June 2024 | DC Beacon

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Summer camps for grownups

By Glenda C. Booth

Many people recall the ups and downs of summer camp as youngsters: campfire songs, leaky tents, latrines and s’mores.

At today’s “adult camps” — whether at a campground, on a college campus or at a high-end ranch — you can revisit some of those experiences more comfortably. Every summer an estimated one million older campers spend a week or two away to take music lessons, sharpen their writing skills, explore their creative streak, nourish their well-being, unplug and slow down.

Camps exist for music, cooking, quilting, language learning, writing, fishing, kayaking, archery, carpentry, yoga, healthy living, nature study, horseback riding and even pickleball.

At the Wooden Boat School in Maine, for instance, you can build your own boat. At Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, you can train on simulators and sleep and eat like an astronaut. Or you can start that novel you’ve always wanted to write at the Putney School in Vermont.

Offline at nature camp

Deborah Hammer, a teacher who lives near Alexandria, Virginia, spent a week at Audubon’s Hog Island Camp on Bremen Island, Maine, two summers ago. With biologists and naturalists as her “counselors,” she studied the flora and fauna of the Maine coast, including puffins, seals, eider ducks and other wildlife. She also hiked, boated and met people from around the country.

“We learned how to create hands-on science lessons and art projects with environmental and geological themes,” Hammer said.

Open for 80 years, Hog Island Audubon Camp is located on a 335-acre island with spruce fir forests and a shoreline of tidal

pools. Ornithologists, writers, artists, educators and students teach and learn about nature in sessions about everything from birding to art to photography.

Between activities, campers can hike the island’s wooded trails, search the tidepools for mussels and barnacles, listen to the loons or just contemplate the peace and beauty of it all.

“Being at the Audubon camp was good for my soul,” Hammer said. “It was a nos-

talgic experience for me, as it really was like my childhood camp days. I felt free to learn, play and explore with like-minded people.”

Hammer especially liked the technology-free time. “Just to have a chance to disconnect from the WiFi for a week and everything that comes with it — emails, breaking news, advertisers’ noise — was

Adult campers at Hog Island Camp in Maine get a peek at puffins during their camp session. Every summer about a million adults go to summer camp to hike, study ecology, write, and sleep in cabins.

PHOTO BY JEAN HALL

I’m not a doctor, but…

I’ve reached the stage in life where I and many of my friends are no longer self-conscious about having an “organ recital” when we get together: you know, a conversation where we eagerly recount our latest physical ailments and medical issues.

It’s not my intention to bore you with one right now (at least not in all its gory detail), but I want to share a few things I’ve learned from experience about coping with medical issues. If you have already come to these conclusions on your own, you can just nod along as I go (and share your story with us afterwards).

ble back spasms. The first doctor I called prescribed muscle relaxants, which only made me drowsy and loopy while doing nothing to reduce the pain.

When my wife’s cousin — a practitioner of an acupressure-like healing technique called Jin Shin Jyutsu — heard about my condition, she came right over and offered to help.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Stuart P. Rosenthal

Go to medical professionals for diagnosis and treatment. But there may be side issues that call for other approaches.

I was in my early 30s, without any symptoms, when my ophthalmologist discovered my left retina was becoming detached. He was an excellent specialist who not only correctly diagnosed my condition but performed the successful operation and followup laser treatments, saving my sight.

But post-surgery, I was told to sleep sitting up for a week, and I awoke with terri-

She pressed on various spots of my body that would seem to have nothing to do with my back, and after an hour, the spasms relaxed immediately and permanently. A former skeptic about alternative treatments, I became a believer in that one!

If your first diagnosis and treatment go nowhere, it’s probably time for a second opinion.

A few years ago, I started experiencing sciatica — shooting pains down my leg from the hip. I was referred to an orthopedist, who ordered an MRI.

The radiologist who read the MRI noticed nothing out of the ordinary for someone my age, so my doctor said a few weeks of physical therapy ought to fix me up.

That actually made things worse. So bad,

in fact, that the PT sent me to a pain specialist who, after prescribing pain meds that didn’t stop the pain (but led to swelling in my legs), recommended a cortisone injection. That only magnified the pain!

Finally, I got a referral from several friends to a particular doctor, who took one look at the original MRI and immediately pointed out that a cyst on my spine was most likely the problem. No one before him had ever noticed or mentioned that before.

I now believe I would have avoided weeks of agony and unnecessary (indeed, counterproductive) treatment if I had made more of an effort to find a truly experienced doctor with a good reputation in the first place. [See this month’s article, “How to find and evaluate a new doctor” on page 7.]

