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VOL.30, NO.5

D.C. insider turned film writer

A movie about revenge That something was to try her hand at

MAY 2018

I N S I D E …

PHOTO COURTESY OF K.C. BAILEY

By Barbara Ruben As Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, K.C. Bailey never imagined she’d one day be writing and producing a feature film. She spent her days working on nuclear weapons nonproliferation policy during the waning days of the Cold War, wrote books on arms control, disarmament and UN weapons inspections, and regularly testified before Congress. “Every week, I’d brief Senate and House intelligence committees. It was very energizing, because you have to stay on top of arms control and foreign intelligence so you can answer all the very intense questions,” she recalled. But after years of late-night policy making and walking congressional halls, Bailey did a 180. “To say I was burned out was an understatement,” she recalled. She and her husband retired in 1999. At that point, “I felt like I had just been set free from a very nice prison...I wanted to get close to the earth and do something completely, radically different,” she said. So Bailey and her husband left Washington and moved to Hawaii, where they bought a citrus farm and raised chickens — “a subject about which we knew nothing,” she said. “Our little farm was successful, with a high local demand for our limes and chicken eggs. And our golf games even improved.” At the same time, she wanted to spend as much time as she could being an artist and writer. “I had been painting oil-on-canvas as a hobby since the age of 13 and doing photography since college; now I wanted to be a professional. I’d written quite a bit of nonfiction; now I wanted to turn to fiction.” Both goals were achieved. “During the 13 years we spent in Hawaii, I lived a charmed life, fulfilling dreams,” she said. Bailey was able to pursue her passions, producing art exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S., and writing two novels and a screenplay. But in 2012, her husband unexpectedly died. “I went into a very deep, dark hole. And eventually I decided to do something about it,” she said.

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Explore Sicily's wide range of pleasures; plus, the latest trends in cruising, and the many options for voluntourism page 45

ARTS & STYLE K.C. Bailey’s career has taken her from international arms control, at the State Dept. in Washington, D.C., to citrus farming in Hawaii. But through it all, she has continued to paint, photograph and write, exhibiting her work in galleries and publishing important books. Her latest venture is a new feature film called Revenge in Kind, which she wrote and produced.

producing a full-length feature film — again, something she had absolutely no experience with. Bailey had drafted the screenplay in 2004, putting it on the back burner because she had no idea how to proceed. But the story was important to her. Revenge in Kind is a detective thriller about a murder. But it’s more than that. “Movies seem to always show a woman being assaulted and totally victimized. I’m affronted by these movies. They never show a woman fighting back. They never show it from a woman’s perspective,” she said. In Revenge in Kind, stumped by brutal sex-mutilation crimes, Detective Chris Coxon turns to police psychologist Sarah Scott for help. As their relationship evolves, he must deal with Scott’s complicated personal history, Bailey said the movie should cause audi-

ences to “question where to draw the line between self-administered justice and traditional law enforcement. Additionally, I think it is appealing because the protagonist is a strong woman, something we need more of in film today.” Bailey said her sister was assaulted by a man, and that Bailey once fought off an attacker herself, which helped her understand that fighting back matters. That the movie’s release earlier this year dovetailed with the birth of the #MeToo movement is a coincidence, Bailey said. “Until #MeToo started, women weren’t going to wake up to the need to step up to the plate and call out people. And those people wouldn’t be punished or called out. “I think the film is consonant with the See BAILEY, page 58

Dancer helps patients heal through movement; plus, energetic cast enlivens Disney’s Newsies, and local authors’ books enlighten and educate page 51 TECHNOLOGY k How websites track us

FITNESS & HEALTH k Glowing dyes that ID cancer k Improve memory and focus

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

LAW & MONEY k Bitcoin. Should you bite? k Best guide to Social Security

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

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From the Publisher As regular readers know, I seldom cede my space in this column to another writer. But I thought this month’s piece from Bob Levey, a regular columnist of ours, was worth some special prominence. I hope you agree. But before we get to that, I want to take a moment to share two things with you. First, an update on the Beacon’s Celebration of the Arts — our online art competition for amateurs over 50. For months now, we’ve been featuring on our cover and in our Arts & Style section local individuals who have taken up an art or craft in retirement and developed a

real passion for it. We’ve written about local painters, jewelry makers, silk artists, photographers, poets and more. We’ve also been publishing lists of area classes to entice you into giving one of these arts a try, or to return to an art you once loved. We opened our online competition in April, and I’m pleased to report that the response has been strong. Beautiful entries continue to come in daily to all four categories of the competition: painting/drawing, 3-dimensional art (including sculpture, pottery, jewelry making, mixed media, etc.), photography and poetry.

A call to action by all drivers By Bob Levey My friend Ted is a solid citizen and a dutiful sort. He pays his taxes on time. He does the family grocery shopping cheerfully. When his 90-something parents need something, Ted arranges it, even though he and they live 1,500 miles apart.

But sometimes your true nature pops out at moments when you don’t have time to think about it. So it went for Ted one recent evening on the Capital Beltway. He was driving home, and the hour was late — about 1:30 a.m., as Ted remembers it. He rounded the big curve that leads from

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore, Howard County, Md. and Greater Palm Springs, Calif. Readership exceeds 400,000. Subscriptions are available via first-class mail ($36) or third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. D.C. and Maryland residents: add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. • Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal • Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President of Operations ....Gordon Hasenei • Vice President, Sales & Marketing ....Alan Spiegel • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Director of Operations ........................Roger King • Advertising Representatives ........Doug Hallock, .................................. Dan Kelly, Barbara Koscielski, ........................................................Hubie Stockhausen • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 63 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

The competition remains open through June 29, so there’s plenty of time for you to complete your projects and submit them online. You may win $100 or other prizes. Photos of winners and their artworks will be featured in a special section of the Beacon this fall, and all will be honored at our 50+Expos as well. Go to mdfedart.com/BeaconCelebration for complete rules and to enter. If you have questions or problems with entering, call us at (301) 949-9766. The second item I want to share is specifically for our readers in Montgomery County, Md. We will be inserting a special Voter’s Guide in our June issue. A group of nonprofit advocates has asked all candidates for Montgomery County Ex-

ecutive and County Council four questions of particular interest to older voters. We are collecting their responses and preparing a Voter’s Guide to help you cast your ballot in the Primary Election on June 26, 2018. There is an unusually large number of candidates in this year’s races, so we think you will find the Guide helpful in making your decision. So be sure to pick up our June issue. And now, we present Bob Levey below. Please feel free to write to us with your thoughts on his provocative column.

the Beltway onto northbound Interstate 95. All of a sudden, he noticed a car halfway into a ditch to his right. The car was resting on its side. There had obviously just been an accident. Ted immediately braked and pulled over. He ran back to see if the driver was all right. He wasn’t. Obviously woozy, perhaps a victim of whiplash, well over the age of 80 by Ted’s best guess, the driver couldn’t answer Ted’s questions and couldn’t track much of anything. “Obviously, this was a critical situation,” Ted said. Ted called 911 from his cell phone. The operator dispatched the police and an ambulance right away. Meanwhile, the driver had gotten out of the car (it was halfway down an embankment) and was clucking over the damage

and his misfortune. Ted stayed with the driver until the sirens and red lights were on the scene, even though it was rainy and blustery, and even though he was due at work in six hours. The good news is that the driver survived, and his car probably has, too. He evidently fell asleep at the wheel and drifted wide on the ramp. It can happen to any of us. But the bad news — confirmed by both the police and the ambulance crew — is that Good Samaritan Ted was a rare bird. Almost no one stops to help in situations like the one that Ted came upon, the officials told him. That goes double if the driver is obviously old. You mean that a Grandpa-type standing woozily beside a road is more threatening See FROM THE PUBLISHER, page 61

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 am 80 and just received your March issue in the mail. I do NOT take any pharma at all, and I know I am very lucky. Please keep up the medical education and information, and the outrage as it applies — and how to fix it! After the outrage, then what? Nicholas Lahey Dekalb, Ill. Dear Editor: Your March cover story, “Raising awareness of dementia” by Barbara Ruben, was very informative. Recently having lost a sister to dementia, the comprehensive report with dementia profiles and the Montgomery County Police establishment of the dementia friendly initiative will be a commendable community service. The recognition that populations of adults suffer from disabling conditions will increase awareness not only from Dementia Friendly America but also of handicapped people who are determined to be

active in a meaningful life and do not need to live in a nursing home. Jack Martinelli Via email Dear Editor: In the New York Times, I read an article stating Medicare’s plans to stop reimbursing for opioid prescriptions starting next January: “Medicare Is Cracking Down on Opioids. Doctors Fear Pain Patients Will Suffer.” Although I am not a big fan of these medications, I realize that a certain percentage of senior citizens cannot function without them. I know an 83-year-old whose back is totally beyond surgical repair and cannot take blood-thinning painkillers because she is on a blood thinning med, nor can she use a TENS stimulator because of a pacemaker. She visits a pain center every month, is prescribed painkillers, and must account for every pill. With this opioid painkiller, she can walk her dog, go to church, take See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 61

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

The most meaningful words to describe Holy Cross Germantown Hospital are:

Your Very Own.

M a r i n a i s on Her Path to Better Health T h a n k s t o Robotic Colorectal Surgery Last summer was a difficult one for Marina. In early June, having gone to bed early feeling under the weather, she woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating abdominal pain on her left side. “I knew it wasn’t something I ate or a stomach bug,” she says. “I could feel that it was something deeply, structurally wrong.” Two years earlier, Marina learned during a routine colonoscopy that she had a condition known as diverticulosis, where small, bulging pouches form in the wall of the large intestine. The condition is common in people over age 40, often with no symptoms. Diverticulosis may develop when an individual’s diet is not rich enough in fiber. If these pouches become infected, a painful condition called diverticulitis ensues. “This usually presents with sudden and severe lower abdominal pain,” explains Halim Charbel, MD, Gastroenterology, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital. “If diverticulitis is caught early, it can be treated with a short course of antibiotics. If it’s more severe or not recognized early, it requires a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics. The most severe cases, such as those with a hole in the wall of the colon, require surgery.” “I Knew I was in Good Hands” Marina sought treatment for her abdominal pain right away at Holy Cross Hospital’s Emergency

The Latest in Robotic Technology Dr. Makhoul removed the portion of Marina’s colon that was damaged and scarred using the da Vinci® Xi Surgical System at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, the latest in robotic surgery technology. Holy Cross Germantown Hospital was the first community hospital in Montgomery County to have the da Vinci Xi, which is particularly well suited to colorectal surgery.

“Holy Cross Germantown Hospital’s state-ofthe-art medicine is amazing,” says Marina. “I had a phenomenal experience and am so appreciative of the excellent care I received.” Center. “During this visit, tests confirmed a severe case of diverticulitis with a perforation, or hole, in the intestine,” says Michael Schindler, MD, Gastroenterology, Holy Cross Hospital. Marina was first treated with antibiotics, but her symptoms persisted and an abscess developed in her colon, so she was referred to Rami Makhoul, MD, Colorectal Surgery, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital. Dr. Makhoul, a minimally invasive specialist and robotic surgeon, recommended surgery. “I knew I was in good hands,” says Marina. “Dr. Makhoul was easy to communicate with and very thorough, very meticulous.”

“The robot was key to this procedure,” explains Dr. Makhoul. “I was able to perform the entire procedure using the robot. If I had operated using other minimally invasive approaches, I might have had to convert to an open incision, which would have caused more scarring and increased recovery time for Marina.” Marina spent just three days in the hospital after her surgery, and after six weeks she was getting back to her normal routine. She began to add in gentle forms of exercise, returned to work, and started working with a nutritionist. Full recovery normally takes three to six months, and Marina is right on track to return to the activities she enjoys—like walking through a lovely park near her home.

To learn more about Holy Cross Germantown Hospital’s surgical services or to find a physician, visit HolyCrossHealth.org/HCGHsurgery.

UPCOMING ‘ASK THE DOCTORS’ EVENTS AT HOLY CROSS GERMANTOWN HOSPITAL These events are FREE and held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 19801 Observation Dr., Germantown, MD 20876. To register, call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org/AskTheDoctors. May 22

June 28

July 19

IMPROVING YOUR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

NAVIGATING GYNECOLOGIC HEALTH ISSUES

BREAST HEALTH, DISEASE AND RECONSTRUCTION

Address issues that impact quality of life, such as fibroids, abnormal bleeding and other gynecologic or pelvic health concerns. Panelists include James Barter, MD, Gynecologic Oncology, and Lauren Tigani, DPT, Physical Therapy.

Learn about mammography recommendations, the latest breast cancer treatments and reconstructive surgery. Panelists include Christopher Boyd, MD, General Surgery; Stephane Corriveau, MD, Plastic Surgery; Anu Gupta, MD, Radiation Oncology; and James Xu, MD, Hematology.

Experts discuss advances in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract such as heartburn, indigestion, bloating and more. Panelists include Halim Charbel, MD, Gastroenterology; Rami Makhoul, MD, Colorectal Surgery; and Bryan Steinberg, MD, Thoracic Surgery.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Technology &

Innovations By Anick Jesdanun Though Facebook gets the attention because of a recent privacy gaffe, the social network is far from alone in collecting massive amounts of data on you to help marketers sell you stuff. Google, for one, also does extensive tracking to power its advertising engines. And many other websites and apps run ads sold by Facebook and Google and exchange data with them. Beyond that, plenty of services, including Uber and Amazon, keep detailed histories on you.

that, or use the phone’s settings to tell advertisers not to target ads to you. Many browsers also let you install addons that block ad trackers. Notable addons include Ghostery or the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Privacy Badger. The trade-offs: You’ll still get ads, just not targeted ones. And clearing cookies makes your browser forget who you are, so you’ll have to sign back into any site that was saving your login. Tracker blockers can sometimes prevent websites from displaying or working properly.

Tracking IDs

Location services

Websites have long used unique IDs in “cookies” — data files stored in your computer browser — to know it’s you when you next return to the site. Cookies also let advertising networks run by the likes of Facebook and Google follow you as you visit multiple websites. Phones and tablets have a device ID that apps can use to track you as well. Combatting this: You can reset the cookie ID by clearing cookies periodically. Most browsers also have a private mode to limit tracking through cookies, though it’s not foolproof. Companies can still link you if you’ve signed in to the website, for instance. As for the device ID, you can reset

Many apps need to know your location in order to function properly. Mapping apps, for instance, can’t tell you when to turn without knowing where you are. Video services typically have rights only in certain countries, so they need to verify your location. But location can be used for much more. Google, for instance, keeps a fairly detailed account of your whereabouts through a feature called Timeline. Combatting this: You can turn off location services in your phone’s settings menu, though for apps to work property, it’s better to turn them off only for specific services that don’t really need them. As for

Timeline, you can pause or delete location history in Google settings. The trade-offs: Some apps won’t work without your location. Others, such as weather apps, will require you to enter your location manually. And you might miss out on recommendations such as better commuting routes via apps like Waze.

Signing in Signing into an online account gives services a sure-fire way of tracking you. Facebook won’t work at all without an account; Google merely works better with one. And you’ll generally need an account with any service that charges you, although sometimes you can sign in with your Facebook or Google ID instead. Combatting this: Resist creating an account or signing in whenever you can — such as when you’re merely browsing rather than buying. Avoid using Facebook or Google IDs whenever possible, as those companies could then track you. You can also use a different email address for each account to frustrate efforts to connect you across services, although that can be a major pain. The trade-offs: Some services require signing in, and creating accounts on each

service means more passwords to remember (though you might consider using a password manager). Whatever you do, don’t reuse the same passwords across services; that makes them easy to hack.

IP address The Internet Protocol (IP) address lists where your phone or computer lives on the Internet; it’s how you get messages and load websites. But IP addresses can also help companies remember who you are and link the various devices you use, since most homes use a single IP address for the whole network. Databases can also map IP addresses to physical locations. Combatting this: You can mask your IP address by using a secure intermediary. VPN services, common in corporate settings, will route your traffic through a separate IP address; a secure web browser called Tor automatically sends traffic through multiple third parties. You still need to avoid signing in. The trade-offs: Tor can slow down performance, particularly with high-data tasks such as video. And with VPNs, you need to trust the VPN operator, whether that’s your boss or a private service. — AP

Not-so-artificial intelligence needs people By Ryan Nakashima There’s a dirty little secret about artificial intelligence (AI): It’s powered by hundreds of thousands of real people. From makeup artists in Venezuela to women in conservative parts of India, people around the world are doing the digital equivalent of needlework — drawing boxes around cars in street photos, tagging images, and transcribing snatches of speech that computers can’t quite make out. Such data feeds directly into “machine learning” algorithms that help self-driving cars wind through traffic and let Alexa figure out that you want the lights on. Many such technologies wouldn’t work without massive quantities of this human-labeled data. These repetitive tasks pay pennies apiece. But in bulk, this work can offer a

decent wage in many parts of the world — even in the U.S. And it underpins a technology that could change humanity forever: AI that will drive us around, execute verbal commands without flaw, and — possibly — one day think on its own. For more than a decade, Google has used people to rate the accuracy of its search results. More recently, investors have poured tens of millions of dollars into startups like Mighty AI and CrowdFlower, which are developing software that makes it easier to label photos and other data, even on smartphones. Venture capitalist S. “Soma” Somasegar said he sees “billions of dollars of opportunity” in servicing the needs of machine learning algorithms. His firm, Madrona Venture Group, invested in Mighty AI. Hu-

mans will be in the loop “for a long, long, long time to come,” he said. Accurate labeling could make the difference between a self-driving car distinguishing the sky from the reflective side of a truck — a distinction Tesla’s Model S failed in the first known fatality involving self-driving systems in 2016. “We’re not building a system to play a game. We’re building a system to save lives,” said Mighty AI CEO Daryn Nakhuda.

Meet the annotators Marjorie Aguilar, a 31-year-old freelance makeup artist in Maracaibo, Venezuela, spends four to six hours a day drawing boxes around traffic objects to help train self-driving systems for Mighty AI. She earns about 50 cents an hour, but in

a crisis-wracked country with runaway inflation, just a few hours’ work can pay a month’s rent in bolivars. “It doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but for me it’s pretty decent,” she said. “You can imagine how important it is for me getting paid in U.S. dollars.” Aria Khrisna, a 36-year-old father of three in Tegal, Indonesia, said that adding word tags to clothing pictures on websites such as eBay and Amazon pays him about $100 a month, roughly half his income. And for 25-year-old Shamima Khatoon, her job annotating cars, lane markers and traffic lights at an all-female outpost of datalabeling company iMerit in Metiabruz, India, represents the only chance she has to See AI, page 6

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In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the Library of Congress has made available online for the first time musical manuscripts and scrapbooks from the legendary composer’s personal and professional archives housed in the library. The public can now access for free more than 3,700 items — including photos, writings, correspondence, scripts, musical sketches, scrapbooks and audio recordings. New online content includes materials on Bernstein’s involvement in the civil rights movement, as well as West Side Story outlines, synopses and notes, including an early synopsis titled Romeo and Juliet in which the gangs pit Jews against Catholics rather than Anglos versus Hispanics. In addition to the expanded website, the library will celebrate the Bernstein centennial with a spring festival of activities from May 12 to 19. www.loc.gov/collections/leonardbernstein

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A significant number of folks over 50 have decided to join the “gig economy,” driving for Uber or Lyft, or running errands and the like. That means they’re also more likely to have the tax hassles that go along with earning freelance income — such as the complicated calculations to figure out how much you owe Uncle Sam, and the annoyance of paying quarterly estimated taxes. Now there’s an app to automate the tax process. Track.Tax is a soup-to-nuts offering. You link your bank account to the service during the app setup, and Track.Tax scans for deposits that appear to be nonsalaried employment income. It then estimates how much you’ll owe in taxes and automatically transfers the required amount to a dedicated savings account at its banking partner, Evolve Bank. Track.Tax will also submit your estimated quarterly payments for you, once you’ve approved the amounts. Cost: $10 a month after a free 30-day trial. AARP members can get tax calculations and withholding for free at www.track.tax/?partner=freelancehub&utm_medium=AARP, but will need to pay $30 per quarter if they also want their taxes submitted to the IRS

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Simplify your freelance life

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Technology & Innovations | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

AI From page 4 work outside the home in her conservative Muslim community. “It’s a good platform to increase your skills and support your family,” she said.

An essential service for now The benefits of greater accuracy can be immediate. At InterContinental Hotels Group, every call that its digital assistant Amelia can take from a human saves $5 to $10, said information technology director Scot Whigham.

Links & Apps From page 5 and their state tax authority. www.track.tax

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

When Amelia fails, the program listens while a call is rerouted to one of about 60 service desk workers. It learns from their response and tries the technique out on the next call, freeing up human employees to do other things. When a computer can’t make out a customer call to the Hyatt Hotels chain, an audio snippet is sent to AI-powered call center Interactions in an old brick building in Franklin, Mass. There, while the customer waits on the phone, one of a roomful of headphone-wearing “intent analysts” transcribes everything from misheard numbers to profanity and quickly directs

the computer how to respond. That information feeds back into the system. “Next time through, we’ve got a better chance of being successful,” said Robert Nagle, Interactions’ chief technology officer. Researchers have tried to find workarounds to human-labeled data, often without success. In a project that used Google Street View images of parked cars to estimate the demographic makeup of neighborhoods, then-Stanford researcher Timnit Gebru tried to train her AI by scraping Craigslist photos of cars for sale that were labeled by

their owners. But the product shots didn’t look anything like the car images in Street View, and the program couldn’t recognize them. In the end, she said, she spent $35,000 to hire auto dealer experts to label her data. Trevor Darrell, a machine learning expert at the University of California Berkeley, said he expects it will be five to 10 years before computer algorithms can learn to perform without the need for human labeling. His group alone spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year paying people to annotate images. — AP

Mona Lisa in Camelot

center stage in the latest episode of “The 1600 Sessions” podcast from the White House Historical Association. Margaret Leslie Davis, author of Mona Lisa in Camelot: How Jacqueline Kennedy & DaVinci’s Masterpiece Charmed and Captivated a Nation, sits down with association president Stewart McLaurin to tell the story of Kennedy’s ambitious plan in 1963 to burnish America’s international reputation and reinvigorate the country’s appreciation of the arts by bringing the Mona Lisa to the United States on an 88-day tour. Davis describes the state dinner at which Kennedy convinced French Cultural Minister Andre Malraux to loan the painting, and its heavily guarded journey to the U.S. www.whitehousehistory.org/1600sessions/mona-lisa-in-camelot

Economic CheckUp

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Technology & Innovations

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Even silent smartphones drain our brains By Dr. Robert H. Shmerling Imagine you were asked to complete a series of math problems, ones just hard enough to require your attention and focus, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Now, imagine you were intermittently interrupted from these math problems and asked to remember a random list of letters. This might be even tougher. It’s reasonable to assume your performance on these tasks might be impaired by distractions such as loud noise or nearby conversation. But what about the smartphone in your pocket or purse? According to an interesting study, the mere presence of your smartphone, even if it isn’t ringing and even if you aren’t looking at it, can hurt your performance on certain cognitive tasks.

What’s the evidence? Research published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research last year describes a series of experiments in which 520 college students performed tasks requiring focus, attention, and novel problem-solving skills.

Some were asked to leave their smartphones in another room. Others were allowed to keep them where they usually do (such as in their pocket or purse). A third group was asked to set their phones on the desk next to them. Remarkably, performance on the tasks of attention and problem-solving varied depending on the location of the smartphone: • Scores were highest when the smartphone was in the next room. • Scores were lowest when the phone was on the desk. • The effect of the smartphone was not altered by having the phone powered off (vs. set to silent mode) or placed face down (vs. face up). • The impact of the smartphone’s location was most dramatic among those who reported being most reliant on their phones. These findings suggest that having a smartphone nearby can be distracting even when it’s not in use. It may be that the power, convenience, and connectivity provided by smartphones come at a “cognitive cost.” The authors of this study call it “brain

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drain.” And it may be more common — and more profound — than we realize.

