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VOL.33, NO.6

The secret life of beekeepers

JUNE 2021

I N S I D E …

PHOTO BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

By Glenda C. Booth Few people venture up to the roof of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, but John Ferree, 59, does. He has managed four beehives there since 2017. Ferree also has nine hives at Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, five at the Bush Hill Presbyterian Church and six in his Springfield back yard. To pay the bills, Ferree analyzes car dealership financials for NCM Associates, but he tends to 60,000 honeybees in the spring, summer and fall. “I love it,” he said. “When I open a hive, I’m amazed at the wonderment of it all.” Looking inside a beehive with an expert apiarist like Ferree does provoke wonder. Covered with protective gear, he pulls out and studies a series of wood frames covered with brownish, squirming honeybees, some with tiny, yellow pollen puffs on their legs. Ferree points out miniscule white bee eggs, the shape of a rice grain but onetenth the size. He can distinguish between ripe and unripe honey. He looks for larvae and evidence of a queen, who is larger and has a smoother back. The queen, he explains, ventures out of the hive for mating flights, returns, lays eggs and spends the rest of her life there, unless the hive becomes too crowded and the bees swarm to form another hive. He’s seen queens fight until only one is left, and the “winner” becomes the “reigning queen.” Beekeeping has become a popular hobby for hundreds of people in our area, including older adults like Ferree. They do it for fun and to support pollinators, who in turn support life on Earth. After all, pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crops.

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Urban cowboys meet culture in the Canadian West; plus, ditch the hotel and stay in a treehouse, Conestoga wagon or houseboat page 34

Beekeeper John Ferree tends to beehives at Mount Vernon, on the Kennedy Center’s roof, at a local church and in his own yard. Many local apiarists like Ferree pursue their hobby for environmental reasons — to support pollinators in the region.

Supporting pollinators as a family tradition Honeybees were brought to America around 1620 to make honey. Today, though, the primary purpose of keeping honeybees is to support plant pollination, according to Virginia’s state apiarist, Keith Tignor. Bees will fly up to three miles for a pollen source. They carry pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma. When pollen is transferred between flowers of the same species, plants produce seeds.

Ferree’s Mount Vernon honeybees provide free pollinator services for the estate’s gardens and orchards — crops like squash, apples and alfalfa. When he tends to bees, Ferree is carrying on a family tradition: His father and grandfather were beekeepers. He is also president of the Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association, which hosts beekeeping classes. Most of its 430 members are hobbyist beekeepers. See BEEKEEPERS, page 36

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A rogue volunteer group called Guerilla Gardeners transforms empty lots and pocket parks into greenspace; plus, stories from afar, and Bob Levey on dressing for success page 39 TECHNOLOGY k Where to find tech classes

FITNESS & HEALTH k Best cures for loneliness k Act now on hearing loss

LIVING BOLDLY k Newsletter for D.C. seniors

LAW & MONEY 28 k How to get the best customer service k Key birthdays that affect finances ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

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Guest columnist [While our publisher is on a brief sabbati- said, “That’s just how it was.” cal, in lieu of our regular “From the PublishI admired the two of them not only for er” column we will be having their strength but for their deguest writers. This month’s light in life — the way they still guest column is written by the flirted in the kitchen, when Beacon’s managing editor.] they thought they were out of Old age is a gift. As Mark earshot, and the way they enTwain put it, “Do not comjoyed all-you-can-eat buffets. plain about growing old. It is Most of all, I admired their a privilege denied to many.” hope. They still planned for I’m grateful for every wrinthe future, keeping up the kle and insight that comes house they owned for 50 years with another year. I’m grateand sprucing up their yard. ful, too, for the older people They were engaged with life. I AS I SEE IT in my life who showed me watched my grandfather, then By Margaret Foster how to age well. What they all in his late 80s, plant a crepe have in common, I’ve found, myrtle in his back yard, both is something akin to hope — and some- of us knowing that the tree would outlast thing more: a love of life itself. him. He planted the tree anyway, leaving his My grandparents met at a USO dance; he yard a better place for the next family. was a U.S. Army sergeant, she a nurse. My grandparents on my father’s side Both stationed in England before D-Day, demonstrated that retirement is the time they were married in a small church with to see the world. From their home in Ohio only two witnesses: the janitor and the they planned exciting trips to Japan, India, priest. After the wedding, my grandfather the Philippines and Italy. When they refought in Europe, and his new bride returned, we’d sit on the “davenport” togethturned home to Baltimore, where my mother, poring over their slides and snapshots er was born. When I asked my grandmoth- from each adventure. My affable grandfaer what it was like not to know if her hus- ther, also a WWII veteran, enjoyed striking band would return from the war, she simply up conversations wherever he went. He

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could quote the Japanese man he shared a park bench with or the Irish farmer who gave him directions. Inspired by photographs of my grandmother feeding the pigeons in Venice, I bought a ticket to Italy and stood in the same square. When I retire, I’ll use that time to see more of the world — and to meet people, like my grandfather did. My husband’s grandparents, too, were an inspiration. From those two New Yorkers I saw that selling the family home can be liberating. In their 70s they decided to move from Long Island to an oceanfront condo in Rockaway Beach, Queens. Because they weren’t far from a New York City subway station, they ditched their cars and walked everywhere, exploring the city in ways they couldn’t when they were working and raising a family. “Every day is like a diamond,” she said to me once, still thrilled with each morning’s possibilities. Every week, they’d take the subway to Times Square or Lincoln Center to see a show or concert, reporting back to us excitedly, sometimes line by line. They wanted to see every new movie, read every new book, and keep up with the pace of life. They thrived in the city, happy just to be alive. Now my own parents are aging, and my friends’ parents, too. Some have decided to settle in their longtime homes to stay close to friends. Of course, they maintain the house and garden, like my grandparents

did. Others have found apartments in walkable senior communities with neighbors who host potluck dinners. But the older adults I admire most are those who are still passionate about life. Some have found a musical hobby, like my aunt, who taught herself to play the Baroque flute, or the publisher of the Beacon, who is dedicating these months to piano compositions. Others have decided to eat well, exercise and take care of themselves now, in their 70s, so that they can make it to and enjoy their 90s. I swap recipes with one of those healthy agers, who, after a lifetime of quick meals, now reads books about nutrition, takes long walks on the beach and does yoga. Her lifestyle is a good example for me, a reminder that it’s never too late to take care of yourself. Others travel the world. One couple will fly to Hawaii when it’s safe to travel; another will take their granddaughter to Bali. All of them seem to live with hope. They remain engaged with life. They’re still looking forward to that next adventure: still reading the latest books, still playing music, still planting trees. If I’m lucky enough to have a long life, I intend to do the same. Please send us your best advice for aging well or, if you prefer, a story about your parents or grandparents. Our contact information is in the green box below. We’d love to hear from you.

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 email to info@thebeaconnewspapers.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number for verification. Dear Editor: The coronavirus pandemic limited opportunities for older adults to interact with their support systems, caregivers and communities, which made it easier to fall prey to elder financial abusers. We must work together to protect our greatest generation and provide them with the tools necessary to stop these crooks cold. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed Tuesday, June 15, coincides with Maryland’s annual PROTECT Week (Protecting Older Americans from Financial Exploitation), held June 13 to 19, 2021. PROTECT Week is an opportunity for older adults, their families and caregivers to learn about the under-reported, shameful and often preventable crime of elder financial abuse and exploitation. On the PROTECT Week website (protectweek.org) readers can find interviews, articles and resources to protect themselves and their loved ones from financial exploitation. If you or someone you know is targeted by a scam, call the Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-3728311. AARP Fraud Watch Network can

help you spot and avoid scams with its free “watchdog alerts,” scam-tracking map, and toll-free fraud helpline at 1-877-9083360. The Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division also offers a hotline: (410) 528-8662. Brian Frosh, Maryland Attorney General Peter Franchot, Maryland Comptroller Dear Editor: Murray Katz’s April letter is correct about the value of dedicated senior recreation centers. They are more of an investment than an expense, and in the general interest of the county. Let me explain using Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton, where I volunteer, as an example. Several hundred seniors from around the county come there daily to socialize and engage in healthful activities. They take classes on computers, painting, exercise, dance and more. There are also educational programs and entertainment presentations. Most are self-supporting or subsidized by a nonprofit, not taxes. See LETTERS TO EDITOR, page 22

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Technology &

Innovations These strategies can thwart online thieves By Ann Marie Maloney Whether it’s fake online shopping sites, identity theft or scam artists using phone or email, fraud is on the rise, with a record 1.3 million cases in the first nine months of last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Although anyone can become a victim, FTC data show that consumers age 80 and older are far more likely to be scammed by phone and lose the most money, a median of $1,250. By now, you probably know not to give out sensitive information to anyone contacting you — and that credit cards offer more protection against fraud than debit cards. With a credit card, the most you’ll be responsible for is $50. Debit cards, however, could leave you paying for all of a thief’s spending spree if you don’t report it within 60 days. But there’s a lot more to guarding against fraud than knowing which card to use. In fact, it’s the things you may not know that could cost you the most money.

Even savvy consumers can be defrauded Fraudsters don’t just target the gullible. “I see victims from all walks of life and all professions,” said Alisa Bralove-Scherr, deputy director of mediation in the Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. The biggest mistake people make is to think they’re immune, said Bryan Roslund, assistant state’s attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland. Thieves keep honing their craft, using whatever new scheme they can to take over your bank or retirement account. “This is where they excel,” he said, by finding new ways to take advantage of you. For example, Roslund said, if you challenge a caller who warns that you have not shown up for jury duty, a scammer knows how to shift tactics immediately — usually by admitting you’re right and that they were working from the “wrong list.” Some criminals even monitor emails to intercept lucrative transactions. Roslund had a case where a financial agent lost

$30,000 when he wired money to a restaurant because someone made a tiny change to the recipient’s email address.

How identity thieves often find you According to the FTC, you’re more likely to suffer fraud through online purchases, and COVID-19 has only encouraged this equal-opportunity crime to flourish as more Americans turn to websites for shopping. A 2020 Pitney Bowes survey found that 45% of shoppers bought more than half of their goods online, three times the pre-pandemic level. Scammers capture buyers — especially those looking for deals or hard-to-find products — with convincing emails and websites that appear to be from a known company. In November 2020, for instance, the FTC filed a complaint against the operators of 25 websites claiming to be Lysol or Clorox with high-demand products for sale. Consumers should scrutinize URLs for subtle misspellings or punctuation at the end, which can be signs of a bogus compa-

ny website. A site with an “https” address is more secure but not necessarily legitimate. With emails, check for irregularities by hovering your mouse over a sender’s address before opening a message that appears to be from a known source.

A credit freeze is not a credit lock To prevent identity theft, you may consider a credit freeze or a credit lock, which are not the same. Freezing your credit deters someone from obtaining a loan, phone or credit card in your name. A freeze restricts access to your credit report, which most institutions require before approving a new account. You will need to contact all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans-Union and Experian) to get a PIN or password. “It took me about 15 minutes to do,” said John Buzzard, a financial fraud and security expert with Javelin Strategy & Research during a recent AARP webcast. You will need to lift the freeze when apSee THWART THIEVES, page 5

How to learn new technology skills Dear Savvy Senior, that sell computers. Your Area Agency on Can you recommend some good Aging may also be able to help you. Visit technology classes or online the Eldercare Locator at Ellearning resources for inexdercare.acl.gov or call 1-800perienced seniors? I have a 677-1116 to get your local computer and a smartphone, number. but my knowledge and skills are pretty limited. GetSetUp.io —Tech Challenged Senior GetSetUp.io is one of the Dear Tech Challenged, best online learning websites There are many different that partners with guides to technology teaching tools provide training on tech tools available to older adults that for adults 50 and older. They SAVVY SENIOR can help you learn new tech provide more than 350 online By Jim Miller skills so you can better utilize classes taught in real-time by your devices. Here are some good options retired educators and tech industry exto consider: perts in a way that lets older adults learn by doing, versus just watching a video. Local classes or workshops Their technology classes — all taught Depending on where you live, there via Zoom — cover things like learning how may be community resources that offer to use smartphones and tablets, how to set beginning computer and personal technol- up and use Zoom, how to utilize Gmail feaogy classes, be it online or in-person, for tures, how to recognize online scams, how older adults that are new to technology. to sell your stuff online and much more. To find out what’s available in your area, Most of their classes are free; however, contact your local public library, senior some charge a small fee. center, college or university, or local stores

SeniorPlanet.org Created and sponsored by national nonprofit OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) and recently joining forces with AARP, Senior Planet offers 60-and-older adults a wide variety of free online courses, programs and activities. Instructors teach live classes to help seniors learn new technology skills, as well as save money, get in shape and make new friends. Some of their more popular tech classes include “All Things Zoom,” “Everything Smartphones,” and an “Introduction to Social Media.” They even offer a “lunch & learn” tech discussion group at various times throughout the year where you can ask questions as well as share your struggles and experiences. And, if you ever have a technology question that pops up during the week, you can call their National Senior Planet Hotline for tech help at (920) 666-1959 anytime Monday through Friday during working hours.

for older adults provides more than 10 lowcost/free online computer, internet and mobile technology courses for beginners. And when the pandemic dies down, they will resume offering beginner tech classes in their 27 locations (located in nine states) throughout the country.

CandooTech.com This company provides fee-based online tech support and training to help older adults feel more comfortable with phones, computers, tablets, home safety devices and more. Their specially trained tech concierges will teach you how to use your technology, fix what’s not working and install software, as well as learn how to set up and use email, video chat, social media, online shopping and entertainment, ride sharing services and more. Candoo offers one-hour, one-on-one or small group sessions for $50, or you can become a member and get two 90-minute training sessions plus unlimited quick sup-

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Mitchal Smith, owner of a credit processing company in Raleigh, N.C., recommends using an app such as Google Pay or Apple Pay instead of carrying a card that can be stolen or scanned. To pay, you tap your phone at a payment terminal. Like PayPal, the apps are safer because you don’t give the merchant your credit card number. Instead, Google or Apple assigns a different virtual account number for every transaction you make. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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plying for loans or credit. Under federal law, if you request a lift online or by phone, a credit bureau must do so free of charge and within one hour. A credit lock offers similar protections, except that you don’t get a PIN, and you can lift the lock yourself. But the convenience comes at a price: Locks don’t have the backing of federal law that freezes do, leaving you vulnerable if something goes wrong. Plus, one of the bureaus charges for the lock (you need all three for a lock to be effective). You can also lock credit cards you rarely use so that they can’t be used to make purchases. Card issuers will do this for free, and unlocking is simple and immediate. Thanks to last year’s stimulus package,

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Health Fitness &

HEART BOOSTER Fiber isn’t only good for your gut; it maintains cardiac health, too HEAR, HEAR If you have hearing loss, there’s hope. For better quality of life, act now BESSIE IS BEST How dairy milk compares to soy, almond milk and other plant-based beverages COOL OFF WITH MINT Iced peppermint tea can calm your stomach and keep you cool this summer

Prescriptions to cure loneliness abound By Lindsey Tanner and Martha Irvine The stranger’s call came when Dianne Green needed it most. Alone in the Chicago home where she’d raised four kids, Green had never felt lonelier. She was grieving recently deceased relatives and too fearful of COVID-19 to see her grandkids and great-grandbabies. Then, one day last spring, her cell phone lit up. The cheerful voice on the line was Janine Blezien, a nurse from a Chicago hospital’s “friendly caller” program, created during the pandemic to help lonely older adults cope with isolation. Blezien, 57, lives just six miles from Green. “She wasn’t scripted. She seemed like she was genuinely caring,” said Green, 68, a retired dispatcher for the city’s water department. The two women started talking often and became friends without ever setting eyes on each other. “I called her my angel.” Rampant loneliness existed long before COVID-19, and experts believe it’s now worse. Evidence suggests it can damage health and shorten lives as much as obesi-

ty and smoking. In addition to psychological distress, some studies suggest loneliness may cause physical changes including inflammation and elevated stress hormones that may tighten blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Yet loneliness as a public health issue “has kind of been swept under the rug,” said Dr. Ada Stewart, president of the American Association of Family Physicians. There’s no formal medical diagnosis and no mandate to screen for it. “Now the pandemic has unveiled it,” Stewart said. “This is real.”

than 75. Rates were highest in countries including the United States that prize individual success over collectivism. The true impact from the pandemic has yet to be seen. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who has called loneliness a public health crisis, points out that much of the world, including the U.S., “was struggling with remarkably high levels of loneliness before COVID-19. “The pandemic has shed new light on this struggle and reminded us of an unmistakable truth: We need each other,” he said in an emailed statement.

A public health crisis

Other countries test solutions

Just a month before a global pandemic was declared, a National Academies report showed that one-third of U.S. adults aged 45 and up were lonely. Surveys have surprisingly found higher rates in younger adults. A British online survey in 2018 of more than 55,000 people in 237 countries found that loneliness affected 40% of young adults, compared with 27% of those older

Facing troubling loneliness statistics, the United Kingdom in 2018 created a parliament position called the minister of loneliness, believed to be the world’s first. In February, after a rash of suicides, Japan appointed the second. The UK’s current minister, Baroness Diana Barran, says the pandemic has kept her busier than ever. “I have quite a wide portfolio of respon-

sibilities, but I think I get probably 8 or 10 times as much correspondence on loneliness as I get on anything else,” she said. Some of the solutions they’re trying: Mental health support via texting for young people, “garden gate” visits by volunteers offering socially distanced conversation outside older folks’ homes, and a campaign encouraging people to wear yellow socks to highlight loneliness in teens and young adults.

Unique ‘prescriptions’ Some doctors have gone as far as writing prescriptions for loneliness. There’s no recommended medicine, so they’ve gotten creative. Evelyn Shaw’s physician knew the widowed grandmother had been holed up in her New York City apartment, too frightened to venture out. She hadn’t seen her close-knit family in person for months. So the doctor wrote her patient a prescription that said simply: “You are allowed to hug your granddaughter.” See LONELINESS, page 7

Learning to live well with ‘long-haul’ illness By Jennifer Crystal, Harvard Health Blog When we get an acute illness like the flu or a cold, we feel sick for a week or two and then get back to our usual lives. This is how illness is “supposed” to go. But what happens when illness doesn’t fit this bill? What do patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, or with persistent symptoms of Lyme disease or long-haul COVID-19, do when they can’t go back to their normal lives? Having suffered from the latter two — tick-borne illnesses that have plagued me for two decades, and a case of COVID-19 that took four months to shake — I’ve learned a few lessons about living with persistent illness.