Sometimes it’s the simple, low-tech solution that solves your problem.

After a vacation where I walked miles every day carrying a rather heavy backpack, I developed a painful case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot.

I told my troubles to a retired podiatrist friend, who offered to take a look. After a brief evaluation, in which he uncovered some other sensitivities in my knee and hip, he said it was highly likely that my problem was due to having legs of slightly different length (which, apparently, is rather common).

My friend, it turns out, had written a book about these problems intended both for medical professionals as well as lay people. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly take the world by storm.

Perhaps this and other solutions proposed in his book were too low-tech and inexpensive to make them worth adopting widely in our current healthcare system. Don’t dismiss placebos, but don’t use unnecessary meds as one.

Sometimes when I tell my Jin Shin Jyutsu story, people say dismissively, “Oh, that was just the placebo effect.” I like to respond that placebos are nothing to sneeze at.

Even if what gets you the relief is a placebo, that doesn’t mean it didn’t work. The “effect” of the placebo was to solve the problem, so that means it was effective!

On the other hand, doctors often complain that patients won’t leave their office without a prescription, even when the condition is likely to resolve without one.

I suggest you tell your doctors that you will take whatever medicine is truly necessary, but you don’t want to take a drug just for its psychological value.

For such situations, there ought to be a prescription pad that says, “Take two chocolates and call me in the morning.”

For those wanting more info about Jin Shin Jyutsu, read The Touch of Healing. Visit walkingwellagain.com for Dr. Stuart Goldman's book. Both books are available on Amazon.

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The Beacon is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve, and entertain the citizens of the Greater Washington DC area, and is privately owned. Other editions serve Greater Baltimore and Howard County, Md. Readership exceeds 400,000.

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

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He inserted a small pad in my left shoe to even out my stance, and the pain and sensitivities went away. I now keep the pads in all my shoes and haven’t had a problem with my foot (or a twinge in my hip) since.

Letters to the editor

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

Dear Editor:

I read your column on fitness in the May edition of the Beacon (“See You at the Gym!”). I found it to be well written and timely. I have been sharing it with my neighbors! I have been a faithful gym member since 2009 and frequent my gym at least five times a week (the other two days are reserved for fencing practice). About a third of my gym’s members are older adults.

At our gym, seniors consistently adhere to their physical fitness goals because they get to know the staff, they can take low- to high-impact classes and, with a significant number of seniors who are members, they “see people like themselves” and are more likely to continue going to the gym, which can become a place to socialize.

I am a great enthusiast for fitness and have found that my local gym ensures I

can exercise safely regardless of the weather. I hope to encourage more seniors to seek out local gyms that have these characteristics, because they can help older adults participate in physical activities on a long-term basis.

Bettie J. Graham Washington, DC

Dear Editor:

Thank you for helping guide me through the most difficult transition of my life…becoming a Senior Citizen at a time and place I had never experienced.

As my four sons with their families slowly left home to become the stellar citizens I knew they would be, it was time for me, ”Mom,” to leave the roost and now choose to follow them to begin my new life as a retired young lady of 82.

Maryann Weider Via LinkedIn

Fitness & Health

DOCTOR SEARCH

Friends, family and web searches can help you find the best doctors PASS IT ON

Telling your life story can bring about a healthy catharsis and help others RINGING IN THE EARS

Tinnitus has no cure, but music, exercise and white noise offer some help KNOW WHEN TO QUIT

Driving skills may decline as we age. When is it time to give up the keys?

Are nitrates good or bad for your health?

By Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., RD

Nitrates in cured meats — such as bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts — have long had a reputation for being unhealthy. But more recently there’s been a lot of talk about the health benefits of nitrates in beets and other vegetables.

Nitrates are compounds made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Most come from plants, such as leafy greens, beets and celery.

But they are also added to processed meats — in the form of sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite — as a preservative, or to enhance flavor, color and texture.

Benefits when in vegetable form

When we eat nitrates by consuming plants, our body converts them to nitric oxide, which has been shown to have a number of benefits, such as regulating blood pressure and improving circulation. This, in turn, can boost both heart health and athletic performance.

For example, a 2021 study found that active adult men who received nitrates derived from beet juice increased their mus-

cle power output.

Another trial showed that consuming at least 60 milligrams of nitrates from vegetables daily (that’s about what you get from 1 cup of raw green leafy vegetables) may significantly reduce the risk for heart disease.

