June 2017 | Baltimore Beacon

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But making money is far from being the only reason. Baltimore retirement and career coach Barbara Harman sees more people working later in life because they find their work gives them a sense of purpose, a structure to their days, and a social life.

“You don’t even have to continue in the same career,” Harman said. “Ask yourself why you’re working, and what you want to do that will bring you positive emotions, meaning, and a reason to look forward to your day.”

In a survey by Merrill Lynch and research group Age Wave, 62 percent of respondents said their primary motivation for working was to stay mentally active.

That’s what keeps Alan Goldberg going

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN GOLDBERG

More than money

JUNE 2017

More than 125,000 readers throughout Greater Baltimore

They are hardly the retiring types

By Carol Sorgen “I don’t feel like someone who shouldn’t be working.” said Mike Gimbel, a 65-yearold resident of Timonium. “Retirement hasn’t even been a thought.”

Gimbel is a substance abuse consultant.

He says, “Work keeps me going, physically and emotionally. I like being active, as well as being a contributing member of society.

There will always be people [for me] to help.”

Gimbel is part of a growing trend of people who continue to work full-time past the age of 65, traditionally considered full retirement age.

“Almost 20 percent of Americans 65 and older are now working, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the most older people with a job since the early 1960s, before the U.S. enacted Medicare,” reported Ben Steverman of Bloomberg News.

With people living longer, it’s not surprising that they’re working longer as well. According to the Social Security Administration, one in four people who reach age 65 will live past 90, and 1 in 10 will live past 95.

And with more years to live, people need more money to live on. According to Bloomberg, “Three in five retirees surveyed by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies said making money or retaining benefits was at least one reason they had retired later than they planned to.

Almost half said financial problems were their main reason for working past 65.”

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

A first-hand account of how Cuba, existing in something of a time warp, is a land of contradictions page 22

ARTS & STYLE At 77, Alan Goldberg has no plans to retire from his job as professor of toxicology and chairman of the board of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing.

He’s shown here with his son’s dog, an American mastiff named Atlas. Goldberg is one of a growing number of people working past the traditional retirement age of 65.

to his job as professor of toxicology and chairman of the board of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. Goldberg, 77 and a resident of the Inner Harbor, likes the intellectual stimulation of working.

Goldberg cites as his role model his former friend and neighbor, Baltimore civic leader Walter Sondheim, who died in 2007 at the age of 98.

“I really admired his attitude,” said Goldberg of Sondheim, who continued showing up at his office until a week before his death. “I can’t see myself sitting around.”

Goldberg’s own father retired at the age of 66 and died two years later, a story Goldberg said he’s heard all too often. He acknowledged that he feels fortunate to be physically and mentally fit enough to continue working.

The only concession Goldberg has made to changing his work life has been stepping down from a major administrative position eight years ago, though he continues his role as a professor.

The adjustment “means I spend less time in meetings,” he said, “and also have the opportunity to extend my frequent business travel to Europe so my wife and I can have more time to enjoy ourselves.”

Women working longer, too And it’s not only men who are enjoying longer careers. A recent New York Times article reported that today’s women are more than twice as likely as those 30 years ago to work into their 60s and even 70s, See NOT RETIRING, page 7

Baltimore’s arabbers are among nation’s last; plus, a behind-thescenes look at the Walters Museum, and Sally Field finally stars on Broadway page 26

TECHNOLOGY k Try out new car technology

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A look back, and forward I don’t know what possessed me, but the I don’t think it takes a lot of imagination other day, as I was contemplating what to to see how the tenor of today’s debates, write about this month, I got particularly over political the idea of looking back to matters, seems unsettlingly see what I wrote in my colsimilar. umn exactly 10 years ago — And what we’ve been seein our June 2007 issue. ing on many college campusI was struck by how timely es of late — namely a refusal that 10-year-old column to even permit minority opinseems to be for us today. So I ions to be expressed, and a am repeating it below, with turn to violent protest to prethis bit of introduction. vent certain speakers from Two months before my appearing — indicates that June 2007 column, I had done FROM THE our level of tolerance has something rare for me at the PUBLISHER continued to decline over the By Stuart P. Rosenthal time: namely, express an past decade. opinion on a hot political topic I invite readers to share of the day: the war in Iraq. their thoughts on the subject — with reNot surprisingly, we received a large spect. We will print a selection of number of letters from readers expressing letters/emails in upcoming issues. their own thoughts. What did take me by surprise was how many of them were also Thoughts on tolerance filled with four-letter words, ad hominem (from June 2007) My April editorial on the war in Iraq attacks on me, and rants against the Beacon itself — all due to my expressing a per- continues to generate much reader (or former reader) comment, as the letters we sonal opinion that differed from theirs.

I was quite shocked by the tone and con- printed last month and below suggest.

Last month, I expressed surprise at the tent of some of those letters, and wrote the strident, even vicious, tone of many of column below in response.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Baltimore area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Howard County, Md., Greater Washington DC and Greater Palm Springs, Calif.

Subscriptions are available via third-class mail ($12), prepaid with order. Maryland residents add 6 percent for sales tax. Send subscription order to the office listed below.

Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns represent the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

• Publisher/Editor ....................Stuart P. Rosenthal

them, and I have received a range of responses to that as well. Reactions range from sympathy over how it feels to be personally attacked, to “buck up, what did you expect?” to “you got what you deserved.”

All in all, these valuable experiences have led me to give a lot of thought to the following question: What does it mean, in this day and age, to be tolerant?

Our society has pretty strict rules today about what a good person may and may not believe (or at least, say in public) about another.

First, of course, it is not acceptable to devalue other people, or worse, to speak of or treat them differently, because of the color of their skin. It is clearly unacceptable today to be racially intolerant.

But what about differences in belief? Is it OK to be intolerant of someone whose religious beliefs differ from yours? What if you pray to Jesus and they pray to Allah?

What if they pray to a stone idol? What if they don’t believe there’s a deity at all?

I think the vast majority of Americans today would look down on someone who judged another person ill on the basis of religious belief or non-belief.

What if people differ regarding how they believe our tax dollars should be spent? Can we be intolerant of people who want to see more tax dollars spent on social services? What about people who want to see more government funds spent on preventing illegal immigration?

And should there be a difference in how we treat people who hold each of these opinions? Or isn’t it the very definition of the word “tolerance” that we treat all our fellow countrymen with respect, regardless of the issues on which we disagree?

Now let’s turn to foreign policy. Is this an area where the rules about tolerance apply or not?

I had a conversation the other day (not an argument, just a conversation!) with

someone whom I respect, and who I know to be a well-read, articulate, good-hearted person. We disagreed completely and passionately on a foreign policy question (not Iraq, at least not this time around).

I think it took some self-control on both our parts, but we kept our cool, and parted smiling at each other and looking forward to our next occasion to talk.

I believe it’s the ability to form, hold and, yes, change our opinions — and to communicate with others about them — that truly makes us different from animals.

A person who cannot or will not treat other people with respect despite a difference of opinion has lost the ability to communicate with his fellow human beings, and therefore lost much of his humanity. I think that is tragic.

I also think it’s ironic: Two years ago, millions of Iraqis voted in their country’s first free election in 50 years, risking death threats from their fellow Iraqis to cast a vote for self-rule.

Their fragile democracy, however, is at risk due to the threatened and actual violence perpetrated daily by factions on both sides of their political and religious divide.

If we have learned anything from this war, it should be that what’s good and noble about mankind and about democracy can be wrecked by a relative few who so believe they are the keepers of The Truth that they demonize their fellow countrymen.

Yes, our American freedom is premised on freedom of thought and expression.

But for all to be able to exercise that freedom, expression needs to be civil.

There’s a reason “being civil” and “civilized” means to treat other people with respect. That’s an essential component of civil discourse and, at some level, of our civil freedoms.

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

• Associate Publisher ..............Judith K. Rosenthal • Vice President, Operations........Gordon Hasenei • Director of Sales ................................Alan Spiegel • Assistant Operations Manager ..........Roger King • Managing Editor............................Barbara Ruben • Contributing Editor ..........................Carol Sorgen • Art Director ........................................Kyle Gregory • Advertising Representatives ............Steve Levin, .................................................................... Paul Whipple • Assistant Editor ..........................Rebekah Alcalde

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (410) 248-9101 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Submissions:

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DONATE YOUR CAR TO SUPPORT KIDNEY HEALTH

Donate your outdated automobile to Kidney Cars and become eligible for a tax deduction while supporting education and prevention programs of the National Kidney Foundation and its Maryland affiliate. All donated vehicles are either sold at auction or for parts. Used cars, trucks, motorcycles or boats in almost any condition will be picked up free of charge. To make a donation, call (800) 488-CARS (2277) or visit www.kidneycars.org.

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VOLUNTEER COUNSELORS NEEDED

The Pro Bono Counseling Project assures that all Maryland residents requesting mental health care, regardless of income, are linked with volunteer licensed mental health professionals. For more information, call (410) 825-1001, ext. 102 or visit www.probonocounseling.org.

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Technology &

Innovations Take new car technology out for a spin

By Dee-Ann Durbin Car shopping isn’t just about kicking the tires anymore. It’s also about testing the technology.

The rapidly evolving in-car infotainment and navigation systems can be bewildering for all but the most tech-savvy car buyers.

The average vehicle on U.S. roads is 11 years old; that means many people last went car shopping before iPhones were invented.

Car buyers should make sure they can pair their phone with a car, play music from their phone, make a hands-free call, and use the navigation system before they leave the dealer lot, experts say.

They should make sure volume knobs, climate controls and other technology is intuitive and displayed the way they like.

Some drivers want volume controls on the steering wheel, for example, while others prefer a knob on the dashboard.

Safety technology is also changing rapidly, and buyers should familiarize themselves with what the car can and can’t do.

Some vehicles will brake automatically to avoid a collision, while others flash a warning and help the driver pump the brakes but won’t bring the car to a full stop.

“Spend some time in the parking lot sitting in the car and just messing with it,” said Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor for the car shopping site Edmunds.com.

The issue is a serious one for the auto industry. Consumers’ complaints about phone connectivity, navigation and infotainment systems have lowered vehicle dependability scores in annual rankings from J.D. Power

and Consumer Reports. Poor showings in such rankings can put a dent in sales.

Help is available Car shopping site Autotrader.com has found that as many as one-third of buyers will choose a different brand if they think a vehicle’s tech features are too hard to use.

To combat that, some brands are setting up technology help desks at dealerships and boosting employee training.

In 2013, General Motors Co. formed a staff of 50 tech specialists to help deal with an increase in questions from customers about new technology. Those specialists train U.S. dealers to pair customers’ phones, set up in-car Wi-Fi, and set preferences like radio stations.

When he takes customers for test drives, Paul Makowski pairs his own phone with the car and has customers make a call, stream music and do other tasks. He uses his own phone so customers don’t worry that their data will be shared with the dealership.

“Some people fear the technology and decline it all, but we still go over it. They don’t leave here not knowing what their car has to offer,” he said.

car understands your voice commands.

Enter an address into the navigation system or, if the car has the capability, download an address to the car from your phone.

Moody said it’s better to learn all these tasks at the dealership than on the road.

• Update your phone: Make sure your phone has the latest operating system when you go shopping. New cars will be most compatible with updated phones.

• Decide what you like: Six percent of new cars sold last year had Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which display many of your phone’s apps on the touchscreen.

That’s expected to rise to 50 percent by 2020, according to IHS Markit. The familiar interface of those systems can make it easier to transition to in-car technology.

But Montoya says there are some shortcomings. Apple CarPlay doesn’t support the Waze traffic app or Google maps, for example, and if you want to change a radio station, you have to scroll out of Apple CarPlay and back to your car’s radio. You should decide what system is best for you.

• Shop around: Even if you’ve settled on a vehicle, it never hurts to test drive some-

thing else. You may find, for example, that you prefer climate controls on a touchscreen instead of on dashboard knobs, or that one vehicle has easier-to-use buttons on the steering wheel for making calls or adjusting volume. “It might expose you to something better,” Montoya said.

• Don’t forget safety: Lane departure warning systems, backup cameras and blind-spot detection systems work differently depending on the car. Some lane departure systems buzz the seat if you drift out of your lane, for example, while others beep loudly. That’s something you might hear or feel a lot, so choose the technology you prefer (or learn how to turn it off).

• Buy what you need: Not everyone wants to stream Spotify and chat with Siri while they’re driving. If you’re in that category, choose a stripped-down model so you’re not paying for features you don’t need, Montoya said. For example, a Toyota Camry starts at $23,050, but the EnTune infotainment package, which includes hands-free calling and other features, costs $775 extra.

— AP

Tips for a tech test drive • Take your time: Test driving the technology should take at least 45 minutes, according to Brian Moody, the executive editor at AutoTrader.com. Find out whether your phone is compatible with the car and learn how to pair it. Call a friend and ask if the sound is clear. Make sure the

Do you feel like you are missing out on the conversation?

