 887-1245.

May 28+

BREW AT THE ZOO

Sample more than 80 local and national beers, and listen to local music at the annual Brew at the Zoo on May 28-29, 1876 Mansion House Dr., from 1 to 7 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $69. For more information, call (443) 552-5276 or visit www.marylandzoo.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

19

Some say: to “buy low,” invest in China

By Stan Choe While the rest of the world scrambles to get out of the crumbling Chinese stock market, a trickle of investors is heading straight into the wreckage.

Managers of Chinese stock mutual funds have seen huge drops many times before, and they even find things to like about them.

Instead of taking cover, and preserving cash in their portfolios, this time these managers say they are buying stocks of companies set to take advantage of how the Chinese government is reshaping the economy.

This most-recent plummet has been even swifter and sharper than past ones, but managers of Chinese stock funds say it’s also brought down share prices enough that they’ve been buying companies that they thought were too expensive just a few months ago.

“With a volatile market like China, buy it when the world hates it, and sell when no one’s worried,” said Jim Oberweis, who runs

Tax-free munis From page 18 agement. “It’s very easy for a muni bond buyer to come into the market and avoid the Chicagos and Puerto Ricos and find more fundamentally strong credits.”

Like any bond fund, a municipal-bond fund will fall in price as interest rates rise.

So far, rates have remained low, but most expect them to eventually rise. If it happens slowly enough, the bigger income payments that higher rates would bring could offset price drops.

When assessing the market, muni fund managers also look at how much supply and demand exists for tax-free bonds. Supply hasn’t grown as much as in the past, because local governments have been

the Oberweis China Opportunities fund.

“That’s worked pretty well over the last 20 years in China, and now sure seems to me like a period where everyone hates it.”

A downward trend for years Only time will tell if he and other Chinese stock fund managers are right. They could have made the same argument after each of the Chinese market’s many selloffs the last five years, and it wouldn’t have netted them much, if anything.

The MSCI China index has had seven declines of at least 10 percent over the last five years, including the 19 percent tumble since late October, which itself followed a 34 percent plunge from April into September by just weeks.

After all those ups and downs, the MSCI China index has lost 12 percent over the last five years, and is close to its lowest level since the summer of 2009.

That’s why fund managers say an invest-

ment in Chinese stocks will require lots of patience, maybe even a decade.

Oberweis’ fund, for example, has lost 15.9 percent over the last year, even though it’s been one of the top performers in its category. But over the past 10 years, it’s returned an annualized 8.9 percent, better than the S&P 500’s 6.1 percent annual return.

China’s economy grew last year at its slowest pace in a quarter century, and economists expect it to slow even more this year.

Part of that is by design. The Chinese government is steering the economy toward consumer spending and away from exports and investments in infrastructure.

It hopes that will yield a more sustainable, though slower, rate of growth.

The government is also pushing anticorruption measures and efforts to make the country’s huge state-owned banks and telecom communications companies more efficient.

The goal is to try to slow growth without stopping it. The worry is that the government will lose control of the slowdown, and the economy will fall hard.

“It’s painful at the moment, and there could be some more pain to come,” said Jasmine Huang, manager of the Columbia Greater China fund. “Eventually it will be good for the economy.”

See CHINESE STOCKS, page 20

slow to borrow since the financial crisis.

Managers see the strength of demand as the bigger potential threat to future returns. The municipal-bond market is dominated by individual investors, rather than big institutional investors or hedge funds, and they have shown in the past that they can be quick to sell.

For now, muni bonds’ steady returns mean demand has remained consistent and strong. Managers say they see few reasons for that to change, at least in the near term.

“I am expecting more of the same,” said Regina Shafer, who runs municipal bond funds at USAA. “I think investors appreciate the stable market that municipals bring. We’re steady as she goes.”

— AP

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Bridge jobs that transition to retirement

By Adam Allington The transition from employment to retirement used to be marked by a date on a calendar, along with some sheet cake, and a maybe a gold watch. Those days are long gone for most workers in the United States.

Today, the journey toward complete withdrawal from the labor force can last many years. Economists refer to the transition period as “bridge employment.” As more and more Americans either choose, or are forced, into bridge employment, the expectation of what retirement actually means is rapidly changing.

“We shouldn’t even use the word ‘retirement’ any more. It obscures more than it enlightens,” said Boston College economist Joseph Quinn.

Quinn’s research has shown that, for many seniors today, retirement is not a one-time event but rather a process. He at-

tributes it to a changing economic picture that encourages more seniors to choose work over leisure.

Flexible, part-time jobs Bridge jobs, Quinn said, “tend to be lower pay and less likely to have pension and health benefits. But since many people are taking these jobs voluntarily, they obviously provide some advantages — most likely flexible hours, since more than half of the bridge jobs are part-time.”

According to data from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study, roughly 6 out of 10 men and women of retirement age don’t plan to leave the labor force when they leave their full-time career jobs.

Factors leading to the appeal of bridge jobs include longer life expectancies and less physically demanding work, accord-

ing to Quinn.

His data also suggest the propensity to seek out bridge employment is highest at both ends of the wage spectrum — with blue-collar workers acting out of financial necessity, while wealthier workers think of it more as a lifestyle choice.

Laura Thompson drove a bus for 25 years in Detroit before retiring 16 years ago. “For a while I was completely retired,” said Thompson. “But eventually, I just felt like I still had it in me to do something, plus the extra income is nice too.”

These days Thompson keeps busy by working part time as a chef at a local homeless shelter. She said the decision was less about necessity and more about a desire to help out.

Still, she said it isn’t uncommon for retired bus drivers to keep working. “Our pensions have already been cut by the

city,” Thompson said, “I mean, I could probably scrape by without working, but I don’t want to do that, not if I can help it.”

Lower retirement security A somewhat open question is whether bridge jobs are truly bridges to retirement or just another job change, perhaps one of many, in a seemingly unending working career.

