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Fitness programs for everyone

Rock Steady Boxing In dozens of cities across the U.S. and throughout the world, the nonprofit Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) teaches non-contact boxing skills to empower people with Parkinson’s. In the Washington area there are four locations, each run separately by trained instructors. During 90-minute classes, which participants (called “fighters”) may attend twice a week, they warm up by working out for five minutes at each of several stations — such as punching bags and shadow boxing. Two

JUNE 2018

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PHOTO BY BARBARA RUBEN

By Barbara Ruben Stuart Engle raises his fists, encased in bright red boxing gloves, and slugs a punching bag. Once, twice, a third time, then rocks back on his heels. His sweatsoaked T-shirt reads “Never underestimate an old man with boxing gloves.” But here in this gym in Gaithersburg, Md., he and the 15 others present aren’t fighting each other. Rather, they say, they are fighting Parkinson’s disease. Engle, 80, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago and has been coming to Rock Steady Boxing classes for the last 18 months. “It helps with balance. It helps with stamina,” he said. “And it helps to see others like me.” Boxing to help quell the tremors and physical decline of Parkinson’s is just one of the innovative ways area gyms and rehab centers are working to help older adults with serious conditions get back on their feet. In addition to boxing, there’s a center that offers dozens of classes a week for stroke patients, a gym that makes physical therapy fun through video games, and a rehab center with the latest flashy (literally) equipment.

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

Enjoying Mississippi’s resilient Gulf Coast; plus, tips for taking your first cruise, books that explore the great outdoors, and flying with your pet page 32

Stuart Engle is fighting his Parkinson’s with boxing gloves. Here, he raises his fists while exercising at Rock Steady Boxing, part of a worldwide network of nonprofit gyms that help Parkinson’s patients improve balance, strength and endurance. A number of other area fitness and rehab programs also offer innovative ways to get people back on their feet and help them stay there — whether through “exergaming,” virtual reality bike rides, or the latest in physical therapy equipment.

instructors work with participants, calling out encouragement and blaring energizing music. Karen Clegg, who lives in Silver Spring, Md., was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago. When she first attempted to shoot a basket at the gym adjacent to RSB, despite being tall she lacked the upper body

strength to get the ball far into the air. Today when she shoots hoops before boxing, she can make baskets. “I feel stronger and more confident,” she said. “Psychologically, there’s lots of camaraderie and support” here. See FITNESS, page 16

Dwell in Comfort and Style At Ashby Ponds, Greenspring, or Riderwood, you’ll have easy access to fantastic amenities, services, and resources while enjoying all the comforts of a stylish, maintenance-free apartment home.

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ARTS & STYLE

Getting together with singer Jesse Colin Young; plus, a dark comedy that packs a punch, and Bob Levey remembers when baseball was fun page 38 TECHNOLOGY k Affordable high-tech cars

FITNESS & HEALTH k Can gambling make you ill? k Do-it-yourself gene tests

LAW & MONEY k Time to update estate plan k Effect of rising interest rates

SPOTLIGHT ON AGING k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

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Feeling vulnerable Every year — in fact, almost every day or temporarily take over (or even destroy) — we gain more and more power over na- the systems we rely upon. Internet cables below the sea can be cut. ture and over our lives Satellites are vulnerable to inthrough technology. tercontinental missiles. ComThis is true not only for inputers worldwide are subject dividuals, but also for socito viruses we can’t erase. eties and governments A recent alert from the FBI throughout the world. and Department of Homeland On the one hand, it seems Security warned that the deas though this is progress structive power of malevolent that solves real problems (as viruses is believed to already well as problems we didn’t even know we had), and that lurk in the computers that service much of our governit enhances peace and pros- FROM THE ment and business sectors. perity by enabling instanta- PUBLISHER By Stuart P. Rosenthal neous worldwide communiThese viruses may (someday) affect the functioning of our cation and sharing of inforelectrical grid, as well as water, aviation, numation. On the other hand, sometimes it feels as clear and critical manufacturing sectors. The alert focuses on a “multi-stage intruthough each new solution simultaneously makes us more vulnerable to a potentially sion campaign” believed to have been placed there by Russian government actors, but we catastrophic problem. The more of an interdependent world- may house similar Trojan horses from N. wide community we become, the more re- Korea and China as well. I suppose it’s possible, or even likely, liant we become on the technological systems that bring us together — the Inter- that we have developed the same power over those and other countries. What hapnet, satellites, computers and the like. At the same time, this reliance makes us pens if one of us moves to act and then the more vulnerable to threats that may now other responds in kind? Will human beor in the future have the ability to partially ings be able to function anywhere on the

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

The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915 (301) 949-9766 • Email: info@thebeaconnewspapers.com Website: www.theBeaconNewspapers.com Submissions: The Beacon welcomes reader contributions. Deadline for editorial is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month preceding the month of publication. See page 47 for classified advertising details. Please mail or email all submissions.

planet other than in the most rural, off-line communities that haven’t developed dependence on computers? How did we come to this point? I don’t think it’s due to something inherently evil in technology. I believe it’s far more likely because of many things inherent in human nature. A surprisingly large number of ordinary people engaging in perfectly normal behavior appear to play a role. They include the following: • the careless government employee or contractor who fails to protect access to his computer or account, • the clueless ordinary citizen who is easily scammed by responding to a phishing email or opening an attachment, allowing a virus not only to infect his computer, but to spread to every person on his contact list, • the government or business employee who feels personally aggrieved over something and posts secret passwords or hacking tools online or otherwise shares critical data with outside groups like WikiLeaks, • the agent of a rogue nation or enemy just “doing his job,” and • the con man out to make a buck, sending viruses worldwide and demanding ransom dollars, without regard to the damage he does. All of this is the stuff of nightmares and spy novels, but it is also, apparently,

today’s reality. Major figures from the military, Congress and the press are warning us of our growing vulnerability. People in a position to know are telling us that we are not taking the dangers seriously enough. What, if anything, can we do as individuals? We have a voice in electing our leaders, in calling/writing/emailing members of Congress, in writing to agencies and newspapers, and in speaking about these issues with friends — not just as cocktail conversation, but in order to form and support groups that may have meaningful influence. We may not be able to individually effect change, but we can communicate our views to those who can. We also ought to be more careful about our personal use of technology, and rethink how much of our private information we’re willing to share in order to be able to access the convenience of the latest app or website. Today’s (and tomorrow’s) technology enable us to do both far more good, as well as far more harm, in the world than ever before. Let us use our minds and our voices to call attention to the latter, and to share with our leaders how vulnerable we feel we’ve become as a result.

Letters to the editor Readers are encouraged to share their opinion on any matter addressed in the Beacon as well as on political and social issues of the day. Mail your Letter to the Editor to The Beacon, P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915, or e-mail to barbara@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: I read the article titled “How websites and apps track you — and what you can do about it” in the May issue, and I thought it was phenomenal. I was curious as to what was in the article when I read the title. I usually clear my browser history to help keep space open and for websites not to track me. Sometimes I don’t clear my browser so I can remember what website I was on — especially if I wanted to return to that website in the future. I always knew about cookies, but never fully understood what they were. The website would sometimes ask if I would like to turn off cookies, and like any other person, I would just click it off the screen not paying attention to it. One time while surfing the Internet, an ad popped up on multiple websites, and I was unable to click away from it numerous times. So by reading this article, it has helped me to learn about how cookies work and how I can protect myself on the Internet. Ryan Johnson Via email

Dear Editor: Age discrimination and older adults in automotive predicaments [“A call to action by all drivers,” May] is close to the bone for me thanks to an experience of my dad’s. The fact that help is at our literal fingertips thanks to mobile phones, yet people don’t take a moment to help [others] sickens me. We ALWAYS stop or call 911 [when we see a driver in distress], even if it might be overkill. Thanks to CPR training, I know the rule about literally pointing at someone and saying “YOU! Call 911!” because of the human failing of thinking someone else has “got it.” I don’t wish to infantilize older adults, but I just know that being in shock, injured, afraid, in pain makes everyone feel like a scared little kid. We are all in this together, and need to do better for our most vulnerable, especially including our older adults, whom we ought to respect and treasure. Victoria Hathaway President, Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS)

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Technology &

Innovations Budget-friendly cars offer high-tech aids gency braking that applies the brakes when the system senses a collision is about to occur and the driver doesn’t react in time. Lane keeping assist, which automatically makes small steering corrections if it senses you drifting out of your lane, and blindspot monitoring, which lets you know if a vehicle is hovering in your out-of-view rear quarters, are two other key technologies we’ve found valuable for improving safety. These features were once solely in the domain of expensive luxury cars. But the number of vehicles with a basic set of advance safety features is growing every year. We’ve highlighted four vehicles here. Each costs under $25,000 and has the features we’ve mentioned above, plus other

qualities that make them attractive beyond their affordability. 2018 Toyota C-HR XLE ($23,495) The highly stylized 2018 Toyota C-HR is an all-new subcompact SUV sporting aggressive body lines and plenty of standard features. It’s a good example of how Toyota is among the manufacturers leading the charge on making advanced safety tech standard across the board. Toyota Safety Sense is a basic suite of aids that many Toyota models receive. On the C-HR, it includes automatic emergency braking and lane departure alert. It also has automatic high beams that can detect if vehicles are present and can toggle between high- and low beams to maximize nighttime visibility and avoid blinding other drivers. In addition, the C-HR gets lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control that works to a standstill, and a special pre-collision system that can detect pedestrians and vehicles. The C-HR Premium trim, which would’ve exceeded our $25,000 cap by just $345, also includes blind-spot monitoring and rear

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOYOTA

By Jonathan Elfalan Automakers have come a long way from safety features such as seat belts and air bags that are meant to prevent injuries in a crash. Today, manufacturers are adding “advanced driver aids” that can fend off an accident in the first place. And there’s a good chance that your next new car will have them. What’s an advanced driver aid? It’s kind of like an autonomous sidekick that’s ready to step in to help you prevent an imminent collision. Adaptive cruise control, for example, can adjust your cruise speed and following distance with respect to the vehicle ahead of you. It’s often paired with automatic emer-

The Toyota C-HR XLE comes with a suite of high-tech safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and a pre-collision warning system that detects pedestrians and other cars.

cross-traffic alert. 2018 Honda Accord LX ($24,460) As far as midsize sedans go, the comfortable and spacious 2018 Honda Accord is Edmunds’ favorite. Even the base LX trim is satisfyingly easy to drive because of its quick acceleration and precise handling. The Accord’s Honda Sensing suite of safety features is one of the most comprehensive around, with automatic braking, See DRIVER AIDS, page 6

Health Studies ❏ Healthy Adults RSV Research Study (See ad on page 19) ❏ Healthy Men Calorie Study (See ad on page 19) ❏ Hearing Loss Research Study (See ad on page 19) ❏ Normal Hearing & the Brain Study (See ad on page 19)

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❏ Ashby Ponds (See ads on pages 1, 17) ❏ Beverly Assisted Living (See ad on page 9) ❏ Chesterbrook Residences (See ad on page 12) ❏ Culpepper Garden (See ad on page 40) ❏ Greenspring (See ads on pages 1, 17) ❏ Gum Springs Glen (See ad on page 16) ❏ Herndon Harbor House (See ad on page 16) ❏ Lockwood House (See ad on page 16) ❏ Morris Glen (See ad on page 16) ❏ Potomac Place (See ad on page 42) ❏ Tall Oaks Assisted Living (See ad on page 16) ❏ Waltonwood (See ad on page 23) ❏ Wingler House (See ad on page 16)

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❏ Aspenwood Senior Living (See ad on page 15) ❏ Atrium Assisted Living (See ad on page 18) ❏ Brooke Grove (See ad on page 48) ❏ Churchill Senior Living (See ad on page 7) ❏ Covenant Village (See ad on page 16) ❏ Emerson House (See ad on page 16) ❏ Five Star Premier Residences (See ad on page 9) ❏ Gardens of Traville (See ad on page 7) ❏ Homecrest House (See ad on page 4) ❏ Kensington Park (See ad on page 10) ❏ Landow House (See ad on page 6) ❏ Park View Bladensburg (See ad on page 36) ❏ Park View Columbia (See ad on page 36) ❏ Park View Emerson (See ad on page 36) ❏ Park View Laurel (See ad on page 36) ❏ Riderwood (See ads on pages 1, 17) ❏ Springvale Terrace (See ad on page 18) ❏ The Village at Rockville (See ads on pages 15, 23)

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It’s thunderstorm season, with roiling dark clouds moving into the sky after another hazy, humid day several times a week.

❏ Chevy Chase House (See ad on page 12) ❏ Friendship Terrace (see ad on page 22)

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Logan Wells is a Massachusetts high school senior who developed an app, CareZare, originally based on the care that he and his family provided for his grandmother after a dementia diagnosis. CareZare is designed to move family

Thunder and lightning

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Coordinate caregiving

Had it with annoying robocalls, those prerecorded phone calls that strike at any time of day? Nomorobo uses a list of more than 573,000 phone numbers associated with spam callers and lets you either block calls or flag them as spam, as you choose. And using the app can help Nomorobo flag even more spammers. When the app notes hundreds or thousands of phones are being called from a particular number, it checks to see if those calls are legitimate. Nomorobo is free at the Apple App store and Google Play for the first 30 days. $1.99 a month after the free trial.

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The Roadtrippers website shows travelers what lies between point A and point B when they’re on the road. Enter a starting point and a destination, and Roadtrippers will map out the trip, highlighting places of interest — without too much of a detour — that make getting there half the fun. Users can also look for food and hotels on the route, and read about recommended road trips that are already planned out according to theme. For example, if you’re planning a trip to Columbus, Ohio, Roadtrippers points out Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, Frank Lloyd Wright designed Kentuck Knob in Pennsylvania, and the Wilds in Ohio — a private conservation park with free-roaming rhinos, gazelle, giraffes and more. www.roadtrippers.com

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Links Get on the road

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By Barbara Ruben

caregivers from a solo approach to one that is team-based, including other family, friends and professional caregivers. It is designed to make communication simple and straightforward. The app allows caregivers to coordinate tasks, care activities and visits; collaborate with the team to plan, schedule and manage care; and connect with the loved one through instant updates, journal entries and more. Compare to Lotsa Helping Hands, Caring Bridge and other care calendars available online. CareZare is free at the Apple App store and Google Play.

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Driver aids

surprisingly useful.

From page 4

2018 Subaru Impreza Hatchback 2.0i ($24,050) The 2018 Subaru Impreza is the only car on this list with standard all-wheel drive, an advantage if you frequently drive in wet or snowy conditions. This is a comfortable small car, and the hatchback model provides more rear

automatic high beams, lane keeping assist, and an adaptive cruise control that works to a full stop, just like the C-HR’s system. Additionally, the Accord’s front-facing camera recognizes speed limit signs and displays that information discreetly in the instrument panel. We’ve found this feature

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COMPUTERS FOR JOBSEEKERS

Glenarden Library offers computer basics for job seekers on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Class is limited to six people, so call to register. Learn basic computer skill and get help looking for jobs. The library is located at 8724 Glenarden Pkwy., Glenarden, Md. For more information or to register, call (301) 772-5477.

June 8

COMPUTER BASICS

Kings Park Library offers a free computer basics class on Friday, June 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. Learn basics with one-on-one technology volunteers. The library is located at 9000 Burke Lake Rd., Burke, Va. For more information, call (703) 978-5600.

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

headroom and cargo space than the Impreza sedan. Subaru calls its safety suite EyeSight, and it relies heavily on a sophisticated set of cameras that provide depth perception, much as human eyes do. Unlike the Toyota and Honda models on this list, EyeSight isn’t standard equipment on the Impreza. The suite includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist and steering-responsive foglights that swivel to better light the road through bends. You’ll have to get the midlevel Premium trim level and add EyeSight. But even so, this Impreza sneaks in under our price cap at $24,050.

2018 Nissan Sentra SR with premium package ($24,945) The Nissan Sentra has long been a staple in the small sedan segment. It may not be our overall favorite in the class, but considering the comfort features and advanced driver aids you can get for under $25,000, it’s a bargain that’s hard to overlook. The Sentra SR comes standard with automatic braking and adaptive cruise, though its cruise control operational range is between 20 and 90 mph and it won’t stop for you. The Premium package adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, along with a slew of other luxuries such as leather upholstery, navigation, heated seats, a Bose audio system and more. — AP

Links & Apps

shows real time lightning strikes around the world. The strikes pop up as turquoise dots on a globe, fading to purple. You can also see maps of real time clouds and precipitation. If you zoom in close to your location, you can use a feature to measure your distance from a nearby storm. Thunderly is free at the Apple App store.

From page 5 But if the rumble of thunder and flash of lightning locally just aren’t enough for you, install the app Thunderly, which

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Experience Landow House From daily life assistance to medical care, our services enable your loved ones to enjoy meaningful experiences each day at our assisted living residence, Landow House.

WHY CHOOSE LANDOW HOUSE? Because we set the bar high. Landow House is a recipient of the 2017 Bronze Commitment to Quality Award from the National Center for Assisted Living, and our lifestyle and leisure programming is recognized by the Association of Jewish Aging !"#$%!&'()*+,-.(/-0&!($&(*1&-(20&$%(3(2!4-"5(%!"6$7!,'(89*"1!&(:'( 4$69()$;!(

The new PG County Memorial Library System virtual library card is valid for three years and is available free to all residents of the Greater Washington, D.C. area. Virtual library cards will be activated 24 hours after submitting online requests, and customers will receive an email with their PACREG/Library card number. This virtual card provides access to the library’s free digital resources: Comics, music, movies, ebooks, audiobooks, homework help, test preparation, career and job development, hobbies, music and art courses, do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, business, investing and finance information, veteran benefits assistance and more. Most online services are available 24/7 and accessible with any computer, laptop or mobile device. For more information or to get a virtual library card, visit www.pgcmls.info.

Communities is a Top Vote Getter for Best Senior Living by Bethesda Magazine.

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Call us at 301-816-5050 or visit www.smithlifecommunities.org

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BILINGUAL COMPUTER CLASSES

The Ana A. Brito Foundation Inc. offers free basic computer classes in both English and Spanish (intermediate level in English only) at Epworth United Methodist Church, 9008 Rosemont Dr., Gaithersburg, Md. For more information, call (301) 9260424 or visit www.aabfi.org.