Take a break While this study suggests an unexpected downside to smartphones, it also suggests a potential solution. We might use our intellectual firepower more effectively if we spent some time with our phones well away from us. If it’s always on your person or quickly within reach, you may be distracted by its

presence without even realizing it. And that’s in addition to the more obvious distraction of a phone ringing or alerting us to emails or text messages. It’s possible we’d all be smarter taking a break from our smartphones. This study suggests it’s worth a try. Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is a faculty editor of Harvard Health Publications. © 2017. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Health Fitness &

NIGHTMARE BACTERIA Bacteria with unusual resistance to antibiotics pose a growing threat REMEMBER THIS To improve your memory, boost your heart health and stay socially active A BURNING ISSUE Treat minor burns at home with cool water and bandages — not butter MAXIMIZE YOUR MEDICARE Take advantage of Medicare’s freebies and money-saving programs

Glow-in-the-dark dyes to identify cancers By Marilynn Marchione It was an ordinary surgery to remove a tumor — until doctors turned off the lights and the patient’s chest started to glow. A spot over his heart shined purplish pink. Another shimmered in a lung. They were hidden cancers revealed by fluorescent dye, an advance that soon may transform how hundreds of thousands of operations are done each year. Surgery has long been the best way to cure cancer. If the disease recurs, it’s usually because stray tumor cells were left behind or others lurked undetected. Yet there’s no good way for surgeons to tell what is cancer and what is not. They look and feel for defects, but good and bad tissue often seem the same. Now, dyes are being tested to make cancer cells light up so doctors can cut them out and give patients a better shot at survival. With dyes, “it’s almost like we have bionic vision,” said Dr. Sunil Singhal at the University of Pennsylvania. “We can be sure we’re not taking too much or too little.” The dyes are experimental but advancing quickly. Two are in late-stage studies aimed at winning Food and Drug Administration approval. Johnson & Johnson just invested $40 million in one, and federal grants support some of the work. “We think this is so important. Patients’

lives will be improved by this,” said Paula Jacobs, an imaging expert at the National Cancer Institute. In five or so years, “there will be a palette of these,” she predicted.

Making cells glow Singhal was inspired a decade ago, while pondering a student who died when her lung cancer recurred soon after he thought he had removed it all. He was lying next to his baby, gazing at fluorescent decals above him. “I looked up and saw all these stars on the ceiling and I thought, how cool if we could make cells light up” so people wouldn’t die from unseen tumors, he said. A dye called ICG had long been used for various medical purposes. Singhal found that when big doses were given by IV a day before surgery, it collected in cancer cells and glowed when exposed to near infrared light. He dubbed it TumorGlow, and has been testing it for lung, brain and other tumor types. He used it on Ryan Ciccozzi, a 45-yearold highway worker and father of four from Deptford, New Jersey, and found hidden cancer near Ciccozzi’s heart and in a lung. “The tumor was kind of growing into everything in there,” Ciccozzi said. “Without the dye, I don’t think they would have seen anything” besides the baseball-sized

mass visible on CT scans ahead of time. Singhal also is testing a dye for On Target Laboratories, based in the Purdue research park in Indiana, that binds to a protein more common in cancer cells. A latestage study is underway for ovarian cancer and a mid-stage one for lung cancer. In one study, the dye highlighted 56 of 59 lung cancers seen on scans before surgery, plus nine more that weren’t visible ahead of time. Each year, about 80,000 Americans have surgery for suspicious lung spots. If a dye can show that cancer is confined to a small node, surgeons can remove a wedge instead of a whole lobe and preserve more breathing capacity, said On Target chief Marty Low. No price has been set, but dyes are cheap to make, and the cost should fit within rates hospitals negotiate with insurers for these operations, he said.

Promising for breast cancer Dyes may hold the most promise for breast cancer, said the American Cancer Society’s Dr. Len Lichtenfeld. Up to one third of women who have a lump removed need a second operation because margins weren’t clear — an edge of the removed tissue later was found to harbor cancer. “If we drop that down into single digits, the impact is huge,” said Kelly Londy, who

heads Lumicell, a suburban Boston company testing a dye paired with a device to scan the lump cavity for stray cancer cells. A device called MarginProbe is sold now, but it uses different technology to examine the surface of tissue that’s been taken out, so it can’t pinpoint in the breast where residual disease lurks, said Dr. Barbara Smith, a breast surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is leading a late-stage study of Lumicell’s system in 400 breast cancer patients. In an earlier study of 60 women, it revealed all of the cancers, verified by tissue tests later. But it also gave false alarms in more than a quarter of cases — “there were some areas where normal tissue lit up a little bit,” Smith said. Still, she said, “you would rather take a little extra tissue with the first surgery rather than missing something and have to go back.” Blaze Bioscience is testing Tumor Paint, patented by company co-founder Dr. Jim Olson of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s a combo product — a molecule that binds to cancer and a dye to make it glow. “You can see it down to a few dozen cells or a few hundred cells,” Olson said. “I’ve See DYES FOR CANCERS, page 10

Obesity may rob the tongue of taste buds By Lauran Neergaard Packing on pounds seems to dull people’s sense of taste, and puzzled researchers turned to mice to figure out why: Obesity, they found, can rob the tongue of taste buds. If these recent findings pan out, “this could be a whole new kind of target in treating obesity,” said Cornell University food scientist Robin Dando, whose lab led the research. “People don’t really look at the taste bud, but it’s so fundamental.” Diet, exercise and genetics are among many factors that play a role in obesity. But taste preferences influence dietary choices, and some earlier studies have suggested that obese people often taste flavors with less intensity than lean people. The theory, still unproven, is that people might make up for weakened taste by turn-

ing to higher-calorie foods or generally eating more.

Missing taste buds Dando’s team took a closer look at taste buds, those clusters of cells on the tongue that help perceive the five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. They turned to lab mice, feeding them a high-fat diet that caused rapid weight gain, and then counting the taste buds in a spot on the tongue that’s normally packed with them. The obese mice wound up with 25 percent fewer taste buds than lean mice that were fed a normal diet, the researchers reported in the journal PLOS Biology. Taste buds constantly regenerate as the 50 to 100 cells inside them mature, die off and are replaced by new ones. Taste bud cells

have an average lifespan of about 10 days, and turnover of the entire taste bud takes about four weeks, explained Dando, who directs the Cornell Sensory Evaluation Facility. Both sides of that cycle were affected in the obese mice, as regular cell death sped up and resupply dropped. Could fatty food be responsible? No, the researchers found that mice genetically resistant to obesity chowed down yet didn’t lose taste buds.

Inflammation may be culprit The remaining suspect: the chronic inflammation that obesity triggers throughout the body. Dando’s team examined a common inflammatory molecule called TNF-alpha. Mice bred to be genetically incapable of making that molecule got fat but also didn’t lose taste buds. But inject-

ing that molecule directly into the tongues of lean mice resulted in faster die-off of taste bud cells, the researchers reported. The study “does underscore the relationship between taste sensitivity and weight,” said Dr. John Morton, a Stanford University bariatric surgeon who wasn’t involved in the new work. “It’s another reason why it’s hard to lose weight.” Several years ago, Morton gave his own patients taste tests before and after stomach-shrinking surgery, and found taste perception improved as the pounds dropped. Whatever the role of taste buds, Morton advises patients to eat mindfully — appreciating the sight and smell, and slowing down to chew 30 times before they swallow. “You get satisfaction from food in ways other than volume,” he said. — AP

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Debate over ‘right to try’ experimental meds By Matthew Perrone The idea is a political crowd-pleaser with a catchy slogan: giving desperately ill patients the “right to try” experimental medicines. Last month, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives became the latest group of politicians to back the effort, sending a bill to the Senate, which President Donald Trump has pledged to sign into law. A federal right-to-try law — first championed by anti-regulatory libertarians — would overturn decades of precedent in which the government served as the gatekeeper to unproven medicines. And critics fear it could rollback long-standing safety regulations that protect patients.

A look at the issue: What is right-to-try legislation? The idea is to give terminally ill patients quick, unfettered access to experimental drugs that might help them, without having to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Lawmakers in 38 states have already written it into law. Vice President Mike Pence signed Indiana’s law while serving as governor. But the state laws have little effect without a change to the federal requirement for FDA oversight. Opponents say right-to-try is political theater that won’t actually help more patients access unapproved drugs. They worry that the measure could expose patients to poten-

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sion immediately over the phone. While the paperwork used to take about 100 hours, the FDA revamped the process in 2016 to a single form that takes about 45 minutes to complete, according to an agency spokeswoman. The requests are submitted by a patient’s physician, who must decide whether the possible benefits of taking an unproven medicine are likely to outweigh the risks. New drugs undergo years of safety and effectiveness testing before drugmakers seek FDA approval to put them on the market. The FDA also enforces rules that prevent companies and doctors from profiting by selling unproven drugs.

Dyes for cancers

molecule to carry it into tumor cells. The company is finishing early studies in breast cancer, and plans more for colon, head and neck, ovarian and other types. Cancer drugs have had a lot of attention, while ways to improve surgery have had far less, said company president Carmine Stengone. “This was just an overlooked area, despite the high medical need.” — AP

From page 8

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tially harmful drugs, and allow unscrupulous actors to take advantage of those desperately seeking treatments. In March, four former FDA commissioners who served under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush issued a joint statement opposing the federal legislation, saying it would “create a dangerous precedent that would erode protections for vulnerable patients.” Does FDA ever grant permission to try experimental drugs? In almost all cases, the answer is yes. The FDA receives about 1,000 requests for socalled “compassionate use” each year, and approves more than 99 percent of them, according to agency figures. The process usually takes about four days, although in emergency cases regulators can grant permis-

John Melmed, MD

seen neurosurgeons come out of the operating room with a big smile on their face because they can see the cancer very clearly.” Early-stage studies have been done for skin, brain and breast cancers in adults, and brain tumors in children. Avelas Biosciences of San Diego has a similar approach — a dye attached to a

See RIGHT TO TRY page 11

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Right to try From page 10 Companies granting “compassionate use” can only charge patients enough to cover the costs of providing the drug. Without that FDA oversight, opponents of the bill fear it could do more harm than good. “Not only would the legislation not increase access to promising therapies for individuals we represent, but we also believe the legislation would actually harm our patients,” said Paul Melmeyer of the National Organization for Rare Disorders, one of more than 75 patient and physician groups that signed a letter last month opposing the House bill. In response to such criticism, House lawmakers rewrote their bill to require manufacturers to notify the FDA after treatment begins. They must also report patient safety issues to the agency. Would drugmakers have to comply? No, there’s nothing in the state laws or the federal bill that would require pharmaceutical companies to provide experimental drugs, which they spend millions of dollars developing and testing. Drugmakers are usually the main obstacle to gaining early access, though how often such requests are denied isn’t clear. There are a variety of reasons, including legal risks, for why a company might decline requests. Some do not have enough of the experimental drug to provide it out-

side of their own testing. For smaller companies, they may not have the staff and resources to field and process dozens or sometimes hundreds of requests. The federal bill includes language designed to ease the legal risks of making drugs available. It shields drugmakers from most lawsuits that might emerge from an injury or side effect of an experimental drug. It also states that the FDA cannot use reports of injury or side effect to delay or reject a drug up for approval — except under extraordinary circumstances. Even if the federal legislation makes FDA approval unnecessary, some pharmaceutical executives say they will continue to seek federal input. “No ethical company that I know of would make their experimental medicine available outside of the FDA’s regulatory oversight process,” said Kenneth Moch, CEO of drug developer Cognition Therapeutics, who testified against the legislation last year. “The FDA are not the bad guys here. You may not like their processes, but they are involved here for a variety of reasons.” What will change under right-to-try? In the short-term, not much. Most pharmaceutical experts say companies will continue to be cautious about granting early access. Longer term, some experts fear the effort could undermine the FDA’s ability to police drugmakers and experimental medicines. The main lobbying force behind the

right-to-try legislation is the Goldwater Institute, a libertarian think tank that argues it is “unethical and unconstitutional” for the federal government to stand between patients and potentially life-saving drugs. The Arizona-based group did not respond to requests for an interview. Dr. Steven Joffe warns that the right-totry legislation may be a slippery slope to-

ward rolling back other FDA powers intended to protect patients. “This is just the first step in the long strategic road of undermining that principle that companies should have to demonstrate safety and efficacy before they market a drug,” said Joffe, head of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. — AP

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Threat grows from ‘nightmare bacteria’ By Marilynn Marchione “Nightmare bacteria” — those with unusual resistance to antibiotics of last resort — were found more than 200 times in the United States last year in a first-of-a-kind hunt to see how much of a threat these rare cases are becoming, health officials said. That’s more than they had expected to find. And the true number is probably higher because the effort involved only certain labs in each state, officials said. The problem mostly strikes people in hospitals and nursing homes who need IVs and other tubes that can get infected. In many cases, others in close contact with these patients also harbored the superbugs, even though they weren’t sickened

by them — a risk for further spread. Some of the sick patients had traveled for surgery or other healthcare to another country where drug-resistant germs are more common, and the superbug infections were discovered in them after they returned to the U.S. “Essentially, we found nightmare bacteria in your backyard,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “These verge on untreatable infections,” where the only option may be supportive care — fluids and sometimes machines to maintain life to give the patient a chance to recover, Schuchat said. The situation was described in a CDC report.

Evolving risk Bugs and drugs are in a constant battle, as germs evolve to resist new and old antibiotics. About 2 million Americans get infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and 23,000 die, Schuchat said. Concern has been growing about a rise in bacteria resistant to all or most antibiotics. Last year, public health labs around the country were asked to watch for, and quickly respond to, cases of advanced antibiotic resistance — especially to some last-resort antibiotics called carbapenems. In the first nine months of the year, more than 5,770 samples were tested for these “nightmare bacteria,” as CDC calls them. One quarter were found to have genes that make them hard to treat and easy to share their resistance tricks with other types of bacteria. Of these, 221 had unusual genes that conferred resistance. The cases were scattered throughout 27 states. “Even in remote areas” this threat is

real, because patients often transfer to and from other places for care, said Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer for the state of Alaska and past president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Others in close contact with the infected patients then were tested, and 11 percent were found to be carrying the same superbugs even though they were not sick. This gives the bugs more of a chance to spread.

What you can do The CDC suggests: •Tell your doctors if you recently had healthcare in another country. •Talk with them about preventing infections, taking care of chronic conditions to help avoid them, and getting vaccines to prevent them. • Wash your hands regularly and keep cuts clean until healed. — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Age-Friendly Montgomery “I’m inviting you to enjoy our County’s resources and programs.” County Executive Ike Leggett

Vision Zero: Our Plan to Eliminate Fatalities and Severe Injuries Among Car Occupants, Bicyclists and Pedestrians What is “Vision Zero”? Montgomery County recently adopted its “Vision Zero” Action Plan to reduce severe and fatal collisions on County roads by 35 percent for vehicle occupants, bicyclists, and pedestrians, by November 2019. Our broader goal is to eliminate such fatalities and severe injuries, by 2030. The effort includes 41 action items that focus the County’s traffic engineering, police enforcement, and community education to reduce traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries among pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicle occupants. It also includes legislative changes and driver safety communications to protect police and fire/ rescue officials helping crash victims. With Vision Zero, the County intends to build on the success of our Pedestrian Safety Initiative: Between 2010 and 2016, there were 250 fewer severe and 33 fewer fatal collisions compared with the previous five-year average. The Vision Zero concept for roadway safety originated in Sweden in 1997 and has more recently been adopted by more than two dozen jurisdictions in the United States. Montgomery County is one of the first counties in the U.S. to adopt Vision Zero. The “Vision Zero” Action Plan can be found at montgomerycountymd.gov/ visionzero.

Each of Us Can Help Achieve “Vision Zero” 1. Stay alert and avoid distractions: Nearly half of all drivers and four in ten pedestrians involved in severe or fatal crashes were distracted. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Attention saves lives! Don’t look at your phone when driving or walking across the street. 2. Be courteous and safe when driving: • Drive within the speed limit • Don’t drive after drinking alcohol or taking medicine that impairs function • Be alert for pedestrians at every crosswalk • Allow bicyclists three feet clearance • Move over when you pass an accident, to avoid hitting police or fire/rescue personnel • Be careful in making left turns, as they can involve several moving vehicles and pedestrians 3. Be courteous and safe when walking: • Use crosswalks to cross the street • Keep your eyes open and stay alert for vehicles and bicycles 4. Access older driver resources at: montgomerycountymd.gov/senior/older-driverresources.html

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

• 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 for County programs and services; 9-1-1 for emergency • www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

• “Seniors Today” airs on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. on Comcast/RCN 6, Verizon 30

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Ways to improve your memory and focus By Mary Kane When retired professor Darlene Howard taught in the psychology department of Georgetown University, she often had to remember the names of as many as 50 students a semester. So she used a memory trick: She created an association with each student’s name or face. A student with the last name of Brady might make her think of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The next time she saw the student, she would tap that image to remember his name. If you struggle to recall a word that’s on the tip of your tongue, or have trouble putting names to faces, you may think memory decline is a normal part of aging that you have to accept.

But you can strengthen certain memory skills, and improve your overall brain health and cognitive function. “There are a lot of ways you can facilitate the health of your brain,” said Howard, now age 70. “What we need to do is not get worried so much about the fact we’re not remembering something, and instead think of ways we can remember it.” Start with techniques to help you improve specific skills. When meeting someone for the first time, repeat the name when introduced, to make sure you’ve got it, Howard said. Then create an association to help you remember — and practice it. “Even something ridiculous is good, and it will work,” Howard said. Take notes on your phone after the introduction to

refer to later. If you can’t recall a word, that’s generally because it’s a word you don’t use that often, said Lise Abrams, a University of Florida psychology professor who has studied word-finding problems for 20 years. But consciously using other words that start with the same syllable as the word you forgot may be helpful in the future. For example, if you intended to use the word “denote” but couldn’t remember it, try frequently using words such as “decide” or “debate,” and it may help you recall the missing word the next time around.

Boost heart health Brain training games are widely advertised, but the benefits are limited. Memory games may improve your memory slightly, and language games may boost your language ability a bit, but there’s no proof yet of any major changes beyond that, said D.P. Devanand, director of geriatric psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. “There simply isn’t enough evidence to recommend this strategy as a means to reverse memory impairment and decline,” he said. But research does prove that taking

care of your overall brain health helps improve your brain function and memory. A healthy brain actually begins with your heart, Devanand said. Older people sometimes suffer small strokes without realizing it, so stopping smoking, lowering your cholesterol, and getting hypertension treated can reduce that risk. “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” he said. Add in exercise. But an occasional stroll isn’t enough. You need to combine aerobic and resistance exercises, such as using weights, Devanand said. Or walk for 45 minutes at least three days a week, and push yourself to go faster. If that’s too much, “any exercise or activity is better than none,” Howard said.

Be social or volunteer Being social helps, because social interaction stimulates the brain. Ask a friend to join you on a walk or at the gym. Or consider volunteering for a cause you care about. A 2009 Johns Hopkins University study showed that seniors who tutored in Baltimore schools had improved brain performance. Keep your brain active by taking classes See BETTER MEMORY, page 15

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L E A R N M O R E AT W W W. M Y P O T E N T I A L R E H A B . O R G O R 3 0 1 - 3 2 1 - 8 3 9 0 TESTIMONIAL by Mildred - myPotential Rehabilitation Guest Recovery from my knee replacement surgery at myPotential Rehabilitation has been a wonderful experience. Staff was always ready to go the extra mile. The smiles and warm greetings made for a very pleasant atmosphere. Care was given tenderly and with encouragement, just like an enthusiastic family.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Look for new, more secure Medicare cards By Kimberly Lankford Q: I remember reading that Medicare will start sending out new cards this year that don’t include Social Security numbers. How can I find out when I’ll receive my new card? Do I need to do anything to get it? A: In an effort to protect against identity theft, Medicare has been preparing to replace everyone’s Medicare cards with new ones that include a unique 11-digit Medicare identifier rather than your Social Security number. The new card won’t change your benefits, and you can use it as soon as you receive it. The agency will send out the new cards to all Medicare beneficiaries between April 2018 and April 2019, with the time frame based on your state. The first wave of new cards will be mailed from April to June this year to people in Mar yland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. You’ll get your new card automatically and don’t need to do anything, other than make sure that the Social Security Administration has your current mailing address. You can update your address through your online My Social Security account or by calling the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778).

Once you get your new Medicare card, take these steps to make it harder for someone to steal your information and identity: 1. Destroy your old Medicare card right away, and treat your Medicare number like you treat your Social Security or credit card numbers. If you have a separate card for a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription-drug plan, you should keep that card. 2. Use your new card. Doctors, other healthcare providers, and plans approved by Medicare know that Medicare is replacing the old cards. They are ready to accept your new card when you need care. 3. Beware of people who contact you about your new Medicare card and ask for your Medicare number, personal information, or ask you to pay a fee to receive your new card. There is no charge for the new card, and Medicare will not call asking for your Social Security or bank information in

order to send you a new card. For more information about your new Medicare card, visit go.medicare.gov/newcard. You can also visit Medicare.gov for

BEACON BITS

June 2

SELF-GUIDED WALK OR RUN The Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Volksmarch Club is sponsoring a

seasonal, self-guided Silver Spring/Takoma Park walk on Saturday, June 2. There are a variety of trails to choose from. Register for the walk in the “Start Box” at Safeway, located at 909 Thayer Ave., Silver Spring, MD. The walk takes place during daylight hours only. Participation is free; Volksmarch credit costs $3. Restrooms are available in Safeway, Whole Foods and other places noted in the walking instructions. Pets are allowed, but must be leashed at all times during the walk, and you must clean up after them. For more information, contact Maribeth Evans at (301) 787-5410 or evansm0612@gmail.com.

Better memory From page 14 to learn new skills, or teach yourself to use new technology. Or consider meditating, which can help you focus — a skill that declines with age. And don’t panic: You may forget words more often as you age, but it’s not a sign your memory is gone. Seek a medical evaluation, including a cognitive performance test, to rule out any major issues. Then practice memory techniques and healthy habits. That name is likely to come back to you eventually. © 2018, Kiplinger. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

May 16

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP Montgomery Hospice

offers an evening grief support group on Wednesday, May 16 from 6:30 to

Come to Kensington Park’s Second Annual Vintage Car Show All proceeds will benefit the 2018 National Walk to end Alzheimer’s Sunday, June 10, 2018 • 11am-3pm • Music & Food • Free Admission Spend an afternoon with us as we travel back in time among polished chrome, spotless whitewalls and hood ornaments poised for attention. Enjoy a striking display of vintage automobiles, and reminisce with owners about “the good ol’ days!” In the event of rain, please call 301-946-7700. For more details, contact Betsy at bdavis@kensingtonsl.com.

8 p.m., for Montgomery County residents grieving the death of a loved one. This six-week session meets at Montgomery Hospice, located at 1355 Piccard Dr., Suite 100, Rockville, Md. Registration is required. For more information, call

(301) 946-7700 3620 Littledale Road, Kensington, MD 20895 | www.KensingtonParkSeniorLiving.com

(301) 921-4400. INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Understand burns and how to treat them Dear Mayo Clinic: What’s the best way to treat a minor burn? At what point does a burn require medical care? The level of care needed for a burn depends on how extensive the tissue damage is from the burn. Minor burns can often be treated at home without seeing a healthcare provider. Burns considered “minor” include firstdegree burns and second-degree burns that are no larger than two inches in diameter.

A first-degree burn involves only the top or outer layer of the skin (epidermis). Signs and symptoms of a first-degree burn include red skin that may be mildly swollen and painful to touch. A second-degree burn involves the outside layer of the skin and the next layer of skin (dermis). Signs and symptoms of this type of burn include pain, swelling, intensely reddened skin, blistering and a splotchy appearance. Immediately evaluate in a medical set-

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ting any other type of burn that covers a larger area of the skin. A healthcare provider also should evaluate a burn that shows signs of infection, such as oozing from the wound and increased pain, redness and swelling.

Cool water and bandages For minor burns, prompt at-home care is often all that’s needed. First, put the burn under cool (but not cold) running water long enough to reduce the pain, which may take about 10 to 15 minutes. If running water isn’t available, immerse the burn in cool water, or apply a cool, wet compress. Don’t put ice directly on the burn, however. Doing so can cause further damage to the tissue. Dry the area with a clean cloth, and apply a sterile, lightly wrapped bandage. Don’t apply ointments or butter to a burn, as these can hold heat in the skin — causing further damage — in addition to increasing the risk of infection. If needed, take over-the-counter pain medications for pain relief. If the burn is caused by a chemical, make sure the chemical, or any clothing or jewelry in contact with the chemical, are removed. If possible, use gloves so that you don’t get burned elsewhere or so that someone helping you doesn’t get burned.

Follow-up care Don’t break blisters if they form. If a blister breaks inadvertently, wash the area with soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover the area with a bandage. See your healthcare provider if large blisters develop, as these blisters may need to be removed. Monitor the burn daily after each gentle washing and dressing change. Evaluate the burn for spreading of heat, redness or swelling, which may indicate a skin infection. If the wound isn’t healing, see your healthcare provider. A burn requires immediate medical attention if it covers a large area of the body, or if it involves much of the hands, face, feet, genitals, buttocks, eyes, mouth or a major joint. Second-degree burns larger than two inches; an electrical burn; or more severe, third-degree burns — where skin is burned away, charred black or appears dry white — all require emergency medical attention. — Henry Schiller, M.D., Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, 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. © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Spring is here come find your new home

Friendship Terrace makes affordable DC living possible for seniors. Independent living includes fun activities and opportunities to develop rewarding friendships. Residents love our park-like setting, on-site greenhouse, and convenient location—just two blocks from the Tenleytown Metro—close to shopping, restaurants, and more.