In addition, nitrate-rich plants provide “many other health-promoting nutrients, including antioxidants and potential antiinflammatory compounds,” said New York City culinary nutritionist Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N.

Concerns when from cured meats

So why are they a good thing in beets but not bacon?

In processed-meat products, nitrates can combine with the proteins’ amino acids and form nitrosamines, which have been associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.

A World Health Organization report found that each 50-gram portion of processed meats a person ate per day (that’s about five slices of bacon) upped

their odds of colorectal cancer by 18%. The evidence was strong enough that WHO classifies these foods as a Group 1 carcinogen — the same designation as tobacco.

Consuming plenty of vitamin C and other antioxidant-rich foods can help block the production of nitrosamines and offset the potentially negative effects of processed meats, according to Melina Jampolis, M.D., an internist and board-certified nutrition specialist in Los Angeles. In fact, manufacturers are starting to add vitamin C to cured meats for just this reason.

High heat can also contribute to nitrosamine formation, so Jampolis recommends cooking processed meats at lower temperatures. (For example, microwaving bacon may be better than frying it, according to some research.)

But the best bet is to simply reduce the amount of cured meats you eat. And that goes for foods labeled “natural” or “nitratefree” too.

Studies show that the conversion of nitrates to nitrosamines can occur regardless of whether they’re organic or synthet-

ic — so that “natural” hot dog may not be any healthier for you.

As for cured meats boasting “no added nitrates,” Jampolis said these are often made with celery powder, which contains naturally occurring nitrates but can still produce nitrosamines (although it is not considered an added nitrate for food labels).

The bottom line

Nitrates from plants and those added to meat behave very differently in the body.

Increasing your consumption of nitraterich veggies may reduce blood pressure and improve athletic performance.

But it’s best to limit your intake of processed meats (even “natural” and “nitrate-free” products), as they are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at eatingwell.com.

© 2024 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Less alcohol, or none, for better health

By Carla K. Johnson

It’s wine time. Beer Thirty. Happy hour. Five o’clock somewhere.

Maybe it’s also time to rethink drinking?

Moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for the heart, but better research methods have thrown cold water on that.

“The scientific consensus has shifted due to the overwhelming evidence linking alcohol to over 200 health conditions, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and injuries,” said Carina Ferreira-Borges, regional adviser for alcohol at the World Health Organization regional office for Europe.

The United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Holland and Australia recently reviewed the new evidence and lowered their alcohol consumption recommendations. Ireland will require cancer warning labels on alcohol starting in 2026.

“Drinking less is a great way to be healthier,” said Dr. Timothy Naimi, who directs the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.

Views are slowly changing

From Dry January to Sober October to bartenders getting creative with non-alcoholic cocktails, there’s a cultural vibe today that supports cutting back.

“People my age are way more accepting of it,” said Tessa Weber, 28, of Austin, Texas. She stopped drinking for Dry January this year because she’d noticed alcohol was increasing her anxiety.

She liked the results — better sleep, more energy — and has stuck with it. “It’s good to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol,” Weber said.

True, for some time, we’ve been hearing that moderate drinking has health benefits. That idea came from imperfect studies comparing groups of people by how much they drink.

Usually, consumption was measured at one point in time. And none of the studies randomly assigned people to drink or not drink, so they couldn’t prove cause and effect.

People who report drinking moderately tend to have higher levels of education,

higher incomes and better access to health care, Naimi said.

“It turns out that when you adjust for those things, the benefits tend to disappear,” he said.

Problems with earlier studies

Another problem: Most studies didn’t include younger people. Almost half of the people who die from alcohol-related causes die before the age of 50.

“If you’re studying people who survived into middle age, didn’t quit drinking because of a problem, and didn’t become a heavy drinker, that’s a very select group,” Naimi said. “It creates an appearance of a benefit for moderate drinkers that is actually a statistical illusion.”

Other studies challenge the idea that alcohol has benefits. These studies compare people with a gene variant that makes it unpleasant to drink to people without the gene variant. People with the variant tend to drink very little or not at all.

One of these studies found people with the gene variant have a lower risk of heart disease — another blow to the idea that

alcohol protects people from heart problems. [Ed. Note: Similarly, studies of the cardiovascular effects of resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine and grape juice, once thought to suggest a benefit from moderate drinking, now show mixed results.]

Alcohol boosts cancer risks

How many drinks per day are safe? That depends.

Drinking raises the risk of several types of cancer, including colon, liver, breast, and cancers of the mouth and throat.

