May 2017 | Baltimore Beacon

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Putting on a show for charity

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PHOTO BY JASON SAULER

By Carol Sorgen Baltimore has many nicknames, including the “city of firsts,” with such claims to fame as the first professional sports organization in the United States (Maryland Jockey Club, 1743) and “America’s Oldest Little Theatre” (Vagabond Players, 1916).

Included in a very long list of firsts is Baltimore’s Paint and Powder Club — an amateur theatrical club that performs original musical shows to raise funds for charity. It was named for the greasepaint and stage make-up used in theatre productions.

Founded in 1893, the then all-male membership was drawn from Maryland’s blue blood community. In addition to staging performances and raising money, it served as a social club for members. According to the Maryland Historical Society, similar clubs exist in Boston, Philadelphia and other cities, but Baltimore’s Paint and Powder Club is thought to be the oldest of its type in the United States.

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Exploring Umbria’s picturesque villages; plus, getting lost in Venice, and finding few duty-free deals page 22

Socials and shows Today, about 110 members from across the Baltimore area get together throughout the year for monthly meetings and social events, such as a fall outing, black tie Christmas gala, and springtime President’s Ball.

But it is the annual musical show that is the primary objective of the members. This year’s event, titled BonBon’s Naughty, Bawdy, Gaudy Musicale, will be held Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3. (When asked, it was described as “tastefully bawdy.”)

“It’s a social evening filled with music,” said 75-year-old musical director Rod Clark, explaining that there is no “story” per se, just a series of musical numbers that all tie to the theme of “kings and roses.” The theme was chosen to honor this year’s president, Bonnie King-Rose.

Among other numbers, Clark said, look for 20 men between the ages of 30 and 80 dressed as “the king” — that is Elvis Presley —and performing a medley of his hits.

Clark, whose mother ran an arts program in Nashville, had a professional career as a fundraiser, but couldn’t shake his theatrical roots. He and his wife met while performing in a dinner theater production of The King and I, and while no longer able to perform because of limited mobility,

Judy Kahl, Jody Duke, Deb Wilson rehearse for the Paint and Powder Club’s upcoming performance on June 2 and 3. The club, which was founded in 1893 and puts on shows to benefit charity, is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the United States.

Clark takes pride and pleasure in planning and directing the club’s annual shows.

He also still keeps his tap shoes on hand. “If I can ever dance again,” he said, “my shoes will know the routines.”

Dozens of performers This year’s show will include nearly 60 performers. Rehearsals began in March.

The club has no set rehearsal space.

“We do this on a shoestring,” said KingRose. “We don’t even have a mirror to see how we look! For Rod to pull this off every year and make us look good is amazing!”

King-Rose, who is 75 and lives in Otterbein, was first introduced to the Paint and Powder Club when she was in college and several of her sorority sisters performed in a show at Baltimore’s legendary Alcazar

Ballroom. “It was so fancy and elegant,” King-Rose recalled.

Though King-Rose went on to have a career as a stockbroker, she had a dance background and “it never got out of my skin.” She first performed with the club for several years in the 1980s, and then again in the 1990s. She has been an annual participant since 2003.

What keeps King-Rose coming back year after year is the fact that “they’re fun people,” she said. Her husband Bill, chairman of the charity selection committee, added laughing, “My wife dragged me in!”

According to a history of the club written by John Hergenroeder, for many years membership was restricted to males only, See PAINT & POWDER, page 29

ARTS & STYLE

Dancing with an ageless grace; plus, Lutherville’s little-known Fire Museum page 26

TECHNOLOGY k Your phone as your wallet

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FITNESS & HEALTH 6 k New lens improves close-up vision k Promising gene therapy for cancer LAW & MONEY k How safe are bonds today? k Fight insurance denials

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Growing like weed Last month, I addressed the subject of purposes — such as pain relief, boosting pain management in the context of opioid appetite, and slowing the progression of pain relievers such as Vicodin glaucoma. and Percocet.

A nationwide movement to Use of these painkillers — legalize marijuana for these both by patients with legitiand other claimed medical mate prescriptions and by uses has generated great supthose obtaining them illegally port. Today, 29 states plus the — has exploded in recent District of Columbia have years, leading many experts to passed laws legalizing marispeak of an “epidemic” of adjuana for certain medical condiction and overdose that is ditions. claiming many lives each year.

The laws vary by state.

The problem of chronic or FROM THE Maryland, for example, alintractable pain is a real one for PUBLISHER lows, but strictly regulates, By Stuart P. Rosenthal many Americans, and doctors medical marijuana growers and others who encouraged and suppliers. (Though the wider use of opioid pain relievers a decade law permitting medical marijuana was ago thought they were doing the right thing. passed in 2014, patients still do not have acWe have since learned there are more cess to it, as lawsuits by companies denied and less safe ways of prescribing and licenses have delayed their opening.) using these drugs. Educating both doctors Seven states and the District of Columand patients about the risks and benefits is bia permit its recreational use. California becoming a high priority (see “Guidelines also legalized the cultivating of plants by offer safer ways to control pain,” page 8). individuals. Other states have decriminalThis month, I would like to turn your at- ized the possession of small amounts. tention to a different, but somewhat relatInterestingly, Virginia passed a law ed, topic much in the news: The growing decades ago that permitted doctors to preacceptance of marijuana use for medical scribe marijuana for medical purposes. But

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in practice, this has not led to any legal use in Virginia because federal law — which treats marijuana as a drug with no medical use — prohibits doctors from prescribing (though not from “recommending”) it.

A National Survey on Drug Use and Health found a significant jump in marijuana use among Americans over 50 in recent years — from 2.8 percent of the population in 2007 to 4.8 percent in 2013. (That’s a 71 percent increase.)

The survey didn’t ask whether the increase is due to greater recreational or medical use. To some degree, it no doubt reflects the aging of the baby boom generation into the 50-plus category. (For comparison, in 2013, 19 percent of 18- to 26year-olds surveyed said they used pot.)

Given the apparent growing acceptance, you might wonder why the federal government still considers marijuana to have no legitimate medical use.

A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine — a well-regarded nonprofit, nonpartisan body of scientific experts — says there is evidence for both benefits and harms, but that more research is needed.

Reviewing studies published since 1999, the report found “strong” evidence that marijuana can treat chronic pain and ease nausea from cancer treatment, but also strong evidence that its use raises the risk of schizophrenia and other psychoses, as well as of traffic accidents.

It found “substantial” evidence that smoking pot worsens respiratory symptoms and chronic bronchitis, and “some”

evidence that it can raise the risk for depression and lead to a dependence on, or abuse of, other drugs or alcohol.

Evidence that it boosts appetite in people with HIV or AIDS and eases symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was “limited.”

Researchers at New York University recently said that marijuana use in older adults can raise their risk of memory loss and falling.

In short, concern over the potential harms of marijuana use doesn’t come close to that over opioids. The latter are highly addictive: recent research indicates a single prescription lasting seven days is enough to begin a cycle into addiction.

And overdoses of opioid pain relievers can and do cause death.

But there appear to be enough reasons to step back from an unconditional acceptance of marijuana use — especially among older adults — until further research is done.

One problem here is that marijuana’s official status as an illegal drug under federal law has made it difficult for researchers to obtain the product or get studies approved.

Perhaps we’ve put the cart before the horse by legalizing its use for medical purposes around the country before the evidence is there. But given that’s where we are today, it would seem to be in everyone’s interest to make research a priority at this point.

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: I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the article that you wrote called “Getting up to speed on tech” in the April issue of the Beacon.

I have been volunteering for a number of years as the Coordinator of the CCBC Foundation Photo Connection. It is an initiative that offers seniors and others the opportunity to submit photos for possible inclusion in themed photo exhibits that are displayed in community locations throughout the county.

We have displayed more than 100 themed exhibits in branches of Baltimore County Public Libraries over the past five years.

However, recently, I have been volunteering to help get the word out about classes in a new initiative, called Computer Training for Seniors. The three CCBC Absolute Beginnings: Chromebook Edition classes at the Hereford, Perry Hall and Arbutus Libraries that you told about in the article are the first classes to be offered as a part of that initiative.

I know first-hand how difficult it can be for a senior to keep up with a regular Intro to Computers class of a dozen or more students. Since the new series of classes will be limited to a maximum of six students with one CCBC instructor and taught at a leisurely pace in convenient library locations, I think it will offer a great opportunity for the seniors who register to begin learning how to use a computer.

And if there is interest, in the future there will be other courses available such as Absolute Beginnings: Windows Edition and Absolute Beginnings: Mac Edition as well as a variety of other topics to build a good basic foundation of computer knowledge and skills.

Your article was informative, encouraging and supportive. I am sure it will inspire some readers, even some who thought they would never be able to learn to use a computer, to take their first steps into the world of technology.

Fran Nickey Lutherville

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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Technology &

Innovations Your phone can safely become a wallet

By Lauren Schwahn Smartphones have replaced lots of other accessories — cameras, flashlights, calculators. But many people are still reluctant to swap the wallets in their pockets for their digital counterparts.

A key reason consumers are hesitant to use mobile payment services like Apple Pay and Android Pay, surveys say, is fear over security: High-profile retailer data breaches have made buyers wary of sharing credit card information.

But while there’s cause not to rely 100 percent on your mobile wallet just yet — lack of widespread acceptance by merchants, for one thing — security concerns shouldn’t be holding shoppers back, experts say.

“I think some people get nervous about the idea that ‘This thing is sending telepathic waves to that machine to say that I’m paying,’” said Mark Ranta, head of digital banking solutions at ACI Worldwide, a payment systems company.

But your mobile wallet is arguably the safest way to pay, and it offers a few benefits to boot. Here’s why this payment method is worth considering.

Greater convenience Services like Apple Pay let users add multiple cards to their phones or smartwatches, theoretically giving them the option to leave overstuffed wallets and purses at home.

At stores where shoppers can use their

mobile wallets, it can also mean saving precious time at the register.

A common complaint among dissatisfied chip-card users is the slow transaction process, as shoppers wait for the terminal to complete the transaction.

Mobile payments can be a quicker alternative. Users open a payment app and hold their device over a terminal; a fingerprint or PIN verifies the purchase.

Shopping online can be faster, too. For example, Apple Pay and Android Pay are accepted on certain websites and in apps like Airbnb, allowing shoppers to make purchases without entering card information — or keeping card numbers on file, which may assuage data-breach fears.

And, like some bank apps, a mobile wallet saves your recent transaction history for reference, with the added benefit of allowing you to see all activity in one place even if your cards are from various banks.

You won’t miss out on rewards Mobile credit card payments function just like regular credit cards. As long as your card is compatible with the service, you’ll continue to earn your usual rewards, like travel points or cash back.

Mobile users can add certain retailer loyalty cards to Android Pay and Apple Pay wallets to seamlessly earn store-specific See MOBILE WALLET, page 4

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Mobile wallet From page 3 points. Samsung Pay accepts most membership cards.

Samsung also has its own loyalty program, Samsung Rewards. In addition to credit card rewards, members earn points for Samsung Pay purchases; the points are redeemable for rewards like gift cards and fitness trackers.

It’s safer than a credit card Mobile payment services also can offer more security than cash or traditional credit card use.

“You never have to take out your credit card or debit card, so there’s a lot less chance of someone seeing [your number],” said Jason Chaikin, president of biometrics security company Vkansee.

“For every transaction, (mobile wallets) create a random, one-time number — a trans-

BEACON BITS

May 5

FALLEN HEROES DAY

The 32nd annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will be held on Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m. at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 E. Padonia Rd., Timonium. The event, which attracts more than 1,500 guests from across Maryland, honors and remembers police and correctional officers, firefighters and emergency medical/rescue personnel who died in the line of duty during the past year. The 2017 Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will honor Firefighter/Paramedic Lieutenant John Ulmschneider of the Prince George’s County Fire Department, who died just weeks before the 2016 ceremony. To learn more, call (410) 666-0490 or see www.dulaneyvalley.com.

M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

action token — and even if someone was able to know that number, it’s not valid later.”

Samsung Pay, Android Pay and Apple Pay each use this process, called tokenization. Although you do upload your credit card number into the payment app, the actual card number is not shared with the merchant when you pay. Rather, a temporary code is issued in its place, similar to the way EMV chip cards work.