Reframe your mindset The most important — and hardest — lesson I’ve learned is that with debilitating, persistent conditions, there is no going back. I got sick at age 25. I had been working full-time, living an active lifestyle, burning the candle at both ends. Suddenly, the

candle was gone. While I was bedridden through years of intense treatment, all I could talk about was getting back on track. I even threw a big “back to life” party when I finally achieved remission. Then I went right back to the high-functioning lifestyle I’d always known. Three months later, I relapsed. It took another couple of years of treatment to get well enough to attend graduate school, socialize, exercise and work. The journey wasn’t linear, and I had to pace myself to have more good days than bad. I realized I couldn’t just wipe my hands of my illnesses. These persistent infections were coming with me, and not only did I have to accept them, I had to learn to move forward with them in a way that honored my needs but didn’t let them run my life.

Recognize your needs Our bodies are good at telling us what they need: food, sleep, down time. We’re not always good at listening to these messages, however, because we live busy lives and

sometimes can’t or don’t want to make time to take care of ourselves. When you have a persistent illness, ignoring your body’s needs becomes harder, if not impossible, and the consequences are more severe. I’ve learned that I have to pace myself physically and neurologically, stopping activity before I get tired so my symptoms don’t flare. I have to rest in the early afternoon. I must stick to a particular diet, stay on lowdose medications, and do regular adjunct therapies in order to maintain my health. Now, after recovering from COVID-19, I also need to be conscious of residual lung inflammation. At first, I saw these needs as limitations. They take up time and energy and prevent me from living a normal life. But when I reframed my thinking, I realized that I’ve simply created a new normal that works in the context of my illnesses. Everyone, sick or healthy, has needs. Acknowledging and respecting them can be frustrating in the short term, but allows us to live better in the long term.

Think outside the box Once you figure out how to best meet your needs, you can plan other parts of your life accordingly. Your health must come first, but it isn’t the only important aspect of your life, even when you have a persistent, debilitating illness. I had to shift my thinking from feeling anxious and embarrassed by what I couldn’t do, to optimizing what I can. I can’t work a traditional 9-to-5 job anymore, but I can write and teach on a more flexible schedule. I can’t go for an all-day hike (and might not want to anyway, due to ticks!), but I can enjoy a morning of kayaking. Ask yourself what skills you have to offer, and what innovative opportunities might put them to good use? What activities do you miss, and how can you do them in an adaptive way? If that’s not possible, what’s a new activity you could explore? See LONG HAUL, page 7

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Loneliness From page 6 The hug “was magical. It was surreal. We just held onto each other, and we cried,” Shaw said. Her daughter filmed the moment in a video that was posted on Twitter last month and went viral. “We don’t want to live lonely and alone and terrified and afraid,” said Shaw, who along with her granddaughter has received a COVID-19 vaccine. “We all want to be able to gather with the people we love and our friends. We want to go back to normalcy.”

Long haul From page 6

Hope for the future, but live in the present Learning to live well with a persistent illness does not mean resigning yourself to it. In my case, I’m able to do more each year, even though I sometimes have short setbacks. I change medications. I

Friendly calls and screening tools Of course, loneliness won’t vanish even when the pandemic ends, said psychologist Benjamin Miller, a health policy analyst with Well Being Trust. Some people may still fear interaction, and Miller said programs to help will be needed more than ever. In Chicago, the friendly caller program initially targeted seniors but will expand to primary care and pediatric practices, and will continue even when the pandemic subsides, said social worker Eve Escalante, manager of program innovation at Rush University Medical Center. University of Texas researchers tested a try new therapies. I manage my illnesses as they are now, but I haven’t given up hope for a cure, and am always striving to find ways to make my life even better. I can’t control what my illnesses do, but I can control how I handle them. And that makes life a little brighter. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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similar friendly caller program with adults involved in a Meals on Wheels program. They found meaningful improvements in loneliness, anxiety and depression after four weeks. Several health centers have contacted the researchers to learn how to launch similar programs. Even health insurers are paying attention. Last fall, Humana Inc. posted an online loneliness screening tool for doctors and included links for referrals to programs to help affected patients, some free and others covered by its health plans. The insurer also created a “Far From Alone” campaign for older adults, with on-

SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION In this free virtual conversation, Herbert Holden from UDC’s

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line links to free virtual programs, including exercise classes, cooking lessons and howto courses on gardening and journaling. In Chicago, vaccination allowed Dianne Green and Janine Blezien to meet briefly in person recently for the first time. Amid hugs, tears and laughter, they seemed like old friends. “Dianne helps me as much as I help her,” Blezien said. Now Green is considering becoming a volunteer for the friendly caller program, an idea that thrills Blezien. “Dianne,” she said, “has so much to offer the world.” —AP

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Fiber helps your gut and protects your heart By Carolyn Williams As part of a healthy diet, fiber is a nutrient most associated with keeping the digestive tract regular and — thanks to the marketing on the oatmeal container — lowering cholesterol. But fiber’s role in the body goes way beyond regularity, and one of fiber’s most important roles stems from the influence that gut health has on heart health. To put it simply, a healthier gut means a healthier heart. According to research, a healthy gut has a protective effect on the heart by influencing factors that cause and contribute to heart disease. Here are four ways that eating fiber protects your heart:

1. Lowers cholesterol in multiple ways Foods with soluble fiber (such as oats) have demonstrated ability to lower levels of LDL cholesterol — the type of cholesterol we want less of — when eaten consistently and regularly. Soluble fiber attaches to bile, a cholesterol-based compound that assists in digesting fats, and both the fiber and bile are later excreted. The body then uses circulating lipids (fats) to form new bile molecules, lowering total and LDL cholesterol. But in addition to that, research now suggests that gut bacteria also influence blood lipid levels. In fact, bacteria in healthy guts play a role in lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

2. Prevents inflammation Gut health plays a key role in the inflammatory process. The mechanism works like this: A healthy gut creates a protective barrier in the intestines, allowing nutrients to pass into the bloodstream but blocking out many inflammatory compounds in food. When these good bacteria are disrupted or become unbalanced, this barrier isn’t as effective and starts to “leak,” allowing those compounds into the body. Because most chronic conditions are driven by inflammation, promoting gut health with a healthy, fiber-rich diet is key for preventing heart disease as well as a host of other lifestyle-related conditions. 3. Lowers blood pressure Fiber can’t be digested, but good bacteria in the gut can ferment some fibers in the colon. The fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFA provide energy and nutrients for the bacteria, and research suggests that SCFA production can also lower blood pressure. In fact, eating a high-fiber diet is even considered a treatment for hypertension by some health professionals, since increasing fiber intake is the best way to increase SCFA production. 4. Helps you lose belly fat

Consuming a high-fiber diet is associated with less abdominal fat. This is important since people who carry extra weight in their abdominal area are at higher risk for developing heart disease. Increasing daily fiber can help with weight loss by slowing down the digestive process to provide a feeling of fullness and satiety. And it can also increase the number and diversity of good bacteria to reduce inflammation, which is also now considered an underlying driver of obesity.

The takeaway The gut-heart connection is a new area of research with lots of unknowns. Until research offers more insight, we do know that eating plenty of fiber-rich foods is one of the best ways to support gut health. Most of us need to get more fiber in each day. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are the best sources of dietary fiber, providing a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber, so look for ways to sneak more of them into meals and snacks. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com. © 2021 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Most with hearing loss don’t see a doctor By Margaret Foster About 48 million Americans have some form of hearing loss, whether from illness, military service or too many loud concerts. Worldwide, 1 in 4 people will experience hearing loss by 2050, according to the World Health Organization’s first World Report on Hearing, released this year. In May, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced that its recent poll of 2,500 adults showed a “disconnect between the high value that Americans say they place on their hearing and their low willingness to be treated for any hearing loss,” according to a statement. That’s a problem because hearing loss can affect our health. “We know, and are consistently learning more, about how untreated hearing loss can not only impact a person’s quality of life and mental health, but that it can also be associated with cognitive decline, de-

mentia, preventable hospitalizations and more,” said A. Lynn Williams, PhD, ASHA president. “There are effective treatment options that can enable adults with hearing loss to live fuller and more satisfying lives.”

Results of the survey The poll, conducted by YouGov in March 2021, found the following: —80% of Americans say maintaining their hearing health is extremely important or very important to their quality of life. —Yet only 2 in 10 (20%) adults have had a hearing test in the past 5 years, compared with roughly 6 in 10 (61%) who have had their vision tested. —More than half (51%) of all adults reported having hearing problems, but only 11% of those respondents have sought treatment. —More than three-quarters (78%) of those with hearing problems have had

these difficulties for 1 or more years — and over one third (35%) have had trouble for 5 or more years. —42% of Americans understand that mild hearing loss can impact a person’s life or daily functioning. Yet more than half of those with untreated hearing problems (56%) say that they would be unlikely to treat it unless it was “severe.” —64% say they would be “much more” or “more” likely to seek treatment for hearing difficulties if they knew it could help lower the risk of developing dementia later in life. —44% of employed adults worry that hearing loss would reduce their effectiveness at work — and 37% worry that it could hurt their ability to remain employed.

—People are much more likely to seek treatment if a loved one encourages them to do so: Roughly 6 in 10 said that they would likely seek help if either their spouse/partner (59%) or child (61%) asked them to. This spring, ASHA’s consumer affiliate, the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action, launched a public service announcement campaign called “Act Now on Hearing” to encourage the public to take action on their hearing difficulties by visiting a certified audiologist for a hearing evaluation. Visit ActNowonHearing.com to learn the signs of hearing loss or search for a certified audiologist. Or call ASHA at 1800-638-8255 or by TTY at (301) 296-5650.

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No evidence CBD relieves chronic pain By Shafik Boyaji, M.D. If you ask health care providers about the most challenging condition to treat, chronic pain is mentioned frequently. By its nature, chronic pain is a complex and multidimensional experience. Pain perception is affected by our unique biology, mood, social environment and past experiences. Given the ongoing challenges of chronic pain management coupled with the consequences of the opioid epidemic, pain management practitioners and their patients are searching for effective and safer alternatives to opioids to alleviate pain. With the legalization of marijuana in many states and resulting cultural acceptance of this drug for recreational and medical use, there has been an increased interest in using cannabis for a myriad of medical problems, including pain. Cannabis (most commonly obtained from the Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa plants) has three major components: cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids. While there are over 100 different cannabinoids, the two major components are tetrahydrocannabional (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Historically more attention has been paid to the psychoactive (euphoric “getting high”) component of the cannabis plant, THC. There have been fewer scientific studies on the medical use of CBD, a non-psychoactive component of the plant. Nonetheless, CBD is emerging as a promising pharmaceutical agent to treat pain, inflammation, seizures and anxiety without the psychoactive effects of THC. Our understanding of the role of CBD in pain management continues to evolve, and evidence from animal studies has shown that CBD exerts its pain-relieving effects through its various interactions and modulation of the endocannabinoid, inflammatory and nociceptive (pain sensing) systems. The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors that interact with our own naturally occurring cannabinoids. This system is involved in regulating many functions in the body, including metabolism and appetite, mood and anxiety, and pain perception.

Few human studies so far Given its promising results in animal models, along with its relative safety, nonpsychoactive properties, and low potential for abuse, CBD is an attractive candidate to relieve pain. Unfortunately, there is a lack of human studies about the effectiveness of CBD. However, there is an abundance of commercial advertisements about the magical effects of CBD, and it is frequently presented as a cure-it-all potion that will treat multiple conditions, including diabetes, depression, cancer, chronic pain and even your dog’s anxiety! So far, pharmaceutical CBD is only approved by the FDA as adjunct therapy for the treatment of a special and rare form of epilepsy. Currently, CBD alone is not approved for treatment of pain in the United States, and there is currently no high-quality research study that supports the use of CBD alone for the treatment of pain. But a combination medication (that contains both THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio) was approved by Health Canada for prescription for certain types of pain, specifically central neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and the treatment of cancer pain unresponsive to optimized opioid therapy.

CBD can damage liver, interact with medications Given the rapid change in the legality of cannabis coupled with the increased appetite for a new product with unprecedented profit margins, the advertising for cannabinoids in general and CBD in particular has gone wild. The FDA is very clear that it is illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement. And it warns the public about its potential side effects, as it’s often advertised in a way that may lead people to mistakenly believe using CBD “can’t hurt.” CBD can cause liver injury, and can affect the male reproductive system (as demonstrated in laboratory animal studies). Most importantly, CBD can interact with other important medications like blood thinners, heart medications, and immunosuppressants (medications given

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after organ transplantation), potentially changing the levels of these important medications in the blood and leading to catastrophic results, including death. Also, more information needs to be gathered about its safety in special populations such as the elderly, children and those who are immunocompromised.

Many CBD products are unregulated The FDA has issued several warning letters to companies and individuals that market unapproved new drugs that allegedly contain CBD. The FDA has tested the chemical content of cannabinoid compounds in some of the products, and many were found to not contain the levels of CBD the manufacturers had claimed they contain.

Finally, beware of anecdotal “wisdom,” or stories of positive experiences by patients and health professionals. While the experience or medication could be beneficial, that doesn’t mean it is going to work for everyone. Please be careful, and keep in mind that some of these incredible-sounding testimonials are merely marketing materials meant to lure consumers to buy more products, as the CBD market is expected to hit $20 billion by 2024. The bottom line: Don’t make CBD your first or only choice for pain relief. Until there is high-quality scientific evidence in humans, it is difficult to make a recommendation for the regular use of CBD in chronic pain management. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What to do about chronically itchy skin The average person is estimated to itchy rash. You likely will have to go to the scratch an itch on their body about a hun- pharmacy to pick up a steroid, such as a dred times a day, and that is Medrol Dose pack, and some considered pretty normal. Benadryl. If you’re among the But what if you have a lucky, the itchy sensation will chronic itch? The scratching clear up with those. could be nonstop, and you But what if it doesn’t? could scratch yourself to the The misery of chronic itchy point of bleeding, risking insensations and an accompanyfection. ing painful rash could baffle Itching is one of those you and your practitioners for symptoms that will drive you weeks, sometimes months or mad unless you get to the years! DEAR Today I’ll cover a few condiroot cause and treat it. This PHARMACIST tions that cause itch, along can be the most difficult part. By Suzy Cohen with my suggestions for treatUnfortunately, digging deep ment. Please ask your doctor isn’t what happens at first when you show up at the doctor’s office with an about what’s right for you.

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Tinea Versicolor This common fungal infection results in discolored patches of skin that are lighter or darker than surrounding skin. Since this is caused by a fungus, you will need to eliminate refined sugar in your diet because that feeds fungus. You could rub some coconut oil on the area since that is an easily accessible natural anti-fungal. If it’s all over your body, you could take a shower and use a selenium sulfide body wash (like Selsun Blue) or buy a soap containing zinc pyrithione.

Hot Tub Folliculitis This is sometimes also called Pool Folliculitis, and the rash can cause itchy, red and tender bumps that contain pus. You can get this from a swimming pool or whirlpool that looks like it has perfectly, clean water because the causative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa will survive in water that’s been chlorinated! Treatments usually include silver-containing creams or gels. Some people try compresses with distilled vinegar. In serious cases, an antibiotic will be prescribed.

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This is an immune-driven condition that causes itchiness in a recurring fashion due to the rise in progesterone with every menstru-

al cycle. Managing hormones and suppressing the immune response may help this.

Neuropathic itch This type of itch is difficult to diagnose because there is no presentation of a rash or bump, scaly skin or anything! The itching is caused by damage to the nervous system. You can change your shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, bedding and clothing, and the itch will stay with you. One of the most promising treatments for neuropathic itch are the JAK inhibitor drugs. One in particular is Xelganz (tofacitinib). I researched to find a natural JAK inhibitor, and it appears that thymoquinone might be helpful. Black Seed oil supplements are rich in that compound. [Ed. Note: Other common causes of itching include allergies and bedbugs, so try to rule those out, too.] In closing, I will refer you to the work of Dr. Brian S. Kim, who can be found on Twitter as @itchdoctor. Dr. Kim has done pioneering research on the topic of itch. This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe.

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Exercise helps fibromyalgia — here’s how By Kelly Bilodeau If you have fibromyalgia and you’re in pain, exercising is probably the last thing you feel like doing. Many people with fibromyalgia already struggle to get through their regular daily activities. Adding exercise on top of that may seem insurmountable. And pain and exhaustion can make it difficult to start and stick with regular workouts. Experts agree, however, that exercise is actually one of the most effective strategies you can try to help manage this chronic pain condition.

Getting started It’s natural to worry that any exercise will make your pain worse and leave you wiped out. Counterintuitively, however, adding more physical activity into your day may actually decrease your pain, improve your sleep and boost energy. So, how does a person with fibromyalgia get started? You might want to talk with your doctor about your current medical therapy when you’re planning to begin exercising. Questions to consider: Should I take my medications at different times of

the day? What can I do either before I exercise or right after to minimize symptoms? When you are ready to begin an exercise program, start slowly. Add activity in small doses, every day if you can. Then build up your activity slowly over time. For example, if you walked for 10 minutes today, try 11 minutes — a 10% increase — next week. This approach is especially important for avoiding a phenomenon called post-exertional malaise (PEM). Many people with fibromyalgia have this problem. When they feel less pain or more energy, they may try to get things done that they have been unable to do because of symptoms. Often, they don’t realize when they are doing too much at once. They may wind up feeling so exhausted that it takes days or longer to recover. This is PEM, better known to people with fibromyalgia as a “crash.” A gradual approach to exercise can help prevent it.