“I don’t want to be too Pollyannaish about bridge jobs, because part of this is likely a reaction to the erosion of retirement security in the U.S.,” said Monique Morrissey, an economist with Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank with ties to organized labor.

Morrissey said older Americans are facing a gradual erosion of retirement benefits. Specifically, she points to the transiSee BRIDGE JOBS, page 21

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Chinese stocks From page 19

Areas primed for growth Huang is avoiding companies from what’s known as “Old China,” and owns no raw-material producers and few companies in the industrial and energy sectors.

But instead of hiding out in cash, she has been investing in “New China.” She has been focusing on e-commerce companies, where she expects revenue to grow even if the overall economy stumbles, because more Chinese shoppers are going online.

She also sees big growth for healthcare companies. They make up only about 2 percent of the MSCI China index, and she said they could grow to become the 10 or 20 percent of the market that healthcare represents in developed markets.

Andrew Mattock, lead manager at the Matthews China fund, understands if investors are feeling gun-shy about Chinese stocks. “For five years now, if you’ve made money, it’s been hard to get, and you’ve lost it quickly in these sell-offs,” he said.

But the most recent drops for Chinese stocks have brought them close to their cheapest level since the financial crisis, relative to their earnings. The MSCI China index was recently trading at about 8.5 times its expected earnings per share over the next 12 months. That’s down from a price-earnings ratio of nearly 10 at the start of the year.

Mattock, like Huang, has steered his fund toward stocks that he sees profiting from China’s shift toward consumer spending.

His top holdings at the start of the year included Tencent, which operates the popular WeChat social media service, and JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce sites.

“This time, I think, is different because there’s actually change going on now,” Mattock said of the economic reforms underway in China. “There are doubts about whether they can do it, but what they’re trying to do is positive.”

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

21

Some interesting encore gigs for retirees

By Jane Bennett Clark Maybe you’ve always fantasized about racing down the sidelines as a soccer ref, or expounding to tourists on the charms of your city. Once you retire from your career job, you’ll have time to make that fantasy happen, but you’ll have to get up to speed on the skills involved.

Here’s a rundown of the basic requirements for six dream retirement gigs.

English-language teacher overseas You don’t need teaching experience for this gig, but you do need certification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of

Bridge jobs From page 20 tion to 401(k)s over defined-benefit pensions, as well as the eventual increase in the retirement age up to 67, a move she said amounts to an “across-the-board cut in benefits.”

The fact that bridge jobs occupy an increasing portion of the labor force suggests that wage income is an increasingly important part of retirement planning for many seniors.

The traditional model of a retirement income is a “three-legged stool,” composed of Social Security, pensions and savings.

However an analysis of census data by the Social Security Administration found that since the mid-1980s, employment earnings as a percentage of income has more than doubled and is still rising (for people 65 and older).

Gloria Adamson, 81, said she never planned to be working this late in life. “I simply have to work,” she said. “Retirement isn’t even in the picture, to tell you the truth.”

Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), a comparable credential more common in the United Kingdom.

The American TESOL Institute offers an online-only program ($295) and one that combines online study with in-class training ($995 to $1,620).

Salaries depend on the country and cost of living. For more information, see www.tefl-tesol.net.

You may be able to teach English as a Second Language in U.S. public schools with TESOL certification, but many states set additional requirements. Check with To cover her bills, Adamson started working as an adjunct professor in the Colorado community college system 13 years ago. According to a 2014 congressional report, most adjuncts receive no benefits, and often earn a fraction of what tenuretrack faculty make. Therefore, Adamson said she was never able to build up much savings, or make adequate contributions to her pension.

For the past year, she has worked fulltime teaching writing and rhetoric to freshmen at the University of Colorado in Boulder — a job with better pay and benefits than what she got at the community college. She teaches three classes, in addition to spending 10 hours a week tutoring students at the campus writing center.

Still, Adamson said doesn’t feel cheated out of her retirement. “I learned a trick some time ago — that if I make my work important enough to me, I won’t have a lot of time to do other things,” she said, with a slight smile.

“I figure by the time I’m 100, I will be in better shape financially. I might think about retiring then.”

— AP

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your state’s education department.

City tour guide Prerequisites for this job range from nothing at all, to passing a test administered by your local jurisdiction, to getting a license (or both), depending on where you plan to operate.

To find out the specifics in your area, go to the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and click on “Our Members.”

Then contact the association closest to you.

In addition to keeping track of local requirements, these associations offer training programs, continuing education, job-

Frank, Frank

networking opportunities and certification.

Expect to make about $40 an hour, said Ellen Malasky, vice-president of the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.

Patient advocate Being a private patient advocate can involve anything from sorting out billing snafus to helping families navigate the healthcare system.

No state requires a license for patient advocacy, and there is currently no nationally recognized certification, although one See ENCORE JOBS, page 22

& Scherr, LLC

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Encore jobs From page 21 is in the works through the Patient Advocate Certification Board.

Your own experience with, say, an ailing parent or a health crisis can be a starting point. To add to your qualifications, review the list of competencies and best practices at the patient advocate certification site, then go to Health Advocate Resources to see which educational programs can fill in any gaps.

A private practice is like any small business, said Trisha Torrey, founder and director of the Alliance of Professional Health Ad-

vocates. But for this profession, liability insurance is a must. You can generally charge fees of $100 to $250 an hour, depending on your background, services and location.

National Parks employee For a seasonal gig at a national park (or at a guest lodge, summer camp or ski resort), check out Cool Works, which lists postings from employers in spectacular settings around the country. Listings include openings for cooks, reservation clerks and gift shop employees, as well as for, say, a hovercraft captain or trolley driver.

Employees who can work the full season

JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

(as opposed to decamping for college in August) are in demand, making retirees a hot commodity. You’ll be paid minimum wage or a little more for entry-level jobs. Employers typically provide low-cost and sometimes free housing, ranging from private rooms to dormitories, or hookups for RVs. Some employers offer accommodations for couples, too.

