May 2020 | DC Beacon

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VOL.32, NO.5

Ways to help others from home

Digitize historic documents The Library of Congress, for example, launched a program in 2018 called By the People to digitize items from its collection so they can be searched online (crowd.loc.gov).

Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can transcribe images of documents such as Abraham Lincoln’s notes, Branch Rickey’s scouting reports, century-old diary entries, and even Rosa Parks’ recipe for peanut butter pancakes.

“Anybody can do it,” said Dr. Victoria Van Hyning, the library’s senior innova-

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

Anticipate glamping, luxurious camping, on a family-friendly ranch in Montana; plus, stepping back to a quieter time in lush Laos, and thinking ahead to traveling once again page 32

Laurie Onofrio-Collier volunteers from her patio, phoning older adults for AARP’s Friendly Voices program. “I try to have a few joyful, uplifting conversations a day, and that’s what I can give,” she said. Many organizations, from the Library of Congress to the National Weather Service, need volunteers who can work from home.

tion specialist and project manager. “You don’t really need to have a knowledge of, or affinity for, a certain subject.”

Van Hyning noticed an uptick in volunteers since the quarantine began in March, but with 215,000 pages transcribed and 54,000 of those needing a review for accuracy, she said, “There’s still plenty to do.”

Older volunteers are particularly needed.

“Being able to read cursive is a huge benefit that people over 50 can bring, since it’s not being taught in school anymore,” she said.

The goal of By the People, Van Hyning said, is not only to make the library’s content easier to find, but to engage Americans with their national heritage.

See VOLUNTEER, page 4

Experienced. Vetted. Approved.

VOTE FOR YOUR SITTING MONTGOMERY COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES

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CHRISTOPHER C.

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I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY BRAD COLLIER

By Margaret Foster A few weeks into the coronavirus quarantine, Laurie Onofrio-Collier, 57, heard about AARP’s new Friendly Voice program, a call center that offers older adults a free, confidential telephone conversation (volunteer@aarp.org).

“I told my husband about it, and he said, ‘Calling and chatting with people? That sounds like you,’” Onofrio-Collier said, laughing.

Now, from her sunny patio, Onofrio-Collier spends several hours a day reaching out to people who are frightened or lonely. She listens, asks questions and laughs with them.

Speaking about a recent phone call with an older woman, she said, “We talked about memories, and vacations with kids and travel, and you could just hear how joyful she was and how delighted she was with the conversation.”

Like AARP, which launched its program last month in response to the COVID-19 crisis, many organizations need volunteers, and much of the work can be done from home. There’s a virtual volunteer position for just about everyone, and older adults especially are taking advantage.

MAY 2020

/ElectSittingJudgesMontgomeryCounty

VOTE BY MAIL or IN PERSON on JUNE 2ND For more information on the 2020 Primary, visit www.elections.maryland.gov

BY AUTHORITY OF ELECT SITTING JUDGES MONTGOMERY COUNTY SLATE, NANCY HOSFORD, TREASURER.

ARTS & STYLE

A portrait of the founder of Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center; plus, Bob Levey’s quarantine mane page 39

TECHNOLOGY 4 k Apps that can name that plant FITNESS & HEALTH k Implant helps blind see again k Allergy, cold or COVID?

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SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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LAW & MONEY k Bond market advice k Smart CD strategies

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Yes, another survey You may have noticed in last month’s among the completed surveys, just as we issue of the Beacon a full-page survey are doing for the coronavirus survey reform, where we asked you to spondents. let us know how the coronSo, if you complete and reavirus and our locked-down, turn both surveys, you have socially distanced way of life two chances to win. (But are treating you. please fill out each survey I’m pleased to say we are only once.) getting a tremendous response Putting together these two to this survey, with hundreds important surveys has rereturning the page from our minded me of other surveys April edition or taking the surwe have run over the years in vey online, and dozens more the Beacon. One in particular are coming in every day. sticks in my memory.

FROM THE We can already tell that the PUBLISHER Long-time readers may reresults will be very interest- By Stuart P. Rosenthal call our publication was ing, and I will be sharing named Senior Beacon at its highlights from the survey with you in an inception in 1988. In the early 2000s, we upcoming issue. (Note: The survey runs decided that the time had come to drop the through May 29, so if you haven’t yet sub- “senior” from our name because we bemitted yours, please go to our website at lieved that many who would have found thebeaconnewspapers.com and click on our publication helpful were reluctant to the “Attention Readers” banner. You may pick up anything with that label in the title. also access the survey directly at this web So, we ran a full-page survey one month address: bit.ly/tbns0420.) telling readers we were looking for a new But what about the survey on page 3 of name and asking for their vote on several this issue, you ask? Yes, that is another possibilities, as well as their own suggessurvey we would like you to complete! And tions. as an incentive, we will be having a second Many of the respondents voted for one random drawing for $200 cash from or more of the suggestions we offered (my

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personal favorite was “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise”), and a number proffered their own new name (ranging from serious proposals to tongue-in-cheek names like “Geezer Gazette”).

But to our surprise, the vast majority voted to retain the name “Senior Beacon,” a number of them taking umbrage at the thought that we would even consider changing it to appease younger readers.

That’s when it hit us that we were surveying the wrong audience. If we were concerned that some people were not picking up the Beacon because the name “senior” put them off, then why were we asking the readers who very happily picked up the Senior Beacon every month what we should change our name to?

It was non-readers we needed to survey.

Duh! In our defense, I will say that we surveyed the audience that we had, not the one we didn’t have. That was the easiest thing to do, of course, even though in retrospect it made no sense. But we learned our lesson.

As a result, I am sensitive to this problem with surveys, and I found it amusing recently when I saw that a national membership organization of people over 50 appeared to make a similar mistake in conducting a recent survey.

This organization periodically asks its members about the technologies they are comfortable using. Apparently, one of the chief goals of this survey is to show the rest of the world (and potential business partners and advertisers) that people over 50 are highly “tech-savvy.”

The organization crowed in a press release about the most recent results, as they “found that 83% use mobile phones...and more than half (52%) own a tablet. According to the survey, older adults are adopting

devices such as smartphones, wearables, home assistants/smart speakers and smart-home technology at nearly the same rate as adults ages 18 to 49.”

All well and good, until you turn to the actual report and read the fine print on “methodology.” Turns out, the survey was offered online exclusively, and it took approximately 15 minutes to complete.

If you’re trying to find tech-savvy people, it makes sense to look for them online.

But if you’re truly trying to learn what percent of Americans over 50 are comfortable using technology, I think you’d get a truer picture if you also surveyed people who never or seldom go online, who would be unlikely to learn about a survey done online, or would not be comfortable filling out a 15-minute survey online.

By completely omitting all those people from the survey base, they certainly got results they could crow about, but they don’t paint a very accurate portrayal of technology use.

At any rate, we are making no mistake in both printing this month’s new survey on the facing page and offering an opportunity to complete it online as well (go to bit.ly/tbns2020).

Many thanks for reading the Beacon and for helping us with both our surveys. I look forward to sharing results with you soon.

Stay well and take care.

NOTE: If you would like to receive the Beacon FREE via email each month, or if you’d like to subscribe to the print edition at half price ($6/year + tax), please call our office at (301) 949-9766.

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 info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification.

Dear Editor: Are other seniors experiencing serious problems due to the closure of the [Prince George’s County] Department of Social Services? Before closing, they did not finish processing my renewal for medical assistance, leaving me in the very difficult position of having to borrow $560 a week for aide.

Is there some way to get help?

Elizabeth Passariello-Regina New Carrollton, Md. Ed. note: We're sorry to hear about your situation. For help, contact the Prince George's County Aging and Disabilities Services Division at (301) 265-8450.

Dear Editor: Your March article, “Should early dementia patients drive?” by Jim Miller, was disturbing. He advocates, “Watch for warn-

ing signs,” when the warning sign was in plain sight — the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. This diagnosis immediately tells us that judgment is impaired, and this means that the person with this diagnosis should not be driving, period.

Hedy Peyser, MSW, ACSW Silver Spring, Md. Dear Editor: I am concerned about the increases in property taxes/tax assessment system in the District of Columbia that impact home owners, specifically senior citizens who are at risk of losing their houses due to rapid raising of property taxes in the District.

Hence, I ask for your support to urge our mayor, government officials and Congress to provide tax relief and to fix the inequitable See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 47

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Technology &

Innovations An app that answers ‘What’s that plant?’

By Jeremy Cox, Bay Journal News Service The ability to identify plants and trees was once the sole province of experts such as naturalists, botanists and master gardeners.

To this day, scientists are still discovering an average of about 2,000 new plants per year. Sometimes it can take years, even decades, for biologists to confirm whether one of those plants is a unique species.

Luckily, identifying garden-variety plants isn’t usually complicated. But it can still be daunting for those of us without specialized degrees. Plant identification apps can help.

Testing plant-recognizers On a recent hike through a soggy portion of the Nassawango Creek Preserve on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I field-tested four plant identification apps on my mobile phone to see whether they offer a user-friendly experience and deliver reliable results.

From the comfort of my WiFi-enabled home, I had downloaded four apps: iNaturalist, PictureThis, PlantNet and PlantSnap.

All of the apps were free. Or at least they started as free; PictureThis and PlantSnap began asking for money after I reached a certain number of identification attempts.

These apps all function more or less the same way: You snap a picture of a plant, upload it to the app, and it spits out its best guess at what you’re seeing. You can submit images of leaves, flowers, bark or the

Volunteer From page 1 Similar programs, like the Smithsonian Transcription Center (transcription.si.edu), welcome “anyone with a curious spirit,” according to its website. The National Archives Citizen Archivist program (citizenarchivist@nara.gov) is also open to volunteers willing to transcribe and “tag” an item (label it with descriptive terms) so it’s searchable on Google ).

All three programs have an online forum, such as the National Archives’ History Hub, where volunteers “meet” and can ask and answer questions.

In this way, while volunteering from home, “people form relationships and get to know [other] people,” Van Hyning said.

“They’re all retirees, for the most part. It’s

whole plant.

All of the apps I used depend on imagerecognition technology to suss out a plant’s identity. But at least one supplements that information with actual humans — unpaid site contributors — who follow up via email with their own rulings. Their replies usually start trickling in within a few hours.

However, a common critique of such technology is that its ability to make accurate identifications hinges largely on the quality of the information you feed into it.

An example: If you take a blurry picture of a leaf belonging to a Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum) — a stalky native bush with purplish flowers — you could wind up being told it’s from a different genus altogether.

The apps are finicky about photography.

A whole leaf must be shown, not just part.

A wilted flower is no good. A leaf silhouetted by the sun won’t work. Don’t be too far from or too close to your subject.

It’s not enough, then, to take a quick pic of some random leaf with your smartphone and move on. You must spend a little time with your plant or tree to find a good representative leaf.

Multiple opinions How often do these apps agree? To find out, I took photos of nine leaves from what I believed to be different plant species along the hike. I re-used the same photograph for each plant in the apps.

a great way to engage with people right now, and people are very welcoming.”

Only once did all four apps agree on the identity of a plant. Apparently, with its dark-green, pointy leaves, American holly cuts a distinctive figure.

For some plants, I got four different suggestions. I tried a mushroom, and the apps replied: PlantSnap: “Amanita franchetii, which doesn’t appear to grow on this side of the globe.”

PlantNet: “Not a plant (may be fungi).” iNaturalist: “Lumpy bracket, a fungi that at least pops up quite often in the mid-Atlantic.”

PictureThis; “Oops, I couldn’t find plants in the picture.”

None of the apps emerged as an overall “winner.” Clearly, the technology could use more time to mature, but the day is probably close at hand when software overtakes humanity when it comes to singling out greenery.

Far from being disappointed, I was still impressed with the apps. We now have in our pockets tools that can narrow down the identity of a plant out of tens of thousands of possibilities — and sometimes hit the mark.

Suddenly, before you know it, you are communing with nature. It’s like an openended scavenger hunt.

For eons, critics have been railing about how technology distances us from the wonders of creation. In a small way, these apps may help reconnect us, even if only for an afternoon.

App details

sure that first book is really engaging.”

to a map or make sure that existing points correctly identify schools, hospitals and other structures. If you get stuck, there’s a Q&A forum where people can ask questions or answer them for newbies.

Be a couch cartographer Bring books alive Another way to engage with people is by reading books to students. An audiobook company called Learning Ally (learningally.org) trains volunteers to record textbooks or young-adult novels for students who are blind or dyslexic.

Other volunteers are paired up with narrators to give them one-on-one feedback on each recording’s sound quality, speed or pronunciation. A third tier of volunteers double-checks the final product before the book is distributed to 30,000 children — and hopefully sparks a lifelong love of reading.

“Most of the kids who use our products struggle with reading,” said Paula Restrepo, volunteer nation lead, “so we need to make

For less one-on-one social interaction, you can also volunteer from your couch by helping cartographers.

If you love maps, you can join the National Map Corps with the U.S. Geological Survey (nationalmapcorps@usgs.gov). The agency asks volunteer editors to help update map sites from their home computers).

“Many of our current volunteers are retirees who enjoy being able to contribute to a citizen-science project without leaving the house, so this is an ideal stay-at-home/social distancing opportunity,” project manager Emily Anderson said.

After creating an account and reading a brief how-to guide, Map Corps volunteers can get to work right away. Add new points

Here’s a look at a few examples available on both Apple and Android phones: PlantSnap (plantsnap.com): Uses image-recognition software powered by machine learning. More than 600,000 plants are in their database, representing 90% of known plants and trees. Free with ads. A premium, ad-free version is available for $2.99/month or $19.99/year. iNaturalist (inaturalist.org): Uses image-recognition software backed up by crowd-sourced suggestions (emailed to you within hours or days). Operated by the California Academy of Science and the National Geographic Society. Linked to its own social network. More than 250,000 species represented (includes fish, birds, etc.). Free.

PictureThis (picturethisai.com): Uses artificial intelligence-powered, imagerecognition software. Claims 99% accuracy identifying common species and overall 95% rate with a database of more than 10,000 plant species. Free. Also has a premium service with 7-day trial, then $29.99/year.

PlantNet (plantnet.org): Uses imagerecognition software. A database of more than 27,000 species and growing. Can search by leaf, flower, bark, fruit, habitat, etc. Free.

Jeremy Cox is a Bay Journal staff writer based in Salisbury, Maryland. You can reach him at jcox@bayjournal.com.

Be an outdoor citizen scientist There are also volunteer options for nature lovers. If you spend your time fishing, some states, such as Maryland, need anglers to report basic information on the size, species and location of their catch.

They can send data with a smartphone.

Amateur wildlife photographers can upload photos to the iNaturalist app or website, contributing them to a database for biologists.

Birdwatchers can report sightings via See VOLUNTEER, page 5

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With the current stay-at-home orders, getting necessities like groceries to those who need them has become an even more important, yet arduous, task. At Capitol Hill Village, a D.C. nonprofit that helps older adults in that neighborhood age in place, volunteers can help older residents

Above all, it’s important that we take care of one another during these difficult times. You can help with that by staffing a Montgomery County hotline.

Crisis Prevention and Intervention Services at the Rockville-based mental health nonprofit EveryMind is seeking volunteers to answer phone calls or texts from people who are abused, lonely or “just having a bad day,” according to Rachel Larkin, director of the program (every-mind.org).

“There are a lot of folks out there who

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medical fields. It’s a huge range.”

No training is necessary, just a LinkedIn account or an email address. “It’s a very quick and easy process,” she said. “Anyone can just hop in whenever they have time, spend 20 minutes or so answering questions, and then hop off.”

To Onofrio-Collier, a virtual volunteer position is a rewarding way to fill up the days.

In fact, you can get carried away. Recently, a friend asked her what TV shows she was “binge-watching” during the quarantine.

“I said, ‘What? Sorry, I don’t have any time for that,’” Onofrio-Collier said. “I’m busier now than when I was working.”

To search for more volunteer opportunities you can do from home, visit createthegood.aarp.org.

F R E E

iBird — an online checklist organized by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

You can help save lives by reporting floods, hail or tornadoes with a quick phone call or email. The National Weather Service is always on the lookout for “weather weenies,” as agency meteorologist Jeremy Geiger put it.

Geiger trains people officially called “spotters” to report storms via a program called Skywarn (weather.gov/skywarn). The twohour training sessions are entirely online now, and no experience is necessary. “Average Joes to geniuses” are welcome, he said.

The on-the-ground weather reports from their 400,000 trained severe weather spotters are crucial, Geiger said, enabling the agency to issue a warning and save lives.

“With a radar, you can only see so much,” he said. Retirees are particularly helpful. “People who are retired have a little more time,” he said.

would like to hear a kind voice and be helped out,” she said.