Choose low-impact activities like tai chi In addition to gradually increasing

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movement over time, also try to choose activities that won’t put too much strain on your body. Experts typically recommend any low-impact aerobic activity, such as walking, swimming or cycling. Your doctor may advise you to work with a physical therapist on exercises specifically aimed at reducing pain and stiffness and improving function. This may include stretching and strengthening as well as aerobic exercise. Another form of exercise that has shown promise for people with fibromyalgia is tai chi. This ancient Chinese practice originated as a form of self-defense. It involves slow, deliberate movements and deep breathing exercises. One 2018 study in The BMJ looked at 226 adults with fibromyalgia. Researchers

assigned 151 members of the group to practice tai chi once or twice a week for either 12 or 24 weeks. The other 75 study participants did moderate-intensity aerobic exercise twice a week for six months. Researchers found that tai chi was better at relieving fibromyalgia symptoms than aerobic exercise. Some limited evidence suggests that yoga may also help to improve fibromyalgia symptoms, including pain, fatigue and mood problems. Whatever activity you choose, be patient with yourself. Short-term setbacks may occur, but being patient and working to overcome them can help you make longterm progress. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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How dairy stacks up to plant-based beverages By Alexandra Butterbrodt Dear Mayo Clinic: Since I was a kid, I’ve been drinking milk with breakfast and dinner as my primar y beverage. But looking in the grocer y store coolers these days, there are so many options other than cow’s milk. Are plant-based milks like soy or almond milk healthier options? A: Dairy (cow’s) milk and plant-based beverages like soy and almond milks all can be healthy choices. However, the nutritional differences vary widely, depending on the type of product and the brand. Generally, by reviewing the nutritional in-

formation — focus on fat content, protein, calcium and the amount of added sugars — you can determine the right beverage for you. Fat content is important because the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 7% of calories in your overall diet. Skim milk has negligible amounts of fat, but the amounts of cholesterol-raising saturated fat increase with 1%, 2% or whole milk. Soy and almond milks contain about 2 to 4 grams of fat per cup, but those fats are predominantly healthy, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

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Comparing protein content, dairy milk wins with a little over 8 grams per cup, and soy milk is close behind with about 7 grams per cup. Traditional almond milk lags behind with just 1 gram per cup. Of note, some newer nut milk varieties have added pea protein. When considering calcium, dairy milk naturally has about 300 milligrams per cup, and dairy products generally are considered the best absorbed source of calcium. Many soy or almond milks are fortified with calcium to at least match the amount of calcium in dairy milk. That said, your body may not absorb all of the calcium in soy milk, since soy contains a natural compound (phytate) that inhibits calcium absorption. And then there are added sugars. Unflavored white dairy milk and unsweetened soy and almond milk contain no added

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sugars. However, for some, the taste of unsweetened soy or almond milk can be an issue. You may find 4 to more than 20 grams of added sugars in a sweetened — or flavored — beverage. Checking the nutrition facts label is the best way to find a taste you like with minimal added sugars. Remember, unflavored white dairy milk will have sugar listed on the label, but it is lactose, which is naturally occurring milk sugar.

Unsweetened soy milk most resembles dairy milk In summary, it’s tough to beat dairy milk for balanced nutrition — with nonfat skim milk the best choice for most adults. Still, not everyone can tolerate dairy milk, and some may prefer to avoid animal products — or simply want to mix in something different. Unsweetened soy milk is the closest match nutritionally, plus you get a few grams of healthy fats that you won’t get from skim milk. Almond milk — while not unhealthy — is less nutrient-dense, especially in terms of its limited protein content. With soy or almond milk, check the nutrition facts labels for adequate calcium and minimal added sugars. —Alexandra (Alex) Butterbrodt, R.D., Endocrinology/Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © 2021 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Choose the healthiest canned foods By Jessica Ball Whether you’re trying to eat healthy on a budget or consolidate trips to the grocery store, canned foods are pantry essentials. If you know what to look for, canned foods can make for nutritious additions to meals and snacks. As a bonus, canned foods are typically much cheaper and last longer than their fresh or frozen counterparts. Here are a few of the best healthy canned foods to keep on hand: Canned fish Fish is one of the healthiest foods around but can also be one of the priciest. Canned fish is an easy way to get all of the nutrition at a fraction of the price. Whether you fancy sardines, tuna, salmon or mackerel, canned fish is super affordable and healthy. Try tuna salad loaded with fresh dill for a quick and tasty lunch, or make salmon cakes for dinner in a pinch. Canned beans Beans are versatile and packed with protein, fiber and nutrients. For the price, they are one of the best-value foods in the grocery store. Whip canned chickpeas into hummus or tuck black beans into vegetarian tacos. White beans make a great addition to veggie soup. When buying beans, be sure to keep an

eye on the sodium content and choose “no salt added” versions when you can. Canned diced tomatoes While fresh tomatoes can be delicious, they have a limited growing season in most areas. For the rest of the year when “fresh” tomatoes are out of season, try canned diced tomatoes. They are useful for a variety of dishes beyond pasta sauce, from curries to soup. Similar to beans, try to choose “no salt added” or low-sodium versions when you can.

recipe? There are several delicious and creative ways to use up canned pumpkin, like adding it to oatmeal or even hummus.

add veggies to everything from salads to stews. As with many other canned veggies, watch the added sodium.

Canned corn Though it has taken some heat in the anti-carb era, corn has a lot going for it. Canned corn has only 60 calories per halfcup and 2 grams of fiber. It is also loaded with B vitamins, iron and potassium that can help with vision and heart health. Canned corn is versatile and can help you

Canned beets Beets may help lower blood pressure, boost athletic performance and fight inflammation, but they aren’t always the easiest to prepare. Buying canned beets allows you to enjoy their flavor and nutrition

Canned coconut milk If you are looking for a super-affordable, creamy flavor additive that is vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, coconut milk is for you. Try adding it to smoothies, curries and fish stews to feel like you’re transported to the tropics. As a bonus, it’s dairyfree, and it lasts much longer than refrigerated coconut milk. Canned pumpkin If you think canned pumpkin is just for the fall, think again. It’s packed with vitamin A and fiber and can add a great earthy flavor to many dishes. And canned pumpkin works for so much more than pie. You can turn it into soup or use it to make a pasta sauce. Left with half a can after you make a

See CANNED FOODS, page 16

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

What is quercetin and how can it help? By Bridget Cassady Quercetin (pronounced kwer-set-in) is highly studied for its role in numerous biological and antioxidant actions in the body. Many are interested in this supplement for its potential to reduce disease risk. Is this supplement a “must-have” or will our normal diets do? Foods with a high quercetin content include onions, apples, berries, kale and tea. Estimates of the average consumption of quercetin vary (about 25-50 milligrams per day) and are influenced by daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Quercetin is a type of flavonoid — a large group of natural substances called phytochemicals found in high concentrations in leaves and skins of plants (also responsible

for plant pigmentation). Flavonols are the most abundant flavonoids in foods, especially quercetin (from the Latin word “quercetum” or “oak forest”).

May lower inflammation, blood pressure Quercetin is commercially available in dietary supplements, which claim several benefits, including support for inflammation and immune health. Quercetin is able to modulate inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory enzymes. For this reason, it is studied in both animals and humans for its effects on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers and especially hypertension. Several studies report that quercetin supplementation (150-730mg/day) re-

duces blood pressure in hypertensive participants and in women with Type 2 diabetes. A 2015 randomized controlled trial of 162 mg/day of quercetin decreased 24hour ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive participants. However, data are not consistent for this effect, and there was no change in resting systolic blood pressure, inflammatory or cardiometabolic markers.

Safety and side effects Data from clinical studies on oral supplementation of quercetin at doses ranging from 3-1,000mg/day for up to 12 weeks show no significant adverse effects. As a whole, the evidence supports its safety at estimated dietary intake levels. There is limited data on the safety of longer-term or higher doses. There are reports of kidney toxicity and gastrointesti-

Canned foods From page 15

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Interactions Supplemental flavonols, including quercetin, may interact with antibiotics, chemotherapeutics or antihypertensives. Before starting a new supplement or diet, please consult with your doctor to determine if it’s appropriate for you. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800-8295384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2021 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Jessica Ball, M.S., is a registered dietician. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com. © 2021 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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July 2

HISTORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Learn about the Underground Railroad in our region with Jenny

Masur, who wrote a book on the topic and worked for 25 years with the National Park Service, including the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. This free virtual lecture takes place Fri., July 2 from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/DCUndergroundRailroad. Call (202) 895-9485 with questions.

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nal symptoms when quercetin was intravenously administered at high doses, though these are not likely with oral supplementation. The safety of quercetin supplementation during pregnancy and lactation is not yet established.

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 2 1

Savory galette makes a great lunch or dinner

Corn, Tomato and Bacon Galette Serves 6 All-purpose flour (for sprinkling on counter) 1 pie dough (make your own or use 1 round store-bought) 3 slices bacon (standard, turkey or vegetarian) 1 cup frozen corn, thawed and patted dry 1 cup (6 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces) 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce) 1 large egg, cracked into bowl and lightly beaten with fork

1 scallion, dark green part only, sliced thin 1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower/middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. If using homemade pie dough, sprinkle flour over a clean counter. Place dough on floured counter and sprinkle dough with a little extra flour. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into a 12-inch circle, rotating the dough and reflouring the counter in between rolls. (Store-bought dough is already rolled out.) 3. Gently transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling. 4. Line a microwave-safe plate with two paper towels and place the bacon on top. Top with two more paper towels. Microwave until the bacon is crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the plate from the microwave. Let bacon cool. 5. In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together corn, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, garlic and salt. 6. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and discard the plastic. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Use a rubber spatula to spread the cornPHOTO BY DANIEL J. VAN ACKERE, TNS

By America’s Test Kitchen A galette is like a pie, except the crust is only on the bottom and the sides and it’s a totally free-form dish. No pie plate here! A good galette has a crust that is nice and crisp. But the filling can create a problem. Most veggies are filled with water, which can make the crust wet. The solution? We put a layer of grated Parmesan cheese on the bottom of the galette before adding the filling. This creates a (delicious!) barrier against any excess water. If you don’t want to make the dough yourself, feel free to use a store-bought dough. Also, it’s important to bake the galette right after assembling it. Don’t let it sit around and get soggy!

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tomato mixture over the Parmesan. Crumble cooked bacon over top. 7. Fold a 2-inch border of dough up and over the edge of the filling. Continue folding, overlapping folds of dough every 2 inches, until you get all the way around the galette. Use a pastry brush to paint dough with a beaten egg. 8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let the galette cool on baking sheet

for 15 minutes. Transfer the galette to cutting board. Sprinkle scallion greens over the filling. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. For 25 years, confident cooks in the know have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 athome recipe testers. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA. © 2021 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

For the healthiest hot dogs, go natural By Julia Westbrook From Memorial Day to Labor Day, hot

dogs are a cookout staple. So, if you’re in charge of the shopping, here’s what to

keep in mind to pick franks that are reasonably healthy and tasty. The biggest stumbling block is sodium. Several dogs on the market have over 600 mg — and that’s before the bun and condiments. Plus, know the terms on the package, as there’s a whole host of confusing ones. Here are key terms to learn, plus nutrition guidelines to use: No nitrates or nitrites added This means that synthetic nitrates or nitrites aren’t used to cure your hot dog, but instead natural nitrites, such as celery powder, are added. No byproducts When the label says “no byproducts” this signals that animal parts that Americans don’t typically eat, like kidney, liver and heart, are not present. Franks made with these parts must be labeled “with byproducts” or “with variety meats.”

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Natural Natural indicates no artificial ingredients, added color or synthetic preservatives and minimal processing. Curing uses synthetic nitrates; only uncured hot dogs are “natural.” No fillers This signifies that non-meat ingredients that hold the hot dog together and improve texture, such as tapioca starch, cornstarch and maltodextrin, aren’t used. Mechanically separated meat and poultr y When you see this term, it means the remaining meat from the bones of animals after the primary cuts are processed. This is only used in pork, turkey and chicken products (never beef). The EatingWell Test Kitchen’s favorite franks include: -Applegate Naturals Natural Stadium Uncured Beef and Pork Hot Dogs -Wellshire Premium All Natural Uncured Beef Franks -Thumann’s All Natural Chicken Franks -Trader Joe’s All Natural Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

What to look for on the label Use these nutrition parameters to choose a healthier hot dog: For regular hot dogs (about 50 g), look for those with 370 mg sodium or less, and 170 calories or less, per serving. For jumbo hot dogs (serving size ≥75 g), aim for under 555 mg sodium and under 225 calories. EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com. © 2021 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ongoing

FACETS OF HOPE

Brookside Gardens has on display a new art installation to honor the lives of more than 1,400 Montgomery County residents who have died from COVID-19. A strand of vintage crystals on the wisteria arbor in the Rose Garden represents each life lost. For more information, visit bit.ly/FacetsofHope.

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In celebration of Pride Month, the National Museum of the American Indian hosts indigenous youth working in the fields of education, health, cultural heritage and the arts to amplify Two Spirit and Native LGBTQ+ voices. This event, “Indigenizing Pride,” takes place Thurs., June 17 at 4. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/IndigenizingPride.

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 2 1

Study predicts dementia via driving data By Margaret Foster Tracking drivers’ behaviors can predict dementia, according to a recent study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. Researchers developed algorithms for detecting mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older drivers, according to the study’s findings, published in the journal Geriatrics this spring. In fact, they successfully predicted mild cognitive impairment and dementia with an 88% accuracy rate. Nearly 3,000 people participated in the LongROAD study, in which a recording device was placed in their car to track naturalistic driving data. Although drivers’ age was the factor that

most accurately predicted mild cognitive impairment and dementia, researchers also looked at their race and ethnicity, the percentage of trips traveled within 15 miles of home, minutes per trip, and number of times they hit the brakes and decelerated quickly. “Driving is a complex task involving dynamic cognitive processes and requiring essential cognitive functions and perceptual motor skills,” said Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and anesthesiology at Columbia Mailman School and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and senior author of the LongROAD study. “Our study indicates that naturalistic driving behaviors can be used as comprehensive and reliable markers for mild cognitive impairment and dementia.”

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June 25

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

Now is a great time to sip peppermint tea By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Made from the dried leaves of the peppermint plant, peppermint tea is an herbal infusion with a fresh, soothing flavor. And unless it’s mixed with green, black or white tea (check the label), peppermint tea is a caffeine-free, tea-free, zero-calorie beverage that packs many health benefits in a small package. Peppermint tea can be enjoyed iced or hot, and a cup or two daily is the optimal amount to sip to get all the health benefits, according to Lauren Cadillac, R.D., C.P.T., and Bianca Kamhi, a certified holistic health coach. Whether you’re in it purely for the fresh taste or eager to boost your digestion, ease your tension and more, here are a few

added benefits to drinking peppermint tea:

Calms digestive system “Some animal studies have shown that peppermint has a relaxing effect, especially on the gastrointestinal tract, demonstrating its ability to ease an upset stomach,” Cadillac said. “Peppermint has also been shown to help ease digestive symptoms of IBS, such as stomach pain, diarrhea and constipation. Peppermint has also been shown to be a strong antioxidant and have antimicrobial and antiviral activity.” Ordering a cup of peppermint tea after a big meal? Great idea. Cadillac said you can expect digestive symptoms to improve 30 to 60 minutes after drinking pep-

permint tea, but she notes that people with heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease may experience worsening of symptoms.

Headache relief Peppermint tea’s active ingredient, menthol, can help to relieve migraines and headaches. “The type of headaches that peppermint tea usually helps with are those that are caused by poor eating habits or daily stress,” Kamhi explained. “In these cases, these headaches typically restrict the blood vessels that go to the brain, and peppermint tea has the ability to open them up, which therefore can relieve the tension causing the headache.”

Immunity boost “Peppermint tea is an immune booster, due to its high levels of antiviral antibiotic properties,” Kamhi said. Therefore, sip-

ping peppermint tea may help relieve symptoms of the common cold, thanks in part to menthol’s ability to thin out mucus and decrease mucus in sinuses and the throat. “This can help you breathe better,” Kamhi said. “It can also help to get rid of bad bacteria in the upper respiratory tract, which is why it’s a great immune booster.”

Breath freshener Not a gum chewer? Gargle peppermint tea for bad breath. “Peppermint holds a number of antibacterial properties, which can kill germs in your mouth,” Kamhi said. “This, along with its pleasant and fresh smell, may help freshen your breath.” Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at realsimple.com. © 2020 Meredith Corporation. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Help distribute food to people in Alexandria. Alive Inc. is seeking volunteers to distribute food, monitor traffic, drive trucks or translate. Warehouse shifts available Monday through Friday. Food distributions take place the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at Cora Kelly Elementary School and Northern Virginia Community College. To volunteer, call 703-5489255 or volunteer@alive-inc.org.

June 18

BIRD-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Do you want to attract more birds to your yard? Alyssa Ford Morel, an Extension Master Gardener, Master Naturalist, and the Audubon at Home Co-Coordinator for Arlington County and the City of Alexandria, will provide practical cultural tips and plant suggestions to create a bird-friendly habitat. Join her live Zoom presentation, “The Hospitable Gardener: Welcoming Birds to Your Garden,” on Fri., June 18 at 10 a.m. To register for the free session, visit bit.ly/birdsinthegarden or email events@mgnv.org.

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Fitness & Health

Can flossing fend off heart disease? By Thomas Salinas, D.D.S. Dear Mayo Clinic: Will taking care of my teeth help prevent heart disease? A: Some research suggests that heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke could be linked to the inflammations and infections that oral bacteria can cause. Based on that evidence, there appears to be an association between oral health and heart disease. But the association is not well understood. While taking care of your teeth isn’t a proven way to prevent heart disease, removing bacteria from your teeth and gums through brushing, flossing and dental checkups is a sound investment in your health. Potential links between oral health and the health of the rest of your body has been studied for decades. Over the years, investigators have found some evidence that people who have advanced periodontal disease — a condition that involves gum inflammation and infection — tend to have higher rates of diseases such as diabetes, head and neck cancer, heart disease and cardiovascular (coronary artery) disease. But the research has never established a clear causeand-effect relationship between poor oral health and any of those diseases. One recent study found that people who said they brushed their teeth at least twice a day for two minutes or longer had a

lower rate of abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure than people who did not brush that often. While there was no evidence that poor oral health caused those heart problems — or that good oral health habits prevented them — it could point the way to more focused research on this topic that may help explain the link. For example, a bacterium called Porphyromonas gingivalis, commonly found in people with advanced periodontal disease, has been shown to raise blood cholesterol levels and affect blood pressure. This bacterium also has been linked to an increase in C-reactive protein, which rises when there’s inflammation in the body and is commonly found in people who have cardiovascular disease. A well-controlled clinical study may be able to shed more light on the connection among bacteria, oral health and heart disease.

