June 2022 | Howard County Beacon

The Howard County

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VOL.12, NO.6

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The Afghan families first landed at eight military bases, where they were temporar-

JUNE 2022

I N S I D E …

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY GROSS

Coming to America

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More than 30,000 readers throughout Howard County

Volunteers rally to help refugees

By Ana Preger Hart When Kathy Gross, a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist in Columbia, visited the Afghan family of seven that her church had been asked to help, she found them in a twobedroom apartment in Elkridge with almost nothing in it except for a mattress and a crib.

So Gross created a wish list of household items and sent it to friends and neighbors.

“It went out the next day around noon electronically,” she said, “and by 10 o’clock that night, 90 percent of what was on that list had been donated.”

Gross is on the Howard County parish’s social justice committee that helped the family set up their new home. Church volunteers have since helped enroll the family’s children in elementary school, assisted the parents with resume writing and job searches, and provided driving lessons for the father so he could obtain his driver’s license.

Since last August, more than 76,000 Afghan nationals have been resettled in communities across the country. These refugees have temporary status that allows them to legally live in the United States.

“It’s been incredible to work with the families and individuals in the last few months as they’ve arrived in Maryland and Virginia. This region is one of the top destinations for Afghans,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS).

Her group is one of nine national resettlement agencies that are helping welcome the United States’ Afghan allies and their families through the U.S. State Department’s Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program.

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Kathy Gross, a resident of Columbia, volunteers on a church committee that helps refugee families from Afghanistan resettle in our area. She and other volunteers say they feel a spiritual need to help others feel welcome.

ily housed while being matched with refugee resettlement agencies and local community partners.

Once families reached their final destinations, organizations like LIRS helped arrange pick-ups at the airport, find affordable housing and modest furniture, and even stock the refrigerator with culturally familiar food.

Case workers also “ensure they have access to community-based resources, help them enroll children in public schools, and get them onto an economic footing by working with them on securing employment,” Vignarajah said.

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Bumps in the road There’s a short but lovely parkway not to navigate at speed, which ones require far from my house that I occasionally drive slowing almost to a stop (due to the precipion. It runs parallel to a walktous drop on the other side), ing and bike trail, and is dotand which only masquerade ted along the way with tennis as speed bumps, as they are and basketball courts and picreally just pedestrian crossnic sites. ings painted to look like speed Not surprisingly, the powbumps (or so it seems to me). ers in charge have instituted All of this “inside informaa moderate speed limit and tion” is especially helpful when installed multiple speed I find myself being followed bumps and pedestrian/bike closely by a driver who either crossings along its length. has never driven the road beHave you noticed how each FROM THE fore or just likes to tailgate. I speed bump seems to have its PUBLISHER need to telegraph my intenown personality? There clearly By Stuart P. Rosenthal tions lest I get rammed from doesn’t appear to be any mold behind. used to make them, as no two are alike.

As I was driving down the road the That seems especially true along this other day with all these thoughts flitting particular roadway. I find some can be eas- through my mind, I couldn’t help thinking ily passed over at the posted 20 mph speed how these “bumps in the road” — includlimit, while others could take out your muf- ing all their nuances — resemble our expefler and make you bump your head on the rience of life and the obstacles we all enroof of the car if you tried that. Some are counter. easy to cross in one direction, but a bear Sometimes there are signs that warn us when coming the opposite way. of impending problems. Sometimes we noBecause I’ve driven the road so many tice and heed those signs, and sometimes times, I know which bumps are quite easy we don’t.

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Sometimes we recognize a bump as something we’ve seen and traversed before, so we either proceed confidently or take additional precautions. Other times, we may think we know what we’re about to experience but are in for a rude awakening.

Occasionally we pass over or through a bumpy period in life and find very little has changed afterwards. But other times, the experience throws us for a loop, leading to some internal or external damage that we may or may not fully recover from.

Then there are the times we are focusing on the people coming behind us, and either not paying enough attention to the road in front, or letting others push us into something we are not prepared for.

And of course, there are all the places along life’s way we should come to a stop

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 info@thebeaconnewspapers.com.

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

Dear Editor: In your May article about South Padre Island, there is a picture of a Ferris wheel and the beach. The caption says you can watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico.

Um… No! That’s the sunrise. I lived there for years. The sun rises in the east, which is over the Gulf of Mexico on the beach, and it sets in the west, which is Mexico. Thought you might want to know.

Kim Via website Dear Editor: Just have to say that I enjoy your monthly editions immensely. As an old guy, the articles are especially helpful.

I must say, however, the article by Suzy Cohen (April, “How to treat sudden low blood pressure”) was especially helpful. When I saw her picture, my low blood pressure soared much higher.

Keep up the great articles.

necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

Publisher/Editor – Stuart P. Rosenthal President/Associate Publisher – Judith K. Rosenthal Executive Vice President – Gordon Hasenei Managing Editor – Margaret Foster Art Director – Kyle Gregory Director of Operations – Roger King Advertising Representatives – Steve Levin, M.K. Phillips Assistant Editor – Catherine Brown Content Manager – Ashley Griffin

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to let others pass or, perhaps, allow ourselves to smell the flowers or consider a different route altogether.

There’s only so far one should go in pursuing a metaphor, and I think I’ve reached (or passed) the limit.

But I did find these meandering thoughts brought to mind certain episodes in my life — some long forgotten or repressed, and others that, in recalling, made me feel I had truly learned from experience.

Perhaps you have had a similar reaction to this column. But if not, I hope you may think of it and smile the next time you hit a literal or figurative speed bump in life.

John Eckert Ellicott City, MD Dear Editor: Thank you for the informative articles provided in each Beacon issue that are not available in other publications.

Of serious and present interest is your May article titled “Can COVID bring on a case of shingles?” by Jim Miller. My personal experience with the shingles vaccine I was urged to take a few years ago warrants mention for your readers to preclude awakening the beast that is shingles.

As with most all of us, we follow medical recommendations that often fail to advise us completely. I and every other person I have spoken to over the years have not been cautioned to avoid the shingles vaccine if you are immune compromised. That includes having CLL cancer.

I took the vaccine that was a live virus and did develop shingles. NIH doctors advised I should not have taken the vaccine since it is a live virus and I am immune compromised. Your article does not directly address this serious prohibition that your readers should be informed about.

I caution [immune compromised] readers to raise this concern with a doctor before being injected rather than accept commercials at face value.

Keep up the great work.

Steven Chucala Woodbridge, VA Dear Editor: Elder financial exploitation is a serious crime that was exacerbated by the pandemic. In 2020, nearly 7,400 elder Marylanders reported losing almost $100 million through financial exploitation, (although estimates are significantly higher as most seniors do not report the crime).

Maryland’s annual PROTECT Week (Protecting Older Americans from Financial Exploitation) will be held June 13 to 17 so that older adults and caregivers can learn about the under-reported and often preventable crime of elder financial abuse and exploitation.

Visit protectweek.org to view a calendar of events, articles, webinars and other resources to prevent elder financial exploitation from happening to you or a loved one.

If you or someone you know is targeted by a scam, call the Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-3728311. In addition, AARP’s Fraud Watch Network can help you spot and avoid scams with its free “watchdog alerts,” scam-tracking map, and fraud helpline at 1877-908-3360.

Peter Franchot Maryland Comptroller

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

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TIMING IS IMPORTANT Snacking late at night hurts sleep and may lead to weight gain HACKING HACKS A lingering cough doesn’t require antibiotics. Hard candies work well BALANCE TRAINING If you’ve had a fall or a stroke, participate in a study to help balance DIABETES AND DEMENTIA The earlier you develop diabetes, the greater the risk of dementia

Time to rename low-risk prostate cancer?

By Carla K. Johnson A cancer diagnosis is scary. Some doctors say it’s time to rename low-grade prostate cancer to eliminate the alarming C-word.

Cancer cells develop in nearly all prostates as men age, and most prostate cancers are harmless. About 34,000 Americans die from more aggressive prostate cancer annually, but treating the disease can lead to sexual dysfunction and incontinence.

Changing the name could lead more low-risk patients to skip unnecessary surgery and radiation, some doctors believe.

“This [low-grade diagnosis] is the least aggressive, wimpiest form of prostate cancer that is literally incapable of causing symptoms or spreading to other parts of the body,” said University of Chicago Medicine’s Dr. Scott Eggener, who is reviving a debate about how to explain the threat to worried patients.

The words “You have cancer” have a profound effect on patients, Eggener wrote last month in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

He and his co-authors say fear of the disease can cause some patients to overreact and opt for unneeded surgery or radiation.

Others agree. “If you reduce anxiety, you’ll reduce overtreatment,” said Dr. David Penson of Vanderbilt University.

“The word ‘cancer,’ it puts an idea in their head: ‘I have to have this treated.’”

Making a diagnosis Diagnosis sometimes starts with a PSA blood test, which looks for high levels of a protein that may mean cancer but can also be caused by less serious prostate problems or even vigorous exercise.

When a patient has a suspicious test result, a doctor might recommend a biopsy, which involves taking samples of tissue from the prostate gland. Next, a pathologist looks under a microscope and scores the samples for how abnormal the cells look.

Often, doctors offer patients with the lowest score — Gleason 6 — a way to avoid surgery and radiation: active surveil-

lance [formerly called “watchful waiting”], which involves close monitoring but no immediate treatment.

In the U.S., about 60% of low-risk patients choose active surveillance. But they might still worry.

“I would be over the moon if people came up with a new name for Gleason 6 disease,” Penson said. “It will allow a lot of men to sleep better at night.”

But Dr. Joel Nelson of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said dropping the word “cancer” would “misinform patients by telling them there’s nothing wrong. There’s nothing wrong today, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to keep track of what we’ve discovered.”

What to call it instead?