Alcohol breaks down in the body into a substance called acetaldehyde, which can damage your cells and stop them from repairing themselves. That creates the conditions for cancer to grow.

Thousands of U.S. deaths per year could be prevented if people followed the government’s dietary guidelines, which advise men to limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day, Naimi said.

Salad veggie vitamins get boost from fat

By Heidi McIndoo

It’s no secret that a salad filled with bright, colorful fruits and veggies makes for a delicious start to your meal, or is the meal itself.

And you probably know that what we choose to top our salads — think beans, croutons, bacon bits, lean meats, etc. — can affect the health of said salad for better or worse.

Pros and cons of salad dressing

Salad dressings are another way to add interesting flavors to your raw veggies, but they do more than that.

Dressings can add extra calories, saturated fat, sodium and added sugar to your salad bowl. For this reason, it’s important to make informed choices when selecting your dressing and not go overboard as you pour.

But what dressings provide isn’t all negative. Depending on the ingredients used, dressings can be a good source of healthy fats in your day. Those healthy fats actually help make your salad better for you.

Many of the commonly-used salad veggies contain fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). These vitamins need to be

eaten with fat to get the best absorption. Choose dressings with olive, canola, avocado and other healthy oils as their base to maximize the vitamins and therefore health benefits you can gain from your salad bowl.

Helpful hints: Keep in mind the benefits salad dressing can provide the next time you’re choosing one:

• Dip it, don’t drown it. You’ve heard it before, but having dressing on the side and dipping forkfuls into it maximizes flavor but minimizes the amount of dressing you eat.

• Skip the fat free. To obtain the most nutritional benefits from your salad, choose a full-fat dressing made with healthy oil.

• Make sure it’s not too sweet. Some dressings contain up to two teaspoons of added sugar per serving. Be sure to check the nutrition facts panel and choose those with minimal added sugar.

Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC, 1-800829-5384, EnvironmentalNutrition.com.

© 2024 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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How to find and evaluate a new doctor

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you recommend some good resources to help me locate some quality doctors in my area?

I’m looking for an orthopedic doctor for my 77year-old mother and a new internist for me, since my doctor retired last year.

—Searching Susan Dear Susan,

Finding and researching doctors is a lot easier than it used to be. Today, there are variety of websites you can turn to that provide databases of U.S. doctors, their professional medical histories, and ratings and reviews from past patients on a number of criteria.

By Jim Miller

Medicare, you can use the Care Compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare — click on “Doctors & Clinicians.” This will let you find doctors by name, medical specialty or by geographic location that accept original Medicare.

If she’s enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, call or visit the plan website to get a list of approved candidates.

Once you find a few doctors, call their office to verify that they still accept your insurance, and if they are accepting new patients.

censes, and whether or not a physician has been disciplined by a state medical board.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS Data) is also a good source for researching doctors. For example, it will help you find out how many times a doctor did a particular procedure and what they charge for it. Go to Data.CMS.gov/tools and click on “Medicare Physician & Other Practitioner Look-up Tool.”

And to learn about the financial relationship that doctors have with drug and medical device companies, visit OpenPaymentsData.CMS.gov.

tion on physicians’ education and training, hospital affiliations, board certification, awards and recognitions, professional misconduct, disciplinary action, office locations and accepted insurance plans.

They also offer five-star ratings scales from past patients on issues such as communication and listening skills, wait time, time spent with the patient, office friendliness and more.

But be aware that while physician-rating websites can be helpful, sometimes they can be misleading and unreliable.

Here are some good sites to help you get started, along with a few additional tips that can help you find the right doctors.

First steps

To help you locate some good doctors in your area, a good first step is to get referrals from trusted friends, along with any doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals you know.

You also need to check with your insurance provider. Call your insurer for a list of approved doctors or ask whether the doctor you’re considering is in your network. If your mother is enrolled in original

From page 4

One drink

Naimi served on an advisory committee that wanted to lower the recommendation

You should also consider hospital affiliation. Your choice of doctor can determine which hospital you go to, if needed, so find out where the doctor has admitting privileges.

Then use some hospital ratings services like Medicare.gov/care-compare (click on “Hospitals”) to see how it compares with other hospitals in the area.

Where to do research

After you find a few doctors you’re interested in, there are various websites you can consult to help you evaluate them.

For example, the Federation of State Medical Boards offers a tool at DocInfo.org that will let you find out doctor’s board certifications, education, states with active li-

for men to one drink per day. That advice was considered and rejected when the federal recommendations came out in 2020.