Springvale Terrace is a welcoming, caring community for seniors offering independent living as well as personal and assisted living care services. Many social events, seasonal activities, and exercise programs help keep residents active and engaged. Qualifying residents may receive vouchers/subsidies for personal care services.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Local students envision a winning city If you could design a city that facilitated aging, what would you include? Students at the Edlin School, a private school in Reston, Va., did just that — and recently won a first-place award for their innovations. Students Vinay Ayalya, Lucas Ribeiro, Nikhita Kuntipuram and Nikhil Kuntipuram recently competed in the 26th Annual Future City Competition. This contest, open to sixth through eighth graders from all over the world, gives competing students a prompt for a city they are to design, and then requires them to produce a virtual city design, an essay regarding that design, a scale model, a project plan, and a presentation — clearly not tasks intended for the faint hearted. “I heard about the competition in fifth

grade. This is my second year participating,” said Vinay elatedly. “Last year I went to the nationals, but sadly we didn’t get a ranking. So, I thought this year I would do it again with a new team, try to win the competition, and show the world what we can do.”

Based on Richmond, Va. And show them they did. The students designed and constructed a 3D city model based on this year’s prompt, which was to design an “age-friendly city” that would serve older adults and enable them to stay active. The students chose to model their city on Richmond, Va., in part because it has “problems with mobility.” They named their model city Halona, a Native American word

meaning “of happy fortune.” ramps and other ways to make life easier for The Edlin School team presented Halona older people. in January at a regional compe“They want to stay active in tition, and upon making it the community, which makes through that, ascended to fithem happier. We wanted to nals in February in Washingcome up with solutions to preton, D.C. In all, more than vent them from being isolat40,000 middle school students ed, and to bring them back from 1,350 schools in 41 U.S. into the lives of other generaregions, as well as teams from tions to make them happy.” Canada, China, and the Middle East, competed. Getting around the city Their prize? A whopping The biggest problem the GENERATIONS $7,500 for their school’s STEM team members had to tackle TOGETHER (Science, Technology, Engiwas the problem of public transBy Alexis Bentz neering and Math) program, portation. and a trip for the students to “To solve the mobility probU.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. lem, we had to come up with two main solutions,” she said. “We came up with a comA school-year-long effort pact community, a new futuristic communiThe process of designing the city and ty that would cater to the needs of people of compiling all of the corresponding project all ages. And we needed to make every elements took over 10 months to com- place in the city accessible to people of all plete. Yet, the students worked tirelessly, ages and abilities, so we came up with the believing that the need for a more age- Halona age-friendly transportation system.” friendly city was, and is, a necessity. Unfortunately, their solution is not a cur“I noticed that, in the lives of seniors rently practical one: It relies on not-yet-extoday, for example my grandparents, they isting technologies such as flying cars, a have trouble with simple things like getting stop-and-go mass transit service called the up the stairs. It may be simple for me, but it’s Passover Tram, and the AutoBus, a selfhard for them,” Vinay said. “We need to acSee WINNING CITY, page 19 commodate them, so we need elevators and

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

From page 18 driving vehicle to get from one community to another. More currently feasible are several programs they envisioned to integrate seniors into the community. “One of our most important programs is the ‘Adopt a Senior Program.’ This program pairs college students and older adults in a co-housing situation,” Nikhil described. “The student gets free accommodations, while the senior gets company and services. The student doesn’t have to pay extensive dorm fees, but they can live with the senior and help them out.” Another program allows people of all ages to grow plants together that they can sell at the local farmer’s market. “We also have clinics at a walkable distance where minor health problems are treated,” explained Nikhita. She added that another city program could help when, for example, “a person with Alzheimer’s gets lost; someone can track them [using GPS].”

Dreaming big for the future Allow these ingenuitive students to be your inspiration. You and your grandchild or younger buddy can build your own “future city” together. This would be a great opportunity to work together to create and innovate. Or you can mentor teens with an interest in your personal areas of expertise and

help them to succeed in their endeavors. If you want to get directly involved with Future City, the organization is always looking for volunteers who support their mission to develop students’ talents in and passion for STEM. So, what’s next for Vinay, Nikhil, and Nikhita? “Something that I would be interested in trying in the future is that I would like to present our idea to various engineering organizations, such as going to Richmond and discussing our ideas so that maybe some of them can be implemented in the near future,” Nikhil said. Meanwhile, Vinay has set his sights on the national science fair that takes place every year in the U.S. “I would take some of the ideas we used in the Future City competition to win over the judges. “The idea I want to use is one of our [envisioned] energy sources, and do a science fair project on it. Using the results, I can come up with solutions for towns that need help with creating energy.” Nikhita added, “I would love to volunteer at age-friendly organizations, help elders and keep them company.” She and her brother both agreed that helping out students with upcoming Future City competitions would also be a blast. Regardless of what they end up doing, these students will inevitably leave their mark on the world. So, if you happen to stop by Richmond in a few years’ time, be sure to

look out for some innovative new additions to the city — you might just have the Edlin School Future City winners to thank. The Future City competition is sponsored by DiscoverE, a network of volunteers that inspires and informs present and future generations to discover engineering. For more information, visit www.discovere.org. Alexis Bentz is a 10th grade student at Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md.

Students from the Edlin School, a private school in Reston, Va., celebrate after winning an international competition to design an age-friendly city.

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Winning city

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Experts answer your health questions Q: I was recently diagnosed with dry eyes. But my eyes seem to be watery all the time. How do you explain this?

A: Usually, people with dry eyes have too few tears. But as strange as it may sound, dry eyes can also be watery. Tears

BEACON BITS

May 8+

SOCIAL SECURITY WORKSHOPS

Financial Advantage Associates offers free workshops on Social Security Benefits on Tuesday, May 8 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, May 10 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 12 at 11 a.m., Tuesday, May 15 at 7 p.m.; and Thursday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Learn how your Social Security benefits, pension benefits, work income and investment income should be considered before filing, claiming strategies for married couples, singles and divorced individuals; how retirement different for survivors; how much your benefits will be, and more. The office is located at 1801 Research Blvd., Rockville, Md. For more information or to register, call (240) 541-5334.

May 17

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PENSIONS

The Chevy Chase and Georgetown chapters of NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees) present NARFE member Sylvester Bush, who will speak about the Pension Exclusion Restoration and Expansion Act of 2017, on Thursday, May 17 at 6 p.m. This bill (B 22-0321), if passed, will substantially reduce the tax burden of D.C. seniors and will allow retired federal and D.C. government employees and retired armed force personnel 62 to 64 years old to exclude up to $10,000, and 65 and older up to $20,000, of pension income from D.C. income taxes. The meeting will take place at IONA Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, D.C. Admission is free and non-NARFE members are welcome. For more information, contact Ann Sulkovsky at (202) 518-2519.

are a mixture of oil, mucous and water. Dry eyes will water if there is not enough oil or mucous in the mixture. As we age, our tear production slows. If your lacrimal glands don’t make as many tears, you’ll have a problem with the quantity of tears. If some of the other glands slow, such as those that produce oil, you’ll have a problem with the quality of tears, since you need all three tear components for the tear film. You need the right amount and mixture of tears to avoid eye problems. A healthy film of tears cleans and protects your cornea and helps preserve your vision. In addition to aging, the natural loss of tears can be made worse by a number of things, including: • Environment. Low humidity can dry out your eyes as well as your skin. Air pollutants and allergens can cause inflammation, which decreases tear production. These may also cause your eyes to produce “reflex tears” that are too watery to lubricate the cornea properly. • Reduced blinking. Blinking stimulates tear production and spreads the tear film evenly over the cornea. But we tend to blink less as we get older. Moreover, driving, reading, working at a computer, or any other activity that causes you to blink less

often can lead to dry eyes. • Medications. Dry eyes can be a side effect of a wide range of drugs, including antihistamines, anti-anxiety agents, antidepressants and diuretics. • Eye surgery. Lasik, the laser procedure performed on the cornea to improve vision, can affect the eye’s ability to produce tears for as long as six months after surgery. For people who make enough tears but have dry eye symptoms, warm compresses and gentle eye massage can stimulate the oil glands on the lid margins. If you aren’t making enough tears, the first approach is usually to replace the tears. There are several eyedrops labeled “artificial tears” that closely resemble the composition of normal tears. For more severe cases, your eye doctor may recommend prescription drops, such as those containing cyclosporine (Restasis) or lifitegrast (Xiidra). There’s even an in-office procedure to block tear drainage by inserting plugs into the tear drainage ducts. — Dr. Howard LeWine, an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Q: Why are nuts now considered an See DOCTORS Q & A, page 21

MOVING OUR COUNTY FORWARD David is a progressive Democrat and lifelong resident of Montgomery County. It’s where he went to school, met his wife and where they’re raising their family. It’s also where he started and grew a healthcare business that became a Fortune 500 company with thousands of employees. Our County Council hasn’t done enough to address some of our most pressing issues and has become dependent on raising property taxes to fund county services. As County Executive, David will fight to make our county the best place in the nation. He’ll leverage his successful business background to implement innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for all residents without raising taxes. Key priorities include: Grow our economy, create more high-wage jobs and generate new revenue to pay for education, transportation and other county programs and services without raising your taxes. Improve transportation accessibility by making Ride On buses free, enhancing pedestrian safety measures and implementing “smart” traffic lights across the county to reduce congestion, travel times and emissions. Longer term, expand on-demand rideshare vans for point-to-point transportation. Expand the availability of affordable senior housing by putting a stop to increasing property taxes and enhancing our affordable housing program for low-income, older adults with new and creative solutions. Launch our “Ask-A-Pharmacist” program to save seniors on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and add telemedicine technology in our senior centers for immediate access to medical professionals. Invest in our education system to close the achievement gap by expanding early childhood education and adding more programs to ensure all students graduate high school college- or career-ready. Keep our schools safe by providing free gun safes and safety demonstrations to MCPS parents and launching an anonymous tip app in our schools.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Doctors Q & A From page 20 important part of a healthy diet? A: Indeed the consensus has changed about nuts. For a long time, the high fat content of nuts gave them a reputation of a food to be avoided. Not anymore. Multiple studies have shown that certain fats common in nuts — mono- and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids — actually reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The FDA now allows nut producers to claim that a diet that includes one ounce of nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease. Nuts have the potential to: • Improve cholesterol profiles. The unsaturated fat in nuts helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. • Prevent arrhythmias. One type of unsaturated fat — omega-3 fatty acids — appears to prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms. • Reduce blood clotting. There is some evidence that omega-3s may work much the same way as aspirin does to keep blood from clotting. • Relax blood vessels. Nuts are rich in arginine, an amino acid needed to make a molecule called nitric oxide that relaxes constricted blood vessels and eases blood flow. • Raise levels of glucagon-like peptide 1.

This hormone helps to control glucose levels and to lower insulin levels in people with prediabetes. • Contribute to satiety. Nuts are rich in fat, fiber and protein, all of which are more likely than foods high in carbohydrates to make you feel full. Perhaps that’s why people who eat nuts regularly are less likely to be obese. Like other healthy foods, nuts can be stripped of many of their nutrients during processing, so raw nuts are your best choice. Also, blanched peanuts and almonds can lose beneficial antioxidants and phytochemicals when their skins are removed. The general recommendation is to aim for 1.5 ounces of nuts or seeds per day. They make great snacks. You can spread them (buy all-natural nut or seed butters or grind the nuts yourself), or scatter seeds and chopped nuts to add flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, yogurts and breakfast cereals. — Dr. Howard LeWine Q: Why do I sometimes get congested in one nostril? A: Many people don’t realize that every four to six hours, one side of the nose becomes more congested, and the other side decongests. They switch back and forth in a normal cycle. If one side is more obstructed to begin with, from a deviated septum or swelling of the soft tissue structures, it will be more

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noticeable when that side decongests. Here are other reasons for congestion in one nostril: • Side sleeping. People also experience stuffiness in the nostril that faces down when they sleep on their side. • Deviated septum. If you have blockage that is continuous, it could be a result of a deviated septum. • Inflammation and nasal polyps. There are people who have chronic inflammation and nasal polyps. In rare cases, this can be due to a tumor, but these are uncommon. Chronic and persistent obstruction on one side should be evaluated by a doctor and

probably an ENT (otolaryngologist). • Foreign objects in the nose. In small children, blockage in one nostril might be due to a foreign body that they put in their nose. If you see thick drainage or pus coming out, it’s time to call your doctor. — Dr. Michael Benninger, chairman of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and professor of surgery at the College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College and www.awellnessupdate.com. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

OTC drugs better than opioids at pain relief By Lindsey Tanner A yearlong study offers rigorous new evidence against using prescription opioids for chronic pain. In patients with stubborn back aches or arthritis of the hip or knee, opioids worked no better than over-the-counter drugs or other non-opioids at reducing problems with walking or sleeping. And they provided slightly less pain relief. Opioids tested included generic Vicodin, oxycodone or fentanyl patches, although few patients needed the most potent opioids. Non-opioids included generic Tylenol, ibuprofen and prescription pills for nerve or muscle pain. The study randomly assigned patients to take opioids or other painkillers. That’s

the gold standard design for research. If opioids don’t work better than less risky drugs, there’s no reason to use them, given “their really nasty side effects — death and addiction,” said lead author Dr. Erin Krebs, a physician and researcher with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Surprising findings The results likely will surprise many people “because opioids have this reputation as being really powerful painkillers, and that is not what we found,” Krebs said. The results echo less rigorous studies and bolster guidelines against routine use of opioids for chronic pain. The study was published in the Journal of the American

Medical Association. About 42,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2016 involved opioids, including prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl. Many people get hooked while taking opioids prescribed for injuries or other short-term pain, and move on to cheaper, more accessible illicit drugs like heroin. Krebs said the strongest evidence from other studies shows that physical therapy, exercise or rehabilitation therapy works best for chronic pain. And she said noted that there are a variety of non-opioid drugs to try if one type doesn’t work for someone. U.S. government guidelines in 2016 said opioids are not the preferred treatment for chronic pain, and they recommend nondrug treatment or non-opioid painkillers instead. Opioids should only be used if other methods don’t work for chronic pain, the guidelines say. Prescribing rates have declined slightly in recent years, although they are still much higher than two decades ago.

Veterans studied The study involved 234 patients from Minneapolis-area VA clinics who were assigned to use generic versions of opioids or non-opioids for a year. Follow-up ended in 2016. “This is a very important study,” said Dr. David Reuben, geriatrics chief at UCLA’s

NEW ADVENTURES ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

medical school. “It will likely change the approach to managing long-term back, hip and knee pain.” He noted one limitation — most study participants were men. But Krebs said the results in women studied were similar. The study’s opioid patients started on relatively low daily doses of morphine, oxycodone or generic Vicodin. They switched to higher doses if needed, or to long-acting opioids or fentanyl patches. The non-opioid group started on acetaminophen, ibuprofen or similar anti-inflammatory drugs. They also could switch to higher doses or prescription non-opioid pain pills. Few in either group used the strongest medicines. Patients reported changes in function or pain on questionnaires. Function scores improved in each group by about two points on an 11-point scale, where higher scores meant worse function. Both groups started out with average pain and function scores of about 5.5 points. Pain intensity dropped about two points in the non-opioid group and slightly less in the opioid patients. Other research has also shown that over-the-counter medicines can work as well as opioids at treating short-term pain, including from broken bones, kidney stones or dental work. — AP

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Phone apps to prove people take their pills By Carla K. Johnson Take two tablets and a selfie? Your doctor’s orders may one day include making a smartphone video to prove you took your medicine. Smartphone apps that monitor pill-taking are now available, and researchers are testing how well they work when medication matters. Experts praise the efficiency, but some say the technology raises privacy and data security concerns. Selfie medicine works like this: Open an app on your phone, show your pills, put them in your mouth and swallow. Don’t forget to show your empty mouth to the camera to prove today’s dose is on its way. Then upload the video proof to the clinic.

Increasing compliance Fans say the technology addresses a big problem: About half of drugs for chronic conditions aren’t taken as prescribed because of cost, side effects or patient forgetfulness. With treatment for opioid addiction, a skipped dose can mean a dangerous relapse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is funding research to tailor a smartphone app for those patients and see if they’ll use it. “If we can keep patients engaged, we can keep them in treatment longer,” said lead researcher Dr. Judith Tsui of the Uni-

versity of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. The next phase of her research will compare a group of patients who use the monitoring app called emocha (ee-MOH-kuh) with those who don’t to see if there’s a difference. At one Tennessee treatment center, some patients with opioid addiction are already using the app to upload selfies of their daily dose, and to answer questions about how they’re doing. “Every time they sign on, it allows us to capture data. Are they having cravings? Suicidal tendencies?” said Scott Olson, CEO of Dallas-based Pathway Healthcare, which is trying the app at its Jackson, Tennessee, site. “Maybe a phone call from a counselor might make the difference between staying clean and a relapse.” Olson thinks insurers will pay for the service with more evidence. The idea of watching someone take their medicine — called directly observed therapy or DOT — has roots in tuberculosis treatment, where one person’s forgetfulness can be serious for everyone. If patients don’t take all their antibiotics, their infectious TB germs can get stronger, developing drug resistance and endangering the broader community. But taking a handful of pills daily for up

to a year is difficult, so public health departments traditionally sent workers to people’s homes and workplaces to watch them take their doses. Today, to monitor tuberculosis patients, health departments pay roughly $35 to $50 per patient each month for remote monitoring systems that include encrypted data storage. A small health department might pay as little as $500 a month. Many TB patients prefer remote monitoring. Nurses like it too.

More efficient Nurse Peggy Cooley has used Skype for years to chat live with patients taking TB medicine. “We can accomplish in a two-minute phone call something that might have taken an hour to do, and most of that hour was in the car,” said Cooley, who works for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in Washington state. See PHONE APPS, page 25

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Compression stockings help leg swelling Dear Mayo Clinic: My doctor prescribed compression stockings to prevent my legs from swelling during the day. How will that help, and are they all the same? A: Compression stockings aren’t like regular stockings. They’re typically prescribed with certain specifications, and require professional fitting. A number of tips and tricks can help to properly use and care for them so that they provide the intended therapeutic benefit with minimal risk of side effects. Compression stockings — sometimes referred to as pressure socks — gently squeeze your legs in a way that helps promote blood flow from the legs back toward the heart. Thigh or waist-high stockings help

reduce pooling of blood in the legs and help prevent lightheadedness or falling when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension). Stockings that rise to just below the knee help limit lower leg swelling due to fluid buildup. They may also help prevent venous ulcers, and can prevent the development of blood clots in the leg — especially if used after surgery or when you may be inactive for a while. In addition, compression stockings can help lessen the pain caused by varicose veins.

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with certain specifications — such as strength of compression and length of stocking — based on the condition being treated. There are also a number of personal preference features, such as having a closed or open toe, and stocking color, as well as numerous brands from which to choose. Typically, your prescription is filled by trained staff at a medical supply store where your legs are properly measured for fit. A key factor is measuring your legs when they are at their least swollen — typically early in the morning. If your legs are severely swollen, you may need to wrap them with compression bandages leading up to your fitting to keep swelling to a minimum.

How to put them on Compression stockings are designed to provide the strongest pressure around your ankle, with decreasing pressure as the stocking goes up the leg. Putting on, or donning, a compression stocking can be done a few different ways. One way involves gently pulling the unbunched, unrolled stocking over the foot until it fits well over the foot and heel. You also can do this with the stocking rolled down or folded inside out to the ankle level. Then you pull or unroll the rest of the stocking up the leg to the proper height, smoothing as you go. A device called a stocking donner can help you get a compression stocking on, and can be particularly helpful if a condition such as arthritis makes it hard for you to grasp and pull. For best results, make sure your skin is dry, especially after applying lotion. Moisture makes it harder to pull stockings on. Sitting in a chair for stability as you put on the stocking also may help. Once the stocking is on, check that seams run straight up

the leg and that there’s no bunching or wrinkling, especially at the ankles. Don’t fold the top of the stocking down. You can protect your compression stockings from damage by wearing socks, slippers or shoes over them, and being careful not to snag toenails, fingernails or jewelry on the stockings. A tear or run likely means it needs to be replaced. Stockings also may need to be replaced if they begin to bunch up, wrinkle or slide down, or if they stretch out over time. Be sure to wear the stockings as prescribed, whether putting them on as soon as possible in the morning and wearing them until bedtime, or wearing them for the entire day and night. If you forget to wear them, your legs may swell, making it difficult or impossible to get the stockings on again. If your legs do swell, you’ll need to take steps to diminish swelling, such as lying down with your feet elevated, or wearing compression bandages overnight. Contact your healthcare provider if swelling persists for more than a couple of days, or to discuss other options if you are having trouble wearing the stockings. Finally, it’s important that while you wear compression stockings you check your legs daily for areas of skin irritation, redness or other color or skin changes. These may be signs that your stockings don’t fit correctly or that you have an infection. Contact your healthcare team if this occurs. Adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Paul Takahashi, M.D., primary care internal medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. For more information, visit www.mayclinic. org. © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Phone apps From page 23 The new uploaded selfies don’t need an appointment. They are a daily routine for many tuberculosis patients in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston, where savings on mileage and worker time amounted to $100,000 in a recent year. In Boston, Albuquerque and five other cities, researchers are studying whether the technology works for hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that’s surging among a new generation of injection drug users. New drugs for hepatitis C can cure, but they’re expensive — $75,000 for a 12-week course of treatment — so insurers want to make sure patients take every dose. “I think it holds a lot of promise,” said researcher Dr. Alain Litwin of University of South Carolina School of Medicine, who’s testing whether patients do better when someone watches them take their pills. What’s next? An insurer in Maryland plans to use the technology for monitoring diabetes and high blood pressure to make sure Medicare and Medicaid patients take their medicine. Startups selling the apps say they could be used by faraway adult children monitoring an elderly parent’s daily pill-taking.

Privacy concerns Experts worry about privacy, data secu-

rity and penalties for poor pill-taking. “That’s the biggest ick factor,” said Carolyn Neuhaus, a medical ethicist at the Hastings Center in New York. “You can imagine a program where benefits are tied to compliance and the insurer says, ‘We won’t pay for medication anymore unless you’re taking it correctly.’” Globally, the rapid spread of smartphones creates an opportunity to eradicate TB, say the app developers. But eliminating TB entirely may require simpler, cheaper technologies that can be scaled for millions of cases, said Dr. Daniel Chin, who leads TB efforts for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The group supports research in China and India on two homegrown technologies. China’s tool, about the size of a child’s shoebox, reminds patients to take their pills and saves data for review. In India, the government favors a blister pill pack printed with phone numbers. A patient punches out a daily pill, then calls the revealed number. Worldwide, TB kills more than 1.6 million people annually, even though most deaths are preventable with treatment. “If we are going to eliminate the disease, we need technology,” said Dr. Richard Garfein of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, who helped develop one of the smartphone apps, SureAdhere. — AP

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Ways to maximize your Medicare benefits By Eleanor Laise Medicare is vital to the health of nearly 60 million Americans. Yet many of its benefits are overlooked, underused or misunderstood. Consider the annual “wellness” visit, during which a doctor will assess your health risks, take your blood pressure and other routine measurements, check for cognitive impairment, and offer personalized health advice. It’s free. Yet less than 11 percent of

Medicare beneficiaries took advantage of the benefit in 2012, according to the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Recent research suggests that number hasn’t budged much since then. That’s not the only Medicare benefit left lying on the examining table. Many healthy seniors pass up a host of free preventive services, ranging from bone mass measurement to cancer screening — “the kinds of things that people don’t generally think of if they’re not sick,” said Bonnie Burns, a

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consultant at California Health Advocates. Other benefits, such as home healthcare, often go unused because they have complex eligibility requirements. If you need incentives to maximize the bang for your Medicare buck, here are about 6,000 of them: The average traditional Medicare beneficiary enrolled in both Part A and Part B spent $6,150 out-of-pocket on Medicare and Medigap premiums, doctor visits, drugs and other healthcare needs in 2013, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That number looks even larger when you consider that half of Medicare beneficiaries have annual income below $26,200. Here are some ways to get better care for less from Medicare.