Connect with Maryland Relay.

Multiple Calling Options–For anyone who has difficulty using a standard telephone.

Captioned Telephone–Displays every word your caller says, as you listen.

Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) program–State-provided assistive equipment to qualified applicants including telephones and tablets.

Get a FREE evaluation to find the solution that’s right for you.

Call 800-552-7724 or 410-767-6960 (Voice/TTY) 443-453-5970 (Video Phone) or visit mdrelay.org to get started.

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Beacon Links & Apps

By Barbara Ruben

Links Advocacy for cancer patients Friends of Cancer Research launched a

new online learning community to bring patients, advocates and caregivers together with researchers, developers and regulators. The site has two programs: advocacy education and advocacy alliance.

Advocacy education teaches patients and their advocates how to communicate with drug researchers and others behind the scenes of medicine.

Advocacy alliance helps keep people informed on policy issues, current proposals and national priorities in regulatory science. There is also the opportunity to join Friends of Cancer Research in engaging Congress and federal health agencies

JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

on the latest issues.

To sign up, visit www.progressfor patients.org

Awkward family photos

Packing for flights

Do you think your family takes a terrible photo? Browse awkwardfamilyphotos.com for comedy relief. The website has thousands of awkward pictures that have been submitted.

There is an index of categories of pictures, including birthdays, Thanksgiving, weddings and many more. Each picture comes with a description of what is happening in it.

The website even started a podcast called the Awkward Family Podcast run by co-founder, Mike Bender and his wife SuChin Pak, a journalist. They interview the people in the photos to find out what is happening behind the scenes. http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

Planning on packing an anti-static spray, a curling iron or electronic cigarettes in your checked baggage? They are no-nos on a flight. But a limited amount of substances like dry ice and formaldehyde may be allowed in your carry-on.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s website includes a comprehensive list of items that are prohibited or allowed on airplanes. There’s a variety of sections on the list including electronics, lighters and toiletries. To make sure you do not pack a hazardous item, check out www.faa.gov/ about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/

See LINKS & APPS, page 5

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BALTIMORE BAR FOUNDATION SERVICES

Program staff and volunteer attorneys for the Baltimore Bar Foundation provide advice and consultation, direct representation and education/outreach services to older residents. Volunteers also speak to senior groups about legal topics affecting older adults. Volunteers speak Spanish, Hebrew and Yiddish. Program staff and volunteers handle pro bono, non-fee generating civil cases involving public benefits and pensions, as well as consumer, healthcare, housing and credit-related problems. For more information, call (410) 396-5277 or email info@baltimorebar.org.

What’s on your SummerReady checklist?

Warm weather means your air conditioning system needs to work harder to make your home cool— and your energy bill may show it. What can you do now to make a difference?

✔ Adjust your thermostat up to 78°F. Every degree makes a difference in your cooling costs.

✔ Close blinds during the day to keep the sun from heating up your home.

✔ Schedule a cooling system tune up to keep your central air conditioner running efficiently.

Visit BGE.COM/SummerReady, where you’ll find the tools and resources you need to handle the

Take the

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summer energy bills.

summer heat. Now that’s smart energy.

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Parkmobile is an app that helps you find available parking near any venue or building. The app directs you to available spots that are registered with Parkmobile.

Once at the spot, there will be a sticker with a zone number to plug into the app.

You can then pay through the app instead of using coins. Users can even refill the meter while on-the-go through the app.

Parkmobile is in over 200 cities nationwide, including Washington, D.C. The app has an option to reserve a spot before getting there. This feature can be especially

More than 2 million people have downloaded the 7 Minute Workout, which provides a structured workout that only takes, yes, seven minutes. Choose 12 exercises (from a list of 72) for each workout. Each exercise is done for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between.

This free app by Johnson & Johnson talks to you to tell you how many seconds you have left of your workout and what exercise is coming up next. There is also a description of how to perform each exercise and a video.

7 Minute Workout is free for iPhone, iPad and Android

County with mental health needs — depression, grief, anxiety and isolation.

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Convenient parking

of Maryland provides a network support group to help seniors in Baltimore

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VOLUNTEER CALLERS/VISITORS NEEDED PEERS Seniors in Partnership with the Mental Health Association

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useful when going to a busy event or for those with mobility issues to ensure a close parking spot.

Parkmobile is a free app available for iPhone and Androids

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Links & Apps

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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Health Fitness &

MEDITATE ON THIS Meditation can reduce pain and the need for addictive narcotic medication RECENT DRUG APROVALS Two new drugs help lower cholesterol and reduce nighttime bathroom trips JUST BAD LUCK? Random errors in DNA can help fuel cancer despite good lifestyle choices NO MORE BAD HAIR DAYS Try such natural treatments as avocado, olive oil and beer for better tresses

Ten tips that can help fight osteoporosis

By Carrie Dennett, R.D.N. Because 70 percent of our bone destiny is due to heredity, you’re at greater risk for osteoporosis if you have a family history of the disease. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help shape the health of your bones.

We actively build bone until our mid-20s, then we start to slowly lose bone mass.

After the age of 50, one in two women, and one in four men, will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Until they break that wrist, hip or vertebrae in the spine, odds are they will have no idea they have osteoporosis.

In women, that risk of bone loss temporarily speeds up for about five years post-menopause. While it’s best to develop bone-healthy habits in childhood, you can take action at any age to improve both bone and muscle health, even if your genes may be working against you.

Why is muscle important? Maintaining muscle as you age makes it more likely that you can stop a fall — and prevent a fracture — if you lose your balance.

1. Don’t fear calcium You know that calcium is important for strong bones — but you may also be concerned that calcium supplements increase

the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Andrea Singer, National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) trustee and clinical director, said that calcium intake from food and supplements that doesn’t exceed 2,000-2,500 milligrams (mg.) per day should be considered safe from a cardiovascular standpoint, based on a recent rigorous review of the evidence by the NOF and the American Society of Preventative Cardiology.

2. Supplement calcium smartly The NOF recommends that women under age 50 get 1,000 mg. of calcium per day and women 50 and older get 1,200 mg.

Men age 70 and younger need 1,000 mg. per day, those 71 and older need 1,200 mg.

“Obtaining calcium from food sources is preferred,” Singer said. “Supplemental calcium can be safely used to make up any shortfalls in your diet.”

3. Look beyond the obvious Calcium-rich foods beyond dairy products include canned sardines and salmon that still have their bones, tofu made with calcium, tempeh, calcium-fortified soymilk, and some dark leafy vegetables. Collard greens, broccoli rabe, turnip greens and kale are the best of the bunch.

4. Don’t block calcium Spinach and beet greens contain oxalic acid, which makes their calcium unavailable to us. Cooking greatly reduces oxalic acid, and eating a food with oxalic acid does not affect absorption of calcium from other foods you eat during the same meal.

One food that will block calcium absorption is wheat bran — if you eat wheat bran cereal with milk, you will only absorb some of the milk’s calcium.

5. Load up on produce A diet rich in fruits and vegetables creates an environment in the body that prevents bone and muscle breakdown. Antioxidants and other nutrients, like potassium, in produce help prevent calcium loss.

Produce and plant foods include still more nutrients that Singer said are good for bone health, including magnesium and vitamins K and C. 6. Stock up on vitamin D Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium, but it also helps build muscle.

When exposed to the sun, your skin produces vitamin D. However, most of us protect our skin from the sun. Food sources include fatty fish and fortified foods such

as milk and most soymilks. Mushrooms contain variable amounts.

Taking 800-1,000 IUs of supplemental vitamin D with food is recommended for osteoporosis prevention if you don’t get enough through diet, especially if you live in northern states where vitamin D production from sunshine exposure may be limited.

7. Power up with protein Adequate — but not excessive — protein is good for both muscle and bone. Divide your weight in pounds in half to estimate your protein goal in grams. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for about 75 grams of protein per day.

8. Calm inflammation Omega-3 fatty acids — both EPA and DHA from fatty fish and ALA from walnuts and flax seed — can help reduce inflammation in the body. This is important because inflammation can accelerate bone loss.

9. Get — and stay — active Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, running and strength training, stimulates bone-building activity and builds and maintains muscles. Exercises that help imSee OSTEOPOROSIS, page 7

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Not retiring From page 1 often full time, and just as much, if not more, for enjoyment and fulfillment as for income.

Specifically, Harvard economists Claudia Golden and Lawrence Katz found that almost 30 percent of women 65 to 69 are working today, as compared to 15 percent in the late 1980s, while 18 percent of women 70 to 74 work, up from 8 percent.

Ricki Henschel, who oversees business development operations for a global consulting and technology services firm, finds being engaged in solving the world’s complex problems — such as climate change, transportation and education — too “exciting” to think of retiring.

Henschel, who is 63 and lives in the Inner Harbor, enjoys the fact that she’s constantly learning, working with interesting people, and “trying to make the world a better place in which to live.”

Though her career has been varied,

Osteoporosis From page 6 prove balance can also help avoid falls.

10. Avoid “bad to the bone” behaviors These include smoking, and the excessive intake of alcohol, caffeine and sodium, all of which can increase calcium loss.

Henschel said she has never taken time away from working, and currently has no plans to retire. Like Goldberg, Henschel also had a role model — her father, who died at the age of 91, and was still working on projects six weeks before his death.

“As long as you believe that you’re making a difference and you’re enjoying the people you’re with, working is a good thing,” said Henschel.

Continuing a lifestyle Henschel believes that one of the reasons women are now willingly working past traditional retirement age is that “we worked hard to get where we are.”

“When you’ve worked so hard to achieve success,” she observed, “it’s harder to let go. And to finally be in a place where you can help other women...that matters. In fact, the most important thing I do is help the next generation.”

Law firm administrator Shelly Abrams, who is 67 and lives in Reisterstown, also has no plans to retire. “I like what I do,”

Yo-yo dieting has also been shown to reduce bone density.

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

she said, observing that the friends she has who have retired have gone back to work part-time to stave off boredom.

Abrams also likes the fact that, because both she and her husband are working, they can continue to travel frequently, and she can continue enjoying the horse she

7

owns — a passion she discovered in her 40s.

“Maybe when I’m 70, and reach full Social Security age, I’ll think about working four days a week,” Abrams said. “Until then, [no change] is planned for the foreseeable future.”

8

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Meditation can reduce pain, replace pills

By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: For years, I have needed narcotic medications to control my chronic pain.

My doctor is trying to reduce my dose by asking me to practice meditation.

Can this really help reduce my pain?

A: Yes, meditation and other avenues to mindfulness can help decrease your use of pain medication. And you may eventually be able to stop narcotics completely.

Mindfulness is an ancient practice, but it has taken modern imaging technology to demonstrate how it may work. An imaging test called functional MRI [fMRI] shows the brain as it is working. It has allowed us to see things in humans we couldn’t before.

What’s most interesting is that people

with chronic pain still show significant activity in pain centers while practicing mindfulness meditation. But despite the brain’s pain centers firing on fMRI, the meditators report feeling less pain compared to nonmeditators. The likely reason: The mindfulness practitioners have less activity in regions involved in emotion and memory.

Such images indicate that mindfulness practitioners may still feel the pain but not the unpleasantness of the sensation. Instead of blocking the sensation itself, they avoid making associations that identified it as “painful.”

How to start meditating Mindfulness involves focusing your mind on the present and letting go of con-

cerns about the past and the future.

Here are the basics of a mindfulness meditation practice: In a quiet and comfortable place, sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed, or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight but not stiff. Let your hands rest on the tops of your thighs.

Start by bringing your attention to the sensations of your body (sight, sound, taste, touch, scent).

Next, bring your awareness to your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Pay particular attention to breathing out.

When you become distracted by thoughts and feelings — for example, an appointment you must keep, or anger at

someone — silently and gently label these as thoughts, let them go, and return your focus to your breath.

If you’d like to practice mindfulness meditation, start by setting aside some time each day and begin gradually — meditating for five to 10 minutes once or twice a day. You can gradually build up to 20 minutes or even an hour.

Howard LeWine, M.D. is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit www.health.harvard.edu. © 2017 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June 6+

DON’T FALL!

The Baltimore County Department of Aging will sponsor a “Stepping On” fall prevention workshop on Tuesdays, June 6 to July 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Parkville Senior Center, 8601 Hartford Rd. Call (420) 887-5338 to register or for more information. The free series will also be held on Mondays from July 10-August 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rosedale Senior Center, 1208 Neighbors Ave. Call (420) 887-0233 to register.

Ongoing

CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS Baltimore Cancer Support offers ongoing support groups at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church 2120 Dundalk Ave., as well as at other locations. For more information, call (410) 668-1762.

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

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

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

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

9

Combine good foods to get more benefit

By Matthew Kady, R.D. Some foods play really well together.

Food synergy occurs when components of different foods work together to maximize benefits. Think of it as 1 plus 1 equals 4 instead of 2; the total result is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Try these good-chemistry eats to watch your health grow exponentially.