Most retirees take these jobs for the fun and the chance to meet new people, not the compensation, said Patty Ceglio, director of operations at Cool Works. You’ll find job listings geared to retirees on the “Older and Bolder” section on the Cool Works site” coolworks.com.

Youth-sports official If giving back and having fun are more important than a paycheck, this gig is worth checking out. At minimum, you’ll have to be physically fit enough to tackle the demands of the sport.

To get started, register with the area governing association (your local high school or recreation department can tell you which one to contact). You’ll probably have to pay a fee of, say, $10 to $50. Registration gives you access to lectures, exercises, demonstrations and rulebooks on the mechanics of the sport. Experienced refs or umpires may also be willing to mentor you.

Expect to buy your own equipment — including shoes, the appropriate shirt and pants, and any protective gear — and to work your way up the ladder from youth leagues to high school varsity games. Fees range from zero to $35 or so for youth games, up to $65 for high school varsity games.

Professional organizer Let your neat-freak flag fly by helping clients declutter, organize paperwork or photos, straighten up their closets, garages, junk drawers or home offices — even the way they structure their time.

As with any business start-up, you’ll need to decide on your business model, get insurance, and file the appropriate paperwork with local and state agencies.

For training, business tips and networking opportunities, join the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). You can add to your clean cred by becoming certified

by NAPO. Certification — which requires completing 1,500 hours of paid client work and passing a proctored exam — costs $450, with a $100 annual maintenance fee.

Hourly fees for professional organizers run from $25 to $100, with the most common fees in the $50 to $75 range.

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

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

23

Leisure &

Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Canal is lined with warehouses converted to restaurants, shops and clubs. See story on page 25.

Prague and beyond in the Czech Republic

Medieval masterpieces Prague’s entire center is a designated UNESCO heritage site. Its buildings, unlike those in many other European cities, survived World War II remarkably intact.

The 13th century “Old Town” (Stare Mesto) consists of a labyrinth of winding alleys and picturesque squares, as does the not-quite-so-old “New Town” (Nove Mesto), which dates back to 1348.

Little wonder that the city was ranked sixth in the TripAdvisor 2016 list of best destinations throughout the world. Among rea-

sons for that claim to fame are its extensive collection of museums and theaters, along with hundreds of concert halls, galleries and other arts and entertainment venues.

It’s rare to find an architectural treasure-trove as rich and varied in such a compact area. The profusion of ancient palaces, castles and cathedrals creates a rich mosaic of outstanding masterpieces.

Romanesque chapels stand in the shadow of soaring Gothic cathedrals. Baroque palaces are neighbors to late 19th-century Art Nouveau buildings and examples of the early 20th-century Cubist style.

A famous landmark in the Old Town’s central square is an imposing tower that has looked out over the setting for nearly seven centuries. A crowd gathers each hour from dawn to dark to watch the 15th century astronomical clock put on its eclectic show. A small door opens and a miniature statue of Christ marches out followed by his disciples, as the skeleton of death tolls the hour on the clock’s bell.

The Lesser Town (Mala Strana), also known as the Little Quarter, is clustered around the foothills on which the Prague Castle is perched. That neighborhood was born in the 8th century as a market settlement. Its cobbled streets are lined by small shops, traditional restaurants and pubs, and restored ancient buildings.

© TTSTUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK

By Victor Block Many people who travel to the Czech Republic confine their stay to its capital, Prague, and with good reason. Known as “the city of a hundred spires” — although it’s actually decorated by nearly a thousand towers and steeples — it ranks among the most magnificent capitals of Europe and tells a story that stretches back over a millennium.

The setting overwhelms visitors with its architecture, which provides a feast for the eyes, then envelopes them in an aura of living history. Just when you think you’ve seen the most majestic building possible, you turn a corner and come upon another gem that surpasses it in grandeur.

Even so, those who fail to explore the countless treasures that abound throughout the rest of the country miss a lot. A perfect itinerary combines the attractions of both the capital Praha and the countryside.

Castles and bridges The sprawling Prague Castle, the largest PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTOR BLOCK

The Czech Republic brews some of the best beers in the world, and in the town of Ostrava, visitors can even take a beer bath or have a beer massage. The country has the world’s highest per capita consumption of beer, about 40 gallons per person a year.

Prague’s 14th century Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River and is accessible only to pedestrians. Prague is famed for its nearly 1,000 towers and steeples, and ranks sixth on TripAdvisor’s best destinations in the world.

medieval castle complex in the world, dates back to 880 C.E. and overlooks the city from a steep hill. It served as the seat of power for a parade of kings and emperors, and today is the official residence of the country’s president.

The buildings and courtyards sprawl over an area of 18 acres. They include four palaces and other residences, cathedrals and churches, defensive towers and several museums.

A ditch that encircles the castle, dug centuries ago to provide added protection, is still called the Deer Moat, named for the animals that early rulers kept confined there.

Adding color to the setting are six terraced gardens, including the impressive Renaissance Garden, which was laid out in 1534.

Another must-see in Prague is the graceful Charles Bridge, which well deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful stone bridges anywhere. It has spanned the Vltava River since the 14th century, and today is one of more than 30 within the city. A line of statues that were placed along its balustrades in the 17th and early 18th centuries depicts saints who were venerated at that time.

It has been a pedestrian-only bridge since 1978. Throughout the day, the bridge is packed with throngs of people who traipse across it, pausing to check out souvenirs, jewelry and other goods for sale in stalls, to listen to the sounds of musicians playing to

earn tips, and simply to enjoy the beautiful view of Prague Castle in the distance.

Charming Czech towns After taking in the architectural riches and vibrant setting of the Czech Republic’s capital, the treasures that abound throughout the rest of the country provide a sharp, and welcome, contrast.