“The simple message that’s best supported by the evidence is that, if you drink, less is better when it comes to health,” Naimi said.

Healthgrades (healthgrades.com) and Vitals (vitals.com) are also good websites to find and research healthcare professionals. Both sites provide substantial informa-

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Telling our stories can produce catharsis

By Alan D. Bergman

Recalling our past and telling or writing our stories can release a floodgate of emotions that have long been blocked within us.

As a professional biographer and personal historian, I have witnessed how summoning the details of our lives from our memory banks — or even learning missing information about our own or our forefathers’ and foremothers’ life stories — can bring us joy, pain and relief.

One biography client was Joan, a 90year-old Holocaust survivor, who hired me to preserve her life story. During a discussion, she mentioned to me how during her childhood in Prague, the family’s beloved live-in nanny, Ida, one day announced that she could no longer work for the family because they were Jewish.

Ida showed the Nazi swastika pin attached to her shirt collar and disappeared from their lives forever. Thinking back to the enormity of that heart-wrenching moment, Joan let out a soft wail and wept for the next several moments.

Another time, when I interviewed one client about his 1950s youth in Cleveland,

BEACON BITS

June 19

the laughter was so hard that it turned to tears. He was describing his high school fraternity and the age-appropriate high jinks he and his buddies pulled as frat members.

Unlocking that piece of his past was an unexpectedly joyous experience. His endorphins obviously flowed freely, as the neuroscience of laughter has taught us.

I somewhat nonchalantly mentioned to another client, Anthony, what I had learned about his father’s immigration to the U.S. I told him his father had arrived on these shores in a journey from Naples to Ellis Island in July of 1922.

I was shocked when the response was an audible gasp, followed by sobbing. The revelation about his father’s journey must have been like finding a missing piece of himself. All his adult life, he had always wondered how, when, and exactly from where his father came to this country

During an interview with one client, I asked about her three adult children, having no idea she was estranged from them all.

As she talked about the circumstances leading to each estrangement, the anguish on her face became increasingly apparent.

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It was a cold February day in New York, yet sweat appeared on her brow.

Her insistence on including this aspect of her life in her biography speaks volumes to her commitment to honesty and authenticity in capturing her whole story.

Moments like these highlight the profound trust and connection that can develop between a biographer and a client. Together, we take a path to create a legacy that reflects the entirety of their life, both the joys and the struggles.

Bringing the past to the forefront can be a richly gratifying and rewarding experience. It is often a huge relief. In fact, Sigmund Freud labeled this Cathartic Emotional Release (CER).

Perhaps best of all, preserving these life

stories for the next generations prevents them from being lost to history forever. Alan D. Bergman is a personal historian-biographer. He is a boomer and the founder of Life Stories Preserved LLC. Alan can be reached via email at ab@LifeStoriesPreserved.net or through the website LifeStoriesPreserved.net.

[Ed. Note: Businesses that can help you record and print your life story range from extensive research, interviewing and professional writing by biographers like Bergman (whose services start at around $7,000) to low-cost, do-it-yourself services like StoryWorth (buy.storyworth.com), which emails questions and compiles your answers in a book. The $99 subscription does not include the book, which ranges in cost from $39 to $99.]

Living with slow-growing prostate cancer

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I have prostate cancer and just started active surveillance. I’m glad I don’t need to have surgery or start treatment immediately.

Meanwhile, while I am being monitored, what can I do to help stop the cancer from spreading?

A: Active surveillance is an option for men with low-grade cancer (cancer con-

BITS

June 25

A-FIB PRESENTATION

fined to the prostate gland and less likely to spread).

Most often this refers to men who have blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of less than 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) and a Gleason score of 6 or less.

High-grade and many intermediategrade prostate cancers don’t qualify for active surveillance, and treatment for

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them usually begins immediately.

Men who choose active surveillance can avoid the side effects and possible complications related to surgery, radiation or hormonal treatment.

At the same time, it provides an opportunity for men to re-evaluate their lifestyle and make changes that may improve their cancer prognosis and ensure their life is the healthiest it can be.

Coping with the prognosis

Despite knowing that most men with low-grade prostate cancer do fine without specific therapy, some men find the adjustment difficult.

One way a man can mitigate the worry, stress or anxiety is to embrace a take-charge attitude about his health.