Name changes have happened previously in low-risk cancers of the bladder, cervix and thyroid. In breast cancer, there’s an ongoing debate about dropping “carcinoma” from DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ.

In prostate cancer, the 1960s-era Gleason

ranking system has evolved, which is how 6 became the lowest score. Patients may assume it’s a medium score on a scale of 1 to 10. In fact, it’s the lowest on a scale of 6 to 10.

What to call it instead of cancer? Proposals include IDLE for indolent lesion of epithelial origin, or INERRT for indolent neoplasm rarely requiring treatment.

“I don’t really give a hoot what it’s called as long as it’s not called cancer,” Eggener said.

Steve Rienks, a 72-year-old civil engineer in Naperville, Illinois, was diagnosed with Gleason 6 prostate cancer in 2014. He chose active surveillance, and follow-up biopsies in 2017 and 2021 found no evidence of cancer.

Calling it something else would help patients make informed choices, Rienks said, but that’s not enough: Patients need to ask questions until they feel confident.

“It’s about understanding risk,” Rienks said. “I would encourage my fellow males to educate themselves and get additional medical opinions.”

—AP

All carbonated drinks may boost appetite

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D. Are you trying to cut back on calories by making the switch from regular soda to diet soda? Do you prefer carbonated water with a bit of flavor, such as Hint, Bubly LaCroix? Or maybe you’ve purchased a home carbonating device like SodaStream or Drinkmate?

Research suggests that none of these choices help with weight loss. Worse, they might even lead to weight gain! The reason might surprise you. It sure surprised me.

It isn’t just the calories If you’re drinking two 12-ounce cans of regular Coke each day, you could eliminate 280 “empty” (non-nutritive) calories by switching to a zero-calorie alternative.

Over a month, that’s 8,400 fewer calories, enough to lose almost two and a half pounds. So, what’s the catch?

One worry is that artificially sweetened diet sodas may create a craving for sweet, high-calorie foods. So, even as calorie counts drops from zero-calorie sodas, consumption of other foods and drinks might

add back even more. In rodent studies, at least one artificial sweetener (aspartame) has been found to damage a part of the brain that tells the animal when to stop eating.

And dozens of studies in humans have actually found a tendency toward weight gain among people drinking artificially sweetened beverages. But research has been mixed: Some studies have found that artificially sweetened low-calorie beverages can help with weight loss.

One factor complicating the study of zero-

calorie beverages and weight loss is called “reverse causation.” People at risk for obesity tend to choose these beverages, making it appear that these drinks are to blame.

Of course, there are other health concerns associated with artificial sweeteners, including a possible increase in the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and kidney problems. The evidence for this isn’t strong enough to be sure, though.

See CARBONATION, page 5

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Do nighttime calories stick around more?

By Densie Webb You may have heard the adage, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” But the truth is that most of us snack in the evening, sometimes even after a large dinner.

According to the Washington D.C.based International Food Information Council’s 2021 Food and Health Survey, about 65% of those surveyed said they eat at least one snack in the evening, and almost half report that they consume at least one snack between 9 and 11 p.m.

The question often asked is, can eating at night make it harder to lose weight, or even make you gain weight?

The research A study out of Japan found that among 11 young women, nighttime snacking not only reduced the burning of fat, it increased levels of total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, suggesting that nighttime eating

changes fat metabolism and may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity.

Research with mice, published in Chronobiology International, found that the timing of food intake may be even more important than regular exercise for preventing obesity.

Mice are nocturnal animals and when made to eat during the day, weight gain resulted.

According to Colleen Rauchut Tewksbury Ph.D., MPH, RDN, CSOWM, LDN, National Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there are very small, controlled studies showing that eating earlier is better for weight management than eating later, which may slow weight loss.

While the answers are not all in, she said, early data suggests that timing of eating could be an important factor in weight management, but the evidence isn’t to the point that we would issue a blanket recommendation that all late eating is detrimental to health.”

There are a few reasons why late-night

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snacking could be a problem.

Mindless eating Late-night snacking is often done while watching television or even reading. Your focus is likely on the movie you’re watching or the book you’re reading, not the calories you’re consuming.

Any weight-loss program includes instruction on how to be mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth rather than combining eating with a distracting activity.

rhythm,” Tewksbury said. As a result, it may affect your ability to sleep. Inadequate sleep has itself been associated with weight gain.

While the mechanism isn’t completely understood, some research suggests that latenight snacking can shift hormones — such as ghrelin, growth hormone and others — and push the body toward weight gain.

Eating during the day, rather than at night, has been found to promote weight loss and improve insulin levels.

Timing Less filling or healthy The results of a study of more than 800 men and women who kept food diaries for one week showed that the type of foods eaten late at night lack the satiety of foods eaten at other times of the day, which results in an increase in food intake, a greater calorie intake for the day, and ultimately weight gain.

Chips, cookies, cakes, trail mix and pretzels are among the more common fare for late-night snacking, rather than steamed broccoli or kale salads.

The calories from fat and sugar from these foods can quickly add up. The higher the fat and sugar, and sometimes sodium content, the more likely you are to crave more.

Effect on hormones, sleep “Eating late can alter your circadian

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While nighttime snacking may cause a shift in hormones that affect appetite and alter your body’s circadian rhythm, eating before bedtime also increases the risk of experiencing acid reflux, when stomach acid or bile flows into the food pipe and irritates the lining.

Some experts have suggested it’s best to stop eating at around 7 or 7:30 p.m. Tewksbury, however, made the following recommendation: “If someone sets a goal to reduce late eating, the best cut-off time is the one they can stick with. This will be different for everyone and may take some time to achieve.”

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition. © 2022 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The short answer is easy: water.

Unsweetened tea or fruit-infused water are also good alternatives.

It’s worth emphasizing that drinking an occasional regular soda or other carbonated beverage is not hazardous. The question is, what’s your default drink of choice — and what are its possible consequences?

While plain water might be best health-

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Still, it would be premature to say that we should all give up carbonated beverages lest the obesity epidemic worsen.

Stay tuned for future research assessing the health effects of a range of low-calorie beverages. While it’s good to have choices, it’s also good to know the pros and cons of each one. © 2021 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Surely carbonated water with no artificial sweeteners is fine?

Drinks that contain carbonated water and no artificial sweeteners have long been considered safe bets when it comes to breaking the regular soda habit. With none of the sugar, calories or artificial sweeteners, how can you go wrong?

But a 2017 study of humans and rats casts doubt on this approach, too.

First, the rats: For more than a year, male rats were given one of four drinks — water, a regular carbonated drink, a regular carbonated drink that had been allowed to go flat, or a diet carbonated drink. The regular carbonated beverages had sweetener that wasn’t artificial.

Here’s what the researchers found: The rats drinking a carbonated beverage (regular or diet) ate more food than rats drinking water or flat soda.

The rats drinking a carbonated beverage (regular or diet) gained weight faster than rats drinking water or flat soda.

The amount of ghrelin in their stomach tissue was higher after exposure to carbonated beverages compared with non-carbonated drinks. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates hunger and promotes fat storage.

And now, the humans: Twenty male students drank five drinks, one at each sitting

I N F O R M AT I O N

What about fizzy water?

wise, for many it’s not the most appealing choice. If you prefer to drink soda every day, it makes sense to switch from regular to a zero-calorie alternative. A low-calorie carbonated beverage may still be a reasonable choice as long as you keep an eye on the rest of your diet and your weight.

There’s a real possibility that carbonated beverages may have underappreciated negative effects on appetite and weight.

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From page 3

during a one-month period. The drinks included water, regular soda, regular soda that had gone flat, diet soda or carbonated water. Soon after, their blood ghrelin levels were measured.

When students drank any carbonated beverage (regular soda, diet soda, or carbonated water), their ghrelin levels rose to higher levels than when they drank water or flat soda.

Although this study did not assess the students’ food intake or weight changes after drinking different types of beverages, the increased ghrelin levels after carbonated beverage consumption make it plausible that these drinks might lead to hunger, increased food consumption and weight gain. And that’s cause for concern.

Why would drinking carbonated beverages encourage your body to release more ghrelin? The study authors speculate that cells in the stomach that are sensitive to pressure respond to the carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages by increasing ghrelin production.

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Health Studies INFORMATION ON AREA CLINICAL TRIALS Three studies aim for improved balance

By Margaret Foster If you’ve fallen down at least twice in the past year, or if you’ve had a stroke, you may benefit from one of several studies underway in downtown Baltimore. Researchers at the Veterans Administration (VA) and University of Maryland School of Medicine are seeking older adults from 60 to 86 to participate in

one of three studies related to balance.

Each of the clinical trials will assess whether or not certain training exercises can help improve people’s balance — and subsequently their confidence.

Improve balance by training First, people will visit the Maryland VA

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clinic in downtown Baltimore for an assessment. These studies are open to all qualified older adults, not just veterans.

“We test their fear of falling, and we also test their balance,” said Dr. Jay Barton, principal investigator of the studies and a researcher at the VA and University of Maryland School of Medicine. The assessment will take place over two half-day visits.

“Our hypothesis is that if balance improves, then fear of falling will decrease.”

Following the assessment, participants will attend one-hour training sessions at the VA clinic three times a week for six weeks. Free parking and compensation will be provided.

Finally, they’ll complete the same tests and questionnaires as they did on the first day.

“Those assessments are done immediately after training and then six weeks later to see how much of the training they’ve retained for the long term,” Barton explained.

Studies for post-stroke patients

still walk. They’ll visit the VA clinic for onehour training sessions, three times a week, for either one or six weeks. Parking in the attached garage is free, and compensation is available.

In the one-week study, stroke survivors will play a game wearing a virtual-reality headset. They’ll see a three-dimensional image of a ball, which they will try to reach.

“This study is short because we need to test the validity of virtual reality [in this population],” Barton said. “We need to establish that stroke subjects can tolerate virtual reality,” he said.