For starters, the varied landscape is strewn with shimmering lakes and crisscrossed by sparkling rivers. Rolling farm fields and orchards lead to forested highlands that are overlooked by mountain ranges that virtually surround the country, which is about three times the size of Maryland.

Even with its magnificent examples of Mother Nature’s handiworks, the greatest assets outside of Prague are man-made.

Many of the charming towns that are scattered throughout the Czech Republic are built around an inviting central square surrounded by narrow winding streets. At the same time, each community has its unique charms.

The tiny village of Telc could have been lifted from the pages of a Hans Christian Andersen story. Its fairytale main square is lined by the decorative facades of arSee CZECH REPUBLIC, page 24

24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Czech Republic

tury that a ghetto was established. Today, it’s one of the best preserved ghettos in Europe and the only Jewish monument outside of Israel which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The neighborhood encompasses 123 historic buildings, including two synagogues, a rabbi’s house, hospital and two schools.

“Taking the waters” at mineral spring spas has been a part of life for people living in this region for centuries. Close to two dozen spa towns attract visitors in search of healing for various ailments or simply a relaxing experience. Among the most famous spas are Marianske Lazne, which is sur-

From page 23 cade-fronted Renaissance townhouses painted a variety of pastel hues and set off by ornate gables, intricate designs and decorations.

Visitors to the Czech Republic seeking to explore its Jewish heritage often head for Trebic. Among many vestiges of the Jewish aspects of the country’s history, that small city stands out.

The presence of Jewish people in present-day Trebic was first documented in 1338, but it wasn’t until the early 18th cen-

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rounded by nearly 100 natural springs, and Luhacovice Spa, which has been providing healing and hedonism for nearly 350 years.

It’s hard to beat the excitement and enjoyment of taking in the major attractions of Prague, as well as strolling through its hidden back streets and off-the-beatenpath neighborhoods. Visiting other history-rich towns throughout the Czech Republic that share similarities, yet have their own stories to tell, adds much to a visit to that enticing nation.

If you go Dining — and drinking — play an important role in the lifestyle and culture of people in the Czech Republic, and provide enjoyable opportunities for visitors to share in those experiences.

There are reasons why beer is known as “liquid bread.” The beverage has been brewed here for centuries, and Czech beer is recognized as among the best in the world. It’s not surprising that the country has the world’s highest per capita consumption — about 40 gallons a year per person.

In addition to famous national brands, including Pilsner, which was created in the town of Plzen in 1842, most towns have at least one brewery, and there are hundreds of local and regional brands.

When it comes to dining, I agreed with a Czech friend with whom I was sharing a restaurant meal who admitted to me, in an

understatement, “Our food is not very healthy.” Local specialties include thick soups, roast pork and duck, cabbage and dumplings. He pointed to the children’s menu, which featured pork filet and fried cheese.

Residents of Prague seeking traditional favorites often head for Milynare (“At the millers”). Favorites on the lengthy menu include beef goulash ($10) and the bountiful “Miller’s plate,” which is piled high with duck, pork sausage, cabbage, dumplings and potatoes ($35). For more information log onto www.restauraceumlynare.cz.

A good place to enjoy typical fare in Ostrava is Moravska Chalupa (“Moravian cottage”). It is located on Stodolni Street — a thoroughfare lined by restaurants, bars and night clubs — which locals rightly call “the street that never sleeps.” Roast duck with cabbage ($15) and pork filet and bacon encased in an oversize potato pancake ($21) are among the very filling choices. For more information, log onto moravskachalupa.cz.

The Hotel Pyramida in Prague offers value-priced accommodations. Amenities including a pool and sauna, not to mention a convenient location within walking distance of the castle and city center. Rates begin at $57. For more information, log onto http://www.hotelpyramida.cz/en/.

For more information about visiting the Czech Republic, log onto www.czech tourism.com.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

25

Cowboys, art and steak in Oklahoma City

By Beth J. Harpaz What might be Oklahoma City’s bestknown attraction is also a reminder of one of its darkest days: the Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum. The site honors the 168 people who died, and hundreds more who were injured, when the Alfred P. Murrah Building was bombed in 1995.

Once you’ve paid your respects, take a deep breath and spend some time exploring other things this friendly city has to offer — from cowboy culture, to pro basketball, to a famous steakhouse.

What’s new The big news in Oklahoma City this spring is a $45 million whitewater rafting facility called Riversports Rapids, due to open in the city’s Boathouse District in May. The manmade course will accommodate 2,000 people rafting and kayaking each day.

Also opening in May: the Criterion, a 4,000-seat concert venue on the east end of Bricktown — named for the area’s historic brick warehouses, which have been converted to restaurants, shops and clubs.

This summer, a new hotel in the 21c Museum Hotel chain (that features art galleries in each lobby and has eight locations), is scheduled to open in a 100-year-old historic building downtown that once served as an assembly plant for Model T cars. The hotel will have 135 rooms and a contemporary art museum onsite with rotating exhibitions.

Spend a few quiet moments contemplating the 168 empty chairs — including 19 small chairs that symbolize the children who perished — that are the primary feature of the Oklahoma National Memorial & Museum.

Then take a short walk to the nearby Myriad Botanical Gardens. The outdoor grounds are free to stroll, with landscaped paths that offer a quiet, green respite from

the busy downtown. Admission to the onsite Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, which has a wet zone and a dry zone, is $8.

Understanding America’s West Allow yourself a few hours to explore the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. There’s a lot more here than you might expect — not just the history of cowboys, but a context for visitors to contemplate what the American West means to them.

There are exhibits on Native Americans, how cowboys lived from the time the West was settled to now, and the impact of cowboy culture on pop and mainstream culture — movies, TV and more. Everything from rodeos to boots and hats is explored with the passion of an anthropologist.

Outside you’ll find a striking sculpture of four cowboys on horseback, waving whips and guns in the air. Also on the grounds are burial sites for horses that were famed on the rodeo circuit.