A 2014 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who consumed carrots with avocado absorbed 6.6 times more beta-carotene from the carrots than when no fat was consumed. The avocado also greatly increased the conversion of betacarotene in the body to vitamin A. How to combine: Top a spinach salad with shaved carrots, cubed avocado, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

Garlic and lemon Perhaps Italians were onto something by frequently pairing these two items. A 2016 study in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that combining garlic and lemon juice can bring about a greater reduction in cholesterol and blood pressure compared to consuming either alone. It might be that compounds in lemon, such as citric acid, improve the ability of garlic to fortify heart health.

How to combine: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper as your daily vinaigrette.

Yogurt and salmon

Avocado and carrots

Broccoli and radish

It’s a good idea to fatten up your salads.

Calcium plays a role in strengthening bones, but it needs vitamin D for a helping hand. Vitamin D improves calcium absorption from the gut.

Besides through sunshine and supplementation, you can add vitamin D to your diet with fatty fish, including wild salmon and sardines, UV-exposed mushrooms, eggs, and fortified foods like milk and orange juice.

How to combine: Stir together plain yogurt with curry powder and lime juice for a quick sauce to serve with salmon.

The next time you’re serving a side of

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broccoli, don’t forget to add a fiery kick. Scientists at the University of Illinois showed that pairing broccoli with a spicy food that contains the enzyme myrosinase (found in radishes, mustard greens, horseradish, wasabi, cabbage and broccoli sprouts) improves the absorption of sulforaphane, the anti-cancer compound present in broccoli.

How to combine: Steam broccoli florets and toss them with red radish or a handful of radish microgreens.

Kiwi and cereal If cereal is part of your morning routine, be sure to reach for the fuzzy fruit. A report in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that women who consumed an iron-fortified cereal with kiwi raised their iron levels

more than those who paired the cereal with banana. Why? Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, which helps convert the plant form of iron into a more easily absorbed form.

The same rule applies to other iron-containing plant foods, like beans, spinach and oatmeal. Pairing them with vegetables and fruits — including red peppers, citrus and berries — boosts iron absorption.

How to combine: Top a bowl of wholegrain iron enhanced cereal with slices of kiwi and chopped almonds.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 1-800-8295384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2017 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Simple salad with black beans and mango

By Melissa D’Arabian Canned beans are fantastic convenience food. For a little over a buck, you can stock your pantry with a shelf-stable protein source that works in main dishes or in side dishes.

You can even use cooked canned beans as an inexpensive way to stretch pricier proteins: Serve seared salmon on a bed of sauteed creamy white beans, and you’ll only need a few ounces of fish to make the meal feel hearty.

Boost the filling factor in pasta dishes by

adding a cup of rinsed canned beans to your family’s recipes.

Or, let beans turn a ho-hum salad into a filling comfort dish. In this recipe, I pair black beans with fresh mango, and the result is spectacular, especially given how quickly this recipe comes together.

The hardest part about this salad is cutting the mango, navigating around its long, flat seed. You can easily purchase mango already cut in the packaged produce section, but you can save several dollars for about

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To slice or cube a mango, first cut it lengthwise just a little off-center, parallel to the seed, removing two large “cheeks.”

Score (or slice) the mango flesh right in the cheek, leaving the skin intact, and then scoop out the recipe-ready cubes or slices with a spoon, scraping against the skin.

Slice the remaining mango flesh from the edges of the seed, and either cube or just eat them. (Because you deserve a little treat after all that slicing, right?)

Mango is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, and it makes the salad feel bright and tropical. I add yellow pepper and corn (straight from the freezer; it thaws quickly) to make it pretty.

Texture (and niacin!) comes from a light sprinkle of cashews and just a few smashed corn tortilla chips, which you can buy or make by roasting corn tortillas in the oven until crisp, about 15 minutes at 350 F. The tasty dressing is a result of a simple weeknight dressing hack: I add fresh lime juice and a little olive oil to prepared salsa.

I use shredded kale for this salad, but use any hearty dark green — you get more vitamins with the darker greens, and the bold flavors and textures in this salad need a green that can stand up to them.

Feel free to swap out the fruit or other ingredients to match what’s in your pantry

Black bean and mango salad Start to finish: 15 minutes Servings: 4

For the salad: 6 cups shredded kale, or other dark leafy greens 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if canned 1 1/2 cup cubed fresh mango, about 1 large mango 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 cup chopped tomato, about 2 roma tomatoes 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/2 large avocado, cubed 2 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup cashews, chopped 8 baked corn chips, lightly crushed chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish

For the dressing: 1/4 cup prepared tomato (or tomatillo) salsa 3 tablespoons lime juice See RECIPE, page 11

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Health Shorts Fewer nighttime bathroom trips U.S. regulators recently approved the first drug to reduce the number of times people wake to use the bathroom. The treatment is a nasal spray intended for adults who wake up at least twice a night to urinate.

The Food and Drug Administration said the spray, called Noctiva, is not approved to treat all causes of frequent nighttime urination, so doctors must determine the cause and best treatment for each person.

Noctiva is approved specifically for a common condition caused by such things as chronic heart failure, poorly controlled diabetes, and bladder and prostate problems, as well as some medications.

The nasal spray is used daily about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works by making the kidneys absorb more water, which reduces the amount of urine.

Noctiva carries the FDA’s strongest warning — a so-called black box — because the drug can cause dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood. Other side effects include colds, bronchitis, increased blood pressure, dizziness, back pain and nose bleeds.

Before using the spray, patients must undergo testing to confirm they produce

Recipe From page 10 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Lay the greens on a platter or individual plates. Place on top of the greens: beans, mango, corn, tomato, bell pepper and avoca-

excess urine at night.

The treatment was tested for three months in about 1,000 people 50 and older with the condition, called nocturnal polyuria. The half who used Noctiva had more nights with one or no trips to the bathroom, compared to the group that got a dummy nasal spray, according to the FDA. The active ingredient in Noctiva, desmopressin acetate, is included in some other drugs, including an injected version for bleeding disorders.

Pricey cholesterol drug reduces heart risks A long-acting cholesterol medicine cut the risk of having a heart attack or some other serious problems by 15 to 20 percent in a big study that’s likely to spur fresh debate about what drugs should cost.

Statins such as Lipitor and Crestor are cheap, and lower LDL or bad cholesterol.

But some people can’t tolerate or get enough help from them.

The new drug, Amgen’s Repatha, is given as a shot once or twice a month and is part of a novel class of medicines that drop LDL to unprecedented levels.

It costs more than $14,000 a year, and insurers have balked at paying without proof that it lowers heart risks, not just the cholesterol number. The new study gives that

evidence, but the benefit is not as great as some doctors had hoped.

For every 200 people treated with Repatha for roughly two years, three fewer people would suffer a heart attack, stroke or heartrelated death. But looked at by themselves, deaths were not reduced by the drug.

“That’s a big benefit,” said Dr. Marc Sabatine, the study leader, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. For millions of people with heart disease or high risk for it like those in the study, “it’s worth it to be on this medicine.”

But Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, preventive medicine chief at Northwestern University and an American Heart Association spokesman, called the results modest and “not quite what we hoped or expected.”

Dr. Mark Hlatky, a Stanford University cardiologist and cost effectiveness researcher, said, “people were hoping for a break-

11

through, a lot bigger result than 20 percent.”

Repatha and a similar drug, Praluent, called PCSK9 inhibitors, were approved in 2015 for people with inherited risk for high cholesterol, or heart disease that had already caused a problem such as a heart attack. The study tested Repatha in more than 27,500 people like this who had LDL above 70 (the recommended upper limit for such patients) despite maximum statin use.

After about two years, Repatha, used along with statins, reduced LDL from a median of 92 to 30. It also proved safe — side effects were similar to those from a dummy drug.

Repatha cut by 20 percent the combined risk of having either a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death. That happened to nearly 6 percent of people on Repatha versus more than 7 percent on the dummy drug.

See HEALTH SHORTS, page 12

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Health Studies Page

JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

People 75+ sought for flu vaccine study

By Carol Sorgen Seasonal influenza (flu) is the fourthleading cause of death for older Americans. That’s why it’s highly recommended that all adults 50 years of age or older receive an annual flu vaccine immunization.

However, despite the fact that more older adults are receiving the vaccination, mortality has actually increased. Researchers theorize that may be due to the fact that the immune system — the part of the body that protects against infection — often works less effectively as we age.

Researchers believe that, while many studies indicate the flu vaccine’s benefit for older adults overall, these studies have not adequately represented older and frailer individuals who suffer over three-quarters of influenza-related mortality.

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has conducted a pilot study that showed significant vaccine failures in the frail elderly. In order to understand the reasons for influenza vaccine failure in this population, JHU researchers are currently conducting a four-year influenza immunization and post-vaccination influenza study in adults over 75 years of age.

cine, having active cancer, or undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.

Other disqualifying factors include having active systemic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s disease; active cardiopulmonary disease like COPD, or taking oral steroids.

What the study entails Who can participate?

Researchers hope that the study will provide a more accurate assessment of the clinical effectiveness of the flu vaccine in older adults. A total of 525 people over the age of 75 will be participating in this study.

The main qualifying factor is to be over 75, but there are several conditions that would exclude participation. These include being allergic to eggs or to the vac-

In order to determine if you are qualified for the study, a brief telephone questionnaire will be given. If you qualify and agree to proceed, you will be asked to come to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center or, if you are unable to come to Bayview, one of the Hopkins staff can visit you at your home.

During that visit, your medical history will be reviewed, and vital signs, walking speed and grip strength will be measured. Several brief questionnaires will be administered, and blood and urine samples collected. You will then receive the flu vaccine at no cost.

Health shorts From page 11 The benefit grew with longer use, and was 25 percent the second year, said Sabatine, who consults for Amgen and other drugmakers.

The drug cut by 15 percent a broader set of problems — the ones above, plus hospitalization for chest pain or an arteryopening procedure. Nearly 10 percent of folks on Repatha had one versus more than 11 percent on the dummy drug.

This last result is something insurers care about — preventing costly healthcare.

“That’s the biggest issue — whether

Three to four weeks after you receive the flu shot, you will have another visit at Johns Hopkins Bayview or your home, where the questionnaires will be repeated, vital signs checked, and a second blood sample taken.

Throughout the study, a staff member will call participants once a week to ask about their general health and any flu-like symptoms. These calls will be made throughout the flu season which typically lasts through the end of May. If you begin to have any influenza-like symptoms at any time during the study, you will be asked report those symptoms so that a nasal swab can be taken to confirm influenza, and a third blood sample drawn to look at the immune response and protection of influenza vaccine.

The long-term goal of the Hopkins research is that more effective and targeted See VACCINE STUDY, page 14

they’re worth all the money,” Hlatky said of the drugs. If they cost 50 times as much as statins, “are they 50 times better? I don’t think so.”

For now, “we should still probably reserve these for the highest risk patients where statins are not doing a good enough job — at least at the price they are currently offered,” said Lloyd-Jones.

Amgen said the drug’s value justifies its cost, and offered more deals for insurers — including refunds for people who have a heart attack or stroke after using Repatha for at least six months.

— AP

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

13

Random errors in DNA help fuel cancer

By Lauran Neergaard Cancer patients often wonder “why me?” Does their tumor run in the family?

Did they try hard enough to avoid risks like smoking, too much sun or a bad diet?

Lifestyle and heredity get the most blame, but new research suggests random chance plays a bigger role than people realize: Healthy cells naturally make mistakes when they multiply. There are unavoidable typos in DNA that can leave new cells carrying cancer-prone genetic mutations.

How big? About two-thirds of the mutations that occur in various forms of cancer are due to those random copying errors, researchers at Johns Hopkins University reported last month in the journal Science.

Whoa: That doesn’t mean most cases of cancer are due solely to “bad luck.” It takes multiple mutations to turn cells into tumors — and a lot of cancer is preventable, the Hopkins team stressed, if people take proven protective steps.

The researchers’ estimate is based on a math model, and is sure to be hotly debated by scientists who say those unavoidable mistakes of nature play a much smaller role.

But whatever the ultimate number, the research offers a peek at how cancer may begin.

And it should help with the “why me” question from people who have “done everything we know can be done to prevent cancer but they still get it,” said Hopkins’ Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a pioneer in cancer genetics who co-authored the study. “They need to understand that these cancers would have occurred no matter what they did.”

What causes mutations?

You might inherit some mutations, like flaws in BRCA genes that are infamous for causing aggressive breast and ovarian cancers in certain families.

More commonly, damage is caused by what scientists call environmental factors — the assault on DNA from the world around us and how we live our lives.

There’s a long list of risks: Cigarette smoke, UV light from the sun, other forms of radiation, certain hormones or viruses, an unhealthy diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

Then there are those random copy errors in cells — what Vogelstein calls our baseline rate of genetic mutations that will occur no matter how healthy we live.