Brush, floss and see a dentist Although there is no evidence that spells out the specific link between oral health and heart disease, good oral care is important to your overall health. Oral care starts with regular self-care at home, including brushing and flossing. Brush your teeth two or three times a day for at least two minutes each time. An electric toothbrush can be particularly useful in removing plaque from the gums,

BEACON BITS

Fridays

which can help improve gum health. Floss your teeth at least once a day. Daily flossing is important because it removes plaque that you can’t reach with the bristles of your toothbrush, particularly plaque that builds up on the sides of the teeth and in the trough between your teeth and gums. It’s in those areas that bacteria such as P. gingivalis accumulate. If left unchecked, oral bacteria can lead to chronic inflammation and tooth loss. You also should get a professional dental cleaning and checkup at least once a year, including annual oral x-rays to assess the health of your teeth and the bone that supports them. An annual exam enables your dental provider to identify oral health concerns when they are still in the early

stages and can be more easily managed and treated. While there’s no definitive correlation between taking care of your teeth and preventing heart disease at this point, there’s no question that incorporating good oral habits into your daily routine is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. —Thomas Salinas, D.D.S., Dental Specialties, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org. © 2021 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Health Studies

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

INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS

How to find out about Alzheimer’s studies By Margaret Foster If you or a loved one has received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, you may want to join a community of people in the same boat. There’s strength — or at least comfort — in numbers, after all. A 21-year-old organization called UsAgainstAlzheimer’s invites everyone affected by the disease or other dementia to sign up for a health registry called the AList. Everyone, including caregivers and those who are simply interested in brain health, is welcome to join the web-based network.

“The inspiration for the A-List was to validate caregiver insights, which are so important to this disease,” said Virginia Biggar, program director of the A-List. So far about 8,000 people are on the AList, and the organization is seeking to enroll 10,000 total. Once you have placed your name on the A-List and signed an optional consent form, Biggar said, “then you’re in the loop for all the virtual studies” on Alzheimer’s or other dementias. “You can do this from the comfort of your home.” Then, if you’d like, you can help the or-

ganization by enrolling in its ongoing study called the What Matters Most Insight study. Participants in the What Matters Most Insight study complete anonymous surveys twice a month via phone or email. Past survey topics include challenges for caregivers; dementia symptoms, such as agitation; managing the COVID-19 pandemic; and traveling with dementia, according to the website. During the pandemic, one of the surveys asked A-Listers, “What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself?” Biggar

compiled the answers in a publication about the impact of the pandemic on caregivers and their families. Since the A-List launched three years ago, USAgainstAlzheimer’s has published more than a dozen papers about its research. Participation in the A-List and What Matters Most study is free. Other studies that the A-List publicizes may occasionally offer gift cards as compensation, Biggar said. For more information, visit usagainstalzheimers.org/networks/A-LIST.

Letters to editor

These centers were places where we could interact with other seniors of all races, religions and cultures. It was a lot of fun getting to know someone and exchanging ideas. Many of us even volunteered to lead a variety of activities at those centers. Holiday Park Senior Center was the place where Congressmen, Senators and Presidents came to speak with us seniors. We use to have health professionals come once a month to speck on a topic with Q&A. A police officer would drop by to keep us informed of scams, too. We need these senior centers back. It was our tax dollars that built Montgomery County into what it is today. We would also like to see the SOAR “Senior Outdoor Adventures Recreation” program restarted. We need to go places. Alan W. Frazier Gaithersburg, MD Ed. Note: Good news! Holiday Park and Damascus Senior Center will reopen on a limited basis on Monday, June 14.

From page 2 Recreational amenities include a gym and billiard, ping-pong and game rooms. There are also hobby rooms for plant care, ceramics, woodcarving, photography, etc. Most of these are run by volunteers (more than 100 of them), not taxes. A kitchen prepares inexpensive, donationbased lunches subsidized under the federal Older Americans Act. No senior in the county need go hungry or eat alone. A separate café is open to buy lunches subsidized by Holiday Park Seniors, Inc., not taxes. Healthy seniors will stay out of hospitals and not tax the county’s welfare system. Gerald Schneider Kensington, MD Dear Editor: Thanks for printing a letter about senior centers last month. We seniors need to have the senior centers reopened for our mental health as well for various exercise programs.

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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 2 1

Low- and regular-dose aspirin safe, effective By Marilynn Marchione Thousands of heart disease patients recently enrolled themselves in an unusual study that required them to track their health online as they took low- or regularstrength aspirin. The study concludes that both doses seem equally safe and effective for preventing additional heart problems and strokes. But there’s a big caveat: People had such a strong preference for the lower dose that it’s unclear if the results can establish that the treatments are truly equivalent, some independent experts said. Half who were told to take the higher dose took the lower one instead — or quit using aspirin altogether. “Patients basically decided for themselves” what they wanted to take because they bought the aspirin on their own, said Dr. Salim Virani, a cardiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston who had no role in the study. Still, the results show there’s little reason to take the higher dose, 325 milligrams, which many doctors assumed would work better than 81-milligram “baby aspirin,” he said. Results were published in May by the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an American College of Cardiology conference.

Aspirin helps prevent blood clots, but it’s not recommended for healthy people who have not yet developed heart disease because it carries a risk of bleeding. Its benefits are clear, though, for folks who already have had a heart attack, bypass surgery or clogged arteries requiring a stent. But the best dose isn’t known, and the study aimed to compare the doses in a real-world setting. The study was funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, created under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to help patients make informed decisions about health care.

How the study worked About 15,000 people received invitations to join through the mail, email or a phone call and enrolled on a website where they returned every three to six months for follow-up. A network of participating health centers supplied medical information on participants from their electronic records and insurance claims. The participants were randomly assigned to take low- or regular-dose aspirin, which they bought over the counter. Nearly all were taking aspirin before the study began, and 85% were already on a low dose; therefore, “it was an uphill task right from the get-go” to get people to use the

dose they were told, Virani said. After roughly two years, about 7% of each group had died or been hospitalized for a heart attack or a stroke. Safety results also were similar — less than 1% had major bleeding requiring hospitalization and a transfusion. Nearly 41% of those assigned to take the higher dose switched at some point to the lower one, and that high rate “could have obscured a true difference” in safety or effectiveness, Colin Baigent, a medical scientist at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, wrote in a commentary in the medical journal. One study leader, Dr. Schuyler Jones of Duke University, said the study still provides valuable guidance. If patients are taking low-dose aspirin now, “staying on that

dose instead of switching is the right choice,” he said. People doing well on 325 milligrams now may want to continue on that and should talk with their doctors if they have any concerns. For new patients, “in general, we’re going to recommend starting the low dose,” Jones said. Virani said people must remember that aspirin is a medicine and that even though it’s sold over the counter, patients shouldn’t make decisions on its use by themselves. “Don’t change the dose or stop without talking to someone,” he warned. “This is important, especially for a therapy like aspirin.” —AP

BEACON BITS

June 8

FUTURE OF JOURNALISM Join experts as they discuss the threats to journalism and democ-

racy in 21st-century America. At 7 p.m. on Tues., June 8, four panelists will take part in the first of a two-part series of conversations hosted by Virginia Humanities in partnership with the Federation of State Humanities Councils. This event is free, but registration is required to participate on Zoom. The event will also be streamed live to Facebook. To register, visit bit.ly/democracypanel.

More than cared for. Celebrated. MEMORY CARE AT THE LANDING I‫ژ‬³Xnà0« ³¨«XzJِ At The Landing of Silver Spring our signature memory care program, Opal by Leisure Care®, is tailored to each resident’s ɀȵƺƬǣˡ Ƭ ȇƺƺƳɀ٪ɀȒ ɵȒɖȸ ǼȒɮƺƳ Ȓȇƺ ƬƏȇ ƳȒ Ɏǝƺ ɎǝǣȇǕɀ Ɏǝƺɵ ƺȇǴȒɵ ƏȇƳ ˡ ǼǼ ƺɮƺȸɵ ƳƏɵ ɯǣɎǝ ȅƺƏȇǣȇǕِ ƺƬƏɖɀƺ ȅƺȅȒȸɵ ƬƏȸƺ ǣɀȇ‫ټ‬Ɏ ǴɖɀɎ ƏƫȒɖɎ Ɏǝƺ ȅǣȇƳِ XɎ‫ټ‬ɀ ƏƫȒɖɎ ȵǝɵɀǣƬƏǼً ɀȒƬǣƏǼً ƏȇƳ ƺȅȒɎǣȒȇƏǼ ǝƺƏǼɎǝً ɎȒȒِ ȇƳ ɯƺ‫ټ‬ȸƺ ǝƺȸƺ ɎȒ ƬƏȸƺ ǔȒȸ ƏǼǼ Ȓǔ ǣɎِ Call (301) 200-0928 today for our Summer Specials.

Assisted Living & Memory Care 13908 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD • (301) 200-0928 A Whole Lotta Heart

TheLandingOfSilverSpring.com

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

VILLAGE LIFE the following is excerpted from

BGRNC Excels on 2020 MHCC Family Experience of Care Survey rooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (BGRNC) achieved high scores on the Maryland Health Care Commission’s (MHCC) Nursing Home Family Experience of Care Survey for 2020. Ninety-ﬁve percent (95%) of respondents indicated that they would recommend BGRNC to others compared to a statewide average of 80% and a Montgomery County average of 81% who would recommend their nursing home. BGRNC also received high marks for its response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A total of 223 Maryland nursing homes and 5,455 individuals participated in the Family Survey. It was sent to 102 designated family members of long-term care residents (100+ days) at BGRNC, which resulted in a 57% response rate. BGRNC’s overall rating of care was 8.7 on a scale of 1 to 10. This compares to statewide and county averages of 7.8 each.

Residents and Security and Resident’s Personal Rights. All of BGRNC’s domain scores were higher than state and county averages.

The 2020 survey contained two overall measures of satisfaction and 31 items assessing seven domains or aspects of residents’ life and care. These domains were: Staff and Administration of the Nursing Home, Care Provided to Residents, Food and Meals, Autonomy and Resident Rights, Physical Aspects of the Nursing Home, Activities, and Security and Resident’s Personal Rights. BGRNC’s highest domain scores were 3.6 (on a scale of 1 to 4) for Care Provided to

BGRNC’s scores are a direct result of a purposeful staff effort led by Administrator Rene Gomez and his leadership team. “I cannot express how humbled I am to work with all of you,” he said. “Thank you for all that you do on a daily basis and for the relentless commitment you bring to Brooke Grove. These scores show that even in tough times, great teams can have a huge, positive impact on residents’ lives.”

Message from the Village From the desk of Patty Anderson, executive director, Brooke Grove Retirement Village he results of the Brooke Grove Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (BGRNC) Family Experience of Care Survey from the Maryland Healthcare Commission for 2020 have arrived, and we landed on top! In the face of adversity, and in the toughest of times throughout the pandemic, BGRNC received high scores from its longterm care family members. All domains were higher than state and county averages!

It honestly does not surprise me to see this reﬂection of the excellence in service BGRNC provided throughout the pandemic. Brooke Grove Retirement Village is blessed with such giving and dedicated staff who literally put their lives on the line each day INDEPENDENT LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING

to continue offering the best possible care in the most difﬁcult of times. Our teams are engaged, eager to learn and to serve, working toward a common goal in support of one another. We also had the beneﬁt of many family members and residents cheering us on with notes of encouragement and meals for nourishment as we navigated each new phase of the pandemic. We are grateful for the positive feedback, our devoted staff, and the BGRNC leadership team that led so well throughout this past year.

REHABILITATION

LONG-TERM CARE

MEMORY SUPPORT

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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 2 1

A Wa Walk into Spring rooke Grove Retirement Village is well-kknown for its unique setting of rural woodland beauty in the heart h of a popular metropolitan area. Spring brings special deliight and new life as leaves return to trees, flowers burst into blooom and birds prepare their nests. From the sun on the fields to youungsters stepping out into the world for the first time, the season offers o enchanting views and experiences to residents, staff andd visitors alike. There is something therapeutic about naturee.

Brooke Grove’s 220-acre campus is simply different … because what surrounds you really matters.

Independent Living Liv ving at BGRV B is Simply S D Different he Cottages independent living community includes 40 spacious homes featuring casual elegance and comfort. With no responsibility for lawn upkeep, snow removal, home maintenance, housecleaning or even appliance repair, there’s more time for what you really want to do. Improve your health with personalized fitness programs, tailored classes, walking paths with LifeT Tr ail® stations and more. Dine on delicious cuisine prepared by talented chefs. You’ll be among neighbors who share your interests and passions, and BGR RV ’s exceptional continuum of care ensures you won’t ever face life changes alone.

Brooke Grove is simply different for a varietyy of reasons, including its unique setting of rural woodlandd beauty, charming independent living community, state-of-the-art rehab center, and decades-long commitment to help resideents continue to lead self-authored lives at all levels of care. “We have three different sizes of Cottages — small, medium and large — and we work from a priority waiit list,” explained Retirement Counselor Laura Wright. “I’ll bee very happy to talk with you about how to apply and share addittional information about our community and currently available homes. I invite you to contact me at 301-260-2321 or lwrigh ht@bgf.org.”

For more information about Brooke Grove, call

301- 637-8928 18100 Slade School Road Sandy Spring g, MD 20860

www.bgf.o org INDEPENDENT LIVING

ASSISTED T LIVING

REHABIL LITA TA AT TION

LONG-TERM CARE

MEMOR RY YS SUPPORT

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE By Laura Newland, Director D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living Are you feeling that change in the air? The days are warmer and longer, and this year, vaccinations mean that spring brought us more than just a change in the temperature! Getting vaccinated means that we can hug loved ones, feel comfortable in public spaces, and resume at least some of our “normal” routines, which includes DACL in-person activities. The past fourteen months have only confirmed what we already knew—loneliness and isolation cause negative health, social, and emotional outcomes for all of us but can be particularly damaging for seniors. But even with the easing of social distancing requirements, many of us remain alone. That’s why DACL is working hard to ensure that every senior who wants to resume in person activities can do so safely, from working out to chilling out over coffee. Some of our programs, like Adult Protective Services and Safe at Home, have continued to operate during the public health emergency, and over the past several months, our adult day health programs opened in-person activities to help support our caregivers providing care to those with Alzheimer’s or other related dementias. In June, our Senior Wellness Centers, Vida Senior Center, and the Asian Pacific Islander Senior Center will all reopen. Now, things might look different when we reopen—we’ll have to limit participation in some activities, and we’re requiring masks and social distancing for now, but we’re all so excited to welcome you back in-person! June is also PRIDE month, so we’re planning exciting PRIDE month activities with a focus on creating safer and more welcoming spaces for our LGBTQ+ seniors. I know that the public health emergency isn’t the only reason seniors may feel isolated and as we open back up, I want to ask each of you to help me make sure every senior feels welcome in all our spaces. Introduce yourself to someone new or maybe have a conversation with someone you’ve seen around but haven’t talked to before. Everyone, no matter what we look like, how we identify, who we love, wants to feel welcome and included. As we think about how we can build back better than before, let’s commit to being better to each other! If you’ve discovered you prefer to work out at home with online classes, or if you’re not quite ready to participate in person, we’ve still got you covered. The silver lining from this past year has been seeing how popular virtual programming has been, and we’ll continue to offer a great selection of online classes and activities. And remember, the sooner we all get vaccinated, the sooner we can all be together!

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

DACL Hosts Mayor Bowser’s 10th Annual Virtual Senior Symposium On May 12, DACL hosted Mayor Bowser’s 10th Annual Senior Symposium. Moderated by our very own Director Laura Newland, this year’s symposium was called Lunch & Learn: Reimagining Living Boldly in the Era of COVID-19. We partnered with our friends over at AARP DC to have a timely conversation on just what it means to live boldly, especially during an unprecedented time in our city. Joined by DC Health’s Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt and DPR’s Director Delano Hunter, seniors left this year’s symposium with tips and tools nec-

essary for all of us to get back to doing the things we love, sooner. In case you missed it, you can watch the full symposium by visiting facebook.com/dcagingnews.

Mayor Bowser and the Department of Aging and Community Living are seeking District residents, age 100 years or older, to honor virtually. Call (202) 374-9573 or email dacl.communications@dc.gov if you know a DC resident who has celebrated their 100th birthday by April 30. Please send the name, date of birth, contact information, and a bio for each individual that you are registering. Registration ends June 30, 2021.

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

Director Laura Newland

Editor DACL External Affairs

Photographer Richard Williams

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

Living Boldly

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

Celebrate Pride Month with Capital Pride Alliance! There’s nothing like PRIDE in the District! DACL’s excited to have our six senior wellness centers join the Capital Pride Alliance in Paint the Town Colorful with Pride, promoting joy, visibility, and PRIDE all month long. Be sure to visit us to see just how colorful and inclusive our spaces are for DC seniors.

7:00pm JUNE Pride Talks:

Honors

– 6:00pm JUNE 3:00 Colorful

Pridemobile Parade

JUNE 11:00am Taste of Pride

Brunch

To register, visit capitalpride.org.

Calling All Caregivers: Join DACL’s Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) Join DACL’s Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) to develop the knowledge and skills needed to care for your loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The SCP is a series of 6 classes for DC caregivers who provide care for older adults, age 60 and over, and adults with disabilities, age 18 and older, living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The program is delivered in 2hour sessions over six weeks. For more information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-355-4443 or Linda.Irizarry@dc.gov.

LOCATION

ADDRESS

DAYS AND TIMES

Arena Stage

1101 6th Street SW

Thursday-Sunday, 8am-12pm & 1pm-5pm

Fort Stanton Recreation Center

1812 Erie Street SE

May 13, 9am-1pm & May 24-27, 2pm-7pm

Kaiser Permanente, Capitol Hill

700 2nd Street NE

Mondays and Saturdays, 8am-11am starting May 15 for 16+; starting May 22 for 12+

Lamond Recreation Center

20 Tuckerman Street NE

May 12-15 19-22, 26-29, 2pm-7pm

Langdon Park Community Center

2901 20th Street NE

May 10-13 9am-1pm May 24-27, 2pm-7pm

Rosedale Recreation Center

1701 Gales Street NE

May 13-15, 17, 20-22, 24, 2pm-7pm May 27-29, 9am-1pm

RISE Demonstration Center

2730 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE

Monday-Saturday, 9am-12pm & 1pm-5pm

Walter E Washington Convention Center

L St. North Entrance between 7th and 9th Street NW

Monday & Fridays, 7:30am-6:30pm Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30am-3:30pm

Children’s National Medical Center

111 Michigan Avenue NW

Monday-Thursday, 10am-12pm (walk-up for ages 16-22 and appointment only for ages 12-15)

We Are Colorful

JUNE 7:00pm The Capital Pride

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

PHOTO BY DANIEL MEE

Money Law &

Which birthdays can affect your finances? See a list on page 31.