New temporary exhibitions opening this season at the museum include one on bolo ties and another called “The Cowboy Returns: Photographs by Bank and John Langmore,” which offers photos by a father and son about the daily, gritty lives of cowboys over two generations.

In June, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will host “Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris.” It’s the only venue for that show outside of Europe.

An early evening stroll in Bricktown on the paths lining the Bricktown Canal is a lot of fun. You can also take a tour by water taxi. Restaurants along the waterfront are mostly chains, but you’ll find more interesting places to eat elsewhere around the city.

The Red Earth Festival attracts thousands of Native American artists and

dancers each year. This year’s event is scheduled for June 10-12 at the Cox Convention Center, and includes a parade through downtown and a dance competition.

Basketball fans will want to catch a game featuring Oklahoma’s only major league sports team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Take a walk on the Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge, a pedestrian bridge on Harvey Avenue spanning Interstate 40 near Robinson Avenue south of downtown.

The Paseo Arts District offers art gal-

leries, a few boutiques and gift shops. A First Friday gallery walk is held each month. Nearby, check out Cheever’s Cafe, 2409 N. Hudson St. (try the shaved brussels sprout and kale salad, and the roasted pecan ice cream ball for dessert).

And do not miss Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew, where you’ll get one of the best steak dinners you’ve ever had. A horseand-buggy offers a free ride from the parking lot to the restaurant, steps away.

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Learn more about the contributions local doctors have made to medicine at an exhibit at the Jewish Museum. See story on facing page.

Older dancers show amazing gracefulness tions we offer,” said Goodman. “The dancers onstage are older, but our audience for this event is always mixed in age, with everyone touched by seeing life so passionately and continuously expressed. At 58, I love watching the show; I love dancing in the show.”

Performing soloists and ensembles will include: Antonia (belly dance), Branch Morgan (modern), Hot Hula Fitness (Polynesian), Tapsicore (tap), Leslie Ebert (modern), Cedric Teamer & Sheena Black (Casino de Rueda Baltimore/Afro Caribbean Salsa), Itinerant Dance Theatre (comedic dance, Delaware) and two selections featuring Dance Baltimore students from its Broadway Jazz and Intermediate Modern classes.

From ballet to stepping Showcasing her “Hot Hula Fitness” will be Kirsten Ledford, a former professional dancer who has been teaching dance fitness since 1990.

Ledford has been involved in dance for 44 of her 48 years. She studied ballet until college and then switched to modern before finding “stepping,” which is based on a long tradition in African communities.

Ledford’s work as a dancer, choreogra-

pher and artistic director began with Step Afrika (a D.C.-based percussive/African dance company), which took her around the world on dance exchange projects.

After having her daughter, she returned to her profession as a special educator, but finally “got my groove back” when she got her license to teach Zumba — a dance fitness form that explores Latin and world dance and music.

Polynesian dance has also always intrigued her, and Ledford visited “halaus” (hula schools) and avidly watched dancers on YouTube for years.

“Then, in walks Hot Hula Fitness into my life,” said Ledford, referring to a new dance workout inspired by the dances of the Pacific Islands. Ledford now teaches a variety of dance workout classes, and also performs at parties.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANCE BALTIMORE

By Carol Sorgen In a discipline filled with young, flexible dancers, it isn’t often that seniors have the opportunity to take to the stage and offer their own expressions through movement.

Their leg extensions may not be as high as they used to be, nor their lunges as deep. But older dancers bring deep emotion and vast experience to their performances, according to Cheryl Goodman, director of Dance Baltimore, now in its 13th year. [Editor’s Note: Dance Baltimore should not be confused with Dance & Bmore, another nonprofit we wrote about in the April Beacon.]

Dance Baltimore will once again present its annual concert, “Ageless Grace,” featuring both former professional dancers as well as recreational dancers ranging in age from their 40s through their 70s. The concert will be staged at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., on Sunday, May 29, at 4 p.m.

Senior companies will perform solo, duet and ensemble pieces, featuring tap, modern, belly dance, African, Polynesian, jazz and other types of dance.

“The annual Ageless Grace concert has become one of the most inspiring produc-

Antonia will perform a belly dance as part of Dance Baltimore’s “Ageless Grace” concert, featuring dancers from their 40s to 70s, on May 29.

Myriad benefits Dance offers a number of benefits, according to Ledford. “What other habit has side effects as positive as dance?” she asked. “From improved strength, to flexibility, sense of belonging, cognitive function, balance, stress relief…I could go on!”

For Ledford, the dance floor is a place “to express joy, to create, to share fellowship, to mourn…to live!”

Dance Baltimore is an arts service organization with a mission to enhance the role of

dance in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

The nonprofit organization regularly offers free and discount adult dance classes, performances and dance-inspired activities to encourage new audiences for dance. Dance Baltimore is a membership organization that has been in existence in the area since 2003.

Tickets for Ageless Grace can be purchased online at www.creativealliance.org.

General admission seating is $15 in advance; $18 at the door. For more information about Dance Baltimore and all upcoming concerts, visit www.dancebaltimore.org or call (410) 370-8994.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

27

Exhibit on medical contributions by Jews

By Carol Sorgen Baltimore is known around the world as a leader in healthcare, in part due to its renowned medical institutions, such as Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The Jewish Museum of Maryland explores the city’s prominence in the medical arena, and the role of Jewish doctors, in its current exhibition, “Beyond Chicken Soup: Jews & Medicine in America,” now on view through Jan. 16.

More than 400 artifacts are on display, along with hands-on activities, multimedia effects, documents and images. The exhibit, which received funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities and the Institute for Museum and Library Science, is made up not only from the Jewish Museum’s collection, but also from institutions such as the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

It explores the sociology of the medical profession, in part. “Medicine has not only been about health, but has also served as a vehicle for discrimination, acculturation and strengthening ethnic identity,” said Exhibition Curator Karen Falk.