Take the Medicare freebies Many Medicare beneficiaries “don’t know there’s a whole list of things they can get that have no co-payments,” said Burns. These include screenings for cardiovascular disease and depression, counseling to help you quit smoking, and flu and pneumonia vaccines. You’re also eligible for a free “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit within the first 12 months that you have Medicare Part B. And, as part of your annual wellness visit, you can get free help planning for end-of-life care, and your doctor can help you complete an advance directive that spells out your wishes. (If you schedule a separate visit to discuss end-of-life care with your doctor, you’ll pay the standard 20 percent Part B co-insurance.) If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may also have access to free wellness benefits. Some Advantage plans, for example, offer SilverSneakers membership at no additional cost. This program gives you a basic gym membership and access to group exercise classes designed for seniors.

Choose the right Medicare provider So you’re on original Medicare, and you’ve found a good doctor who treats Medicare patients. Job done, right? Wrong. You need to know whether the doctor accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for services — known as “assignment” — meaning you can’t be billed for more than your Medicare deductible and co-insurance. Most doctors treating Medicare patients accept assignment. Those who don’t fall in two categories: nonparticipating providers, who can charge up to 15 percent more than a reduced Medicare-approved amount for Medicare-covered services and leave you responsible for the extra charges; and “opt out” providers, who can charge whatever they want, as outlined in a private contract with the patient. To find doctors in your area who accept assignment, go to find doctors and other health professionals at Medicare.gov. The search tool indicates which doctors accept Medicare payment amounts. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, check your plan’s provider directory or website to be sure you’re choosing doctors who are in the plan’s network — keeping in mind that doctors may be added to or removed from the network at any time. You’ll generally pay more to see out-of-network providers.

Save on drugs Even if you have Medicare Part D prescription-drug coverage, your out-of-pocket costs can be eye-popping — in part because Part D doesn’t put a cap on out-of-pocket spending. Once their spending has reached the “catastrophic” coverage threshold of $5,000 in 2018, most people still must pay 5 See MEDICARE BENEFITS, page 27

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

From page 26

Understand Medicare home health benefits After Connie Henderson’s husband, Eugene, was diagnosed with a rare genetic con-

have been told their home health coverage is ending because their condition is not improving. But “improvement is absolutely not required in order to get home care,” Stein said. Medicare will cover home healthcare “to maintain a person’s condition or slow their decline, and that’s very important for people with Alzheimer’s, stroke or paralysis.” [For more on this point, see “Chronically ill can get Medicare home care” on page B17 of the April Beacon.]

Fight for your rights

efits? Marshal some allies — which may include your doctors, state health insurance assistance program (SHIP) and patient advocacy groups — and fight back. Review your quarterly Medicare summary notice, which shows services or supplies billed to Medicare. If any claims have been denied, first call the provider. Often, the problem is as simple as the provider having entered the wrong billing code, Stein said. If the claim was submitted correctly, consider filing an appeal. Instructions are on the last page of the Medicare summary

What should you do if you suspect you’ve been inappropriately denied Medicare ben-

See MEDICARE BENEFITS, page 28

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percent of the cost of covered drugs. In some cases, you can rein in drug costs by forgetting your Part D plan and simply paying cash. The reason: Big-box stores, such as Costco and Target, “have a host of generics they offer for a few dollars,” whereas many Part D plans have higher standard co-pays — say, $10 every time you fill a prescription, said Ann Kayrish, senior program manager for the National Council on Aging’s Center for Benefits Access. The downside of simply paying cash: The cost won’t count toward your deductible. When using your Medicare Part D plan, you’ll generally pay less if you stick with your plan’s list of “preferred” pharmacies. Also, review your plan’s formulary. Most Part D plans divide their formularies into five cost-sharing tiers — preferred generic, generic, preferred brands, nonpreferred and specialty drugs — with the lowest-tier preferred generics being the cheapest for enrollees. If you see a drug approved for your condition that’s on a lower tier than one you’re currently taking, ask your doctor if it’s appropriate for you.

dition that causes lung problems, a doctor gave the rural Minnesota couple a bit of good news: Medicare’s home health benefit would pay for a nurse to come to their home and administer the weekly plasma infusions that Eugene would need to treat the condition. Unfortunately, the doctor was wrong. Because Eugene was not homebound, the home health agency said, he didn’t qualify for the Medicare benefit, and the Hendersons would have to pay about $200 a week for the service. That left Connie, 66, in a bind: She could let her husband go to an infusion center at a clinic, where she feared exposure to other ill patients could damage his health. Or she could learn to give the intravenous infusions herself. She chose the latter. At first, it was “scary,” she said. “I didn’t think we could do it.” As the Hendersons discovered, even health providers have a hard time understanding Medicare’s home healthcare benefit. To qualify, you must need skilled services such as nursing, physical therapy or speech therapy. And you must be “homebound,” meaning you have difficulty leaving home without help or leaving home isn’t recommended because of your condition. Even when patients meet all the requirements, they’re often inappropriately denied benefits, according to Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. One issue: Many Medicare beneficiaries

Medicare benefits

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Why is ‘more study’ so often needed? By Dr. Robert Shmerling Q: Why is it that I so often hear about medical news with a wishywashy conclusion and the last words being “more study needed”? A: It’s true. When medical research is described in the news — no matter how promising — the last line is usually a disclaimer about how more research is needed.

That may seem surprising given the positive results and often dramatic implications of what is being presented. Why the seemingly endless need for more study? There are good reasons: • True “breakthroughs” are rare. Research tends to make advances in small steps, many of which are dead ends. In addition, research that makes the news is

often preliminary, based on animal studies or only a small number of human subjects. • For news outlets seeking a large audience, there’s a tendency to present even the most preliminary research results in a dramatic and positive light. But responsible reporting requires some form of disclaimer when the findings are of unknown importance and years away from availability.

• Researchers want their ideas and findings to be known. After all, that’s how ideas are spread among others in the field, and that’s how the researchers advance their reputations, get promoted, and attract funding for additional research. • Hope is a powerful motivator; no one

Medicare benefits

In some cases, Medicare beneficiaries must fight for their rights on the fly. If you are in the hospital and believe you’re being discharged too soon, for example, you have the right to an expedited review of your case. Within two days of a hospital admission, you should receive a notice labeled “an im-

portant message from Medicare about your rights,” which includes information on appealing a discharge decision. Until you get a decision on your appeal, “you stay in the hospital bed,” said Diane Omdahl, president of Medicare consulting firm 65 Incorporated.

at the Medicare Rights Center. In Maryland, you must have been a state resident for at least six months and have an income at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, which is $36,420 for individuals and $49,380 for couples. Virginia’s program is only for AIDS patients, and the District of Columbia does not have such a program.

From page 27 notice. Your SHIP program may be able to provide sample letters of appeal and follow up with further assistance as your claim progresses, Kayrish said.

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Explore money-saving programs Seniors living on a limited income may qualify for Medicare Savings Programs that will help cover Part B premiums and in some cases deductibles and co-payments, too. Although the programs help cover Medicare costs, they’re administered by state Medicaid programs, and eligibility requirements vary from state to state. While all states restrict these programs to people with relatively modest incomes, some states have no limit on assets, so retirees who have built up a nest egg may qualify. (Locally, that applies to those in Washington, D.C., but not Maryland or Virginia.) If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program, you automatically qualify for “Extra Help,” which helps pay Medicare Part D drug costs. Some states also offer State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs), which can help cover Part D premiums, co-payments and other costs. In some cases, the income limits are “higher than you would think,” said Casey Schwarz, senior counsel

See MORE STUDY, page 29

Medicare hospice benefit Many Medicare beneficiaries with the most severe health problems are missing out on some key benefits, Medicare experts say. Among beneficiaries with a terminal illness, for example, hospice is “greatly underused,” Omdahl said. If you’re expected to live six months or less, the hospice benefit can provide care in your own home, drugs for controlling symptoms and relieving pain, respite care that allows family caregivers some time off, and other services. Under hospice, Medicare won’t cover treatments that are meant to cure your terminal illness, but you can still receive treatment for other conditions. Hospice “doesn’t mean you’re giving up,” Stein said. In fact, she said, “with good hospice care, people sometimes live longer, because so many of their needs are met.” © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Healthy men 55+ sought for paid research By Barbara Ruben Some studies show that when you get cold, you burn more calories to keep your body warm. A kind of body fat called brown fat may be especially good at burning calories. Brown fat is a special kind of fat, typically having a greater number of blood vessels, that can quickly generate warmth. For many years, hibernating animals and infants have been known to have brown fat. Recently, it has been suggested that adult humans also have brown fat. If brown fat becomes active (burns calories) in adult humans when exposed to cold, then these people would tend to burn off more calories and might not gain weight easily. Learning more about the relationship between energy expenditure, brown fat, environmental temperature, and body temperature may help explain why some people become obese and other people do not.

Older men needed

More study

ample, many animal studies come to conclusions that don’t apply to humans. It may seem as though medical researchers and the reporters who bring their stories to you are inordinately conservative by recommending more study. But the stakes are high. Being wrong could be dangerous to the health of research subjects and future patients. It also could jeopardize the researchers’ reputations and those of their academic sponsors and funding sources. Thus, the big disclaimer at the end. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 28 wants to take that away. We all want to believe that progress is being made — even if preliminary and of uncertain value — with conditions that are common or lack highly effective treatments. When condensed to sound bites, research described in the media may skim past limitations such as flaws in measurement, study design, or the possibility the results are due to random chance. Results can also turn out to be irrelevant or lack an immediate impact. For ex-

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now seeking Caucasian men ages 55 to 75 as part of a larger study on how the body burns calories when exposed to different temperatures. The study is also looking at how brown fat burns calories in cold temperatures. NIH has already studied young lean and obese Caucasian men, and is now opening the study to older men of normal weight and young African American men. “We also anticipate future studies to expand to other ethnicities and races of both genders,” said Suzanne McGehee, a certified registered nurse practitioner in NIH’s Human Energy & Body Weight Regulation Core.

Paid in-patient study The study first involves a screening visit, including medical history, physical exam blood tests, and an EKG to monitor

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heart rhythm. The study involves an 11-day in-patient stay at NIH’s Metabolic Unit of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. All meals will be provided. During this time, patients cannot leave NIH’s Clinical Center. Participants will stay in a specialized room with different temperature settings up to five hours per day. Temperatures will range from about 61 degrees to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperature, activity, calorie burning, and cold/hot sensations will be monitored. On the study day of the coldest temperature, participants will have an imaging study to look for brown fat activity. Every afternoon, participants will walk for 30 minutes on a treadmill. Men in the study must be generally

healthy, with a normal body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 25. They cannot have hypo- or hyper-thyroid conditions or psychological conditions, such as claustrophobia, clinical depression or bipolar disorders. They cannot have either gained or lost more than 5 percent or their body weight in the last six months, or have diabetes, kidney disease or abnormal liver function. Participants must be non-smokers and must not have a history of illicit drug use or alcohol abuse in the last five years. The study pays $1,700 if all 11 days of testing are completed. To learn more, call NIH’s recruitment line at 1-866-444-2214 (TTY 1-866-4111010). Refer to study #12-DK-0097, cohort #5.

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Health Shorts Financial blows may be lethal A big financial loss may shorten your life, a new study suggests. Middle-aged Americans who experienced a sudden, large economic blow were more likely to die during the following years than those who didn’t. The heightened danger of death after a devastating loss, which researchers called a “wealth shock,” crossed socio-economic lines, affecting people no matter how much money they had to start with. The analysis of nearly 9,000 people’s ex-

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

periences underscores well-known connections between money and well-being, with prior studies linking lower incomes and rising income inequality with more chronic disease and shorter life expectancy. “This is really a story about everybody,” said lead researcher Lindsay Pool of Northwestern University’s medical school. Stress, delays in healthcare, substance abuse and suicides may contribute, she said. “Policymakers should pay attention.” Overall, wealth shock was tied with a 50 percent greater risk of dying, although the study couldn’t prove a cause-and-effect connection. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers analyzed two decades of

data from the Health and Retirement Study, which checks in every other year with a group of people in their 50s and 60s and keeps track of who dies. About 1 in 4 people in the study had a wealth shock, which researchers defined as a loss of 75 percent or more in net worth over two years. The average loss was about $100,000. That could include a drop in the value of investments, or realized losses like a home foreclosure. Some shocks happened during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Others happened before or after. No matter what was going on in the greater U.S. economy, a wealth shock still increased the chance of dying. Women were more likely than men to have a wealth shock. Once they did, their increased chance of dying was about the same as the increase for men. Researchers adjusted for marital changes, unemployment and health status. They still saw the connection between financial crisis and death. The effect was more marked if the person lost a home as part of the wealth shock, and it was more pronounced for people with fewer assets. The findings suggest a wealth shock is as dangerous as a new diagnosis of heart

disease, wrote Dr. Alan Garber of Harvard University in an accompanying editorial. He noted that doctors need to recognize how money hardships may affect their patients.

New drug lowers risk of death, heart attack A newer cholesterol drug, used with older statin medicines, modestly lowered heart risks and deaths in a big study of heart attack survivors that might persuade insurers to cover the pricey treatment more often. Results on the drug, Praluent (PRALLyoo-ent), were announced at an American College of Cardiology conference in March. It’s the first time a cholesterol-lowering drug has reduced deaths since statins such as Lipitor and Crestor came out decades ago. “It’s the ultimate outcome; it’s what matters to patients,” said study leader Dr. Philippe Gabriel Steg of Hospital Bichat in Paris. But the benefit was small — 167 people See HEALTH SHORTS, page 31

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

A tasty crusted salmon done in minutes By Melissa D’Arabian I like to have a small repertoire of dishes that require hardly any prep, and that use ingredients I have on hand. The trick, of course, is to keep those ingredients on hand! Stock your pantry with frozen wild salmon filets and Dijon mustard and you will never be more than a few sheet-pan minutes away from a tasty crusted salmon. While the ingredients might change up a bit depending on your mood and your pantry, the basic strategy is the same: Stir a few flavorful ingredients into some Dijon mustard, spread it on quickly marinated salmon, and bake until done. Go from start to table in about 30 minutes. Today’s recipe for Mustard and Dill Crusted Salmon is but one example of this recipe blueprint. Once you’ve mastered it (which won’t take long), you can venture out on your own on a given night and create your own version. I’ll share a few best practices based on

Health shorts From page 30 would need to use Praluent for nearly three years to prevent a single death. “That’s a high cost” that may still hinder its use, said one independent expert, Dr. Amit Khera, a preventive cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a spokesman for the American Heart Association. The drug’s makers, Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, sponsored the study and said they would work with insurers on pricing to get the medicine to those who need it the most. “We need to reset our expectations” and realize that benefits for any new drug

many years of mustard-crusting salmon: Add a little something sweet, like a touch of honey, pure maple syrup or agave. Also, include one or two aromatic ingredients, like minced shallot, garlic, spices or dried herbs. If you don’t mind a little extra fat, a tiny bit of olive oil or even mayonnaise will keep the dish juicy and tender, for just a few extra calories a person. But don’t fret if you want to skip the oil and keep things super lean. Finally, you can add a little texture if you want by topping with breadcrumbs or crushed nuts, but this is totally optional.

Mustard and Dill Crusted Salmon Servings: 4 Start to finish: 30 minutes 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 fillets of salmon, about 5 ounces each Mustard Crust: 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

are going to be fairly small when added to already good treatments such as statins, said Dr. Jeffrey Kuvin, conference leader and cardiology chief at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The new drugs clearly help people at high risk, and are not aimed at people at low risk, such as those who have high cholesterol but have never had a heart attack, he said. Duke University cardiologist Dr. Christopher Granger said, “I’ve been unconvinced” of the drugs benefits prior to this study. But now may prescribe them for certain very high risk patients. Still, preventing fewer than one heart problem a year at the drug’s current price is not cost-effective, he said. — AP

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped) Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the soy sauce and lemon juice in a shallow bowl, and dip both sides of each salmon fillet in the mixture. Let the marinade soak into the salmon for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the mustard crust in a medium bowl and set aside. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Gently pat any excess liquid off the salmon fillets. (They do not need to be completely dry; just not dripping.) Divide the mustard mixture among the fillets, and use your hands to coat the fish entirely in the mustard mixture. Place the fish on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake just until fish is cooked through (about 135 F internal temperature).

This will take between 10 and 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. If the fish is frozen, add about 5 minutes. In general, the salmon will be ready a few minutes earlier than you think. Serve with vegetables and brown rice for a quick weeknight meal. Chef’s Note: This recipe can be prepared with frozen fish fillets. First, let them sit out for 15 minutes to thaw the outside just enough for the soy sauce and lemon mixture to soak in a little. Proceed with recipe, adding cook-time as needed. Nutrition information per serving: 247 calories; 97 calories from fat; 11 g. fat (2 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 79 mg. cholesterol; 635 mg. sodium; 6 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 2 g. sugar; 29 g. protein. Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, Supermarket Healthy. Online: www.melissadarabian.net. — AP

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

A variety of teas — good for what ails you We’re doing something wrong because, polyphenol found in green tea, can slow as a nation, we spend twice what other down the growth of many cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Angiocomparable countries spend genesis slows. on healthcare, but we have If you have chronic infecthe lowest life expectancy. tions or cancer, talk to your onWorse, we have the highest incologist about taking this supfant mortality rates. plement because timing is imOur medical system is exportant if you’re on chemo. pensive, slow, inefficient, and If you want help rememat times miserably incompebering: tent. It’s not me saying this, Gotu kola is for your brain, I’m just passing along news from a recent study published baby! It boosts memory and DEAR helps with age-related cogniin the Journal of the American PHARMACIST tive decline. Medical Association. By Suzy Cohen Today, I’d like to get back to I have my own refreshing recipe for Mint Hibiscus Memnature. I’m going to share the best teas for various health concerns. Teas ory Tea with gotu kola. I show you how to are gentle, but they contain powerful natu- make this tea in a video on my website. ral compounds that man has relied on for Watch at suzycohen.com/hibiscus-tea. If you want to sleep: centuries. Lavender tea is the best option. It works If you have a medical condition, please make sure to consult your pharmacist, like prescribed tranquilizers, meaning it achealth practitioner, local herbalist or tivates your natural sleep hormone called GABA. Rose petals can do the same thing! acupuncturist on this subject. I crawled out of bed one night in my jamThe teas I mention below are sold as commercially prepared teabags or you can mies to make Lavender Rose Sleep Tea. To learn how, watch at suzycohen.com/laveneasily make them yourself. If you want help with cancer and im- der-rose-tea. munity: If you have diabetes or want to Many good animal studies prove that lower blood pressure: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a Rooibos tea is excellent at cleaning capil-

laries, and there are many of these tiny capillaries that feed your retina. I think the tea is great for both blood pressure and vision. Rooibos has no caffeine. It contains chrysoeriol, which helps reduce blood pressure. You might also consider goldenseal or dandelion, two of Mother Nature’s best diuretics. If you want to relieve nausea: Ginger tea is easy to make, and it also does not have caffeine. It contains numerous biologically active compounds, including gingerols, which act like medicine in the body. Just grate fresh ginger into some water and simmer it for a few minutes. It’s also a potent anti-inflammatory for joint health.

For allergies and sinus problems: The herb stinging nettles is a very common, natural way to deal with allergies. It’s a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory herb that helps with hay fever, according to some well-designed trials. You should ask your practitioner about this if you’re interested. It’s a natural diuretic by the way, so be careful if you take HCTZ or furosemide. 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.

BEACON BITS

June 2+

STRAWBERY FESTIVAL

Bring the grandkids to the Sandy Spring Museum’s annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum’s grounds will be transformed into a fun-filled community fair, with live music and entertainment, food trucks, a beer garden, and activities for children of all ages. Over the years, the Strawberry Festival has featured a rock climbing wall, pony rides, a petting zoo, and more. The museum is located at 17901 Bentley Rd., Sandy Spring, Md. For more information, visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org/strawberry-festival.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Turn ‘my’ retirement into ‘our’ retirement and the beholder should behold them privately in the bosom of their nuclear family. If you thought nothing could be worse than “come see our vacation pictures,” you now know that that invitation can be topped by “come see our sonogram pictures!” Dear Solutions: I don’t know how to accept or deal with a certain kind of hypocrisy, which makes me angry and nasty to the person I have to deal with. There is this man in a group I run. He is constantly voicing his religious beliefs and criticisms of others. But almost at the same time, he boasts about getting away with little robberies, and supporting politicians who keep doing the things

he claims his religion is morally against. I don’t want to start fights with him, but how can I calm down and accept this religious hypocrisy? — A. Dear A.: How to accept this? Well, try thinking what he would be like if he didn’t claim any religion! Ignore him. Only a fool bothers fighting with a fool. Of course, if nothing else works — pray! © Helen Oxenberg, 2018. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

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Dear Solutions: much more. When she gains some of that Since I retired, my wife keeps making time you’ll share with her, she’ll give up appointments for us to go places and do the complaining and nagging. things constantly. I told her Recognize that she’s feeling that I worked very hard, and completely left out from your now I just want to stay home grand retirement plan. You’ve and listen to my music, changed your activities drastiread, relax and do nothing. cally, but she’s still expected to So now, she doesn’t say continue doing what she alanything during the day but ways did while you were workjust goes out all day. The ing. Changing “my retirement” problem is that as soon as to “our retirement” may be just we get into bed at night she the sleeping pill you need. starts complaining, nagging Dear Solutions: and comparing with others. SOLUTIONS It’s hard enough to know I said I would move into By Helen Oxenberg, what to say besides, “Oh, another room, and that just MSW, ACSW how adorable” when people started another argument. trot out pictures of their No matter what I say, she doesn’t stop newborn grandchildren. until I fall asleep. What should I do? But now there’s an added problem. — Bill What can you say when the potential Dear Bill: grandparent excitedly shows you picDon’t get into bed until you’re asleep tures of the unborn fetus? (kidding). It does sound like the only way My neighbor came to me with these you two can share the same bed at the pictures pointing out, “Oh, don’t you same time is if you’re both asleep! Moving see it? There’s his nose, and those are into another room will just move the con- the eyes.” I hope that was a nose and flict to another time. eyes, but all I saw was a blob. You looked forward to your retirement What are you supposed to say? Or so you could finally do nothing. She looked maybe I should ask, what are you not forward to your retirement so she could fi- supposed to say? nally do something — with you. — L T. The only thing you’re sharing now is a Dear L.T.: nightmare, and only compromise and un“Blob” is out! Nods while exclaiming derstanding can change that into a pleas- “oh, wow” is in. But don’t say, “I can see he ant dream. looks just like you.” If you give up, you’ll gain. If she gains, Along with “oh, wow,” say, “Isn’t techshe’ll give up. Give up a little of your time nology fabulous?!” alone, share some of her plans, and you’ll It is. But let’s face it. Noses and things in a at least gain a night’s sleep and probably sonogram are in the eye of the beholder —

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VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 5

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging Thanks to everyone who joined us last month at our budget oversight hearing! I had the pleasure of presenting Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year 2019 budget, “A Fair Shot,” and the investments made to support seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers. It was great to see so many of you testifying and speaking up about your budget priorities and what’s needed to continue making D.C. the best city in the world to live and age! To view my full testimony, visit: www.dcoa.dc.gov. Here at the Office on Aging, we celebrate our older Americans every day of the year. But this month we join the rest of the country in celebrating May as Older Americans Month. The theme this year is Engage at Every Age, recognizing the many ways older adults make a difference in our communities and in our lives. Here in D.C., our older residents are the core of what makes our city great. They keep our communities strong and vibrant, and remind us of what it means to be a true Washingtonian. This month, I invite you to tell us about an older adult who has made a significant impact on your life — whether it’s someone from your past, or someone you know today — write in to us and share your story of an older adult who has challenged you, comforted you, or inspired you throughout your life. Now I know I’ve written about my parents and grandparents before, and I often talk about their impact on my life when I’m out in the community. So I want to try something new — I want to highlight new members on my team and give you the opportunity to get to know them. This month, we welcomed Alexis Griffin to our Executive Management Team as our new Director of Finance. Alexis brings a wealth of experience to the agency, previously serving on the Mayor’s budget team managing the Health and Human Services cluster

budget. Prior to joining District government, Alexis worked in the private sector in banking and corporate finance. A Howard University alum, Alexis hails from Chicago, but is proud to call the District home! We are excited to be working with Alexis and I know she’s just as excited about working for our older District residents. When I asked her about an older adult who has impacted her life, here’s what she had to say: My favorite older Americans are my grandparents, Ethel and James Heads, who migrated from the South to Chicago with their seven kids in the ‘60s, in search of better opportunities. They are the pillars of wisdom and guidance for our family, and inspire me with their love for life and for each other. When I visit, I enjoy when the three of us hang out, with my grandparents always providing great food, the best jokes and entertaining stories. They’ve been married for over 62 years and are a true example of dedication and commitment to family. I’m also thankful to them for creating a culture of love and hard work in our family, which has provided me with the resiliency and confidence to reach my goals. My grandparents are still in Chicago, and I miss them every day. But I’m happy to be at the Office on Aging where I get to be reminded of them through the seniors I engage with out in the community. I also want to hear from you. Is there an older adult who has made a significant impact on your life? Tell us about it. Write to us at the D.C. Office on Aging, 500 K Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, or email us at askthedirector.dcoa@dc.gov. Tell us all about that person who has left a mark on who you are today, or where you are going in the future. I’m looking forward to reading about the many extraordinary older Americans who have shaped your lives. Happy Older Americans Month!