How cells make mistakes New cells are formed when an existing cell divides and copies its DNA, one cell turning into two. Every time DNA is copied, about three random mutations occur, Vogelstein said.

We all harbor these kinds of mutations, and most don’t hurt us because they’re in genes that have nothing to do with cancer — or the body’s defense mechanisms spot and fix the damage, said Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society, who wasn’t involved in the new research.

But sometimes the errors hit the wrong

spot and damage genes that can spur cancerous growth or genes that help the cell spot and fix problems. Then the damaged cells can survive to copy themselves, allowing important mutations to gradually build up over time. That’s one reason the risk of cancer increases with age.

The study follows 2015 research by Vogelstein and statistician Cristian Tomasetti that introduced the idea that a lot of cancer may be due to “bad luck,” because those random DNA copying mistakes are more common in some kinds of cancer than others. Cancer prevention advocates worried the idea might sway people to give up on healthier lifestyles.

This time around, the duo analyzed mutations involved in 32 types of cancer to estimate that 66 percent of the gene flaws are due to random copy errors. Environmental and lifestyle factors account for another 29 percent, while inherited genes made up

just 5 percent of the mutations.

Different organs, different risks The same person can harbor a mix of mutations sparked by random DNA mistakes, heredity or environmental factors.

And which is the most common factor differs by cancer, the Hopkins team said.

For example, they estimate that random cell errors account for 77 percent of critical mutations in pancreatic cancer — while still finding some caused by lifestyle risks like smoking. And the random DNA mistakes caused nearly all the mutations leading to childhood cancers, which is not surprising because youngsters have had little time to be exposed to environmental risks.

In contrast, most lung cancer mutations were the result of lifestyle factors, mainly from smoking. And while lung tissue doesn’t multiply frequently, the small number

of mutations caused by chance DNA errors might explain rare cases of neversmokers who still get sick.

“This paper is a good paper,” said the cancer society’s Brawley. “It gives prevention its due respect.”

Estimates from Britain suggest 42 percent of cancers are potentially preventable with a healthy lifestyle, and the Hopkins team says their mutation research backs that idea.

But Dr. Yusuf Hannun, Stony Brook University’s cancer center director, contends that’s just the number known to be preventable today — researchers may discover additional environmental risks we can guard against in the future.

He said the Hopkins paper exaggerates the effect of the unavoidable DNA mistakes.

His own 2015 research concluded they account for 10 to 30 percent of cancer cases.

— AP

14

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

How to get concerned family to back off Dear Solutions: I’m a very active senior and, luckily, fairly healthy. Recently, I had a bad fall.

But I’m okay now.

However, since then, my son has started to treat me like I’m an invalid. He’s constantly warning me that I should cut down on my activities because I’m growing old. I don’t intend to do any such thing, but I don’t want to alienate him by arguing either.

He says this advice is for my sake, but also I should consider him because if anything serious happens to me, he’ll have to take care of me. Thus, I should just do things slowly.

How do I get him to stop bugging me without making him angry?

—A Dear A: Tell him you’re taking his advice, so the

The other day we went through this most important thing you’re going to do and then, when I went outside, my neighslowly is to grow old! bor looked at me strangely.

Add that you hope he’ll unOf course, she could hear derstand that slow-to-move is ever y word. I’m embarfast-to-age! Suggest that he read rassed. literature on aging that emphaMy husband and I are a sizes aging well requires physimatch in other ways good cal activity and well as a good atexcept the arguing departtitude. ment. How can we do this Finally, express your apprecibetter? ation for his caring, and say that — Embarrassed when “old” arrives for you, you Dear Embarrassed: hope he’ll still be there with his SOLUTIONS You’re a good match in the concern and his help.

By Helen Oxenberg, arguing department also — OK — now get up and go!

MSW, ACSW you’re a shouting match!

Dear Solutions: Do just the opposite. InWhen my husband gets angr y about something, he starts stead of shouting louder, talk softer and shouting. Then, if I want him to hear softer. He’ll have to be quiet to hear you, what I have to say, I start to shout as and he’ll probably start talking more quietly himself. well.

When arguing, talk only in the first person. Speak about you, not about him. Say what you feel and how things affect you, without excusing or accusing. Your husband will have to listen harder — and so will your neighbor!

Dear Solutions: I’m embarrassed and don’t know what to tell relatives and friends. My grandson, who’s only 26, got married in a big wedding six months ago because the bride wanted a big affair.

Nobody knew the bride was pregnant. Now the baby was just born, and some people are asking if the baby came early. What do I say?

— Grandma Dear Grandma: Just smile and say the baby didn’t come early, the wedding came late! Be happy that at least there was a wedding.

You’re probably a young grandma. Celebrate. Congratulations for a healthy grandbaby. Concentrate on that.

Dear Solutions: I’ve been married for six months now, and there’s something that annoys me, even though it might sound petty.

We’ve both been widowed, but I didn’t bring much of anything from my former marriage. I gave most of everything to my daughters.

My wife, though, has what she calls “very expensive, lovely” towels from her other marriage. They had never even been used, but they’re all initialed with her former married initials.

They’re now hanging on the bars in our bathroom, and I feel uncomfortable with them there. She says it’s silly of me, and it’s just a waste of money not to use them.

Am I being petty?

— Tom Dear Tom: Those towels are hanging out at the wrong bars. Round them up and kick them out.

First, though, go out and buy replacements. Get the same quality and same color “lovely” towels and have them initialed with your and your wife’s initials.

After that, you can stop discussing it, and wipe your hands of the whole problem. © Helen Oxenberg, 2017. Questions to be considered for this column may be sent to: The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915. You may also email the author at helox72@comcast.net. To inquire about reprint rights, call (609) 655-3684.

Vaccine study From page 12 immunization strategies will strengthen immune protection against influenza for vulnerable older Americans.

To see if you are eligible, contact Adaku Ikotun at (410) 550-2113 or aihekwe1@jhmi.edu, or Ora White at (410) 5502113 or owhite1@jhmi.edu.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

15

DIY treatments for frizzy, dry or oily hair I lived in the bitter cold of Queens, New York and Somerset Massachusetts until I was 11 years old, then in hot and humid Ocala and Gainesville, Florida for 35 more.

For the past six, I’ve been in the dry climate of Denver, Colorado.

My hair’s seen a lot. Yet, at 52, my hair is still thick and healthy. So I’ll share my DIY tips with you today.

For dry or frizzy hair Avocado Use half of a ripe, buttery avocado. For best results, blend it in a blender or mash it really well, so it is super creamy and smooth (trust me, you don’t want to be picking out chunks of avocado from your hair).

The natural fat in avocado will help smooth your hair strands and make them shine. You can thin the mashed avocado with a little water and work into hair. Then shampoo it out.

Olive oil The fats in olive oil can really luxe-up your locks. Have you ever given olive oil to a dog to soften up his fur? Well, it works for you, too!

Use about one-quarter of a cup on its own, or mixed with other ingredients, for a beautiful sheen. It’s so softening that this tip will make people want to scratch behind your ears (kidding!). Work into hair then shampoo it out.

For oily or flat hair Apple cider vinegar Ok, it doesn’t smell great. But apple cider vinegar clears away excess oil and may help dandruff.

Put two tablespoons in a spray bottle with 4 ounces of water, and spray onto your hair until damp. Shampoo (and/or

condition) your hair like normal.

Corn starch This fine white powder is a DIY dry shampoo. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your hair, mix through, and let sit for 10 minutes. Then brush it out.

The cornstarch will absorb excess oil and give you that instant shampooed look.

This is nice if you’re tired, have had recent surgery, or you’re disabled.

You can buy commercial brands of “dry shampoo,” but they sometimes contain weird chemicals.

dition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement.

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist

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

For balanced normal hair Eggs I prefer my eggs scrambled or as egg salad to be honest, but if you can get past the ick factor, the rich, fatty egg yolks moisturize and lend natural protein to your hair.

Apply one or two lightly beaten eggs to your hair. You can also try just the yolks, or just whites if you want to experiment.

Then shampoo as normal.

Beer Yes, beer! Before using, you want to let it sit out in an open glass for an hour or so to eliminate the bubbles, so it doesn’t foam all over the place. (Hide it so your hubby doesn’t walk by and have himself a Bud. I don’t have to worry about that because my husband hates beer.)

The protein in beer adds structure to your hair, meaning it’s a DIY hair volumizer.

Closing confession: I’m a little too attached to my bottle of “It’s a 10 Miracle” conditioner and a flat iron straightener.

For a much longer version of this article, visit my website.

This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your con-

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Say you saw it in the Beacon

Money Law &

17

GOOD ADVICE Use your own judgment, pay a fee-only adviser, or even try a “robot advisor” to get financial advice you can trust HELP ELDERS AVOID SCAMS How you can help protect loved ones from fraud and bad money decisions RETIREMENT AUTOPILOT Online advisory services can help with retirement spend-down plans

Why pay retail? Bills you can negotiate

By Liz Weston The word “bills” used to be synonymous with “fixed expenses.” But there’s nothing fixed about many of the bills a typical household pays today.

Some bills have introductory rates that expire, shooting monthly costs skyward.

Others offer secret discounts or upgrades to those in the know.

Providers constantly tweak their plans and pricing, which means long-term customers can overpay by hundreds of dollars a year.

“It’s like airline seating pricing,” said Steven McKean, founder and CEO of BillShark, a bill negotiating service based in Boston. “I wouldn’t say (people) are overcharged, but I would just say that the pricing is very opaque.”

BillShark calculates Americans could save $50 billion a year by haggling over their bills for cell phone service, home security, internet and pay television.

BillShark, like its competitors BillFixers of Nashville, Tennessee, and BillCutterz of Corpus Christi, Texas, offers to negotiate for consumers in exchange for 40 to 50 percent of the savings.

The savings can total hundreds or even

thousands of dollars. McKean said his negotiators cut bills by an average of $320 each — with annual savings ranging from $250 for home security, to $300 for TV, phone and Internet bundles, to $360 for cell phone bills.

Check for better phone plans Some of the biggest savings right now can be found in cell phone plans as a price war roils the industry, said BillFixers founder Ben Kurland.

“A lot of the cell phone pr oviders have introduced multiple plans just this year,” he said. “If you have a cell plan that’s more than six months old, you may not be on the most efficient plan for you anymore.”

In addition to cell phone plans, bill negotiators say the following services often have plenty of room for negotiation: • Pay television (cable or satellite) • Landline phones • Internet • Alarm systems • Storage units

• Satellite radio • Bottled water delivery • Gym memberships What these bills have in common is competition: In most areas, there’s another provider that you can hire. You also can opt out, at least theoretically. (It’s typically much harder to tell your electric company that you can do without lights.)

Most BillShark customers would rather stick with the service they have than deal with the sometimes considerable hassles of changing providers, McKean said.

“They don’t want to rip out their DVR, and they don’t want new equipment, and they don’t want to sit around (waiting to) set up all this stuff,” he said. “They just want a lower price.”

Sometimes a competitor’s deals are so much better that it’s worth the switch, he said. That’s particularly true for cell phone providers, who are paying customers’ early termination fees and offering other

Long-term customers may be overpaying by hundreds of dollars a year.

bounties to switch.

“They’re all desperate to steal each other’s clients,” Kurland said. “Switching providers a lot of times just comes with an instant payoff, and then over the long term, as long as you switch smart, you’ll find that you can save money month after month.”

Steps to getting lower bills Knowing you have that kind of leverage can help you negotiate better deals. Here are the steps: • Gather competitors’ offers. These may be touted on the providers’ websites, or you may have to call and ask what the best deals are for new customers. Make sure you nail down the details — such as the speed of the internet service and which television channels are included, for example.

• Call your provider. Let the telephone representative know, right away, that you’re thinking of switching to a competitor or canceling the service if you can’t get a better deal. That typically means you’ll be transferred to the customer retention department, which often has more See NEGOTIATE, page 19

18

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How to find financial advice you can trust

By Anya Kamenetz The Department of Labor recently announced it will postpone putting the “fiduciary rule” into effect. And the Trump administration has signaled it wants to get rid of it altogether.

The fiduciary rule stipulates that financial professionals who advise you on your retirement accounts must put your financial interests ahead of their own. Without the rule — and as things currently stand — they could push certain products ahead of others (whether or not they are the best fit for you) because they earn a higher commission, for example.

Of course, even without the rule in place, it’s still possible to get good, unbiased and customized financial advice. But in most

cases you’re going to have to pay for it.

One option: Do it yourself Don’t overlook the possibility of managing your own affairs. The happy truth is that some of the simplest and cheapest approaches to investing tend to have the best performance over time. I’m talking about buying low-cost index funds, keeping a regular savings habit, paying down debt, and avoiding lots of transactions.

You don’t need complicated investment vehicles or hot stock tips to do well in retirement. The big advantage to managing your own money is that you will have a better idea of what’s going on. And, in the end, no one has your interests closer to heart than you do.