EMV credit and debit cards have chips that create a unique code, or cryptogram, when inserted into a merchant’s payment terminal. However, in this method, the card remains in view while the terminal reads the chip.

Mobile payments also provide security measures on top of existing bank protections that chip cards can’t match. Full card numbers are not displayed in mobile wallet apps, and users are able to authorize payments with their fingerprints, which can protect your card information in the event your phone is stolen (assuming you have a phone with a fingerprint reader).

Despite all these benefits, consumers

don’t entirely trust mobile wallets, partly because availability is limited, Ranta said.

Not all cards and loyalty programs are compatible with the payment services, and some stores are not equipped to take mobile payments. Establishments such as bars and restaurants may accept only cash or plastic.

Apple Pay has the highest retailer acceptance rate among the mobile payment services, at 36 percent, according to survey data from the retail consulting firm Boston Retail Partners.

“We’re still very much in the early stages of this,” Ranta said. “At the end of the day, it’s still that awkward, ‘Do you accept it?’ and if (not), then you’ve got to find an alternative way to pay, or just walk out of the store.”

As technology advances, Chaikin said, innovations and improvements in security will likely make the process more comfortable and accessible for consumers and retailers alike. “Our mobile phone revolution is really just at the tipping point.”

— Nerdwallet via AP

BEACON BITS

Apr. 29

SHRED-A-THON

Seven Oaks Senior Center will host a free community Shred-aThon on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon. Each vehicle may bring up to four standard sized boxes of personal documents for shredding. Seven Oaks is located at 9210 Seven Courts Dr. in Perry Hall. For more information, call (410) 887-5192.

May 7

SYKESVILLE FINE ART & WINE FESTIVAL

Sykesville, the “coolest small town In America,” will hold its 7th Annual Fine Art & Wine Festival on Sunday, May 7. This annual event features local artists and artisans alongside regional wineries and wine-makers, plus great food and live entertainment. Set along the town’s historic Main Street, the festival draws thousands of visitors each year. Enjoy live music while you sip from a collectible wine glass ($25, includes unlimited samples), and make your rounds through the heart of Historic Sykesville. For more information, visit www.sykesvillemainstreet.com.

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Housing Communities

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This NASA site displays a fresh photograph of the cosmos every day, sometimes looking outward into space, and other days looking back from space toward earth.

Along with the photo, each day there is a short paragraph describing what the scene of the day is. The website has been posting a picture a day since 1995.

There is an archive of all the photos the website has posted since its establishment.

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As opposed to most dating sites or apps, Stitch is for adults who are 50 and over and who are looking for companionship, friendship or a relationship.

Members can choose to put their settings on romance only, friendship only, or friendship and romance in order to find the best match for them.

Members in the same geographic area can create group meetings to make it easy for people on Stitch to meet many friends at once and just have a good time. Activities that members have organized include dinners and going out to the movies.

Stitch is both a website and an app, which can be used on iPhones and Androids. Costs range between $80 and $120/year, depending on services selected. You can also pay by the month. www.stitch.net

A new website called Protect Seniors Online helps older adults understand on-

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Stitching people together

Tips on cybersecurity

line security risks. The site includes a quiz that gives examples of ways people could be scammed through email, Facebook and advertisements.

There are also tips and resources on cybersecurity, proactive steps to take to protect sensitive information, and a list of frequent senior scams. Some of the resources include videos on email security, password security and social media security tips. www.protectseniorsonline.com/

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Apps

There is also an index that sorts all the photos by categories, such as different types of stars, planets, space technology and comets. https://apod.nasa.gov/

F R E E

By Talia Denicoff

about your life? With the app, 1 Second Everyday: Video Diary, you can take a one second video reflecting something you want to remember each day, and make them into a movie for yourself.

You can record more than 1 second if you want, or you can take 1 second or so from another video you’ve already shot.

Overtime, the app combines all the short videos you have taken into one long, chronological video. By videoing something exciting or simple that happens to you each day, you can keep your favorite daily memories in one place.

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Health Fitness &

PAIN CONTROL GUIDELINES The CDC released recommendations recently to prevent opioid addiction INVISIBLE TRANS FAT Products can contain some trans fat even when labeled “trans fat-free” HAVE A GOOD CRY Crying can release “feel-good” hormones, alleviate stress and kill bacteria PAPAYA’S POWER The tropical fruit is filled with powerful antioxidants that protect health

Eye implant allows clear close-up vision

By Lauran Neergaard Squinting while texting? Always losing your reading glasses? An eye implant that takes about 10 minutes to put in place is the newest in a list of surgical repairs for the blurry close-up vision known as presbyopia, a bane of middle age.

But who’s really a good candidate to toss their specs?

“It’s not bringing anybody back to being 20 again,” cautioned Dr. Shilpa Rose, a Washington ophthalmologist who tests whether patients’ eyes are healthy enough to qualify. “But it decreases the need to rush to get that pair of reading glasses every time you want to send a text or read an email.”

Nearly everybody will experience presbyopia at some point, usually starting in the mid-40s. At first you may notice yourself holding restaurant menus at arm’s length.

Eventually, even in good light, reading becomes a blur.

How well you see has to do with how light is directed through the natural lens to the back of the eye. That lens stiffens with age, losing its ability to shift and bend light so that it becomes more difficult to focus close-up.

The usual options are magnifying drug-

store reading glasses or, for people with other vision problems, bifocals, multifocal contact lenses, or what’s called monovision — correcting for distance vision in one eye and near vision in the other.

“I have glasses everywhere — the bedroom, the office, the kitchen,” said Christianne Krupinsky, 51, of Marriottsville, Md., who’d never needed them until presbyopia struck. “Getting ready in the morning, even to put on jewelry I can’t see the clasp. It’s so frustrating.”

sure,” promised Washington refractive surgeon Dr. Mark Whitten, applying numbing drops to her left eye.

A gel-like device that looks like a miniature contact lens, the Raindrop is smaller than the eye of a needle. It’s the first implant to treat presbyopia by changing the cornea’s shape, making it steeper to alter how light passes through.

It’s placed in only one eye; both eyes still see at a distance. Patients can testwear a single contact lens to be sure they’ll like the effect before choosing surgery.

A removable implant And while surgery always carries some risk, corneal inlays that are implanted into the eye’s clear front surface are getting attention because they’re removable if necessary.

“It’s not magic. It’s surgery. People have to remember this is not one-and-done,” but requires post-surgical exams and care, said Dr. Deepinder K. Dhaliwal of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a corneal specialist who is watching studies of the inlays.

Krupinsky was a little nervous while lying on the operating table to receive the new Raindrop near vision inlay.

“The most you’re going to feel is pres-

For healthy eyes only Rose, the ophthalmologist, checked for dry eye, underlying diseases like glaucoma, and whether the corneas were thick and healthy enough for the implant before turning Krupinsky over to her surgical partner.

“Just look straight up,” Whitten said as he used a laser to slice a flap in Krupinsky’s cornea. He centered the Raindrop inlay over her pupil and lowered the flap to seal it in place.

Minutes later, Krupinsky read lines on an eye chart she previously couldn’t make out without glasses, albeit still a little blurry.

She’ll need eye drops for several months as her cornea heals so vision can sharpen.

Maker ReVision Optics Inc. is gradually training eye surgeons to use the Raindrop properly, after the Food and Drug Administration approved it last summer based on a study of 373 people whose only vision problem was moderate presbyopia. Two years later, 92 percent had good near vision, 20/40 or better without glasses, in the implanted eye.

Potential side effects include infection, dry eye, glare or corneal problems such as scarring. About 7 percent of study participants had the implant removed, mostly because they weren’t satisfied with their vision or experienced a haze or clouding of the cornea. Most returned to their pre-surgical vision, although one had lingering haze.

Other options available Another FDA-approved corneal inlay, the Kamra, is a doughnut-shaped device, also used in one eye and removable. It works like a pinhole camera, improving vision by focusSee EYE IMPLANT, page 9

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Games, crafts may help prevent dementia

By Lindsey Tanner Even in your 70s and beyond, simple activities — including web-surfing, playing bridge and socializing — can stave off mental decline, new research says.

Benefits were greatest in computer users and in those without a gene variation linked with Alzheimer’s disease. But even among seniors with that genetic trait, mental decline that sometimes precedes dementia was less common among those who engaged in mind-stimulating activities.

The study didn’t evaluate the costly, computer-based games that purport to keep the brain sharp. The benefits were found from activities that most older adults have ready access to.

“They don’t have to spend their life’s savings” on fancy gadgets, said Dr. Yonas Geda, the study’s senior author and a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic campus in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Movies and computers The study, which was recently published in the journal JAMA Neurology, looked at five types of activities that are thought to help keep the mind sharp — computer use; making crafts; playing games, including chess or bridge; going to movies or other types of socializing; and reading books.

The idea was to see if these activities could help prevent mild cognitive impairment. That condition involves problems with

memory, thinking and attention that don’t interfere much with daily life but which increase risks for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Almost 2,000 adults aged 70 to 93 without any memory problems participated. They lived in Minnesota’s Olmsted County, where the Mayo Clinic in Rochester is located.

Participants were asked whether they had engaged in any of the five activities during the previous year and, if so, how often.

They were tested for cognitive impairment through mental exams at the start of the study and every 15 months thereafter for about four years. During that time, 456 study participants developed the mild impairment.

Reading not as helpful Analysis found a protective effect from each activity except for reading books.

Study participants who engaged in any of the other activities at least once weekly were 20 to 30 percent less likely to develop the condition over the four years than those who never did those activities.

The researchers noted that the statistical link they found with reduced risk does not prove that the activities were responsible.

Still, the results support the idea that “being engaged mentally is good for brain health,” according to Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association.

— AP

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Guidelines offer safer ways to control pain In the past, if you had minor surgery or an injury your doctor would often prescribe an opioid pain killer to ease your discomfort. That is less likely under new guidelines for physicians.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released the first federal opioid prescription guidelines.

They are written for primary care providers, but patients should know about them, too, said pain management specialist Dr. Richard Rosenquist.

“The goal is to help physicians prescribe opioids in a rational fashion,” he said. “We have an incredible number of people dying from overdoses, and prescriptions must be more aligned with the medication’s proper use.”

The Food and Drug Administration may soon be addressing the issue as well. Scott Gottlieb, the doctor nominated to head the FDA, told senators in early April that his first priority would be tackling the opioid crisis.

Gottlieb said opioid addiction is “the biggest crisis facing the agency” and as serious a public health challenge — for the entire government, not just FDA — as infectious diseases like Ebola or Zika. He said it will “require dramatic action,” including finding ways to spur development of non-addictive alternative painkillers as well as addiction treatments.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the guidelines said more than 165,000 people died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2014. In 2013,

roughly 1.9 million people abused their prescriptions.

Another startling statistic: Overall, the United States — which makes up about 5 percent of the world’s population — uses 80 percent of all prescription opioids.

And, opioids are often over-prescribed, Rosenquist said. Doctors either write prescriptions for too many pills or they offer opioids when there are better choices. The new guidelines, he said, will help them identify how and when a patient really needs an opioid.

Working with your doctor Here are changes you may see in your doctor’s approach. According to the CDC’s suggestions for managing pain, your doctor should: • Look for non-opioid therapy options first. He or she should think about an opioid to treat chronic pain only when benefits outweigh risks.

• Work with you to create a plan to treat your pain. The plan should set realistic goals and focus on limiting opioid use. You and your doctor should also discuss how you will stop taking the drugs when the time comes.

• Talk to you about the risks and benefits of controlling pain with opioids. You should discuss this before you first take them and, over time, for as long as you take them.

• Try immediate-release opioids first.

He or she should opt for extended-release drugs only if immediate-release opioids don’t work.

• Start low; go slow. He or she should take care to start your therapy with the lowest dose necessary, and increase the dose slowly — and only if needed.

• Limit your opioid therapy for acute pain to less than three days. Prescribing opioids for more than seven days should

typically be rare. (Long-term use and abuse often begin with doctors treating pain from an injury or surgery.)