May 2018

I Was There District residents came together to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as part of the “I Was There” project on April 4 at the African American Civil War Museum. Garret King, chief of staff, representing Executive Director Laura Newland, welcomed guests to the breakfast event, and highlighted the extraordinary history of the District’s older residents as a vital part of D.C. today. Residents shared their stories as part of the video interview project, sponsored by the Commission of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. More residents will be interviewed over the next few months. D.C. historian Janette Hoston Harris, executive director Standup for Democracy (Free DC) Anise Jenkins, Former Ward 1 Councilmember Frank Smith, and social justice advocate Sharlene Kranz of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) shared their memories of April 4, 1968 and life in Washington, D.C. around that time with Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer. The interviews gave pertinent historical back-

ground of that era, tidbits of experiences, and shared memories of Martin Luther King, Jr., himself. Ms. Senior D.C. Frances CurtisJohnson served as the MC for the event, which included a welcome and reflections by Secretary of the District Lauren Vaughn, who also is the chair of the Commission on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, and greetings from Reverend Thomas Bowen, director, Office of Religious Affairs. Sharing the perspective of a younger generation, the poem “Remembering a Life” by Nordette Adams was read by Darlene Nowlin, D.C. Office on Aging. Sandra Bears, Ms. Senior D.C. 2005, sang a rousing tribute to Dr. King, “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. Bears also ended the program with a traditional closing song, “We Shall Overcome,” as the group held hands with arms crossed, symbolic of the civil rights movement. Special thanks to D.C. Commissioner on Aging Chuck Hicks for coordinating the “I Was There Project.” If you have a story you would like to share as part of the video project, email mrblackhistory@yahoo.com.

The D.C. Office on Aging is pleased to welcome Alexis Griffin as the new Director of Finance.

Spotlight on Aging

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Get Involved Thursday, May 3 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. D.C. Office on Aging Sponsored Capital Dialysis Community Presentation & Workshop American Renal Associates 140 Q St. NW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 5 Contact: Lauren Yaffe, 202-636-9411

Friday, May 4 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. DCOA and our collaborating partners graciously support John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church â&#x20AC;&#x153;TGIFâ&#x20AC;? Health & Resource Fair Valet parking 1615 14th St. NW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 1 Church office: 202-667-3824

Culinary Job Training Program Agency Engagement Meeting 425 2nd St. NW

Tuesday, May 15 9 to 11 a.m. Mayor Muriel Bowserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Older Americans Breakfast 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;? Nineteenth Street Baptist Church 4606 16th St. NW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 4

Thursday, May 17 10 a.m. to noon Train to become a DCOA Ambassador 500 K St. NE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 6 Contact: darlene.nowlin@dc.gov or 202-727-8364 to register.

Friday, May 11 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 17 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

D.C. Central Kitchen

Seabury Resources for Aging Services

FY2019 Wards 4 and 5 Senior Wellness Center Program Operations Grants The Government of the District of Columbia Office on Aging (DCOA) is soliciting applications from qualified applicants to operate two District Senior Wellness Centers (SWC). SWCs promote healthy lifestyles, good nutrition, exercise and general wellness among the Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elderly population, aged 60 and above. A total of $373,747 is available for funding in Ward 4 SWC, and up to $426,241 available for the Ward 5 SWC in the District of Columbia. Funding has been provided to DCOA from both Federal- and District-appropriated funds.

Spotlight On Aging is published by the Information Office of the D.C. Office on Aging for D.C. senior residents. Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the D.C. Office on Aging or by the publisher.

500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 202-724-5626 www.dcoa.dc.gov

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and the Request for Applications (RFA) have been released. The deadline for submission is Friday, June 1, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. EDT. A Pre-Application Conference will be held on Monday, May 7 at 10 a.m. at the D.C. Office on Aging, 500 K St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002, Conference Room 114. Applications can be obtained from the D.C. Office on Aging Office and website, www.dcoa.dc.gov, and on the website of the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development, www.opgd.dc.gov.

The D.C. Office on Aging does not discriminate against anyone based on actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, source of income, and place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subjected to disciplinary action.

The Office on Aging is in partnership with the District of Columbia Recycling Program.

Ward 6 Older Americans Month 2018 Annual Health & Informational Fair 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;? St. Augustineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church 555 Water St. SW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 6

Friday, May 18 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Terrific, Inc. Presents A Celebration of Older Americans Month 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;? Annual Health & Resource Fair Nineteenth Street Baptist Church 4606 16th St. NW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 4 Contact: Edwinta Jenkins, 202-882-1824

Wednesday, May 23 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ward 5 Seniors Day Out â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A Celebration of Older Americans Month 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;?

North Michigan Park Recreation Center 1333 Emerson St. NE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 5 Contact: Tinya Lacey, 202-529-8701

Friday, May 25 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Community Preservation and Development Corp. Older Americans Month Celebration 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;? THEARC Black Box 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 8 Contact: Dr. Katrina Polk, 202-699-1282

Tuesday, May 29 10:30 a.m. to 2: 30 p.m. D.C. Office on Aging graciously supports the Older Americans Month @ The Golden Rule Plaza â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Health & Resource Fair 2018 Theme: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engage at Every Ageâ&#x20AC;? 1050 New Jersey Ave. NW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ward 6

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Money Law &

WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHNG Beware of a new ‘friend,’ who may only be befriending your money and exerting “undue influence” IN THE LONG TERM Long-term care insurance may be expensive, but most of us will need LTC eventually, and the cost of nursing care can bankrupt TAX REFUND SCAM Scammers who claim to be from the IRS want you to think they are merely depositing your refund into your bank account

Bitcoin and blockchain. Why all the hype? By Bradford M. Pine I can’t tell you the number of phone calls I’ve fielded about bitcoin in recent months. The shocking rise of cryptocurrencies last year triggered a wave of media attention on this new form of money as an investment. Even my kids have asked me about it, and are investing themselves. For early adopters of cryptocurrency, 2017 was a good year. Bitcoin started that year at about $1,000 per coin and hit nearly $20,000 per coin by mid-December. It then lost 30 percent within a few days, fell to a low of about $6,500 in February 2018, and trades at around $9,000 as of press time. High price volatility has characterized other cryptocurrencies in recent months as well, including Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple. The market is changing so rapidly that this article is in danger of becoming outdated by the time you read this! So if you’re considering bitcoin or another cryp-

tocurrency as a possible investment, I suggest you tread carefully. In this article, I’ll answer some common questions that I’m hearing about bitcoin, and I’ll offer a few insights into my perspective about cryptocurrency as both an innovation and an investment.

What is bitcoin? In my opinion, many of the people who are buying into the bitcoin rush know very little about it, or about blockchain and cryptocurrencies in general. That means they haven’t thought through some of the risks and realities of this kind of investment. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which means that it’s a digital version of cash that relies on cryptography to protect and verify transactions — and to control the creation of more bitcoin. This system is built in something called blockchain, which is basically a new way of creating and maintaining a ledger of trans-

actions. (I won’t get into the creation, or “mining,” of bitcoin here, but it’s part of the system.) Every time bitcoin is created or traded, it’s recorded on the blockchain, which is verified and shared across a network of participants instead of by a single institution, like a bank. Blockchain is special because it’s transparent, while remaining difficult to modify. It also runs forever, meaning there’s a record of every single transaction ever made. For a simple comparison, think of an online message board: Everyone’s messages are automatically added and recorded where every other reader can see them. All the messages from the very beginning of the thread are logged and displayed for all to see. However, in a message board you can usually delete or edit your message later on — you can’t do that with blockchain.

serted, “It’s Official: Bitcoin is Bigger Than Disney.” In other words, the total dollar value of all the bitcoin out there was greater (at that time) than the value of a large and recognizable company with assets that you can put a dollar value on. But an economic argument for what a “reasonable” price is hasn’t been so easy to come by. Bitcoin isn’t like a Disney: It doesn’t have assets you can sell, and it doesn’t have bonds that provide income, which you can buy. It also has limited use as a currency. Bitcoin doesn’t have a history as a reliable or broadly accepted store of value, like the dollar, and its “exchange rate,” or price, has rocketed up thanks to market demand — but not by the economic value of bitcoin itself. Add to this the reality that about 40% of all bitcoin is held by just 1,000 people.

What’s it worth? A November 2017 CNBC headline as-

See BITCOIN, page 38

Family financial facts wives need to know By Lisa Brown As a financial adviser for nearly 20 years, I’ve met and consoled several women who were devastated by the loss of their husband or the end of their marriage. While the emotional impact of no longer having their lifelong mate is hard enough, their mental anguish is often exaggerated by fear of the financial unknown. My heart goes out to these women. I’ve found that the women who struggle the most initially haven’t been involved in their family finances, and therefore don’t know how much they have available to live on for the rest of their lives. Even if they know the amount — which sometimes is in the millions of dollars — they may lack the confidence to know whether it’s enough. While both men and women need to have their eyes wide open when it comes to their money, it’s likely the woman will eventually be living on her own. According to a recent Gender Gap in Financial Literacy study, “the reality is that 90 percent of women will be solely responsible for their finances at some point in their lives due to the death of a spouse or divorce.” Women need to have a basic under-

standing of how much they have and how it is allocated — property, stocks, bonds and other assets. While a 2014 study by Prudential found that 27 percent of married women say they “take control” of financial and retirement planning and manage it themselves, that means 73 percent of married women do not. Given this gap in knowledge, here are the three basic financial measures all married women should know about their money:

Annual household income Most people recently gathered their W2s and other documents to file their 2017 taxes, so it’s a perfect time to look at how much you and your husband earn together. Federal tax forms require information on income from investment accounts, jobs, rental real estate, pensions or Social Security, and business investments. If a marriage ends in divorce, the lists of assets and income are a critical part of the property settlement with your spouse. Review tax returns from the past two years, and be sure to keep a copy of each tax return going forward. Couples filing a joint return both need to sign the tax documents, so don’t be afraid to ask questions if

the numbers look really different from last year’s taxes.

Amounts of all assets and debts At least once a year, sit down with your spouse or partner and make a list of everything you own. This includes checking and savings accounts, 401(k) retirement plans, life insurance and real estate. It’s important to know your net worth. So next to each asset, make a note about any loans attached to each one. For example, your house may be valued at $750,000, but you may still owe $250,000 on the mortgage. My husband and I examine our combined balance sheet annually to check on the progress we’re making toward our financial goals, which includes our college savings plans for our three children, as well as our retirement accounts. This exercise lets us know where we stand — and celebrate if see we’ve made progress over the past 12 months. An annual review also helps ensure that couples don’t forget about any investment they may have made years ago, such as an investment in a stock that may not be performing well.

Finally, use this meeting to determine ownership in each asset. For example, are your home and investment accounts owned jointly, or just in your spouse’s name? Ownership will matter if your spouse passes away, and could impact how much income tax you pay each year.

Make certain you have a will If you and your spouse do not have a will, make it a priority to meet with an attorney. Bring the household balance sheet to this meeting. If there is a will, read it and make certain you know which assets you will inherit if your husband passes away. In addition, determine how much income will be available from life insurance and other sources to support you for the rest of your life. For example, if your husband’s job provides the bulk of the household income, will you need to find a job to pay the mortgage and other basic expenses? Also, if your attorney only provides an electronic copy of the will, print out a copy and keep it in a secure place that can be accessed easily. This will enable the executor See FINANCIAL FACTS, page 37

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N â&#x20AC;&#x201D; M AY 2 0 1 8

An indispensable guide to Social Security There is no question that Social Security ing for benefits up to age 70, which inissues are important to the American public. creases your benefits by 8 percent for every year you wait past full It is not unusual for me to reretirement age (FRA). ceive more than 100 responses Another advantage in doing from readers when I write a Soso is that widows/widowers cial Security-related column. might be entitled to a larger Regular readers know that I benefit if you choose this opfrequently reference Andy tion. Filing for widow/widower Landis as a source. He has benefits at one point does not just updated his book, Social preclude filing for benefits Security: The Inside Story based on your work record at a (www.andylandis.biz), which I consider an indispensable relater time. source on the topic. THE SAVINGS This book is up-to-date, com- GAME Spousal only benefits prehensive, well-organized and By Elliot Raphaelson The chapter also discusses â&#x20AC;&#x153;restricted application for easy to understand. He provides numerous helpful examples. In each spousal onlyâ&#x20AC;? payments. This option allows chapter, he includes Social Security refer- you to file for your spousal benefit after you ences so readers can read the associated reach your FRA, and then to file for your benefits based on your work record up to regulations that were discussed. The book provides a useful overview of age 70. Unfortunately, many Social Security repSocial Security and chapters on retirement benefits, family benefits, survivor benefits, resentatives do not understand this option. When I have written about this option, I disability benefits and Medicare. There are references to available calcu- have been amazed at the number of readlators for estimating your benefits, hints ers who write complaining about the ignoon effective filing, and a very important rance of many Social Security Administrachapter on maximizing your benefits. tion representatives. The chapter on maximizing Social SecuNote that this option is available only to rity benefits is particularly useful. Landis individuals who were born before January discusses the advantages of postponing fil- 2, 1954. And to qualify, your spouse would

have to have already filed for his/her benefits. You must not have received a reduced retirement benefit or spousal payment before. It would make sense to use this option only if your payment at age 70 is higher than your spousal payment at FRA. If you meet these qualifications, it can be a valuable tool.

You need expertise Many of the options and tools discussed in this book will help you make the right decisions. You cannot depend on advice from SSA representatives. Many financial planners are far from experts in Social Security as well. See SOCIAL SECURITY, page 39

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Bitcoin

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

So why all the hype?

From page 36 That makes bitcoin extremely sensitive to the whims of that very small group — and their actions aren’t regulated by securities authorities because bitcoin isn’t a security. Cryptocurrencies in general aren’t regulated, and it’s not clear they could be effectively regulated in the future. The government is not involved yet, and it may or may not get involved in the future — and it’s tough to know how it could affect prices and demand in the future. When you add all this together, it’s difficult to see how bitcoin could be worth the prices it is reaching today. Right now, it’s supply and demand that is driving the price, so there’s no true valuation — or even a valuation process — that you can rely on. That makes me nervous.

Is bitcoin worth something? Probably. Blockchain is pretty widely considered a significant improvement on transaction recording, and the real-world potential for digital currency could certainly be there. The way I look at it is that blockchain is the arms dealer in the war between cryptocurrencies. No matter which one wins — or even if none of them does — in my opinion it looks like blockchain will be here to stay. I’ve been around long enough to know the lasting impact that a new technology can have on financial markets and the world as a whole. (Do you remember the first “personal computers”? I sure do.) But I’ve also been around long enough to know that when you hear words like “new world order” it doesn’t always end well. There are unforeseen risks and even known weaknesses in the system.

Just in December, a South Korean bitcoin exchange called Nicehash went out of business after hackers made off with an undisclosed amount of the currency, while earlier in the month $70 million was stolen from the Nicehash exchange. Exchanges can make promises about making investors whole, but this is an unregulated market — there are no guarantees. In other words, I think it’s important to understand that “new world order” doesn’t always mean “smooth sailing.” Back in 1999, people were laughing at Warren Buffett for not recognizing the world had changed in the dot-com era. Some of the companies founded in those days did end up changing the world (such as Amazon), but a lot of good people also lost their life savings in the hype (remember the doomed Pets.com and its sock puppet?).

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For those who are determined to be part of the bitcoin rush, I have three pieces of advice. First, do your homework. Understand the product and learn everything you can about how it’s being used, where the potential lies, and what could impact its price — for better or worse. Second, don’t invest money you’re not prepared to lose. My typical advice is to cap these types of investments at 5% of investable assets, but even that might be too much, depending on your specific financial situation, personal financial needs and overall asset allocation. If you don’t know what you can lose without impacting your overall financial goals, check in with your adviser. Finally, prepare for any outcome. In my opinion, this is a “zero or hero” investment: It might work brilliantly, or it might amount to nothing. In these types of situations, where price is driven by demand and

where there are few fundamentals to work from, you need to brace for volatility and the potential for heavy losses. Cryptocurrency may very well stick around and be a successful innovation, just like the tech sector was. The question is which cryptocurrencies will stand the test of time and go on to be successful — and at what price. This is notoriously hard to predict. For example, few could have foreseen that MySpace would be eclipsed by Facebook, or that Amazon would grow from online bookseller to retail juggernaut. In other words, I don’t know what’s going to happen in bitcoin, but what I see right now is a lot of uninformed investors piling in — and very few reasoned arguments for where bitcoin “should” be in terms of value. In my opinion this is a problematic situation to walk into. My reasoning is simple: I think that when we stop acting like informed investors — or even informed traders — and start believing that something will be the winning lotto ticket, we’re likely to get in trouble. Are people making a lot of money on bitcoin right now, at least on paper? It sure seems that way. But I’m concerned about all the people who could be left holding the bag when and if the bitcoin rush turns. Like Warren Buffett, in this case I’d rather miss out on the upside than risk experiencing the downside. You can call it being a dinosaur if you want: I just call it being prudent. Written by Bradford Pine with Anna B. Wroblewska. Bradford M. Pine is a Wealth Adviser with Bradford Pine Wealth Group, This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Social Security From page 37 I recommend that it is in your best interests to become an expert in Social Security before it is time to apply for benefits. Making the right decision can provide you with hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional benefits. Many divorced individuals do not understand their Social Security options. If your previous marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you either have not remarried or remarried after age 60, you may have benefits you are not aware of. You can’t depend on the SSA to inform you, either. For example, many individuals believe that because their ex-spouse remarried, it affects their benefits. This is false; it has no impact. If your ex predeceases you, it is possible that you are entitled to larger benefits than

you previously were receiving. For example, assume your ex worked until age 70 and was receiving $2,000 per month in Social Security benefits, and he/she died. If you are single, or remarried after age 60, you are entitled to whichever is greater, your exspouse’s benefit or the benefit you are now receiving. Landis’ book covers this and other topics in great detail. If you have any relatives approaching retirement age, one of the best gifts you can provide is a copy of this book. It can make their retirement much more prosperous. Making the right Social Security choices is critical. Making the wrong choices is expensive and difficult to undo. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2018 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ongoing

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Need help getting your computer’s software to work? Want to download a book or magazine from the Arlington Library’s eCollection? Interested in finally uploading all the photos on your smartphone? Arlington Library’s tech assistants can provide one-on-one assistance with basic computer tasks; completing tasks in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and other computer software; troubleshooting an issue on your personal device; downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks; creating email accounts; and getting started with social media such as Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit http://arlingtonva.libcal.com/booking/techhelp.

Ongoing

OPIOID ABUSE PODCAST

Fairfax 50+ is a podcast series featuring discussions on issues, services and activities of interest to residents 50 and over. In this edition, host Jim Person talks with Miranda Gillespie, a substance abuse counselor with the Fairfax/Falls Church Community Services Board to discuss the use and abuse of opioids, how to tell whether you or someone you love may have a problem and how to find help. To listen to the podcast, visit http://bit.ly/FairfaxOpioidAbusePodcast.

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May 14

MEDICARE 101 Fairfax County is offering a free introduction to Medicare program

on Monday, May 14 from 10:30 a.m.to noon. Learn the facts about health insurance for older adults at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 5114 Twinbrook Rd., Fairfax, Va. For more information or to register, call Mary Walker at (703) 278-8375, TTY 711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults.

May 16

COMMISSION ON AGING MEETING The Fairfax Commission on Aging meets on Wednesday, May 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Richard Frank Room at the Sully District

Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, Va. The public is welcome to attend and join in the comment period that begins each session. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/FairfaxOlderAdults or call (703) 324-5403, TTY 711.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

A ‘new friend’ may signal a big problem By Eleanor Laise Your elderly mother has a new best friend who accompanies her everywhere. She has always been frugal, but now lavishes pricey gifts on her new pal. And although you used to speak with her every few days, she never seems to answer your calls anymore. Are these simply the signs of a senior living it up in her later years? Or is something sinister happening? Those are the difficult questions that can arise in cases of “undue influence,” in which a perpetrator takes advantage of his position of trust or power to gain control over the victim’s decision-making, usually to line his own pockets. The perpetrator could be a new “best friend,” financial adviser, adult child, or someone else close to the victim. And while anyone can fall victim to undue influence, those most vulnerable include older, more isolated individuals. Undue influence plays a role in many — if not most — cases of financial abuse, said Dr. Bennett Blum, a physician specializing in forensic and geriatric psychiatry who serves as an expert witness in elder abuse cases. Seniors lose about $6.7 billion a year to family members, friends, caregivers, financial advisers or other trusted associates who exploit their roles for financial gain, according to a report by San Francisco fi-

nancial-services firm True Link Financial.

Cases are underreported The problem is growing, elder abuse experts say, as the population ages. And it may be far greater than any statistics can demonstrate. “At best, 80 percent of cases are never reported to anyone — and at worst, 95 percent,” Blum said. In many cases, victims are only manipulated, rather than threatened or coerced, so they don’t even realize they’re victims. And if they do realize what’s happening, they may be hesitant to speak up for fear of retribution from the perpetrator — or fear that government authorities or family members will think they can no longer take care of themselves, Blum said. As concern over the issue grows, new rules may help prevent some of the financial fallout. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules that took effect this year, for example, require brokers to ask clients for the name of a trusted person they can contact, and allow them to place a temporary hold on disbursements from an older client’s account if they suspect the client is a victim of financial exploitation. Such rules, of course, can’t prevent every case of undue influence. John Waszolek was a broker at UBS when one of his elderly clients, a widow, was diagnosed

with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. Shortly thereafter, Waszolek took the client to meet an estate-planning lawyer who prepared a healthcare power of attorney and living will naming Waszolek as the widow’s agent, according to a 2015 FINRA complaint against Waszolek. In 2009, the complaint alleges, Waszolek referred the client to a second attorney, who prepared an amendment to her trust naming Waszolek as beneficiary of about $1.3 million in trust assets. When Waszolek later went to work for Morgan Stanley, the widow’s trust account moved with him. And after her death in 2010, Waszolek attempted to collect the cash, which by that time had grown to about $1.8 million, according to the complaint.

He didn’t succeed. The trustee refused to distribute the cash without Morgan Stanley’s approval, and Morgan Stanley did not approve, according to FINRA. In 2015, without admitting or denying the allegations, Waszolek consented to a settlement that barred him from the industry. He did not respond to our request for comment.

Safeguards that can help How can seniors and their loved ones prevent such a scenario? One defense is to stay connected, said Lisa Nerenberg, executive director of the California Elder Justice Coalition. If a loved one suddenly withdraws from social circles, or someone seems to be interSee NEW FRIEND, page 41

Offices to call in the region if you need to report possible undue influence or abuse: In Maryland Montgomer y County, Dept. of Health and Human Services, Adult Protective Services, (240) 777-3000 Prince George’s County, Dept of Social Services, Adult Protective Services, (301) 909-2228 State of Maryland, Dept. of Human Ser vices, Adult Protective Services, 1-800-917-7383

tective Services, (703) 746-5778, (703) 836-1493 (TTY) Fairfax County, Dept of Family Services, Older Adults, Adult Protective Services, (703) 324-7450 (TTY 711) Loudoun County, Adult Protective Services, (703) 777-0353 State of Virginia Dept. of Social Ser vices, Adult Protective Services, 1-888-832-3858

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WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

New friend From page 40 fering — such as a caregiver telling visitors that the senior doesn’t want to see them — that’s a red flag, she said. Watch for other changes in behavior, such as when someone who has always been cautious with money suddenly starts doling out large gifts. Be particularly vigilant if a senior has just lost a spouse. “There are scammers who follow death announcements” and try to befriend survivors, Nerenberg said. Another preventive step: Create some checks and balances if you’re asking other people to help manage your money as you age. When designating a financial power of attorney, for example, you can name two people to serve together — perhaps one family member and one trusted adviser, said Hyman Darling, an elder law attorney in Springfield, Mass. If someone is helping you with day-today money management, regularly review your bank and brokerage statements for any unusual transactions. Online services may help. EverSafe, for example, helps monitor financial accounts for changes in spending patterns or suspi-

cious activity, and you can name a trusted friend or adviser to help you keep tabs on your accounts. If you suspect a senior is falling victim to undue influence, try enlisting the help of a friend or relative whom the senior really trusts, Nerenberg said. Even when questioned by caring friends, the senior may deny anything is wrong and defend the influencer. If you’re concerned the senior is being abused, report the issue to Adult Protective Services. The growing prevalence of undue influence raises another issue for seniors who are not victims of abuse: False accusations of undue influence can derail your estate plan. Let’s say your adult daughter quits her job to become your primary caregiver. You had originally intended to divide your estate equally between your daughter and son, but given your daughter’s sacrifice, you later change your will to give her a bigger piece of the pie. Nobody has done anything wrong, but after you’re gone, your son may contest your will, claiming your daughter had undue influence over you. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Why to consider long-term care insurance By Ken Moraif I often suggest long-term care insurance to my clients, and I almost always hear this objection: “It’s too expensive.” Yes, long-term care insurance is not cheap, but medical insurance and Medicare typically do not cover that particular type of care, and it is incredibly expensive. The 2017 Genworth Cost of Care Survey lists the national median cost for a private room in a nursing home as $267 a day, which is $8,121 per month, and $97,455 per year. Rates in this region are typically considerably higher. As you can see, if you need that care, your money could disappear very quickly. And, unfortunately, odds are you may need long-term care.