In a similar game-like situation, the other study for stroke survivors lasts six weeks (with a follow-up visit six weeks after that). Subjects will stand in front of a large projection screen and point to a moving image of a disk.

“The person has to start leaning to one side or another,” Barton said, “and they’ll reach a point when they no longer can track the disk accurately [because] the disk moves beyond their reach.

Two closely related studies will focus on people who have suffered a stroke but can

See BALANCE STUDY, page 9

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The /CT[NCPF #EEGUUKDNG 6GNGEQOOWPKECVKQPU (MAT) program also offers Captioned Telephones, provided by the State, to those who qualify. The MAT program includes a variety of equipment «Ì Ã Ì ÃÕ«« ÀÌ V i>ÀiÀ V Õ V>Ì ] V Õ` } > « wi` phones. Visit our website to see if you or a loved one qualify for no cost assistive equipment through the MAT program.

CapTel® is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc.

For more information: 800-552-7724 | 410-767-6960 (Voice/TTY) 443-453-5970 (Video Phone) | mdrelay.org

Makes a great gift! | Fitness & Health

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

7

Eucalyptus leaves’ many health benefits To me, eucalyptus oil is one of the best Incorporating eucalyptus is easy. It can be essential oils you’ll ever find. It has so found in many products, including herbal many uses. teas, decongestants, cough supIf you don’t want a little botpressants, mouthwash and dentle of this, I suggest using the tal formulas, skin care products, plant leaves that are sold in a natural candles, infused Epsom bunch. You can get them bath salts and muscle rubs. dried or fresh, and you can If you make changes to your shower with them! daily health regimen, always The compound that does the ask your doctor if it’s right for work in eucalyptus is called you. To read a longer version of 1,8-cineole, and it breaks up this article, sign up for my free mucus and reduces spasms in DEAR newsletter at suzycohen.com.

This information is opinion the respiratory tract. This com- PHARMACIST only. It is not intended to treat, pound has proven clinical effi- By Suzy Cohen cure or diagnose your condition. cacy for many diseases, including bronchitis, asthma and chronic obstruc- Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. tive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and Did you know eucalyptus oil is one of the main ingredients in Vicks® VapoRub? That author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real over-the-counter product also contains a lot Solutions from Head to Toe. of camphor, and it’s good for cough and muscle/joint pain, too. There are many other topical products sold online today that contain similar active ingredients.

As for the beautiful plant itself, you can buy a bundle easily from a florist or grocery store flower department. I received a eucalyptus bouquet from a friend with the suggestion that I hang it in my shower.

The hot steam from the shower helps activate and release eucalyptus oil compounds, especially the helpful 1,8-cineole.

If this is too strong for you, or you find it unpleasant, you can still get the benefits of this breathing compound by putting 5 or 10 drops of eucalyptus oil in a large bowl of hot water. Cover your head with a towel and bend over the bowl to breathe in the aroma for about 10 minutes.

Or you can add 10 to 20 drops into a tub bath, or use a carrier oil like coconut oil to rub some directly on your skin.

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Do you have one or more of these risk factors for vascular disease?

• Age (50+ years old) • High Cholesterol • Diabetes • High Blood Pressure • Family History of Vascular Disease

Many helpful properties The health benefits of 1,8-cineol found in eucalyptus may: • Relieve chest tightness and congestion • Promote feelings of relaxation • Ease breathing • Reduce sinus inflammation • Help a stuffy nose • Help with allergies • Improve symptoms of asthma and bronchitis • Reduce anxiety and tension Aside from the respiratory benefits that are well documented, 1,8-cineol has been shown to help relieve pain in people who underwent knee surgery.

It also can help with sinus headaches and possibly even certain forms of heart disease and skin cancer. These unusual benefits speak to the power of the plant, and even though we need more studies and data, it’s still good news.

One fun fact about eucalyptus is that it’s a natural bug repellant! Bees and butterflies don’t like it. Luckily, the flowers don’t have actual petals, but rather hundreds of stamens so it can self-pollinate without the need for natural bug pollinators.

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Fitness & Health | Subscribe online! See how on p. 22

J U N E 2 0 2 2 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Are diabetes and dementia connected?

By Andrew E. Budson, M.D. Due to increasing rates of obesity, inactivity and an aging population, Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in our society than ever before. In high-income countries, death from diabetes dropped from 2000 to 2010, but then increased from 2010 to 2016 — leading to an overall 5% increase in premature deaths since 2000.

Particularly troubling is that Type 2 diabetes is now being seen frequently in children, due to obesity and inactivity.

Doctors have known for many years that Type 2 diabetes increases the risk for strokes and heart disease. More recent studies have shown that diabetes also increases your risk of dementia.

What has not previously been investigated, however, is whether the age of onset of diabetes makes a difference in your risk of developing dementia.

More diabetes years raises risk A newly published study examined the association between age of onset of diabetes and the development of dementia using a large, ongoing cohort study. The cohort was established in 1985-88 among 10,308 employees aged 35 to 55 years (33% women, 88% white) in London-based government departments.

Data on diabetes exposure, including fasting glucose and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score, were obtained at ages 55, 60, 65 and 70. (The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score includes age, family history of diabetes, personal history of elevated blood glucose, fruit and vegetable consumption, blood pressure medication, physical activity, body mass index, and measured waist circumference.)

Dementia due to any cause was the primary outcome measure. In addition to dia-

betes, researchers also examined the effects of age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, high blood pressure, body mass index, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, medications, and the Alzheimer’s risk factor gene, apolipoprotein E. From 1985 to 2019, 1,710 cases of diabetes and 639 cases of dementia were recorded.

For every 1,000 people examined yearly, the rates of dementia were 8.9 in those without diabetes at age 70. Comparable rates of dementia for those with diabetes were 10.0 for those with onset up to five years earlier, 13.0 for six to 10 years earlier, and 18.3 for more than 10 years earlier.

These striking results clearly show that the earlier you develop diabetes, the greater your risk is for developing dementia.

ENTERPRISE RESIDENTIAL MOST COMMUNITIES ARE 62 AND BETTER ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY (CONT.)

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

Park View at Rosedale: 410-866-1886 Park View at Taylor: 410-663-0363 Park View at Towson: 410-828-7185 Park View at Woodlawn: 410-281-1120

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

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

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

HOWARD COUNTY

BALTIMORE COUNTY Cove Point Apartments I: 410-288-2344 Cove Point Apartments II: 410-288-1660 Evergreen Senior Apartments: 410-780-4888 The Greens at English Consul: 410-789-3000 The Greens at Liberty Road: 410-655-1100 The Greens at Logan Field: 410-288-2000 The Greens at Rolling Road: 410-744-9988 Park View at Catonsville: 410-719-9464 Park View at Dundalk: 410-288-5483 • 55 & Better Park View at Fullerton: 410-663-0665 Park View at Miramar Landing: 410-391-8375 Park View at Randallstown: 410-655-5673

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

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

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

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One connection: heart health There are multiple reasons why years of Type 2 diabetes may lead to dementia. One reason is related to the effects that diabetes has on the heart, as heart health is related to brain health. Heart disease and elevated blood pressure are both associated with strokes that, in turn, can lead to dementia.

However, strokes do not appear to be the complete answer, as some studies found that diabetes led to an increased risk of dementia even when strokes were controlled for.

Another factor relates to the episodes of hypoglycemia that commonly occur in diabetes. Although tight control of blood sugars has been proven to reduce the long-term risks of heart disease and strokes, tight control can also lead to hypoglycemia, memory loss and dementia. Here, the reason is likely because low blood sugar episodes are known to damage the hippocampus — the memory center of the brain.

Similarities to Alzheimer’s One of the more intriguing hypotheses is that diabetes directly causes Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, Alzheimer’s disease has even been called “type 3 diabetes” because of shared molecular and cellular features among diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

For example, insulin plays a critical role in the formation of amyloid plaques, and insulin is also involved in the phosphorylation of tau, which leads to neurofibrillary tangles.

In other words, whereas insulin resistance in the body can lead to Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance in the brain can lead to the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s disease.

How to reduce your risk The good news is that you can reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes — and your risk of dementia. Speak with your doctor today about whether the following lifestyle modifications would be right for you. Note that these life changes are helpful even if you have a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes.

• Engage in aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes each day, five days each week.

• Eat a Mediterranean-style menu of foods.

• Maintain a healthy body weight.

• Treat high blood pressure.

• Treat high cholesterol.

• Don’t smoke.

Lastly, social activities, a positive attitude, learning new things, and music can all help your brain work at its best and reduce your risk of dementia. © 2022 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

9

These veggie crisps live up to their name

By America’s Test Kitchen Vegetables and fruits such as carrots and zucchini (surprise — zucchini is technically a fruit!) are mostly made up of water. For example, a zucchini or carrot is about 95% water.

It can be a challenge to deal with all that water when cooking or baking — no one likes soggy zucchini bread!

One of salt’s many superpowers is that it can pull water out of food. Plants are made up of countless tiny cells. When you sprinkle salt on vegetables and fruits, some of the water inside the cells is pulled out toward the salt. This process is called osmosis.

Squeezing the shredded zucchini and carrot in a towel gets some of the water out, but salting them and letting osmosis do its work lets you squeeze out double the water!

So, for crisps that are crispy — not soggy — use salt to draw out that extra water before cooking, as in this recipe.

Cheesy Zucchini-Carrot Crisps Serves 2 to 4 (Makes 12 crisps) Ingredients: 1 small zucchini

Balance study From page 6 “That’s the basic test, and it’s also the basic training,” he said.

In the one-hour training sessions, researchers will challenge subjects to improve their reach — and perhaps their balance and confidence, too.

1 small carrot, peeled ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (1 ounce) 1 large egg, cracked into bowl and lightly beaten with fork ½ teaspoon garlic powder Directions: 1. Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with vegetable oil spray.