Since the pandemic began in March, Larkin said, “We moved our whole [eightweek] training [online], and we are taking all our calls remotely. New trainees can do chats remotely, too.”

Older adults make excellent hotline operators, she added. “We love our 50-plus volunteers because they have so much life experience.”

You can also use your job experience to coach students or give career advice on a website called CareerVillage. “We’re looking for professionals in all sorts of fields,” said Gurpreet Lally, community manager for CareerVillage.org. “Students will post questions about anything from welding to

F R E E

From page 4

by placing grocery delivery orders for them (info@capitolhillvillage.org).

“We’re having volunteers from home either help by asking for a shopping list and getting food delivered, or teaching them the [online ordering] technology themselves,” according to Katie Garber, director of volunteer and care services. “That doesn’t require face-to-face contact.”

Food banks are facing unprecedented demand today. While most need volunteers to work in-person at their headquarters, some organizations, such as the African Community Center DC Metro, use volunteers to make “contact-free” deliveries of computers or food directly to doorsteps.

Volunteers can also help research or write grants, according to Yariana Rodriguez, the group’s resource development manager (acc-dc.org).

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Health Fitness &

POWER OF PREBIOTICS Fiber-rich prebiotics like wheat, walnuts and artichokes feed friendly gut bacteria SEEING THE LIGHT A new implanted device promises a version of sight to those who have lost it FRIENDS IN FARAWAY PLACES Social distancing can be difficult. Here are a few ideas to spice up your routine BE PART OF HISTORY Researchers are seeking older adults for a coronavirus vaccine trial at NIH

Beware of virus ‘cures’ and other cons

By Linda A. Johnson Con artists are finding lots of marks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Watchdog groups and authorities report a surge in complaints about scams targeting people who fear catching the virus or need money due to lost income.

Scams include “investments” in phony COVID-19 cures and charging people in advance for nonexistent home tests, fake protective gear or even overpriced toilet paper that never arrives.

Other fraudsters offer “help” finding a new job or quickly getting federal stimulus checks, if people provide bank account and Social Security numbers or pay upfront fees.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that through March 31, Americans filed complaints about losses to coronavirusrelated fraud totaling nearly $6 million.

Kathy Stokes, head of AARP’s fraud prevention program, noted “a significant uptick in reports” to its fraud watch network.

And the Better Business Bureau, which offers anti-scam tips, is getting so many virus-related fraud reports that it’s started

a COVID-19 category on its scam tracker.

“They’re preying on people who are desperate,” many of them alone, said BBB national spokeswoman Katherine Hutt.

About one-third of people contacting the agency lost money, some hundreds of dollars. The rest wanted to warn others.

To avoid being duped, be super-skeptical. Don’t jump on offers that sound too good to be true. Stop and investigate or seek advice from trusted sources.

Some more tips: —Don’t answer your phone unless you know the caller.

“Use your answering machine,” Stokes said, and don’t call back unfamiliar numbers. If you answer a robocall and are directed to press a number for details on an offer, don’t. It’s likely a scam.

—Beware “spoof” calls. These falsely ID callers as agencies like the IRS, Social Security Administration or Small Business Administration, and tell you to call a number for help getting money. Instead, look up that agency’s phone number to check.

“Most of those are phishing scams try-

ing to get your personal or financial information,” or get you to pay a fee, said Paul Rodriguez, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

—Consider the source. Government agencies contact people by mail, NOT by phone, text, social media or email.

—Don’t fall for pitches offering drugs or nutritional supplements to cure or prevent infection by the coronavirus, or at-home virus test kits. They don’t exist, and the first time you hear about one won’t be from a stranger; it’ll be on the news.

Dozens of drugmakers are researching treatments and vaccines, but none will be available for many months.

—Question email and text requests that seem to be from friends or relatives, asking you to buy store gift cards from a third party and promising to forward the cards to them.

—Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met, particularly via money orders, prepaid debit cards or gift cards, which aren’t secure or traceable, advised Hutt.

Don’t give info to people who contact you, or click unfamiliar email links, which could

put malware on your computer to find passwords and financial information.

—Question possibly true things, like emails and online ads offering hard-to-find hand sanitizer, sterile gloves and masks.

Many people have reported ordering via credit card, but never received the items and the seller vanished.

Unless you’ve previously done business with a company, check its website for reviews, evidence that it’s been in business a while and a working phone number.

—Check out charity solicitations from unfamiliar groups and crowdfunding campaigns, Rodriguez said. If a “charity” requests money, confirm it’s legit via sites like Charity Navigator, which monitors how charities spend money, or see if the charity is registered with your state’s charity regulator, usually part of the state attorney general’s office, consumer affairs agency or department of state.

—See something? Say something: Report suspected scams to your state attorney general, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission or the Better Business Bureau.

—AP

Virus keeps kids from their grandparents

By Lindsay Whitehurst A few weeks ago, Debbie Cameron saw her grandsons most days, playing the piano, making after-school snacks or singing nursery rhymes with the baby in her home.

Then the coronavirus crisis hit, and the boys were suddenly gone. Cameron is 68 and has asthma, making her one of the people most at risk of getting seriously ill or dying.

Now she sees her grandchildren from behind the glass of a window or a phone screen.

“Looking at them through the window and not being able hug them, it’s just a dang killer,” she said.

For grandparents all over the world, being protected from the pandemic has meant a piercing distance from their loved ones. While children don’t seem to be getting seriously ill as often, they can be infected and spread the virus.

It’s been a jolting change for many.

Cameron and her husband, both retired teachers, usually watch their older grandchildren, aged 8 and 11, after school and their 7-month-old grandson four times a week. But as the effects of coronavirus

spread, the family decided that caring for the boys was too risky.

So instead of chasing after little boys, she’s doing puzzles, listening to old radio shows or watching the Hallmark channel, trying to fill the hours in her much-quieter house.

“I just go day by day, and when the dark thoughts come in I try and do something to take them away,” she said. “I cry. Sometimes I cry.”

Still, she feels lucky doesn’t have to leave the house to work, and that she has close family ties. Sometimes she re-reads a letter her mother wrote her father while he was deployed to the Philippines during World War II, laying out her raw emotions about how much she missed him as she cared for their first child without him.

“My mother was a really strong woman, and in this one she was struggling,” she said. “If my mom did that, I can do this.”

Bufkin is at home with her 7-month-old baby, working from home while her husband goes into the office.

She’s been taking webcam calls and answering emails while breastfeeding the baby and trying to keep him entertained, even after coming down with a fever and headache, symptoms similar to the new coronavirus.

In line with the advice of public-health officials, she stayed at home to recover and wasn’t tested for the virus, since she’s young and healthy and didn’t become seriously ill. She’s now on the mend, but it only deepened her mother’s feelings of helplessness.

“Imagine if your child is sick [and] you can’t go help them,” Cameron said. “That’s the hardest part.”

But for her daughter, it further confirmed that staying physically separate for now is the right decision. “We want my mom to survive this,” Bufkin said.

Can’t help adult children, either

Ways to connect from home

The sudden change has been challenging for kids’ parents too, many of whom are trying to balance work from home and childcare. Cameron’s daughter Julie

And the grandparents can still step in remotely — Bufkin sets up a phone or a tablet in the baby’s playpen, where they can sing songs, show him around the yard, look at

the cat or play piano over FaceTime.

“Anything we can, even five to 10 minutes to give her a little rest. That makes my day,” Cameron said.

Other grandparents are also looking for moments of brightness. They’re replacing chats on the porch with friends with Facebook conversations, or connecting with church congregations through video-messaging apps like Marco Polo.

For grandparents who live alone, hunkering down during the crisis can increase their isolation. Terry Catucci is a 69-year-old retired social worker and recovering alcoholic of 30 years in Maryland. She has seven grandchildren nearby in the Washington, D.C., area, including a 5-year-old and a 1year-old who she helps care for sometimes.

She tries not to think about the little changes she’s missing during the years when children seem to grow every day.

“When you’re in a time of crisis, you want to be with people you love, and we can’t,” she said. “I’ve run the whole gamut of the five stages of grief at any given day.”

See GRANDPARENTS, page 8

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E ARE STRONGER

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Eat foods that feed your good bacteria

By Karen Ansel You know about boosting your microbiome with probiotics — beneficial bacteria found in yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut — which have been shown to have health benefits, such as improving digestion, immune health and mood.

But what are prebiotics? Those are the nutrients in food that feed your gut bacteria, and they may be the next rising microbiome star.

“We probably don’t even realize when we’re eating them,” said Andrea Azcarate-

Peril, Ph.D., director of the Microbiome Core Facility at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “However, in the near future we’ll be hearing a lot more about how prebiotics can improve gut health.”

Do probiotics colonize my gut?

Claims that probiotics colonize your gut imply that good bacteria can displace the bad ones in your digestive tract permanently. That’s not the case. Probiotics modify your microbiota temporarily.

Think of these bugs as helpful tourists,

dropping in and doing good things while they pass through before taking the G.I. highway out of town. (True colonization — where bacteria move in for good — happens in infancy.)

If you stop consuming probiotics, your microbiome will shift back in a few weeks.

So, I’m stuck with the gut I’ve got?

Not necessarily. You can improve your microbiome by encouraging the good bacteria you already harbor to grow with prebiotic foods like wheat, walnuts, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, legumes, onion and garlic.

How do prebiotics shift your microbiome?

Prebiotics aren’t one specific type of nutrient, but rather any compound that feeds your microbiome. This includes indigestible carbs (like inulin, found in wheat, and resistant starch, in legumes) and also polyphenols (plant compounds with antioxidant properties, like those found in walnuts).

While prebiotic supplements do exist, experts recommend getting your prebiotics from food, since they may work syn-

ergistically with other plant compounds.

When you eat these foods, your good gut flora feast on the prebiotics and multiply. This crowds out bad bugs and makes the good guys produce short-chain fatty acids, substances that may help control appetite, bolster immunity and even protect against cancer.

What’s better: probiotics or prebiotics?

It’s too soon to say if one is better than the other. Plenty of research supports embracing probiotics — they can introduce strains of helpful bacteria that your gut may be lacking, at least temporarily.

But know that it’s not the only way to promote gut health. Regularly feeding the microbes you already have with prebiotics is also key.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com. © 2020 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Grandparents

set up lawn chairs at the end of driveways to chat with friends walking by at a safe distance.

“We’re all learning how to survive in this time,” she said, “to live a little bit the best we can.”

—AP

From page 6 But she’s getting by, talking with her family and checking in daily with her Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. Every night, neighbors in her retirement community

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Restoring visual perception to the blind Courtesy of UCLA Health Although he is blind, Jason Esterhuizen is able to walk on the sidewalk, thanks to an experimental brain implant that enables him to distinguish light areas from dark.

Seven years ago, Esterhuizen was in a car crash that destroyed his eyes, plunging him into total darkness. Today, he’s regained visual perception and more independence, thanks to an experimental device implanted in his brain by researchers at UCLA Health.

“Now I can do things that I couldn’t do before,” said Esterhuizen, 30, who moved from his native South Africa to participate in the clinical trial at UCLA. “I can sort the laundry, find my way in lighted hallways without using a cane and cross the street more safely. It’s making my life much easier.”

The device is geared toward people who used to be able to see but lost their vision to injury or disease. While it doesn’t provide normal sight, it enhances users’ ability to navigate the world by restoring their capacity to detect movement and distinguish light and dark.

“This is the first time we’ve had a completely implantable device that people can use in their own homes without having to be plugged into an external device,” said Nader Pouratian, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon at UCLA Health and principal investigator of the five-year study.

“It helps them recognize, for example, where a doorway is, where the sidewalk begins or ends, or where the crosswalk is.

These are all extremely meaningful events that can help improve people’s quality of life.”

A breakthrough device Designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a “breakthrough device,” the system wirelessly converts images cap-

tured by a tiny video camera mounted on sunglasses into a series of electrical pulses.

The pulses stimulate a set of 60 electrodes implanted on top of the brain’s visual cortex, which perceives patterns of light and interprets them as visual clues.

“I’ll see little white dots on a black background, like looking up at the stars at night,” said Esterhuizen, the world’s second research subject to receive the device, which is called Orion.

“As a person walks toward me, I might see three little dots. As they move closer to me, more and more dots light up.”

Along with the glasses, the system also includes a belt equipped with a button, which patients can press to amplify dark objects in the sun, and press again to visualize light objects in the dark, such as an oncoming car’s headlights at night.

Six people have received the implant: the first three at UCLA Health, two at Baylor College of Medicine, and the sixth at UCLA. Recipients have expressed delight at once again being able to enjoy fireworks and blow out candles on a birthday cake.

“It’s still a blast every time I turn it on,” Esterhuizen said. “After seeing absolutely nothing to all of a sudden seeing little flickers of light move around and figuring out that they mean something. It’s just amazing to have some form of functional vision again.”

The implant currently stimulates the left side of the patient’s brain. As a result, they perceive visual cues only from their rightside field of vision. Ultimately, the goal is to implant both sides of the brain to recover a full field of vision.

“This device has the potential to restore useful vision to patients blinded by glauco-

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credits his accident and the device for changing his life in countless ways.

“The day of my car accident, I was 23 and studying to become an airline pilot,” he wrote in his blog. “Life didn’t end there; it just changed for the better. I would not have met the love of my life.”

The couple will celebrate their first wedding anniversary in September.

“Normally when my wife is mad at me, she’ll be quiet, and I’ll be like, ‘Where are you?

I want to speak to you,’” he said. “Now I can find her. She can’t hide from me anymore.”

A Wellness Update is a magazine devoted to up-to-the minute information on health issues. Online at awellnessupdate.com. © 2020 www.awellnessupdate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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ma, diabetic retinopathy, cancer and trauma,” Pouratian said. With research subjects’ input, he and his colleagues hope to one day adapt the device to also assist people who were born blind or have low vision.

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Esterhuizen, an upbeat athlete and adrenaline junkie who skydives, bungee jumps and recently competed with his team in the 2019 World Series for “beep baseball” — a form of America’s pastime for people who are visually impaired —

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Is it my usual hay fever allergy or COVID?

By Michael Rubinkam The spring breezes of 2020 are carrying more than just tree pollen. There’s a whiff of paranoia in the air.

For millions of seasonal allergy sufferers, the annual onset of watery eyes and scratchy throats is bumping up against the global spread of the new virus that produces its own constellation of respiratory symptoms.

Forecasters predicted a brutal spring allergy season for swaths of the U.S., which

hit at the same time that COVID-19 cases started rising dramatically.

That’s causing angst for people who never have had to particularly worry about their hay fever, other than to stock up on antihistamines, decongestants and tissues.

Now they’re asking: Are these my allergies? Or something more sinister?

“Everyone is sort of analyzing every sneeze and cough right now,” said Kathy Przywara, who manages an online community of allergy sufferers for the Asthma

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Symptoms differ Never mind the differing symptoms — that sneezing and runny nose, hallmarks of hay fever, are not typically associated with COVID-19, which commonly produces coughing, fever and, in more serious cases, shortness of breath. Never mind that allergies don’t cause fevers. Allergy sufferers fret that there’s just enough overlap to make them nervous.

Allergy season is already underway in Oceanside, California, where Ampie Convocar is dealing with a runny nose, sinus pain, headache and an urge to sneeze. Last year, she would’ve considered her symptoms mere annoyance. Now they cause tremendous anxiety. People with asthma, like Convocar, may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

“I consider it as something that could kill me because of COVID-19 floating around,” Convocar wrote via email. With a family member still traveling to work every day, she said, “I don’t know what he got out there.”

Many garden-variety hay fever sufferers, of whom there are about 19 million adults in the U.S., are also on heightened alert.

They’re taking their temperatures each

day, just in case. They’re hiding their sneezes and sniffles from suspicious neighbors and grossed-out grocery shoppers. They’re commiserating with each other and sharing memes on social media (“I don’t know if I should buy Zyrtec or turn myself in to the CDC”).

Pamela Smelser is reminded of allergy season every time she looks out the window of her home office, where her cherry tree is blooming. Spring came early to Maryland, she said, and lots of people are coughing and sneezing from the pollen.

“You do what you have to do: You take your meds for allergies and stay away from people,” Smelser said. “People get really hinky about coughing right now.”

No test to prove it’s allergies Though she’s had allergies for years, Smelser, a semi-retired social worker and community college teacher outside Baltimore, admits to being a touch paranoid.

She takes her temperature every day because she’s 66 and, well, you can never be too careful.

“I can’t rule out that I have anything,” she said. “That’s the paranoia: You can’t even get a test to say, ‘This is all seasonal allergies.’”