On its website, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says: • Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care services and supports in their remaining years. • Women need care for longer (3.7 years) than men (2.2 years). • While one-third of today’s 65-year-olds may never need long-term care support, 20 percent will need it for longer than five years. Now that you are convinced of the importance of long-term care insurance (and I hope you are), there are a few things to consider when buying it: Purchase it with your partner. Insurance companies offer discounts to couples

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who are married or living together. You could save up to 30 percent. Consider shared care. You can purchase a feature that allows couples to share the benefits of each other’s policies. For example: If Mr. and Mrs. Smith each buy $200,000 in benefits and Mr. Smith needs long-term care, he can use all of his $200,000 and then tap into Mrs. Smith’s policy, which, if she hasn’t used it yet, could provide another $200,000 in benefits. Don’t forget inflation coverage. Long-term care insurance has its own inflation rate, and it typically rises faster than the national inflation rate. Shop around. If you’re like most people, you don’t even know what coverage looks like. Check to see what your monthly benefits would be, and how they compare to the costs of long-term care in your area. Buy before your birthday. Long-term

care insurance rates are based on your age. You’ll save money if you buy before your next birthday. Learn about any possible tax write-offs. If you are a business owner, or have high healthcare costs, your long-term care insurance premiums may be tax deductible. Talk with a professional. Long-term care insurance is complex. There are hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of long-term care policies offered by different insurance companies. I suggest you consult with an expert to find the right policy for you. I strongly advise that you investigate the merits of a policy. Consider it portfolio insurance; after all, you’re protecting your finances from potentially devastating damage. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Apr. 30+

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start on Monday, April 30 and continue through the closing ceremony on May 14. Sports include basketball, bowling, horseshoe toss, pickleball, softball, swimming, tennis, and track and field. The events take place at several venues around Washington, D.C. Learn more at https://dpr.dc.gov/service/annual-dc-senior-games or by calling (202) 673-7647.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

E-mails from the IRS and other tax scams By Kimberly Lankford Question: I received an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS, asking for my bank account information to deposit my refund. I’m almost positive it’s a scam. How can I find out for sure, and how can I report it if it is fraudulent? Answer: It’s a scam — and one that’s common around tax season. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by phone or e-mail. Most people know to be suspicious of calls and e-mails claiming to be from the IRS and asking for your money or personal information. But the crooks are getting smarter and introducing a new level of taxrelated schemes, which are especially prevalent this time of year as people file their tax returns and await their refunds. And people are even more susceptible to scams this year because of confusion about the new tax law. In the most common tax scams, IRS impostors claim that you owe money and threaten lawsuits or arrest if you don’t pay immediately by credit card, or by wiring the money or sending a prepaid debit card or gift card. They have even started to spoof caller IDs to make it look like the call is from Washington, D.C., the U.S. Treasury, or your state or local department of revenue. Be aware, if you owe money, you’ll receive a notice from the IRS in the mail first. And the agency does not demand that you pay taxes without a chance to question or

appeal the amount it says you owe. As you discovered, at this time of year scam artists are also sending e-mails that look like official IRS correspondence asking for your bank account information to directly deposit your refund. Some e-mails include a link to a website that looks legitimate, but is just a way to gather your information and steal your money or identity. Con artists also send e-mails claiming to be from your tax software company or tax professional, asking for information related to your refund or confirming personal information. The e-mail may ask you to update your “IRS e-file information immediately” to prevent a delay of your refund. NOTE: The IRS will never send an e-mail asking for your personal or financial information. You can report these phishing scams (scams aimed at tricking you into relin-

quishing personal ID information) at phishing@irs.gov. If you think there’s a chance that the correspondence may be legitimate, don’t click on any links or respond. Instead, look up the phone number of your tax preparer or tax software company separately and call them to check.

For more information about scams targeting taxpayers — including a frequently updated list of common scams — see www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scamsconsumer-alerts. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

MEALS ON WHEELS

Rockville Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit, all volunteer organization, is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to homebound seniors, convalescents and persons with disabilities, as well as for managerial and administrative tasks. They are also accepting donations. For donations, send checks to Rockville Meals on Wheels at P.O. Box 465, Rockville, MD 20848-0465 or visit www.rockvillemealsonwheels.org to contribute via PayPal. For more information about becoming a volunteer or donating, call (301) 340-1559.

We Turn Addresses

into homes

MOST COMMUNITIE S ARE 62 AND BETTER

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

The Greens at Hammonds Lane: 410-636-1141 Park View at Furnace Branch: 410-761-4150 Park View at Severna Park: 410-544-3411

Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185 Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

BEACON BITS

BALTIMORE CITY

Westminster Overlook: 410-876-7600

May 14

Ednor Apartments I: 410-243-0180 Ednor Apartments II: 410-243-4301 The Greens at Irvington Mews: 410-644-4487 Park Heights Place: 410-578-3445 Park View at Ashland Terrace: 410-276-6440 Park View at Coldspring: 410-542-4400

BEGINNER’S COMPUTER CLASS Montgomery County

Library presents a beginner’s computer class on “Computers and Smart Technology” on Monday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Silver Spring Library, 900 Wayne Ave. Go over the basics, such as using the mouse correctly, getting on the Internet, and basics of Microsoft Word. Bring your library card. Space is limited. For more information, call (240) 773-9420.

May 23

MOURNING LOSS OF A PET AARP Chapter #284

presents a pet loss and bereavement session on Wednesday, May 23 at 1:15 p.m. at Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N Quincy St., Arlington, Va.

BALTIMORE COUNTY Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344 Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660 Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888 The Greens at English Counsul: 410-789-3000 The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100 The Greens at Logan Field: 410-288-2000 The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988 Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464 Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665 Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375 Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673 Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886 Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363

CARROLL COUNTY EASTERN SHORE Park View at Easton: 410-770-3070

FREDERICK COUNTY Taney Village: 301-663-0929

HARFORD COUNTY Park View at Bel Air: 410-893-0064 Park View at Box Hill: 410-515-6115

HOWARD COUNTY Park View at Colonial Landing: 410-796-4399 Park View at Columbia: 410-381-1118 Park View at Ellicott City: 410-203-9501 Park View at Ellicott City: II 410-203-2096 Park View at Emerson: 301-483-3322 Park View at Snowden River: 410-290-0384

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Park View at Bladensburg: 301-699-9785 • 55 & Better Park View at Laurel: 301-490-1526 Park View at Laurel II: 301-490-9730

Learn what services are available for coping with the loss of a beloved pet from pet bereavement certified coun-

Call the community nearest you to inquire about eligibility requirements and to arrange a personal tour.

selor Jula Mohler. For more informa-

www.rhomecommunities.com

tion, email jimorris@email.com.

MOST COMMUNITIES ARE PET-FRIENDLY

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

may 2018

UPCOMING SEMINARS & EVENTS at Brooke Grove retirement village

As experts in senior care and memory support, Brooke Grove Retirement Village is pleased to offer seminars and events that promote physical, spiritual and mental well-being. All seminars and events will be held at Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 18131 Slade School Road on the Brooke Grove Retirement Village campus, unless otherwise noted. Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org. Living Well seminar: “fighting fraud together”

Parkinson’s Communication club

Parkinson’s Support Group

TUESDAYS • BEGINNING MAY 15 12:30-1:30 P.M.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 • 2-3:15 P.M.

This weekly wellness and prevention program for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and their care partners focuses on the maintenance of communication skills, with an emphasis on speaking loudly enough to be heard in social settings.

Caregiver connection: “Caregiver Response to Elopement and Wandering”

FREE with a $30 annual Parkinson Foundation registration fee.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 1-2:15 P.M.

TUESDAY, MAY 22 • 2-3 P.M. Many individuals with Alzheimer’s have a propensity to wander, and police officers are often called to assist a caregiver in locating their loved one. Explore the steps that you can take to prevent wandering and, at the same time, best prepare for that possibility. FREE. Register by May 20.

Get the facts about fraud and scams targeting seniors! During this seminar, you’ll learn about common elements used by scam artists, discover available resources to keep up-to-date with ongoing threats, and review ways you can help our community in the fight against fraud. Preceded by a complimentary lunch at 12:30 p.m. FREE. Register by May 21. PFNCA EXERCISE FOR PARKINSON’S CLASSES MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS ONGOING, 3:30-4:30 P.M. Improve posture, balance and circulation while also increasing strength, muscle control and mobility. FREE with a $30 annual Parkinson Foundation registration fee.

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

301-260-2320 · www.bgf.org

Independent living

assisted living

rehabilitation

long-term care

memory support

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Travel

Leisure &

The new Symphony of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship. See story on this and other cruise news on page 47.

Exploring Sicily’s wide range of pleasures Very mini! It takes only about five hours to drive across the entire island. But despite its small size, Sicily’s varied landscapes provide a dramatic backdrop for its other attractions. Deep valleys rise up to rocky mountaintops. Fields and rolling hills are blanketed by the silver-green leaves of olive trees, low-lying grape vines and golden wheat.

PHOTO BY K. ROY ZERLOCH

By Victor Block “You can steal my money, but not my food.” “If lunch or dinner doesn’t have at least five courses, it’s just a snack.” “If you want things to go exactly as planned, don’t come here.” These words spoken by Alessio, our tour guide in Sicily from Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), say a lot about the island. Because Alessio dearly loves his homeland, his comments also demonstrate the gently self-deprecating humor that Sicilians often use to describe their foibles. Yes food is important, plentiful and held in a place of near reverence. Plans don’t always work out as intended, and the locals have learned to go with the flow. And residents of the triangular-shaped island just off the toe of Italy’s boot exhibit a warmth, friendliness and joy of life that provide reason enough to visit there. Other reasons include a vast collection of archaeological and architectural treasures, intriguing chapters of history that await around every corner, and examples of Mother Nature’s most magnificent handiworks. One welcome surprise is how much diversity exists in such a small space. Packed into an area about the size of Maryland, Sicily offers enough variety that some visitors liken it to a mini-continent.

Phoenicians, Romans and more The many peoples who ruled here over the centuries left an assortment of architectural riches behind. By about 750 BCE, the island was home to three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies. Later, much of it fell into Roman hands, and it became Rome’s first province outside of the Italian mainland. Among those who held temporary sway over Sicily after the collapse of the Roman Empire were the Germanic Vandals and Ostrogoths, followed by Berbers and Arabs, Normans and the Byzantine Empire. Each left their mark. The Valley of the Temples is home to the remains of graceful Greek structures that were built between 510 and 430 BCE above the ruins of a Roman town. Sprawling across more than 3,200 acres, it’s said to be the largest archaeological site in the world. The Temple of Concordia is one of the

Volcano Mt. Etna rises beyond the ruins of the third century BCE Greek Theater, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taormina, Sicily.

BY RESTUCCIA GIANCARLO

The Villa Romana del Casale (Roman Country Villa) in Piazza Armerina, a well-preserved 43-room mansion, dates back to 320 CE. In the 18th century, archeologists uncovered more than 37,000 square feet of mosaic flooring in the villa, now on view to visitors.

best preserved edifices, and is ranked among the most notable remaining examples of Greek civilization. ] The Temple of Juno was damaged by a fire and restored in Roman times. Also strewn about the site are sections of defensive walls and gates, and portions of vats where grapes were pressed. The Villa Romana del Casale near the town of Piazza is a near-perfect preservation. Constructed in the 4th century CE for an unknown but obviously well-heeled nobleman, the 43-room mansion-like hunting lodge was lavishly decorated with what today are among the finest remaining examples of Roman mosaics in Europe. The scenes range from Homeric escapades to depictions of daily life. One large image portrays various areas of the Roman Empire at the time, including a veritable zoo of lions, tigers and other African animals, both real and fanciful. The most famous attraction in the town of Mazara, among a number of them, is the mysterious Greek bronze statue of the Dancing Satyr. In Greek mythology, satyrs were quasi-human figures who were believed to have been lecherous, and this eight-foot-tall sculpture is leaping with abandon as if in an ecstatic trance.

Uncovering the capital’s gems Other cities and towns throughout Sicily have their own unique claims to fame. Many people begin their exploration in Palermo, the capital, which is also the largest city and cultural center. At first glance, they may be disappointed, concluding that it lacks the magnificence and allure of other municipalities around Italy and the world. However, that judgment would be premature. Beneath its jumble of rather nondescript buildings waits a wealth of architectural gems, inviting and interesting museums, and other attractions. These include traces of Phoenician walls and gates, and magnificent Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches, palaces and other buildings. The Teatro Massimo (Greatest Theatre), which opened in 1897, is a reminder that hundreds of small opera houses were sprinkled throughout the city prior to the start of the 20th century. The ornate building is the third largest opera house in Europe, after those in Paris and Vienna. If it looks familiar to visitors, that’s because of its role in the movie Godfather Part III. The 10,922 foot peak of massive Mt. Etna, often hidden in clouds, looms over See SICILY, page 46

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Sicily From page 45 the eastern side of the island. “The Mountain,” as locals refer to it, is the highest active volcano in Europe, although fortunately that usually takes the form of lava flows rather than eruptions.

A gustatory celebration Drama of another kind plays out in the sprawling outdoor fruit, vegetable and fish markets, which are leftover vestiges of 9th century Arab souks. Crowds of people mill around the stands, as many looking as buying. Vendors alternate entreaties to passers-by to stop and shop with good-natured jibes about their competitors. Food plays a major role in a visit to Sicily, because it plays a bit part in the lives of

Sicilians. Mealtimes are not just for eating, they’re as much about a celebration of food. A shared goal of restaurant chefs seems to be challenging diners to demonstrate their satisfaction by ingesting quantities of food that would be an adequate intake for days back home (just a slight exaggeration). Given its agriculturally rich land and sunny climate, Sicily served as the granary for the Roman Empire. Its long history of producing a variety of noted cuisines, influenced by those of Greece, Africa and the Arab world among others, earned it the nickname “God’s kitchen.” In this gastronomically rich and diverse setting, every region has its own specialties, which are vociferously touted by those who cook and consume them as il migliore (“the best”).

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Ongoing

SKILLED VOLUNTEERS

The Montgomery County Volunteer Center’s new 50+ Volunteer Network connects skilled volunteers with nonprofit and government agencies that need assistance. This unique program is perfect for those who are 50+ and want to make a significant contribution of time and talent to the community, while still retaining flexibility. Through personal consultations, trained advisors help find volunteer opportunities that match particular areas of interests, skills and availability. Options include ongoing program management and support, short-term consulting projects using professional skills, and direct services to clients. For more information, email 50plus@montgomerycountymd.gov or visit www.montgomeryserves.org.

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

That sense of pride also extends to wine, not surprising given Sicily’s 2500-year past as a center of viniculture. Italy ranks first in the world in the volume of wine produced, and Sicily does its part to contribute to that standing. Occasionally, our guide took us off the formal itinerary for a unique treat. Once, he led us into a convent that houses cloistered nuns who are famous for making delicious cookies. Alessio passed some coins through a small barred window and several minutes later a plate of mouth-watering sweets emerged. He even managed to gain us entry to an adjoining room whose ceiling is covered by a magnificent fresco, and which usually is closed to the public. Against the background of Sicily’s treasure-trove of architectural gems and archaeological riches, it’s the joy of life, pride for their compact homeland, and intriguing multi-cultural mixture of the people that provide the most lasting memories for visitors.

If you go Accommodations on OAT’s Sicily trips range from city center four-star hotels to a stately stone farmhouse complex perched inside an archaeological nature preserve. Itineraries often include both hosted meals and dine-on-your-own opportunities to sample restaurant fare. Our overnight stay at the Vecchia Masseria, a traditional farm and lodging, included a gourmet din-

ner featuring a lavish spread of locally grown ingredients. They ranged from pasta with pumpkin cream sauce, and mushrooms stuffed with meat and cheese, to pork with Marsala wine sauce, all accompanied by liqueurs produced at the farm. Typical of dinners on our own was an excellent meal at La Tavernetta de Pier (59 via Cavour) in Syracuse (Syra-koosa], a 2,700-year-old city that is rich in ancient Greek history, culture and architecture. Its wide-ranging menu features more than a dozen pasta dishes ($10-$12) and, given the location on Sicily’s eastern coastline, a variety of fresh-from-the-sea entrees like simply grilled fish ($12). For more information, visit latavernettadapiero.com or call 39-0931-185-5291. Overseas Adventure Travel offers a choice of more than 60 itineraries in over 65 countries around the world, along with river cruises. Its 10-day trip to Sicily starts at $3,750, with no extra charge for singles. For information about OAT tours to Sicily and elsewhere, call (800) 955-1925 or visit www.oattravel.com. For information about Sicily and all of Italy, go to www.italiantourism.com. Flights to Palermo in early June can be pricey. The lowest roundtrip price from Washington on a full-service carrier, Lufthansa, is $2,233. You can cut this in half by going to Milan on Wow, a no-frills airline that will add fees for luggage and other items, and then take low-cost Ryanair to Palermo.

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS Montgomery County is looking for volunteer drivers to provide

transportation for neighbors in need. The mobility program allows volunteers to make their own schedules, and organizations typically provide training and secondary insurance. For more information, contact Shawn Brennan, mobility manager, at (240) 777-1350 or email shawn.brennan@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

A look at new ships and trends in cruising By Beth J. Harpaz What’s new in cruising this year? As usual, there’s lots of razzle-dazzle — laser tag, water slides, zip lines and massive LED screens — along with a continued emphasis on healthy lifestyle options, from dining to fitness. But there are also changes underway in ship design, itineraries and who’s cruising. New ships are offering more outdoor spaces and views of the sea — with promenades, boardwalk-style decks, glass walls, transparent walkways and see-through slides. Small ships, river ships and expedition cruises are booming, with more itineraries in cold-water destinations like Iceland, Greenland and the polar regions. Alaska cruises are as popular as ever, for big and small vessels. There’s a new focus on marketing to millennials, many of whom cruised as

kids. Royal Caribbean says its shorter cruises — like three- and four-night Miami-Bahamas trips on the Mariner of the Seas next summer — appeal to younger travelers who may prefer shorter vacations over weeklong trips. Uniworld is offering “U by Uniworld” river cruises for ages 21 to 45 only, with European itineraries that include music festivals.

Cruising with grandkids The Cruise Lines International Association, which represents most of the world’s major cruise brands, noticed another new phenomenon: “skip-gen” cruising. Grandparents are cruising with grandkids, but sometimes skipping a generation by sailing without mom and dad. Most cruises provide a range of children’s programming so grandparents aren’t baby-sitting all day, while also offering activities,

excursions, meals and shows that all ages can enjoy together. The cruise industry continues to grow, with 27 million cruisers expected in 2018, a million more than last year and up from 18 million in 1979. There are also 27 new ships coming out in 2018, according to CLIA: 10 for river cruising, 17 for ocean. “We’re in our golden age,” said CLIA Chairman Arnold Donald, who is also CEO of Carnival Corp., at a Jan. 25 meeting in New York. “Cruising has never been more popular.”

Royal, Norwegian and Holland Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas will be the world’s largest cruise ship when it launches this spring. Its inaugural

season will be in Europe, with sailings from Miami beginning in November. Features include a laser tag arena, Bionic Bar where robots make drinks, a 10-story racing slide called Ultimate Abyss, rock climbing and ice skating. The ship will host a production of the Broadway hit Hairspray and its sports bar will feature 30 big-screen TVs. A luxury family suite for eight includes a two-story slide, private movie theater, Lego wall and secret crawl space. But it’s not for budget cruising: It’s priced in the tens of thousands of dollars. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss also launches this spring and heads to AlasSee CRUISES, page 49

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLAND AMERICA

BUS DIRECT

TO NYC

ARLINGTON * BETHESDA * PENN STATION Holland America will launch the Nieuw Statendam cruise ship in December. In addition to the outdoor pool and hot tubs, the ship will feature a stage with a two-story, 270-degree wraparound LED screen, and three lounges for various musical genres.

WIFI AND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS ON BOARD

TripperBus.com 718-834-9214 Follow us on

Operated by Gunther Charters, Inc. USDOT #110308 MC #128577

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Share your skills on volunteer vacations Dear Savvy Senior: alternative and a growing trend among reMy husband and I are approaching retirees. tirement and are interested There are many organizain learning more about voltions today that offer shortunteer vacations. Can you term volunteer vacation projgive us some information on ects in the U.S. and abroad, this travel option, and refer lasting anywhere from a few us to some good organizadays to a few weeks. tions that offer these types of Common program themes trips? include teaching English, — Love to Travel working with children and Dear Love: teens, building and repairing If you’re looking to do more homes and schools, and ason your next vacation than SAVVY SENIOR sisting with community or enrelax in the sun or go sight- By Jim Miller vironmental projects. seeing, volunteer vacations — In addition, volunteer vacaalso known as voluntourism — which com- tions also give travelers the opportunity to bine travel and volunteer work, are a great experience the culture more fully and con-

AMISH FARMS OF THE FUTURE, June 20 ..........................................................$129pp No soil, horses or tractors! See how the Amish are farming into the future. Includes a buffet lunch.

CAPE COD – POPS BY THE SEA, August 10–13.................................................. $969pp Enjoy the outdoor concert featuring the Boston Pops, Lobster dinner and much more.

Based on double occupancy

GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE, September 26 .............................................................$80pp Visit the gardens and view the many American & international sculptors in a variety of styles. Time for lunch on your own.

nect with the local people – much different than your run-of-the-mill sightseeing vacation. Most volunteer vacation groups accept singles, couples and families, and you don’t need to speak a foreign language. Costs usually range from around $1,000 to $3,000 per week, not including transportation to the country your site is in. Fees typically cover pre-trip orientation information, room and board, on-site training, ground transportation once you get there, the services of a project leader, and a contribution to the local community that covers material and services related to the project. And, if the organization running your trip is a nonprofit, the cost of your trip, including airfare, is probably tax-deductible. One such trip geared toward those 55 and older is called Impact Israel, a new program from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington that offers participants a chance to live and volunteer in Haifa, Israel from Oct. 14 to Nov. 4. Participants will use their skills to support local nonprofits — from ones working to foster understanding between Arabs and Jews, to a rape crisis center. The deadline to apply is May 15. For more information, see www.shalomdc.org/ boomersisrael or call (301) 230-7258.

Many options While there are many organizations that offer volunteer vacations, here are some good ones that attract a lot of retirees. • Global Volunteers (GlobalVolunteers.org): A pioneer in global travel, this group tackles hunger, poverty and educational needs. It offers a variety of one, two and three-week service programs in 17 countries, including the U.S. • Earthwatch Institute (Earthwatch. org): With an emphasis in environmental conservation and research, they offer dozens of one and two-week expeditions in countries all over the world.

• Cross-Cultural Solutions (CrossCulturalSolutions.or g): Based in New Rochelle, NY, they focus on health, education, and economic volunteer opportunities in Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. • Biosphere Expeditions (Biosphereexpeditions.org): Offers wildlife conservation expeditions in 13 countries. • Habitat for Humanity (Habitat.org): Offers international house-building trips through its Global Village Program in more than 40 countries. • Sierra Club (Sierraclub.org): This venerable environmental group sponsors dozens of service trips in the U.S. each year, with more projects offered through local chapters.