2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini and carrot. Shred zucchini and carrot on the large holes of a box grater.

3. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Transfer shredded vegetables to a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Stir until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes to drain.

4. Place a clean dish towel on counter.

When salted vegetables are ready, transfer to the center of the dish towel. Gather the ends of towel together, twist tightly, and squeeze hard over the sink, draining as much liquid as possible. Discard any liquid from the large bowl and add vegetables to the bowl.

5. Add panko, cheddar, egg and garlic powder to bowl with the vegetables. Stir mixture until combined.

6. Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop and drop the vegetable mixture onto a baking sheet in 12 mounds (about 1 heaping tablespoon each). Use your hand to gently press each mound to flatten into a thin circle.

7. Bake crisps until edges are browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Let crisps cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at americastestkitchen.com/TCA. © 2022 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Confused about which study is most appropriate for you? Just call, and “We can sort them into the right study,” Barton said.

The Maryland VA Clinic Annex is located at 209 West Fayette Street in downtown Baltimore.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the three studies, call (410) 605-7179 and mention “BALRCH.”

Send a letter to the editor. See p. 2.

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J U N E 2 0 2 2 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Subscribe online! See how on p. 22

A Publication of the Department of Community Resources and Services

J

oin us for a meal at a Howard County 50+ Center to make new friends or reconnect with old ones! The Office on Aging and Independence’s (OAI) three nutrition specialists — Seojin “Jin” Kim, Daemir Dove and Cheryl Campbell — are excited to welcome older adults back to dine at centers.

“Congregate meals provide older adults with a well-balanced meal in a group setting, along with the opportunity for social engagement,” says OAI Nutrition Manager Alison Gerber. “All of our 50+ Center meals are planned and approved by a registered dietitian. We try to offer wellness activities around mealtime so that participants can also learn about health and nutrition.”

Even before joining OAI in April, Jin’s passion for improving the health and wellness of older adults and individuals with chronic conditions in Howard County was evident, serving as a Korean lay leader for the Chronic Disease Self-Management and Living Well with Hypertension programs in Korean.

Jin’s interest in food and cooking started by watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on TV. “Chef Oliver prepared recipes featuring lots of vegetables and fruit, which helped me learn how important balanced meals are for a healthy life,” she says. “I appreciate that our center meal programs offer both nutritional and social benefits. During the pandemic many older adults had a difficult time preparing interesting meals for themselves and they missed the social aspects of having lunch at the center.”

continued on next page

Volume 12, No. 6 • June 2022

A Message from Howard County Executive

Calvin Ball

T

his month, we’re recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15 and Maryland’s Protect Week, June 13 to 17. About one in 10 Americans age 60+ have experienced some form of emotional, physical, sexual, or financial abuse. Howard County’s Office on Aging and Independence provides many resources to protect older adults from abuse and exploitation, including an Elder Abuse Awareness Guide.

It is important for all of us to learn to recognize the signs of elder abuse. In many cases, the abuse goes unreported, which can have devastating consequences. If you suspect abuse, report it. You could save the health, dignity or even the life of a friend, family member or neighbor. To view the guide and learn how to spot the signs of elder abuse, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/eldersafety.

Financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse.

During Protect Week, Marylanders can learn from local and national partners about what they can do to spot and stop the abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older adults. In Howard County, the Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) provides alerts, tip sheets and support at www.howardcountymd.gov/consumer to protect residents of all ages from scams, fraud and identity theft.

One simple action to take now is to shred documents containing personal information to prevent identity theft. In honor of WEAAD, we are holding a free shredding event and resource fair Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the OAI offices, 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia, and in partnership with AARP Maryland. For more information, call 410-313-6420 (voice/relay) or email consumer@howardcountymd.gov.

Join us for a healthy lunch at one of the 50+ Centers and meet the Office on Aging and Independence's nutrition specialists! From left, Jin Kim (Bain and East Columbia); Daemir Dove (Ellicott City); and Cheryl Campbell (North Laurel and Elkridge).

SHARE YOUR STORY! The Office on Aging and Independence and Age-Friendly Howard County want to hear your Age My Way plans and ideas! Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/HoCoAgeMyWay OR scan the QR code to tell us how you are aging your way. Upload a photo and we will share it on social media to celebrate you and inspire others. Learn more about the Age-Friendly initiative and how YOU can get involved at www.howardcountymd.gov/agefriendly.

Open a Business. Take Dance Lessons. Join Community Theatre. Go Back to School. Learn to Paint. Adopt a Pet. Volunteer. Play Music. Start a Blog. Train for a 5k. Travel Abroad. Plant a Garden. Teach Arts & Crafts. Hit the Local Parks. Organize Day Trips. How will YOU "AgeMyWay?"

The 50+ Connection

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

Makes a great gift!

11

Join Us for a World Elder Abuse Awareness SHRED EVENT TO KICK OFF PROTECT WEEK!

AARP Smart Driver Program GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER

SATURDAY, JUNE 11 10 AM TO 1 PM

9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia 21046 REGISTER ONLINE. SECURE YOUR SHRED TIME SLOT.

https://bit.ly/HoCoShred

SHRED Personal Documents

TWO Boxes/Person • Personal Papers ONLY • NO Businesses

Attend an Informative RESOURCE FAIR

Designed for drivers age 50+, the AARP Smart Driver course can help refresh your driving skills and you may save on auto insurance, too (check with your insurer)!

Bring a bag lunch. $20 AARP members; $25 non-member (payable to AARP day of class). Register at https://bit.ly/HoCoSmartDriver.

Car Buying and Repair Tips ELKRIDGE 50+ CENTER — Thursday, June 9 • 11 a.m. to noon The Office of Consumer Protection (OCF) shares tips you should know before stepping foot in a dealership – how to avoid buying a bad used car, the basics of auto repair, and how to avoid common scams related to the purchase and repair of cars.

Presented by OCF administrator Tracy Rezvani. FREE. Register at 410-313-5192.

AARP's CarFit Program ELKRIDGE 50+ CENTER — Tuesday, June 7 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GLENWOOD 50+ CENTER — Wed., June 15 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Office of Consumer Protection

For more information, contact Peters Omoregie pomoregie@howardcountymd.gov • 410-313-6498 (VOICE/RELAY)

Let's Do Lunch

Tuesday, June 7 • 10 am to 2 p.m. • ActiveNet #A03745.701

...continued from front

Cheryl Campbell grew up cooking alongside her mom and grandmother.

“I was always in the kitchen helping and learning family secret recipes,” she remembers. Since joining the office in October 2017, she assisted with OAI’s weekly ‘Grab & Go’ contactless meal distribution and restaurant initiatives ensuring food access for Howard County’s older adults during Covid and providing culturally diverse menu options.

“Food brings us together!” she says, “I enjoy seeing people coming back together to share a meal. It is helping to rebuild a sense of community at our 50+ Centers.”

In her previous role with the Baltimore County Department of Aging, Daemir Dove coordinated “No Senior Eats Alone Day” to bring awareness to the issues of social isolation and nutrition among the older adult population. “I’ve always believed that food is a great connector,” says Daemir. “After two long years, I want folks in Howard County to know that we are back and ready to serve them a hot, nutritious meal.”

She reminds residents that this is not an income-based program; anyone 60 or older, and their spouses of any age, can participate. Donations toward the cost of the meal are welcome.

For more information, about congregate meals at 50+ Centers, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/nutrition.

Sponsored by AARP, CarFit can help you find out how the fit of your vehicle affects your driving and how to adjust your vehicle to meet your changing needs as you age. In just 20 minutes, a trained CarFit Technician will complete a 12-point checklist, and provide you with recommended adjustments and adaptations, a list of local resources and greater peace of mind. FREE. Appointments required, call Elkridge at 410-313-5192 or Glenwood at 410-313-5440 to register.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with André Lingham BAIN 50+ CENTER — Wednesday, June 15 • 10:30 a.m.

Each year hundreds of thousands of older adults are abused, neglected and exploited. The most vulnerable victims are those who rely on others to meet their most basic needs; abusers may be family members, friends, or “trusted others.”

Retired Howard County Police Officer André Lingham will provide tips on how to protect yourself and your family. FREE. Register at 410-313-7213.

Juneteenth Celebration & Luncheon NORTH LAUREL 50+ CENTER — Friday, June 17 • 11:00 a.m.

Join us for a luncheon and presentation to celebrate Juneteenth, the anniversary of African Americans’ emancipation from enslavement and the ratification of the 13th Amendment. FREE. Register by stopping at the front desk or call 410-313-0380.

Harriett Tubman: Journey to Freedom ELKRIDGE 50+ CENTER — Tuesday, June 21 • 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Join master griot Janice Curtis Greene as she portrays Harriet Tubman. A recipient of the Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award, Greene’s presentation highlights Tubman’s journey to freedom and her tragedies and triumphs from childhood through old age. FREE. Register at 410-313-5192.

Bain 50+ Center MEALS SERVED ON WEDNESDAYS • Korean Meals Available 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia • 410-313-7213

Elkridge 50+ Center MEALS SERVED ON TUESDAYS 6540 Washington Boulevard, Elkridge • 410-313-5192

The 50+ Connection is published monthly by the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence.

Ellicott City 50+ Center

This publication is available in alternate formats upon request.

To join the subscriber list, go to https://bit.ly/3o4GAee.

MEALS SERVED ON TUESDAYS • Begins June 7 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City • 410-313-1400

9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046 410-313-6410 (VOICE/RELAY) • www.howardcountymd.gov/aging

North Laurel 50+ Center

Find Us on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter — @HoCoCommunity

MEALS SERVED ON WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel • 410-313-0380

Kim Higdon Henry, Editor •

EMAIL:

kahenry@howardcountymd.gov

Advertising contained in the Beacon is not endorsed by the Office on Aging and Independence or by the publisher.