—AP

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Older adults remember earlier hard times

By Lindsey Tanner One person remembers the polio epidemic and the hardships of World War II. One is stoic about it all because, he said, he’s already “here past [his] welcome.” A third, old enough to remember the aftermath of the 1918 flu epidemic, turns to her faith in challenging times.

For older Americans, some of the people most likely to be negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, these unusual days and the social distancing that they bring are

rippling out in varied and nuanced ways.

Easter Brown, 77, works with a Washington, D.C., group that provides groceries, medicine and other services to older inner-city residents. But it’s pollen season, and she has asthma, making her more vulnerable to coronavirus.

So, on doctor’s orders, she has stopped making deliveries. She has also stopped walking outside for exercise and instead strolls her apartment building’s hallways for 35 minutes each day.

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Her daughter and grandson live in the building, so she doesn’t feel isolated.

Crossword puzzles, studying the Bible, cooking and watching TV keep her busy.

Brown takes the small changes in her lifestyle in stride, and is still going strong — at least, “that’s what everybody says,” Brown said with a laugh. “As long as I stay in here, I don’t worry about catching it,” she said.

Reminded of rationing Many older Americans say they’ve seen hard times before. “This kind of thing is not new for us older people,” said Mimi Allison, the former director of the National Museum of Dance, who turned 90 recently.

She lives with one of her daughters and a teenage grandson in Asheville, North Carolina, and said the main inconvenience of social distancing is not getting to celebrate her birthday with other family members, including her two great-grandchildren.

“I think we’re not as stressed as some of the younger people,” Allison said. “We know that we’re all going to come out of it.

Well, some of us won’t, but most of us will, and we’re all going to be better off for it.”

Allison said she’s reminded of the rationing in World War II and the polio epidemic that sickened her brother in the 1940s, when swimming pools and movie theaters were closed and families kept children close to avoid that virus. So far, she said, it’s not all that different from growing up in Buffalo, New York, when blizzards often brought life to a halt.

Staying connected The key is to maintain some kind of connection, said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 70, a charismatic Chicago priest who normally feeds off the energy of parishioners but now faces empty pews. His parish in a

struggling South Side neighborhood includes many adults his age and older who are sequestered in their homes.

He has turned to live-streaming mass on Sundays. Instead of handshakes and embraces, he’s urging phone calls, especially for seniors without internet access or smartphones.

“It’s so important to stay connected right now because what depression does with people is have them turn into themselves and close their world,” Pfleger said.

Mental health experts agree. Almost one in three older adults live alone, and many have chronic health problems.

Those factors make them vulnerable to loneliness and depression; suicide rates among those aged 75 and older are among the highest in the nation.

For those accustomed to being more active, being confined to home and reliant on others for groceries and basic needs can be disempowering. Family members can help by talking about health risks and the need for social distancing.

Some have seen it all Helen Anstead, 106, isn’t fazed by the COVID-19 pandemic because, she said, she has pretty much seen it all. Anstead was 5 when influenza swept the planet in 1918. “I just felt the fear that the elders had when they talked about it,” she said.

The retired teacher lives by herself on a farm in rural northeast Michigan where her son raises beef cattle. COVID-19 hasn’t reached her county yet.

Anstead mostly stays indoors, pays attention to the news but doesn’t worry about getting sick. Raised in a church-going family, she said she relies on her faith and See HARD TIMES, page 14

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Five ways to be social from a distance

By Judy Holland Social distancing and stay-at-home orders are taking a toll on the human psyche and fueling the loneliness epidemic that has raged for several years.

Let’s face it: It’s isolating to stay inside for long stretches. And when we venture outside, we find others who look like aliens with face masks and gloves, darting away from each other. It’s downright creepy.

Before coronavirus knocked us off our feet, one-fifth of Americans reported feeling lonely. More than one-third of Americans age 45 and older said they felt socially isolated. And 28% of older adults live home alone, more than ever before.

Too much isolation is bad news: Loneliness is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, being obese, or having high blood pressure or diabetes. It can trigger inflammation, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and premature death. It also hampers the immune system, which is especially tough on older adults, who are more vulnerable to the virus.

How can we bust isolation?

1. Rekindle old friendships. Go on

the internet or pick up your phone to track down people from your past. Close friends help us cope with the ups and downs of life — and these times are definitely a downer.

2. Create virtual double dates. Connect with another couple on your tablet or computer. But don’t make small talk. Talk about real concerns.

Getting together with others over a glass of wine or cup of tea triggers new ideas, prompts great discussions and brings everyone closer.

3. Choose meaningful connections.

Connect with friends who soothe and support you. Steer clear of toxic relationships or people who vex or annoy you.

Aristotle divides friendship into two types: those of “utility” and those of “pleasure” — which both fade away. But the friendship “of the good,” the one that exists for its own sake, sticks with you.

4. Connect with community. Watch concerts, plays or church services on your computer, tablet or smartphone. It’s the next best thing to being there.

5. Chat up strangers. Did you ever share secrets with your airplane seatmate?

We frequently confide in people we barely know, seeking “cognitive empathy” with others who have similar experiences.

These days, we’re all in the same boat.

When you’re outside, interact with others nearby. Just stay more than six feet away!

Remember, physical distance isn’t the same as social distance. People who move through tough times and trauma emerge with “post-traumatic growth,” feeling more

resilient and having a better sense of what really matters. They learn to appreciate life more and sense subtler vibrations.

This is a stressful time. But with the right approach, it can be transformational.

Judy Holland, judyhollandauthor.com, has been published in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Washingtonian magazine. Her most recent book, HappiNest: Finding Fulfillment After Your Kids Leave Home, is available on Amazon.

Write a letter to the editor.

See page 2.

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

Some early signs of Parkinson’s disease Dear Savvy Senior, cause they’re usually subtle and can be What are the early warning signs of easily overlooked, dismissed or even misParkinson’s disease? I was diagnosed. just diagnosed with it after Parkinson’s disease, which noticing hand tremors for afflicts around 1 million nearly a year, but looking Americans, is a degenerative back, I’m wondering if I disorder that occurs when the missed any other early brain’s dopamine-producing warning signs. neurons die or become im—Tremoring Tom paired. This happens in the Dear Tom, part of the brain that controls The Holy Grail in any promovement, which can cause gressive disease is to find it tremors (shaking), stiffness early enough to start effective SAVVY SENIOR and difficulty with walking, treatment before irreversible By Jim Miller balance and coordination. damage has occurred.

The symptoms usually But recognizing the early warning signs begin gradually and get worse over time, of Parkinson’s disease is challenging be- and the progression of symptoms is often

different from one person to another.

Some people with Parkinson’s become severely disabled, while others may experience only minor motor disruptions.

While the cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, scientists believe genetics and environmental factors (exposure to certain toxins) play a key role.

Most people with Parkinson’s first develop the disease around age 60 or older, and men are more likely to develop it than are women.

Early warning signs Parkinson’s disease is difficult to diagnose because there’s no definitive test to confirm it. Doctors, usually neurologists, will do an examination and evaluate a combination of warning signs, but symptoms can vary greatly by patient, which often leads to confusion and misdiagnosis.

That said, here are some of the key signs and symptoms everyone should know: • Trouble sleeping: Thrashing around in bed or acting out dreams — kicking or punching — when asleep. This is a REM sleep behavior disorder and one of the strongest and earliest pre-diagnostic symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

• Loss of smell: Not being able to smell certain foods very well, such as bananas, dill pickles or licorice. This too is one of the earliest symptoms.

• Constipation: Problems with diges-

Hard times From page 12 watches mass on TV every day. “When you’re isolated, you reach for spiritual help,” she said, “and it works for me.”

In New Hampshire, Pete Thomas lives

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tion and bowel movements are a big issue for people with Parkinson’s, and an early sign that can occur up to 20 years before this disease is diagnosed.

• Changes in handwriting: Writing may become harder to do, and your handwriting may appear much smaller than it has in the past.

• Tremors: Slight shaking or tremor in your finger, thumb, hand or chin. The tremor usually happens at rest, and when you move the extremity it may disappear.

This is the most common and recognizable outward sign of Parkinson’s disease.

By the time tremors start, however, the brain has already lost more than half of its dopamine-producing cells.

• Slowed movement: Over time, Parkinson’s disease can slow movements, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming.

Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair.

You may drag your feet as you try to walk.

• Speech changes: Speaking softly, quickly, slurring or hesitating before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than with the usual inflections.

• Loss of automatic movements: Decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, like blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.

• Impaired posture and balance: Stooping, leaning or slouching when you stand, See PARKINSON’S DISEASE, page 16

by himself. “At 88, I am sort of here past the welcome, as the saying goes,” Thomas said. “It will be what it is, and you deal with it as you will. I see no point in getting myself concerned about something I have no control over.”

—AP

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A new target in fight against dementia

By Veena J. Alfred, Ph.D. The body’s immune system can turn against itself: what evolved as a protective mechanism can, under different circumstances, actually cause harm.

Scientists have discovered that there is, in fact, something in the brain that plays an immensely important protective and beneficial role but can also, under certain circumstances, cause damage — and they have linked it, possibly, to Alzheimer’s.

This new culprit in the search for the cause of Alzheimer’s is astrocytes. These star-shaped cells (hence their name) constitute an essential part of the central nervous system and are the most abundant cells in the brain.

They perform a number of important functions, including: —creating and maintaining synapses (links between brain cells), —serving as gatekeepers of the bloodbrain barrier (which prevents toxins and other harmful elements from entering the brain through the blood supply), —maintaining chemical balance, —producing antioxidants (to counteract oxidative stress), and —controlling immune system responses to injury in the central nervous system.

Astrocytes also release chemicals into the brain that are associated with memory

and learning and the establishment of new connections between brain cells.

The role of glutamate One of the key functions of astrocytes is the control of the amount of glutamate around brain cells. Glutamate is a chemical that excites brain cells into communicating with each other.

Too much glutamate and excessive excitation can be harmful to the brain cells, and it is the job of the astrocytes to keep glutamate at the right level and convert the excess glutamate to glutamine.

When amyloid-B plaques accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, an inflammatory response is triggered. The inflammation causes the astrocytes to clear the amyloid plaques from the brain.

In the process of reacting to the buildup of amyloid plaques, the astrocytes undergo various changes.

One of these changes is that the astrocytes become less efficient at controlling the amount of glutamate around the brain cells.

What is more damaging, the amyloid plaques can actually cause the astrocytes to release glutamate that they had already taken in for reprocessing into glutamine.

High levels of glutamate surrounding the brain cells cause overactivation of the cells, and this results in cell damage and

even cell death.

It is this damage and death of brain cells that is responsible for the memory loss and other cognitive impairments experienced by Alzheimer’s patients.

Potential treatments Researchers are now looking into the possibility of developing drugs that will target astrocytes — and, in particular, their mechanisms for controlling glutamate levels.

Of the more than 1,000 drugs approved

by the FDA, more than 20 have been shown to be effective in stimulating the astrocyte mechanism to control glutamate levels.

This is a new approach to the treatment of Alzheimer’s. It shifts the focus away from the amyloid plaques and tau tangles to astrocytes.

Early findings of this approach look extremely promising.

Veena J. Alfred, Ph.D., is a certified dementia practitioner and CEO/Administrator of AlfredHouse.

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

Hope from coronavirus survivor’s blood

By Lauran Neergaard and Marshall Ritzel Tiffany Pinckney remembers the fear when COVID-19 stole her breath. So when she recovered, the New York City mother became one of the country’s first survivors to donate her blood to help treat other seriously ill patients.

“It is definitely overwhelming to know that in my blood, there may be answers,” Pinckney said.

Doctors around the world are dusting off a century-old treatment for infections: Infusions of blood plasma teeming with immune molecules that helped survivors beat the new coronavirus.

There’s no proof it will work. But former patients in Houston and New York were early donors, and now hospitals and blood centers are getting ready for potentially hundreds of survivors to follow.

The Food and Drug Administration in

April announced a national study, led by the Mayo Clinic, that will help hospitals offer the experimental plasma therapy and track how they fare. The American Red Cross will help collect and distribute the plasma.

“There’s a tremendous call to action,” said Dr. David Reich, president of New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, which declared Pinckney recovered and raced to collect her blood.

“People feel very helpless in the face of this disease. And this is one thing that people can do to help their fellow human beings.” As treatments get underway, “we just hope it works,” he said.

Technique often used in past What the history books call “convalescent serum” was most famously used during the 1918 flu pandemic, and also against

measles, bacterial pneumonia and numerous other infections before modern medicine came along.

Why? When infection strikes, the body starts making proteins called antibodies specially designed to target that germ.

Those antibodies float in survivors’ blood — specifically plasma, the yellowish liquid part of blood — for months, even years.

When new diseases erupt and scientists are scrambling for vaccines or drugs, it’s “a stopgap measure that we can put into place quickly,” said Dr. Jeffrey Henderson of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who is helping develop a nationwide study.

This “is not a cure per se, but rather it is a way to reduce the severity of illness,” Henderson said.

Doctors don’t know how long survivors’ antibodies against COVID-19 will persist.

But for now, “they’re the safest ones on the street,” said Dr. Rebecca Haley of Bloodworks Northwest in Seattle, which is working to identify donors. “We would not be making a dent in their antibody supply for themselves.”

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration told hospitals how to seek caseby-case emergency permission to use convalescent plasma, and Houston Methodist Hospital and Mount Sinai jumped at the chance.

And a desperate public responded, with families taking to social media to plead on behalf of sick loved ones, and people recovering asking how they could donate.

According to Michigan State University, more than 1,000 people signed up with the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project alone. Dozens of hospitals formed that group to spur plasma donation and research.

Would-be donors can’t just show up at a blood center. Those with a proven infection who’ve been symptom-free for several weeks must get tested to ensure the virus is gone.

They also must be healthy enough to meet the other requirements for blood donation — plus get an additional test to see if their antibody level is high enough.

“You don’t want to take plasma from someone who had a mediocre immune response. That wouldn’t be helpful,” said Dr. Julie Ledgerwood of the National Institutes of Health.

Effectiveness tests underway Chinese doctors reported in March that five patients given convalescent plasma all showed some improvement about a week later. But they also received other therapies, and without a rigorous study, there’s no way to know if the plasma made the difference.

Studies are being planned to test convalescent plasma against regular care in sick See BLOOD PLASMA, page 17

Parkinson’s disease From page 14 and/or balance problems can all be a sign of Parkinson’s.

Treatments Currently, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease, but there are a variety of medications that can provide relief from the symptoms. Other treatments include lifestyle modifications, like getting more rest and exercise. In some later cases, surgery may be advised.

For more information, visit the Parkinson’s Foundation at Parkinson.org.

Send your senior 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.

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

Blood plasma From page 16 patients, and to prevent infections among people at high risk of exposure such as healthcare workers.

Another approach: Spain-based plasma manufacturer Grifols aims to concentrate donor plasma in a North Carolina factory, creating a high-dose version that also would need testing.

Separately, NIH researchers are meas-

uring survivors’ antibody levels to learn how strong the vaccines under development must be to protect.

Other teams, including at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, are hunting which antibodies are most potent, to copy in a lab and turn into drugs.

But donations from people like Pinckney could be used as fast as blood centers can process it. She got sick the first week of March. First came the fever and chills.

She couldn’t catch her breath, and deep

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breathing caused chest pains. The single mother worried about her sons, 9 and 16.

“I remember being on my bathroom floor crying and praying,” the 39-year-old said.

So when Mount Sinai, which diagnosed her, called Pinckney to check on her re-

17

covery and ask if she’d consider donating, she didn’t hesitate.

“It’s humbling. And for me, it’s also a beacon of hope for someone else,” she said.

AP National Writer Allen G. Breed in North Carolina contributed to this report.

—AP

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

At-home strategies for hearing aid users Courtesy of the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association Hearing aids require special care to ensure that they work properly. You should have a hearing aid cleaning brush and a user manual that can assist in performing routine maintenance.

If you need replacement parts, check with your audiologist to see if these can be shipped to your home during this unprecedented time.

To keep your hearing aid in good working order: Perform visual checks daily. Take a good look at the whole hearing aid body, starting with the portion that goes directly in your ear. Check for any wax that may be blocking sound from coming in properly.

You also should check for cracks in the hearing aid body or tubing.

If you have an open-fit hearing aid, check for any wax on the hearing aid

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dome. Refer to the user manual for tips on how to clean the dome or how to replace it if there is too much wax. Check for breaks in the wire that connects the dome to the hearing aid.

If your device has a thin/slim tube but no wiring, remove the dome attached to the tube, and use a thin plastic wire to clean wax and debris from the tubing. You can even use a piece of fishing line to clear a thin/slim tube.