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Health Fitness &

AT-HOME GENE TESTS Should you test for Alzheimer’s, cancer and other genetic risks on your own? LUNG CANCER GOOD NEWS A new immunotherapy drug, combined with chemo, greatly boosts survival WARTS AND ALL Untreated warts can spread to other people, but most adults are immune SPOTTING SKIN CANCER We all need someone — a spouse or friend — to spot early skin cancers

Can too much gambling make you ill? By Howard J. Shaffer This might come as a surprise, but it’s true. You can become addicted to gambling just like you can become addicted to alcohol or other drugs. For most gamblers, betting on the outcome of a sporting event, lottery drawing, casino table game, or any event with an outcome determined by chance represents an entertaining recreational activity. However, for some, gambling can become an addiction. An estimated two to three percent of the U.S. population has experienced some kind of gambling-related problem during the past 12 months. That means about 5.5 million people currently have a gambling disorder or gambling-related problems that don’t quite rise to the level of a disorder. Gambling disorder is now a part of the American Psychiatric Association’s latest version of its diagnostic manual (DSM-5). Gambling is the first “behavioral” addiction included in the substance-related and addictive disorders section of the manual. For the first time, the APA recognizes that substance-related addiction and difficult-to-control behavioral addiction are

similar enough to be grouped as comparable expressions of addiction. Now, clinicians, scientists, policy makers, gambling purveyors, and the public alike recognize that addiction can emerge from patterns of excessive behavior that derive from either using a substance, such as tobacco or alcohol, or engaging in activities like gambling, video game playing or sex.

History and causes Historically, opinions about gambling have tended to mirror the social and moral climate of the day. Gambling problems aren’t anything new; there were scientific papers written about excessive gambling as far back as 1798 and, reaching even further back into history, there are cave drawings depicting gambling-related behaviors. However, the concept that problem gambling is not a moral defect but instead a disorder is relatively new. Most experts and clinicians now consider gambling addiction as a legitimate biological, cognitive and behavioral disorder. Further, although mental disorders can lead to problem gambling, gambling to ex-

cess also can lead to other problems. Gambling problems have many potential causes: genetics, erroneous thought patterns, impulse control disorders, poverty, and personal experiences, for example.

Do you have a gambling problem? To see if you might be struggling with a gambling disorder, answer these three questions: • During the past 12 months, have you become restless, irritable, or anxious when trying to stop and/or cut down on gambling? • During the past 12 months, have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled? • During the past 12 months, did you have such financial trouble as a result of gambling that you had to get help with living expenses from family, friends or welfare? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should evaluate your gambling and how it fits into your life. There are many resources to help. My colleagues and I have published an easily

accessible book — Change Your Gambling, Change Your Life (Jossey-Bass, 2012) — that can help you to evaluate your gambling and decide whether you might be a candidate for treatment. Some people need treatment to recover from addiction, while others recover on their own with no help from anyone. To figure out whether you might benefit from a change, you need to take stock. A variety of mental health issues often accompany excessive gambling. You might have some of these symptoms even if they don’t reflect a full-blown disorder. It’s worth it to figure out whether gambling and associated activities are adversely influencing your life. Understanding how gambling works for you is a worthwhile exercise, even if you choose to continue gambling. Howard J. Shaffer, Ph.D is a contributor to Harvard Health Publications. © 2018. President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

Protect Yourself and Your Friends by Learning More About Senior Safety There’s no better way to learn about Safe Practices and Protective Services than by attending the 2018 Senior Safety Forum Thursday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It takes place at the Holiday Park Senior Center located at 3950 Ferrara Drive in Silver Spring. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what is available through County government and other businesses and organizations in Montgomery County that can improve the quality of life for seniors.

Department of Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, and Office of the County Attorney.

Enjoy and learn from exhibits and presentations on: resources for seniors, understanding technology, senior driving safety, personal and financial safety. Attendees will also enjoy live musical entertainment, door prizes and free box lunches.

Financial Exploitation: Victim gives uncharacteristically excessive financial reimbursement/gifts for care and companionship, unusual bank activity, or general change in spending habits

The Senior Safety Forum is coordinated by The Montgomery County Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse Task Force (EVAATF). EVAATF members have combined their areas of expertise to help prevent and raise public awareness of elder abuse, support legislative efforts to establish stronger and better laws, and aggressively investigate and prosecute those who commit elder abuse. The EVAATF member agencies include: The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Montgomery County Department of Police, the County’s

Protect Yourself and Your Friends by Knowing these Red Flag Warning Signs and Who to Call for Help. Neglect: A decline in basic hygiene, not enough food, unclean or inappropriate clothing, house is cluttered or needs repairs

Physical/Sexual Abuse: Insufficiently explained burns, cuts, wounds, black-andblue marks, injuries, or unexplained sexually transmitted diseases Here’s How to Help: If you have a concern about any of these types of abuse, contact: Adult Protective Services at 240-777-3000 or the County Crisis Center at 240-777-4000. You do not need to prove that abuse is occurring. Let the professionals investigate your suspicions. If the situation poses immediate danger or is life-threatening, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1.

• Aging & Disability Resource Line 240-777-3000

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

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

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Pros and cons of do-it-yourself gene test By Dr. Howard LeWine Q: I am considering ordering a genetic test to see if I am at risk for cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. What are the pros and cons? A: That’s a question many people are asking now that the FDA has given the green light to third-party direct-to-consumer (DTC) test kits that look for genetic risk information. A DTC test is a sort of do-it-yourself genetic fact finder. The tests, which cost a few hundred dollars, are not covered by insurance, and the results are delivered directly to you. The test kit is shipped to you, with instructions. In the privacy of your home, you collect cells — typically, using either a cheek swab or a saliva collection tube — and then send them to a lab. The test results are usually posted on a secure website, where you view your information. DTC tests can accurately detect genetic markers that increase disease risk. But being at increased risk for a disease doesn’t mean you will definitely get the disease. For example, if most people have a onein-a-thousand chance of getting a disease, but you have a marker that triples your risk, that means your risk is three in a thousand — still a very low risk. There are thousands of markers that indicate you are at increased risk for different conditions, but they don’t perfectly predict whether you will get those conditions. For example, if you have one copy of the APOE4 gene marker, it triples your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Likewise, if you carry a certain marker within the LRRK2 gene, it increases your risk for developing Parkinson’s disease two to three times. Still, many people with

these genetic markers do not get the diseases for which they are at increased risk. In contrast, some genetic markers indicate you are at very high risk. If you have one of the classic BRCA1 mutations, and you live long enough, you have a 60 to 70 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer. Before ordering a genetic test, be sure that you really want to know the results, and whether you would make changes in your life based on the findings. If you do decide to order a genetic test, it’s best to choose one that is FDA-approved, and that provides a very clear explanation of the results. Share the results with your primary care doctor. If the results suggest a higher than average risk of a particular disease, your doctor can advise you on ways to lower the risk. On the other hand, a test result showing a lower than average risk might falsely reassure you and lead to your paying less attention to a healthy lifestyle. Q: I want to eat healthier. But I find food labels such as “natural” and “organic” confusing. Does it really make a difference? A: You have lots of company. A new language has developed to describe meats, vegetables, fruits and other products in the grocery store. Not only are the terms confusing, but so are the various associated health claims. The phrases on packaging usually don’t tell you if the food is truly better for your health. The FDA doesn’t have a formal definition for “natural.” But the agency doesn’t object to the term if a food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.

For a food to be certified “organic,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the food to be produced according to strict farming and production standards — without genetic engineering, radiation, sewage sludge, or synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Animals raised on organic farms receive no antibiotics or growth hormones, are given feed that has been grown organically, and are able to roam around outside. Processed organic foods must not contain

synthetic additives. Only foods that are 95 percent organic can carry a “USDA Organic” seal. Organic foods don’t appear to have a nutritional advantage over conventionally grown food. Both methods use pesticides, and it’s unclear if the pesticides used in organic farming are safer than those used in conventional farming. We don’t have enough information yet See GENE TEST, page 10

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

Hospitals must post care prices online By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Medicare will require hospitals to post their standard prices online and make electronic medical records more readily available to patients. The program is also starting a comprehensive review of how it will pay for costly new forms of immunotherapy to battle cancer.

Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the new requirement for online prices reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to encourage patients to become better-educated decision makers in their own care. “We are just beginning on price trans-

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June 25

MANAGING PERSCRIPTION DRUGS Are you wondering about drug interactions? Do prescription labels and information sheets seem incomprehensible? Could your pre-

scriptions increase chances of falling? Rosemarie Berman, RN, PhD, can answer these and other questions on Monday, June 25 at 10 a.m. at Arlington Mill Senior Center, 909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington, Va. She will also discuss what questions to ask your doctor or pharmacist. For more information or to register, call (703) 228-7369.

parency,” said Verma. “We know that hospitals have this information, and we’re asking them to post what they have online.” Hospitals are required to disclose prices publicly, but the latest change would put that information online in machine-readable format that can be easily processed by computers. It may still prove to be confusing to consumers, since standard rates are like list prices, and don’t reflect what insurers and government programs pay. Patients concerned about their potential out-of-pocket costs from a hospitalization would still be advised to consult with their insurer. Most insurance plans nowadays have an annual limit on how much patients must pay in copays and deductibles — although traditional Medicare does not. Likewise, many healthcare providers already make computerized records available to patients. But starting in 2021,

Medicare would base part of a hospital’s payments on how good a job they do. Using electronic medical records remains a cumbersome task, and the Trump administration has invited technology companies to design secure apps that would let patients access their records from all their providers instead of having to go to different portals.

Costly cancer treatment Verma also announced Medicare is starting a comprehensive review of how it will pay for a costly new form of immunotherapy called CAR-T. It’s gene therapy that turbocharges a patient’s own immune system cells to attack cancer. Immune system T cells are filtered from the patient’s own blood and reprogrammed to target and kill cancer cells that had managed to evade them. Hundreds of millions of copies of the revved-up cells are then returned to the patient’s blood to take on the cancer. Only a couple of such treatments have been approved for blood cancers, and the cost can exceed $370,000 per patient. “It’s a new area for the agency,” said Verma. “We haven’t seen drugs priced at this level, and we’re having to think about our strategy.” — AP

Gene test From page 9

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to know if the lack of hormones and antibiotics in organic animal products makes them healthier than conventional animal products, but it’s a reasonable possibility. For example, pasture-raised chicken contains more omega-3 fatty acids. Grassfed beef is leaner. Wild-caught salmon tends to have lower levels of toxins, such as mercury. You likely have seen foods marked as non-GMO. These foods do not contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs are created when scientists alter plant DNA to make crops resistant to bugs or fungi. It’s heavily debated whether using GMOs alters the nutritional quality of food or poses a threat to health. So food labels do not currently need to specify their presence. Certified organic food is free of GMOs. Organic and “natural” foods are more expensive than conventionally produced foods. Are they worth it? There’s no clear answer; it depends on your budget. Whatever you choose, it’s always best to go with non-processed products. 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. © 2018 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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

Immune therapy works well for lung cancer By Marilynn Marchione For the first time, a treatment that boosts the immune system greatly improved survival in people newly diagnosed with the most common form of lung cancer. It’s the biggest win so far for immunotherapy, which has had much of its success until now in less common cancers. In the study, Merck’s Keytruda, given with standard chemotherapy, cut in half the risk of dying or having the cancer worsen, compared to chemo alone after nearly one year. The results are expected to quickly set a new standard of care for about 70,000 patients each year in the United States whose lung cancer has already spread by the time it’s found. Another study found that an immunotherapy combo — the Bristol-Myers Squibb drugs Opdivo and Yervoy — worked better than chemo for delaying the time until cancer worsened in advanced lung cancer patients whose tumors have many gene flaws, as nearly half do. But the benefit lasted less than two months on average, and it’s too soon to know if the combo improves overall survival, as Keytruda did. All of these immune therapy treatments worked for only about half of patients, but that’s far better than chemo has done in the past. “We’re not nearly where we need to be

yet,” said Dr. Roy Herbst, a Yale Cancer Center lung expert who had no role in the studies. Results were discussed at a recent American Association for Cancer Research conference in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. The studies were sponsored by the drugmakers, and many study leaders and Herbst consult for the companies.

How the drugs work

sus 49 percent of the others — a result that experts called remarkable considering that the second group’s survival was improved because half of them wound up switching. How much it ultimately will extend life isn’t known — more than half in the Keytruda group are still alive; median survival was just over 11 months for the others. The Keytruda combo also delayed the time until cancer worsened — an average of nine months versus five months for the chemo-only group.

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Keytruda, Yervoy and Opdivo are called checkpoint inhibitors. They remove a cloak that some cancer cells have that hides them from the immune system. The drugs are given through IVs and cost about $12,500 a month. Keytruda was approved last year as an initial treatment with chemo for the most common form of advanced lung cancer, but doctors have been leery to use it because that was based on a small study that did not show whether it prolongs life. The new study, led by Dr. Leena Gandhi of NYU’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, gives that proof. In it, 616 patients were given chemo and some also received Keytruda. Those not given Keytruda were allowed to switch to it if their cancer worsened. After one year, 69 percent of people originally assigned to Keytruda were alive ver-

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That’s a big difference for such an advanced cancer, said Dr. Alice Shaw, a Massachusetts General Hospital lung cancer expert and one of the conference leaders. “This is really a pivotal study ... a new standard of care,” said Shaw, who has no ties to the drugmakers. Rates of serious side effects were similar, but twice as many in the Keytruda group dropped out because of them. More than 4

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Health Shorts Putting big data to good use A huge amount of data has been collected since the dawn of the digital age. Some is being used by marketers to push an ever-growing array selected products your way, or mined by hackers trying to burrow into your accounts. But other uses of what’s called “big data” can be beneficial, with scientists using massive amounts of information to make predictions about what will happen everywhere — from outer space to cancer cells. At the Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular institute, doctors are using something

called the Very Large Database of Lipids (VLDL) to better develop tests and treatments for problems such as high cholesterol and high triglycerides. With information from the more than 5 million people’s cholesterol and other test results in the database, scientists are analyzing the data, which can reveal patterns, trends and associations. Because of the large number of people in the data base, they can also glean information on rare disorders as well. One of the advances developed using information from the database is a new way to calculate cholesterol that may avoid the need to fast before testing. This innovation could lead to more people having their cholesterol tested. Quest Diagnostics, the largest clinical lab in the U.S., is now using this new equation in its cholesterol testing. Recently, the Maryland-based David

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

and June Trone Family Foundation donated $1 million to support the VLDL project. They had previously donated $700,000 to help fund the research, which is not typically supported by public grants. “Heart disease remains a widespread problem in the United States and the world. This exciting, groundbreaking work will help physicians better diagnose and successfully treat their patients,” said David Trone (a candidate running for Congress in Maryland’s 6th District). — Barbara Ruben

Brain injuries raise dementia risk A large study offers more evidence of a link between traumatic brain injuries and dementia later in life, with repeated injuries and severe ones posing the greatest danger. Researchers analyzed 36 years of health

Immune therapy From page 11 percent of that group developed lung inflammation and three patients died of it.

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Dr. Matthew Hellmann of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York led a study testing the Opdivo-Yervoy combo versus chemo in a slightly different group of newly diagnosed advanced lung cancer patients. The study design was changed after it was underway to look at results according to patients’ tumor mutation burden — a measure of how flawed their cancer genes are, according to a profiling test by Foundation Medicine. Medicare recently agreed to cover the $3,000 test for advanced cancers. Of 679 patients, 299 had a high number of

records of 2.8 million people in Denmark, where a national health system makes it possible to explore connections in a farreaching way. Overall, the risk was small. About 95 percent of people who suffered a brain injury never developed dementia. But a single severe brain injury increased the risk of later dementia by 35 percent compared with a person who never had brain trauma. A mild brain injury increased the risk by 17 percent. Each additional brain injury added to the danger. Overall, the risk of dementia was 24 percent higher for people with a traumatic brain injury compared with people without one. The study was published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. A study of 3.3 million people in Sweden earlier this year showed similar results. Despite the size of the studies, they See HEALTH SHORTS, page 13

gene flaws in their tumors. In that group, survival without worsening of disease was 43 percent after one year for those on the immunotherapy drugs versus 13 percent of those on chemo. The immunotherapy drugs did not help people with fewer tumor gene flaws. “We have a tool that helps us determine who are the patients that are most likely to benefit from this combination,” Hellmann said. The median time until cancer worsened was about 7 months on the immunotherapy drugs versus 5.5 months for chemo. Serious side effects were a little more common in the chemo group. Another rival, Genentech, recently announced that its checkpoint inhibitor, Tecentriq, improved survival in a study similar to the one testing Keytruda. Details are expected in a couple of months. — AP

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

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

Health shorts From page 12 won’t settle scientific questions — or social debate — about brain injuries from sports, war, car crashes or domestic violence. Scientists know that a blow to the head can damage brain cells, but they don’t know exactly how that might lead to later cognitive problems, said lead researcher Dr. Jesse Fann of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. This kind of study can’t prove a causeand-effect relationship, but researchers tried to eliminate the possible effect of age, gender, marital status and health, including depression. And they looked at other types of trauma, such as broken bones, and found that brain injuries were more closely tied to dementia. In a commentary in the journal, Dr. Carol

Brayne of University of Cambridge’s medical school in England wrote that improvements in care mean more people are surviving brain injuries, making it crucial to understand more about their long-term effects. — AP

Stop-smoking drugs don’t pose heart risks Two popular stop-smoking drugs are as safe for the heart as nicotine patches and dummy pills, according to research requested by U.S. and European regulators. The results come from an extension of a big study of Chantix and Zyban that earlier found no increased risks for severe psychiatric problems including suicidal behavior. Those findings were reported in 2016.