• Review how therapy is going. Your doctor should meet with you within one to four weeks of starting therapy for chronic pain to review how it is helping or hurting you.

• Use strategies to reduce risks. He or she should focus on your history and risk factors.

• Review your controlled-substance history every three months. Your doctor should check to make sure you are using prescribed drugs safely.

• Give you a urine test before prescribing opioids. This will help him or her double check on what prescribed drugs and other substances you use.

• Avoid prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) at the same time, if possible. Using them at the same time puts patients at greater risk for a potentially fatal overdose.

• Offer assisted treatments for patients with a history of abuse or dependence problems. The CDC suggests using drugs like methadone along with behavior therapy as an alternative.

Opioid side effects Rosenquist said, opioids can help control pain, but higher doses do not necessarily make them work better. And, opioid use has serious risks.

If you take them long-term, they sometimes cause: • Constipation • Slower gastrointestinal function • Decreased endocrine function • Nervous system inflammation • Greater response to less pain See PAIN CONTROL, page 9

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Eye implant From page 6 ing light through the center of the pupil.

A more invasive operation replaces the natural lens in each eye with an artificial one, named Symfony, that can focus both near and far. Approved for cataract surgery, it also is being offered as a presbyopia fix for the middle-aged who don’t yet have cataracts. Unlike inlays, artificial lenses can’t simply be removed.

Insurance doesn’t cover elective presbyopia surgery. Rose said the inlays average about $4,000 to $5,000, while the artificial lens in both eyes can cost twice as much.

Patients should consult a surgeon experienced with all the options who can determine which best suits their eyes, advised Pittsburgh’s Dhaliwal.

Pain control From page 8 • Erectile dysfunction Large daily doses of opioids — 200 mg morphine equivalents or — may put your risk of death at 1-in-32, Rosenquist said.

Combining opioids with a drug such as Valium boosts your risk of death between four and 10 times.

Ultimately, Rosenquist said, the guidelines should help doctors use opioids in a more rational and appropriate way and help head off problems before they start.

Each has pros, cons and unknowns. For example, elective lens replacement isn’t for the very nearsighted, because they’re at higher risk for a vision-threatening complication, Dhaliwal said.

And the Raindrop hasn’t been studied in people who years ago underwent LASIK surgery to correct nearsightedness. That didn’t deter Mike Gray, 52, of Haymarket, Va., who lost his reading glasses so often that he bought bulk packs.

To implant the inlay, Whitten had to avoid cutting the cornea in the same place as Gray’s long-ago LASIK, and advises such patients to pick a surgeon experienced in both procedures.

“Everything is very clear and getting better every day,” Gray said about a month later.

— AP

BEACON BITS

Apr. 26

HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR

The Parkville Senior Center will hold a Health and Wellness Fair in its gym from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26. The event includes free health screenings, such as vision, hearing, bone density, oral cancer and hand function, a medication review and more. Schedule your appointment at the center’s front desk at 8601 Harford Rd. Call (410) 887-5338 for more information.

May 11

CAREGIVERS’ CAFÉ

Victory Villa Senior Center, in partnership with Hopkins Bayview, will offer information and support for caregivers on Thursday, May 11, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This will be a confidential group open to the community. Chat with fellow caregivers, meet healthcare providers and learn about community resources. There is no fee, but pre-registration is required. Call (410) 887-0235. Victory Villa Senior Center is located at 403 Compass Rd. East in Middle River.

“People have begun to turn the faucet back on the availability of opioids,” he said. “The goal is not to eliminate their use altogether, but rather to use them in a more effective fashion and to reduce the incidence of prescription drug abuse and death.”

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues from physicians, major hospitals and clinics, universities and healthcare agencies across the U.S. Online at www.awellnessupdate.com. © 2017 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CT Lung Scans Save Lives Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. That’s why the MedStar Health Cancer Network offers a lung screening program for individuals at high risk for developing lung cancer. The earlier lung cancer is detected, the better it can be defeated.

Need help paying for breast & cervical cancer services?

If you have no coverage for screening or high out-of-pocket costs for these services, you could be eligible to receive assistance.

If you meet these criteria, you should consider a lung scan: • 55 to 77 years of age • Smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or more or two packs a day for 15 years • Currently smoking or have quit less than 15 years ago Most insurances cover the cost of this screening.

A written doctor’s order is needed. Lung cancer screening is completely painless and takes less than 10 minutes.

To learn more about the program and find out if you are eligible, call 855-218-6778 .

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To find out if you are eligible, call 410-887-3432 MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

‘Trans fat-free’ label ain’t necessarily so Dear Mayo Clinic: I’ve heard that some foods that are labeled as “trans fat-free” actually may contain harmful trans fats. Is this true?

Answer: Yes. Under labeling laws, a food can be labeled as “trans fat-free” or “containing no trans fat” if it has less than 0.5 grams of trans fats a serving.

This may seem like a minor issue, because the amount of trans fats is so small.

But think realistically of how small a true serving sometimes is.

Do you always stop at a handful of crackers or a single cookie? If, for example, a type of crackers contains 0.4 grams of trans fats in a serving, and the package contains 10 servings, you still would be eating 4 grams of total trans fats if you eat

the whole package.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation. These processed oils are used to improve the texture, shelf life and flavor stability of foods.

Trans fats are common ingredients in commercial baked goods, such as crackers, cakes and cookies, and are often used to fry foods. Some vegetable shortenings and stick margarines contain trans fats.

Trans fats can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. They raise your lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels (the bad kind), and lower your highdensity lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (the good kind). For these reasons, dietary experts advise that you avoid con-

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suming trans fats.

The World Health Organization recommends limiting trans fats to less than 1 percent of your total calories. If you consume 2,000 calories a day that means no more than 20 of those calories should come from trans fats. This translates to less than 2 grams a day, which can easily be found in a small amount of sweets or treats.

To avoid trans fats, read all products’ list of ingredients, and choose foods that do not contain partially hydrogenated oils.

It’s also important to note that, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed partially hydrogenated oils no longer safe to be in foods, many manufacturers have switched to hydrogenated or saturated fats, such as palm oil.

When the term hydrogenated appears on the label, it means the fat is saturated.

Both trans fats and saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease.

Dear Mayo Clinic: I have oatmeal for breakfast a few times each week. Are steel-cut oats healthier than rolled oats?

Answer: In terms of nutrition, steel-cut and rolled oats are pretty much the same.

Both are whole grains, which are good for your heart and overall health. Both are low in fat, cholesterol-free and good sources of fiber. Equal-size serving weights of steel-cut and rolled oats have identical calories and protein.

Steel-cut and rolled oats are both derived from raw oat kernels (groats). Their biggest difference is in the way they’re processed afterward.

Steel-cut oats are cut into smaller pieces with a sharp blade. You might also see these labeled as Irish oatmeal. Scottish oatmeal, on the other hand, is traditionally stone-ground, resulting in bits and pieces of various sizes.

Both steel-cut and stone-ground oats take longer to cook than do rolled oats — about 20 to 30 minutes — and result in a chewier texture. They also may take a bit longer to digest, which may make you feel a bit fuller than a similar portion of rolled oats.

Rolled oats — regular or old-fashioned — are oat groats that have been steamed and then rolled into thin flakes. This process gives the oats a longer shelf life and quicker cooking time — around five minutes.

Quick or instant rolled oats have been steamed longer or rolled into even thinner flakes, so they cook even faster — instantly, in fact.

Steel-cut and rolled oats can help incorporate whole grains into your diet. However, instant flavored oatmeal can contribute a lot of added sugar, so read the label before you buy.

If you’re watching your weight, the chewier texture and longer digestion time of steel-cut or stone-ground oats may promote a greater sense of fullness Adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.N., L.D., Endocrinology/Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Why crying is good for us in many ways When we think of crying, we usually re- crying comes from “feel-good” hormones late it to grief, pain (whether it be emotion- and neurotransmitters that are released al or physical), shame, and during the episode. sometimes even guilt. We cry Emotional crying contains for a lot of reasons. leucine-enkephalin — an enSometimes we cry because dorphin that both improves “I’ll never let go, Jack” hapmood and reduces pain. pens in a movie (remember That’s right: our tears conTitanic?). tain endorphins, so when you When I was pregnant with cry, you can feel yourself start my daughter Samara in 1989, to settle down almost instantly I remember crying at some after shedding some tears. As totally inappropriate moment an added effect, our emotional DEAR during the whale movie, Orca. pain tolerance increases after PHARMACIST It was so odd, but to this day I we have cried. This is human

By Suzy Cohen recall how good it felt to let nature. those tears out and blow my Some other interesting bennose. It’s funny looking back. efits associated with crying include enPersonally, I’m not a crier. That is, it hanced communication, better coping takes a lot, but I do cry on occasion, pro- skills and antibacterial effects. Let me exvoked by normal things such grief, or the plain: fear of losing someone I love, or if I really, Crying releases stress. Stress-crying rereally hurt myself. (I once started crying leases toxins that assist the body in ridfrom the pain after cutting my finger open ding itself of chemicals that are known to while chopping an onion.) raise cortisol levels.

Cortisol is the hormone that puts fat Why we feel better afterward around your belly, so controlling that Any type of emotional surge, whether it could contribute to weight loss. Controlis positive or negative, can trigger tears. ling cortisol also helps you cope with When we’ve finished crying, we feel so stress. much better!

So remember: don’t allow your stress or That feeling of relief we experience after emotions to remain bottled up inside you!

Tears are antibacterial. They contain lysozyme, a naturally-produced antimicrobial enzyme. An article published in Medical Daily found that tears can kill up to 95 percent of bacteria in under ten minutes!

Crying improves communication. Babies cannot speak, so they let you know about their discomfort by crying. As for adults, seeing another person’s tears quickly sums up the extreme level of anger, frustration or sadness that words fail to convey.

I have a longer article at my website that explains why some people prefer to cry alone in the shower.

Wherever you cry, it would be a disservice to yourself, your mental health, and your physical body to prevent the occa-

sional vulnerable state (and euphoria) that emotional crying provides.

In order to restore balance to both your body and mind, you should try to embrace the lacrimation.

Men especially take note: Crying is a sign of a kind-hearted, sensitive man.

There’s nothing wrong with letting your guard down. It is not a sign of weakness, like you might have been taught.

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

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

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Health Studies Page

M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Heart study seeks healthy volunteers

By Carol Sorgen Resveratrol is a compound found in the leaves and skin of grapes, in peanuts, and in the roots of the Japanese knotweed plant. It became popularly known in the 1990s, when researchers began to suspect that resveratrol may be the major reason for the positive effect of wine on cardiovascular health.

Since then, studies have found that resveratrol has a number of biological effects on blood vessels, cancer, blood sugar control, muscle activity and inflammation.

Studies are also being conducted to explore whether resveratrol might have a positive effect on the aging process through its action on a class of proteins in

the body called sirtuins, which affect metabolism.

Though resveratrol has been extensively studied in test tubes, cells and animals, it is only now being explored fully in people. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is currently conducting a study at Baltimore’s Harbor Hospital to test the effects of different doses of resveratrol on heart and blood vessel health in healthy volunteers.

In prior animal studies, conducted by NIA in monkeys and rats, findings demonstrated a reduction in the stiffness of blood vessels over several weeks. The compound appears to have no harmful effects at doses up to 5 grams per day.

What the study entails Those taking part in the study will be separated into three groups. Two groups will take different dose levels of the study drug. The third group will take a placebo (inactive ingredient).

The study involves five visits over a period of about 13 months. At the first visit, participants will undergo a physical exam and the researchers will take a medical history, blood and urine samples.

Participants who qualify for the study on the screening visit will be given a list of foods to avoid eating while participating in it, and will be scheduled for further visits.

The second visit will be within 60 days of the screening visit, while the remaining

visits will be approximately 16 weeks apart. Visits 2, 4 and 5 require an overnight stay at the NIA clinical unit located at Harbor Hospital, 3001 S. Hanover St. Meals will be provided during the overnight visits.

Testing that will be done includes blood, urine samples and EKG’s. Body scans include a two-hour MRI scan to measure fat and muscle mass, and a bone density (DEXA) scan. Participants will also have exercise tests (treadmill, strength testing) and a muscle biopsy. The third visit will be a two-hour outpatient visit.