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Another: a fee-only adviser But everyone runs into occasional situations where they need more detailed help from a human being. Especially with the complicated financial lives people are leading today. In those cases, a fee-only financial planner or adviser is what you are looking for.

“Fee-only” is different from “fee-based.”

[Fee-based advisors may charge some direct fees, perhaps a fixed percentage of the assets they manage, but are also compensated through commissions they earn on purchases and sales they make on their clients’ behalf. To the extent fees are based on commissions, this could lead some advisors to buy and sell more frequently, or to select certain high-commission products, in order to earn more money.]

In contrast, fee-only advisers earn their income solely by charging their clients, and pledge voluntarily to follow a version of the fiduciary rule and always to act in their clients’ best interests. This is exactly the rule that the Department of Labor is seeking to throw out.

Fee-only planners don’t have to be expensive. Some advisers will accept a small monthly or annual retainer. It could be as low as $100 a month.

Others work on an hourly or project basis.

This might make sense if you are facing a life transition. Say one partner in a couple wants

to start staying home with the kids. Or there is a divorce or retirement on the horizon.

You want someone — ideally, a certified financial planner or CFP — with many good references from satisfied customers. You can see if anyone has an official complaint filed against them by looking on the Securities and Exchange Commission website at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/ IAPD/Default.aspx.

There are several networks of fee-only advisers, such as the Garrett Planning Network, the XY Planning Network (which lists advisers who specialize in younger clients), the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

Consider a “robot” You might want to look into a hybrid of the going it alone and hiring an adviser.

Services like Wealthfront and Betterment are known as “robo advisers,” and they’re getting more and more popular. They use software to accomplish some of the basics of low-cost retirement portfolio management.

This includes tax loss harvesting (selling securities that have gone down in price, to offset taxable capital gains earned elsewhere in the portfolio) and rebalancing (noticing when one category in your See FINANCIAL ADVICE, page 19

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Negotiate From page 17 leeway to adjust your bill. Keep an open mind as you talk; there are many ways to cut the cost of cable, for example, not just negotiating the price.

• Tell them what you know. Companies have caught on to empty threats to cancel, Kurland said. “But if you call up and you say, ‘Hey, this is the other provider on my street, and this is the new price that they’re offering. I know that your new customer pricing is even lower than that. Why don’t we strike a deal?’, then you’re talking their language,” Kurland said.

• Don’t accept the first offer. If “Can’t you do any better than that?” doesn’t pro-

Financial advice From page 18 portfolio, such as international stocks, has changed in value, and automatically reallocating your money elsewhere to maintain your desired diversification). They charge a small fee to do this stuff automatically.

For a larger but still modest fee, servic-

duce a deeper discount, tell them you’ll sleep on it. That may produce another price break, or you may get a different agent the next day who’s more eager to deal.

• Get clear on expiration dates. Any discounts you negotiate may expire in a few months. To help you keep getting the best deals, enter the expiration dates on your calendar with a reminder to restart negotiations before your bill jumps up again.

• Think bigger. Monthly bills such as mortgages and car insurance aren’t negotiable in the same way, but you can and should revisit those rates at least annually.

The savings could be bigger than all your smaller bills put together.

— Nerdwallet via AP

es including Betterment and Personal Capital offer access to a financial adviser as well, usually over email and video chat.

These are money managers, so they’re not pushing particular products.

Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2017 Anya Kamenetz Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June 13+

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP

Jewish Community Services, in sponsorship with the Edward A. Myerberg Center and the Parkinson’s Disease Movement Disorders Center of Johns Hopkins University, is holding a Parkinson’s Disease Support Group for community members with Parkinson’s and their families and caregivers. The group, which is free and open to the public, meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Myerberg Center, 3101 Fallstaff Rd. in Baltimore from 2 to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call (410) 8437352 or visit jcsbaltimore.org/parkinsons.

June 19+

HEADING NORTH Enjoy visiting Ottawa and Thousand Islands from June 19 to 23.

Cost is $680 per double. Call Cockeysville Senior Center at (410) 887-7694.

19

BEACON BITS

June 15

KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFE The BCRest Coalition invites you to attend the annual World Elder

Abuse Awareness Day forum on June 15 to learn how to identify financial exploitation as well as strategies to protect your finances. There will also be a special presentation by the Mental Health Players. The event will be held at the Randallstown Community Center located at 3505 Resource Dr. in Randallstown from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. After the forum, there will be a shred-a-thon from 1 to 3 p.m. Bring one box or bag of personal documents to be shred. Both events are free and open to the public. For details, call (420) 887-4200. To register for the shred-a-thon, call (877) 926-8300.

20

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Retirees, automate your spend-down plan

By Eleanor Laise It’s one of the thorniest questions retirees face: How much can you safely spend each year? And once you’ve figured that out, which accounts should you tap first, how do you minimize taxes, and how do you keep your remaining portfolio in balance?

A new generation of online advisory services promises to help retirees answer these questions and, in some cases, manage the whole drawdown process. Like existing “robo advisers,” these services rely on software to generate automated advice.

Some also offer access to human advisers.

But unlike most established robo advisers, the services are aimed squarely at retirees.

Although there’s plenty of retirementplanning advice available online, most of it focuses on how to accumulate a nest egg, not spend it down. And the drawdown advice that is available often makes simplistic

assumptions, such as expecting that your spending will remain constant each year in retirement.

Tailored to your goals The new online services take a more sophisticated approach, aiming to design drawdown strategies tailored to a retiree’s personal goals, life expectancy and spending needs.

They can help coordinate the many sources of income a typical retiree receives — including Social Security, investment income and required minimum distributions — to form a tax-efficient drawdown plan.

In many cases, you can take advantage of these services while keeping your money in your current investments. On the down side, the services tend to be pricier than the existing robo advisers, which often charge 0.25 percent of assets or less.

The firms say their fees are justified by the

more complex services they deliver.

The Income Strategy software aims to make retirees’ assets last as long as possible by coordinating spending plans with Social Security, taxes, Roth IRA conversions and other factors. Currently, Income Strategy offers one-year access to the software, a personalized drawdown strategy report, a recommended Social Security claiming strategy and up to two hours with a financial professional for $500.

Early this year, Income Strategy began offering two new services, said William Meyer, managing principal. For retirees who want to manage their own money, the firm will offer not only access to the software, but also specific trade recommendations to help draw down assets efficiently.

The fee will be about $20 a month.

For retirees who want professional money management, Income Strategy will

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build a portfolio of exchange-traded funds and manage the whole drawdown process — sending cash to the client and rebalancing the portfolio. The annual fee for this service will be about 0.5 percent of assets under management, Meyer said.

Other options True Link, a robo adviser for retirees, launched late last year and helps implement a “bucket” strategy, with specific assets set aside for each year of retirement.

Money you need this year might be held in money-market or high-interest checking accounts, while money you need five years from now can go into defined-maturity bond funds maturing in five years, according to Kai Stinchcombe, chief executive officer of True Link. Underlying investments include ETFs and bond ladders, and the fee is 0.87 percent annually.

The site also offers a free tool that recommends a monthly withdrawal amount and asset-allocation plan based on a user’s age, gender and portfolio size.

United Income, which will become publicly available in mid-2017, aims to offer highly personalized drawdown plans. United Income will help retirees build portfolios of bond ladders, deferred annuities and other investments; tell them which accounts to tap first; and send them a regular retirement paycheck.

Instead of assuming spending will remain constant throughout retirement, the service will create a personalized spending forecast based on your gender, education level and other demographic information.

Women, for example, “tend to look a lot more frugal relative to men,” said Matt Fellowes, chief executive officer and founder of financial-advice firm Hello-Wallet.

United Income will also rely on demographic data, along with personal health information, to generate personalized lifespan estimates. Fees are not yet disclosed. © 2017 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June 4

DIVERSE FOSTER PARENTING

Hear from LGBT foster care parents about the importance, joys and challenges of being a foster parent, and

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the positive impact on children of diverse representation in the foster care community. This event, called Queer Interiors, will be hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Art on Sunday, June 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The BMA is located at 10 Art Museum Dr. For more information, call (443) 573-1700 or visit www.artbma.org.

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21

When an elder needs financial oversight

By Liz Weston Our financial decision-making abilities peak in our 50s and can decline pretty rapidly after age 70, researchers tell us. That’s how otherwise smart older people fall for sweepstakes frauds, Nigerian investment schemes and the grandparent scam — where con artists pretend to be grandchildren in a financial jam.

But few people want to hear that they’re not as sharp as they used to be. Many won’t recognize the rising risk of losing hardearned life savings as they age, said financial literacy expert Lewis Mandell, author of What to Do When I Get Stupid: A Radically Safe Approach to a Difficult Financial Era. “As our ability to make sound financial decisions decreases with age, our self-confidence in this area actually increases,” Mandell warned.

Adult children who want to protect their parents from fraud and bad financial decisions have to tread carefully, said Jessie Doll, wealth management adviser with TIAA in Fairfax, Va. Money may be a difficult subject, and parents may resent the interference or fear losing their independence.

It may help to frame the issue as one all of us will face if we live long enough. Talking about your own efforts to “futureproof” your finances can start the discussion of how they can defend their money against bad decisions and bad guys.

What you can do together • Draft powers of attorney. Two documents everyone needs, regardless of age: a power of attorney for health care decisions, and a power of attorney for financial decisions. This paperwork names the people we want to speak for us in case we become incapacitated. We should be having discussions with whomever we name about our wishes

Frank, Frank

and our financial situation, Doll said.

“Talking about it is opening the door to making this less of a taboo discussion,” Doll said.

• Consolidate and simplify. One bank.

One brokerage firm. Two credit cards, one for daily purchases, and one for automatic bill payment. That’s the prescription for simplified, consolidated finances that will be easier to track as we age, said financial planner Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and director of financial planning at Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida.

McClanahan also recommends replacing individual stocks and bonds, which require constant monitoring, with a small number of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.

Having fewer accounts helps the fraud-sniffing software that banks and brokerages use to detect suspicious transactions, Doll said.

“If the assets are all over the place, it’s hard to establish a baseline so they can notice if something’s amiss,” she said.

What adult children can do • Stay in touch. Isolation is the fraudster’s best friend. Scam artists don’t want their victims to have a close circle of family and friends looking for signs of exploitation, said Sally Hurme, an elder-law attorney with AARP in Washington, D.C. Weekly calls to catch up, and regular visits can help loved ones spot red flags — like a pile of sweepstakes offers, or the investment salesman who’s getting too friendly.

• Keep up to date on the latest scams.

Criminals are endlessly creative. Some places to learn about their ever-evolving schemes include StopFraud.gov, AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, and the IRS, which offers consumers alerts and an annual list of the “Dirty Dozen” top tax-related scams.

Discussing news reports about frauds,

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such as telephone imposters pretending to be IRS agents or Microsoft tech support, can help you keep relatives informed.

What parents can do • Get more eyes on your money. Financial institutions likely offer text or email alerts to notify you of unusual activity, and so do sites that provide regular looks at free credit reports.

Once you’re over 65, consider setting these up so that your “wingman” — the person you want to make financial decisions for you — gets them as well. It may also be smart to run any investment you’re considering past your appointed person, said elder-law attorney Carolyn Rosenblatt, author of The Family Guide to Aging Parents: Answers to Your Legal, Fi-

nancial, and Healthcare Questions.

Give your doctors and any financial professionals, such as your adviser or accountant, permission to contact your wingman if they suspect you’re suffering serious cognitive decline.

Finally, plan with your family about what to do if you show signs of diminished capacity but you don’t know you are impaired, Rosenblatt said.

“Set the ‘trigger points’ for having your successor take over your finances, and what they can do if you resist because you think you’re fine, but no one else does,” Rosenblatt said. “People who don’t know they are impaired resist giving up financial control, and this is very dangerous.”

— Nerdwallet via AP

BEACON BITS

June 1+

CALLING ALL GARDENERS

Do you enjoy gardening but don’t have the space or a deer-proof fence? Join like-minded green thumbs (or beginner brown thumbs) on Thursdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and tend to your own vegetable plot and community plots in the Children’s Garden at Willow Grove Farm, 2175 Cromwell Bridge Rd., Parkville. Seeds and seedlings for a summer and fall planting will be provided. Also enjoy new recipes together at harvest time. The cost is $35 members/$45 non-members for 10 sessions. Reservations are required. For more information, contact (410) 887-2503 or info@cromwellvalleypark.org.

22

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Travel Leisure &

New sources for vacation rentals abound, including one specifically for seniors. See story on page 25.

Cuba combines opposites in a time warp

A country of contradictions Cuba is beguiling. Cuba is stuck in the ‘50s. Cuba is stunning. Cuba is frustrating.

So go the opinions of many Americans who have visited the country.

Exploring this island nation is a classic “eye-of-the beholder” experience. The U.S.