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June 10

“It’s enormously reassuring,” said Dr. Nancy Rigotti, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Tobacco Research and Treatment Center. She was not involved in the research. “We now know it’s a lot safer to use these drugs to help people quit smoking than to continue smoking, Rigotti said. The original study involved 8,000 smokers randomly assigned to daily use of Pfizer’s Chantix, GlaxoSmithKline’s Zyban, nicotine patches or dummy pills for 12 weeks. The extended study tracked about 2,400 participants for a year. During and after treatment, there were five heart-related deaths and 22 nonfatal heart attacks and strokes, pretty evenly distributed among the four groups. The few other heart problems also occurred at similar rates in each group. The study was published in JAMA Inter-

nal Medicine. It included adult smokers from the United States, Canada, Mexico and several European countries. In the original study, by the last three weeks of treatment, 34 percent of Chantix users had quit smoking, 23 percent of nicotine patch users, almost 23 percent of Zyban users and 13 percent of those on dummy pills. Chantix blocks the effects of nicotine on the brain; Zyban is the brand name for a drug used for depression but it is thought to also affect brain regions linked with addictive behavior. Patches deliver small amounts of nicotine to help reduce smokers’ cravings. All are generally used short term. The patches and prescription pills can potentially raise blood pressure, and Chantix’s current packaging information includes warnings about a possible small increased risk for heart attacks and strokes in smokers with heart disease. — AP

INNOVATIVE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

HEALTHY AGING FORUM

There will be a healthy aging forum called “Navigating Life’s Transitions” on Sunday, June 10 from noon to 5:15 p.m. at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb St. NW, Washington, D.C. The keynote speaker will be Kojo Nnamdi, host of the “Kojo Nnamdi Show” and “The Politics Hour” on WAMU and NPR. There will also be workshops called “Transitions: Reimagining Ourselves for the Years Ahead,” “Intimacy and Sex as We Grow Older,” “Nutrition & Exercise,” “Wise Aging” and “Transportation and Technology.” Admission costs $33 ($18 for DC Area Village Members and WHC Members). For more information or to register, visit www.NNVDC.org or call (202) 777-3435.

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The Village at Rockville presents

2018 Dementia Education Series

These events are part of a series of six events focused on caring for individuals with dementia. June 12, 3 – 4 p.m. I Foolproof Strategies for Preventing and Managing Aggressive Behavior in Dementia - Stephanie Goldstein, BSW, LBSW, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

July 10, 3 – 4 p.m. I Beyond Memory Loss: Handling Personality Changes and Impulse Control Issues in Dementia - Stephanie Goldstein, BSW, LBSW, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

August 14, 3 – 4 p.m. I Cognitive Impairment and Falls: Understanding How Dementia Contributes to Falls - Dr. Ann Morrison, PhD, RN, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

September 24, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I CRUISE Through Caregiving: How to Reduce the Stress of Caring for a Loved One Who Has Dementia - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

October 9, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I Navigating the Mid to Late Stages of Dementia (Without Falling Overboard) - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

November 6, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. I Promises in Caregiving: Why You Shouldn’t Make Them and How to Undo Them - Jennifer L. FitzPatrick, MSW, LCSW-C, Jenerations Health Education, Inc. No CEU Credits Available

Space is limited.

RSVP to

The Village at Rockville

sflowerswilliams@thevillageatrockville.org

A National Lutheran Community

Learn more and view more events in this dementia series at www.thevillageatrockville.org/events

9701 Veirs Drive Rockville, MD 20850

301-424-9560

Light refreshments will be served.

The Village at Rockville is sponsored by National Lutheran Communities & Services, a faith-based, !"#$!%#&%!'"()* *+"%,(!$("-.(/01 2.3*413(56"-.%1 (7-6%4-(* (8).%*419(+.%0* 2(&.!&3.(!$(133(:.3*.$+;(

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Untreated warts can spread to other people Dear Mayo Clinic: Can an untreated wart on my hand spread to another person? Is treatment for it necessary if it’s small and doesn’t bother me? Answer: If left untreated, it is possible for warts to spread, and for the virus that causes warts to be passed to another person. Fortunately, most adults have developed immunity to the viruses that cause warts. Because of this, it’s unlikely that an adult would develop warts as a result of contact with a person who has a wart. Children are more susceptible, however, because their bodies may not have built up immunity to the virus. Warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is quite common and has more than 100 types, which is why there also are so many types of warts. Some strains of HPV are acquired through sexual contact. Most forms, however, are spread by casual contact or through shared objects, such as towels or washcloths. Over time, people develop immunity to most types of HPV that cause common warts. Their bodies are no longer affected by the virus, and it can’t take hold and grow. But it takes a long time for that to happen. As a result, warts are widespread in children and young adults because their bodies haven’t had enough time to become im-

mune to this common virus. When the virus does take hold, it grows a lump of thickened skin, which is the wart. The skin on a wart will shed over time, just as normal skin sheds. When it does, that skin carries the virus with it. If someone touches the shed skin — whether directly through skin-to-skin contact or indirectly, for example, on the floor of a swimming pool or a carpet — then the virus could spread. This occurs only if the shed skin enters a crack, scrape or other opening of someone who has not developed immunity to HPV. When a wart begins to grow, HPV stimulates the skin to attract and grow its own blood supply and nerves, which makes the wart very hearty and less likely to go away on its own. Most warts will persist for one to two years if they are left untreated. Eventually, the body will recognize the virus and fight it off, causing the wart to disappear. While they remain, however, warts can spread very easily when people pick at them or when they are on the hands, feet or face.

Does the HPV vaccine help? The HPV vaccine Gardasil, which aims to prevent most types of cancer associated with HPV infection, also may prevent genital warts and possibly common warts.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adolescents and teens ages 9 through 14 receive two injections of HPV vaccine at least six months apart. Teens and young adults who begin the vaccine series later (ages 15 through 26) should receive three doses of the vaccine. Warts that are small and not bothersome don’t require treatment. If you don’t want to wait or if a wart is causing discomfort, over-the-counter remedies, such as salicylic acid, are available to treat warts. A dermatologist can offer additional options, which may include prescription antiviral creams, prescription therapies that irritate and eliminate warts, and medications that stimulate the immune system or disrupt the wart’s skin cell growth.

Rarely, stubborn warts require minor surgery to cut away the tissue, or laser surgery to remove the wart.

Immune system concern If you are an adult who never had problems with warts but they suddenly begin to develop, see your doctor and ask to be screened for an immune system disorder. Adults usually don’t have new-onset, common warts. But if numerous warts begin to appear, the immune system may be malfunctioning, in which case I recommend a prompt evaluation. — Dawn Davis, M.D., Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. © 2018 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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MAINTAINING AND MANAGING THE KEYS TO YOUR INDEPENDENCE FREE WORKSHOP FOR SENIORS AND FAMILIES

Thursday, June 7th 5:00 - 7:00pm At The Village at Rockville - A National Lutheran Community you can enjoy cottage living without the entry fee.

Amenities include: • Social, recreational, educational, spiritual and cultural opportunities • Use of on-site care center (additional fees may apply) • Beauty Salon/Barbershop • Transportation services to medical appointments (additional fees may apply) • Walking trail with LifeTrail Wellness Stations • Housekeeping services • Dining venues • Fitness center • Chapel • Library and gift shop • Therapy services

14400 Homecrest Road • Silver Spring, MD

301-598-6424

WE’RE BRINGING THE REGION’S TOP RESOURCES TO YOU ASK THE EXPERTS! Join us for an event to help you maintain and manage the keys to your independence! We have invited the experts to answer the questions we all have about planning for a healthy future.

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LIGHT BUFFET DINNER • LIMITED SPACE RSVP by May 31st to (301) 598-6424 or sborowiec@5ssl.com

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Fitness From page 1 Mike Dwyer, 53, of Laytonsville, Md., was diagnosed last August and started boxing at Rock Steady that month. “What I find most inspirational is the people who have had Parkinson’s disease for years and have to fight to get here, yet show up week after week,” Dwyer said. Angel McNamara, a former boxer herself, had been teaching boxing at a senior center in Arlington, Va., when a participant with Parkinson’s asked for specific classes to help with symptoms of the disease. “She literally punched me in the gut to get me to say yes,” McNamara recalled laughing. Soon, McNamara decided to open Rock Steady Boxing of Montgomery County, Md. Area RSB locations: • Gaithersburg, Md., (240) 838-8221, http://montgomery.rsbaffiliate.com • Rockville, Md., (301) 717-5929, http:// rockville.rsbaffiliate.com • Fairfax, Va., (301) 996-8779, http:// dmv.rsbaffiliate.com • McLean, Va., (571) 730-8553, http:// Nova.rsbaffiliate.com

Stroke Comeback Center Darlene Williamson, a speech-language pathologist, had worked one-on-one with people who had suffered a stroke, helping them to relearn how to articulate their thoughts into speech, and retrain their mouths to shape words distinctly. But working in the confines of managed care, she felt patients weren’t getting covered for the full spectrum of help they needed. To find a cost-effective way to help stroke patients with a variety of problems, Williamson decided to try offering group speech therapy. In 2005, she opened the Stroke Comeback Center in Vienna, Va. Her business plan was “a wing and a prayer,” she joked.

The center accepts no health insurance or Medicare, and instead relies on donations and modest payments from those who take classes there. “Working outside third party reimbursement allowed us to focus on very individual needs that would not necessarily be reimbursed” by insurance, she said. The center’s menu of classes — which include cognitive strategies, presentation skills, book groups, technology, math, yoga, exercise and more — proved so successful that in April Williamson opened a second Stroke Comeback Center in Rockville, Md. “We believe very strongly it’s about living successfully despite disability. We make no promise we will ‘fix’ you. The issue is, how do you define ‘successfully’? Can we find a way to go around or jump over a hurdle to find what’s important to you in life — whether it’s Skyping with grandchildren, ordering at Starbucks, or going back to work?” Williamson said. For Robert Swain of Alexandria, Va., classes at the center have meant he’s able to play music again and return to work as an attorney at the Department of Labor. Now 70, Swain suffered a stroke in 2014. He found the Stroke Comeback Center online after looking for low-cost therapy because insurance only covered it for six weeks. As Swain regained more control over his speech, he was able to sing again with his bluegrass band, King Street Bluegrass. And while he’s not able to play the banjo again yet, he is slowly relearning the guitar and playing drums in another band. Kathryn Phippen, also of Alexandria, found the center after her stroke and a number of complications that kept her in rehab centers for months. She has taken part in groups discussing current events and books, as well as a public speaking class. She also participates in the center’s podSee FITNESS, page 17

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

Fitness From page 16 cast, entitled “Slow Road to Better.” That’s “where we tell stories about the different types of struggles that we have gone through as stroke and aphasia survivors, and how it is for us to keep on living.” The podcast has listeners from around the world. The full fee is $260 per nine-week class, but about one-third of the participants qualify for a partial scholarship based on income. The minimum fee is $30. https://strokecomebackcenter.org Vienna, (703) 255-5221 Rockville, (301) 605-7620

Fitness for Health Marc Sickel started looking for innovative therapies for children more than 30 years ago. Today, his Rockville Fitness for Health center serves a variety of ages, including older adults who face a variety of health challenges, as well as those who just want to maintain their balance and remain flexible enough for everyday activities. “As we age, going into an exercise facility can be very daunting. And, frankly, exercising is also very boring,” Sickel said. So, Fitness for Health combines video games and exercise for an experience it calls “exergaming,” both to make exercise more fun and to work on cognitive as well as physical skills.

For example, in one activity a person races back and force in an enclosed area to hit and kick lights as they light up on posts and the floor. In another, you throw balls at lights as they blink on a board. Another activity involves walking along a trampoline to work on balance. Sickel said one client told him, “This doesn’t look like a fitness gym. It looks like Disney World for adults.” Lola Byron, 74, has mild cerebral palsy and walks with a cane. The Bethesda resident was referred here by her doctors at the nearby National Institutes of Health. After working out at the center, Byron said she is now able to walk up a flight of stairs without clutching the railing for the first time in her life. “I came there to see it, and they showed me these things and I thought to myself, ‘This is absurd.’ I’m a skeptic by nature. But my goodness, it’s amazing! You don’t realize you’re doing exercise. Your focus is just different,” said Byron. Shelly London is also a convert. He suffered what may be a series of mini-strokes, but doctors still haven’t found a clear diagnosis for his declining cognitive and walking abilities. A few weeks ago, he needed a wheelchair to get from the car to his doctor’s office. But after working out at Fitness for Health for just a short time, “It’s like I went to Lourdes. I threw away my cane. My wife was so astounded,” enthused London, who

is 80 and lives in Bethesda. Some health plans may cover visits to Fitness for Health, but many who use it are private pay, Sickel said. Hourly fees for one-on-one training are $125 to $130, but seniors pay a discounted $90 per hour. http://fitnessforhealth.org, (301) 231-7138

Ability Fitness Center Those with spinal cord injuries, autism, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions can be daunted by traditional gyms or not be able to safely use the equipment. Ability Fitness Center opened earlier this year in Leesburg, Va., to address

that problem. Therapists are specially trained to help people with neurological conditions. Specialized equipment uses electrical stimulation to help with muscle contractions. Other equipment might hold a limb in alignment if it is paralyzed or can’t move properly. Harnesses can help people who are usually confined to wheelchairs stand and exercise. One client with a brain injury had no one to celebrate his birthday with, so he came to the center to celebrate with

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From page 17 friends he made there. “This is such an inclusive place. It’s OK if you can’t swallow well, or if you can’t communicate and can just give a thumbs up,” said Helen Parker, a physical therapist who is the center’s clinical director. “When someone has a spinal cord injury, stroke or other neurological diagnosis, they make much slower progress than your typical physical therapy patient. As a result, insurance coverage at most healthcare facilities rarely lasts long enough for

people to reach their true functional potential,” Parker said. Ability Fitness Center doesn’t take insurance or Medicare, but Parker is hopeful insurance companies will someday “realize if a person can get out of a chair and exercise, bones [won’t be] as brittle, they won’t get pressure sores. They will ultimately be healthier, and that will save money.” Monthly fees are $500 for unlimited fitness center time with physical therapists. Need-based scholarships are available. www.paxtoncampus.org/ability-fitnesscenter (571) 439-1520

Brooke Grove Rehabilitation Center With its soaring ceilings, restaurantstyle dining and wooded setting, Brooke Grove’s new rehabilitation center looks less like a healthcare facility and more like a resort. The rehab center, opened in 2016, is the latest addition to Brooke Grove’s campus in Olney, Md., which also houses independent and assisted living homes and memory care facilities. The rehab center features state-of-theart “neurogym” equipment that allows patients to work with therapists in a safe environment while recovering from surgery, falls and other conditions. The bungee mobility trainer, for example, targets the muscles required to perform weight-bearing activities such as standing up from a chair, getting out of bed and walking. Other equipment improves reaction times, balance and concentration. The Dynavision D2 flashes lights that patients move toward, and can be used by those recovering from strokes and in wheelchairs. With the Korebalance machine, patients stand on an inflatable disc that changes angle and direction in sync with video images. Users must shift their balance in response, forcing them to respond as if they stumble on uneven pavement or have to dodge a bike on the sidewalk. A virtual reality recumbent bike with lumbar support allows patients to steer and navigate terrain on 40 different virtual

PHOTO BY BARBARA RUBEN

Fitness

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

Karen Clegg has regained upper body strength she had lost to Parkinson’s thanks to punching bag workouts like this one, at the Rock Steady Boxing program in Gaithersburg, Md.

courses shown on a screen. Patricia McShea has been at the center since she broke her back two weeks ago, choosing it in part because of its five-star rating by Medicare. “My friend, who toured [facilities] for me while I was in the hospital, said it’s the nicest looking place she’d seen,” McShea said. “The therapists here are dedicated and caring, and feel like friends. They help push me to meet my goals.” www.bgf.org/brooke-grove/living-options/rehabilitation, (301) 260-2320.

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

Health Studies Page

THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

Spouses help spot skin cancers early By Lindsey Tanner There’s an extra bonus to marriage for melanoma patients: They tend to be diagnosed in earlier more treatable stages than patients who are unmarried, widowed or divorced, a new study found. Spouses may be apt to notice suspicious moles on their partners that could signal melanoma — the most dangerous type of skin cancer. More importantly, they may also be more inclined to nag their partners to get those moles checked out, the researchers said. The findings suggest that unmarried people should ask relatives or friends to do skin checks, or seek frequent skin exams with dermatologists. Why marriage might make a difference in diagnosis isn’t clear, since unmarried partners or observant friends might also notice skin changes. But maybe married people have more opportunities to notice, or feel more of a responsibility to keep their partners healthy, said study co-authors Cimarron Sharon and Dr. Giorgos Karakousis of the University of Pennsylvania.

Smaller, earlier stage tumors Researchers analyzed 52,000 melanoma patients in a U.S. government cancer database who were diagnosed from 2010 to 2014. Among married patients studied, almost 47 percent had the smallest, earlieststage tumors, compared with 43 percent of never-married patients, 39 percent of divorced patients, and 32 percent of widowed patients. Just 3 percent of married participants had the most ominous tumors, compared with

almost 10 percent of widowed patients. Married patients also were more likely than the others to receive biopsies of nearby lymph nodes, usually recommended to guide treatment. The study, published in JAMA Dermatology, echoes previous research that found advanced melanoma that has spread is less common in married patients.

Melanoma’s tell-tale signs Melanoma often looks like a misshapen mole with a diameter larger than a pencil eraser. It can be a blend of black, brown, tan or even bluish pigment. It’s linked with too much exposure to sun or tanning beds. It’s also more common in fair-skinned people and those with lots of moles. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 90,000 U.S. cases will be diagnosed this year. Amanda Palmer, 37, was diagnosed with early-stage melanoma seven years ago after her husband noticed a suspicious mole on her right leg and kept pestering her about it. “He wouldn’t let up until I finally agreed to go to the doctor,” said Palmer, who is from the Washington D.C. area. She said surgery to remove her cancer and surrounding tissue left a 4-inch scar. Now Palmer gets frequent skin exams, and she and her husband do mutual skin checks. He also reminds her to wear heavyduty sunscreen every time she leaves the house. “I nag him about plenty of things,” she said. “I figure he can have one thing he nags me about.” — AP

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

‘Instant’ chicken takes the pressure off By Melissa D’Arabian Not a day goes by that I don’t get a recipe request or question about the Instant Pot. So, dear readers, today is the day for my starter recipe for you Instant Pot (Multi-Pot, etc.) fans. I’ll start by pointing out that we are really talking about here is an automated, easy-to-use electric pressure cooker. I hear a collective sigh of recognition from a whole generation of home-cooks who have relied on a pressure cooker for years to deliver stews, chilis and braises to their families in quick order. Cooking under high pressure speeds up the process quite a bit, meaning you can have tender braised meat in minutes instead of hours, which can be a boon for weeknight meals. In case you decide to get an electric pressure cooker, here are a few tips. First, read the entire manual before you start cooking anything. It will explain how the cooker works, and give you step-by-step operating instructions. My second tip is to start with something easy that can’t be overcooked: stock or bone broth, for example. Load up the pressure cooker with bones and a few hunks of onion and celery, cover with water (don’t overfill), and set the timed cooker (exactly how long is in — you guessed it — your manual. See, it’s paying off already!). Next tip: Use less liquid than you would use stovetop, as evaporation is eliminated, and don’t overcook. High pressure means you can’t easily open the lid to check on food’s progress and texture as you would with a typical stovetop braise. Be extra aware of the possibility of overcooking if you are cooking tougher meat with tender vegetables. Finally, be aware that “instant” is a bit of a misnomer. While “cook time” in any recipe is

relatively short — today’s recipe for Instant Dijon Chicken only “cooks” for 10 minutes — don’t forget to add the time it takes to come to pressure (about 5-15 minutes) plus time for pressure release, if you aren’t manually releasing the pressure (which I don’t recommend for a newbie). This dish can also be made in a conventional pot on a stove. Combine all ingredients and simmer, covered, on low heat until meat is tender, about 60-75 minutes.