Compensation offered There is no cost to participants for testing done during the study. In addition, volunteers will be compensated up to $1,280 for completing all study visits.

To be eligible to participate in the study, you must be age 50 or older. Your body mass index (BMI) must be between 25 and 35. You should not currently be on blood pressure or cholesterol medications.

You must not have any history of diabetes, heart failure, liver or kidney disease. You may not currently use tobacco products.

If you or someone you know may qualify, contact Sierra Kunkoski at (410) 350-3941, or email niastudiesrecruitment@mail.nih.gov for more information.

BEACON BITS

Apr. 27

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS

Discuss nutrition, healthy pantry, food shopping, gut health, herbal and essential oils, supplements, and pharmacy related topics such as pharmacogenetics. The free event is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 at the Ateaze Senior Center. Sign program binder at front desk if you plan to attend. The center is located at 7401 Holabird Ave., Dundalk. To learn more, call (410) 887-7233.

Apr. 25+

MEDITATION FOR SENIORS

Learn to use and practice mindfulness meditation in a weekly class at CCBC Owings Mills, 10300 Grand Central Ave., from April 25 to June 27, 9 to 10 a.m. Increase personal ease, reduce stress with techniques that include breathing, body scan, sitting and walking meditation, and mindful listening. Cost for seniors is $49. For more information, visit www.ccbcmd.edu or call (440) 840-2222.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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Gene therapy successfully fights cancer

By Marilynn Marchione An experimental gene therapy that turns a patient’s own blood cells into cancer killers worked in a major study — with more than one-third of very sick lymphoma patients showing no sign of disease six months after a single treatment, according to the pharmaceutical company that makes the treatment.

In all, 82 percent of patients had their cancer shrink at least by half at some point in the study.

Its sponsor, California-based Kite Pharma, is racing Novartis AG to become the first to win approval of the treatment in the U.S. Called CAR-T cell therapy, it could become the nation’s first approved gene therapy.

A hopeful sign: the number in complete remission at six months — 36 percent — is barely changed from partial results released after three months, suggesting this one-time treatment might give lasting benefits for those who do respond well.

“This seems extraordinary... extremely encouraging,” said one independent expert, Dr. Roy Herbst, cancer medicines chief at the Yale Cancer Center.

The worry has been how long Kite’s treatment would last and its side effects, which Herbst said seem manageable in the study. Follow-up beyond six months is still needed to see if the benefit wanes, he said, but added, “This certainly is something I would want to have available.”

The therapy is not without risk. Three of the 101 patients in the study died of causes unrelated to worsening of their cancer, and two of those deaths were deemed due to the treatment.

The treatment was developed at the government’s National Cancer Institute and then licensed to Kite. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helped sponsor the study.

Results were released by the company and have not been published or reviewed by other experts. Full results will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference in April.

The company plans to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of March and in Europe later this year.

How it works The treatment involves filtering a patient’s blood to remove key immune system soldiers called T-cells, altering them in the lab to contain a gene that targets cancer, and giving them back intravenously. Doctors call it a “living drug” — permanently altered cells that multiply in the body into an army to fight the disease.

Patients in the study had one of three types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer, and had failed all other treatments.

Median survival for such patients has been about six months.

Kite study patients seem to be living longer, but median survival isn’t yet known. With nearly nine months of followup, more than half are still alive.

Six months after treatment, 41 percent still had a partial response (cancer shrunk at least in half) and 36 percent were in complete remission (no sign of disease).

“The numbers are fantastic,” said Dr. Fred Locke, a blood cancer expert at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa who co-led the study and has been a paid adviser to Kite.

“These are heavily treated patients who have no other options.”

One of his patients, 43-year-old Dimas Padilla of Orlando, was driving when he got a call saying his cancer was worsening, chemotherapy was no longer working, and there was no match to enable a second try

at a stem cell transplant.

“I actually needed to park...I was thinking how am I going to tell this to my mother, my wife, my children,” he said. But after CAR-T therapy last August, he saw his tumors “shrink like ice cubes” and is now in complete remission.

“They were able to save my life,” Padilla said.

More about risks Of the study participants, 13 percent developed a dangerous condition where the immune system overreacts in fighting the cancer. That rate is lower than in some other tests of CAR-T therapy. The rate fell during the study as doctors got better at See GENE THERAPY, page 14

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Papaya filled with powerful antioxidants

By Lori Zanteson Cut into a papaya and behold the spectacular shades of sunset in the tropics — rich pink, deep orange and glowing yellow.

A favorite tropical repast, it’s no surprise this fruit is native to warm, humid southern Mexico and Central America.

Ancient Mayans, who both ate papaya and used it to heal skin problems, called the papaya tree, “tree of life.” The papaya is also said to have cured Christopher Columbus’ crew of their digestive problems.

With a long list of folk medicines and cures to its name, this sweet, buttery-tex-

tured fruit is ripe with vitamins, minerals and health-protecting plant compounds.

The papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a treelike plant with palm-like leaves and flowers like small white plumeria. Oblong or pearshaped, wrapped in a thin, tough skin of green, yellow or orange, the melon-like fruit’s smooth, juicy flesh surrounds a cluster of small, black seeds.

The most common varieties are Hawaiian — small (about one pound) and pearshaped with orange or pink flesh, and Mexican — up to 15 inches and 10 pounds with yellow, orange or pink flesh that’s less sweet than Hawaiian.

One cup serves up 144 percent Daily Value (DV) of antioxidant vitamin C, 31 percent DV of eye-protecting vitamin A, as well as the powerful phytochemicals betacarotene and lycopene, the source of papaya’s rich color.

Younger-looking skin Antioxidant-rich papaya may help improve aging skin, according to a study published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine in 2016.

A fermented papaya preparation improved skin antioxidant capacity and signs of aging skin (including skin moisture, brown spots and elasticity) more effectively than an antioxidant cocktail containing trans-resveratrol, vitamins C and E, and selenium.

Papaya’s antioxidant potential is being studied in lab and animal studies for its ability to help control blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes, and to help fight inflammation and oxidation to protect against cancers (Mutation Research, 2014).

How to buy papaya Early summer and fall are peak season for papaya, but they are available year-round.

Hawaiian papaya is ripe when it’s mostly yellow, while the Mexican variety will be green-yellow with shades of orange. They will give to gentle pressure and should be free of bruised or wrinkled areas.

Refrigerate ripe fruit up to three days.

Peel, slice in pieces and scoop out seeds.

Fill the hollow with fresh or frozen yogurt See PAPAYA, page 15

Gene therapy From page 13 detecting and treating it sooner.

Roughly a third of patients developed anemia or other blood-count-related problems, which Locke said were easily treated. And 28 percent had neurological problems such as sleepiness, confusion, tremor or difficulty speaking, but these typically lasted just a few days, Locke said.

“It’s a safe treatment — certainly a lot safer than having progressive lymphoma,” and comparable to combination chemotherapy in terms of side effects, said the cancer institute’s Dr. Steven Rosenberg, who had no role in Kite’s study. The first lymphoma patient Rosenberg treated this way, a Florida man, is still in remission seven years later.

There were no cases of swelling and fluid in the brain in this or any other study testing Kite’s treatment, company officials said. That contrasts with Juno Therapeutics, which has had a CAR-T study put on hold twice after five patient deaths due to this problem.

Company officials would not say what the treatment might cost, but other types of immune system therapies have been very expensive. It’s also being tested for some other types of blood cancer.

To learn more about lymphoma, see http://bit.ly/LymphomaInformation.

More information about CAR-T therapy is available at http://bit.ly/CAR-Ttherapy, and gene therapy information in general is available at http://bit.ly/GeneTherapyInfo.

— AP

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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Understand variety of osteoporosis drugs Dear Mayo Clinic: The bisphosphonate drugs I take for osteoporosis aren’t working in my case.

My doctor has suggested a few alternatives. Any thoughts on what might be best?

Answer: Oral bisphosphonate drugs — including alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel and Atelvia) and ibandronate (Boniva) — are the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis drugs.

Bisphosphonates are less expensive than the alternatives, are safe in the long term, and are effective in preventing fractures.

Still, some women aren’t sufficiently helped by bisphosphonates, and some can’t take them due to issues with swallowing, stomach upset, heartburn, low-functioning kidneys, or other side effects, such as bone or muscle aches.

Prolia may be better In recent years, the drug denosumab

Papaya From page 14 topped with nuts or granola for a satisfying breakfast or dessert.

Enjoy papaya drizzled with lime juice, added to salads and smoothies, or try them

(Prolia) has emerged as an alternative to bisphosphonates for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Denosumab may be considered a firstline treatment for women with osteoporosis who are at high risk of fracture, or in women who can’t take bisphosphonates.

Since denosumab isn’t metabolized by the kidneys, it’s also a first-line option for women with more advanced chronic kidney disease.

Furthermore, when it comes to improving bone density and reducing fracture risk, denosumab may provide better results than do bisphosphonates. As with bisphosphonates, it has a small risk of serious side effects, such as skin infections, headache and fatigue.

For people with osteoporosis, the risk of a condition in which the jawbone doesn’t heal following an injury, such as having a tooth pulled (osteonecrosis of the jaw), appears to be lower with denosumab than it is with bisphosphonates. as a vegetable — baked, boiled or stuffed.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2017 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Your Stylish Retirement STARTS AT CHARLESTOWN OR OAK CREST

Long-term use of denosumab over eight years has been shown to be both safe and effective. Still, denosumab may not be covered by insurance, unless a trial of bisphosphonate drugs has been attempted.

Denosumab is given by an subcutaneous (just under the skin) injection every six months, meaning you don’t need to remember to take your osteoporosis pills.

And it won’t bother your digestive system.

The bisphosphonate drug zoledronic acid (Reclast), another option, can be given once a year by intravenous infusion.

Other drug options Other drugs occasionally used to treat osteoporosis include teriparatide (Forteo), a drug often reserved for the treatment of

severe osteoporosis. It requires daily subcutaneous injections.

Oral raloxifene (Evista) isn’t as effective in preventing fractures as either bisphosphonates or denosumab, but there are very select situations when these drugs may be considered.

Adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Kurt Kennel, M.D., Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A @mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org. © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

When in a bind with neighbors, friends Dear Solutions: be part of this, but how can we go to I’m caught in a bind with my neighbor. their house after not speaking to them Two years ago, I stopped all this time? talking to them because they — Rose ordered a whole line of large Dear Rose: bushes to be planted beRobert Frost once wrote tween our properties. These that “good fences make good were not what I wanted, and neighbors.” Of course, he they did this while I was wrote it before he heard of away, so I had no voice in you, your neighbors, and this. your fence of bushes.

It’s too expensive to pull Since you say you can’t them all out. Every time I change it now, then what’s SOLUTIONS look at them I’m furious. really fenced in is you.

By Helen Oxenberg, Now they’re having a You’re fenced into your MSW, ACSW community meeting at their anger, and that’s got to be a house, and we’ve been invited, along spiked fence that is sticking you, and with our other neighbors. We want to fencing you off from good feelings.

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

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Let go. Move from the anger to acceptance of the inevitable. Go to this community meeting — your neighbors are reaching out to you.

Make a decision to forgive, and eventually — as you become reengaged with your neighbors — you may even forget.

Dear Solutions: My friend’s son has just opened his own dental practice in my neighborhood. My friend keeps hinting about me using him as my dentist.

I don’t feel comfortable going to him since I’ve known him since he was in diapers. I know that doesn’t make him a bad dentist, but...

How do I get out of this? Should I say anything or just ignore her hints?

— Eve Dear Eve: Say nothing. You can’t use a dentist if you refuse to open your mouth!

Actually, wish him luck, tell her you will mention him to others, but say you can’t leave the dentist you’ve been with for many years.

You might mention that you have this irrational obsession — you don’t feel comfortable unless your dentist and your doctor

are at least one month older than you are.

Dear Solutions: A friend of mine whom I really admire is having a terribly hard time. There are problems, mostly financial, some about children and others.

I want to help if I can, but when I say I’m so sorry and ask if there is anything I can do, she just gets annoyed at me. I could help her financially, but I don’t want to risk insulting them — mostly her husband.