12

J U N E 2 0 2 2 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

Subscribe online! See how on p. 22

Upcoming Programs for 55 Years +

Recreation & Parks

To view all of our programs and activities, visit www.HowardCountyMD.gov/rap.

Dance

Health & Relaxation

NEW! Beginner/Intermediate Soul Line Dance

• Info/Fitness Waiver: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

This beginner/intermediate level line dance class is fun for all.

Line up and learn the step-by-step choreography taught by instructor Jessie Barnes. Multiple dances are performed to great pop, rhythm and blues music. Info: Tessa Hurd, 410-313-7311 or thurd@howardcountymd.gov.

Instructor: Jessie Barnes Classes: 8 N Laurel Comm Ctr RP3511.801 Jun 28 6-7pm Roger Carter Comm Ctr RP3511.802 Jun 29 11am-noon

$79

Roger Carter Comm Ctr Classes: 6 RP3561.801 Jun 29 1:30-2:30pm W

W

$79

Yoga in the Park Pop Ups with Kathy Greisman

• Info: Tracy Adkins, 410-313-7279 or tadkins@howardcountymd.gov.

Kiwanis-Wallas Hall 9am-noon

Duplicate Bridge

Kiwanis-Wallas Hall 11am-3pm Kiwanis-Wallas Hall 10am-1:30pm

Marathon Bridge

Kiwanis-Wallas Hall Noon-2:30pm

Trivia Time Bain 50+ Ctr

10:30-11:30am

LaBlast is a revolutionary, partner-free fitness program based on dances seen on Dancing with the Stars! It fuses ballroom dance with a calorie-burning workout. Incorporate ballroom dances from different countries and cultures.

Tu

Drop-In Programs Drop-In Social Bridge

LaBlast with Carol Asher

W

Free

W F

Free Free

First W of the month

Free

Third W of the month

Free

$65

Relax while you take in the sights and surrounding beauty of nature as you get fit and improve your health in this outdoor yoga class. All class will be held in the beautiful Centennial Park South area. Walk away feeling refreshed, energized and ready to take on the day that lies ahead.

Belmont Manor & Historic Park Classes: 1 RP3541.802 Jun 13 10-11am M $14 RP3541.804 Jun 27 10-11am M $14

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

Makes a great gift!

13

Encore Adventures

Sports

Encore Adventures Kayaking Club

• Info: Scott A. Ripley, 410-313-7281 or sripley@howardcountymd.gov.

Paddling season is here, and it’s time to start spending your time and energy outdoors exploring Centennial Lake and making new friends. Learn kayak paddling strokes, how to read the water conditions, and practice safety techniques in this fun, social and safe environment. This club meets the paddling basics requirement for paddling trips.

Info: Dawn Thomas, 410-313-1754 or dthomas@howardcountymd.gov.

Centennial Pk South Days: 6 RP9171.811 Jun 23 8:30-10:30am Th

$68

55 + Pickleball Drop-In Play

Pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, much like a whiffle ball, with 20-40 round holes, over a net. The sport shares features of other racquet sports: the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules somewhat similar to tennis with several modifications.

Participants bring their own paddle and balls. Atholton Park has two courts lined and ready for pickleball play. This is a drop in and play; no instruction. Teams rotate play during this two-hour session.

Atholton Pk Weeks: 10 RP3592.801 Jun 29 10am-noon W

$39

Billiards at Historic Belmont

Come play billiards at the historic Belmont Manor. This is a dropin program; no instructions. The billiard room can accommodate up to six players. We start by playing eight-ball but can modify as the program progresses. Play for 10 weeks, improve your skills and enjoy the experience. This program is open to beginners, intermediate and advanced players.

Belmont Manor Weeks: 10 RP3568.801 Beginner RP3568.802 Intermediate

No sessions: 7/4, 9/5 Jun 27 10am-noon M Jun 21 10am-noon Tu

$60 $60

HC Bocce League – 90’ Court • Registration: 410-313-7275, www.howardcountymd.gov/rap, or 7120 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia, MD 21046 • Information: Tracy Adkins, 410-313-7279 or tadkins@howardcountymd.gov • Pick-up locations: Bain 50+ Ctr and Long Gate Park & Ride • Trip venues may have different COVID-19 requirements (ex: mask mandates, proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID test). Visit www.howardcountymd.gov/recreation-parks/programs for the most up-to-date info.

Think lawn bowling with shuffleboard scoring! Join the men and women’s HC Bocce League (90’ League) for fun and carefree play.

Great for all levels. Please register individually. League supervisor coordinates teams via email. League is seven weeks with playoffs and a championship game on week eight.

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Money Law &

Area professionals offer free financial planning to qualified families. See article below.

Why you should name a ‘trusted contact’

By Liz Weston For the past few years, financial services companies have been bugging me to name a “trusted contact.” Banks, brokerages and insurers increasingly want to have someone to call or email in case they notice suspicious activity and can’t reach the account holder.

I ignored these requests. Trusted contacts are a great idea for older people experiencing cognitive decline, I thought, but that’s not me.

Then a younger friend developed earlyonset dementia, and I realized we don’t always get enough warning to put such protections in place.

Clearly, trusted contacts aren’t just good for older people. Anyone’s financial accounts could be vulnerable if they’re displaced by natural disaster, wind up in the hospital, suffer a brain injury or are traveling and hard to reach.

Helping your brokerage, bank or insurer connect with someone who knows what’s going on in your life could protect your money and prevent financial catastrophe.

“I love the idea of the trusted contact, because it can really head off any fraud or exploitation before it snowballs out of control,” said Amanda Singleton, a family caregiving expert for AARP and an estate planning attorney in Florida.

They can’t make changes Naming a trusted contact doesn’t give that person authority over your accounts or the ability to see balances or make changes, explained Gerri Walsh, senior vice president of investor education at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, known as FINRA. FINRA is the nongovernmental organization that regulates the securities industry, including brokerages.

Instead, your trusted contact can help financial services companies reach you (if you’re unreachable) or identify others who might help.

If you’re incapacitated, for example, your contact might connect the company to your legal guardian or the person with power of attorney over your accounts. If you’ve died, your trusted person could provide contact information for the executor of your estate or the successor trustee of your living trust.

You aren’t required to name a trusted contact, but financial services companies — along with regulators and consumer advocates — recommend it.

You can change your trusted contact whenever you want, or name more than one. Ideally, a trusted contact is someone you’re confident will protect your privacy and act responsibly.

“It could be an adult child, a close friend, an attorney or some other trusted person that the financial institution can reach out to for extra help to try to reach you,” said Deborah Royster, assistant director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office for Older Americans.

ages to “make reasonable efforts” to get customers to name trusted contacts.

So far, other financial services companies such as banks, credit unions and insurers don’t have similar rules. Even so, some are offering the opportunity to name trusted contacts on accounts, Royster said.

They could thwart fraud

Beware fraudulent email requests

The push to name trusted contacts started out of concern for older Americans being scammed out of their life savings. More than 369,000 cases of financial fraud of older adults are reported to authorities each year, causing an estimated $4.84 billion in losses, according to a January report by Comparitech, a cybersecurity research company.

But this kind of fraud is notoriously underreported, often because victims are embarrassed, worried that others will think them incapable, or protective of the perpetrators, who may be loved ones, caregivers or neighbors. Comparitech estimates the real toll may be 8.68 million cases and more than $113.7 billion in losses each year.

To help reduce that toll, two new FINRA rules were approved in 2017. The first allows brokerages to put temporary holds on withdrawals when financial exploitation is suspected. The second requires broker-

One thing you shouldn’t do is respond to emails that seem to be from your financial institution asking you to name a trusted contact. Those may be scams to steal your passwords or create other havoc, FINRA’s Walsh said.

Instead of replying to those emails, consider calling your financial institution or looking on its website for a form that lets you name a trusted contact.

If your financial institutions offer the option, it’s a relatively quick and easy way to add a layer of protection on your accounts, said Abby Schneiderman, co-founder and co-CEO of the end-of-life planning site Everplans and co-author of In Case You Get Hit by a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later.

“People should take two minutes out of their day and name a trusted contact,” Schneiderman said.

—AP/NerdWallet

Do you qualify for free financial planning?

By Elliot Raphaelson In a recent issue of InvestmentNews, there was an advertisement placed by the Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP).

The ad was a solicitation for tax-deductible gifts and for financial planner volunteers.

The ad also indicated that FFP has helped over 500,000 people in crisis who needed access to free financial planning.

I wanted to find out more about this service because I believe that many individuals and families who can’t afford to hire certified financial planners (CFPs) do have such a need. The ad indicated that 1 in 3 cancer patients deplete their savings; over 92% of military veterans live in debt; and millions of Americans need but can’t access quality, ethical financial advice. Correspondence I receive from readers demonstrates this need.

Accordingly, I contacted the FFP in order to learn more about their services. I

learned a great deal. Based on my initial contact with a representative of FFP, I was referred to a representative of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) — an organization of certified financial planners, whose members provide pro bono services to underserved individuals/families.

I was referred to Kristin Pugh, a certified financial planner who is a member of the FPA and chairs the National FPA Pro Bono Advisory Committee. Pugh also has extensive experience providing pro bono services locally to those in need through her home chapter, the FPA of Georgia, and provided me with valuable input.

She indicated that individuals who need financial planning services but can’t afford them should contact the local chapter of FPA, and determine if there are pro bono financial planners available in their geographic area.

Who qualifies for help?

Pugh indicated that there are not specific limitations such as a minimum level of assets or income to be considered, but that the FPA pro bono volunteers reserve services for those considered underserved or part of an “at risk” community.

Such communities can include military personnel, veterans, those with disabilities, individuals and families with limited income/assets, and individuals in bankruptcy.