“Instant” Dijon Chicken Servings: 6 Start to finish: 40 minutes 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes 1/4 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped) 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped, about 3/4 cup 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat 1/2 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 1/4 cup Dijon mustard Additional tarragon or chopped parsley for garnish, optional salt and pepper Special equipment: Electric Pressure Cooker (such as Instant Pot or Multi-Pot) Spray the inside of an electric pressure cooker with an olive oil mister for easy cleanup. Place the canned diced tomatoes, wine, tarragon and garlic at the bottom of the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, cut each thigh into three pieces, and place on top of the tomato mixture. Place the halved mushrooms and cut carrot

pieces on top of the chicken. Place the lid on, secure, and close the pressure valve. Set the timer to 10 minutes at high pressure. Once the cooking is done, allow the pressure cooker to sit for 10 minutes, allowing the pressure to release slowly (without moving the valve). Then, carefully turn the pressure valve to open, releasing any remaining pressure. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl and whisk in the Dijon mustard until creamy. Whisk the mustard mixture into the pot of cooked chicken. Top with parsley or additional tarragon, if desired. Serve with cooked cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, quinoa or brown rice. Nutrition information per serving: 246

Instant Pots are high-tech pressure cookers.

calories; 57 calories from fat; 6 g. fat (2 g. saturated; 0 g. trans fats); 142 mg. cholesterol; 941 mg. sodium; 11 g. carbohydrate; 2 g. fiber; 4 g. sugar; 32 g. protein.

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

Update on heart attacks and antibiotics First some interesting facts: The beating sound your heart makes is caused by its valves, which open and close routinely, in a specific rhythm. Most heart attacks happen on a Monday. Not to be scrooge, but December 25th, Christmas Day, is the most common day of the year for heart attacks. In an average day, your heart pumps the equivalent of nearly 2,000 gallons of blood through your body. Compare that to a sixperson hot tub, which holds about 450 gallons of water. The fairy wasp has the tiniest heart on record, whereas blue whales have the largest one, about five feet long. Google is developing algorithms that it

says can predict a heart attack by looking in your eye! This, according to research published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Beware clarithromycin/Biaxin I received two questions today. The first came from Tom who lives in Oklahoma, and he asked me if antibiotics could impact his heart. Since antibiotics are drug muggers of almost all vitamins and minerals [i.e., they can prevent your body from utilizing these important substances], the answer is “Yes!” You need nutrients to keep your heart beating properly, because they act as a catalyst for your electric system. Tom took clarithromycin (brand name:

Picture Yourself Here

Biaxin) as part of triple therapy for his ent antibiotic. This reminder (about your ulcer. Clarithromycin is a popular anti-bac- medical history) becomes particularly imterial sold worldwide. portant if you go to a walk-in The FDA issued a safety alert clinic instead of your regular about it back in 2005, based on physician. early study results pointing to My second question came heart problems with this drug. from Brad in Florida regardIt did not at the time call for any ing his pacemaker. He asked changes in the labeling; just for if it can be hacked. patients to be made aware of the Theoretically, yes. Never say findings. never. Unscrupulous creeps But this past March, the FDA could hack a pacemaker and reissued a stronger “safety anprogram it, causing it to do ernouncement” advising caution DEAR ratic pulsing, deliver potentially in prescribing it to patients with PHARMACIST fatal shocks, or stop altogether By Suzy Cohen heart disease. This is based on by draining the battery. 10 more years of follow-up reBut in order to do this, a sults in the same study, which found people hacker would need to know the brand of who took the antibiotic years ago (for even your implanted device and its particular two weeks) might have a higher risk of dying radio frequency. Then, we need this unethfrom heart disease years later. ical person to know how to reprogram that It doesn’t matter what condition you take specific proprietary device, and he’d have the drug for — whether it’s for ulcers, sinus to get in close enough range to tinker with infections or wounds. It can still impact the the software. Sounds like a movie plot! cardiovascular system, and FYI, it’s not So breathe easy, because the odds are low alone. Many antibiotics impact your heart. that anyone would hack your pacemaker. So if your doctor prescribes the medicaThis information is opinion only. It is not tion Clarithromycin and you already have intended to treat, cure or diagnose your conheart disease or hypertension, I’d remind dition. Consult with your doctor before using the doc of your condition in light of the re- any new drug or supplement. cent studies. Don’t trust your doctor to Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist know everything. and the author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist If you’ve had a heart attack or have heart and Real Solutions from Head to Toe. To failure, it’s not out of line to ask for a differ- contact her, visit www.SuzyCohen.com.

BEACON BITS

June 19

GAIN HEALTH INSURANCE LITERACY

Spauldings Library offers a free health insurance literacy session for adults on Tuesday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m. The workshop is in coordination with Prince George’s County Health Connect. The library is located at 5811 Old Silver Hill Rd., District Heights, Md. For more information, call (301) 817-3750.

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Study says limit alcohol to one drink a day By Mike Stobee Here’s some sobering news: A large international study says adults should average no more than one alcoholic drink per day, and that means drinking guidelines in many countries may be far too loose. The study found that people who down more than seven drinks a week can expect to die sooner than those who drink less. “What this is saying is, if you’re really concerned about your longevity, don’t have more than a drink a day,” said David Jernigan, a Johns Hopkins University alcohol researcher who was not involved in the study.

Men’s limit cut in half While the U.S. government currently recommends no more than seven drinks a week for women, the recommendation for men is 14 drinks. That’s because earlier studies found women are hit by the effects of alcohol at lower amounts than men for several reasons, including women weigh less than men on average and blood alcohol concentrations rise faster. The new study estimates that 40-yearold men who drink as much as the current U.S. guidelines allow can expect to live one to two years less than men who have no

more than seven drinks per week. Canada and Sweden have guidelines similar to those in the U.S. set by the Department of Agriculture. Some countries have much higher ceilings. Spain and Romania set the upper limit for men at the equivalent of 20 drinks each week, for example. British guidelines were like the U.S. standards until two years ago, when U.K. health officials brought the recommendation for men down to the level for women. The study “is a serious wake-up call for many countries,” Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation said in a statement. The group partly funded the study, which was published in the Lancet.

Stroke and heart disease risk

There’s variation from country to country as to how many grams of alcohol are generally found in a standard drink. In Britain, that’s about six pints of beer a week. But in the U.S., 100 grams is equivalent to what’s in seven 12-ounce cans of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of rum, gin or other distilled spirits. The researchers found a higher risk of stroke, heart failure and other problems in that group of heavier drinkers. That may partly reflect that alcohol can elevate blood pressure and alter cholesterol levels, the researchers said. Notably, the heavier drinkers were less likely to have a heart attack. But balanced against the increased risk of a stroke and other heart problems, the impact of drink-

ing more than seven drinks a week is more bad than good, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Angela Wood of the University of Cambridge in England. Like most studies, this one has flaws. It’s not built to make firm conclusions about cause and effect. Research that rolls together previous studies can be problematic if they aren’t similar enough, though this one appears to have done a good job at overcoming that obstacle and combining comparable data, Jernigan said. Researchers relied on what participants reported drinking at the start, recognizing that many people may be lowballing how much they actually down. And the study didn’t account for any changes in their drinking habits. — AP

The research combined results from 83 studies conducted in 19 countries, tracking nearly 600,000 people who drank alcohol. The researchers focused on who developed — and died from — stroke and different forms of heart disease. They made a point of excluding people who had a known history of heart problems at the time they had entered a study. About half the participants said they had more than 100 grams of alcohol a week.

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Money Law &

MONEY MARKET FUNDS UP Money market mutual funds inch up as the Fed raises short-term interest rates. Check out those with the lowest fees LEAVING YOUR LEGACY Writing out a personal legacy statement can help guide you in years to come, and help your descendants understand what you stood for

Update estate plan in light of new tax law By Eleanor Laise The new tax law has led some people to assume they can delete estate planning from their to-do lists. But that is a dangerous assumption. Yes, the new tax law roughly doubles the federal estate-tax exemption, to about $11.2 million per person â&#x20AC;&#x201D; meaning the vast majority of people will not be subject to federal estate tax. But before you take your estate planner off speed dial, consider this: The sharp increase in the federal exemption amount means that old wills and trusts may be in urgent need of an update. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, the law opens new opportunities for estate-planning techniques to save you a bundle on income tax. And it does nothing to diminish a host of other factors that drive many people to engage in estate planning, including creditor protection, defense against financial abuse, and maximizing bequests. Just to cement your estate plannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job security, the new higher exemption amount sunsets at the start of 2026, when the old $5 million exemption â&#x20AC;&#x201D; adjusted for inflation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; reappears. And the law could be changed legislatively even sooner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bad part of this big exemption is most clients are saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gee, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to do anything. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a problem anymore,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Martin Shenkman, an estate planner in Fort Lee, N.J. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re missing what estate planning is really about.â&#x20AC;?

Review regularly Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a good idea to review your estate plan regularly, regardless of legislative changes. Your net worth changes, you or your children get married or divorced, grandchildren are born â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and old documents may no longer reflect your wishes. So rather than consigning estate planning to the back burner, the new law should actually light a fire under seniors who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reviewed their documents in years. One snag that many seniors are likely to find in their estate plans is that old wills and trusts using formulas tied to the federal estate-tax exemption may now have unintended consequences. Consider this example from Colleen Carcone, director in the wealth-planning strategies group at TIAA: Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say you completed your estate plan in 2001, when the federal estate-tax exemption was $675,000. The plan stipulates that the amount that can pass free from federal estate tax should go to your children and everything else to your spouse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That might have worked in 2001, when the kids would have gotten $675,000,â&#x20AC;? Carcone said. But now the kids will receive up to $11.2 million, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;you could unintentionally disinherit your spouse,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Revisit old trusts When reviewing old trusts, you may find that their original purpose no longer seems compelling. Perhaps your estate plan said that at your death, your assets

will pass into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;bypassâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;credit shelterâ&#x20AC;? trust, which will pay income to your surviving spouse and ultimately pass assets to your children. It was once common for married couples to set up such trusts to avoid wasting a deceased spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unused estate-tax exemption. But â&#x20AC;&#x153;portability,â&#x20AC;? introduced in 2011, allows a surviving spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate to use any estate-tax exemption amount that the first-to-die spouse did not use. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, beneficiaries inheriting assets from such trusts miss out on a big tax break. When passed directly through an estate, assets such as stocks and real estate get a â&#x20AC;&#x153;step upâ&#x20AC;? in basis to the market value on the day the owner died â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so heirs pay tax only on appreciation after that date. Assets passed through bypass trusts donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the basis step-up. When the estate-tax exemption was lower, estate-tax planning often trumped income-tax planning, Carcone said. Now, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you have to look at both.â&#x20AC;? But before you scrap these trusts, consider that they can serve many purposes beyond avoiding federal estate tax, said Bernard Krooks, founding partner of Littman Krooks LLP in New York. Might you be subject to a state estate tax? Some state estate-tax exemption amounts are well below the federal level. Do you need the creditor protection that a trust can provide? What if you wind up in a nursing home and spend down all your assets, leaving nothing for heirs?

The new law also opens the door to trust strategies that provide immediate incometax savings and asset protection while allowing you to maintain access to your money, Shenkman said. One current focus of estate-planning lawyers: Making an end-run around the new tax lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $10,000 annual limit on state and local income and property tax deductions. A wealthy individual could put his house in a limited liability company, transfer interests in that LLC to multiple â&#x20AC;&#x153;non-grantorâ&#x20AC;? trusts, each of which can qualify for its own $10,000 state and local tax deduction, and name his spouse as beneficiary of the trusts. The trusts can be set up in a state, such as Alaska, that has no state income tax. So the property is out of his estate, protected from creditors, and he has salvaged the property-tax deduction that was eliminated, Shenkman said. A non-grantor trust may also be a money-saver for people who are charitably inclined, Shenkman said. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say you give $10,000 a year to your church. The new tax law boosted the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual, up from $6,350 previously, so you may get no tax benefit for those donations because you no longer itemize deductions. But if you transfer investments into a non-grantor trust, naming your children, grandchildren and charities you wish to benefit as beneficiaries, the trust could See ESTATE PLAN, page 26

ESTATES & TRUSTS

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How rising interest rates affect your money By Anya Kamenetz After years at rock bottom, interest rates are moving slowly and steadily upward. In late March, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark lending rate to a range between 1.50 percent and 1.75 percent, the highest point since the 2008 financial crisis. The median forecast reported is for another three nudges upward this year. In April, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated the central bank’s commitment to a “patient” approach to raising rates. Keeping interest rates low is a way of keeping money circulating in the economy, which promotes growth. This was a key strategy in recovery from the financial crisis. But the central bank also tries to prevent inflation, which can sometimes happen when growth is too fast. These days, with unemployment trending downward, there’s a consensus that it’s time to let interest rates go back up. However, by historical standards, rates are still very low. How low? Well, between 1978 and 1991 they never went lower than 5 percent. Ten years of low interest rates is a long time — long enough that many will now have to update their working assumptions about how to handle their money. Here are some potential implications of

rising interest rates: Borrowing will become more expensive. You may feel this in credit cards and auto loans, as well as in the rates available for student loan refinancing. Federal student loan interest rates are set by the Education Department each year on July 1 and pegged to the 10-year Treasury rate. Mortgages will get more expensive, and this could affect housing prices. Mortgage lending standards tightened after the crash, and we thankfully left behind the era of zero-percent-down NINJA loans (short for no income, no job, no assets). However, mortgage rates that started with the numeral 3 allowed more people to enter the housing market. This meant more competition for housing and better prices for sellers. Today those average interest rates begin with the numeral 4 for a 30-year mortgage. If you’re selling, this could mean fewer buyers and a longer wait to get a price you like. If you’re buying, that dream home will cost you a bit more. Savings rates, now at rock bottom, should improve. For years it’s been nearly impossible to beat inflation by saving. As of this writing, the top rate on Bankrate.com for a plain-Jane savings account is 1.85 per-

cent. The top rate on a five-year CD is 2.8 percent. Savings rates are getting better but are still not amazing. The effects on bonds are complex. When interest rates are rising, the price of fixed-rate savings bonds will fall. As long as you can hold your bonds to maturity, you don’t have to worry too much [since you will receive the bond’s face value at maturity], but if you have to sell early, you could lose money. When it comes to bond funds, the falling prices will likely hurt total returns but not yields (the interest payments on the bonds). The effects on the stock market are hard to predict. The most recent period of very low interest rates has been accompanied by a run-up in the market. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work

the other way. Adjusting interest rates is supposed to prevent the nation’s economic car from overheating, so to speak, from out-of-control growth. If we were to overcorrect, into a recession, that would obviously by definition hurt the stock market. However, there is no ironclad relationship over time between interest rates and stock market performance. The stock market will react in the short term to each interest rate hike, but over a 10-year investment period you may not see much difference in your portfolio. Anya Kamenetz welcomes your questions at diyubook@gmail.com. © 2018 Anya Kamenetz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Money market funds offering juicier yields By Lisa Gerstner For years, money market mutual funds have paid practically nothing. But each time the Federal Reserve lifts short-term interest rates, yields on money market funds tend to rise in tandem. “That’s one of their most attractive qualities,” said Peter Crane, president of Crane Data, a money fund research company. Many money funds yield more than 1 percent, and Crane expects yields on some funds to surpass 2 percent this summer.

Rates on savings accounts from banks have also been increasing, but have not kept pace with Fed rate hikes. Money market funds invest in highquality, short-term securities, such as Treasury bills, commercial paper and certificates of deposit. Although they carry little risk, they are not protected from losses by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Cash that must be in a safe place, such as an emergency fund, is best stashed in an FDIC-insured bank account. Money

funds provide a convenient holding place for cash in, say, a linked brokerage account. You are more likely to get a higher payout if you invest in a money fund with low expenses. Vanguard Prime Money Market Investor (VMMXX), yielding 1.27 percent, has an expense ratio of 0.16 percent. Taxable money funds generally offer higher yields than tax-free municipal money funds. But if you’re in one of the top federal income tax brackets and live in a state with high income taxes, you may

come out ahead with a tax-free fund. Look at the taxable-equivalent yield — the yield you’d need to earn on a comparable taxable fund after paying taxes — to match the yield of the tax-free fund. For example, Vanguard Municipal Money Market (VMSXX) yields .92 percent, which is a taxable-equivalent yield of 1.55 percent for an investor in the 37 percent federal tax bracket. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Estate plan

That gifting power may have made sense when the federal estate-tax exemption was much lower. But given today’s higher exemption, broad gift provisions should not be part of some powers of attorney, Shenkman said, because they leave seniors vulnerable to financial abuse. If you still want your agent to have gifting powers, Shenkman said, consider reining in that authority — perhaps by restricting gift recipients to trusts that you have established. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

From page 24 earn $10,000 in income and give $10,000 to the church, “and you’ve got a dollar-fordollar tax deduction, because the trust doesn’t have a standard deduction like individuals,” Shenkman said. When updating your documents, don’t neglect durable powers of attorney. Many seniors create powers of attorney giving a trusted agent the authority to manage their finances if they become incapacitated — including the power to make financial gifts to avoid estate tax.

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

Thinking, and writing, about your legacy By Laura A. Roser About half of Americans create at least one New Year’s resolution at the start of a new year, and most of those will have become a distant memory within months. But something you do at any time, and that can make a meaningful difference, is to draw up your own Personal Legacy Statement. It’s like an estate plan, but instead of focusing on finances, it focuses on what kind of life you want to lead.