Tour Operators Association labeled Cuba 2017’s hottest destination. Former President Barack Obama, Madonna, Mick Jagger and Pope Francis went to Cuba in recent years.

In 2016, so did a record 4 million tourists.

But tourism is restricted and regulated by the Cuban and U.S. governments. Because of the U.S. embargo, travel from here requires a U.S. Treasury Department license for one of 12 categories of authorized travel.

Hence, the easiest way to go to Cuba from the U.S. is with a licensed tour operator. They can conduct authorized “peopleto-people,” educational trips that involve not just tourism, but meeting and talking with Cuban people.

Independent travel is possible, but car rentals are expensive, hotels are booked far in advance, reservations are unreliable, and so are credit card transactions. It’s prudent to take cash and not expect to rely on credit.

To fully absorb all that Cuba has to offer requires an open mind. Only 90 miles from the U.S., it’s the largest Caribbean island — 777 miles long and 55 miles wide, with 3,570 miles of coastline and thousands of islands washed by the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution brought

PHOTO BY JHVE PHOTO

By Glenda C. Booth When Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492, he proclaimed the island to be “the loveliest land that human eyes have ever beheld.” Cuba is the “Pearl of the Antilles,” touted the 1958 World Book Encyclopedia.

Today, this tropical archipelago still boasts broad sandy beaches, seven UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, lush rain forests, swaying palms, aquamarine seas, pristine reefs, and about 350 species of birds — including the world’s largest flamingo nesting site.

On the other hand, Cuba is probably best known to Americans as a communist state ruled ruthlessly for 58 years by brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro. Fox News’ Elizabeth MacDonald has said, “Cuba is run by Soviet-style...party elites who call the shots behind the scenes, and who have gotten spectacularly wealthy in the process, all while abusing its people and business partners.”

Classic American cars abound in Cuba, where importing American-made goods was banned when Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Today, the meticulously maintained (though seat belt-free) Cadillacs, Fords and Buicks can be seen on streets in Havana and throughout the country. American tourists seem to enjoy taking a ride.

PHOTO BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

The main square, Plaza Mayor, of the 500-year-old Cuban city of Trinidad (not to be confused with the island) showcases some of the city’s Moorish-style and neoclassical architecture.

authoritarian rule. The U.S. broke relations and imposed an embargo in 1961. In 1990, when the former Soviet Union withdrew billions in subsidies, hard times, called the “Special Period,” ensued. In 2015, Obama re-established diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

For the traveler, this history could mean inconveniences or the absence of typical American amenities. Internet connections are spotty, and ATMs are sparse.

Some guest rooms lack air conditioning, and their décor and furniture may look tired. Tap water may not be potable.

Cruise ships can snarf up all the available bottled water. A museum’s hours may not be as advertised.

Resident Cuba expert Marc Frank maintains, “Remarkable changes are going on here. Cuba’s a work in progress.”

“We are changing, but not that fast,” said Cuban tour guide Rigoberto Rodriguez, explaining that there’s “guarded openness,” that people can speak their minds within certain parameters. Cuba has had more private businesses, more decentralization, and more economic globalization in recent years, he argues.

Cuba’s many pastimes Music is at the core of Cuban life. In the 1940s, Havana’s original Buena Vista So-

cial Club throbbed with musicians, a club recalled in a famous recording by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez and Ry Cooder.

Then, Cuban-born Desi Arnaz, aka Ricky Ricardo, pounded his conga drums and sang “Babalu” on the 1950s television sitcom, “I Love Lucy,” imprinting lively Latin music on many American minds.

Today, in nightclubs, on street corners and at community gatherings, Cuba’s “musical golden age” of the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s lives on with salsa, rumba, mambo, chachachá, danzón and more.

At Havana’s La Colmenita Children’s Theater, children age 5 to 18 train daily, playing handmade drums, claves and castanets, beating on chairs and whacking wood and cow leather in a unique combination of percussion and dance. At the world-renowned Cabaret Tropicana, nearly naked showgirls, known as “Flesh Goddesses,” have performed in sequined pasties and feathered head pieces since 1939.

Then there’s Cuban rum, Cuban cigars and baseball. Youngsters start playing the game at age six or seven. All of these express the Cuban spirit.

Having endured invasions, revolutions, hurricanes, embargoes and shortages, See CUBA, page 23

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Cuba From page 22 Cubans excel at surviving. “We Cubanize,” Rodriguez said. “We always find a way.”

During the Special Period’s shortages, people started home gardens. They make do today with rationed goods, and joke that the national sport is “waiting in line.”

President Obama complimented their ingenuity, saying, “The Cuban invents things out of thin air.” This can-do spirit is symbolized by the ‘40s and ‘50s cars that resourceful owners keep running by making needed parts.

Only the indifferent could not marvel at the classic cars roaming Havana’s streets.

Eager entrepreneurs stand at the ready to take visitors for rides in spic-and-span 1950s classics, cars that have been meticulously preserved throughout the 56-year embargo, without dealer services or ready car parts.

Though these pre-catalytic-converter, pre-seat-belt relics are loud and can foul the air, they are well worth a taking for a spin around the city. Older tourists can recall their teens, riding in a shiny Cadillac Eldorado, Ford Fairlane, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler Plymouth Belvedere or Buick Roadmaster.

Now and then a Soviet-era Lada chugs by. Because Ladas sputter like lawn mowers and stall in rain storms, locals like to call it the “Believer Car” — because owners believe they own a car.

Museums and Hemingway Old cars, old cobblestone streets, old buildings, filled with people young at heart. This is Havana, founded in 1519, and one of the great historic cities of the New World, where mansions going back centuries line plazas.

Old Town Havana, a UNESCO site, has around 900 historically important buildings — a mix of neoclassical and baroque architecture with some art deco thrown in.

Visitors can fixate on peeling paint and neglected buildings, or as Chicagoan Carole Anshaw put it, the “beauty of decay.”

Calle Obispo is Old Havana’s main boulevard, a bustling commercial and night-spot artery. Plaza de la Catedral fronts the city’s asymmetrical cathedral from the 1700s, restored for the Pope’s 2015 visit.

Nearby is the Taller Experimental Workshop of cutting-edge art and graphics. At the Revolution Museum, Fidel Castro’s 60foot boat, Granma, that transported 82 revolutionary fighters in 1956, is enshrined in glass.

The incongruous capitol building, built in the 1920s when officials wanted one like the U.S. Capitol, was the seat of the Cuban Congress until 1959. Today, it’s the National Library of Science and Technology. The Yoruba Museum and the Museum of the Orishas explore African influences and history.

Tourists can feel like locals strolling the famous, six-lane Malecón among enchanted lovers, cigar-sellers and musicians, re-

freshed by cooling sea breezes or jolted by crashing, Atlantic Ocean waves during storms.

Visitors can channel Ernest Hemingway with a mojito at El Floridita Bar or La Bodeguita del Medio. You can sense his spirit at Museo Hemingway, the 1940s villa he left to the Cuban people. In this home, unchanged since his 1960 departure, he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea while comforted by a clowder of cats.

23

city with 19th century French roots. It is centered around the Paseo del Prado, a Parisian-style main avenue, and Parque Martí, where a statue commemorates revolutionary hero, Jose Martí, Cuba’s leader of independence from Spain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, its shops and street stalls, reflect the city’s mixed French-Caribbean heritage.

It is also the home city of Afro-Cuban singer Benny Moré. Talented students at the school bearing his name give public performances in music, dance and visual arts.

French-inspired Cienfuegos Cienfuegos is a pedestrian-friendly port

See CUBA, page 24

24

Leisure & Travel | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Cuba From page 23 At a nearby former sugar mill built by Bostonian Edward Atkins, tourists can visit historic factory buildings and study today’s rationing system under pictures of Vladimir Lenin, Che Guevara and Raúl Castro. Quoting Martí, one sign says, “There is no possible social equality without cultural equality.”

The nearby 132-acre Cienfuegos Botanic Garden has 2,000 plant species and one of the world’s largest collections of palms.

Other cities and countryside Cuba’s rural countryside is a verdant expanse spotted with palm, banana and mango trees, grazing cows, and rice and

sugar cane fields. Most of the sugar cane today goes into Cuba’s celebrated rum.

In the small towns, many people walk, bike, ride horses or rumble along in horsedrawn buggies. There are more one-story houses with roof clotheslines, fewer cars and more dirt roads than in cities. People sell wares from front-yard card tables.

The central Cuban city of Trinidad, founded in 1514, reeks of history. Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s the country’s best preserved colonial city — with shops, vendors, art studios (including a crochet collective) and many restored facades in the historic center. The city is a mix of 18th-century, adapted Moorish-style and 19th-century, neoclassical architecture, and boasts many pastel-colored buildings.

BEACON BITS

June 7+

BALTIMORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET The Baltimore County Farmers Market will be held every

Wednesday from June 7 to Oct. 25 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Main Gate (next to the digital sign), 2200 York Rd. in Timonium. For sale will be fresh local produce, meats, flowers, herbs, baked goods, milk, ice cream, wine, chocolate, pet treats and more, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Farmers Market is authorized to accept Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), WIC Fruit & Vegetable and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program stamps. Call (410) 207-2165 or visit www.baltimorecountyfarmersmarket.com.

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In today’s main square, Plaza Mayor, people play checkers and children romp around a former slave market, as horses clop-clop-clop down cobblestone streets.

The tower of the Museo Histórico Municipal, a former sugar baron’s mansion, offers an expansive view of the city. The Nueva Era restaurant serves enticing dishes using fresh shrimp from a nearby farm.

“The enemy fled in disarray.” “Yankee imperialism is a total failure.” “Death to the invader!” These are some of the messages that scream out at the Bay of Pigs Museum in Playa Giron. Exhibits, uniforms, pictures of heroes and military equipment — including a captured U.S. Browning machine gun — present the Cuban point of view of the failed 1961 U.S. paramilitary invasion of Cuba.

Exhibits proclaim, the “first defeat of imperialism in history.” One quotes Fidel Castro: “We have made a socialist revolution in their noses.” Another: “This was one of the most glorious pages in the history of our country.”

Cuban cuisine The food scene has blossomed in recent years as Raúl Castro’s economic reforms have encouraged private restaurants called paladars. Visitors might be treated to gazpacho, garlic octopus tapas, paella, tacos, ceviche, spicy shredded beef, crocodile stew, empanadas, flan and plantain chips.

Hosts urge guests to top meals with “Vi-

tamin R,” Cuba’s ubiquitous rum or a canchanchara — rum, lime juice, sparkling water and honey. Some restaurant ware dates from the 1950s, including frosted glasses with paintings of bathing beauties.

Expect the unexpected. Be flexible.

Cuba constantly delivers “curve balls,” wrote Christopher P. Baker in the National Geographic Traveler. For the adventurous traveler, they can be intriguing curve balls.

If you go To learn more about rules governing travel to Cuba, see https://travel.state. gov/content/passports/en/country/cuba .html.

Some tour agencies offering trips to Cuba: Caribbean Conservation Trust, www.cubirds.org Cosmos, http://www.cosmos.com/ Marazul Charters, www.marazul.com National Geographic Expeditions, http:// www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/ Road Scholar, www.roadscholar.org V ictor Emanuel Nature Tours, http://ventbird.com/ Cruises: Carnival, www.carnival.com; Royal Caribbean, www.royalcaribbena.com; Norwegian Cruise Line, www.ncl.com If you want to arrange a flight yourself, American and JetBlue Airlines fly from BWI. There are no nonstop flights. The least expensive flight in mid-June is $369 roundtrip.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

25

Not a hotel lover? Try a vacation rental “Eew, this isn’t anything like what I ex- portant visitor destinations in the United sites haven’t done much with either age- or related to payment terms, you settle them pected!” Although vacation rentals don’t States plus Barcelona, Brussels, Lisbon, Lon- interest-based filters. If you Google “vaca- with a local agency, not a possibly anonygenerate a lot of complaints, don, Paris and Rome. So far, tion homes for golf,” you find postings for mous owner in some foreign country.

I’m pretty sure the number Not all geographically focused agencies there’s little in the countryside, individual resorts or general “vacation one complaint is disappointbut, as I said, it’s a new idea. rentals” responses, but the only one I are curated. I recently received a press rement on arrival at a previously Property searches are found with a golf filter for listings was Va- lease from a new outfit that mounts a seunseen rental. straightforward, with excel- cationHomes.com, which provides for ries of separate websites for rental cabins The big online vacation in narrowly focused rustic regions: Renlent detail about the rental quite a few filters, including “golf.” rental “marketplaces” such as and its neighborhood. I would Also, PerfectPlaces filtered for “tennis,” tWisconsinCabins, RentMichiganCabins, FlipKey and VRBO do as hope, however, that the along with several other interest cate- RertMinnesotaCabins, RentMontanaCabmuch as they can to assure search engine will incorpo- gories. But I didn’t find any marketplace ins, RentNewYorkCabins and RentTenthat rental owners are, as Fliprate filters for some of the that specifically filters for seniors or sen- nesseeCabins.