“Though the exhibit looks at these issues through a Jewish lens, its themes will resonate with people of diverse religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds, many of whom have similar experiences today.”

The exhibit is divided into seven “environments” related to health; namely, a medical library, medical school, doctor’s office, hospital, pharmacy, laboratory and gymnasium. Each section explores an aspect of the American Jewish experience with medicine, as well as the broader relationships between medicine and identity.

Rare antique texts A highlight of the exhibit is the collection of Baltimore ophthalmologist Harry Friedenwald. Now housed in the National Library of Israel, these rare texts date from the sixth to 18th centuries, and are returning for their first appearance in the United States since 1943.

The exhibit begins with the recreation of Friedenwald’s medical library. Friedenwald hoped that by collecting manuscripts that described the practice of medicine by Jews throughout the centuries, he could help dispel the notion that newly-arrived Jewish immigrants would spread disease and place a burden on American society. Friedenwald hoped that his efforts would counter the rising anti-Semitism of the early 20th century.

Anti-Semitism was displayed first in the context of medical education, with the number of Jews (as well as members of other ethnic and racial groups) accepted into medical school being limited.

Among the documents in this section are letters from a local rabbi and the president of the Baltimore Jewish Council sent to numerous universities requesting information on the admission of Jewish students. Their assumptions that Jews were being denied admission to medical schools were, in many instances, borne out.

Among the other topics explored are doctor-patient relationships and the authority of the “white coat”; the rise and fall of the “science” of eugenics; the development of genetic medicine; and how evolving medical standards have changed our everyday lives, including the way we eat.

“Beyond Chicken Soup” also features a touch-screen interactive station that allows visitors to explore the ethical issues associated with modern genetic screening, a multi-media sampling of Jewish doctors in popular culture, birthing instruments and

a “test your strength” fitness activity.

In addition to the instructive aspects of the exhibit, there are more personal artifacts. These include the tiny red plastic engagement ring made by struggling dental student Edmund Kahn from materials he found in the students’ laboratory at the University of Maryland.

Instead of a diamond, the ring contains a tooth (albeit a fake one). Fortunately, his beloved, a Baltimore girl named Gertrude Fried, was won over, and the ring has been

-

passed down through the family for generations.

The exhibit also explores the rise of Baltimore’s world-famous hospitals, and honors such medical pioneers as Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine.

“Beyond Chicken Soup: Jews and Medicine in America” runs through Jan. 16, 2017, at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, 15 Lloyd St. Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for those 65+. Call (410) 732-6400 or visit www.jewishmuseummd.org.

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Gardening From page 1 As for Wolford, fresh flowers aren’t the only thing she’s growing. Working in her garden has also allowed her to cultivate new friendships.

“I’ve met quite a few fellow gardeners,” said Wolford. “It’s been a great way to get to know people, especially since I’m relatively new.”

Therapeutic benefits As the residents of Charlestown have discovered, gardening has many benefits both physical and emotional. The National Diabetes Education Program, for example, recommends gardening as one way for older adults to be more physically active.

Gardening has been found, for instance, to improve bone mass and density, which

many people tend to lose as they get older, according to a study from the University of Arkansas.

The Alzheimer’s Research Center notes that therapeutic gardens help people remain connected with nature, recover more quickly from surgery and illnesses, and provide a means to continue enjoying outdoor activities they have done throughout their lives.

And one of the greatest benefits of gardening is the effect it can have on managing and reducing stress. A Dutch study, for example, found that gardening after a stressful task yielded a better, more relaxed mood, and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than similar relaxing leisure activities.

At the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, residents may not only take part in structured gardening activities, but can also enjoy a sensory garden that was donated by the Levindale Auxiliary.

JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Located at the entrance of the Levindale campus, the garden gives residents the opportunity to enjoy plants and flowers that change with the season, as well as tranquil

waterfalls, soothing music and colorful lights. The garden is based on similar See GARDENING, page 29

Gardens bring neighbors together Not everyone has a plot of land, even a tiny one, to call her own. For such folks, joining a community garden offers an opportunity to beautify their neighborhood, stock their fridge with fresh veggies, and connect with their neighbors.

These gardens are created on plots of land usually owned by cities or community groups, and are tended to by individuals who are responsible for their own plant beds.

In some ways, community gardens are the natural progression of the “Victory Gardens” that became prevalent during both World Wars. These were fruit, vegetable and herb gardens planted in private residences and public parks that were meant to bolster the public food supply and boost morale at home.

For Miriam Avins, executive director of Baltimore Green Space — an organization that works with city residents to develop and preserve open spaces like community gardens — these modern-day gardens are aligned with that spirit of civic pride.

“Community gardening in Baltimore is a response to having vacant land,” she said. “There are enormous benefits, such as prettier neighborhoods. That ‘cared-for’ look can be transformative for a community.”

The personal factor — the chance to forge new friendships — is also transformative. When Avins first moved to Balti-

more in 2003, she joined some of her neighbors in starting a community garden, and this experience helped her to feel more at home.

When a developer wanted to buy the land on which the community garden sat, Avins worked with city officials to protect the space, which led her to establish Baltimore Green Space.

“People love to get their hands in the dirt,” said Avins. “It can be therapeutic.”

Getting involved in community gardening is also an opportunity for retirees who have the time and energy to dedicate not only to gardening itself, but also to taking on leadership roles within the community.

The first step for any aspiring gardener is to learn which plants fare best in each particular season. Peak gardening times are typically between March and October. Avins said that there is a special need for people to tend plots during the summer months.

For more information on community gardens in the area, visit the following websites: www.baltimoregreenspace.org www.baltimorefreefarm.org www.baltimarket.org/communitygardensadopt-a-lot/ https://extension.umd.edu/growit/ community-gardens/baltimore-citycommunity-gardens — Carol Sorgen and Laura Bogart

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

Gardening

once the weather warms up.

From page 28

Different gardening roles

models in the United States and Israel.