Have you thought about your legacy? Every hour, every day and every year, you make small decisions that lead you toward becoming a certain kind of person. Many of these “decisions” are made on autopilot as a result of habits you’ve picked up: You instinctively reach for a cup of coffee in the morning, you check your phone whenever it dings, you tense up when your spouse uses that certain tone of voice. These habits create the behavioral trend of your life. But what are they leading you toward? In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes about beginning with the end in mind. If you don’t know your destination, it’s likely you’ll end up going in circles. One of the best ways I’ve found to create an anchor or point of destination for your life is to create a Personal Legacy Statement. A Personal Legacy Statement goes beyond losing weight or saving a few extra bucks for the future. It is a declaration of the kind of person you hope to become, the values you wish to live by, and how you expect to impact others. It provides a vision that directs those tiny decisions that make up who you are.

If, for example, you specify in your Personal Legacy Statement that you would like to be a good parent, you may start changing some things in your day-to-day life, like putting down the cellphone at dinner or reading to your daughter before bed rather than binging on the latest Netflix series. These small acts make a tremendous impact and lead to a legacy you can be proud of. Without this kind of direction, it’s easy to let entropy take over and just go with the flow — leading you to leave a legacy of, well, not much.

Writing your statement A Personal Legacy Statement takes introspection. Spend some time journaling about the questions below and then craft a concise — no more than one page — statement that encompasses the attributes of the kind of person you hope to be known as. 1. Identify your roles. Determine how you wish to represent yourself in the following five roles: • Family Role — How do you wish to connect with and love those in your family? • Social Role — How do you want to interact with friends and acquaintances? • Career Role — How do you want to impact others through your work? How do you find passion and enjoyment in your work? • Community Role — How will you contribute to your local community? Do you have a passion for helping a certain group of people or furthering a cause? • Spiritual Role — How will you nourish your spirit or need for creativity, connection, rest and balance? How will you grow yourself and care for your body and wellbeing? 2. Define your principles.

Think about what values and morals will help you fulfill your various roles. Consider these questions as you’re writing down the values that matter to you: • What principles are important to follow to fulfill the roles you’ve outlined for yourself? • Which character attributes are most important to you? • Are there personal weaknesses or struggles that will make it hard for you to fulfill your legacy if you don’t address them? 3. Specify how you wish to share your legacy. Memories fade quickly; what gets remembered is what is recorded and shared. Con-

sider these questions when thinking about how you wish to share your legacy: • How will you record and document meaningful experiences? • How will you let others know how much they mean to you? • How will you mentor others or pass on your wisdom or skills? To view some examples of Personal Legacy Statements, visit www.paragonroad.com/ personal-legacy-statement-examples/. A good Personal Legacy Statement can serve as the vision for your path forward for 2018 and beyond. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

What to do with an older car: fix or sell? By Philip Reed You’re looking at a $1,200 repair estimate for your ailing car when an ad catches your eye: a brand new set of wheels for a mere $450 a month. At first, dumping your old car might seem like a no-brainer — and you can’t help picturing how good you would look in that new car. But automotive experts say you’ll almost always come out ahead — at least financially — by fixing old faithful. There are, however, other important considerations when deciding whether it’s time to say farewell. “Even though the repair cost might hurt, you really have to think about buying a new car as a tremendously more expensive proposition,” said Jim Manelis, head of direct lending for Chase Auto Finance. At the very least, for a reliable used car, expect to spend a minimum of $2,000, plus tax and registration fees, said Mark Holthoff, editor at Klipnik.com, a community website for used car enthusiasts. Depending on the severity of your car’s problems, “You can buy a lot of repairs for that kind of money,” Holthoff said. Of course, there does come a point when it isn’t worth pouring money into a beater.

However, Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds, said there’s another equally important consideration: peace of mind. “If breakdowns become frequent and you feel unsafe on the road, that’s the time to replace it.”

Deciding what to do To make the best decision for your situation, consider the pros and cons of both options. Fixing your car • Faster than shopping for and buying a new vehicle. • No change in insurance costs. • The car’s history is known. • You won’t waste time and money advertising and selling your car. • But your repaired car might soon need more repairs. Buying a newer car • Purchase can include warranties and sometimes maintenance. • Recent cars have advanced safety features. • Younger cars are more reliable. • You’ll stop wasting time schlepping to the repair garage. • But a new car loan is a long-term financial commitment.

Where’s the breaking point? “Start with the scale of the repair,” Manelis said. “Is it a $1,200 fix, or is it a $5,000 fix?” Then, look up the current value of your car using an online pricing guide like Kelley Blue Book. When repair costs start to exceed the vehicle’s value or one year’s worth of monthly payments on a replacement, it’s time to break up with your car, according to automotive site Edmunds and Consumer Reports, the product review magazine. As an example, say you’ve already spent $1,500 on repairs and now need a new engine for $3,500, and instead you could get a new or more reliable used car for $400 a month ($4,800 a year). Beyond repair costs, Consumer Reports said to factor into your decision the savings from a new car with better fuel efficiency, and the new car’s loss in value over time. Manelis also suggests thinking about your current car after repairs. Once it’s fixed up, what will it be worth and how long will it continue to run reliably? To help answer the question of fixing a car or buying a new one, do a cost-per-mile comparison with the “Fix-it or Trade-it” calculator created by the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association.

If you decide to fix up “It’s imperative to have a mechanic that you trust” before you move forward with any repairs, Holthoff said. For example, the service department at a dealership might be more interested in frightening you with repair bills to get you to buy a new car. Once the car is purring again, Holthoff said to continue driving it long enough to make up for the cost of the repairs. Later, if you decide to sell, you can do so with confidence once the car proves itself reliable again, and you’ve reaped the benefit of the repairs.

If you decide to break up Even if you decide to part ways with your car, you’ll have to get it running again or sell it as-is for less money. If you can, make the repairs, then repay yourself after you sell the car. “Honesty is the best policy,” Manelis said about selling a car with issues. Get an estimate for repairs and show that to a prospective buyer, then tell them you’re willing to reduce the price of the car by the amount they’ll have to spend to fix it. — Nerdwallet via AP

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HOW TO FIND GRANTS

Laurel Library offers an introduction to finding grants for adults on Tuesday, June 12 at 4:30 p.m. New to grantseeking? Discover what funders are looking for in nonprofits seeking grants, and how to find potential funders. The library is located at 507 7th St., Laurel, Md. For more information, call (301) 776-6790.

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VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 6

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By Laura Newland Executive Director, D.C. Office on Aging Happy Pride! Last week, I received a notice for my college class reunion, and it made me think about how much things have changed, just in my lifetime. When I was in high school and college, the idea that people could be with and marry whomever they wanted was an impossibility. My generation has witnessed an incredible change in acceptance of the LGBTQ community. And it’s all been possible because of our LGBTQ seniors. Our theme for this month is Louder & Prouder, #ageproud, in recognition of how seniors have paved the way for all of us to live freer and more open lives. Join us on June 9th at the annual Pride Parade as we march with the Mayor’s Office and the Capital Pride Alliance in celebrating Gay Pride in the District. And for the first time this year, we are inviting older LGBTQ adults to ride along in our inaugural Senior Pride Trolley! Then on Sunday, June 10th, be sure to stop by our DCOA table at the Pride Festival. We will be there all day to share information on the many programs and resources available to keep you healthy, active, and engaged across the city. Stop by and pick up a DCOA rainbow wristband to wear throughout the month (or all year!) to show your support for older LGBTQ adults The District is estimated to have the largest percentage of LGBTQ residents in the nation! And nearly a quarter of District residents identifying as LGBTQ are age 55 and up. This generation shaped our city and paved the way for LGBTQ residents of all ages, making D.C. a city where all are welcome, and all are celebrated.

This month is also an opportunity to recognize some of the unique challenges that our LGBTQ seniors face today. LGBTQ older adults are twice as likely to live alone, twice as likely to be single, and three to four times less likely to have children. We know how important family and strong community ties are to aging well, but the risk factors for social isolation affect LGBTQ older adults in disproportionate ways. So, beyond the celebrations, we’re committed to real work and tackling these issues along with the community. Last year, we formed an LGBTQ Senior Advisory Committee with older LGBTQ residents, advocates, service providers and government partners. The advisory committee worked together to identify needs in the community and make recommendations to the agency. Later this month, we’ll be announcing new programming, based on their recommendations. Programming will include monthly activities, entertainment and learning opportunities around a meal, citywide events and peer-led support groups across the city. Stay tuned for more information about programs for LGBTQ older adults. We’ve come a long way together and made such incredible progress as a city. And we recognize that we still have work to do to be more inclusive and accepting of all of the members of our community. I can’t wait to hear what the youngest generation will say 20 and 30 years from now about what they once thought was impossible for them. I hope that their impossibility becomes their reality, too. Can’t wait to see you at Pride!

A newsletter for D.C. Seniors

June 2018

Celebrating Older Americans Month More than 300 seniors from across the city celebrated Older Americans Month at a breakfast to honor older Washingtonians. Held at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, seniors were treated to a wonderful breakfast, entertainment and an opportunity to express and demonstrate how they “Engage at Every Age.” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services HyeSook Chung and Executive Director Laura Newland, D.C. Office on

Aging, provided greetings, with Newland challenging seniors to try something new. D.C. Commission on Aging Chairperson Carolyn Nicholas and Ms. Senior D.C. Frances Curtis Johnson also provided greetings to all in attendance. Entertainment was provided by the band Bruther’s Plus One that included vocalist Sandra Bears, a jazz piano solo performed by Billie LaVerne Smith, Ms. Senior D.C. 2016, and a dance by The API Senior Service Center.

Mayor Muriel Bowser honored 41 centenarians at the 32nd Annual Salute to DC Centenarians luncheon. Centenarians were presented with medallions and certificates to celebrate their longevity. The oldest centenarian was 106-year-old Dora Credle, a resident of ward 6. Pictured is centenarian Dolores F. Williams.

It’s Game Time! D.C. Office on Aging 2nd Annual Brain Games Join a team and represent your ward! Contact your lead agency (below) to register Registration ends June 29 • Championship: Sept. 12 Ward 1 - Terrific: 202-234-4128 Ward 2 - Terrific: 202-595-1990 Ward 3 - Iona: 202-895-9448 Ward 4 - Terrific: 202-882-1824

Ward 5 - Seabury: 202-529-8701 Ward 6 - Seabury: 202-397-1725 Ward 7 - ERFSC: 202-534-4880 Ward 8 - ERFSC: 202-562-6860

Spotlight on Aging

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Get Involved Saturday, June 2 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Glover Park Day 3600 Calvert St. NW

Monday, June 4 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tenth Street Baptist Church Senior Citizen Information Ministry Health and Resource Fair 1000 R St. NW

Wednesday, June 6 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. DHS and The House of Ruth for Families and Individuals — “Connect with your Community” Resource and Service Fair 651 10th St. NE Contact: Ramona Thomas, ramonac.thomas@dc.gov or 202-698-4186

Annual Health & Resource Fair Ridge Road Community Center, 830 Ridge Rd. SE Contact: Sharon J. Shanklin-Browne, 202-494-8466

Thursday, June 7 3 – 8 p.m. MedStar National Rehabilitation Network Stroke & Brain Injury Open House and Educational Fair 102 Irving St. NW Contact: Molly Holcombe, 202-877-1448

Friday, June 8 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

DCOA will have an informational table Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Pl. NW Contact: Noriel Gorham, 202-265-8200, ext. 269

Sunday, June 10 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Capital Pride Festival DCOA will have an informational table Pennsylvania Avenue at 2nd Street NW Contact: alice.thompson@dc.gov or 202-535-1321

Wednesday, June 13 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Empowering Veterans to Find Their Purpose DCOA will have an informational table GWU Marvin Center, 801 21st St. NW Contact: Orlando S. Herrera 202-630-0747 or oherrera@post12amvetsdc.org

Wednesday, June 6 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 9 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 14 5 – 9 p.m.

Benning Ridge Civic Association’s First

10th Annual DC Housing Expo and Home Show

Ninth Annual Ward 7 Prom for Seniors

On Sunday, June 24 at 2:30 p.m., Ms. Senior D.C. Frances Curtis Johnson will crown the next Ms. Senior D.C. The pageant will be at the UDC Theater of the Arts, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW. Be there to witness the crowning, as nine District residents 60 years of age and older compete for the title. For tickets or more information, see a member of the D.C. Seniors Cameo Club, contact www.dcoa.dc.gov, or call 202-724-5626.

Saturday, June 16 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 22nd Annual North Michigan Park Family Day DCOA will have an informational table North Michigan Park Recreation Center, 1333 Emerson St. NE Contact: Grace Lewis 202-526-7696

Wednesday, June 27

Phyllis Wheatley YWCA Health and Resource Fair 901 Rhode Island Ave. NW Contact: Paulette Holloway, 202-847-0971

Ms. Senior D.C. Pageant

“A Night of Elegance,” including dinner, dancing and entertainment $25 single, $40 couple before June 11; $30 single, $50 couple after June 11 St. Luke’s Center, 4923 E. Capitol St. SE

UDC Institute of Gerontology & Body Wise Program Community Health, Wellness & Informational Fair DCOA will have an informational table UDC Student Center, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW Contact: Whitney Swain 202-274-6623

Review and Comment on Draft D.C. State Plan on Aging After months of gathering community input through our interactive State Plan workshops, at our quarterly town halls, budget presentations, and listening to feedback at our public hearings, the Draft 2019-2022 State Plan on Aging is ready to review. We are proud to say that the goals and objectives in

this State Plan were driven by the community. We invite you to take the time to review the draft State Plan and attachments. We will be accepting public comment until Friday, June 22, 2018 at 5 p.m. Comments can be submitted to ask.adrc@dc.gov or by calling 202-724-5626.

The Mayor’s Annual Senior Symposium: Making Technology Work for You Wednesday, June 20 | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

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

Executive Director Laura Newland

Editor Darlene Nowlin

Photographer Selma Dillard

(Registration and breakfast start at 8 a.m.)

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

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

Dunbar High School 101 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 Join us for a full day of workshops, exhibits, entertainment, and hands-on technology demonstrations. For more information, contact the lead agency

Senior Telephone Town Hall Mark your calendar for the next Senior Telephone Town Hall, presented by the D.C. Office on Aging, the Mayor’s Office on Community Relations, and the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 11 a.m. Get important information and updates on senior programming and events to help

you stay involved. If you can’t make the call, encourage others to dial in. To RSVP or to request reasonable accommodations, call 202-442-8150 or email engagement.dc@dc.gov. Don’t forget! On Wednesday, June 6 at 11 a.m., call in to 1-855-756-7520, extension 30984 to listen and be engaged!

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

Travel Leisure &

Taking your first cruise? For tips on booking, packing and more, see story on page 34.

Mississippi’s resilient Gulf Coast beckons Disasters like these change you, one local said, adding, “We may never get over it.” Changed maybe, but when life gave them “lemons,” they “made lemonade” and they are still making it. Mississippians have rebuilt and repaired. Some stately antebellum mansions survived, and many iconic live oaks, hundreds of years old, still stand, nature’s symbols of resilience.

PHOTO BY ROB HAINER

America’s Riviera Once called “the American Riviera,” the Gulf Coast — the largest manmade beach in the world — is 26 miles long (62 if you count all the inlets and tributaries). A string of 12 high-rise, beachfront casino resorts sprout all along the coastline. Restaurant menus feature shrimp and grits, catfish, crawfish, oysters and fried green tomatoes, exuding hints of New Orleans cuisine. “You come across the bridge from Louisiana and your blood pressure goes down,” said Nikki Moon, owner of the Bay Town Inn, about her hometown, Bay St. Louis. With a population of 10,000, it has an “an ole timey feel,” and is “the gentle way to go about life,” where people walk to restaurants, and chug around in golf carts to see the latest local pottery, jewelry, sculpture and paintings. Chainsaw sculptor Dayle K. Lewis transformed once-living live oaks into “angel

PHOTO BY ANDREW B. HALL

By Glenda C. Booth Exploring Mississippi’s 26-mile Gulf Coast is a sojourn to small, laid-back towns, sugarwhite beaches, artsy enclaves, “aromatic” fishing villages, and even a whiff of William Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County. Life moves at a slow southern pace, and friendly locals greet out-of-towners with a hearty, “Hi ya’ll!” Mississippi Gulf people are proudly resilient. Hurricane Camille smashed into the state in 1969 with 200 mph winds, cracked levees, felled power lines, wreaked havoc and left many bad memories. A 20- to 30-foot tidal surge flooded homes, stores, roads and graveyards. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina roared in, a monster that left massive destruction behind. Called the worst storm in 300 years of recorded history, Katrina severed casino barges from their moorings, heaving them onto buildings and highways. A 30-foot storm surge slammed white caps into homes, carried roofs away and splintered buildings. Pelicans rode 25- to 30-foot waves over the elevated interstate highway. People still talk about watching their cars float away. Then came BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest marine spill in the petroleum industry’s history. It poisoned marine life, blackened seaside wetlands, oiled birds, and dumped tar balls on the beach for several years.

Situated on the Mississippi Sound along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, the Biloxi lighthouse rises over the city’s welcome center, a replica of a pre-Civil War mansion that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Built in 1847, the lighthouse has become a symbol of the city’s resilience, withstanding Katrina and other major hurricanes.

trees” — sculptures that honor hurricane survivors. One served as a raft for three Katrina survivors and their dog. Biloxi, population 44,000, is a centrallylocated base for branching out to coastal points. Across from the Lighthouse, which survived Katrina, the restored visitor center is a replica of the Katrina-smashed Robinson-Dantzler antebellum mansion. Here you’ll learn about the area’s Gilded Age, when the affluent had an active social scene in waterfront mansions, many coming on excursion trains from New Orleans. Woodrow Wilson vacationed at Pass Christian at Beaulieu, the Dixie White House.

Go fish

Seagulls flock around a shrimp boat off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Seafood is one of the area’s prime industries, and visitors can take tours on some of the boats, and visit a museum devoted to seafood, ships and other maritime pursuits.