Check batteries. Batteries should last about five to 10 days, depending on the hearing aid model, the battery size and the use of connectivity (Bluetooth) options.

If you have a battery tester at home, check that the batteries are at full strength so that hearing aids are working at peak performance. If you do not have a battery tester, keep a written log, and note how long your batteries are lasting. Be sure to do the following: Always keep spare batteries with you, and store them in a cool, dry place (but not the refrigerator).

For rechargeable hearing aids: Give hearing aids the recommended number of hours to reach a full charge. Your user manual should provide this information if you need a refresher. Keep a log of how long your hearing aids last. If they are not staying charged as expected, contact your audiologist if you can.

Clean the hearing aids regularly with a soft, dry cloth. Check for dirt and wax buildup on your hearing aids, earmolds, domes and/or tubing.

For hearing aid users who utilize earmolds, note that these can be removed from hearing aids. Once the earmold(s) are detached from the hearing aids, they can be washed in warm (not hot) soapy water, then rinsed well. Make sure ear-

molds are dry before reattaching them to the hearing aids again.

Dome-shaped earpieces used with openfit hearing aids should be cleaned with a dry cloth or special tool provided by your audiologist. Some audiologists may provide a backup supply of domes. If your dome is discolored, cracking and/or deteriorating, remove it and attach a new dome to your device.

Minimize moisture in the hearing aids. A hearing aid drying container will help keep moisture from building up inside hearing aids and will lengthen their life. If you have one, use it nightly. Remove batteries before placing hearing aids in storage containers.

If you live in a very humid area, ask your audiologist if a hearing aid drying container is a good idea. There are more sophisticated dryers available if a simple jar or canister drying container isn’t sufficient.

Improve the listening experience at home. Family members can take these steps to improve your listening experience: Wait until you are in the same room to talk with others.

Ask your conversation partner to slow down their speech if you have difficulty following.

Ask your conversation partner to face you when speaking — no backs turned or heads down looking at screens.

Let the person speaking know if you are having trouble hearing or understanding (don’t pretend to understand).

Use closed captioning (a.k.a subtitles) when watching television or movies.

Take some dedicated quiet time (listening breaks). It takes more energy to listen when See HEARING AIDS, page 19

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

Sources of free or cheap insulin for diabetics

By Linda A. Johnson Diabetes patients struggling to afford insulin, especially those losing health insurance because of the coronavirus pandemic, can get it at sharply reduced prices, even for free.

All top three insulin makers are now offering programs to help patients. In April, Novo Nordisk announced a new program offering free insulin for at least three months to those who have lost insurance. Rival Eli Lilly also began offering most of its insulins for a $35 monthly copayment. Sanofi already had multiple programs offering insulin for free or very little.

The companies have all been criticized for huge price increases over the past decade, which have led some patients to ration their insulin. And the pandemic has made everything worse.

“The economic situation has changed dramatically the last few weeks” for patients, said Doug Langa, head of Novo Nordisk’s U.S. operations.

Meanwhile, people with chronic conditions like diabetes are more vulnerable to complications if they become infected with the coronavirus.

How to apply

Hearing aids

on the television, complaining frequently about people mumbling).

Although now isn’t the ideal time for a hearing evaluation due to shelter-in-place restrictions, you may want to start laying the groundwork for a visit to an audiologist once it is safe to go out in public again.

Lear n more about hearing loss at asha.org/public.

From page 18 you have hearing loss — and feeling tired can cause you to mix up conversations.

For family members, being at home with loved ones for an extended period of time may make hearing challenges more obvious (e.g., turning the volume way up

For the Novo Nordisk program, patients must show that because of the pandemic they’ve lost their job and their health insurance, or they’ve started paying for insurance under the COBRA program. Patients can apply online.

The program will run through the end of the year, Langa said. Some patients can stay on it longer than three months, including those denied Medicaid benefits during that period and those on Medicare.

The new Lilly Insulin Value Program provides Humalog and most other Lilly insulins for $35 a month to people with private insurance or without insurance. Lilly hasn’t set a time limit on the program.

Sanofi’s copay assistance lets most patients with private insurance get Lantus and other insulins for free or $10 per month. A year ago, the company improved its Insulins Valyou Savings Program, allowing uninsured patients regardless of income to buy insulin products for $99 per month.

Qualified low- and middle-income patients can get insulin and other Sanofi medicines for free through the Sanofi Patient Connection program.

—AP

19

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A chance to smile at stupid drug names

By Susan Goldfein Every year, I write about the 10 stupidest drug names from the year before. And 2019 was indeed a bountiful year for stupid drug names.

The Big Pharma Scrabble players were in rare form as they concocted high-scoring, unpronounceable letter combinations with which to christen the latest medicines and put my Spellcheck on hyper alert. But alas, there’s not one cure for the common cold among them.

Take the quiz below to determine your Rx IQ, and hopefully, you will not be needing any of these medications. (For the doubters out there, these names are real.)

Dayvigo a. Opposite of Nightvigo b. Asking someone named David to leave c. A song made famous by Harry Belafonte d. Not this again!

Brilinta a. The third, little known witch from The Wizard of Oz b. A clever device to remove fuzz from sweaters c. The capital of Germanyta d. All of the above Oxbryta a. A water filter for a team of farm animals

b. The feminine form of Oxbryto c. A word attempt by a novice at pig Latin d. A, b and possibly c Adakveo a. An animal that eats ants b. The opposite of a light veo c. A commercial for an Akveo d. Are we there yet?

Reblozyl a. A holy man from Lozyl b. To blozyl again c. Something you do after you sneezle for the second time d. None of the above Brukinsa a. A shadow company for Burisma b. What you have when your cutting blade snaps c. What you get when you cross a NYC borough with Bill Clinton’s home state d. Give me a break!

Xenleta a. A liberal Hindu religion b. The 10th enleta c. Atelnex spelled backwards. d. I’m getting a headache!

Wakix a. What’s left when part of a Hawaiian beach washes away b. A treatment for removing ear wax

c. An old breakfast cereal with a new name d. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning Rozlytrek a. The latest installment of the never-ending space travel series b. A difficult journey traveled by Rozly c. A town in Holland d. A, b and possibly c Vyleesi a. An attractive Italian actress b. Someone who rents, rather than buys, a Vy c. An Eastern European requesting an explanation from Leesi The runner-ups include: Xpovio, Skyrizi, Vyndaqel, Nubeqa and Enhertu.

So, how was your Rx IQ? If you have any interest left at all, the real answers are below: Dayvigo: insomnia; Brilinta: prevent blood clots; Oxbryta: Sickle Cell disease; Adakveo: Sickle Cell disease; Reblozyl: anemia; Brukinsa: lymphoma; Xenleta: pneumonia; Wakix: narcolepsy; Rozlytrek: lung cancer; and Vyleesi: female libido disorder.

Susan Goldfein is the author of How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About.

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Health Studies

21

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Older volunteers sought for vaccine tests

By Margaret Foster Scientists from all over the world are racing to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.

Here in the D.C. area, researchers at the National Institutes of Health are conducting an important clinical trial, and they’re looking for people ages 56 and older to help test a vaccine.

This clinical trial will evaluate the mRNA-1273 vaccine.

“From every volunteer, we gain insight into how the vaccine interacts with the immune system and how much of an immune

response it generates,” wrote Dr. Alicia Widge, the Vaccine Research Center site’s principal investigator for the current vaccine clinical trial, in an email.

Older adults will play a critical role in the study. The trial, which began with just 45 participants on March 16, has been expanded to include an additional 60 participants: 30 adults ages 56 to 70 years and 30 adults over age 71.

“The more information we gather about this vaccine —specifically in older adults, who are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection — the better equipped

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we are to advance a safe and efficacious vaccine,” Widge said. “The results of this trial will also help inform the design of follow-up studies.”

It’s a “phase 1” clinical trial, the first step toward unrolling a vaccine to the general public. “Phase 1 clinical trials give us insight into the safety of, and immune response to, novel products,” Widge said.

Once enrolled, participants would visit the NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, a total of 11 times over approximately 14 months. They would receive two doses of the vaccine candidate via a shot in the arm.

The in-person visits include an initial clinical screening visit to determine eligibility, two vaccination appointments scheduled one month apart, and follow-up visits, according to Widge. Volunteers will be compensated for their time and inconvenience.

The clinical trial is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

For more information or to enroll, email VRCCOVIDtrials@nih.gov or call 1-866833-5433.

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

If you'd like to eat less meat, try ahi tuna

By Wolfgang Puck Many people today wonder if they’re maybe eating a little too much red meat, and are looking for alternatives. I suggest they try fresh tuna.

To me, a good sushi-grade ahi tuna steak is the closest thing you can eat from the sea that tastes like a great piece of beef.

Deep rosy red in color, firm in texture and richly robust in flavor, fresh tuna is definitely the fish you want to eat if you’re trying to take a break from meat. Unlike red meat, it also provides heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (though it isn’t as high in them as fattier fish like salmon).

To enjoy ahi at its best, I cook it no more than medium rare, leaving a definite layer of deep red at its center. That ensures the

relatively lean fish doesn’t dry out, yielding the best possible taste and texture.

I prepare it simply, too, quickly searing it over high heat after seasoning it with a sprinkling of salt and a layer of crushed black peppercorns like you’d find on a classic beefsteak cooked in the French au poivre (with pepper) style.

I also like to add a finishing touch in the form of a sauce, first deglazing the pan with a little port wine and cognac (the high heat evaporates most of the alcohol) and then whisking in some butter — just half a tablespoon per serving.

Seared Tuna Steak Au Poivre Serves 4 Ingredients:

¼ cup black peppercorns 4 sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each Kosher salt 1/3 cup port ¼ cup cognac ¾ cup good-quality low-sodium chicken stock or broth, or vegetable stock or broth, briskly simmered until reduced to about ½ cup 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces 2 teaspoons bottled green peppercorns, drained Directions: Put the peppercorns in a small sealable food storage bag. Seal the bag, squeezing out any air. Place the bag flat on a work surface.

With a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, crack peppercorns into coarse pieces.

Season the tuna steaks lightly on both sides with salt. Pour the cracked peppercorns onto a large plate or a sheet of wax paper and press each steak into the pepper, turning to coat both sides evenly.

In a small saucepan, combine the port

and cognac. Place the pan over mediumhigh heat and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces to only about 2 tablespoons. Pour in the reduced stock or broth and continue simmering until the mixture thickens to a consistency thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and briskly whisk the butter a piece at a time into the reduced liquid. Adjust the seasoning to taste with a little more salt, if needed. Cover the pan and keep warm.

Heat a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the 4 tuna steaks in a single layer over high heat. Add the tuna to the hot skillet and sear on both sides until rare to medium-rare, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

To serve, cut each tuna steak crosswise into slices ½ inch thick. Spoon the sauce in the center of four warmed serving plates and arrange the tuna slices on top, overlapping them slightly. Garnish with green peppercorns. Serve immediately. © 2020 Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON COVID-19

You’re living in a moment that will one day be history. Make your mark by contributing your photos, videos or notes to the Montgomery County Historical Society. Questions are provided to help you evaluate COVID-19’s impact on your life. To submit a response, visit https://bit.ly/MontgomeryCovid.

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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 2 0

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

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 5

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

By Laura Newland, Director D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living

Happy Older Americans Month! While we’re celebrating differently than we have in past years, our appreciation for you and all of your contributions to the District hasn’t changed.

Here at the Department of Aging and Community Living, we celebrate you every day of the year — no matter what.

We know that during this unprecedented time, a lot has changed for all of us in our city, but our commitment to our older residents remains the same.

On April 1, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a Stay-at-Home Order, requiring residents to remain in their homes, except to engage in essential activities, like shopping for groceries and essential household goods and going to the doctor, if telehealth can’t be provided. Residents can also engage in allowable recreational activities such as walking, running and other activities set out in the Order as long as social distancing of at least six feet can be maintained at all times.

The Mayor also launched a new hotline for District residents in response to COVID-19. If you are medically required to quarantine and have no other means of acquiring essential items and food, you can call 1-888-349-8323 or visit coronavirus.dc.gov/gethelp to get them delivered to you.

In addition to making sure residents are practicing social distancing and staying home, the Mayor is reminding all of us to check-in with ourselves and to take care of our mental health.

It’s okay to not be okay. Call the Department of Behavioral Health mental hotline if you need someone to talk to. You can call 1-888-793-4357, 24 hours a day.

Although we can’t be out in the community celebrating Older Americans Month with you, we’d still love to connect.

Join us on our Call & Talk line by calling 202-724-5626. You can call us to talk about anything! My team is excited to hear about your favorite hobbies, how staying at home has been, movies you’ve watched, books you’ve read, sports you miss — anything! It gives my team a sense of normalcy when you call us because we often have similar conversations when we do our outreach. So, pick up the phone and tell us whatever you’d like us to know!

Thanks for staying home, staying safe, and keeping our communities safe. I really miss seeing you out in the community, and I can’t wait for when it’s safe for all of us to be at events celebrating you — together. Until then, know that we’re still here for you, celebrating you, and thinking of you constantly.

Continue to practice good hygiene, good social distancing, and stay home as much as possible. And remember, join us on our Call & Talk line by calling 202-724-5626 — we can’t wait to hear from you!

May 2020

DACL’s Call & Talk Program Keeps Seniors Connected During COVID-19

T

he Department of Aging and Community Living’s Call & Talk Program launched in March 2020 to keep seniors connected with DACL during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has created new friendships with DACL staff and seniors in the community.

Alice Thompson, Community Outreach Specialist Team Lead, chats daily with

Luther Bruner, 87, and Brenda Bruner, 75, from Ward 7, and even started to connect via video conference. They enjoy talking about gardening, travel, and their favorite hobbies while staying home. Mr. Bruner had a birthday in April and Alice sang Happy Birthday to him!

Call DACL at 202-724-5626 to join the Call & Talk Program.

Five Things to Do While Social Distancing Ch e c k li st 3 Join DACL’s Call & Talk Line (202-724-5626) 3 Complete the Census (my2020census.gov, or 844-330-2020)

3 Exercise (Channel 16, or

https://flattenthecurvefitnessseniors.splashthat.com/)

3 3 Join the DC Public Library for Virtual Story Swap Join AroundTown DC (www.aroundtowndc.org)

(bit.ly/FridayStorySwap)

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

Spotlight on Aging

Say you saw it in the Beacon

25

Get Tested for COVID-19 The District of Columbia is offering free, appointment-required testing for DC residents over the age of 65 with COVID-19 symptoms or history of exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 patient, and to residents with underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or lung disease who also have symptoms or history of exposure to confirmed COVID-19 patients.

Symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, congestion, muscle pain, chills, and loss of taste or smell.

Free testing is available at United Medical Center in Ward 8 and the University of the District of Columbia—Bertie Backus Campus in Ward 5. An appointment is required and must be scheduled through the Testing Triage Call Center by calling 1855-363-0333. The Call Center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

People who are eligible for free tests at these sites also include: • Healthcare facility workers with COVID-19 symptoms or history of expo-

DACL joined AARP’s COVID-19 Senior Telephone Town Hall The Department of Aging and Community Living would like to thank AARP for hosting the April COVID-19 Senior Telephone Town Hall.

On behalf of Mayor Bowser, Director Newland provided updates on the District’s response to COVID-19, including information on testing sites and the importance of staying home during this unprecedented time.

DACL’s Clinical Director, Dr. Heather

Stowe also joined the call, and discussed the importance of recognizing the signs of abuse, neglect and exploitation during COVID-19.

Our Adult Protective Services (APS) team continues to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If anyone has any suspicions that an elderly person or vulnerable adult may be abused, neglected or exploited, they should call the APS hotline at 202-541-3950.

Director Laura Newland

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

Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Richard Williams 500 K St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 724-5626 | www.dcoa.dc.gov

sure to laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patient and employed within the District of Columbia • District residents with an order for testing from their healthcare provider • First responders with symptoms or history of exposure to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient and employed within the District of Columbia

• Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms who are employed within the District of Columbia • District residents who do not meet any of the above categories but have symptoms • Healthcare facility workers and first responders who are employed within the District of Columbia

Minimize Your Exposure to COVID-19 – Wear a Mask The Mayor extended the emergencies and issued new health and safety requirements in an effort to protect vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The new order clarifies that face masks are required for: • hotel workers, guests and visitors; • individuals using taxis, ride shares, private transportation providers; • workers and customers of food sellers; and • strongly encouraged for workers and individuals using public transit.

Individuals living, working and visiting Washington, D.C. should contin-

ue to stay at home, only leaving for essential purposes. If leaving their residence, all individuals must continue to social distance from others not in their household, and should wear face coverings if visiting essential businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies.