Should I just keep asking what I can do until she tells me something so she’ll know I mean it?

— Kate Dear Kate: No! Don’t ask, because she won’t tell.

Act! You can help financially? OK. Write a check and just give it to her. Tell her in no uncertain terms that this is not a loan, but a helping hand. Friends are allowed to hand help to each other. © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

BEACON BITS

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

17

SCREWED-UP MEDICAL BILLS Claims specialists can help you fight insurance denials by spotting errors BECOME A MONEY GURU The best books to fill you in on Medicare, annuities, investing and more READY FOR RETIREMENT? Before you retire, give some thought to meaningful activities to fill your days

What to expect from your bonds this year

By Stan Choe The safest part of your 401(k) isn’t as safe as it used to be. But there’s still nothing safer, fund managers say.

Investors have long taken comfort in the steady returns their bond funds have provided, particularly when stocks go on another of their gut-wrenching drops.

But the bond safety blanket is getting more threadbare, a result of simple math.

Bonds don’t pay as much interest as they used to, following a decades-long drop in interest rates.

That means bonds pay less in income, and also raises the threat of a rise in interest rates. Higher interest rates mean prices for bonds — whether individual ones in your brokerage account or the ones in a bond fund you own — will fall, because their payouts look less attractive than those of newly issued bonds.

Even though bond funds provide less cushion than before, they still are the best defense for a 401(k) account, fund managers say.

Bond funds will still hold up better than stocks during downturns. And investors may be in need of some safety soon.

Frank, Frank

U.S. stocks are more expensive relative to their earnings, after more than tripling since early 2009, and Wall Street questions how much more they can rise without strong growth in profits. President Trump’s promise to shake up the status quo could also mean big swings for stocks.

Bonds will likely have positive returns in 2017, though smaller than in prior years, making for a boring year, said Colin Lundgren, head of U.S. fixed income at Columbia Threadneedle.

But that’s not a bad thing. “I think boring is OK in this environment, because other parts of your portfolio could be far more volatile,” he said. “In a world in which the equity market can go up or down dramatically based on the latest tweet or global event, this provides a stabilizing force.”

Here’s a look at what fund managers say investors can, and can’t, expect their bond funds to do for their savings: How bad would a terrible year for bond funds be?

Critics have been warning of a bubble in the bond market for years, so it’s natural to ask how bad a bond-fund investment could go.

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The worst year for high-quality U.S. bonds in the last four decades was 1994, when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates six times. Bonds lost a shade less than 3 percent that year. “And we think of that as a disaster,” said Lundgren.

Compare that with the 37 percent loss that the largest stock mutual fund by as-

sets suffered in 2008, when the financial crisis was at full flame. And that’s just one of four times that stocks have lost more than 10 percent in a year since 2000.

Of course, rates are lower today than in 1994. So losses could potentially be bigger See BONDS, page 19

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

How to fight medical insurance denials

By Kimberly Lankford When you or a family member experience a medical crisis, it can be hard enough to focus on getting the best care.

The last thing you want to deal with is an overwhelming pile of medical bills.

Health insurance claims specialists can help. They serve as experts, advocates and detectives — knowing how to deal with the mysterious and complex insurance system, translate the jargon and codes, understand when you need to pay a

bill and when to wait, and how to fix errors and build a case for an appeal.

Claims specialists tend to charge $75 to $95 per hour, and they’ll generally give you a free consultation with a cost estimate and some basic advice.

“It’s not a process [most people] get good at because hopefully you don’t go through it very much,” said Kathleen Hogue, president of Mediform Inc., in Twinsburg, Ohio, who has been a medical claims specialist for 37 years. Her job has changed a lot during

that time, especially now that more people have high-deductible health insurance policies, complex out-of-pocket cost rules, and narrow provider networks.

Get help before you pay If you suspect there is an error in a medical bill, it helps to contact a claims specialist before making arrangements to pay.

“You don’t want to negotiate 50 percent off something you didn’t owe to start with,” said Pat Palmer, a medical claims specialist in Roanoke, Va. “You want to contact someone with experience to do a thorough investigation into those charges.”

Contacting a claims specialist soon after discovering a problem can help avoid hours of frustration and missed deadlines.

Specifics vary by plan, but you generally have 180 days to file an appeal.

“Many times people try to resolve [the matter] on their own, and they make a million phone calls and fight with the insurance company,” said Denise Sikora, president of DL Health Claim Solutions. “By the time they get to me, these claims are often more than a year old, and sometimes two and three years old.”

Strategies to fight denials A claims specialist may be able to spot an error to get a claim paid quickly without filing an appeal. Pat Shea, a specialist in Green Bay, Wis., said about 80 percent of the denials he deals with are reversed once he resubmits the claim with extra information or coding mistakes fixed. Only about 20 percent go to a formal appeal.

Shea first studies the denial letter from the insurer. “You look at the reason for the denial, and that’s what gives you the way forward,” he said.

If payment was denied because the pro-

cedure was cosmetic, such as removal of a skin lesion, he asks the doctor to provide evidence that the procedure was medically necessary, for example. If the diagnosis or treatment was miscoded, Shea fixes it and resubmits the claim.

He tries to deal with insurers through email, so he has a paper trail. (His website at www.medicalclaimshelp.org offers more strategies.)

Get approval in advance Shea can also help people avoid claims trouble ahead of time.

Anne Richardson of Alexandria, Va., contacted Shea when she was helping her adult daughter get coverage for cochlear implant surgery. Her daughter works in Atlanta, but the surgeons recommended for her complex case were in Chicago.

Before scheduling surgery, Richardson contacted Shea to find out if there was anything he could do to get coverage at the distant hospital.

Shea found that her daughter’s plan has a reciprocal arrangement with certain out-ofstate hospitals in the Midwest. He made sure that her surgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists and follow-up therapy providers would all bill at in-network rates.

Richardson said the full price for the surgery and therapy would have been about $90,000. But with in-network coverage they paid just $6,000 (plus $225 for Shea’s help).

“If you are facing a complicated surgery, get someone to check on the coverage ahead of time,” said Richardson.

You can find claims specialists through the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals at www.claims.org. Some prefer to work locally; others have clients throughout the U.S. © 2017, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Bonds From page 17 if the Fed begins raising rates sharply and at an aggressive pace. But fund managers say a worst-case scenario would still have annual losses of below 10 percent for a high-quality bond fund.

“The math of bonds means that it’s difficult for bonds to go down more than 3 or 4 percent in a year,” said John Smet, fixed-income portfolio manager at Capital Group, parent of American Funds.

What kind of returns should I be looking for in 2017?

Start with how much interest bonds are paying out. For high-quality U.S. bonds, it’s close to 3 percent. Returns could be roughly there, or even better if interest rates fall, which would push up prices.

Most economists expect the opposite to happen, though, and a rise in rates would mean high-quality U.S. bonds would return less than 3 percent in 2017.

If rates rise enough, it could push bond funds to losses for the year. Last year, the average intermediate-term bond fund returned 3.2 percent, but only after a 2.5 percent loss in the fourth quarter trimmed returns.

Bonds issued by companies with weak credit ratings, also known as junk or highyield bonds, offer higher interest rates, which means a higher starting point for returns. But those 6 percent yields come with more risk: Junk-rated issuers are

more likely to fail to make good on their interest payments.

That’s why many bond fund managers say to expect returns in the low single digits, possibly in the mid-single digits, for 2017.

What about inflation and the Fed? This is the big threat. If inflation spikes and forces the Fed to catch up by aggressively raising rates, it would move the bond market toward its worst-case scenario.

Inflation is indeed on the rise, but fund managers say it still appears manageable.

And the U.S. economy doesn’t look likely to accelerate much in 2017, Smet said.

That could mean the Fed raises rates fewer times than investors are expecting.

“If you think back to last year at this time, everyone was saying the Fed would raises rates two times, maybe three times, in 2016,” Smet said. The Fed ended up raising rates just once. “The surprise to the market this year may be that the Fed is not able to raise rates two times.”

Can bonds still be a stabilizer given the low yields?

They have been recently. A year ago, stocks tumbled on worries that a recession may be lurking, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 5 percent that January.

The average intermediate-term bond fund returned 0.8 percent during the same month, according to Morningstar. That’s not much, and it’s less than bond funds returned in similar down months for stocks

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in prior decades. But it still provided comfort to investors who held a mix of stocks and bonds in their retirement accounts.

“Even in a terrible market for bonds, you still get much better protection than you would get in equity markets,” said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer at

19

Northern Trust Wealth Management.

“It’s tempting to say, ‘Ditch your bonds’ because of interest rates, but we don’t abide by that. You need to have that diversification, to allow you to live to fight another day in the equity market.”

— AP

BEACON BITS

May 1

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20

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Books to improve your financial future Even if you depend on professionals for covering Social Security benefits, it is imyour financial planning, I strongly urge you portant that you keep up-to-date regarding to educate yourself about perthese changes. I recommend sonal finance. The more eduthe following books: cated you are, and the more foGet What’s Yours: The Secrets cused you will be on your into Maxing Out Your Social Sevestment objectives, the better curity by Laurence J. Kotlikoff, you will be able to provide for Philip Moeller and Paul Solyour beneficiaries, and the man (Simon and Schuster, rev. more intelligent the discused., 2016). sions you will have with your fiSocial Security: The Inside nancial planners and attorneys.

Story by Andy Landis (CreateI have found the following THE SAVINGS Space Independent Publishbooks and publications to be GAME ing, 2016); more material is reliable and useful, and they By Elliot Raphaelson available at the author’s webwill help you make better desite, andylandis.biz. cisions and work toward a prosperous fiGet What’s Yours for Medicare: Maximize nancial future.

Your Coverage, Minimize Your Costs by Philip Moeller (Simon and Schuster, Social Security and Medicare 2016).

Because of the changes in regulations

Annuities Stan Haithcock is an outstanding expert in this field and has written many useful and accessible booklets that are available free at his website, stantheannuityman.com.

One of his offerings, The Annuity Stanifesto, includes a summary of all types of annuities and explains the pros and cons of each.

Reverse mortgages For many years I considered reverse mortgages to be appropriate only as a last resort. However, because of favorable regulatory changes and lower costs, and the value in growing credit lines, I believe they can benefit some families in retirement despite their generally high initial costs.

The following books are good resources: What’s the Deal with Reverse Mortgages by Shelley Giordano (People Tested Media, 2015).

Reverse Mortgages: How to Use Reverse Mortgages to Secure Your Retirement by Wade Pfau (Retirement Research Media, 2016).

Individual securities For investors who would prefer to select their own individual securities rather than use mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, I recommend: Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns and Long-Term Investment Strategies fifth edition by Jeremy Siegel (McGraw Hill, 2014).

Basic investment advice There are many good books providing sound general investment advice, including retirement planning. I recommend the following: How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide by Jane Bryant Quinn (Simon and Schuster, 2016).

Jonathan Clements Money Guide 2016

by Jonathan Clements (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2016).

Financial Fitness Forever: 5 Steps to More Money, Less Risk, and More Peace of Mind by Paul Merriman (McGraw Hill, 2012).

Winning The Loser’s, Game Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing by Charles Ellis (McGraw Hill, 2013) Keynes’s Way to Wealth: Timeless Investment Lessons from the Great Economist by John Wasik (McGraw Hill, 2014) The 7 Most Important Equations for your Retirement by Moshe Milevsky (Wiley, 2012).

Retirement planning Many people accumulate significant assets in retirement accounts but make serious mistakes regarding the naming of beneficiaries. Many financial advisers and even some attorneys don’t have the required expertise to provide proper advice.

I recommend the books of Ed Slott, an expert in this field, to make sure you use the best retirement vehicles to protect your assets, minimize taxes, stretch your savings for you and your beneficiaries, and identify trained financial advisers who have the expertise you require. Some reliable sources follow.

Ed Slott’s 2016 Retirement Decisions Guide by Ed Slott (IRAHelp, 2016).

The Retirement Savings Time Bomb and How to Defuse It by Ed Slott (Penguin Books, 2012).