Coastal Mississippi is all about water, good and bad. Biloxi claims it was the seafood capital of the world in the 1800s. “Seafood built Biloxi,” trumpets one exhibit in the town’s Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, where the narrative starts with Biloxi’s 1699 founding, when settlers looking for gold found oysters instead. Video interviews with old timers recall grueling seafood factory work from the 1890s to 1920s. The museum features boat building, net making, shrimping with sails and trawls,

and fishing equipment, such as oyster dredgers, engines, shrimp peelers and marine blacksmithing. Fishing is a hard life, weathered seamen explain, but they work hard, play hard, bounce back and survive life’s curveballs. Captain Mike Moore’s shrimping excursion on the Sailfish is a spirited lesson in marine mysteries, from jellyfish to bottlenose dolphins to pelicans. The self-described “Ambassador of the Gulf Coast” opens by saying that passengers may need a translator to decipher his Cajun accent. Using a 16-by-35-foot net, he drags the bottom and calls out the critters he brings up. On shrimp, he gabs, “Everything wants to eat them.” Another factoid: “White and brown shrimp grow one inch every seven to 10 days.” Or shrimp anatomy: “Their antennas are for smelling. They hide in the mud and smell what goes by. It’s their radar.” At Quality Poultry and Seafood, visitors ogle mounds of today’s catch. In operation since the mid-1940s, it also hawks pickled quail eggs, and seasonings for gumbo, crab and shrimp boil, étoufée and crawfish pie. One historic Katrina survivor in Biloxi is Beauvoir, built in 1852 and the last home of See GULF COAST, page 33

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

Gulf Coast From page 32 the only president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, also known as a “memorial to the Lost Cause.” Hoop-skirted docents reverently describe the Davises’ genteel life in Beauvoir from 1877 to 1889, and explain that Jefferson Davis’s 1889 funeral was the largest ever in New Orleans, when 50,000 mourners walked 18 miles to the Metairie Cemetery. The adjacent museum memorializes Confederate soldiers with displays of wagons, uniforms, guns and battle scenes. Prominently displayed are Davis’s catafalque, and the “capture coat” that he wore when Union forces caught up with him in Georgia. In a rush, he had grabbed his wife’s coat.

Art along the Gulf For a more modern twist, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum is a four-gallery complex designed by Frank O. Gehry of signature Gehry rounded pods and gray steel. The museum is known for the work of quirky, one-of-a-kind artist, George Ohr, “the mad potter” — an eccentric father of 10, who potted from 1857 to 1918. “I want every pot to be itself,” he said, “no two alike.” Made of local Tchoubouffa River clay, his thin “mud babies” have crumpled edges, loops and curves. Some, seen as offbeat in Ohr’s day, have sold for as much as $100,000. The museum also recounts another resilience story, local African Americans who created their own self-contained town within the town of Biloxi during the segregation era — a community with its own barbers, banks and baseball team, the Dodgers. Civil rights hero Medgar Evers went to Biloxi for the 1960 “wade-in” to desegregate the beaches. Unfortunately, this civil rights action became known as “Bloody Sunday” because a mob attacked the demonstrators as the Biloxi police silently

stood by. A court decision finally desegregated Biloxi’s beaches in 1968. Ocean Springs is a contrast of artsy refinement and juicy, downhome eating, coastal Mississippi style. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art spotlights the work of a man some called a genius, others a schizophrenic. He was prolific, constantly drawing as a child, and later painting four or five watercolors a day on typewriter paper. To better understand hurricanes, he rowed 16 miles to Horn Island and tied himself to a tree during a storm where he felt free. Anderson rode his bike all over the country, traveled the world, and studied snakes, birds, raccoons, butterflies and crabs. One of his series features cats’ sinuosity and kinesiology. The museum houses “the Little Room,” his totally private space where he painted murals on all the walls and created his own world. Tucked in the woods nearby is Shearwater Pottery, a family compound founded in 1928 by Peter Anderson, Walter’s brother, and still home to family potters. Katrina destroyed the showroom, but the Andersons rebounded and rebuilt. They make glazed figurines, decorative tiles, thrown ware and cast ware. Bozo’s Seafood and Market in Ocean Springs is aptly named. It’s a noisy madhouse of long, communal tables, where locals in bib overalls and t-shirts chat with outsiders, as everyone crams down bulging po’boys and mountainous fish sandwiches, all washed down with Dr. Peppers. The Pascagoula River Audubon Center at Moss Point offers a different water experience, a winding ride through the swamps and bayous of the Pascagoula River — the largest free-flowing river in the U.S., and named “the singing river” by French explorers. Guide Bennie McCoy of McCoy’s River

and Marsh Tours explained that the area was once part of the Republic of West Florida, as he pointed out Yaupon hollies, bald cypresses, alligators, egrets, bald eagles, ospreys and turtles sunning on logs. The French named the gray, stringy epiphyte dangling from trees “Spanish moss” because the Spanish had beards, McCoy explained.

Non-stop gaming Gamblers have a wide range of choices, with 12 multi-roomed casinos hosting 24hour gaming and Vegas-type entertainment, such as the Temptations, Four Tops, Louanne Rimes and Michael Bolton. Every casino has a spa and pool, and each has a special allure. Biloxi’s Beau Rivage has stunning inside gardens. Hollywood in Bay St. Louis

has a “lazy river” for tubers that winds around sun decks and to a “swim-up” bar. The Scarlet Pearl in D’Iberville touts an indoor, 18-hole, miniature golf course with an “erupting volcano.” The Casino Hopper Trolley takes patrons to Biloxi’s seven casinos day and night, every 25 minutes. While the BP spill tainted the beaches, and Katrina unleashed its devastating fury, many Yaupon hollies, palms, azaleas and live oaks persisted. “Hurricanes are part of life,” one local philosophized. “Your possessions are not life.” Deal with it and move on, they say. A case in point: The Tatonut Shop in Ocean Springs miraculously dodged Katrina, but the supply line from New Orleans was interrupted and owners had FedEx See GULF COAST, page 34

Upcoming events Scrapin’ the Coast, June 22-24, Biloxi: show with hundreds of hotrods, cars and trucks Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Festival, June 29 to July 1, Bay St. Louis: crab races, arts and crafts, seafood Blues over Biloxi, July 21-22, Biloxi: Blue Angels air show, the Army’s Golden Knight parachute team, Coast Guard rescue demos

Biloxi Seafood Festival, Sept. 8 and 9, Biloxi: gumbo championship, arts and crafts Oyster Cook-Off, September 28-29, Gulfport: best oyster dishes contest, jeep and bike show, country bands Cruisin’ the Coast, September 30 to October 7, entire coast: 7,000 classic cars, drag races, sock hops

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

Tips for those considering their first cruise By Joe Kafka Honeymooners Zach and Alyssa Bynum of Louisville, Ky., had never been on an ocean cruise until last summer, when they sailed aboard Celebrity Equinox. They were immediately enamored with the shiny ship and impressed by the overall experience. They said they likely will cruise again. “We enjoyed the atmosphere and experience, including the excursions and onboard activities,” said Zach Bynum. “We have definitely talked about doing another.” After all, what’s not to like about cruising? Ocean views, exotic ports, and beautiful ships with fine food, abundant activities and great entertainment. Today’s ships are like floating cities, car-

rying thousands of passengers, and each year, new and bigger vessels are launched with ever more unique features. New ships offer everything from menus designed by celebrity chefs, to sophisticated fitness centers and spas, kids’ clubs, and recreation ranging from basketball to water slides to laser tag. Entertainment includes cabaret, dance clubs, blues clubs, Broadway shows, comedy and circus acts. The Bynums booked their trip after talking with Zach’s grandmother, who’d cruised before. First-timers often book on the advice of family or friends, said Peter Giorgi, Celebrity Cruises’ chief marketing officer, and those first-timers frequently come back. “For someone to enjoy something so much that they can’t help but recommend

it to their friends, family and loved ones is the greatest co-sign of all,” Giorgi said. “No amount of advertising dollars can buy that.” Another Equinox passenger, Aaron Humphrey of Columbus, Ohio, was on his first cruise, too. “I was surprised by how much there is to do on the ship,” he said while basking on deck in the warm Caribbean sunshine during a lazy sailing day between ports. “I was hooked on a cruise within the first couple of hours.” His wife Megan, who’d cruised before, said they picked the trip because “we wanted to chill and eat some local food in places we hadn’t seen before, and we decided that a cruise was the best of both worlds.” But if you’ve never done it, the idea of a cruise might be daunting. Here are some tips for first-timers.

Booking Choose cabins according to your finances. Inside cabins are cheapest, ocean view is next, then rooms with a balcony, and most expensive, suites.

Gulf Coast

If you’re prone to motion sickness, lower decks and cabins closest to the ship’s center are the most stable. Peruse layouts online before picking a cabin and to familiarize yourself with the ship’s features. Every cruise line has a different style. To book the right ship for you, experts recommend using a travel agent. It doesn’t cost extra and might save money, because agents often have access to deals.

Packing, departure and boarding Plan your wardrobe carefully, depending on itinerary and expected weather. Laundry and dry cleaning onboard are expensive. The days of required formal wear at dinner — jackets, ties, evening gowns — are long gone, though some passengers choose to dress up. Pack a power strip. Most cabins have only one or two electricity outlets. Shampoo and soap are provided, but you may bring your own — and there’s no size limit like there is for flying. If you’re flying to your departure port, arSee FIRST CRUISE, page 35

And then they say, “Amen,” and “Y’all come back, ya heah?”

From page 33

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bring flour from Birmingham. Uncertain when the next batch would arrive and wasting nothing, they threw leftover dough into the fryer and created odd-shaped morsels, dubbing them Katrina pieces, which eager customers still snarf up today. Maybe it’s their hurricane prayer that’s made them so resilient: “Lord bless and save the Gulf Coast, Lord help us survive this oil spill, help us save our golden Gulf Coast; let the hurt and pain be over, Lord, bless and save our Gulf Coast.”

If you go The most convenient airport is GulfportBiloxi, http://www.flygpt.com. The least expensive fares for mid-June require flying with one airline there and another on the return. For example, a combination of United and Delta flights is $328 from BWI or Dulles in mid-June. Going roundtrip on American Airlines is $418 from Dulles. Visitor information including lodging, events, attractions and tours, can be found at www.gulfcoast.org.

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

First cruise From page 34 rive a day ahead. You don’t want to miss the sailing if your flight is cancelled or delayed. Have reservation documents in hand when checking in at the terminal, along with required identification such as driver’s license or passport. Lines can be long as departure time nears. A mandatory muster drill — where everyone reports to a deck for safety and evacuation information — is held shortly

after departure. Note: It takes a few hours for luggage to be delivered to cabins. And smoking on ships is restricted to certain areas and not allowed in cabins.

What’s free, what’s not No need for cash onboard. Cruises provide plastic cards (like credit cards) to charge purchases to your account, and also as ID for exiting and reboarding the ship at ports. Meals in dining rooms, buffets and poolPHOTO COURTESY OF CELEBRITY CRUISES

side are included with cruise fare, and you may order more than one main course or dessert. Specialty restaurants on board charge extra and often get booked up, so make reservations ahead. Water, coffee, tea, juice and milk are free. Alcohol and soda are not, except for the most upscale cruise lines. Cruises sell daily or weeklong alcohol and soft drink packages that may save you money, depending on your drinking habits. Shows, gyms, water parks and many other facilities and activities are free. Some fitness classes are free, some are not. Spa services are extra. On a budget? Avoid the casino and gift shop. Using cell phones at sea, if service is available, is costly. Consider putting phones in airplane mode. Most ships offer Wi-Fi packages but they’re pricey, so you might wait to go online until you’re at a hotspot in port.

On top of your cruise fare, cruise lines usually suggest an amount to tip the staff. Some automatically add daily tips to your bill for distribution among room stewards, wait staff and others. Tips are automatically added to alcohol.

Excursions Shore excursions may be booked through the cruise line, or you can go off on your own in port or hire independent tour guides. Booking through the ship guarantees you will not be left behind if your tour is delayed for some reason. If you go off on your own and return late, the ship will leave without you. For more on cruising, listen to the Associated Press’s @APTravel podcast “Get Outta Here!” at http://apple.co/2s2ruHY . — AP

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

BUCKS CO, Oct. 10–12 ...................................................................................................... $539pp Includes Motorcoach, 2 nights Hotel, 3 meals, Baggage handling & Sightseeing.

Based on double occupancy

BEDFORD SPRINGS,PA, Oct 21–24.......................................................................................$982pp First-time cruisers can take advantage of a variety of leisure activities, such as sunning and swimming, at this elaborate pool on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge, which includes martini glass-shaped hot tubs and a huge artistic mirror installation.

Relax & pamper yourself with a 3 night stay at the Omni Hotel & Resort, also included is Based on double occupancy a guided tour of the local area, 6 meals, Resort fees, Motorcoach, taxes & meal gratuities.

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

Books that explore the great outdoors As the travel season approaches, it’s Parks provides a wealth of information for wise to consider your choices carefully be- those planning a trip to any one of our fore embarking. Here are country’s magnificent and some books to make the planwondrous natural treasures. ning easier. For each of the 59 parks, Even an armchair traveler you’ll find intricate maps, dewill be mesmerized by the tailed information on hiking many scenic destinations detrails rated by difficulty, data scribed in these books. Let on campsites, and sports acyour imagination soar, whether tivities for all ages. on a flight of fancy or a real life Advisories on seasonal adventure. weather conditions, lists of Your Guide to the Nalodgings, and transportation lotional Parks: The Com- THE gistics are included. Directions plete Guide to All 59 Na- BIBLIOPHILE to the park and suggested itinBy Dinah Rokach tional Parks, second edieraries within the park as well tion, by Michael Joseph Osas nearby attractions are enuwald, 704 pages including 160 maps, merated. 450 images and 50 hiking tables. Stone The graphics are easy to follow and inRoad Press softcover, 2017. clude “places not to miss” indicated right Mike Oswald’s Guide to the National on the map. The photographs are beauti-

ful. Websites, addresses and contact information are provided. Oswald provides an insider’s perspective with much more information than on a typical guided tour or in a standard guidebook. The author also rates parks, and includes many less crowded sites that are worth visiting. The first edition deservedly won the Benjamin Franklin Award of the Independent Book Publishers Association, the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award and the National Outdoor Book Award. The second edition was put to press before the Senior Pass price increase was announced. Be aware the cost is now $80 lifetime or $20 annually. Families on Foot: Urban Hikes to Backyard Treks and National Park Adventures, by Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis, 256 pages with color photographs. Falcon in partnership

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

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

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

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with the American Hiking Society, softcover, 2017. The American Hiking Society’s Families on Foot is a beautifully illustrated guide to experiencing great nature walks — whether on local trails or in national parks. It’s all-encompassing, with recommendations on gear, food, packing tips, suggested hikes, and even games to play while walking. The photography is breathtaking. Checklists are provided throughout. Interspersed are short essays describing personal stories of happy hikers. Safety on the trail is addressed in detail. Recommendations are provided for appropriate outings tailored to diverse age groups and different levels of fitness. Included is information on finding appropriate hikes and nature walks for toddlers, teenagers, seniors, disabled youngsters and individuals with medical restrictions. And the Davises provide websites galore and lists of apps to download to make your adventure more accessible. Families will refer often to this guide. Exercise in the outdoors heals the body and soul, helps shed calories and wards off feelings of isolation and depression. Best Hikes on the Appalachian Trail: Mid-Atlantic, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, by Matt Willen, 296 pages. Menasha Ridge Press and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 5 x 8 inches, paperback, 2017. This indispensable Best Hikes guide covers in a concise, well-organized format 43 day-hikes, ranging from one hour to all day in duration, on nearby portions of the Appalachian Trail. It provides timely and pertinent information to make your outing pleasurable and safe. Detailed maps show elevations, GPS trailhead coordinates and parking spaces at the starting point of the suggested hikes. Hikes are described by their length, duration and difficulty. Trails are also rated by author Matt Willen in terms of scenery, condition, the degree to which they are child-friendly, and how solitary they are as far as the number of fellow hikers one may encounter. Access by car, the presence of restrooms, places of historic note and natural wonders are listed. The best hikes for birders, where to encounter the most interesting geological formations, the most inspiring views, and trails with lakes, streams and waterfalls are enumerated. Overlooks, nearby attractions and suggested side trips are cited for each hike where relevant. Guidance as to monthly climate conditions, advice on how to dress, descriptions of essential gear, and information on trail etiquette are thoughtfully included. Chapters are grouped by state. Black and white photos of the focal point of each of the 43 hikes begin each chapter. Appendices provide websites and phone numbers of state parks, forests and public lands authorities traversed by the ApSee GREAT OUTDOORS, page 37

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

What to know about flying with your pet By Pat Mertz Esswein In late March, a dog died after being stowed in its carrier in an overhead bin on a United flight. Soon after, United announced that it would suspend reservations for cargo transport of pets while it reviewed its program, a process it completed at the end of April. Airlines publish guidelines and rules on their websites for traveling with or transporting pets. The rules differ for domestic and international travel, as well as for service animals. Here are some highlights for domestic travel:

Book early Space for pets carried on or checked as cargo is limited and offered on a firstcome, first-served basis (excluding service animals), and traveling with pets isn’t allowed on all types of aircraft. Call ahead to check your itinerary and book your pet. Service animals, and emotional or psychiatric support animals, fly free. They must fit in your lap, at your feet or under the seat, and they can’t block the

aisle or an emergency exit. Owners are generally required to notify the airline at least 48 hours before travel, and submit a note from a doctor or licensed medical professional confirming the passenger’s disability and need. United and Delta also require owners to submit a signed health certificate or immunization record for the animal, plus a signed confirmation of animal training. Airlines prohibit puppies or kittens younger than 8 weeks from traveling. They have varying requirements for proof of vaccination and health certificates from a licensed vet. Carriers and crates must be sized and constructed to certain standards to ensure the animal’s comfort and safety. Even if a carrier or crate from a retailer is labeled “airline approved,” check the specific airline’s requirements. If you can, acclimate pets to their carrier or crate two to three weeks before departure.

in front of you. The “kennel” counts as one piece of carry-on luggage. Airlines will charge a flat, one-way fee of $95 to $125 at check-in for each segment of your flight. American and Delta charge $200 per crate for cargo customers. United charges by weight, from $201 for 10 pounds or less, to $630 for 150 to 200 pounds (and $60 more to go to or return from Hawaii). Many airlines prohibit the transportation of brachycephalic breeds — shortnosed dogs and cats, such as pugs, boxers and Himalayans — that are prone to respiratory problems that may be exacerbated

by stress and changes in air quality and temperature in a cargo hold. Overweight animals and those with preexisting health conditions may not fare well in cargo, either. The good news is that pet injury or death during air travel is rare. In 2016, 40 out of 506,994 animals transported as cargo on major passenger airlines died or were injured during the trip, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. © 2018 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Great outdoors From page 36 palachian Trail, as well as contact information for local trail clubs. Make the Most of Your Time on Earth: 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences, fully updated third edition, Rough Guides Reference Series, 608 pages with color photographs, paperback, 2016. This comprehensive, updated and revised compendium of 1,000 “ultimate travel experiences” by Rough Guides is a wonderful resource for ideas, both practical and exotic. It enumerates suggestions for travel destinations by region.