For better customer service, phone it in By Laura McMullen When the pandemic began, Sean McAuliffe’s New York-based distribution company suffered financially. So, he set out to cut operating costs. He canceled a few services, and for more important ones, he contacted the providers to request deferred or lowered bills. First, he emailed, only to receive unhelpful replies. Then, he called — and every one of those same companies he had emailed agreed to temporarily pause or lower his bill. McAuliffe estimates that these conversations saved his company thousands of dollars, which helped prevent layoffs. This technique can work on the individual level, too. If you’re willing to chat on the phone, you can save money and, often, time.

How a phone call can help Is the idea of talking to a real-life stranger on the phone about as appealing as waiting at the DMV or getting blood drawn? Join the club. In 2019, gadget trade-in website BankMyCell conducted an online survey of more than 1,200 millennials in the U.S. When asked if they sometimes feel they need to summon the courage to make a phone call, 81% of respondents said yes.

But if you can push yourself to pick up the phone, a call to customer service is often the best way to request a favor that will save you money. You can ask to have a bill lowered or deferred; a credit limit raised; an interest rate lowered; a fee waived; a service or booking canceled without penalty or just about anything else. All it costs to ask is time and potential phone-call awkwardness. And the worst thing that can happen is the stranger on the other line says no. (But read on, and you’ll probably get them to negotiate.) Phone calls are also the way to resolve errors, such as unwarranted late-payment fees or duplicate charges on a bill. Ira Rheingold, executive director at the National Association of Consumer Advocates, recommends regularly scrutinizing your bills for mistakes. “Do not expect the company you’re dealing with to always be accurate,” he said. “When things don’t look right, they’re probably not right, and you should follow up on it.” Even if you’re not necessarily trying to save money, jumping on the phone may help you understand a nuanced money topic more quickly (and maybe more accurately) than spiraling down an online search hole. Call your insurance agent if you don’t understand how your policy works or if a

certain something is covered, for example. Call your credit card issuer to learn why you were rejected for a new card. Or call your health care provider’s billing office to identify head-scratcher charges.

How to prepare for the call Before picking up the phone, get clear on the outcome you want, said Stephanie Richman, certified financial planner and regional director of Northern California/East Bay at EP Wealth Advisors. Knowing this goal and clearly communicating it will help make for an efficient and effective conversation. Also, consider the motivations and interests of the company you’re calling, she said. That will help you anticipate their questions, answer them and ultimately encourage the other person to help you. So, in practice, that may mean asking to defer this month’s water bill and explaining how you’ll be able to catch up on payments by your next due date. Ahead of your call, gather relevant paperwork, such as a copy of the bill you’re asking about or your insurance card. And mention your history with this company. Let the customer service rep know if you’ve been a loyal customer for a long time or if you’ve gone years without a late

charge. The company will likely be motivated to keep a customer like you around. Finally, “be prepared to have patience,” Rheingold said. This call may take a while and, yes, become tedious or frustrating. Set aside some distraction-free time when you’re feeling good, not when you’re irritable or hungry.

How to make the most of the call OK, you can articulate exactly what you want and have armed yourself with information (and maybe snacks). Time to dial. Be kind to whoever picks up as you clearly state your request. When McAuliffe, the business owner, made his calls, he said he was simply honest with the service providers about what he needed. “It was more about working together than trying to strong-arm them,” he said. If the person on the other end denies your request, or if it seems like they’re sticking to a script, Rheingold recommends asking to speak to their supervisor. That person is probably in a better position to help. “There’s nothing wrong with working your way up the food chain,” he said. As you climb said chain, remember your manners. “You can ask for a supervisor in a nice way,” Richman said. “Assertive does not mean aggressive.” —AP

What we can learn from the best investors touched on a common theme: that one of the By Elliott Raphaelson Financial journalist William Green has most important factors was buying undervalued securities. Not all of the exwritten a great book, Richer, perts invested in equities. Many Wiser, Happier: How the World’s were successful purchasing Greatest Investors Win in Marother investment vehicles. For kets and Life, based on his inexample, Howard Marks spedepth interviews with the cialized in depressed bonds and world’s most successful inhigh-yield securities. vestors. The book stands out Another common theme is because Green probes beyond that most of the experts are “lonthe field of investing to find out ers.” They spend a lot of time how they have succeeded in reading by themselves. This intheir lives generally. THE SAVINGS cludes Warren Buffett and John This is especially interest- GAME Templeton. The most successful ing because some of those By Elliot Raphaelson investors are not afraid of buying profiled experienced signifiwhen others are selling, and vice cant problems during their versa. Many of these investors are avid game careers. There were many lessons to be players. Many play bridge. learned from career setbacks. I found the chapter about Templeton As far as success in the markets goes, though, almost all the experts profiled very instructive. He, George Soros and

Buffett shared one invaluable characteristic: “the willingness to be lonely,” as Green puts it. They take positions that others don’t think wise. “They have a conviction that a lot of people don’t have.” When Templeton began his career, for example, the default wisdom of investment advisers was that Americans should invest exclusively in U.S. assets. Templeton took a different approach. After graduating from Oxford, he traveled the world, gaining an informational edge over investors who lacked his insatiable curiosity. Most of the investors profiled in the book emphasize the importance of understanding probability. Most think very long term. Buffett and his partner Charlie Munger believe that when they finally select a company, it’s a lifetime investment. The book presents a variety of opinions about diversification. Some of the experts

are confident about having a small number of securities in their portfolio, while others, such as Joel Greenblatt, emphasize the importance of having a large number.

Patience is a virtue in investing One of the most important lessons from the book is the importance of patience. Too many investors monitor their portfolio value too frequently, making rash judgments based on price changes that don’t reflect long-term conditions. In the first three or four months of 2020, when the stock market fell dramatically, some sold much or all of their equities at lower prices, and many of them have still not gone back into the market. In doing so, they missed a significant market rebound and now have a much lower allocation of equities. See INVESTING, page 29

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

Investing From page 28 Following Buffett’s philosophy, I sold no equities from my portfolio at that time, and I continued dollar-cost averaging because I expected that the market fall was temporary. Most investment experts also did not sell early and have been rewarded. Very few of the experts Green profiled depend on leverage for their performance. Some who did have been hurt. Bill Miller, who had great success as chief investment officer of Legg Mason Capital Management, was burned badly in 2008 because of leverage. He has recovered, however, and is still widely admired. You will find excellent investment advice and life advice from all of the other ex-

perts interviewed, including Jack Bogle, Peter Lynch, Ed Thorp, Will Danoff and many others. One thing stands out: These experts have been successful because of continued hard work and courage in following their instincts. They are not easily influenced by the crowd. They are willing to buy undervalued securities when everyone else is selling, and they know when to take some profits. Not only will you learn a great deal about investing and life lessons from this book, you will probably also find it captivating. Once I started reading it, I read it from cover to cover. Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com. © 2021 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June 13+

PROTECT WEEK Learn how to prevent elder financial exploitation during

Maryland’s PROTECT Week, held from Sun., June 13 to Sat., June 19. The state, Consumer Credit Counseling Services Maryland and AARP Maryland will host a series of virtual classes and town halls. Visit protectweek.org for more information, including a schedule of events. Tele-Town Halls will take place Tues., June 15 at 10 a.m., Wed., June 16 at 11 a.m. and Thurs., June 17 at 10 a.m. Dial in to 1-877-229-8493 and enter code 115393, or register to be called at vekeo.com/aarpmaryland.

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Please tell our advertisers, “I saw you in the Beacon!”

Turning 65? Newly eligible for Medicare? Get correct answers to your Medicare questions at this free virtual program on Wed., June 23, at 3 p.m. Following the program, expert counselors will be available to answer your individual questions.

Visit www.shiphelp.org to learn more and register.

1-877-839-2675

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When to establish a private foundation By Hannah Shaw Grove For families of means, there are plenty of reasons to consider establishing a private foundation: tax savings, control over assets and the ability to give back using a broad range of philanthropic capabilities, such as program-related investments and grants to individuals. But for many of my clients, the most important benefits of a foundation are those that help them ensure that the next generation will be responsible stewards

of their values and wealth.

The ideal training ground A private foundation is like “an estate plan in action,” because the skills needed to run one are identical to those the next generation needs to manage their inheritance. By learning how the foundation maintains its investments, conducts due diligence before making a grant and measures its impact, heirs learn essential business skills. And by participating in group decision

making, advocating for their positions and resolving disagreements with other members, young people acquire the social skills that are key to leadership. Beyond the acquisition of financial and business skills, many families of wealth are concerned that their success will kill their children’s ambition — especially if their wealth passes to their children before they have had a chance to develop sufficient maturity. For these families, a foundation is a perfect fit, because it enables the next gen-

eration to participate in wealth and understand both its power and responsibility — all without taking control of it. By having a say in the foundation’s governance and work, children witness the impact of their decisions and learn the value of money in ways no lecture can ever hope to match.

A legacy of giving When a family decides to establish a priSee FOUNDATION, page 32

BEACON BITS

June 15+

ESTATE PLANNING WEBINAR

Learn how to protect your assets in this free webinar presented by Stouffer Legal, LLC and attorney Wilson P. McManus, Esq. This event takes place on Tues., June 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., as well as additional dates. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/MDEstatePlanningWebinar.

Ongoing

CREATE A FREE WILL

Do you need to create or update your will? FreeWill offers individuals the opportunity to create or update a will for free. If your circumstances require an attorney, FreeWill will let you know. For more information and to create your will, visit freewill.com.

Ongoing

JOBS FOR 50+

Do you want to find an employer seeking to hire experienced professionals 50 and over? AARP’s job board provides listings searchable by location with special designations for companies seeking veterans and companies committed to hiring people 50 and over. Visit jobs.aarp.org to learn more.

PROTECT Week Learn how to spot & stop scams against the elderly. Did you know? The average victim of elder financial abuse loses upwards of $120,000. That is why AARP Maryland is joining with a coalition of state agencies and community partners for a week long series of online workshops and teletown halls to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from fraud.

June 14-18, 2021 For a complete schedule of events, visit www.protectweek.org.  /aarpmd

 @AARPMD

Bring Community Home | To learn more about this event and all our virtual offerings, visit aarp.org/nearyou

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

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

Birthdays that can affect your finances By Liz Weston You hit a lot of milestone birthdays when you’re young. There’s your first birthday, of course, and at 13, you’re a teenager. At 16, you’re probably thinking about driving. At 18, you can vote; at 21, you can get into bars. You reach milestones later in life as well, and many of them have to do with retirement. Knowing these age milestones can help you better prepare for life after work. They include: Turning 50 It’s catch-up time! People 50 and older can contribute $6,500 more to their 401(k)s or 403(b)s each year, for a total contribution of up to $26,000 this year. Those 50 and older who contribute to IRAs and Roth IRAs can throw in an additional $1,000, for a total maximum annual contribution of $7,000. Turning 55 Normally people have to pay a 10% federal penalty, along with income taxes, when they withdraw money from retirement accounts before age 59 ½. The penalty (but not the taxes) disappears on 401(k) and 403(b) withdrawals if you’re 55 or older when you quit, get fired or retire. This “separated from service” rule applies during or after the year you turn 55. Turning 59 ½ At this age you can take withdrawals from workplace plans or IRAs without penalty. Also, some 401(k) plans allow workers who are at least 59 ½ to do an “inservice” rollover, allowing you to move money into an IRA while still working and contributing to the 401(k). If you’re interested, check with your 401(k) plan provider or your human resources department to see if this option is available to you. Turning 60 For most widows and widowers, age 60

is the earliest that they can begin Social Security survivor benefits. (Survivor benefits are available starting at age 50 for survivors living with a disability, or at any age if the survivor cares for the deceased spouse’s children who are under age 16 or disabled.) Turning 62 This is the earliest age you can begin Social Security retirement or spousal benefits, but your checks will be permanently reduced if you start before your full retirement age, which ranges from 66 to 67. Also, you’ll face an earnings test (see story on page 33) that reduces your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn over a certain amount, which in 2021 is $18,960. The earnings test disappears once you reach full retirement age. Turning 65 At 65, most Americans are eligible for Medicare, the government health care program. Typically, you’ll want to sign up in the seven months around your birthday — meaning the three months before the month you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and the three months after. Delaying after that point can cause you to pay permanently increased premiums. You can learn more at medicare.gov or by calling Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1800-633-4227) to request the “Medicare and You” handbook. Turning 66 to 67 Full retirement age is 66 for people born between 1943 and 1954. The age rises two months for each birth year after that until it reaches 67 for people born in 1960 and later. Waiting at least until full retirement age to start Social Security benefits means you won’t have to settle for checks that have been reduced because you started early or because of earned income.

Two Affordable Living Choices with Available Subsidies Based on Eligibility

Turning 70 A juicy benefit awaits those who can delay the start of Social Security after full retirement age: Their benefit increases by 8% annually until it maxes out at age 70. This not only means more money for the rest of your life, but if you’re the larger earner in a couple, it also maximizes the survivor benefit for your spouse. Turning 72 Most retirement plan contributions reduce your taxes in the year you make them, and your account grows tax-deferred over the years. But eventually the government wants its cut. You’re required to start taking

at least a minimum amount from most retirement plans beginning at age 72. (Required minimum distributions used to start at age 70 ½, but that’s been pushed back.) There are a couple of exceptions: If you continue to work, you can wait until you retire to start minimum distributions from your 401(k) or 403(b). Minimum distributions are still required from traditional IRAs even if you’re working. If you have a Roth IRA, however, you won’t be required to start distributions at any age. If you leave the money to your heirs, though, they will have to start taking withdrawals. —AP/NerdWallet

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June 20+

RETIREMENT PLANNING WEBINAR

Are you prepared for retirement? Legacy Builders Wealth Management offers a free webinar on planning for retirement on Sun, June 20 from 7 to 8 p.m., as well as additional dates. The webinar focuses on common fears about investing, vital concepts of investing, the bucket system and more. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/MDRetirementPlanning.

June 12+

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Do you have old electronics collecting dust? Bring them to your neighborhood library, where they can be recycled. Visit dclibrary.org/ecycle for a list of dates and libraries accepting donations.

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

Foundation From page 30 vate foundation, the process naturally sparks discussions about what the family wants to accomplish with their charitable funds. These conversations can be a springboard for exploring the family’s priorities, offering a rare opportunity to uncover what matters most to individuals and what core values the family shares. Ultimately, the family can distill this conversation’s fruits into an external mission statement for the foundation. However, this process might also give rise to an internal mission for the family itself. Whereas the external mission details what the family wants to accomplish for others, an internal mission focuses on the family’s goals for itself. Many Foundation Source clients use an internal mission statement to strengthen family bonds, forge a distinctive identity and optimize time spent together.

Connection to family In this day and age, it’s common for fam-

ilies to spread out all over the globe. Education, job opportunities and marriages exert their gravitational forces, pulling family members away from one another. For many families, the foundation becomes the glue that holds them together, even when they live in different ZIP codes and time zones. Having a common cause and a formal vehicle for advancing that cause provides a “non-Thanksgiving” reason to meet regularly. Finally, because private foundations can be established to exist in perpetuity, they can link the founders to generations of the family they will likely never meet. The foundation conveys the founders’ cherished values, hopes and dreams from one generation to the next. And, as the foundation’s assets grow in a tax-advantaged environment, it can become a philanthropic heirloom of substantial worth, empowering each generation to embrace the family’s legacy and add to it themselves. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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June 22

JOB SEARCH AND RESUME REVIEW Looking for a new job? The Alexandria Library offers a free virtual

workshop to help you use their resources to update your resume and search for jobs. This event takes place Tues., June 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/AlexLibJobSearch.

June 19

ART AROUND THE WORLD Would you like to see art from around the world without leaving your house? Join the Alexandria Library for a program that intro-

duces you to digital collections from the world’s best museums. Learn how to research art, history and indigenous cultures in a free virtual event, which takes place Sat., June 19 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, visit bit.ly/WorldDigitalCollections.

Did you know that

CFLs contain mercury? Be sure to dispose of CFLs* safely! RECYCLE CFLs at Montgomery County Transfer Station (16101 Frederick Rd Derwood, MD 20855)

DISPOSE of CFLs at a designated retailer.

SWAP CFLs for LEDs at a Montgomery Energy Connection event. *Compact fluorescent light bulbs

Learn more at bit.ly/recycleCFLs

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Law & Money

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

What is the Social Security earnings test? By Austin Powell More than half of Americans surveyed by Voya Financial plan to work in retirement. If you share that plan, you may assume that you can easily combine paid employment with other sources of retirement income, such as your retirement savings and Social Security. However, if you claim Social Security before your full retirement age — which is based on your year of birth — your benefits may be reduced through a mechanism known as the Social Security earnings test. Essentially, this rule limits your benefits if your paid employment earnings exceed certain thresholds. The good news is that once you reach full retirement age, the benefit amounts that were withheld due to the earnings test will be returned to you in future Social Security payments. However, that doesn’t help when you are trying to balance your budget during the early years of retirement.

How the earnings test works The impact of the earnings test on your benefit can be broken down into three distinct phases. Each phase is based on your current age relative to your full retirement age. Stage 1: You will not reach full retirement age in 2021: In this stage, you can earn as much as $18,960 a year from em-

ployment without affecting your Social Security benefits. There will be a $1 reduction in Social Security payments for every $2 of earnings over the $18,960 limit. In the event of a reduction, Social Security withholds benefits in the form of whole payments at the beginning of the year. If Social Security withholds too much, that means money will be refunded in the next calendar year. Stage 2: You will reach your full retirement age in 2021: If you will reach your full retirement age during 2021, the earnings test is much less restrictive. You can earn as much as $50,520 a year from employment without affecting your benefit. There will be $1 reduction for every $3 of earnings over the $50,520 limit. Stage 3: You reached your full retirement age before 2021: If you have already reached your full retirement age before 2021, the earnings test doesn’t apply to your earnings. You are free to earn as much as you want while receiving your full benefit. Special Rule: A special rule exists for filers that fall into phase 1 and 2 who retire from employment mid-year. Regardless of your earnings, if you stop receiving employment income once you collect Social Security, you can collect your entire benefit without reduction due to the excess earnings test.