Masks are not a replacement for social distancing. Non-essential businesses remain closed, and D.C. students will continue to learn at home.

26

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

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

Money Law &

RISKY BUSINESS The 4% per year rule doesn’t always work.

Withdrawing too much from your portfolio too early can lead to a shortage later on and potentially put your retirement at risk WHEN WILL NORMAL RETURN? The chief economist of Moody’s Analytics predicts more stimulus will be needed and the U.S. economy will rebound only after scientists roll out a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19

Where to turn amid bond market chaos?

By Jeffrey R. Kosnett I won’t mince words: “Lower for longer,” my overriding view of fixed-income yields, is trending toward “lowest imaginable.”

Expect the imminent return of zero, or near-zero, rates on money market funds, three- and six-month certificates of deposit (CDs) and bank deposits.

Bonds with 4% and 5% coupons will be called in bunches by their issuers. Mortgage refis will cut the payouts from Ginnie Mae funds. More dividend erosion is in store for short- and intermediate-term bond funds.

Is the slide in yields a disaster for you and me? Not immediately, if you own, directly or through funds, noncallable investment-grade bonds or government and municipal bonds with decent coupons and many years to maturity.

Credit is sound — outside of retail and oil and gas, and maybe airlines — so 98% of all bonds will pay on schedule even if economic growth hibernates this summer.

Interest rate fears But the daily pressure for interest rates to plunge further comes from many sides.

And that’s what frightens me.

Start with the stock market: It’s an impulsive polling booth where orderly price declines due to tactical selling are supercharged by technical scourges such as rapidfire hedge-fund trading, margin calls and impaired liquidity in options and futures.

The trillions of dollars escaping stocks are hyper-inflating bond prices (that means lower yields, which move in the opposite direction). Meanwhile, politicians and central bankers imagine that interest rate cuts can repel economic havoc. That’s questionable.

The real nightmare scenario is that you lock your money in a low-yield prison just in time for normalcy to return to the financial markets. At some point, the interestrate curve will trace a V — because if 10year Treasury yields can travel from 1.5 to 0.5% in a fortnight, the reverse is also possible. A reversal could start as soon as the

health headlines are less dire and stocks rally for longer than a few hours.

Fixed-income markets will then confront a simultaneous buying strike and profit-taking spree. Positive total returns — such as the 2.4% delivered year to date through March 13 by the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate Bond index — could flip to losses. I would consider exiting longterm Treasuries rather than blindly using them as a haven from chaos elsewhere.

Consider munis Where would I look instead? Municipal bonds are mostly keeping their distance from this chaos. And the ratio of tax-free to taxable yields is again favorable.

Consider Vanguard Tax-Exempt ETF (symbol VTEB, $52). It yields 1.2%, equivalent to 2% for some taxpayers.

My favorite closed-end tax-exempt fund, BNY Mellon Muni Bond Infrastructure (DMB, $12), pays a secure monthly dividend and yields an annualized 5.3%. After

briefly trading above its net asset value, the fund is discounted again.

Actively managed, go-anywhere bond funds are made for challenging times, including FPA New Income (FPNIX), Metropolitan West Flexible Income (MWFSX), Osterweis Total Return (OSTRX), PGIM Total Return (PDBAX) and RiverNorth DoubleLine Strategic Income (RNDLX). Their net asset values won’t fall apart if Treasury yields bounce. Nor will the payouts crater — though I grant they may shrink a little — because of their mix of assets.

Well-screened high-yield bonds and preferred stocks are worth a look. AT&T’s 4.75% series C preferreds, issued at $25 in February, are a good value at $23, for a yield to call in 2025 of 5.8%. A junk fund with low exposure to energy — think TCW High Yield (TGHYX), yielding 3.3% — is fine.

Don’t get too fearful. Fear rarely pays. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

How to raid retirement funds in a crisis

By Liz Weston In an ideal world, your retirement accounts would be left alone for retirement.

But you’ve probably noticed that we’re not living in an ideal world.

Early withdrawals can have serious repercussions, including big tax bills today and potential shortfalls in the future. Please look for other solutions first. You might: — Halt ongoing retirement contributions to free up cash.

— Trim expenses.

— Tap other savings and nonretirement investment accounts.

— Sell unneeded possessions.

— Ask lenders for concessions on debt payments.

— Seek government or charitable help if you can’t pay your bills.

If you must raid your retirement funds, there are ways to reduce the financial impact.

If you’re unlikely to pay the money back, your best option may be to take money from a Roth IRA. If you can pay it back, using the new “coronavirus hardship withdrawal” contained in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act may be your best bet.

Here are more details on those options, plus a few more ideas: Coronavirus hardship withdrawal Savers impacted by the pandemic can take up to $100,000 from their 401(k)s and IRAs as part of the recently enacted economic stimulus package. The withdrawal is not penalized, and there’s no mandatory withholding.

You also have longer to pay the resulting taxes, since the income can be spread evenly over tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

And if you can pay back the amount you took out within three years, you can claim a refund on those taxes.

These distributions are allowed if you, a spouse or dependent has been diagnosed with COVID-19. They’re also allowed if you’ve experienced adverse financial consequences from coronavirus-related issues, such as having your hours reduced; being quarantined, laid off or furloughed; not having the child care that would allow you to work; owning a business that’s closed or reduced its hours; or “other factors as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury,” according to the text of the CARES Act. Withdraw Roth contributions

You can always withdraw the amount you contributed to your Roth IRA tax- and penalty-free. It’s only when you start taking out investment earnings on those contributions that you can incur taxes and penalties.

If you’ve converted a traditional retirement account to a Roth, withdrawals of the converted money won’t be taxable but can be penalized if the conversion is less than five years old.

A short-term IRA loan Long-term IRA loans aren’t allowed, but if you have a temporary cash crunch — you have to pay a bill while waiting for your tax refund, for example — the “60day rule” may help. Money taken from a regular, rollover or Roth IRA isn’t taxed or penalized if it’s re-deposited within 60 days. You’re allowed to do this only once in any 12-month period.

Borrow from your 401(k) You can now borrow up to 100% of your vested balance in a current employer’s workplace retirement plan, up to a maximum of $100,000. Generally such loans are repaid over five years, but the stimulus package allows borrowers to delay payments owed in 2020 for up to one year.

The danger of any retirement plan loan is that you won’t be able to pay the money back. That triggers income taxes as well as penalties if you’re under 59½.

Withdraw from your IRA If you don’t qualify for a coronavirus-related hardship withdrawal, you can still take money from traditional and rollover IRAs. Distributions are generally taxable, and you can be penalized if you’re under 59½.

Regular hardship withdrawal If you don’t qualify for a coronavirus-related hardship withdrawal, you may still be able to get a regular hardship withdrawal from your 401(k) or other workplace retirement plan if you can prove an immediate and heavy financial need that requires the distribution.

Examples include medical expenses, tuition, a home purchase, funeral expenses, and payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure. Hardship distributions are taxable, with a mandatory 20% withholding, and often are subject to 10% early withdrawal penalties.

Each of these options has too many See RETIREMENT FUNDS, page 28

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 2 0

Some simple strategies for CD savers

By Lisa Gerstner Since the Federal Reserve slashed the federal funds rate to near zero in March, yields on certificates of deposit, a federally insured savings account with fixed interest rates and fixed dates of withdrawal, have been tumbling.

“Unfortunately for savers, we will return to the ultra-low interest earnings that prevailed for years following the 2008 financial crisis,” said Greg McBride, of Bankrate.com. [For up-to-date information on CDs offering the highest rates, visit Bankrate.com and DepositAccounts.com.]

With most CDs, you’ll face a penalty if you pull out the funds before the CD matures, so they’re best for savings you won’t need for a while.

And when interest rates are scraping bottom, it’s often wise to focus on CDs with maturities of a couple years or less.

That way, when yields rise again, your money isn’t trapped earning a low rate.

A CD ladder is another way to maintain flexibility: Spread your cash among CDs of varying maturities — say, of one, two, three, four and five years. Some of your

savings will capture the higher rates that long-term CDs offer. Meanwhile, each time a CD matures, you could reinvest the cash or use it for other needs.

You can also hedge your bets by choosing long-term CDs with minimal early-withdrawal penalties. Five-year CDs from Ally Bank: 1.60% yield; Barclays: 1.85%; and Sallie Mae Bank: 1.70%, with a $2,500 minimum deposit, have relatively light penalties of no more than six months’ interest.

Or consider a no-penalty CD. Rates are usually lower than on standard CDs, but they sometimes offer better rates than online savings accounts. You can use them to squeeze out a little extra yield, said Ken Tumin, of DepositAccounts.com. For example, Ally’s 11-month no-penalty CD yields 1.55% on balances of at least $25,000, and the bank’s savings account yields 1.5%.

You could keep some of your savings in a no-penalty CD, then move it to the savings account fee-free if the money needs to be more accessible. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

27

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Law & Money | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

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

Stop ‘dollar-cost ravaging’ your portfolio

By Jason Lambert If you aren’t familiar with the 4% rule, it asserts that retirees are unlikely to run out of money as long as they withdraw approx-

imately 4% from their portfolios, adjusted for inflation, each year.

It was created in the 1990s, based on stock and bond returns over a 50-year peri-

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od, from 1926 to 1976. And it made sense for many folks — for a while.

But times change, and so does investing. For one thing, the 4% rule came about when interest rates were much higher.

Back then, you could get a Treasury note that was paying 5% or 6%. At the moment, the 10-year Treasury rate is less than 1%.

That means many older investors are looking to stocks to make their money, and often they’re taking more risk. This type of strategy may work out while the market is good, or even if there’s an occasional dip.

But if your plan is to withdraw 4% from your retirement accounts every year and there’s a drastic drop in the market —as we’ve seen in the past month alone — suddenly you could be taking 4% out of a portfolio that’s been cut by a third or even half.

If you run into a bear market early in retirement and continue withdrawing the same amount, you’ll have to sell more stocks to get there. And you’ll risk putting your portfolio into a death spiral. Even if the market eventually recovers, your portfolio might not.

You may have to downsize your withdrawals — and your planned lifestyle — or risk running out of money.

Add in increased longevity, the possibility of higher taxes in the future and, of course, the fees you might be paying to manage those stocks, and you can see why the 4% faithful might want to rethink their withdrawal strategy — and their overall attitude toward retirement income.

Switch your focus to income That requires a significant mindset shift, from “How much return do I hope to get from my portfolio?” to “How much reliable income can I count on?”

And instead of working with a generic withdrawal percentage, it means choosing investments — high dividend-paying stocks, fixed income instruments, annuities, etc. — that will produce the dollar amount you need ($2,000, $3,000, $5,000 or more) month after month and year after year.

Most investors — and some advisers —

Retirement funds From page 26 specific rules and exceptions to cover here. It’s best to consult with a tax pro.

Also, talk to a bankruptcy attorney before using retirement money to pay credit

aren’t well-trained for this. Accumulation gets all the glory in retirement planning, but it’s a thoughtful decumulation process that will make your retirement a true success.

In our financial practice, we often use a mountain-climbing analogy to get this message across. While climbers may feel they’ve conquered the most difficult part of their quest when they reach the summit, 75% of dangerous falls occur on the descent.

It’s not a lot different when you’re working toward retirement. Most people dream of the day when they’ve accumulated enough money to move on to the next phase of their lives, and they diligently save for that goal.

But without proper planning for the “descent” — when instead of contributing to your retirement accounts, you’re pulling money out — it’s easy to make mistakes.

And dropping your guard could be devastating.

Rein in your risk In the financial world, putting your portfolio at risk by steadily withdrawing funds during retirement, regardless of market conditions, has been referred to as “dollarcost ravaging” (a bit of wordplay based on the accumulation strategy of dollar-cost averaging). And it’s a true risk for retirees.

Limiting your losses at this stage in your life is as critical as growing your money when you’re working.

If you’re near or in retirement, and you’re still going with a 50-50 or even 40-60 stock-bond mix or all S&P 500 stocks, it’s time to change your focus to income.

Talk to your financial professional about adjusting your portfolio. And say goodbye to the 4% rule’s potential for retirement peril.

Kim Franke-Folstad contributed to this article.

This article was written by and presents the views of the authors, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. cards, medical bills or other debt that could be erased in bankruptcy.

Retirement money typically is protected from creditors. It would be a shame to drain your retirement accounts only to wind up in bankruptcy court anyway.

—AP/NerdWallet

BEACON BITS

240.290.3311 • 703.652.1515 Senior.Helpline@AccessJCA.org

May+

SLAVERY IN THE WHITE HOUSE Presidents aren’t the only people who lived in the White House. In

an effort to remember the enslaved people who built, worked at and lived in the Jewish Council for the Aging www.AccessJCA.org

executive mansion, the White House Historical Association has created a podcast, interactive tour and index of these Americans. To access, visit whitehousehistory.org/spn/introduction.

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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 2 0

29

When will the U.S. economy recover?

By Anne Kates Smith Mark Zandi is the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. He spoke with Kiplinger’s Anne Kates Smith in a series of interviews on March 26 and 27. This is an edited transcript of their conversations.

Q. What’s your outlook for the economy? How deep a recession do you see?

A: It’s going to be a struggle between now and this time next year. We’re in the teeth of the downturn now. We expect gross domestic product to have fallen 2% to 3% in the first quarter and to fall close to 20% in the second quarter — 18.7%, to be precise.

I’m assuming the virus plays out by the third quarter [from July to September] — not gone away, but no longer closing businesses. We’ll get a double-digit pop in GDP as people go back to work. In the fourth quarter, we’ll get some growth, but the economy will be limping along.

For calendar 2020, I expect U.S. GDP to

be down 2.3%. Unemployment should peak in the second quarter at 9%, but on a monthly basis, we could get to double-digit unemployment.

What shape will the recovery take?

We won’t kick into gear until they find a vaccine or a medical treatment that is effective for the virus. Until that happens, I don’t see people traveling; global trade will struggle; and businesses, weighed down by uncertainty, won’t invest or hire aggressively. We’re in the soup, more or less, until we have some solution to this virus.

Is the $2.2 trillion fiscal stimulus enough?

Ultimately, it won’t be enough, but it was a very timely, positive step. It was a valiant effort, and I think it will make a difference. Without it, we’d see a secondquarter decline in GDP of close to 30% — a complete wipeout. Even with the economy down 18.7%, there’s a lot of pressure on the financial system.

The stimulus is designed to generate a pop in economic growth, but then it goes away. We’ll probably need more in the fourth quarter, possibly including more in unemployment benefits, help for the states, maybe more aid to smaller businesses. I suspect there will be a lot of business failures.

Will it take years to recover?

No. If we solve the virus, we’ll quickly get our groove back. There will be pent-up demand, and interest rates will be low. Assuming the finance system is not taken out, we’ll see a period of good strong growth in the second half of 2021 going into 2022 — as long as the script for a vaccine holds true.

What do you mean about the financial system being taken out?

There will be some problems in the financial system that the Federal Reserve can’t control — in the shadow banking system — that might impair the flow of credit to some

degree. The shadow system includes the overnight debt-repurchase market, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, pension funds, insurance, derivatives, payment processors, crypto-currencies — everything outside banks and credit unions.

The shadow system is not transparent, and we don’t have much information about it. If one institution gets taken out, it becomes systemic very quickly, and the shadow system plays a key role in the economy.

For example, the Federal Housing Administration mortgage market is dominated by non-banks. I expect the Fed to set up and provide a credit facility to mortgage banks. It would be cataclysmic if FHA lending got shut down, and ironic, considering the Federal Housing Administration was set up during the Depression to funnel money directly to the mortgage See ECONOMIC RECOVERY, page 31

BEACON BITS

May+

KENNEDY CENTER AT HOME Watch past performances (including Kennedy Center Honors and

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Law & Money | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

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

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

Economic recovery From page 29 market.

Is the Fed doing enough to keep markets functioning and support the economy?

The Fed is on DEFCON 1 — it’s all in; it has broken the emergency glass. Interest rates are at 0%. They’ve launched infinite quantitative easing to buy every kind of bond they can legally buy, lowered bank reserve requirements and set up all kinds of credit facilities — some new and some used in the financial crisis.

They’re very committed and very creative. They should succeed in keeping the system from cracking up. The risk is that there are fault lines they might not be able to manage quickly enough.

Do you see any unintended consequences from this unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus? Could it trigger inflation?

Prices for certain goods in scarce supply will jump, but I don’t expect a broadbased acceleration in inflation. Demand for goods and services has been hammered, which will weigh on prices.

What about the increasing debt load, for the federal government and

for companies?