Men can take steps that not only may improve their prognosis, but also protect

themselves from other health issues, like heart attacks and strokes. This can empower men and give them a better sense of control over their condition. Here are some suggestions:

Increase exercise intensity. Observational research has found that men with prostate cancer who engaged most frequently in vigorous activity had a 30% lower risk of developing advanced cancer and a 25% lower risk of dying from the disease when compared with men who exercised the least.

Examples of vigorous activities include running, cycling, swimming and racquet sports.

Manage your weight. Weight gain is linked with more aggressive cancer. Even losing five to 10 extra pounds can help lower your risk.

A healthier weight also keeps blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels under control.

Eat a plant-based diet. Although it’s unclear whether specific dietary habits can slow prostate cancer growth, there is some evidence that suggests following a plant-based diet may make a difference. And healthy eating also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Check your cholesterol. Studies have found that men who need to take cholesterol-lowering statins may have a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer. Statin use has also been associated with longer survival among men with prostate cancer. You wouldn’t take a statin for this reason, but if you need a statin to lower your cholesterol, this is a possible bonus.

Consider therapy. The anxiety about active surveillance may be associated with something else. A therapist can help a man explore where his anxiety lies and what may be driving it.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. For additional consumer health information, visit health.harvard.edu. © 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

beginning

27, to meet with other individuals experiencing early-stage memory

and their caregivers. This free support group meets from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA. Register at tinyurl.com/ArlingtonMemoryCafe. For more information, call (703) 228-5990 or email Lib-CentralOperations@arlingtonva.us. June

BEACON

BEACON BITS

Ways to cope with ringing in your ears

By Howard LeWine, M.D.

Q: I have persistent ringing in my ears, mostly in my right ear. My hearing test showed mild hearing loss. What can I try before spending money on hearing aids?

A: You are one of the estimated 15% of American adults who suffer from tinnitus.

For many, it’s a high-pitched ringing, while for others, it sounds like whistling, whooshing, buzzing, chirping, hissing, humming, roaring or even shrieking. It may be constant or intermittent, steady or pulsating.

While there presently is no cure for tinnitus, there are many ways people can manage it so the symptoms do not disrupt their daily lives.

Tinnitus commonly begins in older age and has a close association with hearing loss. It may also occur because of long-term exposure to loud noises, medication side effects, or something as

simple as earwax buildup.

It’s unclear what happens in the brain to create the noises. One explanation is that the auditory nerve (which connects the ear to the brain) begins to fray, diminishing normal sounds.

Neurons in the brain’s auditory processing center compensate for this loss by becoming more sensitive. The sensitivity knobs get turned up so high that neurons begin to respond to the activity of other nearby neurons, which creates the perception of a sound that does not exist.

Here are some techniques that may help reduce the symptoms:

Learn your triggers. Write down the circumstances when tinnitus symptoms bother you. It helps to anticipate, prevent or adjust situations that may make tinnitus worse.

Try a masking device. This device looks like a hearing aid and produces sounds (such as nature sounds) that

make tinnitus seem quieter. The sound distracts the brain, and tinnitus symptoms become easier to tolerate. [Ed. Note: Some hearing aids have a setting to reduce tinnitus with “fractals,” or atonal chimes, which your brain learns to tune out.]

But you don’t always need a fancy ear device to mask tinnitus sounds. Listening to music or “white noise” helps distract your brain, so you pay less attention to the tinnitus. [Read more about this on page 16, “Background noises might improve sleep.”]

Exercise. Regular physical activity can reduce the frequency and intensity of tinnitus, and the distress it causes.

Try mindfulness. A program called Mindfulness Based Tinnitus Stress Reduction builds skills in deep breathing,

yoga, relaxation and meditation to help a person deal with tinnitus. Mindfulness programs have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety while improving social functioning and overall mental health in people with tinnitus.

Consider cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or tinnitus retraining therapy. CBT helps you identify negative thoughts about tinnitus and reframe the way you think about and react to tinnitus. CBT is often used in conjunction with mindfulness. Tinnitus retraining therapy uses counseling and sound masking to help the brain relearn hearing patterns so tinnitus is less noticeable.

© 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

When should one stop driving? Part II

By Robert H. Shmerling, M.D.

This is the second half of a two-part article on making decisions about driving as we age.

It’s a simple but unfortunate fact: Driving skills can wane over time. Eventually, driving can become unsafe for an older driver, their passengers and others on the road.

If you notice a decline in driving abilities in a loved one or in yourself, what’s

the best way to handle this?

If you’re an older driver: Create an action plan. Don’t wait for a near-miss or an accident to think about the next steps. Planning ahead can help you tackle fixable issues, make necessary transitions easier, and avoid harming yourself or someone else.