Social Security Full Retirement Age Table Year of Birth

Full Social Security Retirement Age

1943-1954

66 years old

1955

66 years old and two months

1956

66 years old and four months

1957

66 years old and six months

1958

66 years old and eight months

1959

66 years old and 10 months

1960 and later

67 years old

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

Social Security claiming primer The amount of your Social Security benefit depends on your earnings history and your age. Social Security benchmarks all benefits around the concept of full retirement age, which for those born between 1943 and 1960 is between ages 66 to 67. At full retirement age you receive what is known as your full benefit or primary insurance amount (PIA). If you claim Social Security before your full retirement age, your benefit is reduced. Similarly, if you claim after your full retirement age, your benefit is increased. The earliest you can claim Social Security is age 62; the latest you can claim to receive the maximum potential benefit is 70.

Managing employment and Social Security benefits Ultimately, the Social Security earnings test does not affect the benefit you receive over the course of your retirement because Social Security will make up any benefit reductions later when you reach full retirement age. However, this isn’t much comfort when you’re trying to balance your budget in early retirement. That’s why it’s critical to understand the earnings test and weigh all of your possible options when making your Social Security filing decision. For more information, contact the Social Security Administration office or visit ssa.gov. © 2021 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

Travel Leisure &

Stay in a Conestoga wagon, houseboat or historic house. See story on page 35.

Cowboys and culture on Canada’s plains

Walkable in all types of weather Calgary’s downtown is compact and easily walkable, with many shops and eateries along Stephen Avenue Mall. The Plus 15 skywalk network makes

strolling around town comfortable even in inclement weather. Opened in 1970, the 11-mile network now includes about 60 enclosed bridges connecting downtown buildings. After an 1886 fire incinerated most of the town’s wooden buildings, all buildings by law were made of sandstone, earning Calgary the moniker “Sandstone City.” Many still stand. The 62-foot Calgary Tower’s elevators whisk visitors to the top in only 62 seconds. There, you can sightsee on the observation deck’s glass floor, watch the city’s comings and goings below, or soak in broad vistas of the prairies, foothills and the Rocky Mountains. Built in just 24 days in 1968, the tower can withstand winds up to 100 miles per hour, partly because 60 percent of the building is underground. Olympic Plaza, built for the 1988 winter Olympic games’ medal ceremonies, has plaques honoring the winners. Today, it’s a fair-weather setting for concerts and festivals, an ice rink in winter and a gathering place year-round. The second floor of Jamieson Place is a mood booster with its skywalk-level garden and a 2,000-square-foot “living wall” that recalls a prairie landscape. The area sparkles with three hand-blown Dale Chihuly chandeliers of intricate, twisting tendrils and orbs that reflect the light in amber, green and blue — colors that suggest the prairie sky just before sunrise. The 20-gallery Glenbow Museum, one of western Canada’s largest, chronicles

PHOTO BY COLIN WAY

By Glenda C. Booth In the middle of southern Alberta Canada’s vast prairie, multicultural urbanity meets cowboy country in Calgary. The outlaw Henry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, himself once owned a saloon in one of its grand hotels. Locals still brag that when the city hosted the 1988 winter Olympics, some Calgarians opened their homes to visitors from all over the world, and others cleaned up horse manure after the Western-themed opening ceremony. But the city is perhaps best known for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the annual Calgary Stampede. Celebrated every July since 1912, the stampede offers 10 days of high-octane rodeo competitions that draw cowboys and cowgirls from all around and 1.2 million fans in non-COVID times. While the pandemic has dampened travel everywhere, “Calgary’s ‘giddy up’ never left, and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back with our Western hospitality when it’s safe to do so,” said Tourism Calgary’s Nancy Jackson. Located near five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Calgary is an intriguing, walkable historic city just an hour’s drive east of the Canadian Rockies.

PHOTO BY LEBLOND STUDIO INC.

Tourists can test-drive instruments and observe musicians in recording sessions at Studio Bell, the headquarters of Canada’s National Music Centre.

Outdoor square dances, carnival rides and rodeo performances transform the city of Calgary, Canada almost every July since 1912. The annual Calgary Stampede was cancelled for the first time last year but will take place July 9 to 18, 2021.

the history of the Canadian West — from the indigenous First Nations through pioneers to the oil boom. Alberta has been the hub of Canada’s oil and gas production since oil was first struck here in 1914. Today, around 85 energy companies have their headquarters here. Oil and gas are “in Alberta’s veins,” according to one exhibit. Other exhibits explore mineralogy, cattle ranching and railroading. The museum has the oldest known rock in the world, a tonalite gneiss, 3.9 billion years old (the Earth is believed to be 4.5 billion years old). Throughout the Glenbow Museum, plaques provide the First Nations peoples’ perspective, for example, pointing out that Europeans brought both tools and diseases to North America. Blackfoot, Sarcee and Stoney tribes lived for centuries along Alberta’s converging Bow and Elbow Rivers. A gallery is dedicated to the culture of the indigenous Blackfoot people. Another must-see is the city’s vibrant Chinatown and the Chinese Cultural Center, which is modeled after Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. Twenty percent of Canadians are Chinese, descended from immigrants who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1880s.

The center’s Chinese Artifact Museum has impressive replicas of the terracotta soldiers from a 247 B.C. imperial tomb discovered in Xian in 1974. Also on display is the first seismograph, invented in 132 C.E. by Zhang Heng: The ball in a dragon’s mouth drops to a toad’s mouth during an earthquake. Another exhibit on discrimination recounts the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned most Chinese people from immigrating to Canada until it was repealed in 1947.

Musical musings An especially intriguing attraction is Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, which welcomes visitors with its motto, “Everyone’s born to sing.” Visiting is as much an auditory tour as a visual one. The center’s 2,000-piece collection tells the story of 450 years of Canadian music. Artists use some of the center’s 200 instruments and recording studios, and visitors are invited to watch and listen. One exhibit replicates a theater, where a professional organist makes a “great big sound” daily on a 600-pipe 1924 organ built by Kimball Piano and Organ Company for See CALGARY, page 36

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

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

Stay in a treehouse, wagon or caboose By Victor Block So you’d like to get away for a while without driving too far, but the idea of a cookie-cutter hotel doesn’t appeal. Fortunately there are enticing alternatives for a variety of preferences and pocketbooks, from treehouses to houseboats to museum-like houses that allow you to step into chapters of history. It’s no surprise that treehouse accommodations exist in a state that’s virtually blanketed by forests. Those at Pinehaven in Beaver, West Virginia combine an introduction to unspoiled nature with welcome creature comforts, including a full bathroom, heat and air conditioning. A private hot tub is an added bonus. (For more information visit pinehaven.com.) If you don’t mind driving a bit farther, you’ll find nine houses perched in trees at the unlikely named Mohicans Resort and Wedding Venue in Glenmont, Ohio. They can accommodate two to six guests, and facilities include both outdoor showers and full indoor bathrooms. Some structures were designed by a leading treehouse designer and featured in a Discovery Channel series (themohicans.net).

Rock to sleep on a houseboat There also are options for those who like accommodations that move with the wind and waves. The houseboat Pisces, docked in downtown Philadelphia, can sleep six people. A kitchenette, roof deck and parking spot add to its appeal (sleepafloat.com). Rather than being anchored, houseboats on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia are free to explore miles of unspoiled shoreline and hundreds of protected coves. This typically uncrowded body of water is a fisherman’s paradise and the site

of numerous tournaments for anglers each year (houseboating.org).

bara’s rocking chair moving on its own (stayinfrederick.com).

Lock houses on the C&O Canal

Conestoga wagon replicas

The past comes alive at seven historic lock houses that line the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which stretches 184 miles from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. The narrow waterway was constructed from 1828 to 1850 to enable cargo, primarily coal, to be transported in mule-drawn barges. A total of 74 locks were installed to deal with the 605-foot elevation change, and lock keepers and their families lived in houses adjacent to those structures. Seven of the historic buildings have been equipped with period furnishings and are available to overnight guests. Each lockhouse is designed to relate a different time period in the canal’s history (canaltrust.org). The C&O Canal passes near Frederick, Maryland, where another historic event took place. In 1863, John Greenleaf Whittier penned a poem about Barbara Fritchie in which she pleads with a Confederate general, “Shoot if you must this old gray head, but spare your country’s flag.” Despite the fact that the incident described in the poem probably never occurred, it made Fritchie an instant heroine and part of American folklore. (It is true that she was a Union sympathizer and did have a flag.) After the original early 19th-century house was destroyed in 1927, it was reconstructed using documents and photographs. Today, although it’s not open to the public, it’s possible to rent it to catch a glimpse of artifacts from Fritchie’s life. If you’re thinking of overnighting there, be forewarned that some people who say it’s haunted have claimed to have seen Bar-

In the 1700s and 1800s, canvas-topped Conestoga wagons were the primary cargo vehicles used to cross the Appalachian Mountains. Some campgrounds include Conestoga reproductions among their campsites and RV hookups. The Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Delaware Water Gap site in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, rents out a Conestoga wagon with a king-sized bed and bunk beds as well as three teepees. Other members of the KOA chain also have Conestoga wagons and other different accommodations (koa.com).

Starting in the 1850s, Conestoga wagons were replaced by trains. Railroad buffs are likely to enjoy sleeping in renovated cabooses in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Fancy Gap, Virginia. They offer a kitchenette, private bath and other comforts, along with access to Jacuzzis in the depot (grassycreekcabooses.com). A very different environment greets visitors to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at the Feather Nest Inn. Its fantasy suites include a Natural Cave, which is decorated with reproductions of prehistoric cave paintings, faux animal skins and rock piles, a boatshaped bed, shipwreck salvage-like furniture and a waterfall in the Treasure Island See OFFBEAT PLACES, page 36

FLOOD AND WATER DAMAGE: PREVENTION, PROTECTION, AND PROGRAMS

YOU ARE INVITED Please join the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking for a virtual Flood and Water Damage Forum. Learn how to protect your property from water damage due to ﬂooding. Also, learn about resources and complaint processes available if damage occurs. Topics include:

Z Assistance for residents affected by water damage DC Water Z Public alert systems, emergency preparedness, community engagement resources DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Z Early warning systems, flood plan management and mitigation activities DC Department of Energy and the Environment Z Changes to National Flood Insurance Program that lower flood insurance premiums Federal Emergency Management Agency Z Role of insurance brokers/agents, claims process, policy inclusions and exclusions District of Columbia Insurance Federation WHEN Thursday, June 24 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. JOIN BY PHONE 1-650-479-3208 Access Code: 172-179-7613 JOIN BY COMPUTER/ONLINE bit.ly/3hqeloJ Phone line and website open at 3:45 p.m. on June 24 FOR MORE INFORMATION Idriys J. Abdullah 202-442-7832 idriys.abdullah@dc.gov

JUNE 21-25 IS FLOOD AWARENESS WEEK! Learn more about events and resources that will help YOU be prepared! Visit: ready.dc.gov/ﬂoodweek.

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Beekeepers From page 1

A calming effect Kim Mehalick, 59, a beekeeper since 2012, is president of the Maryland State Beekeepers Association, whose 1,000 members have around 13,000 hives. She teaches beekeeping online and at local beekeeping club meetings and mentors aspiring beekeepers. Mehalick finds bees “extremely peaceful. Once you open the box, it’s calm,” she said. “There’s the wonderful smell of beeswax and honey and a quiet hum that is very special. The more you learn, the more interesting they are.” Mehalick reels off bee facts and tips: A summer bee lives six weeks; a winter bee, six months. Each honeybee makes only one-sixth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. It takes two million nectar-gathering trips to make one pound of honey. In Maryland, most bees get nectar from

tree blossoms like black locusts, tulip poplars, American hollies and basswoods. To a bee, one mature tree equals 1.5 acres of flowers. “The suburban dream of a grass lawn is a desert for bees,” Mehalick said. She’s intrigued by the way honeybees, unlike solitary bees, work together. “They are always planning for the future,” she said. Calling the hive a “superorganism,” she explained that each queen mates with 15 to 20 drones to ensure genetic diversity, and one queen lays 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day. “Workers have to collect enough food and raise babies,” Mehalick said. “There’s a continuity with bees and a hope for the future.”

Summer is honey season June is a month of high nectar flow, when bees can make the most honey. Kathryn Krenn, 65, an Annandale, Virginia beekeeper for nine years, has between eight to 14 hives and up to 80,000

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

honeybees each June. Her bees made 120 pounds of honey one year. She keeps some, gives some away, and that year left 60 to 80 pounds for the bees to eat after flowers stopped blooming. Krenn teaches beekeeping classes online. Beekeeping is a natural extension of her love for gardening, putting her back in touch with nature, she said, and she likes to be with fellow beekeepers. “Bees are amazing, super fascinating insects,” Krenn said. However, she’s worried about their survival, she said. “Native bees are in trouble.” Globally, bees are in decline because of habitat loss, pesticides, disease and climate change. The 4,000 species in North America are under threat. “Many of our native bee pollinators are at risk, and the status of many more is unknown,” according to the nonprofit Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, based in Oregon.

The Slovenian approach Maria Velikonja, 63, is a former FBI agent and a Balkans war crimes investigator, but she now calls herself a farmer, keeping bees at her Arlington home and on her farm in Salisbury, Maryland. “I want to be an expert when I’m 85. Bees are nice little things,” she said. Through beekeeping, Velikonja sustains part of her Slovenian heritage. Her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Slovenia, where her grandparents were beekeepers. Beekeeping is a highly technical, evolved science in Slovenia, she said, and she imports special hives from her homeland. Slovenia is famous for these colorful AZ Hive houses, named after inventor Alberti Žniderši. Velikonja’s imported beehouse is decorated with Slovenian art. Since it has electricity, she can tend to her bees in all weather. Velikonja’s friend Jonna Sanders also does Slovenian-style beekeeping in her Fairfax County back yard. Sanders, who has had scoliosis since her 20s, said that the Slovenian approach is customizable and easier for people over 50 or people with disabilities and back problems. Traditional American beekeepers use vertical frames. But Sanders explained that the 100-year-old Slovenian AZ Hive has more weather protection, creates fewer hive disturbances and avoids using smoke to calm the bees, a common beekeeping practice. Sanders is so passionate about bees that she helped a Virginia legislator, Del. Paul Krizek, pass a bill in Richmond in 2021 to protect her favorite insect. Now that’s devotion.

Helping bees

Need help with rent or utilities? Mayor Bowser has your back. Apply for #STAYDC today.

You don’t have to be a professional or hobbyist beekeeper to help pollinators. Alonso Abugattas, Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County Parks, offers these tips for supporting bees in your yard: —Provide nest sites, like tree snags, bunch grasses, mud, bare ground, brush piles and native plants. —Inventory what you have before launching gardening projects. —Cluster similar blooms together. —Have plants blooming in succession all the time. —Prioritize native plants. Native plants support four times more bees than non-natives. —Provide natural connectivity between land fragments.

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June 16 833-4-STAYDC (78-2932)

HER FLAG PANEL DISCUSSION Join a National

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Say you saw it in the Beacon | Leisure & Travel

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

From page 34 the silent movies, one of perhaps 600 in the world. Because it is a theater organ, the organist can use both hands and feet to make the sounds of a xylophone, glockenspiel, drums, marimba, chimes, wood blocks, gongs, gunshots and a toy box. One performer explained that he “pulls out all the stops,” or mechanical knobs, playing all the pipes at once. “That’s how Bach started each piece.”

If you go For travel planning, check ahead for current COVID-19 requirements. Roundtrip flights from Washington National via Chicago currently start at $344. For tourist information, go to visitcalgary.com. The Calgary Stampede, July 9 to 18, is a 10-

Offbeat places From page 35 room (feathernestinn.com). Would-be campers might find that a Safari Tent pitched near the shore of Rehoboth Bay in Delaware meets their comfort level. Queen-sized beds, a futon sofa, electricity and use of a golf cart transform a roughingit experience into a memorable one (masseyslanding.com/accommodations). Other unique overnight spots include a

day spectacular of professional athletes in high-dollar rodeo competitions, including bareback, saddle-bronc, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Rodeo tickets available for purchase have been situated to allow for current physical distancing requirements. For ticket inquiries, email tickets@calgarystampede.com. Other highlights include First Nations dancing and drum competitions, livestock shows, midway rides, chuckwagon races, concerts and tasty treats like maple-glazed donuts and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped Reese’s cups. Planners hope the Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 2 to 25, will be live (2020’s was virtual). Seventy Alberta artists will perform on six daytime and two evening stages. Visit www.calgaryfolkfest.com/festival. Through the Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP), artists have transformed Calgary into an open-air gallery with out-

rustic 65-foot-tall fire tower with 360-degree views over West Virginia’s largest state forest; the 183-year-old Cove Point Lighthouse and keeper’s home on the shore of Chesapeake Bay, and several family-operated farms in Pennsylvania’s Amish country where guests may help with chores, interact with cows and other animals and enjoy farm-to-table meals (onlyinyourstate.com/west-virginia/thornymountain-wv, calvertmarinemuseum.com, painns.com).

door murals. During the BUMP Festival, August 6 to 29, the city is expected to pop with live DJs, music, food and self-guided mural tours. Visit yycbump.ca. Set aside a couple of days to visit nearby Banff National Park, 100 miles west — a vast expanse of nature bursting with sublime scenery, glacier-fed lakes, 1,000 miles of trails and a gondola that takes adventurers to Sulphur Mountain’s summit. A good “base camp” is the stunning, emerald green-turquoise Lake Louise, which has several lodging options, including the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Check banfflakelouise.com for accommodations.

PHOTO BY KEN LANE

Calgary

Amid downtown Calgary’s skyscrapers stands the walk-through sculpture “Wonderland,” designed by Barcelona-based designer Jaume Plensa.