“Many of the residents had homes where they had their own gardens,” said Eve Vogelstein, a member of the auxiliary and an enthusiastic gardener herself. “It was hard for them to leave their own gardens, and this gives them a sense of home.”

Like Levindale, Sunrise Senior Living of Pikesville also involves its residents in gardening. There is a garden on the third floor balcony where residents in the Reminiscence (memory-care) neighborhood can participate in gardening activities. And on the first floor level there are flowers and pots that are used in gardening activities

For Roland Park Place resident Jean Silber, gardens hold a sense of the past. Before moving to Roland Park, Silber and her late husband, Sidney, developed a wellknown garden over the course of 55 years.

In 1956, she, her husband and another couple purchased 40 acres of woodland in Lutherville. While her husband was the avid gardener at first, Silber caught the bug once their children were grown. The couple took classes at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, and toured gardens all over the world.

Hundreds of people from all over the country have visited the Silbers’ garden, and in 2005 it was included in the Smith-

sonian’s archives of American gardens.

Now living at Roland Park Place, Silber doesn’t have the opportunity to garden as she once did, though she serves on the community’s grounds committee and “clips and fixes” what she can. Residents have also helped choose the landscaping on the community’s campus, and planted a garden on one of the roof spaces.

What Silber loves about gardening is its “instant gratification.” “You can do one small thing, and you can change the whole scene right before your eyes,” she said.

Silber’s neighbor, Sally Freedman, is also an enthusiastic gardener and tends

two small garden plots from among those available for Roland Park Place residents.

Friedman, a former resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., was an avid gardener and former volunteer at the renowned Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Now close to 90, she admits that gardening is “harder work” than it once was, but she still keeps at it.

“I like to see nature,” she said, adding that she looks forward every Memorial Day to the blooming of her Oriental poppy. “When my neighbors come by to admire it, my chest goes out like a proud mother,” she said.

With additional reporting by Carol Sorgen and Laura Bogart.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

SENIOR BOX OFFICE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Senior Box Office offers complimentary and discounted tickets to members (age 60 and older) for cultural, educational, entertainment and travel opportunities. One-year subscriptions start October 1. Annual dues are $30 per household with brochures delivered by email; $38 per household with mailed printed brochures. For more information, or an application, visit www.seniorboxoffice.org, call (410) 887-5399 or email sbo@seniorboxoffice.org.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 30 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

A S A B A T

C H A R L E S O P T W H O N I N J A V A

M O H A I R

A B E L

M A N E

O B B E F A T D S S S E T J A E S C I T S S

S T A R R Y S P E R M

A R R O Y O

W A I F

S P A S E N F S T L A R H Y L Y U N E N T H O O O N R O P E R K E R I E C O D Y

R A V E L S

L I B I D O

T A N S T H E W B A

O V A L

N A T L

U N I T A R I A N S

I S O T N Y T E N N I S

G L E E

E D S E L S

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To schedule a personal tour call

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Rooftop Restaurant

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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PUZZLE PAGE

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Across 1. Auto co. formed in 1954 by the (then) largest merger in US history 4. Woodshop tools 8. Perlman partner, on early Cheers 12. New York region, “South of Houston Street” 14. Mouse catcher 15. Arch enemy 16. Whale hunter 17. Opera highlight 18. Curb one’s enthusiasm 19. He took his first cuts on 2/20/1816 22. Visit the school nurse 23. Make hush puppies 24. Springfield widower 25. It was actually signed in Portage des Sioux, Missouri on 12/30/1816 32. Radical 1960’s grp.

33. Nordic name 34. “Too much is ___ enough” 35. Picks paper or plastic 37. With averted eyes 39. Miniature 40. ___ let the dogs out?

41. Got out of control 42. “Aunt” homophone, to some 43. Indianan milestone, on 12/11/1816 49. Pickle protector 50. “La-la” lead-in 51. Apple option 52. Political result of 1816 58. Early calculators 59. Frequent flyer reward 60. Ruination 61. Lets off steam 62. Folk song canal; in some versions it goes for “15 miles” 63. Plant that produces a blue dye 64. Pub licks 65. Wyoming city, named for Buffalo Bill 66. Man-tracking org.

1. Blind ___ 2. Knitter’s material 3. Flapper dance

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4. Like a cloudless night 5. Seasonal desert stream 6. Dickens character 7. Mineral springs 8. Sex drive 9. Sometime soapdish shape 10. In brief, the N in NCAA or NAACP 11. Musical series that ended in 2015 13. LOBBY center 15. Becomes tangled 20. Newt growth: eggs ... tadpoles ... ___ ... adults 21. Admittance 26. Handbills and billboards 27. His highest grossing movie was 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood 28. Folk song mule; in some versions she works for “15 years” 29. Non-trinity Christians 30. What evolution and religion have in common 31. Pigpen 35. Complete the layaway plan 36. Greek letter that looks like an “O” and an “I” combined 37. Unlike an egg, it could contain an X or a Y 38. It’s not black or white 39. Trinitrotoluene, imploded to three letters 41. Period of inactivity 42. His first Grand Slam win was in 1968 44. Leaves James Bond’s Aston Martin quickly 45. Hot and heavy 46. Day off play, for Ferris Bueller 47. Sport where love is worth nothing 48. Famous Ford failures 52. The number 4 synonym on Coffee.org 53. The first human to die 54. Lion’s main feature 55. Grp. of 13 non-European countries, with HQ in Vienna, Austria 56. Emperor after Claudius 57. Oldest of the four boxing sanctioning orgs.

Answers on page 29.

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2016

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

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

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

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

Business and Employment Opportunities OFFICE HELP WANTED – Part-time help needed for Pimlico area property management company. Must be computer literate, and financial or legal experience would be helpful. A cheerful demeanor is a must. Email resume to hlmorgan@msn.com.

Caregivers ELDERLY CARE – FEMALE care provider, English speaking, with car. I cook, clean and take to all appointments. I’m experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health problems. Excellent references.