Pugh pointed out that her chapter has developed a close working relationship with local nonprofit groups to reach out to the underserved. Periodically, the members of the nonprofit groups work with FPA planners to sponsor educational workshops available to the general public.

FPA planners deliver presentations and workshops based on the topic recommended by the nonprofit. Provided that

the individuals attending meet the definition of “underserved,” they are welcome to reach out and contact a FPA CFP to establish a one-on-one engagement.

Pugh told me that workshops provide a great way to expose people to a specific area of planning; attendees can then meet with a planner to discuss their specific situation.

How much help is provided?

There is no predetermined schedule. In some situations, one meeting is sufficient, while in other cases multiple meetings are arranged. Pugh said that she has maintained contact with some individuals with complex issues for as long as six months.

She told me that partnering with a nonprofit is not required to sponsor a workSee FINANCIAL PLANNING, page 15

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15

Funds reimburse COVID-related funerals

By Zeke Miller The federal government has already provided more than $2 billion to help cover funeral costs for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in March as it launched a new campaign to raise awareness about additional aid available to eligible families.

The COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA. “FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a statement.

The agency launched a new paid ad

Financial planning From page 14 shop to establish one-on-one services.

Nonprofits can establish one-on-one relationships directly with a FPA CFP. For example, Pugh described her chapter’s relationship with a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to individuals in the Atlanta area. By forming this relationship, the FPA chapter can pair CFPs with their legal clients and offer one-

campaign targeted at areas with large rates of COVID-19 deaths but lower rates of reimbursement requests in order to help connect people to available assistance. The agency is also reaching out to community groups and local media outlets to help publicize the program.

“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” Criswell said.

“Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”

Must provide documentation To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.

on-one financial planning sessions.

The bottom line is that if you need financial planning assistance but cannot afford to hire a certified financial planner, help may be available. Contact your local FPA chapter to determine if there are pro bono CFPs in your area and whether you would qualify for these services.

Contact the Financial Planning Association’s Maryland chapter at (410) 833-9200. © 2022 Elliot Raphaelson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

June 23+

ROMEO & JULIET

Enjoy a free performance of Romeo & Juliet at the Howard Community College’s Dreier Outdoor Stage Thurs., June 23 through Sat., June 25 at 8 p.m. In case of rain, the show will be cancelled. For more information, visit bit.ly/HCCRomeoandJuliet.

I will bring cash to you for old comic books and sports/trading card collections.

I will also consider buying collections of old books, art, toys or other collectibles.

I can even help you retrieve items you wish to sell from the attic or basement.

Call me at (301) 517-6203 or request a visit at:

www.PotomacCollector.com

For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic — from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 — death certificates must be accompanied by a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.

Expenses covered under the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation and interment, as well as the costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation

niches, markers or headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, clergy or officiant services, and the use of funeral home equipment or staff.

FEMA is not accepting online applications for the reimbursement program.

Rather, people eligible are directed to call the agency’s helpline at 1-844-684-6333, where they will be prompted to submit the required documentation. You will need to know your Social Security number and that of the deceased.

—AP

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Tread carefully in Lassen Volcanic National Park. See story on page 19.

An intergenerational Southwest road trip er, the colors, sizes, shapes and geometry of those rocks change dramatically. The scenery and the experience of Monument Valley, for instance, is nothing like that of the Grand Canyon.

And the sky! Until you have seen a canyon or butte or crazy-shaped monolith framed against a sky as blue as it gets, dotted with clouds as bizarrely shaped as the rocks below, you can’t appreciate why a person as well traveled as I returns as often as possible.

This trip was guaranteed to blow Aaron’s Floridian mind and give me an opportunity to relive some of the most memorable trips of my 30s and 40s.

Thinking back on those trips as I approached my 80th birthday, I remembered how they helped transform my life, especially my self-confidence and self-image, as I backpacked solo for the first time in an unfamiliar and potentially hostile environment.

Though my trip with Aaron would be far less challenging, I hoped that it would be more than just a fun diversion from his job and a life constrained by a stubborn pandemic.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DON MANKIN

The author, Don Mankin, visited the Grand Canyon last spring, a few weeks before his 80th birthday.

Exploring the American Southwest “as often as possible” has been a lifelong adventure for him.

The canyons of northern Arizona We met in Phoenix, rented a car and drove four hours to the Grand Canyon.

After his introduction to the canyon from the South Rim, we hiked a mile or so into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail.

I wasn’t planning on hiking too far into the canyon, realizing that the farther down we went, the further up we would have to hike to get out. I’m in pretty good shape for a geezer, but why push it?

In any case, our descent came to a halt at the edge of a steep, icy patch on the trail. We had already made our way gingerly down one icy patch, but we figured, why take the chance of a serious fall? The next time I go hiking in the Grand Canyon at the end of winter, I’ll wear

PHOTO BY DON MANKIN

By Don Mankin “It’s crazy,” my grand-nephew exclaimed as we approached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I heard Aaron say that often over the next several days as the two of us explored the national parks and monuments of northern Arizona and southern Utah.

Aaron, 23, has spent most of his life in Florida, so for him the canyons, cliffs and mountains of the American Southwest were like something from another world.

This was our first adventure together since his bar mitzvah gift 10 years ago — a day-long kayak trip in the Channel Islands of Southern California. I guess that trip made a positive impression, because he started bringing up the idea of another adventure with me during the middle of the pandemic.

I suggested a road trip through the American Southwest, including the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, and Arches, Canyonlands and Zion National Parks.

To the uninitiated, it might seem like the American Southwest is all about rocks, and that once you’ve seen one rock, you’ve seen them all. Yet from one place to anoth-

Arches National Park’s dramatic natural rock formations lure thousands of tourists every year. Reservations are now required to visit the park, located near Moab, Utah, between April and October.

crampons.

Our next stop was one of my favorite sites in the Southwest — Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona, a four-hour drive from the Grand Canyon.

Located on Navajo tribal lands, Canyon de Chelly is a bit off the beaten track, so it attracts far fewer visitors than the other parks in the region. But from an aesthetic point of view, I believe it is the most dramatic and beautiful place in the Southwest.

Unlike the Grand Canyon, which is deeper and more vast, the overlooks in Canyon de Chelly are sheer and the several-hundred-foot drops, with no guard rails, are heart-pounding if you get too close to the edge.

Plus, you are likely to be the only one standing at the rim looking at the rock as it turns orange-red in the rays of the setting sun. At this canyon, there is no jostling for the best view or photo, and no sounds other than the wind pushing you toward the edge of the overlook.

For a different perspective on the towering sandstone cliffs and the verdant valley below, we took a jeep tour through the canyon the next morning with a Navajo guide for a closeup look at the prehistoric rock art and the remains of ancient Pueblo villages.

The canyon has been inhabited by several Native American tribes for millennia, and the Navajos, the current residents, still maintain homes and ranches in the canyons.

Southern Utah’s parks From Canyon de Chelly, we drove 90 minutes to Monument Valley, which is also on Navajo tribal lands. Despite being relatively close to Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley is a very different place.

Instead of peering down into narrow canyons, you look up at towering sandstone monoliths scattered throughout a vast, wide-open landscape. It’s easy to see why the legendary movie director John Ford used Monument Valley as the setting for many of his classic Westerns.

The 17-mile loop road through the valley provides multiple opportunities to view and photograph the magnificent sandstone spires, pinnacles and buttes from different angles.

Moab, our next stop, is a 2.5-hour drive from Monument Valley. Surrounded by stunning red-rock scenery, Moab has numerous opportunities for hiking, biking, sky diving, rock climbing, canyoneering, See SOUTHWEST, page 18

18

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Southwest From page 17 ballooning and off-roading.

Located a short drive to two national parks, Arches and Canyonlands, Moab has many hotels, restaurants and even a couple of decent brew pubs, despite Utah’s strict liquor laws.

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks were our raison d’etre for being in Moab.

Arches is famed for its, well, arches. Huge, often delicate red-hued sandstone formations provide great opportunities for stunning photos — as long as you have the pa-

tience to wait for the swarms of people on the arches to get out of the way.

Canyonlands was my favorite destination of the trip. The huge, 527-square-mile park is divided into three districts — Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. We chose Island in the Sky for our one day of hiking because it is the most accessible district, just a 40-minute drive to the park entrance.

Our first “hike,” which was actually just a short half-mile roundtrip walk from the parking lot, was to Mesa Arch. The large arch frames a distant view of rugged rock formations and the snow-capped peaks of

J U N E 2 0 2 2 — H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N

the La Sal Mountains — one of the best photo ops of the trip.

Our second hike, a bona fide hike, was the Grand View Point Hike, two miles round trip along the edge of the mesa. The views of the etched canyons hundreds of feet below are expansive and spectacular from almost every point on the trail.

After a brief stop in a very crowded Zion National Park, where the Virgin River flows through a very narrow, long and steep canyon, we headed back to Phoenix for our flights home the next day.

All in all, it was a very successful trip; I was able to introduce a place I care about to a person I care about. The opportunity to share this place with Aaron made the road trip even more special.

I don’t know if the American Southwest transformed his life like it did mine, but from our conversations, it’s clear he’s rethinking his life and career.

We have more adventures planned, including a trip next year to my second-favorite place in the U.S. — the Pacific Northwest. I hope we have initiated a tradition of annual trips to special places until I get too old to travel or he finds someone younger and more interesting and attractive to travel with.

If you go Non-stop round-trip air fare between BWI and Phoenix is about $600 on American Airlines. If you want to cut your driving time by 4 hours (2 hours each way), you can fly into Flagstaff, but there are no nonstop flights, and fares are considerably higher.

A good place to stay in Grand Canyon National Park is Yavapai Lodge, about $230 a night, (928) 638-4001. In Canyon de Chelly, I recommend the Thunderbird Lodge, $125 a night, (928) 674-5842. In Monument Valley, stay at Gouldings Lodge for about $200 a night, (435) 727-3231.