Here are six measures you can take right now:

Have a frank conversation with

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• Close communication with patients and their loved ones.

• Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and most major supplemental insurance plans.

a trusted friend or family member. After driving with them as a passenger, ask whether they are worried about your driving. Don’t disregard their comments, even if they share things you don’t want to hear.

See your doctor and talk about your driving. Is it harder to see at night? Are you finding you’re slower to react? Ask your doctor about medical care that can help, such as cataract surgery, treatment for sleep apnea, or adjustments to medications that might affect driving.

Take a self-evaluation test or an on-road test. AAA has tools to help with this, or you can check with your local department of motor vehicles. Even if you feel it’s unnecessary, a driving test can be reassuring to your loved ones that you’re still safe behind the wheel.

Take driving classes. In many places, there are general refresher courses, courses for defensive driving, and even simulators that don’t require actual road tests. AAA and AARP offer online courses that can help you improve your driving. (And by the way, these courses reduce the cost of your auto insurance in some states, including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.)

Consider alternatives to how you drive. Stick to roads that are close to home or to routes that have traffic lights (rather than having to decide when traffic is clear enough to make a turn). Consider giving up night driving if that is particularly difficult.

Make adjustments to your car that can help. Examples include using a steering wheel cover to improve your

grip, or changing the position of your seat to improve your view of the road. Check out the CarFit program (carfit.org) that aims to optimize the “fit” of a driver in their car.

Reduce your road time

In addition, explore options that don’t require you to drive as frequently or at all:

• grocery delivery

• public or senior transportation (if offered or available where you live)

• carpooling with friends or family

• ride-hailing services or taxis

• hiring a driver.

Cost and availability may be barriers, but it’s worth looking into these options.

Suggestions for family members

If you’re a concerned family member or friend: Start a conversation.

It’s best not to lead by criticizing driving skills. Instead, talk about driving safely, and come with solutions in mind, such as the options described above.

It can be helpful to remind your loved one how his or her parents or grandparents had to cut back on their driving, or perhaps how an older neighbor was an unsafe driver.

Focus on the risks posed by other drivers. Aggressive or unpredictable drivers can pose more danger to older drivers with slower reaction times.

Offer to go for a ride together and then to talk about specific concerns, such as staying in the proper lane, changing lanes, making left-hand turns, speed, or sudden braking.

Encourage consideration of a self-

“Phil

— Cynthia R

Driving

From page 12

evaluation or on-road test and driving classes to help polish skills.

Other ways to be helpful:

• Ask their doctor to talk with your loved one or friend about their driving. State regulations vary on mandatory reporting of conditions that affect a patient’s ability to drive. Some doctors may be reluctant to report their patients to their registry of motor vehicles, due to concerns about patient privacy or jeopardizing the patient-doctor relationship.

• Look into rules and regulations around older drivers where your loved one lives. Many states require vision tests and in-person renewal with increasing frequency for older drivers.

• If your attempts have been rebuffed, consider reporting an unsafe driver to traffic safety authorities. This may feel like a betrayal, but if other efforts have failed, this option might be

July 2

better than waiting until there’s a serious accident.

The bottom line

It’s not easy to address concerns about impaired older drivers. My best advice is that older drivers and their loved ones try to talk about ways to remain a safe driver and put a plan in place.

Ideally, we all would start the conversation well before any driving problems are evident. And it may take more than one conversation. Many more.

But let’s face it: Sooner or later, most drivers will have to stop driving. For some older drivers, that time may be now. For the rest of us, recognizing this eventuality could help when our time comes.

See the May Beacon for the first article in this series.

Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., is a senior editor and an Editorial Advisory Board member for Harvard Health Publishing. © 2024 Harvard University. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.

During this accessible yoga class, you can practice in a chair, on the floor or standing while improving balance, flexibility and mobility. No prior yoga experience is necessary. This free class takes place on Tue., July 2 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library, 900 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring, MD. For more information, call (240) 773-9420.

Ongoing

FREE ONE-ON-ONE TECH SUPPORT IN MD

The Marylanders Online call center offers free one-on-one tech help in English and Spanish if you are a Maryland resident. Techs can help with devices, including software and hardware, internet service, digital skills classes and more. They are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (301) 405-9810 or toll-free 1-866-206-9467. For more information, visit marylandersonline.umd.edu.