Keeping up to date The financial industry is changing all the time. To keep on top of those changes and to learn about new ideas, I recommend that you read the Wall Street Journal daily and Barron’s weekly.

Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2017 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

21

Thinking about retirement? What to expect

By Dayana Yochim We spend decades dreaming of the day when life won’t be dictated by alarm clocks, commute times, meeting schedules and office politics.

Then reality sets in: Retirement can be kind of a drag. And there may be 20-plus years of it ahead of you.

While traditional retirement planning covers financial essentials — expected returns, inflation, withdrawal rates, portfolio rebalancing, tax planning — most plans won’t prepare you for the emotional challenges of post-work life.

You may dread the drudgery of employment, but there’s something to be said for the structure it provides.

Work is where many people derive their sense of purpose. It can also provide framework for your days (projects, meetings, deadlines) and a sense of community (thanks to water coolers, slow elevators and happy hours).

Then one day you wake up and it’s all gone.

“I’ve had a number of clients who retire and feel a little adrift at sea, and it happens to people regardless of means,” said Lisa Kirchenbauer, president of Omega Wealth Management in Arlington, Va. A good predictor of retirement dissatisfaction, she said, is if a person views retirement as an escape hatch. “It’s better to be

retiring to something and not from something,” Kirchenbauer said.

Here are steps you can take to help protect your golden years from being tarnished by dissatisfaction.

Find a reason to set your alarm After you’ve taken those cruises, spoiled the grandkids and organized the sock drawer, what’s going to inspire you?

People who have pursuits outside of their professional life tend to fare better in retirement. If you’re not interested in taking up a new hobby, consider ways to use the professional expertise you’ve cultivated over the years.

Don’t wait until you retire to explore new pursuits. Test-drive volunteer opportunities in your community before retirement to plant seeds for future endeavors.

Pretend there’s a paycheck The transition from building savings to drawing from savings can be stressful. Instead of receiving a regular paycheck, you’re sitting on one giant paycheck that’s supposed to sustain you for the rest of your life.

“Psychologically it feels scary, even though you logically know that you’ve saved so that you can live off your investments,” Kirchenbauer said.

Planning can help you transition to

spend-down mode. Start by creating a post-retirement budget around anticipated expenses (including quarterly taxes, healthcare and potential emergencies).

Also think about which accounts you’ll draw from (Roth or traditional IRA, taxable brokerage account, cash savings?) in order to minimize the tax hit when you start taking income from your investments.

Kirchenbauer recommends simulating a paycheck-based cash-flow system in retirement by setting up monthly transfers from an IRA (or other retirement account) into a checking account. This also helps prevent a retirement rookie error: blowing through your cash too quickly during the initial stages of retirement.

Discuss with loved ones Retirement can be a major relationship disruptor. All that “me time” you and your partner had when one or both of you were at work is now potentially “we time.”

Kirchenbauer said it’s important to have a series of conversations with your spouse about whether you will retire at the same time. Retirement can be especially stressful if one partner retires before the other.

Expect that there will be an adjustment period, and perhaps spats over household duties.

But if you’re prepared to be flexible, respectful and understanding of the other person’s perspective, you can achieve peaceful coexistence in retirement.

— Nerdwallet via AP

22

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Travel Leisure &

Gondolas are an iconic tourist attraction in Venice. See story on page 24.

Exploring Umbria’s picturesque villages perched on top of hills and spilled down toward the valleys below.

In many ways, time has bypassed these villages of stone buildings, winding cobblestone streets, and walkways so narrow it’s sometimes possible to reach out and touch the walls on both sides.

Umbria’s size, or rather lack of it, provides opportunities to check out a variety of inviting villages in a limited time. In an area about one-third the size of Maryland, nothing is very far from anything else, so it’s possible to visit more than one hilltop village in a day.

While these ancient enclaves often appear identical when viewed from afar, there are differences that set each one apart.

Granted, the initial introduction may focus upon similarities — a central square, the ubiquitous main church adorned with architectural touches outside and art treasures within, outdoor cafes where locals and visitors alike gather to enjoy food and drink. Yet each has its own unique claims to fame that are well worth exploring.

PHOTO BY HENRYK SADURA

By Victor Block In 1996, a book titled Under the Tuscan Sun recounted how author Frances Mayes purchased and restored an abandoned villa in the Tuscany region of Italy. The best-selling volume, and the movie that was adapted from it, helped establish the area as a major vacation destination for Americans.

Umbria, Tuscany’s landlocked next door neighbor, has not been so celebrated and glorified. In fact, it is sometimes derisively dubbed “the poor man’s Tuscany.”

Yet that often-overlooked region encompasses a rich collection of artistic, scenic and other treasures that reward those who seek them out.

For starters, Umbria — pronounced Oom-bria by those who live there — boasts magnificent landscapes mirroring those that bedazzle visitors to Tuscany.

The jagged Apennine Mountains lead to rolling hillsides that flatten into lush valleys along the banks of the Tiber River.

Fields of wild flowers vie for attention with the silver leaves of gnarled olive trees and rows of grape vines that change from summer green to vibrant reds and yellows as fall approaches.

Overlooking the scene are the true gems — towns that for centuries have

Assisi is one of the best known of the hill towns that dot Umbria, in the countryside of central Italy. St. Francis was born here in 1182. Medieval castles and churches dominate the town’s skyline. UNESCO designated the Franciscan structures of Assisi as a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Assisi and Spoleto The two best-known towns are Assisi and Spoleto, and for very different reaPHOTO BY VICTOR BLOCK

Olive groves sprawl across the undulating hills of Umbria. The area is so well-known for its quality olives that it was the first region in Italy whose olive oil was granted a coveted Designation of Origin by the EU.

sons. Assisi is famous as the birthplace of St. Francis while, since 1957, Spoleto has hosted a multi-faceted feast of cultural events attracting a line-up of world-famous performers.

St. Francis of Assisi was born in 1182, and in his roles as a Roman Catholic friar and preacher he founded several religious orders. His birthplace retains much of its medieval character, and many structures still cast a rose-colored hue thanks to the limestone from which they were constructed.

The 13th-century basilica houses frescoes that depict chapters of St. Francis’ life and are considered to be among the most important works of art in Italy.

Spoleto tells a very different story. Unlike many historic municipalities in Italy, it lacks a distinct central square. Instead, a jumble of medieval streets and lanes connect a cluster of piazzas.

Every summer, those narrow roads and walkways are overwhelmed by people during the annual Festival of Two Worlds — this year taking place from June 30 to July 16. This cultural buffet was founded in 1957 by composer and conductor Gian Carlo Menotti.

Since then, the potpourri of events — opera and jazz, ballet and modern dance, theater, visual arts and more — has

brought the town to the attention of the world.

Spoleto also offers a treasure trove of reminders from its early Roman days, including the remains of a house with a mosaic floor, a restored first-century amphitheatre, and a first century temple.

In fact, most of Umbria reveals intriguing tangible evidence of Etruscan, Roman and Medieval influences — often in the same locale.

The Etruscans created a powerful civilization that included western Umbria, beginning around the 8th century BCE. It lasted until its assimilation into the Roman Republic beginning in the 4th century BCE.

Secret passageways While other villages are less well known, each has attractions that warrant a look-see. You can’t go wrong by simply turning off a main road when you spot a sign to a town, no matter how small or how far off the usual tourist path it may be.

The approach to Orvieto alone is worth a side trip. It rises up from the almost vertical faces of volcanic cliffs. This soaring image is replicated in the ornate façade of the duomo, a 13th-century cathedral that See UMBRIA, page 23

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Umbria From page 22 is one of the most elaborate in the country.

A very different experience awaits those who explore the vast underground labyrinth of tunnels, passageways and rooms that was dug out of the soft rock that lies beneath the buildings above.

This once-secret network, part of which dates back some 3,000 years, provided wealthy families with a means of escape outside the city walls during times of siege. The tunnel complex has recently been open to guided tours.

Perugia, the capital of Umbria, is home to several institutions of higher learning, including the University of Perugia, founded in 1308. It also is a cultural and artistic center, and hosts a number of annual festivals and other events.

Major evidence of Etruscan influence is found in both Orvieto and Perugia. In places, Etruscan, Roman and Medieval remains serve as reminders that all three cultures once held sway.

That’s true in the town of Todi, where walls constructed when each of those societies reigned are still visible. In fact, Todi is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Italy, and its Piazza del Popolo is regarded as one of the country’s most perfect squares from that period.

Another Medieval setting is encountered in Trevi, whose ancient center of alleyways, vaulted passages and churches is surrounded in part by the original 13thcentury defensive walls.

Its hilltop position offers commanding views over the surrounding plains, and the groves that surround the village yield some of the country’s best olive oil.

Olives, truffles and wine Along with countless architectural and art treasures that abound throughout Umbria, being part of Italy, there’s no surprise that the region clings proudly to a well-deserved culinary reputation.

Simply pondering the list of specialties that fill restaurant menus can be a mouthwatering experience, and explain why the

area is referred to as Italy’s cuore verde (“green heart”).

The olive oil produced in Umbria is considered among the best in a country that is known for the high quality of its olive oil. It was the first region in Italy whose olive oil was given the prestigious Designation of Origin classification.

Food here is typically hearty country cuisine, simply prepared to enhance the flavors of its top-quality ingredients. Meat and pastas are staples.

Prized locally grown truffles, more of the black than white variety, are added to a variety of dishes. Montefalco wine, which became the favored go-to beverage for my wife Fyllis and me, is named for the delightful little hill town surrounded by vineyards.

The hard-to-resist temptations of the table add to the sensory onslaught that envelops visitors to Umbria. They’re part — but just a part — of what makes a visit there as memorable as it is enjoyable.

Using a tour company Fyllis and I spent a week each in Venice and Umbria on a trip with Untours, which offers “independent travel with support.”

It more than met our expectations. The coddling began with an avalanche of material that goes well beyond the basic information needed to, as the company promises, “live like the locals.”

In addition to details about sightseeing, shopping and getting around, we were provided with public transportation passes in Venice and a rental car in Umbria. We also received insider tips about everything from the Umbrian culture and restaurants, to food shopping and recipes of local favorite dishes.

Our first morning each week was spent at a detailed briefing from the onsite Untours representative, which included information about optional activities with other group members.

Our accommodations — a two-story apartment above a gelato shop in Venice, and a lovingly furnished two-bedroom apartment at a centuries-old farm in Umbria — added to the feeling of immersion

Tell them you saw it in the Beacon!

in the setting.

Prices for Venice land packages begin at $1,369 per person (double occupancy) for one week; $1,889 for two weeks. For Umbria, $979 for one week; $1,289 for two weeks. Untours can also assist in obtaining reasonable airfares. For more information, call (888) 868-6871 or log onto untours.com.

Restaurant dinners are as outstanding and ample as they are reasonably priced.

Typical is the Trattoria al Palazzaccio near Spoleto. A selection of pastas is priced in the $6.50 to $9.50 range, depending upon the exchange rate, and the specialty of lamb with olive oil, wine and herbs

23

costs $11. For more information, visit alpalazzaccio.it or call 0743-520-168. You may use googletranslate.com to read the menu in English.

Fish is the focus at the Nuova Parco del Clitunno in Campello sul Clitunno, which overlooks a lovely pond. Fresh-caught seafood includes trout, shrimp and daily specials. Among the ways trout ends up is in mousse ($7.50) and with pasta ($9.50), while grilled sea bass costs $14. For more information, call 0743-521-052 or visit nuovoparcodelclitunno.it.

For general information about Umbria, visit www.umbriatourism.it.

24

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Getting lost in Venice, for the fun of it

By Fyllis Hockman Venice is an old city. The water-logged foundations date back to the 11th century.

The newer building facades are as recent as the 15th.

So many buildings were stripped of paint and plaster on both sides of a small alleyway that I expected them to crumble before my eyes — until I reminded myself they have looked pretty much the same for over 500 years.

This other-worldly city is filled with

Magical marionettes

canals, gondolas, water buses, cobbled streets, alleyways, bridges and cafes. Picture everything that makes any city run — buses, taxis, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, postal services, FedEx deliveries, garbage pick-ups — but they’re all boats!

And the city still runs.