Restaurant options are limited. Often the only (or most convenient) place to eat is in the lodge where you are staying.

Moab is the exception. Since it is a fairsized town, there are many choices. I recommend the Moab Brewery, Fiesta Mexicana, and the Blu Pig for BBQ and craft beers. I also recommend the Blue Coffee Pot Restaurant, on Route 160 near the Grand Canyon, for authentic Navajo cuisine.

Don is the 2020 first-place winner for travel articles from the North American Mature Publishers Association. To read more stories from Don, go to adventuretransformations.com and click on “Articles.”

BEACON BITS

June 9+

ANNUAL PAINT-OUT

From Thurs., June 9 to Sun., June 12, juried artists will be painting en plein air (that is, outdoors) throughout Ellicott City’s historic district. An awards ceremony and reception will take place Mon., June 13, and an exhibition of the work created will be on view at HCCA through August 6.

For more information, visit bit.ly/ECPaintOut or call (410) 313-2787.

June 12

CONCERT FOR PEACE

Members of the Columbia Orchestra, together with the choirs of St. Louis and St. Francis Churches, perform a free concert marking efforts for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world. This event takes place Sun., June 12 at 4 p.m. For more information, visit bit.ly/COPeace or call (410) 465-8777.

June 15+

COLUMBIA FILM FESTIVAL

The Columbia Film Festival takes place in person and online Wed., June 15 through Sat., June 18. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit columbiafestival.org/columbia-film-festival.

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Volcanic park shows off nature’s power

By Glenda C. Booth In the northeast corner of California, the Earth’s innards spurt, spit, squirt, gurgle and boil from seen and unseen orifices.

Sulphur Works belches. Steam whirls out of Devil’s Kitchen. And occasionally a volcano erupts (most recently in 1915).

This is Lassen Volcanic National Park, where Earth’s ever-changing nature has been on display in this volcanically active region for three million years. Surprisingly, it is one of America’s least-visited national parks.

The 166-square-mile park surrounds Mount Lassen, the largest lava plug dome in the world and the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. The 1915 eruption that rained volcanic ash as far as 200 miles to the east was the impetus to establish the park in 1916. That was the last eruption in the Cascade Range before Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.

Lassen is located at the junction of the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin Desert. Because of this location and the elevation range of 5,000 to 10,000 feet throughout the park, there’s a rich variety of plants and animals.

To the area’s indigenous people, Lassen — or Waganupa, as the Yahi tribe called it — was a spiritual center and sacred land.

Parts of the park are almost otherworldly, a landscape of thumping mudpots, steaming fumaroles and boiling pools connected by a complex hydrothermal system.

“In this park, one can safely witness the hints of the power of the Earth belching its matter upward,” said retired seismologist David Von Seggern.

Prudent visitors stick to marked trails and boardwalks to safely meander. “You may feel tempted to explore thermal features up close by walking beyond estab-

lished trails and walkways,” the park’s website reads. “However, a venture to satisfy curiosity may land you in the hospital with severe burns,” it cautions, accompanied by a photo of the reddened, burned foot of someone who stepped off the trail through a deceptively solid crust of earth.

Attracts a variety of scientists Since 1863, when experts conducted the first geological survey there, scientists have seen Lassen as an outdoor living laboratory. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists have analyzed the eruptive history of the area, finding that in the last 100,000 years, at least 72 volcanos in and around the park have erupted.

USGS’s California Volcano Observatory monitors Lassen’s volcanoes for signals of an impending eruption.

Today, scientists at NASA are studying microbes in the park’s bubbling pools to gain insights into possible life on other planets. Hot springs, like those in Lassen, may have supported chemical reactions that linked molecules.

“It has very significant implications for the future of space exploration,” Natalie Batalha, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told Science magazine in 2020.

Other scientists take advantage of the park’s famously dark skies to study stars.

Every August, the park hosts a Dark Sky Festival, when rangers, astronomers and astrobiologists host programs for visitors of all ages.

Still other researchers study climate change’s impacts on snowpack, precipitation and wildfires.

the western part of the park offers a good introduction to the region. Some sites’ names offer a hint of what to expect: Devil’s Kitchen, Brokeoff Mountain and Bumpass Hell.

The park has more than 150 miles of trails. Around Manzanita Lake, visitors might see wildlife along the lakeshore and do some catch-and-release fishing. Signs along Devastated Area’s trails explain Mount Lassen’s eruption.

Lassen has more than 700 flowering plant species. Paradise Meadow and Hat Creek explode with wildflowers in the summer. Plants such as mountain mule ears, corn lilies and silverleaf lupines and 12 species of pine tree thrive in the park.

At Chaos Crags, visitors can explore a moonscape jumble of rocks that tumbled down the incline 300 years ago at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. In the less-visited areas, visitors might encounter a mule deer or yellow-bellied marmot. Waterfowl visit the park’s 50 lakes.

There’s a restful side, too: snowy mountain peaks, crystalline lakes, peaceful forests and mountain breezes. Climbing to volcano tops brings panoramic vistas of northern California’s beauty.

Fiery, feisty, but tranquil too, Lassen is a place of geologic wonders.

If you go Lassen Volcanic National Park is located three hours northeast of Sacramento and 50 miles from Redding, California. Roundtrip flights from D.C. to Sacramento start at $475. (Rates are $800+ out of BWI.) Aside from cabins and camp sites, the only lodging inside the park has been the Drakesbad Guest Ranch. Unfortunately, the ranch was affected by the 2021 Dixie Fire and is closed for repairs through the 2022 season.

In normal times, the working dude ranch features home-cooked meals and a swimming pool fed by thermal springs, where the water temperatures and pH are managed to ensure safety.

It’s best to visit Lassen from May to October, when roads are accessible. Most of the park was unaffected by the fire and will be open for the summer-fall 2022 season.

Check the website at nps.gov/lavo for updates or to download an audio tour.

The year-round Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center has a café, film, exhibits and ranger programs. For more information, email lavo_information@nps.gov.

To place a classified, see p. 23.

Exploring by car A driving tour on the 30-mile highway in

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PHOTO BY HIAS

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Many locals help refugees resettle. Our cover story continues on opposite page.

Dorothy’s lost dress from ‘Oz’ up for sale

A cultural touchstone Leary-Warsaw and others are hopeful that nostalgia factor will come into play when the costume goes up for sale at Bonhams “Classic Hollywood: Film and Televi-

sion” auction in Los Angeles, where it has a presale estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million. The dress will be on display at the auction house’s New York location before it is sent to California for public view and then auction.

Helen Hall, director of popular culture for Bonhams, said that the market for memorabilia, and film costumes in particular, is strong, and that The Wizard of Oz is a cultural touchstone.

People “very much remember the first time they saw the film; the effect it had on their lives,” she said. The film is renowned for its music, its dialogue and its visuals, particularly when Dorothy goes from drab, sepia-colored Kansas to gloriously multicolored Oz. There was more than one copy of the costume made for Garland while filming.

Hall said that four are known to exist and that only two, including the one found at Catholic University, are with the blouse she wore underneath. Bonhams sold the other one with a blouse at an auction in 2015 for more than $1.5 million.

(There are also some surviving pairs of the ruby slippers Garland wore, with one

O PE N I NG J UNE E 10

PHOTO BY MGM

By Deepti Hajela It’s one of the most recognizable outfits in American movie history: the blue-andwhite checked gingham dress a young Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. For decades, one of the versions of the dress Garland wore in the movie was assumed lost at Catholic University of America, where it had been given to someone in the drama department in the early 1970s.

But the clearing out of some office clutter last year led to the finding of the dress in an old shoebox, and now it’s headed for the auction block.

When she first saw it, “all I could think about was watching the movie when I was a child and growing up with” it, said Jacqueline Leary-Warsaw, dean of the school of music, drama and art at Catholic University, in Washington, D.C. “In a way it was like I was looking at my past childhood.”

One of the dresses Judy Garland wore as Dorothy when filming The Wizard of Oz was recently discovered in a forgotten shoebox at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. It is expected to fetch seven figures at auction.

pair on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.)

Discovered during renovations The rediscovered dress had initially been given to Father Gilbert Hartke, who was then head of the university’s drama department, in 1973 by actress Mercedes McCambridge, Leary-Warsaw said, although it’s not clear how McCambridge

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Somehow, in the years that followed, the department lost track of the costume until it became “something that people had thought was just a myth,” she said.

Last year, during preparations for a renovation, a bag containing the shoebox was opened, and there it was. How it ended up there remains a mystery, Leary-Warsaw said.

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Makes a great gift! | Arts & Style

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

Refugees From page 1 As public-private partnerships, the APA program and the national resettlement nonprofits greatly depend on local communities for resources to support refugee families as they begin rebuilding their lives in the United States.

Complementing the work of the national agencies are so-called Sponsor Circles — small groups of individuals willing to sponsor and assist an Afghan family in their neighborhood.

Groups of five to eight individuals go through a training and vetting process and are matched with a family. Each group takes on a wide range of responsibilities for the family’s resettlement and integration in the community.

What Circles can do Recently HIAS, a Jewish nonprofit and one of the national resettlement agencies, asked congregations if members were interested in setting up what it calls Welcome Circles.

Members of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation were very interested and quickly assembled a group of eight people to help a family of refugees.

“As a religion, as a people, we’re really called to welcome the stranger; we know what it’s like to be on the move, not be comfortable where we live, or even to have to leave where we live on short notice.

[Volunteering] is just a really important

Dorothy’s dress From page 20 The dress was in good condition, aside from a piece that had been cut away, while the blouse was more fragile.

In researching the dress, it was determined that Garland wore it in the movie in

way for me to live my Jewish identity,” said Julie Simon, a member of the Welcome Circle at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.

“We have medical people, lawyers, retired school personnel. We have somebody who owns some apartment buildings in the area. [We’re] a very eclectic group,” Simon said.