Government deficits and corporate debt will surge, but this is a problem for another day. Governments need to use all their resources to address the health and economic crisis. If they don’t, we will suffer an economic depression, creating fiscal problems that are much worse.

One lesson we can take from this dark time is that in the good times we should work hard to reduce deficits and debt.

Will 0% interest rates be the new normal far into the future, depressing returns for savers?

Yes, I expect 0% short-term interest rates through at least 2021, and likely longer. After the financial crisis, the Fed didn’t begin raising rates from zero at the low end of the range until the unemployment rate was falling through 5%. That’s at least two years away.

Is there any ammunition left for further crisis, or the next crisis?

We have ammunition, but not nearly enough to feel good about it. As soon as we are on the other side of this crisis, we should work diligently to get our fiscal house in order. © 2020 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

Travel Leisure &

Buddhist temples, spectacular countryside and French restaurants highlight a trip to colorful Laos. See story on page 34.

Why just camp when you can glamp? from the owners’ dogs lying on their backs with their paws in the air, eager for belly rubs from the incoming guests. But you could also call it Pounds Up due to the food you will eat during your stay.

Fun for all ages My family and I stayed at the ranch last year to celebrate my mother’s birthday.

We had a wide array of ages in our group — from 19 to 72 — but that was fine, as many of the ranch’s activities are meant to be multi-generational.

“You’re not going to be limited by any means by what you can and can’t do,” Robertson said.

Members of my family took advantage of every activity on and near the ranch.

My mother, her husband and my brother went rappelling down a rocky ledge, enjoying an overlook of the Blackfoot River and the green acres of the ranch.

Later, I joined them for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride, racing across fields and down dirt roads. The ATV tour is for all levels: I was a relative beginner, while my brother has years of experience. At the start of the ride, I was careful going around each turn. By the end, however, I was gunning the ATV through mud piles and deliberately lifting the machine off the ground.

During these adventures, my uncle — a 72-year-old with Parkinson’s disease — sat outside the cabin in the sun, reading a

PHOTO BY RESORT AT PAWS UP

By Ivey Noojin Editor’s Note: As of the time of publication, the COVID-19 virus has spread throughout the world. Especially for vulnerable adults, this is not the time to travel anywhere for enjoyment.

Please enjoy this travel section as armchair entertainment and for planning your future travel in healthier times.

Camping in the outdoors is all fun and games until your back seizes up or the mosquitos attack. But if you want to do something “woodsy” without the suffering, there’s a solution: glamorous camping, also known as glamping.

Although you’re immersed in the wilderness while glamping, you have a bed, running water, a proper toilet, a kitchen with real appliances (none of those devices that threaten to start a forest fire) and shelter from bugs.

A ranch in Greenough, Montana, 35 minutes northeast of Missoula, has taken glamping to the extreme. Voted the best glamping destination by Forbes, the Resort at Paws Up is a 37,000-acre ranch with wooden homes, luxury tents and plenty of activities for everyone in the family to enjoy.

The resort “found that there was a missing niche in the market for luxury hospitality in Montana and [determined] that luxury camping — now called glamping — was the best way to establish that,” said Amelia Robertson, resort spokesperson, in an email.

The Resort at Paws Up got its name

Travelers can find plenty of room to commune with nature and social distance on the 37,000 acres of Resort at Paws Up, a luxury Montana ranch. Intrepid travelers can explore the ranch on horseback, on all-terrain vehicles or in canoes, while others can stay close to camp, enjoying spa treatments and taking in the scenery from a private deck.

book and listening to the sounds of the river. When we returned, we asked if he was relaxed. His response: “Quite.”

For horse lovers

PHOTO BY RESORT AT PAWS UP

My mother and I have enjoyed horseback riding for most of our lives, so we couldn’t wait for this part of the trip. We spent several hours on the trails in the mountains, and we led 30 cows from one end of the ranch to the other. Real devotees can enjoy wagon team driving and wrangling.

But you don’t have to know how to ride a horse at all. The ranch offers lessons and guided trail rides. Kids can ride ponies in an enclosed arena, and all ages can enjoy carriage rides.

Additionally, there is a new equestrian program for those who want to learn more about interacting with the large animals. The resort’s equestrian manager leads “horse whispering” mindfulness sessions that teach people how to establish “authentic and lifechanging equine connections,” as the website puts it.

Target practice

Nature on a silver platter: Cabins at the Resort at Paws Up include a hot tub, a fireplace and Wi-Fi. Even the resort’s tents are luxurious, with chandeliers and en suite bathrooms.

Paws Up also has a “Wild West”-themed rifle range. Halfway through the week, my whole family went to the shooting range.

My uncle, despite recent back surgery and a shaky hand, was able to hit the tar-

gets, thanks to the support and encouragement of the staff.

More advanced shooters can take aim at sporting clays, where you travel across a course in the mountains and shoot at moving targets. Prior knowledge of guns, however, is not necessary to enjoy the rifle range. And don’t worry; the riflery activities are too far away from the campgrounds to scare the youngins (or even the fish).

Relax at the spa If living in a lodge or luxurious tent is still too outdoorsy for you, spend the day at the spa center. You can enjoy a massage, other spa treatments and yoga classes with the sounds of the wind and birds in the background, while the rest of your family is driving through mud in an ATV or standing in the river trying to catch fish.

Dogs are also welcome at the spa center, with a complimentary massage available for them with any 60-minute spa service.

If you go There are no hotel rooms at the Resort at Paws Up. Instead, there are lodges with space for up to eight guests and tents for up to six.

Homes begin at $441 per night per person, See GLAMPING, page 35

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

33

Planning for that future trip — eventually Travel may be the last thing on your they may well try to sweeten the credit or mind right now, but you aren’t going to stay voucher offer by upping the value from what you paid to, say, 110% or home forever. So, the current even 125% of what you paid. lull might be a good time to Several lines outside the U.S. think about what you plan to have already done this. If the do when the world starts up idea appeals, look for notices again. from your airline(s).

I’ve been scouring the Looking ahead to late fall, I news sources and blogosfound that published nonrephere for suggestions, and alfundable airfares are remarkthough some predictions vary ably low. Presumably, airlines wildly, a few major develop— desperately in need of cash ments seem to be inevitable.

TRAVEL TIPS flow — are willing to give you Overall, nobody believes By Ed Perkins a good deal for later if you pay that normality will return quickly. No matter how hard they try, the them now.

But as for when flights actually resume, folks who run large airlines, hotel chains and cruise lines can’t get their operations travel blog writers are split: Some say fares from the current 0% or 10% back to 100% will be high to cash in on high demand and limited supply. Others note that in past reovernight, or even in just a few weeks.

Some folks are predicting that a full re- coveries, airlines have offered enticing turn won’t happen until sometime next deals. Your guess is as good as mine.

In either event, airlines will give priority year — even late next year. And all the suppliers will obviously gear their start-up to re-starting routes with a high percentage strategies toward maximizing immediate of high-revenue business travelers. New cash flows. Many businesses and con- York, Chicago and San Francisco flights will resume more quickly than Orlando and Las sumers will be strapped for cash.

Airlines. The big immediate news is Vegas flights.

Industry mavens suggest that some that, on April 3, the Department of Transportation issued an Enforcement Notice lines will go bankrupt before they can refirmly reminding airlines that DOT means cover. That may be so, but the bright side what its rules say: If you cancel a flight, is that if any of the large lines actually do ticketed passengers get a refund. And fu- go bankrupt, someone will take it over and ture flight credit doesn’t count — we say continue to run it. Current stockholders will take a bath, but the line will go on. cash, and we mean cash.

Hotels. The pattern of fall hotel prices I It’s far too early to assess the extent to which airlines will comply, but my guess is checked is dramatically different from airthat they will. And if they really want to fares: Fall rates are currently surprisingly keep your money rather than refund it, high.

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That’s probably because, unlike the airline case, when you make a typical reservation, you don’t pay the hotel before you stay there. So, hotels currently have no incentive to cut future rates.

But my take is that once the recovery begins, you’ll see some good deals. You might gamble on a really great nonrefundable rate you see now, but otherwise just keep looking and don’t book until you see a deal you like.

Cruise lines. Provided they are able to reassemble crews quickly, cruise lines can probably beat other major suppliers to full operation.

I would expect to see some excellent offers in the next few months. But be careful:

Cruise lines are remarkably recalcitrant to offer cash refunds, so don’t fall for any enticing offer that doesn’t include a cash refund if the cruise can’t operate. Once a cruise line has your deposit, you’ll have a really tough time getting any of it back.

Other suppliers. The pandemic is taking a huge toll on other suppliers to travelers — especially local, independent restaurants. You won’t see all the same faces when you return to a popular destination.

But the big attractions will be back. Just keep watching for developments.

Send email to Ed Perkins at perkins@ mind.net. Also, check out his rail travel website at rail-guru.com. © 2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

34

Leisure & Travel | Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

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

Laos, Southeast Asia’s spiritual heart ern tourists for the past 30 years. Because it is relatively isolated and has no beach resorts, it’s still an underdeveloped country, only now awakening to its tourism potential.

As a result, it remains a sleepy, gracious country that offers an excellent opportunity to experience life in Southeast Asia as it once was.

Capital charms Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers in Northern Laos, Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with classic Buddhist temples, quiet and shady streets, and world-class dining and shopping.

Established in the 14th century and still one of Asia’s best-preserved former capi-

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During my visit to Luang Prabang, I loved to wander down its leafy lanes and hidden pathways. Often, my explorations lead me to ornate temples tucked away in quaint neighborhoods among simple houses and sleepy cafes. The temples, rarely crowded, are per-

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I also made sure to climb the steps that lead to the temple at the top of Phousi Hill to watch the reflection of the setting sun in the orange waters of the Mekong. From the top of the hill, the highest point in Luang Prabang at over 300 feet, you can see the entire town, two rivers, the surrounding hills and See LAOS, page 35

PHOTO © GALYNA ANDRUSHKO, DREAMSTIME

By Don Mankin As our boat glided silently up the wide Mekong River, I dozed off in the breeze. Occasionally I opened my eyes to look at the lush scenery gliding by, the children playing in the water, and the fisherman in their slim boats tossing their nets into the river.

My mind drifted as I let the sights, sounds and fragrances of the river wash the chatter from my mind.

I was on a slow boat just a few miles downstream from Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos, on the last full day of my most recent visit. Laos, a former French protectorate and one of my favorite destinations in the world, is the soul of Southeast Asia.

Under Communist control since 1975, Laos has been largely overlooked by West-

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Buddhist temples and a night marketplace illuminate the ancient capital city of Luang Prabang. Located in northern Laos on the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, the low-key tourist spot reflects life as it once was throughout Southeast Asia.

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

Laos From page 34 the spires of several temples in the distance.

After sunset, I descended the stairs and wandered through the night market on Sisavangvong Road, the bustling main street that runs through the heart of town and the tourist district.

Sisavangvong Road is lined on both sides with inexpensive restaurants, guesthouses and numerous shops selling the high-quality handicrafts and art for which Luang Prabang is known: hand-woven silk, saa paper (from mulberry bark) and silver jewelry. These shops attract high-end shoppers, including Mick Jagger, whose photo can be found in more than one shop.

tion of the monks’ daily diet and are said to ensure a good life for the donors.

Afterwards, I visited the morning market on a narrow lane leading down to the Mekong. The variety, color and abundance of the produce, much of it unfamiliar, is impressive, stirring my appetite for the bountiful buffet waiting for me back at my hotel.

Luang Prabang even has a cuisine all its own, featuring fish from the Mekong, local greens grown on its bank, water buffalo stew, purple sticky rice, and a fiery condiment called jaew bawng, a paste made from pounded buffalo skin, garlic and chilies.

Upscale restaurants and excellent bakeries abound, a legacy from the many years that Laos was a French protectorate.

Limestone caves Ceremonial rice to French pastries Another one of my favorite activities was watching the daily alms-giving ceremony at dawn. In this tradition, hundreds of Buddhist monks, with shaved heads and vivid saffron-colored robes, walk silently down the street in the early morning mist, past kneeling locals and tourists.

Most place small handfuls of sticky rice in the monks’ black lacquered bowls.

These donations make up a significant por-

Glamping From page 32 and luxury tents begin at $470 per night per person. The cost includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The rates also include several activities per person during the stay.

Guests can purchase additional activities.

The ranch provides transportation to and from the Missoula airport, a savings of $150 in cab fare. Additionally, vans drive guests to activities during the day and in the evenings.

“You don’t have to wait until summer to

Several miles upstream on the Mekong are the Pak Ou Caves, accessible only by boat. As you pound through the current, the riverbank teems with life.

Women wash laundry, men tend crops on the gently sloping banks, and children splash in the shallows, washing the family’s water buffalo. Boats from China ferry staples, furniture and machinery to towns and villages along the river.

After an hour or so, a towering lime-

have your family reunion,” Robertson said.

And you also don’t have to wait for the coronavirus. The resort is currently open and practicing social distancing for your safety, but check cdc.gov for current travel recommendations.

Reservations and activities are available throughout the year, from fly fishing in the summer to skiing in the winter.

The closest airport is the Missoula International Airport. A roundtrip ticket from D.C. to Missoula costs around $400. For more information about Paws Up, visit pawsup.com or call 1-877-580-6343.

stone cliff appears. Local people, almost all of them devout Buddhists, have visited the cliff’s caves for four centuries to offer small statues of the Buddha. Thousands of statues of all sizes, materials and styles perch in niches in the rock, on ledges or crevices in the dusky caves. The overall effect is both reverent and spooky.

The Kuang Si waterfalls and pools are about a 45-minute drive south of Luang Prabang. You can hike up a steep trail along the falls for a spectacular view of the countryside, then descend and cool off with a refreshing swim in the turquoise pools at the base of the falls while fish nibble at your toes.

When I visited the falls last October, I returned to Luang Prabang via a lunch cruise on the Mekong. As the boat slowly made its way back, I sat for a couple of hours in a state of what I call Mekong meditation. My mind drifted between thinking about many things and not thinking at all.

But it kept returning to the most salient thought of all: How soon would I be able to return to this magically serene and seductive place?

If you go Round-trip airfare from the Washing-

35

ton, DC area is about $1,200 on Qatar and Bangkok Air ways via Doha and Bangkok.

Luang Prabang has many attractive, inexpensive, small boutique hotels. I recommend the Maison Dalabua (maisondalabua.com), a short walk from the tourist district, or the Grand Luang Prabang (grandluangprabang.com). The latter, located just outside of town, provides a shuttle to and from town.

Both cost less than $100 per night.

For upscale dining, I recommend 3 Nagas (3-nagas.com) and L’Elephant (elephant-restau.com). A less fancy and expensive, but still excellent, choice for lunch, is Khaiphaen (facebook.com/Khaiphaen), run by an organization founded by Friends International that helps street children in Laos. Menu items range from $5 to $7.

The Mekong cruise to the caves was run by Khopfa Mekong Cruise, khopfamekong-cruise.com/kuang-si-cruise. Cost: $15.

For more information and photos, see Don Mankin’s website, adventuretransformations.com. He is scheduled to lead a trip to Northern Thailand and Laos, including Luang Prabang, in the fall of 2021. For more information, go to explorer-x.com.

Share your opinion. Submit a letter to the editor. See page 2.

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

The world no longer seems so accessible

By Julie Pace For the first time in years, we’ve put our suitcases away. Flights have been canceled. The shared Google calendar where we tracked each other’s travel schedules is empty for the foreseeable future.

For my husband and me, travel has been a constant of our more than decade together. Long multi-country trips with American presidents on Air Force One and weeks spent in political battleground states for me. Monday through Thursday consultant travel and, more recently, quick trips to a new employer’s London headquarters for him.

It’s often stressful; just as often exhilarating. The suitcases on the bedroom floor

in a half-packed state meant the prospect of discovering a new destination or returning to a familiar locale. Business trips offered the chance to find a place worth returning to someday just for fun.

The world seemed small, accessible. And I know how lucky we were to feel that way.

Now, those same places seem so distant, so out of reach. And they quite literally are, with stay-at-home orders spreading and travel restricted to all but the essentials as the world strains to control the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus.

Changes in slow motion For us, the changes came slowly at first.

My husband’s trip to San Francisco was

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scrapped as northern California grappled with an outbreak. Then the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas, which draws hundreds of thousands of people each year, was canceled.

I was still studying the Democratic presidential primary calendar, looking for an upcoming state to travel to for a story. But those states kept pushing their contests further back, until there was nothing left on the horizon.

My last hope was a one-night trip to New York for a business dinner. I could wipe down the Amtrak seat with a disinfectant wipe, I figured. A colleague who had made the same trip offered a DIY tip: laying a dish towel over the tray table, then carefully depositing it in a Ziploc bag. Besides, how much grimier would Penn Station be in the middle of a pandemic than it is any other time?