Expect to get lost. And thank goodness for that, because it’s the best way to explore the city and discover those gems that are not part of the major tourist itineraries.

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Another possibly surprising find — in such a Catholic city, home to well over 100 churches — is the world’s first Jewish ghetto. This small square is referred to as Ghetto Campo de Nova, possibly because it was the site of a getto (foundry) in the 16th century.

Today, there are five renovated synagogues, several kosher restaurants, and residents and tourists sporting traditional Jewish yarmulkes. The kosher menus range from antipasto and spaghetti, to bagels and potato latkes. Talk about an ecumenical meal!

Lost and found As I said before, getting lost is a given.

See VENICE, page 25

PHOTO BY BARBARA RUBEN

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Among those gems is Pinocchio Island, located in the Cannaregio District in the northwest area of Venice.

It’s home to a local Geppetto whose real name is Roberto Comin, maker of magical marionettes. These brilliant little string creatures represent all aspects of Venetian historical and theatrical culture, lovingly produced by Comin for 25 years in a workshop over 350 years old.

Requests now come in for characters from Shakespeare to Cleopatra, and even a Johnny Depp look-alike that was given to the actor for his birthday.

The costumes rival the intricacy and elegance of any Medici gown or regal accessory. Want a marionette dopple-ganger of yourself? It’s doable, but it’ll cost you about $600.

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B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

Venice From page 24 Tourists seem to spend as much time looking up at the signs designating different sections, squares and churches of the city as they do looking down at maps, phones and GPS’s.

In part, this is because it’s so difficult to give clear directions. My favorite response from a young street vendor I had inquired of: “Go right, over the next bridge. Then ask someone else.”

And then, when you don’t think things can get any worse, you see the sign you’ve been searching for — and it points in both directions! I thought about giving up and going home, but I had no clue how to get there, either.

We wandered everywhere, sitting at cafes to eat or drink wine, always aware of how little English we heard — reinforcing the romantic idea of living like a local.

And the more we wandered, the more enjoyable the discoveries: a delightful mask store, street musicians in jeans playing Vivaldi, an out-of-the-way Leonardo DaVinci Museum.

The island of Murano — world famous for its glass figurines, jewelry and home décor since the 11th century — is a must destination if you want to be absolutely sure you’re buying Murano glass and not a knock-off. It’s about a 40-minute vaporetto (water bus) ride away from Venice’s tourist mecca, St. Mark’s Square.

A factory visit offers insight into how Venetian glass is made, the colors created, the intricacies of the designs, and the skills of the master glass blowers. It makes you better appreciate the high prices you then encounter in the gift shops — sort of.

I was amazed at the intricate convoluted shapes in colors so vibrant and translucent that the light passing through intensifies the whole experience. I wanted to decorate my whole house with cups, vases, dishes and elaborately designed decorative pieces. But I settled for a pair of earrings.

Relaxing after a day of sightseeing at our favorite neighborhood trattoria, we sat and watched everyone else in Venice try to figure out where the hell they were.

Rest reassured that no one has ever been irretrievably lost in Venice. But if so — how lucky for them. They’re still there!

For more information, see www.visitvenice-italy.com and http://europeforvisitors.com/venice.

BEACON BITS

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Maryland residents between the ages of 40 and 64 who do not have insurance coverage for mammograms, Pap tests and breast exams are eligible for no-cost mammograms at participating radiology centers and exams at participating doctors’ offices. For more information, call the Baltimore County Department of Health Women’s Cancer Protection Program at (410) 887-3432.

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VOLUNTEER FOR GIRL SCOUTS

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

Ongoing

GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are needed at Good Samaritan Hospital in a variety of positions. Good Samaritan is guided by Catholic tradition in its mission to deliver ideal healthcare experiences. For more information, call (443) 444-3814 or visit www.goodsam-md.org.

Ongoing

GILCHRIST HOSPICE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

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25

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M AY 2 0 1 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Style Arts &

The theme of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paint and Powder Club musical honors President Bonnie King-Rose.

Our cover story continues on page 29.

Dance with grace comes from experience An annual event This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concert will feature approximately 10 acts, ranging from ensembles to solos, and including such performers as Tapsichore, Itinerant Dance Company, Dance Alchemy, and solos by Yvette Shipley-Perkins, CJay Philip, and belly dancer Antonia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The annual Ageless Grace concert has become one of the most inspiring productions we offer,â&#x20AC;? said Goodman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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, regardless of age. I love watching the show; I love dancing in the show.â&#x20AC;?

According to Goodman, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concert will be different in that new dancers and more former professionals have been invited to perform.

CJay Philip, whose Broadway credits include Hairspray, Street Corner Symphony and Big the Musical (she also toured with Dreamgirls and Legally Blonde), will be performing a song and dance number, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music and the Mirror,â&#x20AC;? from A Chorus Line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was the first piece of music I per-

C OMING JUNE 15

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANCE BALTIMORE

By Carol Sorgen Their legs may not extend as high or their pliĂŠs be as deep, but older dancers bring a depth to their performance that younger dancers cannot. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the view of Torens Johnson, producer of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ageless Graceâ&#x20AC;? dance concert, to be held Sunday, May 7 at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson.

Dance Baltimore, a nonprofit arts organization directed by Cheryl Goodman, will once again present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ageless Grace,â&#x20AC;? featuring both former professional dancers as well as recreational dancers ranging in age from their 40s through their 70s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Older dancers give a more seasoned performance,â&#x20AC;? said Johnson, 46. Johnson, originally from Smithfield, Va., has been a dance â&#x20AC;&#x153;gypsyâ&#x20AC;? most of his life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wherever dance calls, I go,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I could do anything else. Dance is in my DNA. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all I can really do.â&#x20AC;?

While not all the Ageless Grace performers are professional dancers, as Johnson is, they all have a passion for the art â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doctors, lawyers, police officers or teachers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This concert gives them a vehicle to express their passion,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The Ageless Grace dance concert, comprised of dancers from their 40s to their 70s, will include a performance by Dance Alchemy, a Baltimore-based company focused on spreading peace through dance. The performance will be on May 7.

formed when I was just 15,â&#x20AC;? recalled Philip. At the time the song was too mature for her, she realizes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but now I have the background and experience to do it justice.â&#x20AC;?

Apart from lending her Broadway roots to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ageless Grace,â&#x20AC;? Philip has developed a monthly event, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Broadway Liveâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hangout for Broadway geeksâ&#x20AC;? that meets at the Motor House at 120 W. North Ave. in Baltimoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Station North Arts & Entertainment District. It features an open mic, Broadway trivia, dancing, games, and sing-

along songs. (For more information, email LaurenE.DAB@gmail.com.)

Philip herself is inspired by the other dancers performing in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ageless Grace.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;They bring a presence and self-confidence to their performance,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have an attitude of, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I know who I am, even if my kicks arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as high.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The pieces they perform are meaningful, whether they make you laugh or make you cry.â&#x20AC;?

See AGELESS GRACE, page 28

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

27

Little-known Fire Museum is a real gem PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FIRE MUSEUM OF MARYLAND

By Carol Sorgen Thanks to the late Stephen G. Heaver’s fascination with firefighting apparatus (the term fire fighters use for their customized vehicles), Baltimore has the distinction of housing the third largest fire museum in the United States. Located in Lutherville, the Fire Museum of Maryland, founded in 1971, is a leader in preserving, restoring and interpreting the history of the urban fire service in the U.S. Heaver, a builder and developer who died in 1998, amassed a world-class collection of historic hand-pumped engines, as well as horse-drawn, steam powered and motorized vehicles. According to his Baltimore Sun obituary, Heaver was fascinated by fire trucks since he was a child, often sitting on the curb near his Roland Park home to see the trucks leave the fire station that was around the corner.

He bought his first piece of fire equipment — a 1928 American LaFrance pumper — in 1962 from the Hereford Volunteer Fire Department for less than $500.

Nine years later he founded the museum, which today is run by his son, also named Stephen G. Heaver. The museum has grown to house one of the country’s most complete collections of firefighting history.

The elder Heaver’s next purchase was a 1922 Ahrens-Fox pumper, the “Rolls Royce of fire engines,” that originally was assigned to the North Eutaw Street station.

He bought it from the Baltimore City Fire Department for $250 and took six years to restore it.

By 1969, the enthusiastic collector owned 13 classic motorized fire vehicles, some of which he parked on the side of his home.

“Some people collect antique cars,” said

Amy Landsman, membership and rentals director. “When it came to size, this was collecting on a much larger scale!”

For kids and adults alike

Today, the museum’s exhibits include not only the vehicles, but firefighting tools, antique toys, photographs and memorabilia from the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, a working telegraph office, and a children’s “Discovery Room” where children can dress up as mini-firefighters themselves.

“There is something here to catch everyone’s attention,” said Landsman. “It’s so much more than just a history of firefighting. It’s a history of America, of changing technology, developing communities, even decorative arts.”

The firefighting vehicles tell the story of firefighting in America from 1806 to the present. Many of the restored apparatus are working road vehicles. Among the highlights of the collection are an 1856 Agnew hand engine, 1899 American steamer, 1905 Hale water tower, 1918 Mack “Bulldog” ladder truck, 1922 Ahrens-Fox pumping engine, and a 1947 Mack Floodlight Wagon.

The museum’s newest exhibit features a large collection of fire-themed prints, as well as early 20th-century toys donated by the McLaughlin Company, an insurance agency in Rockville, Md. The museum has a large archive and library with over 13,000 documents, catalogs, photographs, negatives and books.

The museum’s research director Melissa Heaver can provide custom research and historical documentation of local firefighters.

Landsman observed that many visitors to the museum have their own memorabil-

Visitors to the Fire Museum of Maryland in Lutherville get a ride in an antique Stutz fire engine, which were first manufactured in 1919. This one was used in Havre de Grace to help combat fire.

ia at home — whether from family members who were firefighters or from their own collections — and said that the museum is happy to receive donations.

urdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In June, July and August, it is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tours for children, adults, seniors and special needs adults can be arranged by

Visiting the museum The museum is open year-round on Sat-

See FIRE MUSEUM, page 28

28

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

Ageless Grace

BEACON BITS

Apr. 20+

A FANTASTICK MUSICAL

From page 26

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents the musical The Fantasticks from April 21 to May 21. It’s a classic love story about a boy and girl next door, helped along by meddling dads. The special price for the preview at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 is $15. Admission is $40 to $60 for other performances. The theater is located at 7 S. Calvert St., Baltimore.

For tickets and more information, see www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or call (410) 244-8570.

Ongoing

SBO MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL

Senior Box Office (SBO) offers complimentary and discounted tickets to members for cultural, educational and entertainment events, as well as travel opportunities for members and nonmembers. Take advantage of the early bird special by joining before May 31 to receive 15 months of membership for the price of 12. The cost is $30 per household with electronic delivery of brochures; $38 to get printed information by mail. For more information, visit www.seniorboxoffice.org or call (410) 887-5399.

Dance as communication Dance teacher Diedre Dawkins, 43, sees dance as a way to educate and enlighten her students and her audiences. Dawkins — a modern and West African dancer — says that dance has always been her form of communication, since she was a quiet child. “It’s a way for me to tell stories.”

“Ageless Grace” gives performers the opportunity to step forward and say, “‘This

Fire Museum From page 27

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University of Maryland Sunday, April 30th Check-in: 9 a.m.

Baltimore County Walk Starts at 10 a.m.

Kidneywalk.org 410.494.8545

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elebrity Ambassador International Recording Artist Philadelphia Freeway Special performance & world premiere of his documentary Free Will

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appointment. Adult tours include Early Firefighting Technology; Life in an 1871 Fire House; The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904; “Isn’t That Lady Liberty?” (which focuses on the tradition of decorating apparatus); and Fire Alarm Telegraph Office.

For adults who cannot come to the museum, outreach programs are available (including fire engine rides).

Admission fees are: $14 ($12 for those 62 and over and firefighters); $6 for children 2-12. Children under 2 are admitted free.

Memberships are also available. Especially popular, according to Landsman, is the annual family membership for $75 (fam-

is who I am,’” said Johnson. “We’re all still in love with dance.”