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

Watch out for fake airline ticket sites By BBB of Central Virginia With the vaccines rolling out, travel is coming back. That’s great news for summer vacation plans — and for scammers. The Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker is receiving reports of con artists who create fake airline ticket booking sites or customer service numbers. If you’re buying airfare, always double check the URL or phone number before providing your credit card information.

How the scam works While doing an online search for cheap flights, you come across what seems like a great deal with a major airline. You book the flight — either through the website or by calling a customer support number —

and receive a confirmation message. However, when you look closer at the email, you notice that you never actually received your ticket. You were scammed. In another version of the scam, you book a flight on a travel website offering deals on airfare. You pay with your credit card. But shortly after making the payment, you receive a call from the company saying there’s been a sudden price increase or an extra charge needed to finalize your booking. This is something a legitimate company would never do. In either case, you should call the airline to follow up about your flight. If after talking to an agent you find that they have no record of your booking, it’s clear that you purchased tickets through a scam website

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or a phony customer service number. One victim told BBB Scam Tracker, “I received a phone call right after [booking the flight] stating that they wanted $100 per passenger to finalize my flight.” Then, after calling the airline to complain, the victim discovered that “the flight wasn’t available to begin with. The flight was never booked ... this company just charged my card.”

address. Typos and grammatical errors can be indications of a scammer’s handiwork, too. Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges made on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.

How to avoid travel scams

For more information

Do your research. If you come across a company you haven’t dealt with before, research it before making any purchase. Look on BBB.org for reviews and feedback from previous customers. Double check the URL before you enter personal and payment information. It can be easy to click on a sponsored ad or imposter website without noticing. Before you enter any sensitive information, double check that you are on the right website and that the link is secure. (Secure links start with “https://” and include a lock icon on the purchase page. Learn more at BBB.org/BBBSecure.) Be war y of third-party websites. Some websites appear to offer a legitimate service but are only fronts for a scam. Be suspicious of websites with no working customer service number and no physical

To learn more about planning a getaway during COVID-19, visit bbb.org. For ways to protect yourself from travel scams, go to BBB.org/TravelScam. Stay one step ahead of scammers by subscribing to BBB’s weekly Scam Alert emails. If you’ve been a victim of an airline ticket or other travel scam, please report your experience at BBB.org/ScamTracker. When you report a scam, you can help others avoid falling prey to scammers. BBB serving Central Virginia was established in 1954 to advance responsible, honest, and ethical business practices and to promote customer confidence through selfregulation of business. Core services of BBB include business profiles, dispute resolution, truthful advertising, scam warnings, consumer and business education and charity review.

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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 2 1

Style

Arts &

Volunteer gardeners beautify D.C.’s pocket parks, medians and empty lots. See story below.

Guerilla gardeners pitch in to beautify city By Sharon Lynn Clark Fifteen years ago, D.C. resident Jim Guckert saw the potential for beauty. He would pass by the pocket park at the corners of 8th and I streets, near the Marine Corps barracks, and imagine transforming it from an eyesore to lush garden. So Guckert “recruited some neighbors to help me maintain the park and plant liriope and daylilies in the tree boxes,” he said. “The garden was created because we wanted something more.” Every spring, the expansive, block-long oasis comes to life with an abundance of beautiful colors. Beautifying that space was and continues to be a group effort. After their initial success, Guckert and his neighbors formed the Guerilla Gardeners of Washington, D.C. (GGDC), turning their attention to other neglected patches of land. Since then, the all-volunteer group has beautified dozens of other sites throughout the city.

What is guerilla gardening? One definition of the word guerilla refers to actions performed in an impromptu manner, often without authorization.

“Guerilla gardening started in the 1970s by environmentally conscious people. The practice was intended to make unused and neglected spaces more beautiful, green and healthy,” the GGDC’s website explains. “Our philosophy interprets the term ‘guerilla gardeners’ as a people-powered beautification movement,” Guckert said. “The community acts when it wants positive change.” While early guerilla gardeners performed their work “in the dead of night,” the website says, the practice is more appreciated now. Despite the name’s implication of a “rogue operation,” he said, “we always look to partner and collaborate with other groups and city agencies when possible.”

Partnering on Potomac Avenue The group’s partners and collaborators respect its hard work and expertise. In June 2020, Former D.C. commissioner Kelly Waud asked Guckert and his volunteers to help beautify several neglected parks between two public housing projects in Southeast D.C. Volunteers removed overgrowth, then

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planted flowers, trees and shrubs. They celebrated the completion of the Potomac Triangle Parks Reclamation Project in September 2020. Laud said she remains “deeply grateful to Jim and the Guerilla Gardeners for lending their support and expertise to supporting the community-driven improvements at the pocket parks along Potomac Avenue.” When working on that project, the GGDC partnered with Brothas Huddle and Little Lights, two organizations that mentor and tutor neighborhood kids, Waud said. On a few Saturdays in early 2020, soon before COVID-19 took over our world, Brothas Huddle and the GGDC worked to create a special experience for Potomac

Gardens neighbors. Teens ages 13 to 18 who had helped to tend to green spaces in the housing project known as Potomac Gardens volunteered their time to make blended-fruit smoothies for visitors. In exchange, people could donate to the organization. Young people learned entrepreneurial skills and how to be of value to the community. In upcoming weeks, Guckert will meet with Frank Muhammad, co-founder of Brothas Huddle, aka “Brother Huddle” to discuss continuing the work they began last year. “I want to learn from Jim. As he transSee GUERILLA GARDENING, page 41

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Books translated from esoteric languages See the world through the perspective spective young men have of their fathers as each of them matures. Other of other cultures. Experience topics: a faltering belief in Santa the lives and emotions of naClaus, a favorite trench coat, tives thanks to these three adopting a family pet, a chertranslations. They run the ished recording (in this case gamut from first-person stovinyl), observing kids glued to ries to Russian interwar histotheir phones, finding love and ry to contemporary humor disappointing loved ones. originally in Catalan, Yiddish and Swedish. Culture is not a barrier, and The Art of Wearing a life’s experiences are all-enTrench Coat: Stories, by compassing. Introspective Sergi Pàmies, translated THE and sensitive, these fictional by Adrian Nathan West, BIBLIOPHILE stories will enrich your under128 pages, Other Press By Dinah Rokach standing of life’s major and paperback, 2021 minor events. Where you were The short stories in this slim paperback on 9/11, for instance, and the song that touch on subjects that are near to older read- forms the background of your relationship ers — reflections on their upbringing, fail- with your spouse are universal themes. ures in relationships and marriage, the bur- Readers living 4,000 miles away can find a dens of parenthood and the changing per- Catalan writer relevant and enlightening.

Author Sergi Pàmies is in his early 60s. The stories are based on the author’s identity as the son of revolutionary leaders in Catalonia, Spain. His mother was an acclaimed writer, his father a revolutionary turned leftwing politician. Translator Adrian Nathan West is himself a novelist and essayist. How People Live in Soviet Russia: Impressions From a Journey, by Mendel Osherowitch, translated by Sharon Power, 314 pages, Kashtan Press paperback, 2020 The insightful account by reporter Mendel Osherowitch on assignment for the New York-based Yiddish language newspaper Forverts describes conditions on his travels back to his homeland in 1932. Osherowitch, who was fluent in Russian, Ukranian and Yiddish, visited with members of his immediate family and friends whom he left behind when he emi-

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grated to the United States 23 years prior. The author, then in his early 40s, was able to venture beyond the rosy facade provided by his Soviet guides to reveal the truth of the misery and famine under Soviet Stalinist rule. He traveled beyond Moscow to his hometown in Ukraine to find the horror of famine. In the Black Sea resort town of Odessa and the production hub of Rostov, Osherowitch vividly portrays the individuals he meets and their strained living conditions. The collectivization of the land impoverished the peasantry as the Communist system of a managed economy failed to provide goods to those without connections. The secret police reigned over a terrified populace. Stories of his reunions with acquaintances, descriptions of the countryside, portrayal of fellow travelers and the nostalgia for the people and places of one’s youth are evocative. How People Live is part travelogue, autobiography, eyewitness reporting and political commentary. The subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union makes his reporting prescient. Osherowitch died in 1965. His contemporaneous Yiddish-language account was not widely known until this translation by Toronto scholar Sharon Power. The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man: A Novel, by Jonas Jonasson, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles, 448 pages, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2019 Longevity has its privileges. No doubt embarking on humorous adventures is one of them. So is the ability to appreciate the absurdities of life. Being outspoken and uninhibited about See BIBLIOPHILE, page 41

Request for Proposals for Plumbing Systems Services The Housing Authority of the City of College Park invites interested and qualified Plumbing/ Mechanical/Engineers to submit proposals to repair the Dual Temp Pipe Insulation of the 1st floor of an Apartment Complex. Copies of the Request for Proposals will be available on June 1,2021 by request. Interested parties may contact the Housing Authority by email at mcjohnson@haccp.agency, to obtain a copy of the RFP. Deadline for submission of proposal is 4:00 p.m. on June 30, 2021. Michelle Johnson, Executive Director HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE PARK

Guerilla gardening From page 39 forms abandoned lots into beautiful gardens, so too do I hope to transform the minds of people who live in Potomac Gardens,” Muhammad said. “We endeavor to guide children and teens to become good stewards of this thing called life.” Brothas Huddle also works with older adults. One of its goals is to encourage older adults to stay healthy and active. Every Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., for instance, the organization hosts a community walk for the substantial senior population in Potomac Gardens. Despite the pandemic, the group of approximately 10 people still meets, wearing masks and standing six feet apart. People feel safe and are excited to be walking with their neighbors, Muhammad explained.

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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

Volunteers keep it going Today the GGDC has about a dozen regular volunteers, but many others step up to work on specific projects. Nearly 50 volunteers worked on a recent project, Guckert said. “All of our volunteers perform various gardening tasks,” he said, and no experience is required. “Everyone is a volunteer.” The organization, which became a 501c3 in 2019, receives no federal or city funding, relying mainly on private donations. However, several community organizations support the GGDC’s work. The group receives financial support from the nonprofit Barracks Row Main Street group and the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. The city of D.C. helps in its own way, Guckert said. “We regard the city’s role in the spaces we improve, i.e., mowing and trash re-

moval, as supportive of our beautification efforts. That support enables our community’s creative expression in the gardens.” Guerilla Gardeners of Washington, D.C. doesn’t own any of the land that it works on, so it retains a renegade stance. Searching the city for neglected greenspace, Guckert sends a team of volunteers to rake, mow, dig

and plant without the city’s permission. “When we started out, our thinking was, ‘We’ll do this until someone tells us to stop,’” Guckert said. “No one ever has! We have never heard anything but praise for our work.” To volunteer for or donate to Guerrilla Gardeners of Washington D.C., visit guerrillagardenersdc.org.

BEACON BITS

June 24

EVENING WITH A POET The D.C. Public Library hosts a free virtual poetry reading with

Micah the Poet, author of Things No One Else Wants to Say and Regie Cabico, poet and director of Capturing Fire Press. This event takes place Thurs., June 24 at 6 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/DCPLPoetryReading. Call (202) 727-0321 with questions.

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Bibliophile From page 40 your opinions grows with age, as is more than evident in this tale. All these concepts make for a great foundation for a novel in which the protagonist finds himself in the middle of a web of intrigue with world leaders, villains and outlandish characters straight out of recent headlines. Accompany Allan Karlsson, who celebrates his 101st birthday at the beginning

of the saga, as he traverses four continents along with sidekick sexagenarian Julius Jonsson. Appearances by Donald Trump, Kim Jong-Un, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel add spice to the merriment. Swedish author and former journalist Jonas Jonasson has been ably translated by Minnesotan Rachel Willson-Broyles. Although many jokes are about old age, the characterizations are so preposterous, readers of all ages are sure to find them hilarious.

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Montgomery County

Elder Abuse Prevention See Something, Say Something Montgomery County is dedicated to preventing elder abuse in our community. Elder abuse may take many forms— physical, emotional, sexual, or financial. Perpetrators of elder abuse may P include family members, caregivers or outsiders who seek to take advantage of a vulnerable person. You can take the first step towards prevention by learning about the warning signs and available resources. Isolation is one of the most common warning signs that a vulnerable adult or senior is being abused or neglected. A perpetrator may take away the senior’s cell phone or prevent loved ones from visiting. The perpetrator may also limit the senior’s interaction with others by not taking them to their normal activities at senior centers or places of worship. In addition, the perpetrator may gain access to the senior’s bank accounts and control finances. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of isolation because practicing social distancing is a key component of reducing exposure to this virus. The pandemic has made it more difficult to remain in contact with friends and loved ones, and regular activities and group gatherings have been suspended.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a vulnerable adult, please report it anonymously to the Adult Protective Services Intake line at 240-777-3000. The Montgomery County Adult Protective Services (APS) program provides services to vulnerable adults 18 years of age and older who lack the physical or mental capacity to provide for their daily needs. Social workers and nurses will investigate cases of self-neglect, neglect, physical abuse and financial exploitation, while offering county resources to ensure and protect the client’s health, safety and welfare. Additionally, APS is part of the Montgomery County Elder & Vulnerable Adult Abuse Task Force, which is a multi-disciplinary team comprised of multiple government agencies that seek to educate, prevent, remedy, investigate and, when needed, prosecute elder abuse to ensure the safety of vulnerable adults. Other members of the task force include: the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Police, Ombudsman, Office of the County Attorney, and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. If you See Something, Say Something. Call Montgomery County Adult Protective Services at 240-777-3000 or email: ADS@ MontgomeryCountyMD.gov

In June 2021, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day will feature open classes for the public: https://weaad2021mc. eventbrite.com June 15th: Senior Safety

during a Pandemic and Beyond with music therapist Tom Sweitzer June 16th: Montgomery

County Office of the State’s Attorney: Combatting Elder Abuse Through Community Connections and yoga instructor Cheryl Kravitz June 18th: Red Flags of

Abuse with music therapist Tom Sweitzer Other Important Phone Numbers and Resources Adult Protective Services and

Guardianship: 240-777-3000 Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse

Section, Montgomery County Department of Police: 240-773-5050 Crimes Against Seniors

and Vulnerable Adults Unit, Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: 240-777-7300 Montgomery County Family

Justice Center: 240-773-0444; www.montgomerycountymd. gov/fjc/ National Center on Elder

Abuse (ELDR): 1-855-500-3537 https://elderjustice.acl.gov/

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

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

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

Remember when clothes made the man? It’s midnight blue. It’s still in pretty good Probably. But when? repair. It has done lots of duty over the years Then came news that the father of an — at weddings, public appearold friend had died, at 87. We ances, business meetings. needed to attend the viewing. Until early last year, it was So out of the closet came my go-to suit. Old Blue. It was the first time I But then came the pandemhad worn it in nearly 14 ic, and all the adjustments that months. we have come to know so well. He looked rested and For me, that meant growready, that old amigo of mine. ing a beard (I shaved after Crisp creases in the trousers. three months — I looked like Jacket pockets nice and flat. a sheep). It meant haircuts HOW I SEE IT And not covered with dust. only every eight weeks (half By Bob Levey I put it on. I tied my tie (also my usual). It meant vast ina pandemic first). Off we went. creases in time spent exercising and time And I felt good in a way that I hadn’t spent reading for pleasure. since March of last year. And it meant that my old-reliable suit So much of that feeling was born when I hung in my closet, ignored. was — in the early middle of the last century. Would I ever wear it again? Possibly. If you had a mother like mine, she insist-

ed on proper dress. Even at age less-thanten, that meant shined shoes, firmly knotted neckties and a suit that looked snappy. My father reinforced that policy with his own clothing choices. He wore a suit and tie to go downtown to work, every single weekday. Even on weekends, he would choose sharply pressed khakis and a dress shirt. I once asked him why he didn’t go for blue jeans and tee-shirts, as my brother and I did. “Because gentlemen don’t dress like that,” he said. That lesson stuck with me over the years. At my first job, I asked the Big Boss whether there was a dress code. He said there was. “Always dress as if you’re about to meet

Queen Elizabeth,” he said. The employees mocked him — and that policy — behind his back. But throughout all the years that I worked for him, I made sure to choose a suit, a conservative tie and a plain blue or white dress shirt. What did wearing a suit imply? That my workplace took work seriously. That we were expected to be on our best behavior, clad in our best look. That maybe, just maybe, the queen would come sauntering through the door at any moment. She never did. But if she had, I and my colleagues would have been ready. So, as I unclipped the suit hanger, stepped into the pants and found the armSee BOB LEVEY, page 45

BEACON BITS

June 29+

EAST ASIAN PAINTING SYMPOSIUM Join curators, conservators, scientists and educators from the

National Museum of Asian Art for a symposium on East Asian painting conservation. This virtual event explores the intersection of traditional practices and modern technology, providing diverse perspectives to enrich the discussion. Talks take place Tues., June 29, Wed., June 30 and Thurs., July 1 at 8:00 a.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/EastAsianArtSymposium.

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

Crossword Puzzle

Daily crosswords can be found on our website: www.TheBeaconNewspapers.com Click on Puzzles Wind Power 1

By Stephen Sherr 5

24 29

31 36

37 42

Jumble answers on p. 47.

Scrabble answers on p. 47.

Across

71. Rapunzel requirement

1. Restroom region 6. Atlantic game fish 10. Samples cappuccinos 14. Neighborhood pal 15. ___ of your bee’s wax 16. Make a scarf 17. Convenient site for mass-vaccinations 18. “They are gaining on us; step ___” 19. Italian mountain, one of 16 worldwide “decade volcanoes” 20. Reach Friday afternoon 23. Eve, originally 24. Vegan’s protein source 25. Grain used for whiskey 26. Notes after dos 29. Patron saint of Norway 31. Rules and ___ 33. Number system with digits 0 to 7 35. Unsuccessful baseball game 37. Cash-out conveniences 40. Whimpered for attention 43. Divide M&M’s into their color components 44. Castaway’s landing spot 45. Get back one’s glow 46. Scarlet and maroon 48. Mine entrance 50. Emergency exit, on a keyboard 51. Participate in the Winter games 53. Start of Mr. Rogers’ theme song 55. Opera solo 57. Edited a dictionary while tipsy 63. Pond dweller 64. Start an orchard 65. Farewell, mademoiselle 66. Look sullen 67. Reveal secrets 68. Instrument played with vertical strings 69. NFL Primetime channel 70. Ohio’s Great Lake

1. Nobel-winning Pygmalion playwright 2. Donut shapes 3. “You got that right!” 4. Actress Blair or Hamilton 5. Play’s protagonist, probably 6. February missiles 7. Only RI and Del are smaller than it 8. Furlongs and fathoms 9. You can buy one on EquineNow.com 10. Distort data 11. Federally-funded road 12. Covered in conifers 13. Vampire killer 21. Hibachi helper 22. Part of the Great Seal of the United States 26. Ticket stub data 27. Reverberation 28. Agitating 30. “Behold; there it is!” 32. Mr. Kotter of Welcome Back, Kotter 34. Poker starter 36. Scamper away 38. Investment bank job applicants 39. Lip-___ (perform like Milli Vanilli) 41. Aversion 42. Museum holding 47. “___ I do that?” 49. Outrage 51. Stormwater filter 52. Lufthansa luggage limits 54. Look at with contempt 56. Right-hand man 58. ___ your keep 59. Sandwich seller 60. River to the Mediterranean 61. Snakelike fish 62. Superhero partners

Down

Answers on page 47.