Key puts it, “nice and trusted TRAVEL TIPS The basic pitch is to renters: Avoid the most critical features, such as ior-friendly features. people,” and they vet renter By Ed Perkins big guys’ fees. But, obviously, that pitch availability of an elevator, for reviews and complaints to may draw in some properties that you seniors, and availability of free Working with an agency Some curated vacation rental websites won’t find on the giant websites. Give them weed out bad actors.

Wi-Fi for just about everybody.

Still, they’re essentially billboards, with Although I qualify as a senior, I haven’t offer another advantage. Unlike the market- a look if you’re interested in those areas. no way to check individually on as many as personally used Scertified and can’t vouch place websites, many specialized sites act Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at a million separate posted rentals. And less for it on the basis of experience. But the as actual agencies: Your deal is with the on- eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Ed’s new line agency, not the individual property rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com. organized websites such as Craigslist pro- idea seems like a good one. vide almost no cover for renters. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Surprisingly, the big marketplace web- owner/manager. If you have any problems Over the years I’ve used several such marketplace websites with no problems.

ADVERTORIAL But if you’re looking for an extra level of certainty, you might well turn to a “curated” rental agency that posts only rentals that staff or associates have examined personally.

Most curated vacation rental agencies specialize geographically. I’ve used such disparate outfits as Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals, At Home in France, and Vacanza Bella to find rentals that I would be reasonMembers of the public are invited to come to The OWINGS MILLS, MD — Atrium Village Executive ably sure were described accurately and Atrium on June 15 at 11 a.m. to hear Director, Reuben Rosenfeld, announced today that honestly.

Commissioner Wright and participate in the Maryland Insurance Administration Associate And I know of literally dozens of similar commemorative program. The Atrium is located Commissioner Steven Wright will deliver the keynote agencies around the world. While London, at 4730 Atrium Ct., in Owings Mills, Md. RSVP address at the community’s World Elder Abuse Tuscany and Provence may get a bit more required. Call David Meacham at 410-363-0330.

Awareness Day event on June 15, 2017 at 11:00 am. than their share of curated agencies, you can find one almost anywhere.

Rosenfeld said, “We are honored to have Associate

Atrium Village to Commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with public event on June 15

New: rentals for seniors But instead of a geographical focus, Scertified.com, a new rental agency, specializes in rentals for senior travelers — to my knowledge, the first to do so. According to their CEO, “We inspect up to 60 senior-centric features in and around every apartment we offer. Our hand-cranked algorithm assesses noise levels in bedrooms, graffiti in the neighborhood, local crime rates, building security, property management and dozens of other features.”

Obviously, you don’t have to be of a certain age to use Scertified; even some younger travelers might well like to stay in senior-friendly facilities.

So far, rental listings on the site are limited to a few units in 17 cities — including 11 im-

BEACON BITS

May 30

DEPRESSION AND AGING

Daria Rovinski, R.N. will talk about the effects that depression can have on the aging process on Tuesday, May 30 from 12:45 to1:45 p.m. at the Pikesville Senior Center, 1301 Reisterstown Rd. Call (410) 887-1245 for more information.

Commissioner Wright visit our community and speak to our residents and the greater Owings Mills community about such an important topic.”

Associate Commissioner Wright will outline some common examples of insurance fraud committed against older adults, including falsifying documents, premium pocketing, and selling unauthorized insurance.

He will also outline the different steps people can take to ensure their financial safety, and answer questions on insurance and other types of elder financial abuse.

Unfortunately, no one is immune to abuse, neglect and exploitation. It can happen to anyone, and it is estimated that only about one in five of those crimes are ever discovered.

But we know that older persons throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more each year due to financial abuse and exploitation.

These are funds that could have been used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food and medical care.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. It serves as a call to action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

About Atrium Village and developer Senior Lifestyle Founded in 1985, Senior Lifestyle is a family-owned company that promotes healthy, happy residents through an unmatched level of service. Senior Lifestyle’s award-winning programs are recognized for their creativity and innovation in improving the lives of both residents and their families.

Senior Lifestyle employs dedicated staff members who are passionate about their work and care for every resident like family.

About the Maryland Insurance Administration The Maryland Insurance Administration is the Maryland state agency that regulates the business of insurance in Maryland. We provide consumers information about all areas of insurance including auto, home, renters, life, health and long-term care insurance. We also educate Marylanders about their rights and investigate written allegations that an insurance entity has violated a contract or state law.

Limited space. RSVP required.

Call David Meacham at 410-363-0330.

26

JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

Style Arts &

Sally Field stars in The Glass Menagerie on Broadway. See story on page 29.

Come get your fresh fruit and vegetables!

Baltimore’s arabbers keep history alive Van Allen said the profession was prominent in major cities such as Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. In fact, arabbing was one of the few jobs AfricanAmericans could find in the U.S. after the Civil War. Today the only remaining arabbers in the nation are found in Baltimore.

“It started back in the 1800s,” said Savoy III, whose grandfather and father were arabbers before him. “Arabbers were around way before. It’s a tradition and I’m, like, the third generation.”

Savoy III, 40, has been an arabber as long as he can remember. He is a resident of Baltimore, born and raised. He is employed by the city, but works as an arabber as a side job.

“It’s a good business to get into, but it’s kinda a hard business,” Savoy III said. “If you don’t put your all into it, you’re not going to get nothing out of it.”

Bigger business in the summer Arabbers are continuing to keep the

COM ING J U NE 1 5

HANNAH KLARNER/CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

By Briana Rhodes The Last of the Mohicans is how Donald Savoy III described the remaining handful of arabbers left in Baltimore on a sunny Wednesday, while watching a fellow horsedrawn cart vendor load up with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Almost every day, fresh produce sellers known as arabbers, all African-American, take to the streets of Baltimore with a horse and a cart to sell to residents around the city.

Dan Van Allen, founder of the Arabber Preservation Society, said they use three working stables in Baltimore. There are two wagons on the streets currently, and he’s looking for six wagons to be working by the end of spring. In total there are 30 people involved with maintaining the horses and stables.

Van Allen said that door-to-door vendors have been around since the beginning of time all over the world. The term “arabber” is a local Baltimore expression, and arabbers have been around since the founding of the city.

Those following a long tradition of using horse-drawn carts to hawk produce are known as “arabbers.” While arabbers were once prominent around the country, Baltimore is the only city where they continue to ply their trade.

legacy alive, although they are small in numbers, and the price of produce has also increased. Two arabbers work full time year-round, and about four more join in during the warmer months.

“It’s not as plentiful as it used to be because all the guys done passed away. And you know the younger crowds are not into it as much as they used to be,” Savoy III said.

Arabbers frequently sell produce in the spring and the summer, and less often during the fall and winter. They also travel to various locations depending on the day of the week, according to Savoy III. “I can’t really speak for other people, but I might go to East Baltimore one day, and West Baltimore (the other) and vice See ARABBERS, page 27

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Arabbers From page 26 versa,” Savoy III said. “It depends on our (produce) we have for that day.”

Arabbing as a business is rooted as a family and friend tradition. Outside of their stables on North Fremont Avenue in Baltimore are murals to commemorate the profession, and a wall painted with the faces of family members and friends.

Anthony Savoy, who is an older relative of Savoy III, grew up as an arabber. He is continuing to keep the tradition alive as well, although he doesn’t “arab” too frequently.

Both men stand on corners to sell produce, rather than walking their horses through the city like some of the younger men do. Savoy said he started arabbing around age 10 or 11, during the early ‘70s.

Savoy recalls going to school and witnessing his father arabbing during the day, and watching people wait for a horse and wagon. He said they would say, “‘There go my fruit man, my vegetable man.’” That experience influenced him to work as an arabber himself.

“I would take a buggy with a little pony, and put the little vegetable or whatever on that cart and walk around the neighborhood. And people, you know, they would buy from me,” Savoy said.

A love of horses Savoy also said that his father not only introduced him to arabbing, but also to his love of horses and how to take care of them.

The arabbers have at least 10 horses in the stables, all different colors and sizes.

They also have a pig, chickens, pigeons, an alpaca, and other animals. They are all kept at the stable.

“He taught me a whole lot,” Savoy said of his father. “See, a horse can’t tell you what’s wrong with him....Any animal can’t just open up its mouth and say, `My stomach hurts.’ You gotta know things....I was taught by a lot of people, especially my father, to know what to do when a horse don’t feel good, and stuff like that.”

While walking with the horse and cart, arabbers have a call known as hollering to get residents’ attention. Most arabbers call out what foods they may have on their cart that day, such as fish, watermelons, cantaloupes and oranges.

Savoy III compared hollering to a rap: What you put into it is what you get out of it.

Savoy says he makes his own rhymes, such as, “Bring your pots and pans because there goes the fish man!”

Another arabber, Tony Todd, 57, like Savoy and Savoy III, grew up falling in love with the profession and horses as well.

Todd said riding horses is a relaxing ex-

perience for him. He said he rides horses around the city sometimes.

He thinks it’s very important to keep the profession alive and maintain its legacy. It’s also needed for older residents and those who don’t have cars and can’t easily make it to grocery stores.

“They look forward to you coming around there and selling those fresh vegetables and fresh fruit,” Todd said. “They depend on that so much.”

Customer Edgar Cephas, 48, has been buying from arabbers for many years.

Cephas said his mother used to buy fresh produce from them, and he has never been

disappointed. He said he used to by tree pears from the arabbers, but now he usually buys oranges.

Todd explained why it’s important for people to know about arabbers, and for Baltimore to support the profession.

We need to “let people know that the city of Baltimore needs to keep this alive,” Todd said. “To be able to let people know around other cities, when they pick up that paper where they can read or hear on television, radio or whatever it may be, that the city of Baltimore has the arabbers still going on after maybe a few hundred years.”

— Capital News Service, via AP

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BEACON BITS

June 18

JUNETEENTH: CELEBRATING FREEDOM Enjoy the African oral tradition of storytelling, with performances

by Mama Linda Goss, co-founder of the National Association of

Black Storytellers, Kay Merrill, president of the Griots’ Circle, and Ranger Anokwale at Hampton National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Lane in Towson, on Sunday, June 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. Also performing will be the Kuer Khaleyi African Dance Company. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.nps.gov or call (420) 825-5489.

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Arts & Style | More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

Insider: Days and nights at the museum

By Carol Sorgen If you live in Baltimore, you know the Walters Art Museum. But just how well do you know it?

Thanks to Gary Vikan’s recently published memoir, Sacred and Stolen: Confessions of a Museum Director, the next time you visit the Walters, you’ll have a greater appreciation of just what goes on behind the scenes of an internationally renowned museum — one Baltimoreans are fortunate to have in their midst.

Sacred and Stolen came into being after Vikan came out on top in a 2015 literary competition sponsored by a writers’ retreat in Vermont called When Words

Count. Six writers competed in categories that included manuscript quality, marketing plan and book cover design.

Winning the contest garnered Vikan a contract with Select Books, a New Yorkbased independent publisher, as well as a national book launch and the services of a literary agent.

Contest judges cited Vikan’s “charm,” and a press release described Vikan as “an exquisite storyteller and raconteur in the spirit of Mark Twain, Tom Wolfe and Bill Clinton.”

Vikan, who is 70 and lives in Guilford, was director of the Walters from 1994 to 2013. But he has been with the museum since 1985, serving nearly as decade as cu-

BEACON BITS

June 3

WATERY ART

Watch a short performance by members of local synchronized swimming group, Fluid Movement, at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and then engage in conversation about “Untitled (Water)” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres on Saturday, June 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The BMA is located at 10 Art Museum Dr. For more information, call (443) 573-1700 or visit www.artbma.org.

May 24

SENIOR TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS

The Pikesville Senior Center will hold auditions for its talent show on Wednesday, May 24, at 1 p.m. The show will take place on Friday, June 30, at 1 p.m. The senior center is located at 1301 Reisterstown Rd. For more information, call (410) 887-1245 or visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/pikesville.

BB617

rator of Medieval art and assistant director before becoming director.

From medieval art to Elvis While at the Walters, the affable Vikan — an internationally known medieval scholar — curated a number of critically acclaimed exhibitions, most notably, those devoted to the art of the medieval Orthodox Church.

During his tenure, Baltimore art lovers also saw the elimination of the museum’s general admission fee (as is true of the Baltimore Museum of Art), as well as open access to all of its digital assets.

In 2013, Vikan stepped down from his position at the Walters to write, teach and lecture on topics as varied as Byzantine art, Elvis Presley, the Shroud of Turin, looted art, cultural property policy, neuroaesthetics, and art forgeries. In addition, he consults with cultural nonprofits, collectors and dealers.

Bribery, forgery and more If you think of museums as, well, “sacred” repositories of the world’s great treasures, you may be in for a surprise as Vikan details the many instances of briberies, forgeries and stolen art works in the art world.