Each listing is accompanied by a few short descriptive paragraphs, many are illustrated with color photographs and, where pertinent, information is included on websites for more detailed information. In the back of the guide, the experiences are categorized by theme and alphabetically by country. This book is a wish list for anyone with wanderlust. Whether you’re a daredevil or a more sedate traveler, a distant or local sojourner, you’re sure to find a trip idea that you may have overlooked. Included among the more imaginative destinations are downto-earth suggestions that you may never have considered. It’s worth taking a look. If not to embark, then to dream. Bon voyage!

BEACON BITS

July 7

MS. VA. SENIOR PAGEANT

The 2018 Ms. Virginia Senior America Pageant will take place on Saturday, July 7 at James Lee Center Theater, 2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church, Va. at 1 p.m. A reception will follow. Tickets cost $10 (donation to the organization). For more information, contact Rebecca Rebb Nunn at (804) 435-3704. For tickets, contact Betty Graves at (703) 778-4004 or (571) 505-9285.

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Style Arts &

The dark comedy Flood City compares Johnstown, Pa.’s Great Flood of 1889 with the loss of steel mill jobs in the 1990s. See review on page 40.

Getting together with Jesse Colin Young All in the family Now 77, Young says one of the most exciting facets of his music today is playing in a band with his son Tristan, 27. The band members, including Tristan, are recent graduates of the Berklee College Music in Boston. “His senior recital in 2016 just blew me away. I thought, ‘My God, before I leave the planet I want young people like him to play music with me,’” Young said in an interview with the Beacon. “This generation is all in their 20s, and they love my music. There’s something so powerful about them playing it and believing in it. No matter how tired I am [when we start playing], it’s so uplifting that I find myself grinning from ear to ear.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE COLIN YOUNG

By Barbara Ruben It was one of the anthems of the late 1960s, the Youngblood’s “Get Together,” playing from top 40s stations, at outdoor concerts, and repeatedly on TV ads as the official song of the National Council of Christians and Jews. “Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together. Try to love one another right now,” was a folkrock rallying cry that was both Vietnam War protest song and a plea to heal the rifts that divided a turbulent America. Over the decades, the song has popped up in the Forest Gump soundtrack and twice on “The Simpsons.” Last fall, it played throughout a Walmart ad, in which people from all walks of life silently bring a variety of chairs to an outdoor table to share a meal. And says Jesse Colin Young, the lead singer of the Youngbloods, the song has more relevance today in an America fractured by political fault lines than it has since it debuted half a century ago. Young and his band will play at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club on June 7 and 8, followed by a show at the Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis on June 9.

Jesse Colin Young has been a fan of motorcycles since he was young. In addition to his famous song “Get Together,” his 1974 “Motorcycle Blues” is also a fan favorite. He will perform with his son Tristan at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on June 7 and 8.

A start in the ‘60s Young was barely in his 20s himself when he released his first album, Soul of a City Boy, at age 21. Born and raised in Queens, Young’s mother was a violinist with a beautiful singing voice and perfect pitch. His father was passionate about classical music, and the family spent evenings gathered around the piano singing.

Young bounced around from school to school. He got kicked out of the elite Philips Andover Academy because he spent all his study time playing guitar. “I was swept up in the music,” he remembers. He then went to public high school and Ohio State and New York Universities, but

school never had the same appeal as the allure of music. In Ohio, he was allowed to take records home from stores to play and then return them. They served as his introduction to the blues, from BB King to Ray Charles, as well as country music. See YOUNG, page 39

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

Young From page 38 “I’ve always felt what you call rock and roll is the collision from these two streams, a Celtic stream and an African stream. It was very gritty and very attractive to a boy raised in the suburbs where life was very calm and cloistered,” he said. Along the way, he worked in hotels, a factory, even at the Rockefeller Foundation. “I hated all of it, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I could make a living with my guitar,’” he recalled. So he used his connection with his sister’s husband, who worked at CBS, to wrangle a meeting with a jazz musician who worked with singer Bobby Darren. They liked Young, and “Soul of a City Boy” was recorded in just four hours in 1962. During those early days he played at well-known coffee houses like Gertie’s Folk City. One night he recognized a fellow singer as someone he had gone to elementary school with, but couldn’t quite place him. He just remembered his first name. “He looked at me after I told him about what I was doing, and said, ‘I make records, too.’ I thought to myself, ‘Artie, Artie, oh, Art Garfunkel!’” Young released another album in 1964 and formed the Youngbloods in 1965. “Get Together,” written by folk-rock singer Chet Powers, rose to Top 5 charts around

the world in 1969. The Youngblood’s album Elephant Mountain contained two of their other chart-climbing hits, “Darkness, Darkness” and “Sunlight.” Young’s first album after the group broke up was Song for Juli, considered by many to be his best work, the title song was a tribute to his daughter, born in 1966. Young continued to tour through the 1970s and played to his largest audience — 200,000 — at the 1979 No Nukes concert at Battery Park in New York, singing “Get Together” with such luminaries as Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills. In 1993, Young and his wife Connie launched their own independent label, Ridgetop Music, from their mountain home in Marin County, outside San Francisco. Just two years later, a forest fire engulfed their property, destroying everything and leaving Young and his family literally with just the clothes on their backs. They moved to Hawaii, building a private school and growing organic Kona coffee, called Jesse Colin Young’s Morning Sun Coffee, still sold today. In 2006, he moved to South Carolina to be near family. There he continued to record.

A new album His newest album, tentatively titled Dreamers, will be released in September, and features songs that resonate with today’s issues including the #MeToo movement and

SPOKEN WORD PERFORMACE

The National Museum of Women in the Arts presents “Fresh Talk: Out Loud,” a spoken word performance with poets Nikki Giovanni, Elizabeth Acevedo and Emi Mahmoud, who will also engage in intergenerational conversation. The talk takes place on Wednesday, June 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; a cocktail hour will follow from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. The museum is located at 1250 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. Admission costs $25 ($20 for members). For more information, visit nmwa.org or call (202) 783-5000.

‘Great Performances in the Neighborhood’ Washington Balalaika presents

Rockville Brass Band presents Best of Britain – Featuring Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets Tickets: $25; $20 Seniors; $15 Stu- Saturday, June 23 at 3 p.m. dents; Children/12 & younger Free Tickets: $10 General Admission

Oh My Stars!

The Victorian Lyric Opera Co. presents Patience 6 Performances | June 8,* 9, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.; June 10** and 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $28; $24 Seniors (65+); $20 Students. *Opening Night Special Ticket Price: $14. **Pre-show backstage tour and post-show Q&A

Theatre F. Scott Fitzgerald

the young adult immigrant “Dreamers.” But he had to give up touring for a while as he battled Lyme disease, which he got a decade ago but went undiagnosed for several years. He is still undergoing treatment for it. Young is now back to touring, with dozens of shows a year, many of them selling out. “Having an adoring audience is still a thrill. I’m going to ride this wave as long as I can physically tolerate it. It’s a dream for someone like myself at my age to find this rejuvenation. “It’s like the gift of “Get Together.” If there is a thing called karma, it’s like the finishing

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of a circle. We need to play it and music like it….It’s time to not just try to love one another, because we know the difference between trying and doing. It’s time to do.” Young will be playing at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md. on June 7 and 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. To buy tickets, go to http://bbjlive.com or call (240) 330-4500. On June 9, he will be at the Ram’s Head On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis, Md. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55. See www.ramsheadonstage.com or call (410) 268-4545.

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BEACON BITS

June 13

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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

Moving dark comedy packs a message By Michael Toscano It’s amazing how little it takes for the sound of water to quickly transform from peaceful sloshes and ripples to a mighty, fearful roar. One moment you’re being calmed and relaxed. Suddenly, you’re powerless, swept away and helpless in the malevolent grip of an unyielding and mighty force. That’s just the first switch that playwright Gabrielle Reisman layers in for us in her surreal black-comedy-with-a-message, Flood City, onstage through June 17

at Theater Alliance in Washington, D.C. There are gentle surprises, laughs, shocks and moments of confusion. Why is that? Well, imagine that you’re a sensitive writer and you moved to New Orleans just a few days before Hurricane Katrina struck. You might experience a dislocating swirl of responses, don’t you think? Well, that’s what happened to Reisman. She has perceptively created a world populated with sympathetically drawn characters who find themselves at the mercies of

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both nature and greed. Characters who may be both victims and victimizers, depending on the exigencies of the moment. You know, people like us.

The Johnstown floods But her play isn’t about New Orleans. Flood City is the name Johnstown, Pa., uses to market itself these days. With the steel mills once supporting it long gone, the town relies on memories of several horrific floods that etched the name Johnstown in the annals of disasters. After all, they give the place an identity and bring in tourists. The first flood was a massive disaster: the “Great Flood of 1889” wiped away much of the town and the lives of 2,209 residents in an angry torrent of water said to temporarily equal the force of the Mississippi River coming down Main Street. Thousands of people were instantly rendered homeless. The cause: days of heavy rain overpowering a poorly maintained earthen dam owned by wealthy private interests. The disaster focused attention on the “robber barons” and their responsibilities in cases of industrial damage. A hundred years later, Johnstown residents were afflicted, less dramatically perhaps but still profoundly, by the loss of jobs as the steel mills emptied out. Reis-

man ties these events together in an absorbing eddy of drama and dark comedy. So that’s a lot to get through. But Reisman does it by deftly utilizing several tricks available to writers: time-shifting and fantasy. But the tricks are tightly woven to just enough reality to provide a bracing message. And here she is aided by director Jenna Duncan’s dynamic pacing, drama-enhancing synchronized movement from Jonathan David Martin, richly produced sound design from Matthew Nielsen, and commanding performances from the talented ensemble of seven actors, several of whom play dual roles.

Deft, sensitive portrayals Back in 1889, Lolita Marie plays Val, who has lost her children and her man, all of whom “went down,” which seems to be the generally accepted term for those who were swept away. Homeless, with no belongings, Val struggles to survive emotionally. Marie sensitively shows us a woman struggling with hushed grief and anger. Even during some of the wilder moments as worlds seem to collide, her face is a mask of quiet pain. It’s is a startlingly effective performance. She is joined by Kari Ginsburg as Stacey, a flood victim who deals with intense grief See FLOOD CITY, page 41

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

From page 40 with a mix of sublimation and opportunism. Ginsburg’s work is vivid, gleefully demonstrating the will to do whatever it takes to survive, while hiding her pain. Her role also supports several important themes in the work. These include the role of the press, corporate greed, shifting economic conditions, and the plight of unemployed steelworkers, all of which get their moments of exploration. Ryan Tumulty is outstanding as Clive, an unfortunate flood victim who has a lead pipe impaled in his skull, re-wiring his brain so that he seems to see — and take us into — the future, as represented by the early 1990s. In a role that could be merely silly, he underscores Reisman’s satirical impulses with palpable realism. The play was mostly written before Donald Trump gathered together enough dislocated, disrespected people in neglected

counties to gain the Oval Office, putting those people in the spotlight. But it could serve as a template for what happens to people when time and technology move on, leaving them behind. Here, Kerri Rambow’s work shines in two roles, the efficient Red Cross worker who assists flood victims in 1889, and the modernera bartender who contends with laid-off steelworkers. She fully inhabits each role so much so that she truly seems like two people. Flood City has an ending that will seem either happy or sad depending on your personal outlook. One clue: we see the future, and while it glitters, it may not be golden.

Small theater company Theater Alliance may not be familiar to some theater-goers. It is a smaller theater company dedicated to staging “thoughtprovoking, socially conscious work.” And that’s one reason why there is a discussion after each performance. The company performs in the Anacostia

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: INPUT WEIGH UPROAR NINETY Answer: The jogger was happy to find some -RUNNING WATER

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Playhouse, which is reclaimed industrial space, part of a renewal happening in that part of the District. The street is clean and well-lit, and you can park for free right out front. Flood City continues through June 17, staged by Theater Alliance at Anacostia Playhouse. The theater In the Theater Alliance’s production of Flood City, Ryan Tuis located at 2020 Shannon multy plays Clive, a victim of the 1889 Johnstown flood, Pl. S.E. in Washington, D.C. who gains the ability to foretell the future thanks to the Performances are Thurs- lead pipe impaled in his skull. Kerri Rambow is a Red days, Fridays and Saturdays at Cross worker assisting those caught in the rushing waters. or more qualify for group discounts. 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is ample free parking directly in Tickets are $40 ($30 for patrons 60+ and military). A limited number of “Name Your front of the theater, and the theater is acOwn Price” tickets are available at the box cessible by those with disabilities. For tickets and information, visit www.theoffice one hour before the performance. Limit: one ticket per person. Groups of 20 ateralliance.com or call (202) 241-2539.

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

Mourning the loss of old-time baseball Three cheers for spring. I’ve been through many of them — some would say too many — and for most of those years, this young man’s fancy didn’t turn only to love. When April arrived, baseball arrived. All together now…“Take me out to the ball game…Take me out with the crowd…” Ah, the crack of the bat. Ah, the umpires who would screech, “Yerrrr out!” Ah, those legendary teams of yesteryear — the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Philadelphia Athletics, the St. Louis Browns. Ah, the

quotes uttered by the wondrous manager of the Yankees, Casey Stengel. “Most people my age are dead. You can look it up,” said Casey, memorably. I’m still a big fan of love, but as this spring heads toward summer, I’m no longer a big fan of baseball. Once upon a time, it was an actual athletic event. Runners ran. Outfielders sprinted. When a relief pitcher was summoned from the bullpen, he double-timed to the mound. Today, he rides on a golf

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cart, or walks as if he has all the time in the of profound thoughts once he arrives, on world. the order of, “You should be throwing It’s not surprising that basestrikes and not balls.” Then ball has given way to every he will continue to stand other sport — in terms of dolthere and try to look stratelars, in terms of the calendar, gic. and in terms of buzz. Half the time, the umpire All too often, in today’s verhas to come out to tell everysion of baseball, a pitcher will one that this is a sport, not a throw a pitch. The batter will PowerPoint presentation. Once upon a time, when then step out of the batter’s my hair was its original color, box, adjust his batting glove baseball games took two six times, knock imaginary HOW I SEE IT hours. Today, they usually dirt out of his spikes six times, By Bob Levey take more than three. take six practice swings, and Once upon a time, the best players on only then gingerly reassume his batting stance. This ballet is repeated after almost any team would not just earn their money every pitch. Watching grass grow is more with home runs. They would steal bases action-packed. and chase down enemy fly balls. The pitcher is no better than the batter. Today, these not-so-super superstars When he should be winding up and throw- don’t try to steal because they might strain ing, he is pawing the dirt with his feet. He a hamstring. Nor do they chase down fly is telling the catcher, with shakes of the balls because, half the time, they don’t play head, which ten kinds of pitches he in the field. doesn’t plan to throw. He will often pick up They are what’s called “designated hitthe rosin bag and play with it for 15 sec- ters,” which means they lumber out of the onds. Please. dugout four times over the course of an The visits of managers to the mound are evening, fail an average of three of those the stuff of high comedy — and more times, then do nothing in between except call their brokers or their girlfriends. needless delay. The manager will walk ever so slowly to See BOB LEVEY, page 45 the pitcher’s side. He might utter a couple

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

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Crossword Puzzle Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Plus Classics of Dental Literature ByStephen StephenSherr Sherr 1

17 21

35 40

43 47

58 63

Across

Jumble answers on p. 41.

1. Candy Land and Candy Crush 6. A One who pushes back on pushers 10. Text response to intrusive questions 14. In flames 15. Sandwich cookie, left to right 16. Sandwich cookie, right to left 17. Maui-based dental practice, perhaps 20. Before, poetically 21. Darth Vader, to his childhood pals 22. “I’m just ___” (Lee Harvey Oswald’s denial) 23. Line of clothing 26. First 60% of Old Macdonald’s refrain 27. ___ on the dotted line 30. Pedicurist’s perimeter 31. Top producer of ATM’s 32. Mark Twain’s final unpublished novel, perhaps (with 43 Across) 36. The only name given for the father in Calvin and Hobbes 39. General of Detroit 40. Fix a hockey stick 42. Acronym that both psychiatrists and psychologists use for their orgs. 43. See 32 Across 47. Pas’ business partners 49. “Not ___ dare!” 50. One of the A’s in NCAA 51. Airport code for Iran’s Omidiyeh Air Base 52. A whole lot of 55. Bring back, as an old fashion style 58. The palindromic Bobbsey twin 59. Short for reputation, repetition, or repetition 62. Holiest hole, perhaps 66. Cupid, to the Greeks 67. December 24th and 31st 68. Castro’s favorite was “Cohiba Corona Especial” 69. Certain e-mail folder 70. Deli breads 71. Create big hair 1. Be slack-jawed 2. ... off in the distance

Down

39 42

30 33

Scrabble answers on p. 41.

10 16

3. Bog down 4. Victorian ___ 5. Chevy Impala, for example 6. Busiest busybody 7. Verb for you, but not I 8. Striped person on a striped field 9. Coke Zero or Pepsi One 10. Art with many small parts 11. Good name for a Beatles cover band 12. Valuable rocks 13. All of the Headless Horseman 18. Conclusion to sit and stand 19. “A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the ___” (Balzac) 23. Prefix with China 24. The Simpsons storekeeper 25. Scratch up the calendar’s third month 27. Saint Martin, briefly 28. Home of the “Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity” 29. “Hurry up” 33. Like acidic foods, to teeth 34. National Science Foundation 35. Some sets on Doogie Howser, M.D. 37. Planet of the ___ 38. 2017 Emmy-winner Laura 41. First word in A Visit from St. Nicholas 44. Excessively 45. Yoko, whose Skylanding statue is in Chicago 46. Basketball-based insanity 48. In the thick of 53. Fond du ___, Wis. 54. Put into law 55. Highlighted lines on a AAA map 56. German for “honor” (or acronym for “here”) 57. Word before after (in Mother Goose) 59. Largest city of Latvia 60. Search options on cheapOair.com 61. Combustible pile 63. Feature of Wrigley Field 64. Originally called, as a family name 65. Compete for

Answers on page 41.