How to choose With so many different volunteer vacations to choose from, selecting one can be difficult. To help you decide, you need to think specifically about what you want. For example: Where you want to go and for how long? What types of work are you interested in doing? What kind of living situation and accommodations do you want? Do you want to volunteer alone or with a group? Do you want a rural or urban placement? Also consider your age and health. Are you up to the task, or do you have any special needs that will need to be met? Once you figure out what you want and spot a few volunteer vacations that interest you, ask the organization to send you information that describes the accommodations, the fees and what they cover including their refund policy, the work schedule and work details, and anything else you have questions about. Also, get a list of previous volunteers and call them. Send your questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Enjoy the Beacon? Tell your friends. Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony

Join the US Navy Memorial, Naval District Washington, & the Fleet Reserve Association in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW | Washington, DC 20004 To learn more, visit navymemorial.org

MAY 28

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Cruises From page 47 ka. It’s designed for enjoying natural scenery, with a 180-degree observation lounge perfect for watching glaciers. Recreation includes laser tag, a race course for electric go-karts, and a waterslide with a transparent tube that swooshes you along the side of the ship. Other features include a Beatles club with a cover band, and a spa with a snow room and a salt room. Norwegian is starting to move away from

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROYAL CARIBBEAN

the celebrity chef craze, but dining options will include a barbecue spot called Q, Los Lobos for Mexican food, and Food Republic, where dishes like ceviche or Asian noodles can be ordered from an iPad. Holland America Line launches the Nieuw Statendam in December. The ship’s features include World Stage, an entertainment venue with a two-story, 270-degree wraparound LED screen; Music Walk, where three lounges offer different genres of music; and BLEND, where guests can blend their own wine. Holland America is also continuing a partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine, through 2018, on 300 cruises with programs for meditation, health, style, and even a book club that’s included onboard appearances by authors like Elizabeth Strout. Holland America Line is also starting round-trip BostonCuba trips this year.

Celebrity, Carnival and MSC

concepts include the Magic Carpet — a cantilevered movable deck that will serve as a walkway as well as a place to enjoy ocean views and a space for live music and themed dining. The new ship also features a venue called Eden with a three-level window on the ocean, al fresco seating, walkways, and an “Eve at Eden” experience that will blend performance art and unique culinary offerings. Carnival Horizon debuts in April with a Dr. Seuss-themed water park, an eatery called Smokehouse Brewhouse featuring Guy Fieri barbecue and craft beers brewed onboard, and an LED Dreamscape atrium sculpture that will show artwork by patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a Carnival charity partner. Carnival Vista already has the threedeck-high Dreamscape light panels. Other fun features on Carnival ships range from

“Green Eggs and Ham”-themed breakfasts for kids, to “Lip Sync Battles” a la the popular Spike TV (now Paramount) show, to custom cocktails at the Alchemy Bar. MSC Cruises are better known in Europe than North America, but the brand is working to change that. In December, MSC Seaside launched and was named best new ship of 2017 by CruiseCritic.com. It features an interactive aqua-park, open-air promenade with glass-floor catwalks, two zip lines, a four-deck atrium, Aurea spa with a snow room, and beach like condo suites. You can even see the sea from glass elevators. Seaside, with a 4,100-guest capacity, is based in Miami for Caribbean itineraries. Its sister ship, MSC Seaview, launches in June with Mediterranean cruises for its inaugural season. — AP

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON presents

Celebrity Edge begins sailing in November. Its futuristic design Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, which set sail for the first time in April, is the world’s largest cruise ship, with room for 9,000 passengers. The ship includes a “Central Park,” with more than 12,000 trees and plants.

Boomers from across Greater Washington are invited to participate in an innovative Israel travel experience, designed exclusively for those ages 55+. Live and work in the beautiful city of Haifa, while applying your talents through tailored volunteer placements at local nonprofit organizations. Impact Israel also offers touring experiences, peer-group learning opportunities from text study to inspiring speakers focused on social change and customized site visits throughout the country to explore a lesser-known side of Israel.

Learn more and apply before May 15 at shalomdc.org/boomersisrael

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M AY 2 0 1 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Style

Arts &

Newsies dances across the stage at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. See review on page 53.

Healing through movement and dance Kesler was selected from a pool of thousands of applicants who auditioned for a chance to be in the book. She was photographed as she danced in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., her teal leotard and pale chiffon skirt blowing freely in the breeze against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. The images on the two-page spread devoted to her are striking, highlighting both her experience and graceful, muscular form. Kesler said she is proud, at 62, to be the oldest dancer in the book. In fact, she cites dancing as being an integral part of her healthy aging. “We must move to be alive. And the more access to movement we have, the healthier and younger we are,” she said.

A unique career Ironically, her toes pointing inward never completely improved. “I have, like, the worst turnout in ballet history,” she joked. “I’m too short and curvy, and I cannot kiss my knees. But I still can dance.” That can-do attitude served her well while growing up. At 20, Kesler tore her

‘Great Performances in the Neighborhood’ Rockville Little Theatre presents

Little Malaika International presents

Radium Girls

Kids Leadership &

6 Performances | April 27, 28, May Multicultural Comp. 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.; April 29 and Saturday, May 26 at 2 p.m. May 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $22; $20 Tickets: $20; $12 Students and Seniors (62+) and Students Children Rockville Chorus presents A Spring Concert

of Songs Composed by Women Sunday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. No tickets required; suggested donation.

Theatre F. Scott Fitzgerald

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GIVENS

By Rebekah Alcalde When May Kesler was a little girl, her mother, a pediatrician, noticed she walked with her toes turned inward and suggested she try ballet classes to help correct it. “She gave me a book about a young girl who had weak legs, and her doctor told her to take ballet classes. She did, and turned out to be the star of the show,” she recalled. Like the girl in the story, Kesler fell in love with dance — “the energy, the sense of my body moving in space, the challenge of learning, the music — and best of all, the sparkly costumes.” Her beauty and passion for dance resulted in her being featured in the new book, Dance Across the USA, a coffee-table style photo book designed to raise funds for the National Park Foundation and American arts education. Master photographer Jonathan Givens embarked on a journey to travel to all 50 states in just 90 days to photograph dancers in national parks and other local, well-known settings. It was his attempt to showcase “America’s beauty and diversity,” while also celebrating dance.

Physical therapist May Kesler dances on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in an image from Dance Across the USA, a photo book showcasing dancers in national parks and other well-known settings in every state. Kesler, 62, was chosen from among thousands of applicants to appear in the book.

calf muscle at a summer dance intensive at American University and was offered little help from the hospital. Despite the severity of her injury and not being able to walk, the

doctors sent her home without crutches. The situation was very frustrating. “BeSee KESLER, page 52

COUNTRY CURRENT 45TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT SATURDAY, MAY 19, 7 P.M.

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Northern Virginia Community College 4915 E. Campus Drive Alexandria, Va.

Tickets Online: www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre Box Office: 240-314-8690 Now available! Rockville Little Theatre/Rockville Musical Theatre 2018-2019 Season Subscription!

AT RO C K VI L L E C I VI C C E NTE R PA R K

Rockville Civic Center Park • 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD

All concerts are FREE and open to the public. No tickets required. For our full performance calendar, visit our website.

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Kesler From page 51 cause I had no idea how to heal this injury, I kept aggravating it, and it took years to heal,” she recalled. Fortunately, what could have been a career-ending injury turned into something that would change Kesler’s life, inspiring her to think outside the box when it came time to choose a vocation. “When I finally did get better, it was through a physiatrist’s help,” she explained. “I noticed what the PTs were doing in his office, and I was intrigued.” Kesler’s parents were both scientifically gifted — her father is an MIT-trained chemical engineer — and that background helped inspire her to major in biology and psychology alongside dance during college. Though she studied pre-med at Rutger’s University in New Jersey, she was “hesitant

about being a doctor” after seeing the long hours her mother worked as a physician. “I wanted to be sure I could dance,” she said. Her positive experience with physical therapy was enough to convince her to combine her interest in her three majors (biology, psychology and dance) to forge a new career in a unique form of physical therapy — one that helps others overcome their own injuries and limitations using the power of movement and dance. After college, Kesler moved to New York City and “danced with every great teacher I could find.” Eventually, she enrolled in the school of physical therapy at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She graduated in 1982. She and her husband then moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where she opened Kesler Physical & Massage Therapy that year. The practice uses a combination of massage therapy and manual and movement therapy to help her patients ease muscu-

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Ongoing

ARTS FESTIVAL IN FAIRFAX The Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Festival opened in April and will

run through Saturday, May 12 at Old Town Hall, 3999 University Dr., Fairfax, Va. Activities include music performances from leading musicians, art exhibitions, dance (both classical and modern), theater performances, and community activities and events. Many events are free, while some require a fee. For more information and the schedule for this year’s Festival, visit www.fairfaxspotlight.com.

THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BAND WA S H I N G T O N , D . C . Colonel Larry H. Lang, Commander and Conductor

Heritage to Horizons Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. “Readiness and the Joint Fight”

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

loskeletal pain, treating headaches, concussions, neck pain, balance problems, pinched nerves, back pain, sciatica and more. What makes the practice unique is its use of dance alongside more traditional methods of treatment and diagnosis. In fact, “I cannot separate PT and dance,” Kesler explained. “I am an intuitive physical therapist. I can tell what a person’s physical and emotional history is within minutes by watching them move.” Her practice is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year. “It is a perfect integration of who I am and what I want to do: Guide people to heal with movement,” she said.

A unique focus Kesler is also deeply involved in the study of fascia, the sheet of connective tissue beneath the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses and separates muscles and organs. Kesler describes fascia almost spiritually. “We are made of [a] four-dimensional spider web of fluid-filled, light-filled tubules of connective tissue. The spaces are filled with cells and gel and liquid-containing nutrients. The fourth dimension here is time — the web (that is, our bodies) is in constant motion.” According to her, our health “is determined by the flexibility and fluidity of our web. Injury and disease, and even emotional stress, cause torques or twists in the web, and inflammation causes stickiness and restrictions in the web’s movement.” This is why dance is particularly fulfilling and helpful for both her and her patients, she claimed. “When I dance, I am unwinding those restrictions.” She also utilizes myofascial release, a manual therapy method, and organic movements learned from dance for rehabilitation to help relieve patients’ pain.

Her work on fascia has not gone without notice. She’s been invited to hold a workshop called “Using Dance and Choreographic Devices to Enhance Learning of Fascial and Biotensegral Motion” at an international conference on Movement taking place at Harvard Medical School this summer.

Unwinding for health Kesler lives with her husband in Chevy Chase, Md. In addition to her practice, she stays busy with other projects. For example, a few years ago, she founded Keslerdances, a small contemporary company of six dancers that performs at local venues. She’s also found time to complete an M.A. in dance from American University, and to became certified in floor-barre — a ballet training technique that “takes the work to the floor” to strengthen the body and lengthen the muscles. Staying active is a way of life for her, and she feels dancing keeps her young in a variety of ways. “Just cardio or walking isn’t enough, as we need to unwind tight areas. So moving all the parts of your body several times daily is essential to having a more youthful body and being as healthy as possible,” she said. Kesler also thinks that traditional exercise can be overrated —and sometimes harmful. “Doing hard, painful movement is damaging. Movement should be enjoyable and make us feel good.” With what little free time she does have, she and her husband and daughter like to watch the TV shows “Outlander” and “NCIS,” go to concerts, travel, and cuddle with their many pets — a cat (who even has his own Instagram account), dog and four birds. For more information on Kesler’s practice and work, visit www.maykesler.com.

NOW ON STAGE - JUNE 10

featuring The United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard Drill Team

Upcoming Heritage to Horizons Concerts: June 8 | Air Force Alliances and International Partnerships July 13 | Innovation August 24 | Military Families

FREE! All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Air Force Memorial 1 Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, VA

www.usafband.af.mil

410-730-8311

TobysDinnerTheatre.com Due to the nature of theatrical bookings, !!"#$%&#" '("( )*#" +*"#,-.*/)")%"/$ '0*1""2""3%-45#"67''*+"3$* )+*8"9%!,:-7 8";6

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Energetic cast enlivens Disney’s Newsies By Barbara Ruben The ragtag group of orphans and homeless youth who hawked newspapers on street corners in 1899 never could have dreamed how the delivery of news would be transformed 120 years in the future. Nor could they have imagined that their story would be danced across stages throughout the country. But the story told by Newsies has quite literally leapt from a dusty corner of history into an adroitly acrobatic musical. Now onstage at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, the show tells the story of how the impoverished New York newsies staged a strike against the newspaper magnates of the day, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It’s not exactly the kind of story you’d expect from Disney, but the company

known for generally fluffier fare attempted to breathe life into the tale as musical movie in 1992 — and it promptly bombed at the box office. However, it found a cult following on video, and Disney took it to Broadway a decade later, where it played for two years and garnered two Tony Awards: for Best Score, by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, and for Best Choreography. The same infectious energy that helped Newsies win for choreography carries over to Toby’s small stage at its theater-in-theround. A dozen newsies manage perfectly synchronized dance moves, handstands and even aerial flips without crashing into each other as they move the story along.

wants to add to his vast fortune by forcing the newsies to pay a higher wholesale price to buy the papers (or “papes” as they’re called in the vernacular of the time) that they sell on the streets. As the boys bemoan this latest twist of fate, leader Jack Kelly takes a stand and calls for a strike by the newsies in his neighborhood. Then he works to organize a strike throughout all of New York’s boroughs. Scabs are called in to take over the jobs.

Thugs crash onto stage to bash the newsies in several scenes of violence. Somewhat incongruously tacked onto this is a love story between Jack and reporter Katherine Plumber, who endeavors to cover the strike before her boss censors her. Katherine, along with the sporadic appearance of Medda Larkin, who owns a vaudeville theater, may be in Newsies beSee NEWSIES, page 54

On strike And the story is this: Pulitzer decides he PHOTO BY JERI TIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Traditional British Comedy in an American vaudevillian atmosphere. Featuring comedy & music, patron participation, beer, wine, glee & merriment!

Gregory Banks, who plays newspaper boy Specs in Newsies at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, leaps into the air in a scene from the musical, which is filled with song, dance and acrobatics.

The

British

Players

53rd Old Time

MUSIC HALL A Vict ori

Mus e ical Comedy Revu

June 8 – 23, 2018 Tickets: 240-447-9863 directed by Malcolm Edwards produced by Sue Edwards musical direction by Brock Holmes

Kensington Town Hall 3710 Mitchell Street, Kensington, MD 20895

www.britishplayers.org

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Newsies

also wrote La Cage aux Folles and Kinky Boots) that can be a bit flat.

From page 53 cause they are the only two women with roles of any substance in a show filled with young men portraying the newsies and older ones in the newspaper’s management. At the same time, the story of the newsies seems to flag a bit in the middle, and all the fleet-footed dancing can’t disguise a book by Harvey Fierstein (who

Excellent, energetic cast Toby’s has worked to overcome that by casting superb actors in many roles. Nineyear-old Cooper Trump as the youngest newsie Les may be Toby’s most outstanding newcomer. In his first acting role ever, he’s both adorable and shrewd, not to mention gymnastically gifted as he walks on his hands across the stage.

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May 20

PIANO CONCERT

The Washington Piano Society’s spring concert will take place on Sunday, May 20 at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9545 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring, Md. Come for an afternoon of solo piano gems by Bach, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt. A reception follows. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. No advance tickets needed. For more information, visit www.dcpianosociety.org or call (301) 793-1863.

May 13

BROADWAY BRASS ON MOTHER’S DAY

Washington Symphonic Brass will hold a concert on Sunday, May 13 at 4 p.m. at Saint Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Va. This all-star ensemble will play a Mother’s Day spectacular with the bright and brassy sounds of Broadway. Tickets cost $35 and may be purchased at the door or online at www.amadeusconcerts.com. Students 17 and under and active military are admitted free of charge. A pre-concert lecture by Music Director A. Scott Wood will begin at 3:15 p.m. A reception will follow the concert, at which attendees may meet and chat with the performers and fellow music lovers. For more information, contact Hobie Audet at Hobie.Audet@Comcast.Net.

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Tyler Smallwood, who played Michael in Toby’s production of Mary Poppins, portrays Les on alternate nights. Matt Hirsh ably carries the role of Jack, who before leading the strike, pines to leave New York for the wide open space of Santa Fe. He implores his friend Crutchie (movingly played by Tyler Witt), so named for a disability that makes it difficult for him to walk, to go with him instead of dodging incarceration in the ironically named orphanage, the Refuge. Gregory Banks, who plays newsie Specs, is a standout dancer and gymnast, defying gravity again and again. In fact, all the newsies deserve credit for their agility and sheer energy, clambering up and down the scaffolding that cleverly serves as additional performance space above the audience. Each hour-long act, while they are in near-constant motion, must be exhausting, but they appear to never tire. In an era of fake news accusations and ever-shrinking newspaper newsrooms, it’s refreshing to see just how dynamic and vital newspapers — and the boys who sold them — were to the fabric of daily life in the 19th century. Newsies continues through June 10 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, located at 5900 Symphony Woods Rd. in Columbia, Md. The show runs every day except Mondays, with evening and matinee performances. Doors open at 6 p.m., Monday

through Saturday, for dinner prior to the evening performances, which begin at 8 p.m. For Sunday evening performances, which begin at 7 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner. On Wednesdays and Sundays, there are matinee performances, which open for brunch at 10:30 a.m., with shows beginning at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Ticket prices range from $45.50 (for children under 12) to $64, depending on the performance. Ticket prices include buffet dinner or brunch, tea and coffee. Alcoholic drinks are extra. The buffet meal features a selection of meats and sides (all helpfully marked vegetarian or gluten-free if applicable), including prime rib, roast turkey, fried fish, cocktail shrimp, a variety of vegetables, salad bar and more. Included on the menu during Newsies are Pulitzer’s Pasta with a three-cream sauce and Crutchie’s Chicken, with apples, onions and peppers. Cake and unlimited ice cream are also included. You can also arrange to have coffee or alcohol brought to you during intermission. At Toby’s, the show’s actors also wait on tables. Their tips constitute much of their pay for their performances, so be sure to tip well. For more information or to reserve tickets, call (410) 730-8311 or visit www.tobysdinnertheatre.com.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Haydn’s “Oxford” Symphony R. Strauss’s First Horn Concerto Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Abel Pereira, principal horn Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) R. Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 Haydn Symphony No. 92, “Oxford” Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Gianandrea Noseda

Audra McDonald

Melissa Etheridge

June 15 & 16

June 16: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

Reveries from Ravel: Mother Goose & Daphnis et Chloé Sir Mark Elder, conductor Madison Leonard, soprano Butterworth A Shropshire Lad Rhapsody Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 3, “A Pastoral Symphony” Ravel Ma mère l’oye (Mother Goose) Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 May 10–12

Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Daniel Foster, principal viola Verdi Macbeth – Ballet music Walton Viola Concerto Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, “Italian” June 7 & 9 June 7: AfterWords free post-performance discussion June 9: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

May 10: AfterWords free post-performance discussion May 12: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony Mozart’s Oboe Concerto

Noseda conducts Brahms’s Fourth Symphony

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Nicholas Stovall, principal oboe

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor James Ehnes, violin

Rossini Overture to William Tell

J.S. Bach/Berio Contrapunctus XIX

Mozart Oboe Concerto

Berg Violin Concerto

Mendelssohn Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Brahms Symphony No. 4

Beethoven Symphony No. 4

May 17 & 19

June 12 & 13 June 12 & 13: ForeWords free pre-concert discussion at 6:45

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of the NSO.

Audra McDonald Andy Einhorn, conductor As beloved on Broadway and opera stages as she is in her roles in film and on television, iconic singer and actress Audra McDonald joins the National Symphony Orchestra Pops for an exquisite selection of her favorite music.

June 19

Melissa Etheridge Steven Reineke, conductor With hits like “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One,” this pioneer’s truthful, Grammy®-winning songwriting and bluesy influences have cemented her place in rock ‘n’ roll history. Now, she brings her raw, expressive voice and powerhouse guitar prowess to the Concert Hall for a sampling of heartfelt hits from her groundbreaking career.

June 22 & 23

COFFEE CONCERTS MAY 11 & JUNE 15 AT 11:30 A.M. Our wildly popular Coffee Concerts are perfectly timed so that you don’t need to worry about rush hour traffic. Plus, enjoy a la carte breakfast for purchase beginning at 9:30 a.m. and Coffee Talks with special guests at 10:45 a.m. in the KC Café! AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the NSO Pops Season.

The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Victoria and Roger Sant. The Blue Series is sponsored by United Technologies Corporation.

The May 17 & 19 Gianandrea Noseda Inaugural Season concert week is supported by The Anne and Ronald Abramson Family Foundation. The June 7–16 performances are funded in part by the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

HAPPILY EVER AFTER HAS FINALLY MET ITS MATCH.

Photo by Cory Weaver

Candide

SUNDAY MATINEE! May 20 at 12 p.m.

May 5–26 | Opera House Music by Leonard Bernstein / Book Adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler in a New Version by John Caird / Lyrics by Richard Wilbur with Additional Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, and Leonard Bernstein

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600 Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540. Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO’s Presenting Sponsor

Additional support for Candide is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

Local authors’ books enlighten, educate We are blessed to have living among us of the Communist Party, denounced Stalin Leningrad, his mother’s native Kiev, Stalin’s pendices summarize the main points. Medicine has mastered curing many in this area talented writers, journalists for his abuse of power, paranoia and ruth- home republic of Georgia, resorts on the less executions of his per- Black Sea, and faraway exotic Central Asia. acute diseases and myriad illnesses through and medical professionals ceived enemies. Many charming anecdotes are related surgery, immediate intervention, and prewhose books add light and Heartened by the candor on with warmth and grace. scription drug therapies. However, studies depth to our understanding the part of their leaders, RussKalb reveals that he wrote this book at of the placebo effect show that the mind of and knowledge. ian students started openly the behest of his grandchildren. We have patients and their emotions, psychology, culTreating People Well: questioning orthodox Commu- them to thank for this enjoyable memoir. tural proclivities and social interactions also The Extraordinary Power nist doctrine. Kalb, who is fluHow Healing Works: Get Well and play an important part in recovery. of Civility at Work and in ent in Russian, reported his ob- Stay Well Using Your Hidden Power to Exercise, developing good health habits, Life, by Lea Berman and Jeservations to U.S. Ambassador Heal, by Wayne Jonas, MD, 336 pages, proper nutrition, quality sleep, peaceful conremy Bernard, 256 pages, Chip Bohlen. Lorena Jones Books hardcover, 2018. templation, avoiding destructive substances, Scribner hardcover, 2018. In light of the apparent loosDr. Wayne Jonas, a professor of medi- and eschewing harmful behavior have been This practical guide to imening of the dictatorship, Poland cine at Georgetown University and the incorporated into current preventive medical proving your social skills in- THE and Hungary attempted to over- Uniformed Services University of Health treatments. cludes many entertaining an- BIBLIOPHILE By Dinah Rokach throw the totalitarian yoke of Sciences in Bethesda, has written an imIf you or a loved one is suffering from ecdotes and inside stories by their Soviet masters. As history portant book. How Healing Works explores recurring pain, arthritis, diabetes, high the co-authors, former White relates, that window of opportunity was sum- the latest findings in integrative medicine blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, House social secretaries. — an approach that treats the whole per- Parkinson’s disease or mental health isLea Berman served during George W. marily closed. Kalb writes rich, descriptive accounts of son in order to alleviate suffering, prevent Bush’s administration, having been promoted from a similar position under Sec- his travels to the former Russian capital illness, and improve healing. Helpful apSee BOOKS, page 58 ond Lady Lynne Cheney. Berman lives in Washington, D.C. Jeremy Bernard was recalled from a plum job at the U.S. embassy in Paris to repair the chaos left by his two short-lived predecessors in the Obama White House. Berman and Bernard detail a systematic approach to mastering 12 specific behaviors that they identify as the basis for productively dealing with others. THE WASHINGTON BALLET Treating People Well reminds us — GISELLE WOLF TRAP ORCHESTRA whether at work or in our private relationMAY 25 ships — to employ tried-and-true techniques ALISON KRAUSS to improve our communication skills. WITH Learn pointers on how to become comDAVID CROSBY AND FRIENDS JUN 6 fortable in awkward situations and smooth tangled interchanges with co-workers, HARRY CONNICK JR. A NEW ORLEANS TRICENTENNIAL JOHN FOGERTY | ZZ TOP: NILE RODGERS & CHIC staff, superiors, friends and strangers. CELEBRATION BLUES AND BAYOUS TOUR CHAKA KHAN JUN 14 The book is a great refresher course for RYAN KINDER JUN 5 those who wish to rise above the pettiness MAY 29 + 30 SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC and strife in our hectic boisterous society. JUN 16 It would make a thoughtful gift for a graduSTEVEN TYLER AND ating senior. THE LOVING MARY BAND The Year I Was Peter the Great: 1956 THE SISTERHOOD BAND — Khrushchev, Stalin’s Ghost and a JUN 21 Young American in Russia, by Marvin LUDOVICO EINAUDI JUL 8 Kalb, 304 pages, Brookings Institution Press hardcover, 2017. BEETHOVEN’S NINTH Now in his late 80s, Marvin Kalb — wellNATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA JUL 14 ROGER DALTREY BARRY MANILOW known to the public from his three decades JUN 8 + 9 PERFORMS GLADYS KNIGHT & THE O’JAYS as a television news correspondent — is a THE WHO’S TOMMY AUG 15 senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, JUN 10 + 12 JEFF BECK and moderator of the monthly “Kalb ReANN WILSON OF HEART port” at the National Press Club, to name AUG 20 two of his ongoing professional activities. MICHAEL MCDONALD Kalb, who lives in Chevy Chase, Md., has AND PETER CETERA AUG 22 written a fascinating memoir about the year he worked in Moscow taking a break from FRANKIE VALLI & his Russian graduate studies at Harvard. THE FOUR SEASONS AUG 24 In The Year I Was Peter the Great, read Kalb’s impressions of working in Moscow KENNY G TONY BENNETT MOTOWN THE MUSICAL THE TENORS as a translator for the American embassy, JUN 23 JUN 26–28 AUG 30 travelling through the Soviet Union, and gathering primary source material for his Ph.D. thesis on an obscure nineteenth-century Russian aristocrat. There was a thaw in the Cold War in 1956, the year he spent in Russia. In February, speaking before the 20th Party Congress, Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary

SUMMER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

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Bailey

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

some healing and a way forward if I did something totally new — like [I did] when I left Washington,” she said.