When an Afghan family of five arrived in Baltimore in January, they helped the family move into an apartment, register their children for public school, sign up for English lessons and social services, and visit doctors and dentists.

“We’re [also] helping them with job searches. In fact, the 20-year-old son is working now at Towson University, which we’re very excited about. He and I practiced on the bus this morning, so he can get there now on his own,” Simon said.

“We’ve just been doing everything we can to help this family get settled as new Baltimoreans.”

It helps to know how to navigate the red tape of city bureaucracy, a struggle for a newcomer who doesn’t yet speak English.

“We are people who know how to get things done,” Simon said with a chuckle.

“That’s just the nature of who we are; you get a bunch of Jewish mothers together — and we’re not all women, but you know what I mean. We’re gonna get stuff done.”

staff themselves were all working crazy hours, not eating, not sleeping,” said Diane Batchik, a member of the New Hope Lutheran Church congregation in Columbia who also serves on the national board of LIRS. “We quickly realized we wanted to do something to care for the staff because we need them to be able to keep working.”

As a first step, the congregation arranged online yoga classes for LIRS team members around the nation, and bought gift cards from national restaurant chains to make it as easy as possible for the staff to order food or have it delivered.

“They were all working absolutely insane hours,” Batchik said. “Some of these are very deeply stressful positions. We just thought they should hear that people recognize that.”

Batchik also instigated the move to redirect $50,000 in funds from New Hope

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Lutheran to be put to urgent needs for resettlement of Afghan evacuees in Maryland.

The funds were initially intended for church building expansion, but the pandemic changed everything when worship moved online.

“I love seeing these funds put to use for the really practical purpose of helping start Afghan evacuees on their new life,” Batchik said.

After the U.S. resettles this wave of Afghan allies, they may need help with other evacuees, said Gross, of St. John the Evangelist. She says she’s ready to help.

“I am hoping that more faith communities will commit to helping Afghan refugees and perhaps later, Ukrainian refugees too.”

For information on how to form a Sponsor Circle, see sponsorcircles.org. To donate or volunteer to help Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, visit welcome.us.

American String Quartet with Octavio Vazquez, composer & pianist

May 3:00 pm z,Sunday, composer & 22, pianist

Caring for the carers Volunteering can be a full-time job, so burnout is always a risk.

“One of our concerns was that the LIRS

Dénes Várjon, piano Wednesday, June 1, 7:30 pm

the scene where she is confronted in a castle by a threatening Wicked Witch of the West.

The school decided to auction it off instead of keeping it, and plans to use the proceeds from the auction sale to create a full-fledged film program in the drama department.

—AP

Steven Isserlis, cello with Mishka Rushdie Momen, piano

Sunday, June 5, 3:00 pm | (Linehan Hall at UMBC)

410-997-2324 | www.candlelightconcerts.org Location: Smith Theatre | Howard Community College, unless noted*

BEACON BITS

June 10

FREE JAZZ BAND CONCERT

PIANO AT PEABODY is a

The Navy Commodores — the Navy Jazz Band — will be perform-

week-long summer program for adults of all skill levels, led by faculty artists with jazz and classical backgrounds.

ing a free community concert Fri., June 10 at 7 p.m. at the Chrysalis in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. To reserve free tickets and reserved parking, visit bit.ly/Commodores22.

July 10–15, 2022

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

B U R P

R E S C A H U L O M E G A D W A K E R S

A S I A

A N I M A L

D E M I A N G E L L Y S S I T N U E D

E S P A N S H O U E T K G E A I A N S P S

G A L A

G R A N D O P S A S E N D O I D T I O C R E S

S C A A N G D T E R A A N D G O M E A E L R O O F H E C T A T S P Y

H U N T

A G O R A L E A S L T A M B I R L A E D S O R

F U M I N G

F R E S N O

E S R O A S S I D E

H E A D

• Lectures • Workshops • Faculty Recitals

• Master Classes • Individual Lessons and Recitals (optional)

peabody.jhu.edu/ pianoatpeabody 667-208-6640

RE G NO IST W ER

ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD

FROM PAGE 22

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Hall Pairs 1

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HB622

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Across 1. 400 ounces in Ft. Knox 4. Custard ingredient 8. Separate the wheat from the ___ 13. Reconditioned 15. Lee, who nobody doesn’t like 16. Foreshadow 17. Prepare to give a standing ovation 18. Put together the itinerary 19. Garden guardian 20. Members of the World Video Game Hall of Fame 23. Powerful forces in Terminator and Matrix pix 24. Potential nickname for Alois Alzheimer or Hans Asperger 25. Rag doll patented in 1915 26. Members of the Toy Hall of Fame 32. Hint of the future 33. Medal leader in the 2020 Olympic games 34. ___ couple of rounds with 35. Doohickeys 37. One of the M’s in the MMR vaccine 41. Heart chart, briefly 42. Elongated fish 43. Ingredient in poi kulolo 44. Members of the Robot Hall of Fame 49. “___ fool can complain, and most fools do” (Ben Franklin) 50. 10 + 11 (in binary) 51. Good source for wood flooring 52. Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 59. Radiates 60. The simplest Greek letter to write 61. Actress Falco or Sedgwick 62. The mouse did it in the clock 63. Vintage TV’s 64. Mr. Pibb or Dr. Pepper 65. Winter transports 66. Catch sight of 67. Color in Italy’s flag

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Down 1. Comfort a fussy infant 2. It has more people that the other six continents combined 3. Changed the map from feet to meters 4. NFL Primetime network 5. Red carpet event 6. Patriarch of the family 7. First name of the first female on the SCOTUS 8. Canary container 9. Look for Easter eggs 10. Greek markets 11. Irate 12. California city, whose name means “ash tree” in Spanish 14. Half human/half spirit 21. Castro cast-off 22. Hybrid citrus fruit 26. Live high on the ___ 27. Actress Thurman, who married Ethan Hawke 28. Advance the ball further than the competition 29. Forerunner of the CIA 30. “___ good deed every day” 31. Final portion of a trek 36. Just manage, with “out” 37. French sea 38. Playful pet 39. We are in the common one 40. The first song on ABBA’s Greatest Hits 42. Script doctors 44. Those ready to greet the day 45. Aardvark or zebra 46. Amino acid available in supplements 47. “Forget it!”

48. “Of course”, in text slang 53. Simple earring 54. Snake farm inhabitants 55. Web address starter 56. Lightly cooked (as eggs) 57. “Entropy is not on your ___” (Elon Musk) 58. Front part of a horse costume

Answers on page 21.

H O WA R D C O U N T Y B E A C O N — J U N E 2 0 2 2

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

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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.

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HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD All classified ads must be submitted and paid for online, via our website, www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/classifieds Deadlines and Payments: To appear in the next issue, your ad text and payment must be entered by the 5th of the preceding month (for Baltimore and Howard County editions); by the 20th (for Washington and Richmond editions).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad: • $25 for 1250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this 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 Miscellaneous

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Personal Services

BOB WOOD, THE BUILDER: can fix anything. Competent, creative, licensed contractor available for any sized home or business improvement project. Lots of references. For electronics, computers & games, please check with your grandchildren. (410) 294-2800.

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Wanted 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)220-9683, WEBSITE: www.wantedoldmotorcycles.com WE BUY ESTATE JEWELRY St. John’s Jewelers is one of Howard County’s most trusted jewelers and is family owned and operated. Certified appraiser for over 35 years is looking to buy your unwanted gold, silver, diamonds and precious metals. Contact us today. 410-4657770 CASH FOR ESTATES: I buy a wide range of items. jewelry, silver, art, rugs, cultural items, collections, etc. Buy out/clean up. Gary: 301520-0755. Website: theatticllc.com. I have my own trucks, my own crew & insurance.

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Career Opportunities Beacon Inside Salesperson . . . . . .18

Clinical Health Studies Balance & Memory Study . . . . . . .6

Funeral Services Cremation Society of Maryland . . .9 Going Home Cremation . . . . . . . .20 Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home, Inc. . . . . . . . . .15 MacNabb Funeral Home . . . . . . . .9 Sol Levinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Home Health Care A-1 Action Nursing Care . . . . . . . .3 Options for Senior America . . . . .18

Home Improvement/ Remodeling Amazing Walk-in Tubs . . . . . . . . . .5 Renovation Real Estate . . . . . . . . .1

Housing Brooke Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Charlestown/Erickson . . . . . . . . . .5 Enterprise Residential . . . . . . . . . .8 Morningside House of Ellicott City9 Park View Apartments . . . . . . . . . .8 Shriner Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Medical/Health Howard Co. Recreation & Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13

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Dr. Jeannine George-Richardson, DPM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Maryland Vascular Specialists . . . .7 Medical Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Patapsco Acupuncture . . . . . . . . . .4

Real Estate Renovation Real Estate . . . . . . . . .1

Retail Potomac Collector . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Senior/Government Services COGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 19 Howard Co. 50+ Connection .10-11 Maryland Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Subscriptions Beacon Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . .22

Theater/Entertainment Candlelight Concert Society . . . .21 Johns Hopkins Peabody Preparatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Toby’s Dinner Theatre . . . . . . . . .20

Travel Eyre Tour & Travel . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Howard Co. Recreation & Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13

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ASSISTED LIVING

ENJOY NEW

BEGINNINGS Begin a new season of independence, comfort and care at Brooke Grove Retirement Village.

Assisted living with a difference LIFE® enrichment programming to enhance individual discovery, partnerships with families and inspiring experiences • Private rooms with oversized windows and skylights • Cozy family rooms, intimate dining rooms and sunny decks • Innovative memory support • Large, secure courtyards and enticing walking paths • Flower and sensory gardens • Playground for visiting kids

... because what surrounds you really matters.

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limited-tt ioumr e discount of up to $9,6 00 for qualified app licants.

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