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

Bob Levey From page 42

Say you saw it in the Beacon

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

I almost forgot — baseball arguments. An umpire will make a call. Various members of one team will vigorously object. They will surround the umpire, call him vile names, kick the dirt and stomp around like so many wild ponies. This extended protest usually stops action for at least three minutes. Oddly, this isn’t always a bad thing, because the arguments are often more entertaining than the game. Baseball knows it has a snooze problem. It has tried to address it by imposing a time limit between pitches, and by offering instant replay of disputed calls. But the time limit isn’t restrictive enough, and instant replay is yet another way to kill pace. I admit that I am the victim of sentimentality and of the hero worship of my boyhood. I revered Mickey Mantle. I worshipped Yogi Berra. I look at today’s multizillionaire superstars, whose statistics are no better and are sometimes worse, and I change the channel to the NBA playoffs. Should baseball impose a limit of seven pitches per at-bat? Should baseball ban atthe-mound visits by managers? Should baseball somehow be played by the clock? (It’s the only major sport that isn’t.) Should baseball disallow warm-ups between every half inning (these now consume an average of 20 extra minutes per nine innings)? Any or all of that would help. But none of it would help this former fan return to the hosannas he used to utter. When baseball begins each spring, I yawn deeply and remember how much fun this game used to be in the 20th century. It simply isn’t anymore. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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CLASSIFIEDS The Beacon prints classified advertising under the following headings: Business & Employment Opportunities; Caregivers; Computer Services; Entertainment; For Sale; For Sale/Rent: Real Estate; Free; Health; Home/ Handyman Services; Miscellaneous; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 47. CAVEAT EMPTOR! The Beacon does not knowingly accept obscene, offensive, harmful, or fraudulent advertising. However, we do not investigate any advertisers or their products and cannot accept responsibility for the integrity of either. Respondents to classified advertising should always use caution and their best judgment. EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS: We will not knowingly or intentionally accept advertising in violation of federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or handicap in connection with employment or the sale or rental of real estate.

Business and Employment Opportunities EXPERIENCED TELEPHONE SALES for marketing and advertising company. Work from home. Flexible hours, high commission & unlimited income. Basic computer skills required. Call 301-975-9462.

Caregivers CHEVY CHASE HOME CARE — reliable certified caregivers at time of illness, infirmity, loneliness. Personal assistance, ALL AGES, 4- to 24-hour shifts, homes, hospitals, nursing homes. MD, DC, No. VA. Tel.: 202-374-1240. www.ChChHomecare.com. “A” HOME HEALTH CARE — Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in. Flat rate for live-in care. 15 years’ experience. 240-533-6599. I WILL CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES night/day. Own transportation. Good references. Lots of experience. 301-502-2258. LICENSED CAREGIVER SEEKS position day or night — 25 years plus experience. Transportation available. Excellent references. Please call Ms. Stanford at cell: 240-351-7295. Rates negotiable. SKILLED, LOVING CAREGIVER seeking full-time position providing care for the elderly or person with disabilities in their home. Has references. Call Monica, 301-646-2132. ELDERLY CARE — FEMALE care provider. English speaking with car. I cook, clean and take to appointments. I’m experienced in caring for people with MS, Alzheimer’s and other health problems. Excellent references, 301-2757283.

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

Financial

For Sale

Political Candidates

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

2 CEMETERY PLOTS FOR SALE in Parklawn Memorial Gardens in Rockville, MD. Priced at $6,000 for both (level A & B). Call Kay at 540-247-7933 for information.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate

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.

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

AVOID THE COMMUTE! Unique opportunity to live near your business. 100 year old two-story home with adjacent 4500 sq. ft. building. Both currently zoned commercial. Onsite parking. Easy access to highways. 2009-2011 West Street, Annapolis. For sale or lease by owner. 410-2680743 or 410-271-2970. Snyder1776@hotmail.com. LEISURE WORLD GARDEN APT, One bedroom, one bath, available for rent June 1st. Ages 55 plus. New carpet, new paint, full-size washer/dryer in unit, unique, direct access to parking lot. No smoking. Rent includes all utilities, basic cable, storage. Call Linda at 301-906-5000 or email cptchick@aol.com. 1-BEDROOM BASEMENT FOR RENT in Beltsville. It has movie theater, wet bar, huge space, cable. It has own entrance. Utilities included. $1,150 a month. Please call 240-507-2830. BASEMENT ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT. Available immediately. $995 per month, including utilities. Laundry available. Working senior, female preferred. 301-233-4722. LOOKING TO TAKE THE LEAP? I’ll take you on a tour of the community, show you floor plans, discuss campus amenities, & offer how to best coordinate your move. I will set up an automated online search for you, preview units, and contact you to arrange a showing when there is a match. I also offer exceptional service selling your home. I’m a Seniors Specialist, Buyer Broker, Top 1% of Agents Nationwide, and a Leisure World resident! You can see my current listings in this issue. Contact me: 301-580-5556, SueHeyman@aol.com, www.SueHeyman.com, Weichert Realtors. LEISURE WORLD® — $299,000. 2BR 2-½ BA “M” model with garage in “Greens.” Updated kitchen and baths, golf course view from 9th floor. 1480 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $189,900. 2 BR 2 FB F in “Greens.” Updated Kitchen with new cabinets, granite counters, enclosed balcony plus outside Patio, new paint and carpet. 1115 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $358,000. 2 BR 2 FB “G” in “Overlook” with garage, updated kitchen, golf course view. 1325 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $159,000. “2 BR 1 FB 2 HB “Berkeley” Coop TH, move-in ready, new paint and carpet. 1600 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463. LEISURE WORLD® — $349,000. 2 BR 2 FB “G” with garage in Overlook, close to elevator, separate Laundry room. 1325 sq ft. Stan Moffson, Weichert, Realtors. 301-928-3463.

For Sale DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR stone table, set of 6 chairs, wall unit 4 sections, bedroom set (king size bed), coffee tables (set of 3), floor lamp, crystal night lamps (set of 2), light leafdrop dinner table, rug 7x10 ft., clock in woodcut, a few oil paintings. Munjia, 301-622-3691. HONDA S-2000. CLASSIC 2001, SILVER with red interior. New roof. 50,000 miles. Original owner. Garage kept. Asking $16,000. Photos upon request. Call 941-493-9927, 941-275-4815.

A LOVING, CARING, COMPASSIONATE, dependable and reliable caregiver with years of experience and references for your loved ones. Has experience with MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetics and other health problems. Please call 301-9089134.

TWO CEMETERY PLOTS AT PARKLAWN. Two cemetery plots with crypts at Parklawn Memorial Park at Rockville, MD. Very accessible sites. $8.500 for both. Cemetery would charge over $12,000! Call 301-598-0018.

Computer Services

CRAFTSMAN 7.5 HP CHIPPER SHREDDER, 3” capacity. Used about 10 hours. New, $599, asking $350. Call Paul, evenings, at 301292-5328 in Fort Washington.

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

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

FAIRFAX CITY, VA. FRENCH HOME DOWNSIZING. Crystal, bone China, candelabra, collectibles — appliances, power washer. Too much to mention. 703-591-6321. FORT LINCOLN CEMETERY. Thomas Jefferson Forecourt. Beautiful, highly desirable prime location. One ground site, one vault, $8,000 (fees included). Great savings below current cemetery prices. Best offer, call 240-582-6085.

Health PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR — May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949. STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-888-9817657 Promo Code CDC201725. DENTAL INSURANCE. Call Physicians Mutual Insurance Company for details. Not just a discount plan, real coverage for 350 procedures. 844-3661003 or http://www.dental50plus.com/320 Ad# 6118.

Legal Services WERE YOU AN INDUSTRIAL OR CONSTRUCTION TRADESMAN and recently diagnosed with lung cancer? You and your family may be entitled to a significant cash reward. Call 1-888-351-0312 for your risk free consultation. SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) Free evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & Associates. 1866-970-0779. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington, D.C. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

Miscellaneous ENJOY 100% GUARANTEED, DELIVERED to-the-door Omaha Steaks! Save 75% plus get 4 more Burgers & 4 more Kielbasa FREE! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet — ONLY $49.99. Call 1-844-302-3754, mention code 51689JCT or visit www.omahasteaks.com. SENIOR CITIZEN SEEKING senior guitar teacher. 301-879-9515.

Personals

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

Wanted CASH FOR RECORDS, CDs AND TAPES. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music, 33, 45, 78 & CDs. Call Steve 301646-5403. Will make house calls. MONEY, TIME TO SELL! Make the right choice. Call Greg, 717-658-7954. We buy costume and other jewelry, coins, antiques, watches, art, paper money, toys, bottles, etc. No middleman, no fees, no overhead means more money for your stuff. Give me a call, and let’s do business.717-658-7954. TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash, which does not tarnish. I will come to your home and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. I buy all gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold and silver coins, gold watches, etc. I am licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Call Bob, Gold 4 Good, 8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (240) 938-9694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business.

CUTE, ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, FIFTIES — Looking for single white male, fifties plus, attractive, robust, warm-hearted, romantic. Enjoy dates, companionship, devoted relationship. If interested, call 240-418-4124, leave message.

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.

LOVELY WOMAN, 50s, SHAPELY LADY, young at heart, easygoing, seeking to meet and date a very attractive SWM, age 50s or 60s, a gentleman. Prefer brawny build, who is caring, sincere, courteous, compassionate, affectionate, stable, secure and lives a healthy, active lifestyle, non-smoker. Have fun dates, laughter, friendship, possibly more. 703-863-5564. Please leave a nice message with phone number for reply.

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, etc. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack, 301- 2792158.

Personals Services TURN YOUR SILVER AND OLD GOLD jewelry into cash and do something good for yourself. Gold 4 Good (8241 Georgia Ave., Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910) buys gold and silver jewelry, including broken pieces, all sterling silver, gold watches and gold and silver coins. I will come to your house and give you a free evaluation of what I can pay. If you decide to sell, I can buy your items at that time, but there is no obligation. Licensed with both Maryland and Montgomery County (lic. #2327). Call Bob, (240) 9389694. Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the US Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps. And we extend the same courtesy to their spouses. We honor our servicemen (and their spouses). Gold 4 Good is a Maryland licensed precious metals dealership, not a pawnshop or private home based business. NEED HELP DE-CLUTTERING? Call Jan, 301-933-7570.

BUYING VINTAGE TOYS AND STEREO equipment, tin wind-ups, cast iron banks, peddle cars, Lego, Disney toys, marbles, record players, amplifiers, tube amplifiers, tubes. Betty, 301219-6201. FINE ANTIQUES, PAINTINGS AND QUALITY VINTAGE FURNISHINGS wanted by a serious, capable buyer. I am very well educated [law degree], knowledgeable [over 40 years in the antique business] and have the finances and wherewithal to handle virtually any situation. If you have a special item, collection or important estate, I would like to hear from you. I pay great prices for great things in all categories from Oriental rugs to Tiffany objects, from rare clocks to 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. BUYING MILITARY MEMORABILIA WW2, WW1, Civil War uniforms, weapons, photos and items associated with US, German, Japanese or items of other Military History. DAVE, 240-4640958. STAMP COLLECTIONS, AUTOGRAPHS purchased/appraised – U.S., worldwide, covers, paper memorabilia. Stamps are my specialty – highest price paid! Appraisals. Phone Alex, 301309-3622. Stampex1@gmail.com.

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon

Wanted

MILITARY ITEMS WANTED: Collector seeks to purchase military uniforms; flight jackets, patches, insignia, medals, etc. from the Civil War through Vietnam. Especially seeking U.S. Army Air Corps, USMC, Airborne, and German/Japanese/Italian items from WWII. ALSO BUYING old Boy Scout, Airline Items, Toys, Lighters. Call Dan, 202841-3062. LADY WHO LOVES FINE CHINA and crystal would like to buy yours. Especially interested in figurines and dishes by the following makers: Herend, Johnson Brothers, Lenox, Lladro, Meissen, Rosenthal, Royal Copenhagen, Shelley, Spode, Wedgwood, Baccarat, Lalique and Waterford stemware and miscellaneous. Bone China cups and saucers and quality dog and cat figurines. 301-7851129.

CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (reg. 883). WE PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUE FURNITURE, quality used furniture, early American art, pottery, silver, glassware, paintings, etc. Single items to entire estates. Call Reggie or Phyllis at DC 202-726-4427, MD 301-3324697. 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.

Thank you for reading!

CASH FOR ESTATES, PARTIAL ESTATES, DOWNSIZING. I buy a wide range of items. Buy-out/cleanup. Gary Roman, 301520-0755.

BEACON BITS

July 15

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Deadlines and Payments: Ad text and payment is due by the 20th of each month. Note: Only ads received and prepaid by the deadline will be included in the next month’s issue. Please type or print your ad carefully. Include a number where you can be reached in the event of a question. Payment is due with ad. We do not accept ads by phone or fax, nor do we accept credit cards. Private Party Text Ads: For individuals seeking to buy or sell particular items, or place a personal ad. Each ad is $15 for 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Business Text Ads: For parties engaged in an ongoing business enterprise. Each ad is $35 for 25 words, 50 cents for each additional word. Note: Each real estate listing counts as one business text ad. Send your classified ad with check or money order, payable to the Beacon, to:

The Beacon, D.C. Classified Dept. P.O. Box 2227, Silver Spring, MD 20915-2227 For information about display advertising, or to request a media kit, call (301) 949-9766.

BEACON BITS

BOOKS & CLOTHING BARGAINS

A “New-to-You” Sale of new and nearly new books, clothing, toys and household goods will take place on Friday, July 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Har Shalom Congregation, 11510 Falls Rd., Potomac, Md. (on the T-2 Metrobus line). There will be free parking. There will be great bargains. For more information, contact Eileen Sherr at esherr2@gmail.com, or (301) 461-9421.

Ongoing

June

Avant Bard presents Shakespeare’s classic comedy The Tempest at Gunston Arts Center, onstage now through Sunday, July 1. No seat is more than three rows from the stage, and ticket prices range from “Pay What You Will” to $35. Gunston Arts Center is located at 2700 S Lang St., Arlington, Va. For more information, visit http://wscavantbard.org or call (703) 418-4808.

FREE SUMMER CONCERTS

The Alden at the McLean Community Center presents free familyfriendly concerts, beginning Sunday, June 3, followed by seven others through Monday, Aug. 12. All concerts begin at 5 p.m. in McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean, Va. Free parking is available at the library at 1244 Oak Ridge Rd. For a complete list of concerts and performers, visit www.aldentheatre.org.

THE TEMPEST

Ongoing

INNER-CITY D.C. VOLUNTEERS

We Are Family, a nonprofit that servers inner-city seniors in Washington, D.C., is looking for volunteers to deliver groceries, visit seniors in their homes, assist with cleaning and household chores, provide transportation and office help, and host fundraisers to benefit the organization. For more information, visit www.wearefamilydc.org, call (202) 4878698, or email info@wearefamilydc.org.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Candidates David Trone for Congress ..........3

Clinical Studies Healthy Research Volunteers ...19 Hearing & the Brain Study ......19 Hearing Research Study...........19 RSV Research Study................19

DC Office on Aging ...........30-31 MC311 .....................................37 Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services ............8, 21

Springvale Terrace....................18 Tall Oaks ..................................16 Village at Rockville, The ...15, 23 Waltonwood .............................23

Home Health Care/Companion Services

Legal Services

Computer/ Technology Help

Ameristar Healthcare Services .9 Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . . . .22 Options for Senior America .....41

TechMedic4u..............................5

Housing

Dental Services

Ashby Ponds.........................1, 17 Aspenwood Senior Living........15 Atrium Assisted Living ............18 Beverly Assisted Living .............9 Brooke Grove Retirement Village. ...............48 Chesterbrook Residences .........12 Chevy Chase House .................12 Churchill Senior Living .............7 Culpepper Garden ....................40 Five Star Premier Residences.....9 Friendship Terrace....................22 Gardens of Traville, The.............7 Greenspring..........................1, 17 Homecrest House .......................4 Kensington Park.......................10 Landow House ...........................6 Park View .................................36 Potomac Place ..........................42 Quantum Property Mgmt............16 Riderwood............................1, 17

Friedman, Stephen, DDS .........45 Oh, Judy, DDS .........................22

Events AARP Fraud Event ....................4 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day ......................26

Financial Services Children’s National Hospital....27 Edward Jones/Chelsi Dildine ...25 Mortgage Network Solutions ...27

Funeral Services Going Home Cremation...........37

Government Services DC Board of Elections .............41

Farr Law Firm ..........................26 Law Offices of Lee Holdmann.......................27 Law Offices of Paul Riekhof ...24

Medical/Health Medical Eye Center..................39 Silver Spring Medical Center...13

Miscellaneous America Builders .....................11 Beacon Celebration of the Arts..............................43 Senior Zone..............................42 SHIP Volunteers .......................24 TheBeaconNewspapers.com ....20

Real Estate Long & Foster/ Eric Stewart.....................29, 40 Long & Foster/ Walter Johnson ......................37 Re/Max Choice/Bonnie Kyte ...34 Weichert/Sue Heyman..............18

Restaurants Original Pancake House...........17

Retail/Pawn/Auction CIRCA .....................................25 Healthy Back Store ..................11 Quinn’s Auction Galleries ........26 Scooter .....................................28 Sleep Chair...............................14

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Manor Care Health Services.................................21 Village at Rockville, The .........13

Subscriptions Beacon Newspaper...................45 Washington Jewish Week.........42

Theatre/ Entertainment F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre .......39 Kennedy Center .......................39 Toby’s Dinner Theatre ..............38 US Navy Band .........................38

Tour & Travel Eyre Travel ...............................34 Nexus Holidays ........................35 Seven Lands & Sea Travel .......35 Shillelaghs, The Travel Club ....35 Travel West Virginia.................33 Tripper Bus ..............................34 Vamoose...................................33

More at TheBeaconNewspapers.com

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

DIFFERENT

... because what surrounds you really matters.

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

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

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

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

www.bgf.org

Independent living assisted living rehabilitation a n memory support long-term care

ASSISTED LIVING OPEN HOUSE

simply