The show will be presented twice on May 7, at 4 and 7 p.m., at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3135 Eastern Ave. 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) 3708994.

ily includes two adults or grandparents and children/grandchildren under 18).

Upcoming special events at the museum include: May 6: 40th Annual Steam Show, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 19: Members Only Night, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

July 8: Antique Car Show, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

September 9: Honoring Our Heroes, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

October 28: Lantern Night, from 6 to 8 p.m.

November 25: Opening of the Holiday Train Garden For more information on the Fire Museum of Maryland, call (410) 321-7500 or visit www.firemuseummd.org.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

From page 1 who also played female parts in the annual productions. Women were not allowed in the shows until 1938.

Prior to that time, women worked behind the scenes handling costumes, decorations, etc. Membership was opened to women in 1994, and today women make up more than half the membership, which is open to anyone 18 or older. Annual dues are $50.

The first Paint and Powder charity production was held in February 1894 at the Ford’s Theater on Fayette Street. It was written by Baldwin Sloan, who later became a leading composer of Broadway musicals. The show raised $5,800, which was donated to the Children’s Country Home.

Since that time, most of the charities supported by the club have to do with children or the arts. The club estimates that, since its inception, well over $1 million has been donated to various organizations in the state. Beneficiaries of this year’s musicale will be the Maryland Conservatory of Music and the Maryland State Boychoir.

Scholarships for young members In 2014, the Club established dance and voice scholarships for young members of the cast. Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year on the last night of the show to the best new members of the show’s cast.

The purpose of the award is to encourage young people to participate in the shows, to bring in a new audience in the form of friends and relatives of the candidates, and ultimately to become members of the club.

“We’re looking for members, especially younger ones,” said Jerry Chiat, who will serve as president next year. “We want to get the word out.”

Chiat, 70, and his wife, Eileen, 69, have been members of the Club for 10 years.

Eileen serves on the board and also is stage manager for the upcoming show.

“We all get along well, and we do good work,” she said.

“We come from all areas of town and all different backgrounds, but the club is a chord that holds us together,” agreed King-Rose. “We develop friendships and we support each other. It’s really some-

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Tickets for Bonbon’s Naughty, Bawdy, Gaudy Musicale are $80. The cost includes a buffet and open bar beginning at 6 p.m., with the show at 8 p.m. Performances are June 2 and 3 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 3800 N. Charles St. For tickets, call (410) 527-0128 or email C. Manning at manning726@verizon.net. For more information, see https://paintandpowderclub.org.

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Jerry Chiat, Rod Clark and Eileen Chiat help lead the Paint and Powder Club.

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

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Crossword Puzzle

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

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By Stephen Sherr 7

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BB517

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Scrabble answers on p. 28.

9

1. Mouthwash brand name 6. Let the cat out of the bag 10. Northern Brit.

14. Credit or debit card of yore 15. Clean a bicycle chain 16. Created baskets 17. Use the back end of a pencil 18. Skating maneuver 19. Aaron, Arthur, and Andrew 20. Critical turning point 23. Breastbones 24. Birthplace of 7 presidents 25. Pie ___ mode 27. Her denial of breaking up the Beatles sounds fishy 28. They regulate K-9 medicine, too 31. Unlikely aspirations 37. Choir voice 38. Keystone ___ 39. Man-eating monster 40. Revolvers’ storage solvers 45. Airline’s best guess, briefly 46. Stinger 47. Spare the ___; spoil the child 48. Farfetched, as a story 50. Cleared for entry 55. Early Greek view of the world 60. Original inductee into the National Toy Hall of Fame 61. A poor homophone 62. Shockingly odd 63. Like a book’s left side page numbers 64. Whiskey ___ 65. People’s Choice Award nominee 66. Coin made from copper and nickel 67. Barely accomplished 68. Approaches the destination

Down 1. Thick soups

2. Engagement ring measure 3. Thank the Academy, and the cast, and the family, and...

4. One waiting to say “cheese” 5. Endless 6. Lackluster 7. Fancy schmancy 8. How Goldilocks was found 9. New York racetrack 10. Carnac the Magnificent, for example 11. Reach adulthood 12. Planned destination for Gretel 13. Enclosure for an outdoor gala 21. Post-Thanksgiving event 22. “Oops!”

26. Docent’s sign 27. Of equal quality 29. Unflattering gossip 30. Greek god of war 31. Provider of coffee and wi-fi 32. Touched the Earth 33. Clever ploy 34. First body part into a room, generally 35. Even-year sports staging org.

36. Many millennia 41. Ready, willing, and ___ 42. Fall back into bad habits 43. First name and M.I. for “Bob the Builder” 44. Boise boy 49. Make reparations 51. Low card 52. “She’s ___ Have It” (A Spike Lee Joint) 53. Trial partner 54. Clothing colorers 55. Escaped the zombies 56. Namesake of the 49’ers stadium 57. He may sidle, advance, or retreat 58. Causing no increase in nose size 59. Bunch of bison

Answers on page 28.

B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 7

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.

For Rent/Real Estate ROOMS MONTPELIER/LAUREL: Female, non-smoker, no pets, upstairs, drug free and quiet. Kitchen (own refrigerator), laundry, patio. 1-301-676-3996.

For Sale 15 LADIES JACKETS, some designers, sizes 10-14. All $100. 410-828-7552.

NATIONAL SILVER COMPANY, Narcissus silver plated flatware in chest. 35 pieces. $400.

410-828-7552.

3 BURIAL PLOTS. GARDENS OF FAITH Overlea and Rosedale section. $3,000. 443-4253952. Resurrection section.

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.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Home/Handyman Services BORN AGAIN REFINISHING c/o Vernon E. Madairy Sr. Because your antique and fine furniture is an investment. Photographs at www.bornagainrefinishing.com. Furniture refinishing & repairs. All pieces hand stripped.

Restorations. Missing pieces hand-carved. Veneer repair and replaced. Upholstery. Kitchen cabinets refinished. Hand-woven natural cane.

Cane webbing. Natural rush. Fiber rush. Wood splint. Residential and commercial. Since 1973 (43 years). 410-323-0467.

BUDGET PLUMBING/HEATING. 35 years experience, residential specialist. Repair, repipe, remodel. Call 667-229-6862. 24/7. Maryland State License #30136. Plumber/gasfitter.

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.

Personals RETIRED NURSE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE COFFEE with potential fishing buddy/travel companion. PO Box 22138, Baltimore, MD 21203.

PRETTY WF, 50s YOUTHFUL, voluptuous lady, nonsmoker, down to earth seeking to meet and date a SWM, 45-60s, sincere, compassionate, attractive gentleman with husky, stocky build, 200+ lbs., nonsmoker for old-fashioned fun, friendship, possibly more, who enjoys the great outdoors, dining out, movies and dancing.

301-880-6977. Please leave a voice message with your phone number.

Wanted COIN CONSULTANT. Have a coin collection?

See me before you go to a dealer or buyer. US and foreign coins and currency, related numismatics, general collectibles. Appraisals, sales, auctions, advice and expertise. Drage Vukcevich, 410-744-8139, dragevukcevich@yahoo.com.

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

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

Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully.

Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question.

Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards.

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

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

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

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

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

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Wanted

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.

FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree] knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to firearms, from silver and gold to classic cars. If it is wonderful, I am interested. No phony promises or messy consignments. References gladly furnished. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301-279-8834. Thank you.

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.

BUYING ANTIQUES, ESTATES. 20-year Beacon advertiser. Cash paid for jewelry, gold, silver, old coins, pens, art, old toys, dolls, trains, watches, old comics, sports memorabilia, military guns, knives, swords, all collections. Tom, 240-476-3441.

GOALKEEPER FOR MEN’S SUNDAY soccer league in Columbia, MD. Must be 18+ years with transportation to get to the games. Call 443-629-6307.

CASH FOR ESTATE BUYOUTS, estate clean-outs, jewelry to furniture, one item or whole estate. Free Estimate, Will Travel. 301520-0755.

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.

COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, weapons, knives, swords, bayonets, web gear, uniforms, etc. from all wars and countries. Also Lionel Toy Trains, and coin operated machines. Will pay top prices for my personal collection. Discreet consultations. Call Fred, 301-910-0783.

Thanks for reading the Beacon!

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

PENFED Credit Union . . . . . . .19

Legal Services

Brain Imaging Study . . . . . . . . .13 Falls Prevention Study . . . . . . . .13 Former Smoker Study . . . . . . . .13 Gestalt Healthy Volunteer Study .12 Resveratrol Study . . . . . . . . . . .14 Urinary Leakage Study . . . . . . .13

Hearing Services

CommuniCare Health . . . . . . . .11 Keswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Manor Care Health Services . . .16

Options for Senior America . . . .16

Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Law Office of Karen Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Southard & Greenbaum, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Dental Services

Housing

Medical/Health

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

Denture Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Maryland Center for Periodontal and Dental Implants . . . . . . . . .6 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Atrium Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Bayleigh Chase/Integrace . . . . .24 Brightwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Buckingham’s Choice/ Integrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . . .15 Christ Church Harbor Apts. . . . . .7 Fairhaven/Integrace . . . . . . . . . .24 Linden Park Apts. . . . . . . . . . . .18 Paradise Senior Living . . . . . . .29 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . . .17 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . .25 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Woodholme Gardens . . . . . . . . .29

Adult Day Health . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Advanced Center for Plastic Surgery . . . . . . . . . .7 Baltimore County Department Of Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . .14 Hamilton Foot Care . . . . . . . . . . .7 Medical ED Therapeutics . . .6, 10 MedStar Health Cancer Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 15 Skin Cancer EB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Events Dance Baltimore . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Kidney Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Myerberg Center . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Rockin Rob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Financial Services Bennett Senior Services . . . . . .17 First Maryland Disability Trust .18 Jeffrey Cooper Mortgages . . . . .19 JS Richardson Insurance . . . . . .21

Hearing & Speech Agency . . . . .8 Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Home Health Care

31

Shopping Quingo Flyte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . .26

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Subscriptions Technology TechMedic4U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Theatres/ Entertainment Chesapeake Shakespeare . . . . . .27 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . .26

Travel Eyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Fire Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Festive Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Nexus Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Utilities BGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

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M AY 2 0 1 7 — B A L T I M O R E B E A C O N

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Finally... A scooter that loads itself in and out of your car.

Introducing the Quingo® Flyte - the powerful, portable mobility scooter that you never have to lift. Now featuring patented 5-Wheel Anti-Tip Technology.

It’s a sad fact. Many people who have mobility issues and could benefit from a scooter aren’t able to use them away from home. Struggling to get it into a car or loading it onto a bumper-mounted lift just isn’t worth the effort. Now, there’s a better scooter, the Quingo® Flyte. It’s easy to use, even for one person, and requires no more effort than closing a car’s tailgate. Clever design enables it to fit into SUV’s, mini-vans, crossovers and hatchbacks.

Only one scooter is this powerful and portable • Patented 5-Wheel Stability

TM

by Quingo takes

you almost anywhere.

• No dismantling or lifting of heavy scooter parts.

• Fits most SUV’s, mini-vans, crossovers and hatchbacks.

• Large motor + up to 350 pound capacity.

• Extra long range with BIG scooter performance.

• Won’t bounce around in your car– locks in place.

“For the first time in years I’ve been able to go with my granddaughters to the mall. A crowd gathers every time I unload my scooter from my car!”

– Judi K, Exeter, CA This scooter provides 5-Wheel Anti-Tip Technology for stability, agility and comfort with its unique wheel configuration. The patented 5-wheel BumpmasterTM design by Quingo enables it to ride safely over a wide variety of surfaces. It uses 4 ultra slim powerful batteries providing a range of up to 23 miles on a single charge.

The best selling auto-loading scooter in Europe is now available in the US! Don’t wait to take advantage of this exciting new technology, call today to find out more.

featuring 5-Wheel Anti-Tip Technology

Call now toll free for our lowest price.

1-888-896-1998 See it in action at www.QuingoUSA.com Please mention code 105893 when ordering. © 2017 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

83703

Quingo® Flyte can load and unload itself in less than 60 seconds using an innovative ramp and a simple remote. The built-in guide rails can be installed in minutes and safely direct your scooter to ground level.

Winner of the 2015 International Innovation Award