You’ll find out, for example, how Vikan’s discovery of three fake pieces of early Christian Egyptian sculpture in the Hirshhorn Museum led to the discovery of dozens of other fakes throughout the United State and Europe.

You’ll also read how Vikan was able to reunite pieces of a priceless gold signet ring and key that had been separated for nearly 1,000 years by offering a woman a new refrigerator.

And how the deputy director of the National Museum of History of Ukraine accepted a $20,000 bribe, but then failed to de-

Gary Vikan offers an insider’s view of the Walter’s Art museum, which he directed from 1994 to 2013, in his new book.

liver the promised pieces for an exhibition at the Walters. And those are just for starters.

One could come away thinking that Vikan has a penchant for landing himself in the midst of such situations, but apparently the art world does have its seamy underside.

Indeed, the U.S. Department of Justice and UNESCO have reported that art crime has been the world’s third highest-grossing criminal trade in the last 40 years. Only drugs and weapons surpass it.

Like Vikan himself, Sacred and Stolen is both approachable and down-to-earth. Not to worry if you slept through your college survey of art classes. Vikan has done his homework, and it makes for a compelling, enjoyable read.

Sacred and Stolen: Confessions of a Museum Director is available on Amazon and at local booksellers and, of course, at the Walters Art Museum.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

Sally Field returns to Broadway in drama

By Mark Kennedy Sally Field had a chance to cross The Glass Menagerie off her bucket list 13 years ago. It didn’t take.

The Emmy- and Oscar-winner is once again playing Amanda Wingfield, the fear some Southern belle at the heart of the Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece. Field may have played her at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2004, and yet, here she is, playing her again on Broadway.

“It is really right up at the top — the finest American play ever written,” Field said. “There’s no doubt about that. I think that it invites investigation time and time again.” Of Wingfield, she added: “She’s a very complicated character to play.”

Field, 70, follows other celebrated actors who have landed on Broadway in recent years to tackle roles they had earlier tried on, including Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard, Jessica Lange in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Jeff Daniels in Blackbird.

Paucity of female roles For Field, it was a simple decision: “There PHOTO BY JULIETA CERVANTES

are very few really interesting characters for older women in theater or in film or even, honestly, in literature. I mean, there are some, but you have to look for them.”

The Glass Menagerie centers on an aging, overpowering mother who hopes her unhappy son can fulfill her dreams of finding the perfect “gentleman caller” for her shy and damaged daughter. The last Broadway revival was in 2013, starring Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto.

This revival is directed by Tony Awardwinner Sam Gold and co-stars two-time Tony Award winning actor and director Joe Mantello, playing Field’s son, along with Finn Wittrock and Madison Ferris.

Field admits she has a “creative crush” on Gold, the much-admired director of the musical Fun Home, who last year had explored the work in Amsterdam. Adding Mantello was just icing on the cake. “Of course I would always consider doing Amanda again, but under these circumstances it was better than good,” she said.

Gold couldn’t believe his luck to entice Field. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” he said. “She was like, ‘I just want to get back on stage.’ And I was really excited about that play, which is her favorite part. So it just worked out to be the easiest decision ever made.”

Top of the acting trifecta Field won Academy Awards for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, and was Oscar nominated for her Mary Todd in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. She also spent five seasons in ABC’s “Brothers and SisSally Field takes on her first starring role on Broadway as Amanda Wingfield, the Southern belle who lives partially in the past, in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. Tony Award-winning Joe Mantello shares the stage as her son.

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ters,” winning an Emmy in its first season.

Field, whose only other appearance on Broadway was as a replacement in 2002 in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia by Edward Albee, is a huge theater fan, seeing as much as she can, often multiple times.

The Glass Menagerie that has emerged at the Belasco Theatre is more bare-boned than previous productions, according to Field. “It

isn’t your mother’s Glass Menagerie,” she said.

“It is a harder look at it.”

“It’s all worth seeing. I think right now, American theater is really exciting. I think in New York — off-Broadway, on Broadway — it’s a very exciting time. And I might add, I think, an important time for artists, for voices, for what theater is — for the dangerous nature of theater.” — AP

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

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O N O H E R S E A A L I L A A M E R H E R S S P S R C E U O O S E B I S R A L O G T R I P L E T

ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: SMACK PARCH CATTLE GRISLY Answer: When he joined the dice game, his chances were -- "SHAKY"

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JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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

By Stephen Sherr

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7. State abbrev. for Columbus moms 8. State abbrev. for Lincoln moms 1.ABrief request for help 9. State abbrev. for Salem moms 4. Hi ___!

10. On cloud nine 7. Singer Sean Lennon’s mom 11. ___ and dine 10. The lowest prime number 12.

Accepting customers 13. Aboard the lead UFO 14. What a bank robber might say 17. It may be “guilty” 15.

One from a multiple birth 18. Sea eagle 16. Some eBay users 19. Church song 20. State abbrev. for Des Moines moms 21. Battery, bond, or baseball classification 22. Martian, on Earth 23. State abbrev. for Harrisburg moms 22. Set one’s sights on 25. Third-person verb suffix in the 24. In poor health King James Bible 25. Swallows swallows 26. “I just solved the mystery” 29. State abbrev. for Baton 27. Add ice cream to pie Rouge moms 28.

Having no maternal instincts 30. Dies (as a snowman) 31. Starbucks offering 33. 10 C-notes 32. Pie in the ___ 34. Fail the smell test 36. Pressure-brewed coffee 35. May greeting 37. Still in utero 42. Elementary reader 38. Raw fish dish 50. Dot-based language 39. Feel free to put your mother’s 51. Tel Aviv tenant initials here 52. It parts “a fool”, “his money” 40. Underwater breathing aid 53. Suggestion from thesaurus.com, 41. Baltimore baseballer briefly 42.

Advanced degree 54. Star Trek captain’s diary 43. Tiny bit 55. M&M color, absent from 44. Monogram reqs. for Lex Luther 1976 - 1987 and Lois Lane Down 45. Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee 1. One with a GPA 46. Source of the Beverly Hillbillies’ 2. “One night ___!” wealth 3. Rose handle 47. Unit of work in physics 4. State abbrev. for Augusta moms 48. “___ the land of the free ...”

5. Foreboding sign 49. User of a cheaper menu 6. State abbrev. for Jefferson City moms

Across

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BALTIMORE BEACON — JUNE 2017

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon

For Sale RUGS: ORIENTAL RUNNER, 11 ft. 3x5 area, Fieldcrest 9x15 and 9x12 Oriental motif. Other area rugs. Call 410-871-3047. Subject to offers.

SELLING HESS TRUCKS, Matchbox cars, TY & McDonalds Beanie Babies, talking Aflac ducks, CDs, videos and household items. 410653-0759.

2 SALVADOR DALI woodblock prints from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Signed and framed.

Asking $900 for the pair. Can email pictures if desired. Call Steve, 410-913-1653.

Home/Handyman Services

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

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

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

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

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

Personals

the sale or rental of real estate.

Caregivers A COMPETENT AND DEPENDABLE caregiver with 20 years experience and registered with the Maryland Board of Nursing will take care of your loved one. Days, nights and weekends. Light meal prep/housekeeping. Excellent references. Please call Rachel, 443-996-6256.

PRETTY WF 50s YOUTHFUL, voluptuous lady, non-smoker, down to earth, seeking SWM, 45-60s, sincere compassionate, attractive gentleman with husky, stocky build, 200+ lbs, nonsmoker for old fashioned fun, friendship, possibly more who enjoys the great outdoors, dining out, movies and dancing. 301-880-6977. Please leave a voice message with your phone number.

Wanted

Events MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE/BAZAAR on June 24, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 9773 Groffs Mill Drive, Owings, Mill, MD in the senior apartments across the street from McDonalds.

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

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

MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg 717-658-7954. We Buy Jewelry, Coins, Silver, Antiques, Watches, Gold, Art, Paper Money, Toys, Bottles, Etc. No Middleman, No Fees, No Overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call and Let’s Do Business.717-658-7954.

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

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

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

Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $25 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word.

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

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

The Beacon, Baltimore Classified Dept.

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

Wanted

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

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

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

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 through 1985. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae and Disco. 33 1/3 LPs, 45s or 78s, Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

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

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Research Studies

Hearing Services

Woodholme Gardens . . . . . . . . .10

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

Hearing & Speech Agency . . . . .9 Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Legal Services

Angels of Elder Care Planning .17 Options for Senior America . . . .28

Dental Services

Housing

Denture Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Maryland Center for Periodontal and Dental Implants . . . . . . . . .7 Mishpacha Dental . . . . . . . . . . .15

Atrium Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Bayleigh Chase/Integrace . . . . .29 Brightwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Buckingham’s Choice/Integrace 29 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . . .10 Christ Church Harbor Apts. . . . . .4 Fairhaven/Integrace . . . . . . . . . .29 Linden Park Apts. . . . . . . . . . . .21 Oak Crest/Erickson . . . . . . . . . .10 Paradise Senior Living . . . . . . .24 Park Heights Place . . . . . . . . . .27 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . .20 St. Mary’s Roland View Towers . .5 Virginia Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Events Beacon 50+ Expo . . . . . . . . . . .24 Myerberg Center . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Rockin Rob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Financial Services First Maryland Disability Trust .19 JS Richardson Insurance . . . . . .18 PENFED Credit Union . . . . . . .18

Home Health Care

31

Frank, Frank & Scherr Law Firm21 Law Office of Karen Ellsworth .19 Southard & Greenbaum, LLC . .17

Medical/Health Adult Day Health . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Baltimore County Department of Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Blood Test For Lung Cancer . . . .6 Carle Center for Pain Management, The . . . . . .9 Dr. Richard Rosenblatt, DPM . .15 Hamilton Foot Care . . . . . . . . . . .7 MedStar Health Cancer Network 8 Skin Cancer EB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Shopping Dan Kugler’s Design Center . . .16 Radio Flea Market . . . . . . . . . . .26 Wilken’s Beltway Plaza . . . . . . .18

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation CommuniCare Health . . . . . . . .15 Keswick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Manor Care Health Services . . .11

Subscriptions The Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Technology TechMedic4U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Theatres/ Entertainment Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . .26

Travel Eyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Nexus Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

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

32

JUNE 2017 — BALTIMORE BEACON

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| 410-358-6856 | myerberg.org

HAPPENINGS AT THE EDWARD A. MYERBERG CENTER

3101 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore Lots of great new classes! Visit myerberg.org to see the full program guide.

Summer Registration is open! Call to register today 443-963-1449.

Better Balance

NEW! History of TV Comedy, the 40s and 50s

Wednesdays, Now – August 23, 1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

Thursdays, June 8, 15, 22, 29, July 6, 13, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

$75 members / $105 nonmembers

$65 members / $85 nonmembers

Join personal trainer David Curtis this summer for seated and standing movements to build balance, stability, strength and confidence; eventually work on ways to get up from the floor. All fitness levels welcome.

This course is designed to enable the student to learn about TV comedies beginning in the late 1940s and ending in 1959.

Instructor: George “Bill” Krause

NEW! Gentle Yoga

NEW! A Portable Beauty: Enjoying Poetry

Fridays, Now – Aug 25, 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Tuesdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

$110 members / $140 nonmembers

$70 members / $95 nonmembers

Yoga can improve the lives of people of all ages in a variety of ways, including reducing stress, anxiety and depression, and reducing risk of heart condition, obesity, diabetes and cancer. This class will include both seated and standing poses, and participants will use a chair for added support and stability.

Instructor: Mica Saunders

Come explore how poetry can be fun and light, as well as profound and even life-changing. As we read aloud and discuss some of the best poems written through the ages, you’re sure to find poets who really speak to you.

Instructor: Gail Lipsitz

NEW! Moxie Movez (Dance Fitness)

TREAT DAD OR YOURSELF TO FITNESS THIS FATHER’S DAY!

Wednesdays, Now – Aug 23, 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. $110 members / $140 nonmembers This program will incorporate low impact movements, yoga and resistance training, using dance style movements.

Instructor: Mica Saunders

Oil Painting Tuesdays, Now – 8/22, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. $265 members / $310 nonmembers Students of all skill levels are invited to create their own oil paintings while working at their own pace.

Instructor: Mary Phelps

First Thursdays: Women @ the Myerberg Monthly, 1:30 p.m. $10 per lecture or 3 lectures for $25 July 6 – Jeannine Robinson-Hurley, MD Office of the Attorney General, Scams: What you Need to Know. Learn about the eight telltale signs of a scam and how to avoid being a victim.

August 3 – Felicia Graber, Holocaust survivor, will speak on women in the Holocaust.

NEW MEMBERS: Sign up for a 6-month or 1-year membership and pay only $18 for the first month.

CURRENT MEMBERS: Exercise with dad (or adult son/daughter) and get 20% off one personal training session for the two of you to share!

Offer valid through June 30, 2017