Bob Levey

Say you saw it in the Beacon | Arts & Style

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

ONE BIG HAPPY By Rick Detorie

From page 43 holes of the jacket, I didn’t just feel appropriately dressed for a funeral. I felt as if I were rejoining the human race. I’ve never made a big deal about this, but well before the pandemic, I was confused about “business casual.” More and more, men would show up in work situations — yes, even to funerals — in slacks and a shirt. Sometimes, the shirt would be wrinkled. Sometimes (gasp!), it would not be tucked into the pants (my mother would have had a fit). Younger people — including two who call me Dad — have explained that the old rules are being relaxed, and wasn’t that a good thing? Instead of having to spend oodles on suits, men could now spend half-oodles on less formal ensembles. Good all the way around, the kids would argue. I’m not so sure. Whenever I would put on a suit during my middle years, I would feel the way a professional athlete must feel when he dons his uniform. “OK,” the clothes would say, “now you can compete. Now you can get serious. Now you’re ready to win.” That feeling has been hibernating since March 2020. I’m sorry that it took a death to reinvigorate it, and me. But when I looked at myself in the mir-

ror before venturing out to the funeral home, I felt official. I felt finished. I felt whole. If Old Blue could talk, I’m sure he’d

have made fun of me. “Old guy Bob,” he might have said, “I’m just some threads. I don’t have a soul. I don’t have any inherent value.”

And I would have said right back: “Oh, yes, you do. Lots.” Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

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It’s a cruel fact of life, as we age, gravity takes over. Our muscles droop, our bodies sag and the weight of the world seems to be planted squarely on our shoulders. We dread taking a fall, so we find ourselves walking less and less– and that only makes matters worse. Well, cheer up! There’s finally a product designed to enable us all to walk properly and stay on the go. It’s called the Perfect Walker, and it can truly change your life. Traditional rollators and walkers simply aren’t designed well. They require you to hunch over and shuffle your feet when you walk. This puts pressure on your back, neck, wrists and hands. Over time, this makes walking uncomfortable and can result in a variety of health issues. That’s all changed with the Perfect Walker. Its upright design and padded elbow rests enable you to distribute your weight across your arms and shoulders, not your hands and wrists, which helps reduce back, neck and wrist pain and discomfort. Its unique frame gives you plenty of room to step, and the oversized wheels help you glide across the floor. The height can be easily adjusted with the push of a button to fit anyone from 4’9” to over 6’2”. Once you’ve reached your destination you can use the hand brakes to gently slow down, and there’s even a handy seat with a storage compartment. Plus the Perfect Walker includes Stand AssistTM handles which make standing from a sitting position simple and easy. Its sleek, lightweight design makes it FREE easy to use indoors and out and it folds up for portability and storage.

• Comfortable Seat • Stand-assist handles • Adjustable Backrest • Folds easily Optimized Center of Gravity • Easy-brake Wheels • Plus, now you can choose between royal blue or rich bronze

Why spend another day hunched over and shuffling along. Call now, and find out how you can try out a Perfect Walker for yourself... and start feeling better each and every day in your own home.

Perfect WalkerTM

Call now Toll-Free

1-888-660-0776

84529

Utility Bag, Cane and Beverage Holders

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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 & Employment Opportunities SEEKING CAPABLE CARING SUPPORT PERSONS for developmentally disabled man who needs assistance with small non-profit yard work/gardening business. Please speak English well and be able to drive small van and have cheery manners with all. Hrs. F/T and P/T available 7 days wk. Pay range up to $21 - $22 per hour start based on experience plus bonuses for extra challenging work. Obtain CPR and First Aid online okay. Background Check by employer. Must complete new hire packet. Call Dee at 240-620-5101. A HEALTHY SENIOR IS LOOKING for work like companionship, house sitting, gardening, dogs, or anything similar. Please leave a message. 301-442-0581.

Caregivers A HOME HEALTHCARE- Experienced nurses, CNA, GNA are available 24/7. Cooking, companionship, personal care, housekeeping, driving. Full/Part-time or live-in care. Flat rate for live-in. 15 years’ experience. (240-533-6599) A CARE AGENCY - Been in business for more than 10 years. Experienced nurses, CNAs, GNAs. Any hours you need. Flat rate for live-in. Duties include cooking, housekeeping, bathing, errands, etc. Tel: 667-231-8235 MOBILE HAIR AND NAIL SERVICES - WE COME TO YOU. Professional Licensed Stylist. Women and Men’s Services - All Hair Types. Covid safe practices. Shampoo, Cuts, Sets, Color, Perms, Mens Cuts & Facial Grooming, Manicures & more. 301-338-8251 SENIOR CARE IN YOUR OWN HOME. Your trusted neighborhood caregivers here to help you 24/7. Companionship, Personal & Respite Care, Housekeeping, Meal Prep, Medication Reminders. legacychevychase.com 240-442-8486.

Computer Services PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call David G. Computer Services at: 301-328-2112 or 301-642-4526. YOUR COMPUTER HELP - Need help with your computer setup, Security, Wireless network configuration, training, or transferring to a new computer and keeping all your files. Call Share Tech Solutions (703) 929-1451. https://www.ShareTechSolutions.com

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

Financial

Legal Services

Wanted

WESLEY FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts. Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt and fees cancelled in 2019. Get free informational package and learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 855-626-8703.

APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY or Appealing a Denied Claim? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc. Our case managers simplify the process & work hard to help with your case. Call 1-866-970-0779 FREE Consultation. Local Attorneys Nationwide [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990. Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae, Punk, Blues, and Disco. 33 1/3 LP’s, 45’s and some 78’s, Some Groups Of CD’s Larger collections of at least 100 items wanted. Please call John, 301-596-6201.

For Sale SLOT MACHINES FOR SALE Two regular size slot machines. Price negotiable. 202-3600924. PUT ON YOUR TV EARS and hear TV with unmatched clarity. TV Ears Original were originally $129.95 - NOW WITH THIS SPECIAL OFFER are only $59.95 with code MCB59! Call 1-833-934-0843. GENERAC STANDBY GENERATORS provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home and family stay safe and comfortable. Prepare now. Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!). Request a free quote today! Call for additional terms and conditions. 1-866964-8106.

For Sale/Rent: Real Estate BEAUTIFUL, MODERN FURNISHED CONDO open looked completely renovated kitchen and bathroom in downtown Silver Spring. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom. Concierge, pool, and community room. The condo is conveniently located off of 16th St, near 495 Beltway, and East West Highway. Georgia Ave , Only 10 minutes to downtown Bethesda, 15 minutes to Adam’s Morgan and DuPont Circle. Just a short walk to the Silver Spring Red Line Metro and Ride-On bus stop. $1980 per month. 240-4753345 valmcd16gmail.com

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. LIBRA NATURAL HEALTH CONSULTING Create Health — Help Children Thrive — Conquer Covid Complications — Alleviate Chronic Conditions. sdanuhealthy@gmail.com LIFE ALERT. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go. Mobile Pendant with GPS. FREE First Aid Kit (with subscription.) CALL 240-847-6732 FREE Brochure. MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1240-650-9189 DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258. RUBY CREED WELLNESS SPA has Esthetician Services, and Massage Services, Treat yourself for spa day! 50% off for first time clients, Our location is conveniently at the Salon LoftsWest Alexandria loft-14- 3461 Berkeley st. Alexandria Virginia 22302. Appointments 703474-4528

Home/Handyman Services CONTINENTAL MOVERS Local long distance. $80 x two men plus one hour drive $80 Moving - deliveries - pick ups - hauling - packing. Established since 1995. Cmora53607@msn.com www.continentalmovers.net 202-438-1489 â€” 301-340-0602. THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer - FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! Call Today! 1-855-653-0087. SLOWING DOWN AFTER 39 YEARS of contracting. Small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial. $42.50 from arrival on job. Will work all over DC area. Andy 703-906-5429.

Personal Services “HOME TO OFFICE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN!” We are A to Z personal organizers, bringing order to your life. We specialize in relocation services for seniors. Check us out on the web: A2ZOrganizers.com, or give us a call at 240.432.4920. READY TO MOVE OR DOWNSIZE? Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed? Downsizing Specialists is here to help! Our process helps you determine what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard with a compassionate specialist. Services include downsizing, decluttering, moving prep, estate sales and consignment of antiques, jewelry, coins, and collectibles. We also buy estates, vehicles, and real estate. DownsizingSpecialists.com or call/text Philip 301-219-3600 for details. Entire staff is vaccinated. MARYLAND SENIOR CONCIERGE SERVICES, LLC - Personal Services For Seniors. We offer a wide range of services: transitioning, moving, decluttering, packing, medical escort, shopping, bills and errands. We help you maintain your independence & gain control of your life. www.mdseniorhelp.com Call: Christine Callahan, CSA - 301.452.5730.

TV/Cable DIRECTV - Watch your favorite live sports, news and entertainment anywhere. More top premium channels than DISH. Restrictions apply. Call IVS - 1-888-572-4953 DISH NETWORK. $64.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1844-560-5837.

Wanted USED & RARE BOOKS WANTED. Quality books in all subjects. We also buy old maps, menus, post cards, advertising & travel brochures, posters, road maps, old magazines. Contact Dale 301-495-2732. Experienced seller since 1977 TOP PRICES PAID FOR FINE ANTIQUES, artwork and decorative objects including decorated crocks and jugs, unusual antique clocks, music boxes and mechanical things, coin operated devices, furniture, rare antique dolls and toys etc. I am 68 years old , well educated, financially capable, and have over 40 years in this business. Why pay outlandish auction house, estate agent or consignment store commissions when you can get a fair upfront price for your pieces with no hassle? If you have something interesting or unusual, rare and valuable and are prepared to sell it I would like to speak with you. Please call Jake Lenihan, 301 279 8834. No calls after 7 pm please. Thank you. PAYING CASH MERCHANDISE PRE 1980 old toys, silver, records, fountain pens, zippo lighters, old books and photographs, antiques and collectibles. If you have old merchandise to sell call Carl 312-316-7553. Located Silver Spring. Fair and Honest! Fifty years experience. COLLECTOR BUYING MILITARY ITEMS: helmets, weapons, knives, swords, web gear, uniforms, etc, from all wars & countries. Also slots/pinball & other coin operated machines. Top prices paid, Vaccinated & COVID Safe. CALL FRED 301-910-0783.

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 & CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403. WANTED OLD MOTORCYCLES: 1970’s & Older. Any condition good or bad. Buying AS IS paying CASH & PICKING UP. Kawasaki Norton Honda Triumph BMW Yamaha Harley BSA Suzuki Indian Etc. Call for CASH offer 1-800-2209683, website: www.wantedoldmotorcycles.com TIRED OF POLISHING YOUR SILVER? Turn it into cash which does not tarnish. I will come to your home to 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). Gold 4 Good pays an additional 5 percent to all sellers who are veterans of the U.S. 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. Call Bob, (240) 938-9694. LOOKING TO BUY PRETTY THINGS. Favorites include Dresden, Herend, Royal Copenhagen and Shelley. English bone china cups and saucers, figurines by various makers and dish sets. Art, collectibles, pottery and sterling. Teak furniture. Serious collector of vintage Christmas and Halloween decorations. Please call (301) 785-1129. MD Precious Metal License 2753. CASH FOR JEWELRY: Buying jewelry, diamonds, gold, platinum, silver, watches, coins, flatware, etc. Ask for Tom. Call anytime, 301654-8678 (Reg. 883). ALWAYS BUYING OLD STUFF! Old Silverware, Flatware and Holloware (even some silverplate ), Old books (pre-1930), Costume Jewelry, Pinup magazines before 1970, Comic Books, Old School Rings, Old Coins: U.S. & Foreign, Dental Gold (Yellow or White), Pocket/Wrist Watches, Old Toys/Games, Broken Jewelry (damaged, missing stones, etc.), Sports Cards, Risque paperback books, Old Adverting Signs, Old Metal Lunchboxes & other old stuff. What do you have? Call Alex : 571-426-5363 ~ I’ll come to you! WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-464-0958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com). WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. I’m vaccinated & will wear mask. Jack (301) 279-2158. CASH FOR ESTATES. I buy a wide range of items; Jewelry, Silver, Art, Rugs, Cultural Items, ETC., ETC. BUY OUT/CLEAN, 301-520-0755 WEBSITE: TheAtticLLC.com. I have my own trucks, my own crew & insurance. BOOK COLLECTIONS WANTED. Moving? Downsizing? Estate? Together the Bonafide Book Buyers have over 85 years experience as professional buyers & sellers of quality books in the D. C. area. Best prices paid for good books. Examples: Easton Press, Folio Society, First Edition Science Fiction & Mysteries, Military, History, Scholarly & Academic Press publications. Call Nelson at 240-472-4615 for an appointment at your house. Also will consider DVDs & CDs. Curbside pickup possible, phone for details.

BEACON BITS

June 25+

WOLF TRAP OPERA FROM HOME Enjoy opera at Wolf Trap without leaving home. Virtual performances

of scenes from famous operas can be streamed online Thursday and Friday evenings in June and July at 7 p.m. Learn more at bit.ly/WolftrapOperaOnline.

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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 2 1

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

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ANSWERS TO JUMBLE Jumbles: REBEL TREND VENDOR CUSTOM Answer: The fact that they were tubing down the river now made it a — CURRENT EVENT

All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington and Richmond editions). Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you. Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number. • Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

To place your classified ad, visit www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE Clinical Studies UMD Hearing Study . . . .22

Events 2021 Beacon Virtual 50+Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 AARP MD PROTECT Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Flood & Water Damage Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Funeral Services

Best Senior Care . . . . . . . .8 Options for Senior

Residences at Thomas Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

America . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Riderwood/Erickson . . .1, 9

Housing

Silverstone/Watermark . . .7

Ashby Ponds/Erickson .1, 9 Brooke Grove Retirement Village . . . . . . . . . . .24-25 Chesterbrook Residences . . . . . . . . . .19

Perfect Sleep Chair . . . . .41

Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Perfect Walker . . . . . . . . .45

Virginian, The . . . . . . . . .14

Wonder Book . . . . . . . . . .13

Legal Services

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Churchill Senior Living . .22

Law Offices of

Enterprise Residential . . .40

Lay to Rest Cremation . . .40

Falcons Landing . . . . . . .48

Government Services

Friendship Terrace . . . . . .12

Paul Riekhof . . . . . . . . .33

Greenspring/Erickson . .1, 9

Medical/Health

Montgomery County Aging & Disability Services . . .17 Montgomery County Energy Connection . . . .32 Montgomery County SHIP12 STAY DC . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 VICAP Medicare Program .29

Homecrest House . . . . . .31 Homewood at Frederick .29 Knollwood . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Landing of Silver Spring, The . . . . .23 Livingston Place . . . . . . .21 Maplewood at Park Place . .8

Home Health Care/Companion Services

Quantum Property Mgmt 19

AARP DC . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Park View Apartments . . .40 Residences at Glenarden

Eric Stewart . . . . . .32, 37

Springvale Terrace . . .11, 20

Farr Law Firm . . . . . . . . .29

Services . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Long & Foster/

Retail

Chevy Chase House . . . .38

Harmony Senior

Real Estate

Sommerset . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Going Home Cremation .41

HIP Home Sharing . . . . .21

Nancy Feldman . . . . . . .30 Law Offices of

Capital Caring Health . . .16 Judy Oh, DDS . . . . . . . . . .9 Medical Eye Center . . . . .15 Pro Bono Counseling Project . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Silver Spring Medical Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Steven Freidman, DDS . .20 VA Insurance Counseling & Assistance Program . .29

Manor Care Health Services . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Subscriptions Beacon Newspapers . . . .43

Technology BeaconSilverPages.com . .23 TechMedic4u . . . . . . . . . . .5

Theatre/ Entertainment Senior Zone . . . . . . . . . . .39 Toby’s Dinner Theater . . .39

Travel Shillelaghs . . . . . . . . . . . .37 TravelWV.com . . . . . . . . .35

Subscribe online! See how on p. 43

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

settle for

Falcons Landing is delighted to announce the opening of The Terrace Homes! With the best features of apartment ±ĹÚ ÏŅƋƋ±čå ĬĜƴĜĹčØ Ęå åųų±Ïå BŅĵåŸ Ņýåų ± ĹåƵ Ƌ±ĩå ŅĹ FĹÚåŞåĹÚåĹƋ XĜƴĜĹč üŅų ĵĜĬĜƋ±ųƼ ŅþÏåųŸ ƵĘŅ Ę±ƴå ĘŅĹŅų±ÆĬƼ served and senior level federal employees. No matter ĘŅƵ ƼŅƚ ŸŞåĹÚ ƼŅƚų Ú±ƼŸØ 8±ĬÏŅĹŸ X±ĹÚĜĹč čĜƴåŸ ƼŅƚ ƋĘå üųååÚŅĵ ƋŅ åĹģŅƼ ±ĬĬ Ņü ƋĘå ±ÏƋĜƴĜƋĜåŸ ƋĘ±Ƌ ÚåĀĹå ƵĘŅ ƼŅƚ ±ųåţ

ACT FAST, CALL (703) 293-5054 TO RESERVE YOUR NEW HOME TODAY! www.FalconsLanding.org Falcons Landing is proud to be a non-profit Life Plan Community.

June 2021 | DC Beacon

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TECHNOLOGY