From page 1 #MeToo movement, but not a product of it,” she said. But it was one thing to have a screenplay in hand, and another to actually put her vision on film. “I wanted to make the movie my way. I didn’t just want to sell it to somebody and have someone else make it,” she said. “I had my own vision. “I also thought it would be the way to

FROM PAGE 60 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

All-encompassing work So Bailey pulled up stakes once again and moved from Hawaii back to Dallas, her childhood home. She poured some of her life savings into the project. Still, it was a tiny budget. “Tens of thousands, instead of tens of millions,” like most Hollywood movies require, she said.

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD I S N P O L A A W A K R A V E D O N O R O B I W R E N M Y C A M H N E W O P E T R J K L M S E N S

T R E N T O N R E D W I N E

M E N L U S A T T H A O W R A L D R U M

O V E N S E L M A R A Z E

B E T A T A G C R P A N S A B E S M I T

A N T I G U A

R E S C U E D O A G P O X S E T R L O E X

U B A P A L A R S A S L E E P

S T E E C R S S A

D U D E

U P S S E S S

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: PANTS DIVOT FORAGE MISUSE Answer: They weren't sure what it would be like sailing in the Mediterranean, so they went -- OUT TO "SEE"

The movie was shot near Dallas, using primarily Texas actors so there would be no airplane and hotel fees to add to the expense. “I was responsible for the management of the whole filmmaking,” she noted. Managing is something “I can do with my hands tied behind my back.” The plethora of details to attend to left Bailey working 16-hour days over four weeks of shooting. For example, filming a fight scene involved far more than just the actors. By law, they had to have a medic on set, and they had to hire a choreographer. Other problems cropped up unexpectedly. “The first day of filming was supposed to start at 5 a.m. Monday morning at a bar. Friday afternoon [before], I got an email from the bar owner saying he was no longer interested,” she recalled. “This is where my training really paid off. I never do anything without a backup. I have a plan B and even a half-baked plan C for everything.” On those occasions when “I could just watch the filming, I enjoyed that part tremendously,” she said. After the movie was done, Bailey spent months editing the film and its sound and

music. While her budget didn’t allow for much marketing, and Revenge in Kind didn’t make it into theaters, Bailey said she’s grateful that there are so many ways in the digital age for people to see the movie. It’s available on DVD and from Amazon, Google Play and iTunes. The 89-minute movie is even available with Japanese, French and Spanish subtitles. Next, Bailey said she would like to turn her self-published 1995 novel, Death for Cause, into a movie. It’s a suspense novel with characters in hot pursuit of deadly microbes from Vancouver to Jerusalem. During her multi-faceted career, Bailey has used several different monikers for her various passions. She was known as Dr. Kathleen Bailey while working in Washington, and her film and writing work is done under the name K.C. Bailey. Her art, however, including painting, prints, photographs and her 2016 book of photography, are under her middle name, Cordelia. (See www.cordeliabailey.com.) Whatever name she chooses to use, it is clear we will be hearing more from this woman of many talents and abilities.

Books

comprehensive history of the military campaigns of the Revolutionary War. Employing illustrations, graphs and tactical maps with great effect, The West Point History of the American Revolution describes chronologically the course of the War of Independence from 1775 to 1783. Although the subject is complex, the coffee-table book is written with clarity. You will be enriched by the details provided and the knowledge you will acquire about military strategy and battlefield tactics. Feel privileged to have the opportunity to read the textbook studied by cadets at West Point in their core course “History of the Military Art.” Thankfully, there are no exams.

From page 57 sues, you may find Jonas’s innovative approach life changing. The West Point History of the American Revolution, by the United States Military Academy, book four of The West Point History of Warfare Series, by Samuel J. Watson, Edward Lengel and Stephen Conway, 320 pages including nearly 200 images and more than 30 color maps, Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 2017. Edward Lengel, chief historian of the White House Historical Association and a D.C. native, is co-author of a definitive and

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Photo by Cory Weaver

A CUT, A SHAVE, A SCHEME, A PRANK… ALL IN A DAY’S WORK!

The Barber of Seville April 28–May 19 | Opera House Music by Gioachino Rossini / Libretto by Cesare Sterbini

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO’s Presenting Sponsor

Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus See If This One Flies 1

Stephen Sherr By Stephen Sherr 6

23 29

55 62

1. ___ It Romantic? 5. A Group of kangaroos (or criminals) 8. Day 12 port island on Celebrity Eclipse’s itinerary 13. Extremely Northern or Southern 14. She did not have to deal with in-laws 15. High elevation nation 16. Like most, at 2:00 PM 17. Badminton blockade 18. Bulgarian totalitarians 19. One with very ruffled feathers 22. Alcoholic’s shakes 23. Waters off the Spanish Islands 26. Lennon was her third husband 29. Horse feed 32. Airbnb user 33. Dating Spring chickens in one’s Fall months 36. Loud bird with silent start 37. Swiss peak 38. Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (acronym) 40. Those who instruct me exactly how I should build the nest 45. “She is my queen and I ___ king” 46. “Immediately!” 47. Brief free media message 48. One just promoted to top prosecutor 49. Shipping container 51. Wearing a tiny tux with winged collars 58. Microbiologist’s dish 61. 2016 returnee to Southern California 62. Bridge support 63. Consonant run, between two vowels 64. Israeli weapon 65. Ore jackpots 66. Fashion ___ 67. Held a committee hearing 68. Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux (to Jennifer Aniston)

Down 1. Across the Mississippi from Illinois 2. Eastern European

Jumble answers on p. 58.

Across

47 49

36 40

Scrabble answers on p. 58.

3. In one’s birthday suit 4. State capital on Eastern Time 5. List of flavors at Ben and Jerry’s 6. Microwave ___ 7. VHS rival format 8. Day 5 port island on Celebrity Eclipse’s itinerary 9. Retrieved labrador 10. The Englishman Who Went ___ Hill But Came Down a Mountain 11. Tavern 12. Former senators D’Amato and Franken 13. 72, on most golf courses 20. Entrance exam discussed in Legally Blonde 21. PENTAGRAMS’ center 24. Like most, at 2:00 AM 25. Aims an Acura 26. Options: N, S, E, ___ 27. Owner of the Bates Motel 28. Emperor’s demand 30. Lose one’s icy demeanor 31. 2014 film which starred David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. 34. Warm-up exercises that look like a caterpillar’s movements 35. Some H&R Block employees 39. “The South” in the Civil War 41. Good pairing for prime rib 42. Like a Supreme Court argument 43. Catches red-handed 44. One of the first Christians 50. Technology company, listed as a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary 52. Ringo Starr’s instrument 53. Opposite of raise 54. Distribute light or sound 55. A ranch for guys 56. Activates The Force 57. Latter letter letters 58. Skimpy (worded) nightwear 59. Barely get, with “out” 60. The Learning Network, on a cable listing

Answers on page 58.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

From the publisher From page 2 to the average passerby than, say, a teenager or a young man bearing tattoos? I would never have thought so. But the police explained it to Ted this way: It’s a very litigious world. People are more afraid than ever of getting dragged into a legal mess. So they step on the gas and keep going. If they stop to help an elderly person who has just been in an accident, that person may blame them, or he might collapse and his family might sue, or he might try to drive away and do even worse harm to himself when the Good Samaritan might have snatched his keys. No, it isn’t fair. No, it isn’t sensible. But it proves that older people are often seen as neon-flashing risks rather than deserving, needy citizens. The police officer who responded to the scene of Ted’s accident told him that he had been at the scene of four other accidents already that night. He told Ted that, in every case, the driver who was involved in the accident was elderly and alone. According to the officer, one man of about 75 had just been rear-ended and had ended up in a ditch. He had a big gash on his forehead. You couldn’t miss it if you tried. But even though that man got out of his car and waved for help, blood and all, he got none. The officer said the man had stood beside his wrecked car for 15 minutes before any motorist stopped. At the scene of another incident, the officer told Ted, an elderly driver’s car had caught fire on the Beltway. The driver, at least 75, had managed to limp his car off onto the shoulder. Smoke was pouring from under the hood. It was still daylight at the time, so any passerby could see that the driver was both old and in major need of help. But he got none. No one even called 911 for about three minutes, the officer said. As a result, the elderly motorist had to stand there and watch as his car, which might have been saved, burned to a crisp. I realize that sainthood in today’s world is rare. I realize, too, that it’s always safer not to get involved in anything untoward or unusual. But how in the world can dozens of motorists stream past a man with blood on his forehead, or another whose car is smoking, and not lift a finger? If this is truly age discrimination — and the police officer says it was — there’s only one answer, by my lights. All of us have to resolve never to pass up an older motorist in need. Not ever.

Letters to editor From page 2 care of her needs — and she has never felt euphoria from them. The decision to stop Medicare reimbursement has, according to the Times article, been made by Dr. Demetrios Kouzoukas, Principal Administrative Di-

Say you saw it in the Beacon

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

At the very least, we can spend 15 seconds of our precious time calling 911. The one thing we shouldn’t do is assume that someone else will help, or blame our failure to stop on silly excuses like being late for dinner. As the saying goes, we’re all in this together. No one knows that better than older people. By the way, when Ted told his 90-something parents this story, they said he was a good son. He sure is. I know one woozy, needy older motorist who seconds the motion. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

rector for Medicare, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, Md. 21244. I am hoping that your publication will give senior citizens the heads-up so that any person who truly needs these medications, and their advocates, will convince Medicare to come out with a more flexible plan. Dorian Borsella Via e-mail

WB518

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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 page 63. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE — reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes. MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com. “A” HOME HEALTH CARE — Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599. I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references. Lots of experience. 301-502-2258. PROFESSIONAL LICENSED CNA CERTIFIED in CPR and First Aid. Looking to care for your loved ones of all ages. Experienced in dementia, Alzheimer’s, people with disabilities. I do housekeeping, errands, cooking. I love caring for people and am compassionate. Reasonable and affordable. MD, DC. Call Florence, 240-7791984. ELDERLY/COMPANION CARE. Seeking weekend care position in Leisure World community or nearby. Honest, patient, skilled with stroke/Alzheimer’s, CPR certified and do drive. Call JP at 301-598-3627. EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER FOR HIRE — for private care in home or healthcare facility. Provides care with love, dignity and respect. Licensed CNA. References available. Cited in The Washington Post for service. Contact: winicna@gmail.com, 202-726-7886 or 202-7442990. EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER/LPN looking for position providing care for the elderly or person with disabilities in their home. Has references. Call Monica, 301-646-2132. LICENSED CAREGIVER SEEKS position day or night — 25 years plus experience. Transportation available. Excellent references. Please call Ms. Stanford at cell: 240-351-7295. Rates negotiable. A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones. Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call: David G at 301-642-4526.

M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

Financial

For Sale

Personals Services

DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3-Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-844-855-7670.

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.

GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-844-230-2952.

FINEST HOUSE, APARTMENT AND CONDO cleaning/organizing. 20 years experience with solid references, primarily in Bethesda, upper NW and Chevy Chase. Free estimate. Candida, 301-3676566.

Health

LIFETIME IMMEDIATE ANNUITY, ages 7590, designed to assist people already in care. Pays for home services supplements. Current income at higher interest rates, 301-367-6566.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR — May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

LADY WANTS TO CLEAN HOUSE’S, APTS and babysit. $10 per hour. Call 571-260-8511, Dorothy.

LIFE INSURANCE GUARANTEED, ages 5085, major companies, cash value, whole life, level, benefit and premium. Not hospitalized, not nursing home. Information, application, 301-367-6566.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate MAGNOLIA HOUSE — New and accepting residents! Assisted Living/Memory Care: 301512-1685. 1:4 staff to resident ratio. Single-level facility, private and semi-private accommodations. Silver Spring, MD 20904. AVOID THE COMMUTE! Unique opportunity to live near your business. 100 year old two-story home with adjacent 4500 sq. ft. building. Both currently zoned commercial. Onsite parking. Easy access to highways. 2009-2011 West Street, Annapolis. For sale or lease by owner. 410-2680743 or 410-271-2970. Snyder1776@hotmail.com. LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors. LEISURE WORLD — $269,900. 3 BR 2 FB M with rough in for half bath, Garage, in “Fairways.” Updated kitchen, built-in in closets. New windows, steps to the elevator, 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-254-5825. LEISURE WORLD — $429,000. 2 BR + DEN, 2 FB, K with Garage, table space kitchen plus separate Dining Room, Separate laundry, 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD — $189,000. 2 BR 2FB “GG” model in “Greens” with Garage. Rare 1st floor unit with outside patio plus enclosed balcony, Updated kitchen and baths. Golf course and pond view. 1210 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD — $299,000. 2 BR 2-1/2 BA “M” model with Garage. Updated kitchen and baths, golf course view from 9th floor, 1480 sq ft, Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD — $159,000. 2BR 2FB “Warfield” model on ground floor, enclosed patio, opens to green space, updated table space kitchen, 1043 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors,. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD — $179,000. 2 BR 2 FB “F” with Garage in the Fairways. Updated with new paint and carpet, 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

DENTA-CHECK OF MARYLAND, DC, VIRGINIA. X-rays, two cleanings, 50% savings on most other procedures. $16 monthly single, $22 a month double, $28 Three-plus. Information, application, 301-367-6566. STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-888-9817657 Promo Code CDC201725. DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844-366-1003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

Legal Services WERE YOU AN INDUSTRIAL OR CONSTRUCTION TRADESMAN and recently diagnosed with lung cancer? You and your family may be entitled to a significant cash reward. Call 1-888-351-0312 for your risk free consultation. SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) Free evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1-866-9700779. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington, D.C. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

Miscellaneous ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99. Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com. DONATE VEHICLES. Your donation to Auted helps train disadvantaged at-risk youths in basic auto repairs and maintenance, also vehicles donations to low-income families. MVA Registered Charity Accepted to Receive Donated Vehicles. 100% Tax-deductible. Complete donation form at www.auted.org or mail@auted.org, 301-355-9333.

Personals CUTE, ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, FIFTIES — Looking for single white male, fifties plus, attractive, robust, warm-hearted, romantic. Enjoy dates, companionship, devoted relationship. If interested, call 240-418-4124, leave message. LOVELY WOMAN, 50S, SHAPELY LADY, young at heart, easygoing, seeking to meet and date a very attractive SWM, age 50s or 60s, a gentleman. Prefer brawny build, who is caring, sincere, courteous, compassionate, affectionate, stable, secure and lives a healthy, active lifestyle, nonsmoker. Have fun dates, laughter, friendship, possibly more. 703-863-5564. Please leave a nice message with phone number for reply.

For Sale

ANN AYLIAN, PLEASE CALL Reuben Hamasian, 301-770-4606.

DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR stone table, set of 6 chairs, wall unit 4 sections, bedroom set (king size bed), coffee tables (set of 3), floor lamp, crystal night lamps (set of 2), light leafdrop dinner table, rug 7x10 ft., clock in woodcut, a few oil paintings. Munjia, 301-622-3691.

Personal Services

HANDMADE PERSION RUG, NEW, SIZE 8X10. New loveseat, leather, paid $875, sell $425. Medium-size UNION safe, 22x14, $75. Green Star juicer, Electrolux vacuum cleaner, designer bags, (new, Coach), antiques and collectibles. Call 703-591-6321. In Fairfax. MOVING SALE, BEAUTIFUL WOODEN FURNITURE, light fixtures, crystal, over 50 items, China, Roseville pottery, antique cameras, rugs, paintings, oriental artwork, clock, rod iron door. Open house: Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 681-313-6080. 8652 Walutes Circle.

TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 938-9694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

NEED HELP RUNNING ERRANDS? Like grocery shopping, pharmacy pick-ups, chores at home and more? Maison@Werk is an errand running service for seniors based in the D.C. Metro area. LGBT senior friendly and welcoming. 713-927-3780 or maisonatwerk@gmail.com. https://maisonatwerk.wixsite.com/website. READY TO DE-CLUTTER? I can help. Sort, discard, donate. Reasonable rates. Call Jan, 301933-7570. Leave message. NEED HELP APPLYING YOUR MAKEUP? If you are an elderly lady who used to like pretty, but cannot now because of arthritis. Please call me, and I will make you feel and look pretty again. 301-641-7759, Erica.

Political Candidates VOTE RICHARD GOTTFRIED, MC COUNCIL AT-LARGE: Your Financial Voice — Your Fiscally Responsible Choice! Donate Today! www.votegottfried.com. By Authority: Friends of Richard Gottfried, Stacey Freeman-Gottfried, Treasurer.

TV/Cable DIRECTV. CALL AND SWITCH NOW — Get NFL Sunday Ticket for FREE! Every Game. Every Sunday. CHOICE- All-Included Package. Over 185 Channels. $60/month (for 12 Months.) CALL 1- 888-572-4953. DISH Network. 190+ CHANNELS. FREE Install. FREE Hopper HD-DVR. $49.99/month (24 months) Add High Speed Internet - $14.95 (where avail.) CALL Today & SAVE 25%! 1-844560-5837. SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-888-366-7573.

Wanted WE PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUE FURNITURE, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-332-4697. WANTED: 3 STOOGES, 1959, Bubble Gum Cards + any cards from 1950s. Call John at 301423-1256. MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy costume and other jewelry, coins, antiques, watches, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954. TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 9389694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business. CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls. OLD BOTTLES OF BOURBON, RYE AND CHARTREUSE. Seeking full and sealed bottles of vintage bourbon, rye and chartreuse. I am particularly interested in the following proofs: 100, 101, 107, 114. Alex, 443-223-7669.

WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — M AY 2 0 1 8

Wanted WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 279-2158. ITEMS WANTED: CAUTION! BE SMART. Get 3 estimates before you sell anything of value. Cash paid for quality antiques + midcentury items, including furniture, art, sculptures, toys, jewelry, gold, silver, fishing, military, vehicles, etc. One piece or estate. Compare my estimate before you sell. 301-262-1299. 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. BUYING OLD TOYS, WATCHES, COINS. Also purchasing fountain pens, wristwatches, pocket watches, old toys, dolls, trains, jewelry, comic books, old sports, memorabilia, equipment for baseball, golf, football, tennis, etc. Old books, paintings, military items, knives, firearms, swords, musical instruments, violins, guitars etc. Please call Thomas, 240-476-3441. BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301-219-6201. BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-464-0958. CASH FOR ESTATES, PARTIAL ESTATES, DOWNSIZING. I buy a wide range of items. Buy-out/cleanup. Gary Roman, 301520-0755. CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (reg. 883).

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Wanted STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301-309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com. MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202841-3062. LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-785-1129. 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 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. 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.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th 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 $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 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, D.C. Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

BEACON BITS

June 8+

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN SHOW

The Victorian Lyric Opera Company presents a fully-staged version of Patience, one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most beloved operettas, at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre from Friday, June 8 at 8 p.m. to Friday, June 15 at 8 p.m. Patience tells the story of Reginald Bunthorne, who pretends to be a poet to attract women, to whom many of these maidens were formerly engaged. Unfortunately, the one woman he wants, Patience, only has eyes for Archibald Grosvenor — another sham poet. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $24 for those 65 and older, and $20 for students. All opening night tickets cost $14. The theater is located at 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville, Md. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. For more information, call (240) 3148690 or visit www.vloc.org.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Candidates

Government Services

Danielle Meitiv for County Council.....19 David Blair for County Executive ........20 David Trone for Congress.....................17 Hoan Dang for County Council ...........23 Jim Mcgee for County Council ............18 Marilyn Balcombe for County Council21 Nancy Navcarro for County Council ...21

DC Board of Elections..........................18 DC Office on Aging ........................34-35 MC311 ..................................................30 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services.......................13, 28 Montgomery County Ride On Bus ......30

Clinical Studies Healthy Research Volunteers ................29

Computer/ Technology Help TechMedic4u...........................................5

Dental Services Friedman, Stephen, DDS ......................58 Oh, Judy, DDS ......................................14

Events City of Fairfax Antique Car Show ........53 DC Housing Expo & Home Show .......11 Leadership in Aging Awards.................28 Productive Aging Awards Dinner .........33

Financial Services Children’s National Hospital ................37 Career Gateway.....................................38 Edward Jones/Chelsi Dildine ...............39 Eversafe.................................................41 Mortgage Network Solutions ...............37

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation .......................42

Home Health Care/ Companion Services Ameristar Healthcare Services .............24 Best Senior Care ...................................29 Holy Cross Home Care and Hospice......6 Options for Senior America..................40

Housing Ashby Ponds .........................................10 Aspenwood Senior Living ....................22 Atrium Assisted Living.........................23 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. .......44 Chesterbrook Residences......................22 Chevy Chase House..............................11 Churchill Senior Living ........................30 Culpepper Garden.................................27 Falcons Landing......................................9 Friendship Terrace.................................16 Gardens of Traville, The .......................26 Greenspring...........................................10 Homecrest House..................................35 Homewood ..............................................7 Kensington Park....................................15 Park View ..............................................43 Potomac Place.......................................21 Quantum Property Mgmt......................25 Riderwood.............................................10 Ring House ...........................................27

Springvale Terrace ................................16 Tall Oaks ...............................................12 Village at Rockville, The ..................7, 26 Vinson Hall ...........................................25 Waltonwood ..........................................24

Legal Services Farr Law Firm .......................................39 Law Offices of Lee Holdmann.............39 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof................37

Medical/Health Holy Cross Germantown Hospital..........3 Medical Eye Center ..............................26 Silver Spring Medical Center ...............10

Miscellaneous America Builders ....................................7 Beacon Celebration of the Arts ............50 Beacon Housing Options......................54 Love Story Box .....................................28 Senior Zone...........................................54 SHIP/JCA..............................................42 TheBeaconNewspapers.com ................64

Real Estate Long & Foster/Eric Stewart............32, 41 Long & Foster/Walter Johnson.............31 Re/Max Choice/Bonnie Kyte................19 Weichert/Sue Heyman ..........................31

Restaurants Original Pancake House .......................29

Retail/Pawn/Auction CIRCA ..................................................38 Healthy Back Store .................................6 Quinn’s Auction Galleries.....................16

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Manor Care Health Services.................12 Village at Rockville, The ......................14

Subscriptions Beacon Newspaper ...............................61 Washington Jewish Week .....................42

Theatre/ Entertainment British Players .......................................53 F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre ....................51 Ford’s Theatre........................................53 Kennedy Center ........................55, 56, 59 Toby’s Dinner Theatre...........................52 US Air Force Band................................52 US Navy Band ......................................51 Wolf Trap...............................................57

Tour & Travel Eyre Travel ............................................47 Festive Holidays....................................47 Impact Israel..........................................49 Nexus Holidays.....................................48 Seven Lands & Sea Travel....................49 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club.................48 Travel West Virginia..............................46 Tripper Bus ...........................................47 US Navy Memorial...............................48 Vamoose................................................46

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M AY 2 0 1 8 — WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N

DIFFERENT

... because what surrounds you really matters.

tuesday, june 12, 2018 10:30 A.M. – 12:30 p.m. The meadows assisted living • 1635 hickory knoll road • Sandy Spring, MD 20860

For nearly 70 years, Brooke Grove Retirement Village has built a history of excellence in Montgomery County. Explore our residential-style homes, gardens and secure walking paths. Discover our innovative approach and programs including those designed to stimulate memory. Meet our staff, trained in assisting those with Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Enjoy our 220-acre campus and our live-in pets.

Please register with Toni Davis at 301-388-7209 or tdavis@bgf.org by June 10.

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-260-2320 or 301-924-2811

www.bgf.org

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ASSISTED LIVING OPEN HOUSE

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