301-275-7283.

AMAZING CAREGIVING F/T & P/T home care and transportation for daily living. Pam, 410-977-2040.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale MOVING SALE – Everything must go. Bedroom, living room, and small dining table and chairs. Call 410-465-6414 to make appointment to view items.

PHILLIPS SLEEP APNEA MACHINE – Fairly new, valued at $1,500, selling for $400.

Call Joy, 410-661-4940.

CEMETERY LOT, DULANEY VALLEY GARDENS, Timonium, MD 21093. Holy Cross, Section 7260. $1,500 or best offer. Contact Ray, 410-744-5219.

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.

Health MOBILE EYE EXAMS – Comprehensive and/or low vision eye exams provided to Baltimore seniors with limited mobility. Visit www.HomeEyeOD.com or call 443-802-9920 for more information.

Home/Handymand Services SANFORD & SON JUNK REMOVAL. 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.

HAULING AND JUNK – Low upfront pricing, free estimates, senior discounts. 365 days. Licensed and insured demolition. Attic Sweepers Hauling.

443-838-2353. www.atticsweepershauling.com.

BALTIMORE’S BEST JUNK REMOVAL – Clean Outs: Whole House, Emergency, Attics/Basements. Furniture and Junk Removal, Yard Waste Removal, General Hauling, Construction Debris Removal. Free estimates.

10% Senior Discount. Licensed, Bonded and Insured. Call Jesse, 443-379-HAUL (4285). www.baltimoresbestjunkremoval.com.

Miscellaneous CALL TODAY FOR FREE Cell Phone Service on the nationwide 4G LTE network. No contract, no credit check, and you can bring your own phone if needed. Call 410-528-7977 for more information.

Financial Services

Personals

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

Call 410-653-3363.

SWF AGE 60 EDUCATED, seeks Christian male, ages 58-72, with good interpersonal communication skills for friendship or dating. Call 443-851-0726.

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 Personals

Wanted

SINGLE WHITE MALE, 57 YEAR OLD, former marine. 5ft, 9in. Clean cut, dark brown eyes/hair. Looking for white female with common interest, dating and more. Serious inquiries. Call Joseph, 410-661-4940. Call or text me anytime.

VINTAGE ELECTRIC SLOTCARS and accessories (all scales) from the 1960s through 1970s including Aurora, Atlas, Tyco, Cox, K&B, Revell, Monogram, etc. Call Bill at 410-6157043.

Wanted WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER JEWELRY. Costume too. Gold and silver coins, paper money, military, crocks, old bottles and jars, etc.

Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

WE BUY STERLING SILVER FLATWARE, tea sets, single pieces of silver, large pieces of silver plate. Attic, basement, garage. You have something to SELL, we like to BUY. Call Greg, 717-658-7954.

CASH BUYER FOR OLD COSTUME JEWELRY – wrist and pocket wrist watches (any condition). Also buying watchmaker tools and parts, coins, quilts, old toys, postcards, trains, guns, pocket and hunting knives, linens, fishing equipment and tackle boxes, fountain pens, Christmas garden items, crocks and jugs, lamps and lanterns, pottery, military items, sports memorabilia, advertising signs, paintings and contents of attics, basements and garages. Professional, no pressure individual with over forty years of experience. Lloyd D. Baker. 410-4094965. 717-969-8114, office.

CAMERAS AND LENSES, CASH OR BARTER – Hobbyist seeks DSLR, digital SLR, and 35mm cameras. Cash or Barter lawncutting, yardwork, hedges, light hauling. 443-9359024.

BUYING VINYL RECORDS 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.

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

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, 301-910-0783.

Thanks for Reading!

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Balance Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Blood Clot Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Brain Imaging Study . . . . . . . . . .15 Cancer Clinical Trials . . . . . . . . .13 Coronary Artery Disease Study . .15 Fall Prevention Study . . . . . . . . . .14 Iron Supplement Study . . . . . . . .13 Irritable Bowel Study . . . . . . . . . .15 Memory Research Study . . . . . . .14

Dental Services

Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Events

Dance Baltimore . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Financial Services

Bennett Senior Services . . . . . . . .21 Debt Counsel for Seniors and the Disabled . . . . . .21 JS Richardson Insurance . . . . . . .19 Maryland Able Account . . . . . . . .19 PENFED Credit Union . . . . . . . .19

Hearing Services

Hearing & Speech Agency . . . . . .10

Home Health Care

DAR Healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Independent Home Care . . . . . . .29 One Day At A Time Personal Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Options for Senior America . . . . .25

Housing

Briarwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace . . .27 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . . . . .17 Christ Church Harbor Apts. . . . . .24 Ednor Apts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fairhaven/Integrace . . . . . . . . . . .27 Gatherings at Quarry Place/Beazer Homes . . . .4 Greens, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Linden Park Apts. . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . . . . . . . .17 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . . .20

31

Shangri-La Assisted Living . . . . .25 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers .29

Housing Referral Service

Oasis Senior Advisors . . . . . . . . .22 Senior Placement Service/ Care Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Legal Services

Disability Support Services . . . . .12 Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm 21

Medical/Health

Alzheimer’s Association . . . . . . .10 Baltimore City Dept. of Health . . .8 Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . . . .9 Eldorado Hair Replacement . . . . . .5 Physical Therapy and Wellness Center . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Stuart Goldman, DPM . . . . . . . . .12 UM Health Advantage . . . . . . . . . .9

Real Estate

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

Services

Greg Young, Exterminator . . . . . .22 Homelife Remodeling . . . . . . . . .24

Shopping

Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Wilkens Beltway Plaza . . . . . . . .24 Wow Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

CommuniCare Health . . . . . . . . .11 Keswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Manor Care Health Services . . . .17

Subscriptions

The Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Theatres/Entertainment

Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .26

Travel

Eyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Utilities

BGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

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JUNE 2016 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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