Then my company restricted nonessential travel, and my business dinner didn’t make the cut. The next day, we all began to work from home.

Now our world actually is small, centered around our compact city house with its postage-stamp sized backyard. Forget planes and trains; we’ve driven our car once in nearly three weeks.

Much to be thankful for Ours is hardly a hardship tale, particu-

larly at a time when so many people around the world are ill and so many others are facing financial hardship.

We both have our jobs, and our freezer and pantry are well-stocked. Working from home has given us more time to spend with our 2-year-old son and our attentionhungry dog. We recognize how fortunate we are.

Still, just a few weeks into this new reality, I find myself longing for the world. Not any place in particular. Simply the ability to be out in it.

When I make my midday escape for a walk around our neighborhood, I keep looking to the sky to see how many planes I can spot flying overhead. We’re just a few miles away from Reagan National Airport. But on most days, I’m lucky if I spot one.

At night, I scan the news and find myself pausing to scroll through photo galleries of iconic locations around the world, many of them places I’ve visited. At first, there’s something eerily beautiful about the empty scenes at the Eiffel Tower or St. Peter’s Square, the desolate streets of New York and San Francisco. Then it’s simply sad.

And I think to myself: Someday we’ll go back.

—AP

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 2 0

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

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

Style

39

Arts &

Three books reveal hidden stories and heroes of World War II. See reviews on page 42.

Torpedo Factory founder’s first love: art The musty old factory, previously managed by the federal General Services Administration, was full of used office furniture, Smithsonian dinosaur bones, government records, including files from the Nuremburg Trials, and pigeon dung.

As president of the Art League, she convinced the city, which had owned the building since 1969, to dedicate the factory to art. In 1974, the City Council converted it into art studios, galleries and classrooms, renovating it in 1982.

“At first, it had no air conditioning and barely had heat,” Van Landingham recalled. “It was pretty rough.”

She had pitched the art studio idea as a three-year experiment, but within a year, city officials soon saw it as viable. When the center opened, “We filled the building,” Van Landingham said. “Today, it pays for itself.”

Last year, in recognition of Van Landingham’s accomplishments, Torpedo Factory Art Center officials dedicated Gallery 311 to her to be used as a space for rotating exhibits.

A factory for working artists The three-story, 76,000-square-foot build-

PHOTO BY RON COGSWELL

By Glenda C. Booth Marian Van Landingham has achieved many distinctions so far in her 83 years, including as a federal agency writer, speechwriter for a U.S. Congressman, and during a 24-year career as a delegate to the Virginia legislature.

But the former Alexandria Art League president is perhaps best known as the founder of Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center. Oh, “and she is known for her dachshunds,” added friend and fellow artist Marsha Staiger.

Ensconced at the Torpedo Factory in her third-floor studio, watching gulls fluttering over the Potomac River outside her window, Van Landingham is surrounded by her paintings, fire enamels, paints, easels, brushes, kiln and photographs.

But many visitors don’t come to look at her art, she joked. They come to see the dogs, Chester and Alexander the Great, who are canine mainstays in studio 321.

In the early 1970s, where others saw a blighted building on the Alexandria waterfront, Van Landingham envisioned the World War I-era Navy Torpedo Factory as a future home for Washington-area artists.

Once a munitions plant on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, the Torpedo Factory Art Center has been a thriving artists’ studio and tourist attraction since 1974, when area artist Marian Van Landingham spurred its development.

ing is a beehive of 120 artists, 71 studios, 10 galleries, several classrooms and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. (Due to the pandemic, however, the Torpedo Arts Center is currently closed through June 10.)

More than half a million people visit

every year to study and buy paintings, drawings, prints, engravings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, enamels, stained glass, collages, fiber arts and photographs.

See TORPEDO FACTORY, page 40

40

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From page 39 The Torpedo Arts Center is a “family of artists,” according to Staiger, who once shared a studio wall with Van Landingham.

“Marian motivates everyone who comes in contact with her to think outside their own sphere,” Staiger said. “She’s the reason we are here.”

Van Landingham is quick to stress that the Torpedo Factory is, by design, not a collection of static art on walls or shelves for somber viewing, but a center for working artists. Visitors can wander into studios and talk to artists about how and why they create their works.

When people peek into the studio of Joan Ulrich, for example, the ceramic artist washes the clay off her hands and patiently explains how she makes playful ceramic cups, teapots and other items.

Ulrich considers Van Landingham the artists’ “cultural librarian,” she said. “She is a storehouse of all things Torpedo Factory, and my go-to person for historic insights.”

Art a constant during career Van Landingham grew up in Albany,

Georgia, and received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Emory University.

She came to Washington, D.C., as a writer for a federal agency focused on air pollution, then moved to the U.S. House of Representatives to write speeches for the late Rep. Phillip M. Landrum (D-GA).

All the while, she was creating art. “I’ve kept at it all these years,” Van Landingham said.

As a landscape painter, she is always on the lookout for subjects. On her studio walls are photographs of doorways, passageways and architectural features of old buildings — many in Italy, which she has visited several times.

She also makes fire enamels, which are “paintings” made with glass powder. She sifts powder onto copper panels and then fuses them in a 1,500-degree-kiln in her studio.

Van Landingham sees her art as a way to create harmony.

“Each painting solves a problem or many problems,” she said. “It’s all about trying to make it work within itself, the lines and colors in harmony. They must work together.”

When she makes the “wrong deci-

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Torpedo Factory

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

Marian Van Landingham stands near some of her fused glass paintings on display in a gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center named in her honor.

sions,” she has to paint and repaint. “If I don’t get it right, it’s an aggravation,” she said.

During her 24 years in the Virginia House of Delegates, Van Landingham also displayed perseverance. She earned a reputation as an indefatigable legislator and an advocate for equal justice.

“She legislated from the heart,” recalled her longtime aide, Harlene Clayton. Van Landingham was chosen as a 2008 Alexan-

dria Living Legend, an award for a community member “in our midst” who has made significant contributions to the city.

“She is really passionate about serving and making a difference in the arts,” Clayton said. “She has certainly made a difference.”

The Torpedo Factory, 105 North Union St., Alexandria, Virginia, is normally open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Visit torpedofactory.org.

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 2 0

41

My last column: Thank you and goodbye I can still remember a time when, at an expanding gap between teenagers and academic banquet, a woman older adults. I have always beapproached my table and lieved that teens and seniors asked, “Are you Alexis have much to offer each Bentz?� When I confirmed other, whether it be wisdom, that I was, she exclaimed that advice, companionship or she was an avid reader of the even something as simple as a Beacon and a fan of my work. smile.

She told me that she hadn’t Looking back, as I prepare considered the generational to leave for college, my jourgap before, and that my colney at the Beacon has been umn had inspired her to view quite a learning experience. I teenagers in a new light. feel that I have come a long GENERATIONS The experience was re- TOGETHER way as a writer since I started markably validating, and I By Alexis Bentz at the Beacon, largely thanks consider it to be my proudest to the guidance I received moment as a writer. from the publication’s staff.

I’ve been lucky enough to have a handAnd my experience interning there one ful of these types of interactions in my life. summer was my first foray into the newsAnd for this, I owe a huge thank you to the paper business. I was entrusted with interBeacon Newspapers, my journalistic home viewing people and penning freelance artifor the past six years. cles, which shaped my understanding of It’s hard to believe that it has been that journalism. long, but it was indeed six years ago when, However, beyond the experience I as a slightly nervous seventh-grader, I sent gained and technical skills I developed, my an email to a Mr. Stuart Rosenthal, pub- greatest takeaway from this experience lisher of the Beacon, offering to write a col- has been the connections I’ve made. umn. Little did I know that he would say The staff at the Beacon has been overyes and welcome me with open arms as a whelmingly supportive as they’ve guided contributor to the newspaper. me through the journalistic process. I am My column, “Generations Together,� exceedingly grateful to them for all they has been part of my attempt to bridge the have done for me and for the freedom and

trust they have bestowed upon me.

I want to thank all of the readers of the Beacon who have kept up with my column, especially those of you who reached out to me with comments, questions and feedback on my writing.

It is my sincere hope that my columns over the past six years have encouraged you to develop intergenerational relationships and have abolished many of the harmful stereotypes that exist about teens and senior citizens.

And now, for the final time, here is my signature conclusion: The next time you and your teenage friend interact, I hope that you will be able

to utilize the suggestions and consider the commonalities that my columns have illustrated.

I hope that you will be able to come up with more activities and discussions you and your younger friend can partake in.

And I hope that you have been able to forge a relationship that will last for the rest of your lives, just as the meaningful experiences and positive memories of my time at the Beacon will last for the rest of mine.

Alexis Bentz, soon to graduate Thomas Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., will be attending Washington University in St. Louis. She was recently recognized as a Top Teen by Washingtonian magazine.

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

Books recall the history of World War II On May 8, we celebrate the 75th an- examined, as are the post-war years. A niversary of V-E Day, marking the Allied timeline explains the action. A succinct narrative describes the provictory in Europe and North gression of events as the deadAfrica. These books shine a liest conflict in world history light on that theater of comunfolded and reverberated bebat. yond the end of hostilities.

World War II Map by This large-format book inMap, by DK and Smithsoncludes more than 100 color ian Institution, 299 pages, maps and more than 230 DK hardcover, 2019 archival illustrations. The foreAfter the United States enword is by octogenarian Peter tered World War II, President Snow, and the consultant overFranklin D. Roosevelt urged THE seeing the contributors is sepAmericans listening to his BIBLIOPHILE tuagenarian Richard Overy. fireside chats to follow along

By Dinah Rokach Both are distinguished British with maps as he discussed historians. the complexities of the conflict.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga Indeed, the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York, includes among its of Churchill, Family, and Defiance exhibits a full-scale recreation of the White During the Blitz, by Erik Larson, 608 House Map Room where FDR retreated to pages, Crown hardcover 2020 This noteworthy account of the dark receive top-secret updates and make comhours of World War II when England stood mand decisions.

Today’s readers interested in gaining a alone recreates with nuance and detail the comprehensive understanding of the war time when victory over the Nazis was not will find World War II Map by Map indis- assured.

Bestselling author Erik Larson’s rich pensable, just as those on the home front portrait of Prime Minister Winston did back then.

The worldwide scope of World War II is Churchill as a private and public man, his

To subscribe for half price, see page 45.

family and official circle, politicians and antagonists, deepens our understanding of the historic events that occurred between May 10, 1940, and May 10, 1941 — the time frame covered by the book.

The Splendid and the Vile employs archival materials, official histories, diaries and contemporary news reports to great effect in telling the story of courage and fortitude in the face of the unknown.

Larson explains military strategy and the state of armaments in a manner that contemporary readers can grasp. He describes in vivid detail the horrors of the night-time bombing of England and the resilience of its citizens.

The book also explores the fight for the hearts and minds of Americans to abandon the isolationism embraced by much of the public. It examines, too, the relationships among Churchill, FDR and their emissaries.

The history of the fateful year, as retold, weaves in lighthearted moments and trivial gossip, thereby creating an interesting narrative that is neither glum nor foreboding.

Larson writes of a time when the fate of the free world hung in the balance. Heroes are not perfect, but flawed. The human element is the focus of the narrative.

Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II, by Meredith

Hindley, 512 pages, Public Affairs paperback, 2019 Historian Meredith Hindley, who lives in Washington D.C., is a senior writer for the quarterly review of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Her book Destination Casablanca provides an account of the White City from the time of French entry into World War II through the historic conference that took place there between FDR and Winston Churchill in 1943.

Read about a diverse set of characters, among them De Gaulle, Eisenhower, Patton and Josephine Baker.

One, Herbert Goold, the American consul general in Casablanca, along with his wife and staff, showed courtesy and sympathy to the long lines of visa applicants who converged daily outside the consulate. He was the antithesis of a heartless bureaucrat.

Helene Benatar, a Jewish lawyer, showed selfless devotion to the refugees and internees of all denominations. Sidney Williams was the American Red Cross’ first African-American director. His Liberty Club for black GIs in Casablanca was integrated even though the Armed Forces were not.

Be inspired by these unsung heroes. Difficult times produce courageous individuals who are often forgotten by later generations.

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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 2 0

43

We certainly are living in hairy times looks like these days.

We sit in our abodes. And sit.

Fluffy… yes, that’s pretty much right.

Junking on TV and too much food.

Billowing…I’d accept that.

Blowing through our entire Like soft vanilla ice cream… collection of jigsaw puzzles. well, not exactly. But my hair is Calling old friends. Trying to almost all pearly white, like a stay one step ahead of the vanilla Dairy Queen cone. And virus. it certainly curls at the edges But one force of nature conthe way a DQ does. So, this figtinues, self-quarantine or not. ure of speech isn’t far off.

Hair grows.

When country music singer Mine has. In spades.

Kenny Rogers died recently, I Yes, I know, at my age, I should be grateful that I still studied the photos of him in HOW I SEE IT the newspaper. He had a wahave some. In fact, I have ooBy Bob Levey terfall of white hair on top of dles of it. That’s the problem.

For decades, I have had my hair his head and much more of it tumbling betrimmed by professionals. Money well hind him, in cascades, almost to his shoulspent. Now, like too many of us, those pro- ders.

Kenny, I feel ya. fessionals aren’t working. Yet my hair But I’m still undecided about how to grows on.

I got my last haircut sometime in early cope with this. Yes, a pair of scissors is inFebruary. As I type this, it’s early April.

That’s about double my usual interval between cuts.

If I doubled the interval between baths or shaves, the results would be predictable. Equally predictable is what’s happening on my head.

For sport, I have been hunting for the right phrase to describe what my hair

dicated. But who should wield them?

Should I cut my own hair? Never have.

Never wanted to.

Or should my long-suffering spouse do it? She has volunteered.

That might sound great on the surface.

But she has never cut my hair or anyone else’s. If this were a job interview, she’d flunk, for sharp lack of experience.

Ok, then, why not cut my own? For the same reason that I can’t tie a necktie or button a button when I’m looking in the mirror. Everything is reversed. My clumsies would grow clumsies.

If I tried to cut my own hair, I might end up looking like the landscape of Arizona — great bald patches and arroyos as far as the eye can see.

Of course, my voluminous plumage is nowhere close to a first-world problem.

People are sick and dying. More will follow

suit. We are in a very scary period.

But part of surviving this social distancing test is holding on to some semblance of normal.

Never in more than half a century as an adult have I let my appearance “go.” But now, the upper half of my ears is a mere memory. My neck can only be located if you push aside all those locks — sort of like finding your way through a forest of bamboo shoots.

One nice unintended consequence: My bald spot has receded, not in reality, but underneath a bumper crop of long, nearby pieces that have obligingly sprouted over it.

You’ve heard of comb-over. This is grow-over.

True enough, my appearance doesn’t matter all that much these days, because See BOB LEVEY, page 45

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FROM PAGE 44 ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

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E V I C T

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T H E B E E P

H E A L

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Crossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles (bottom of home page).

Bundle Up 1

2

By Stephen Sherr

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45 52

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Jumble answers on p. 43.

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Scrabble answers on p. 43.

6

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Across

Down

1. Big talk from a small dog 4. Features of pianos and pianists 8. Beat like a sore thumb 13. California wine valley 14. Declare firmly 15. “You could ___ pin drop” 16. Founding member of The Avengers in 1963 17. Workbench staple 18. Champing at the bit 19. “The next great American novel,” perhaps 22. Cookie first made into a cereal in 1997 23. Donate 10% 24. LP spinners 26. Cut, carat, or clarity (to a jeweler) 27. Agricultural college degrees 30. Handyman’s guidance for sprucing up the walls 36. SEC foe of Ole Miss 37. “___ white at my wedding” 38. It goes before gamma 39. Have a quick meal before the early show 42. “Uno mas, ___ favor” 43. On the ___ (being chased by a bounty hunter) 44. Single Sign-On, simply 45. Criminal’s pseudonym 48. Bombeck, who birthed 15 books 51. Responds to a computer virus 57. First name mentioned in the Koran 58. “Sorry, but it’s not ___ me” 59. “The ___ Lady is at the door” 60. Walk like a crab 61. Quinceanera celebrant 62. Kissers 63. Cleans an elephant 64. Environmental Studies acronym 65. Badminton net, racquets, and birdies

1. Internet search pioneer!

2. “Riches are ___ mistress” (Francis Bacon) 3. Driving test obstacle 4. Hawaiian land creator 5. Boot out 6. Hit the slopes 7. Yellow option from the Green Giant 8. “Leave a message at the sound of ___” 9. Recuperate 10. Maker of Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce 11. One who digs for minerals 12. Sharp insult 13. Letters in National Tire and Battery’s logo 20. 2020 Best Picture nominee, ___ Rabbit 21. Govt. investigators 25. According to boxing’s Louisville Lip 27. “Tres ___!”

28. Toss in a chip 29. One honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 30. Measuring spoon marking 31. City midway between Dallas and Austin 32. Actor Sharif 33. Type of warning 34. “You reap what you ___” 35. Oddballs 40. Lightning bursts 41. “OK; ___ what you mean” 46. Home to Colorado’s Snowmass resort 47. Fills up 49. American Beauty, Pie, or Graffiti 50. Take as one’s own 51. Blowout party 52. Hodgepodge 53. His four children could say “That is my father’s mobile” 54. Short story 55. Helvetica, for one 56. An inning has two more than an outing

Answers on page 43.

Bob Levey From page 43

45

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 2 0

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

offices are closed and meetings are cancelled. So, no need to get all gussied up for some event where I’d ordinarily want to look sharp.

I’ve sought advice about the hair issue from friends. They have split pretty much in half. Fifty percent say your wife can do a splendid job.

The other half say, hey, this could be the chance you’ve been waiting for. This could be the time to grow a pony tail.

Me? A pony tail? At my age?

We’ve all seen men who are north of 60 and decide to go this route. To me, they look as if they’re a little desperate for attention.

Even if that described me — which it doesn’t — why go pony now? The only non-spouse audience I could command would be via computer.

And to do that, I’d need to have some idea of how to use Zoom. I haven’t scaled that techno-mountain yet, dear friends.

And knowing my techno-hopelessness, I may never manage it.

So, on I go, shampooing faithfully, brushing every strand, delaying the moment of reckoning. But very soon, when a baseball cap no longer fits snugly, it will be time to face the music.

So, I asked my wife again: “Are you really willing to do this?”

“Sure,” she said.

Wish us both luck. I won’t end up looking like Arizona, I’m sure. But I will pine for the pre-COVID days when I climbed into that big chair and said: “A little off the sides and the back, please. Same way you always do it.”

Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

May+

VIEWS OF MARS

Embrace your inner astronaut with a real recording of the surface of Mars by NASA’s Curiosity rover. A brief history lesson is included. To access, visit accessmars.withgoogle.com.

May+

VIRTUAL POETRY NIGHTS

Creativity is bursting during quarantine. Listen to open mic and poetry slams with Busboys and Poets on Instagram Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. Go to Instagram.com/busboysandpoets to listen.

May+

GRAMMY GALORE

Get all the benefits of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles from your couch. Watch interviews and concerts with musicians and learn how to do basic video production with free classes. Visit grammymuseum.org/museum-at-home for more information.

May+

REMODEL YOUR SPACE

Quarantining in your home could be the perfect time to plan a redesign, inside and outside. Get help from professionals with virtual consultations by Schroeder Design/Build. To schedule an appointment or learn more, visit schroederdesignbuild.com.

May+

SYMPHONY AT HOME The Fairfax Symphony is now going digital with videos available of its classical music concerts. To listen, visit fairfaxsymphony.org and click on the “FSO Brings the Music to You” tab.

WB520

46

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

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

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 47.

CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment.

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

For Sale

Legal Services

Wanted

PUT ON YOUR TV EARS and hear TV with unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original were originally $129.95 - NOW WITH THIS SPECIAL OFFER are only $59.95 with code MCB59! Call 1-833-934-0843.

PARALEGAL - experienced in estate, trust and wills preparation is available to organize your documents and paperwork. This preparation will save you time and money in legal fees. Will make house calls. Call 301-565-2917.

ALWAYS BUYING OLD STUFF! Old Silverware and Holloware (even some silverplate) Very Old books, Costume Jewelry, Pinup magazines before 1970, Metal purses, Comic Books, Old School Rings, Pinup magazines before 1970, Old Coins U.S. & Foreign, Antique Metal Pens & Pencils, Posters, Dental Gold( Yellow & White),Pocket & Wrist Watches, Old Toys, Broken Jewelry, Coins, other “old stuff”. What do you have? Call Now: Alex 571-426-5363 or send to: 8409 Lee Highway, Suite 825 Merrifield, VA 22116

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate MID-ATLANTIC FUNDING GROUP — Pays cash for Owner Financed Mortgages. Professional Service / Fast Closing. Call Us Today! 1 (800) 641-9521 or visit midatlanticnotes.com

Health PAID RESEARCH STUDY: Healthy 65-85yr olds with normal hearing needed for MRI study of speech comprehension at Univ. of Maryland College Park. Earn $10-15/hr in 2 sessions (34hrs total). Contact 240-630-0461, EffComLab@gmail.com, http://ter.ps/listen HOME HEALTH AID/PRIVATE CAREGIVER with over 15 years experience in elderly care. Certified CNA/MEDTECH/HHA. Worked in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilitates, and Private Duties. I am U.S Citizen, own transportation for errands, available 24/7, negotiable fees. Please contact Comfort by email at: comfortaddo88@gmail.com or call 240-3380550.

Caregivers

RESEARCH STUDY: Seeking adults helping a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia for research study. This study is trying to understand how dementia caregivers who have a chronic condition use technology (PI: Hae-Ra Han, PhD, RN; Johns Hopkins IRB00198665).

The study involves doing a phone or online survey. Help us understand how you use technology so we can build technology that helps caregivers. If interested, please contact the study team at 410-929-4327 or tech4caregiverhopkinstudy@gmail.com

NIGHT SHIFT WORKER AVAILABLE. Experienced Cashier, Security, or Porter Position.

Hard working, honest, and reliable. Lives in Rockville, MD 20852. 301.770.4917

LIFE ALERT. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. FREE First Aid Kit (with subscription.) CALL 240-847-6732 FREE Brochure.

CAREGIVER, I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVE ONES night or day. Great references and own transportation. Willing to work immediately. If interested, please call 301-502-2258.

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.

EXCELLENT CAREGIVER IS SEEKING a live-in position who’s empathetic with the ability to care for the client’s social, emotional, physical and mental health needs, as well as household management. Have observed strict social distancing during this period in adherence with CDC guidelines. Contact: 202-243-9542 or lbyron.imf@gmail.com A HOME HEALTHCARE - Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 2405336599) A CARE AGENCY - Been in business for more than 10 years. Experienced nurses, CNAs, GNAs. Any hours you need. Flat rate for live-in.

Duties include cooking, housekeeping, bathing, errands, etc. Tel: 667-231-8235

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

Financial TAX PREPARATION SERVICES. Licensed CPA since 1986, I prepare individual, business and trust/estate tax returns. Very reasonable rates. Located in Gaithersburg near Quince Orchard Road. Call Diane at 240-355-1135 or email dianechristen@aol.com.

For Sale CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE in National Memorial Park cemetery in Falls Church, Va. Lots are located in Block I, Section 258, Sites 3 and 4. Current value if purchased through cemetery is $15,800. Asking $14,000, but willing to negotiate. Will pay ownership transfer fees.

Call 703-989-6965.

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You?re Home or Away.

For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-240-6509189 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. NOT just a discount plan, REAL coverage for [350] procedures. Call 1-844366-1003 for details. www.dental50plus.com/320.

[6118-0219]

Home/Handyman Services SLOWING DOWN AFTER 38 YEARS of contracting. Small to medium jobs, mainly residential $42.50 an hour from arrival on job. Andy 703-906-5429.

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower.

Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

ARTHRITIS, COPD, JOINT PAIN or Mobility Issues on the Stairs? **STOP STRUGGLING** Give Your Life A Lift! An Acorn Stairlift is a perfect solution! A BBB Rating. Call now for $250 OFF your purchase. FREE DVD & brochure. 1-844-818-1364.

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-844-3596933.

STAY IN YOUR HOME LONGER with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation!

Call us at 1-877-240-2061 or visit www.walkintubquote.com/beacon

APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-866-970-0779 FREE Consultation.

Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

Personals Services TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME! Wish you could attend an upcoming Nationals or Orioles game but have no one to go with and no way to get to the park? Let us take to you! These are one-on-one companion excursions - no groups or buses. You select your game and seat. We pick you up, accompany you to the game, fetch concessions, and take you home when YOU want to leave. Packages start at $200 per person, per game and include transportation, game ticket, and parking. Call Philip at 301-219-3600 to book SELL YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD JEWELRY. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver and silver flatware, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I can come to your home 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 military veterans (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals company, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

TV/Cable DISH NETWORK. $59.99 for 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1844-560-5837.

DIRECTV - Switch and Save! $39.99/month.

Select All-Included Package. 155 Channels.

1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand. FREE Genie HD DVR Upgrade. Premium movie channels, FREE for 3 mos! Call 1-888-572-4953.

Wanted CASH FOR ESTATES, moving etc; I buy a wide range of items. Buy out/clean up. www.atticllc.com Gary Roman; 301-520-0755.

CASH FOR JEWELRY; I buy a wide range of jewelry; gold, silver, costume, watches, turquoise, coins, school rings, etc. Gary Roman; 301-520-0755.

LADY WHO LIKES CHINA and other pretty things would like to buy yours. Favorites include Coalport, Herend, Meissen, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley and Villeroy & Boch. Some Lenox and Johnson Brothers. I love English bone china cups and saucers. Paintings and pottery. I’ve collected antique Christmas and Halloween for thirty years and am always looking to add to my collection. Sterling and jewelry. MD license no.

2753. Call, 301-785-1129.

SEEKING FULL/SEALED BOTTLES of Vintage Bourbon & Rye (Pre-1990). Examples include, but are not limited to: Old Grand Dad, Pikesville Rye, Wild Turkey, Old Fitzgerald, I.W. Harper, Old Forester and more! Inquiries are welcome. Call Alex 443-223-7669 BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae, Punk, Blues, and Disco. 33 1/3 LP’s, 45’s and some 78’s, Some Groups Of CD’s Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (Reg. 883).

TOP PRICES PAID FOR FINE ANTIQUES, artwork and decorative objects including decorated crocks and jugs, unusual antique clocks, music boxes and mechanical things, coin operated devices, furniture, rare antique dolls and toys etc. I am 67 years old, well educated, financially capable, and have over 40 years in this business.

Why pay outlandish auction house, estate agent or consignment store commissions when you can get a fair upfront price for your pieces with no hassle? If you have something interesting or unusual, rare and valuable and are prepared to sell it I would like to speak with you. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301 279 8834. No calls after 7 pm please.

OLD TOYS, COINS, BASEBALL CARDS, memorabilia, pre-1970, antique golf, comic books, dolls, trains, ephemera, pre-1920 photographs, books, militaria, firearms, knives, fountain pens, men’s wristwatches, jewelry, original art, Montgomery County resident, will travel to District, Virginia, call Tom 240 476 3441, thank you.

STAMP COLLECTIONS Purchased/Appraised; U.S., Foreign, Worldwide - anything philatelic! I also advise on how to best dispose of collections that I don’t purchase. Contact Alex: 301-309-3622; ARogolsky@gmail.com; American Philatelic Society Member TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD JEWELRY INTO CASH. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver and silver flatware, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I can come to your home 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 military veterans (and their spouses).

Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals company, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 & CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403.

BOOK COLLECTIONS WANTED. Moving?

Downsizing? Estate? Together the 2 Book Guys have over 85 years experience as professional buyers & sellers of quality books in the D. C. area. Best prices paid for good books. Examples: Easton Press, Folio Society, First Edition Science Fiction & Mysteries, Military, History, Scholarly & Academic Press publications. Call Nelson at 240-472-4615 to set up an appointment at your house. Also will consider DVDs & CDs. WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-4640958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com).

Thank you for reading the Beacon!

Stay safe.

Say you saw it in the Beacon

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

Letters to editor From page 2 property tax system in the District.

Cheryl Broady Washington, D.C. Dear Editor: In 2014, my granddaughter, Alexis Bentz, wrote your publisher a letter requesting an opportunity to write short columns in the Beacon about her idea called “Generations Together.”

I want to thank you for giving her an amazing opportunity as a monthly columnist and as a summer intern. You took a risk on a child and, through your guidance, support and instruction, helped to mold her ability and talent over the years as she grew into a young woman.

As a retired educator, I know the power of a mentor, and you have been exceptional! You exemplify the best of “generations together!”

Sue Jeweler Rockville, Md.

Dear Editor: I believe that all conservatives and Republicans in the USA should return their relief checks to the federal government so that they do not become “unproductive” and “lazy welfare recipients” who are accepting “government hand-outs” and “something for nothing” as well as being “parasites” who are “subsidized” by the federal government which they hate.

It is hypocritical for them to accept help from the federal government when they constantly oppose such help for the middle and lower classes who truly need it and who they look down their noses at. Now, they are in their shoes.

Stewart B. Epstein Rochester, NY Dear Editor: I thought you might be looking for “good news” stories during this pandemic. Here is one from Seabury at Friendship Terrace in Tenleytown, D.C., an affordable, independent living senior community.

Friendship Terrace has practiced “social isolation” since March 6, with meals

47

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington and Richmond editions).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

• Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds being delivered to resident apartments and activities being online.

One morning last week, our activities director Cindy Brockington was surprised when IONA Senior Services delivered some 200 handmade cards for the resi-

dents of Friendship Terrace.

She immediately distributed them so, as residents began their day, there was an encouraging note for each of them.

Chuck Thornton Washington, D.C.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies Alzheimer’s Depression

Home Health Care/ Companion Services

Study .................................21

Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . .21

Hearing Research Study ......21

Options for Senior America ..39

Computer/ Technology

Housing

TheBeaconNewspapers.com .38

555 E. Street.........................18

Elections

901 W. Street ........................20

Elect Sitting Judges Montgomery County...........1 Marylin Pierre for Judge......12 Montgomery County Board of Elections .......................35

Events Beacon 50+Expo..................33 Small Business Virtual Expo ..................................31

Funeral Services

Abrams Hall Senior Apts. ......9 AlfredHouse.........................19 Brooke Grove Retirement Village ...............................48 Charles E. Smith Life Communities .............16 Chesterbrook Residences ........................12 Chevy Chase House .............14 Churchill Senior Living .......14 Culpepper Garden ..........10, 13

Shenandoah Senior Living...18 Sommerset ...........................12

Real Estate Long & Foster/

Springvale Terrace .........17, 22

Eric Stewart.................31, 41

Wren, The ..............................9

Retail/Auction

Legal Services

Balanced Spectrum Light ....42

Farr Law Firm ......................27

Cherry Blossom CBD..........17

Law Offices

Nu Images Hair Salon............5

of Lee Holdmann ..............28 Law Offices of Nancy Feldman .................27 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof .............................29 Legal Counsel for the Elderly ...................15

Oakridge Auction Gallery....27 Perfect Sleep Chair ..............30 Perfect Walker......................23 Zinger Chair.........................20 Zoomer Chair.......................37 WOW Computer ..................34

Medical/Health

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Acumedicine Health ............22

Manor Care Health Services17

Adventist HealthCare...........13

Subscriptions

Allied Pharmaceutical Svcs ...8

Beacon Newspaper ..............45

Ascension/Providence............8 Lesner Hearing.....................18

Theatre/ Entertainment

Medical Eye Center .............15

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre ...39

Going Home Cremation.......34

Enterprise Residential..........43

Government Services

Falcons Landing ....................7

DC DOEE ............................29

Friendship Terrace................10

Miscellaneous

Senior Zone..........................36

DC Office on Aging .......24-25

Homecrest House.................35

Beacon Survey .......................3

Tour & Travel

Montgomery County Aging and

Homewood at Frederick.......15

City of Rockville

Disability Services ......11, 22

Quantum Property Mgmt .......19

Mansion ............................33

Volunteers & Careers

Park View Apts....................... 43

Senior Help Line..................28

Beacon Salesperson .............40

Montgomery County Public Libraries.................36

Five Star Premier Residences10

Pointe View at Aspen Hill.........9

Martinsburg West Virginia ...33

Career Gateway....................29

48

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

Subscribe for half-price. See p. 45

WE ARE

HERE TO HELP

For many, this time of change and uncertainty adds a new wrinkle to existing challenges—from regaining strength and function after hospitalization to caring at home for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

For 70 years, Brooke Grove Retirement Village has been providing excellent care in Montgomery County. Our innovative approaches, LIFE enrichment programming and beautiful 220-acre campus continue to enhance the health and well-being of all in our care.

Call today to let us know how we can help.

301-260-2320

18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860

Take a virtual tour at www.bgf.org.

Independent living as assisted ssisted living g r rehabilitation ehabilita ta at a tion long-term ca care are memory y support sup pport