GARDEN TOUR WITH ICE CREAM

June 15

Tour Green Spring’s summer gardens in the company of a Master Gardener docent who will describe the garden’s plant varieties. The tour ends at the Historic House lawn, where ice cream will be served. The tour takes place on Sat., June 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA. For $15 tickets, register online at tinyurl.com/GreenSpringTour. For more information, email parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or call (703) 642-5173.

YOGA FOR BALANCE AND STABILITY

BEACON BITS

Some of the top health benefits of dates

By Megan Falk

When you hit the supermarket to restock your kitchen with nutrient-packed fruit, you probably unconsciously turn your cart into the produce section, where apples, oranges and grapes abound.

But in doing so, you could be missing out on a fresh fruit hiding out next to the raisins and prunes in the bulk bin aisle: dates.

That’s right: Though wrinkly, sticky and chewy like dried fruits, naturally sweet

dates are typically sold in their raw, fresh state, said Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of The Small Change Diet. At the grocery store, you’ll often find two types of dates: Medjool, a soft date variety with a high moisture content and a sweeter flavor, and Deglet Noor, a semidry date variety that contains very little moisture and has a nutty finish. And with those craveable qualities come a few health perks.

Dates provide tons of fiber

The biggest health benefit dates have going for them is their fiber content. In roughly four Medjool dates, you’ll score 6.7 grams of fiber, or a quarter of the 28-gram recommended daily allowance, according to the USDA.

Remember, fiber is the part of plant foods that can’t be digested or absorbed, so it helps bulk up your stool and ensure everything passes through your gut smoothly, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Plus, fiber can help lower cholesterol levels, stabilize blood glucose levels by slowing the absorption of sugar, and boost digestive health, Gans said.

Dates promote heart health

Bananas may be the go-to source of potassium, but they’re not the only fruit that can help you fulfill your daily quota.

Munch on four Medjool dates, and you’ll snag 696 mg of potassium, about 27% of the USDA’s recommended adequate intake of 2,600 mg per day.

This mineral helps your kidneys and heart function properly, and plays a key role in regulating blood pressure, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Dates strengthen bones

Dates contain manganese and magnesium, which help keep your bones strong and healthy, said Gans.

Both of these nutrients play a role in bone formation, and studies have shown that upping magnesium intake can im-

prove bone mineral density, which can minimize your risk of breaking a bone.

Dates boost immunity

Along with key vitamins and minerals, dates are a good source of antioxidants. These compounds can help combat oxidative stress caused by free radicals (harmful molecules that, in excess, can damage cells).

When free radicals build up in cells, they can harm other molecules, which may increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Dates are a healthier sweetener

OK, this isn’t technically a health benefit of dates, but it’s definitely a perk worth mentioning. A single Medjool date contains a whopping 16 grams of sugar, so the fruit’s ideal to use in place of standard table sugar, Gans said.

While that number may still seem pretty big, Gans stresses that it’s nothing to be too concerned about.

“When you’re eating fruit, you’re going to get sugar,” she explained. “But it’s naturally occurring, so along with that sugar comes the other health benefits that are in the actual fruit.”

SHAPE is dedicated to helping you live a healthy and happy life. Online at Shape.com.

© 2024 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Background noises might improve sleep

By Carla K. Johnson

You may have heard of white noise used to mask background sounds. Now, it has colorful competition.

There’s a growing buzz around pink noise, brown noise, green noise — a rainbow of soothing sounds — and their theoretical effects on sleep, concentration and

the relaxation response.

The science is new, with only a few small studies behind it. But that hasn’t stopped thousands of people from listening to hours of these noises on YouTube and on meditation apps that provide a palette of color noises either free or with paid subscriptions.

What’s with all the colors?

To understand pink noise, start with white, the most familiar of the color noises.

White noise is similar to static on a radio or TV. Sound engineers define it as having equal volume across all the frequencies audible to the human ear. It gets its name from white light, which contains all the visible color wavelengths.

But the high frequencies of white noise can sound harsh.

Pink noise turns down the volume on those higher frequencies, so it sounds lower in pitch and more like the natural sound of rain or the ocean.

Brown noise sounds even lower in pitch, giving it a pleasing, soothing rumble.

Pink and brown, like white, noise have standard definitions to audio experts. Other color noises are more recent creations with very flexible definitions.

White noise and pink noise may provide small benefits for people with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a recent review of limited ADHD studies.

In theory, it wakes up the brain, said ADHD researcher and co-author Joel Nigg of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

“The noise provides stimulation to the brain without providing information, and

so it doesn’t distract,” Nigg said.

White noise has also been used to treat ringing or buzzing in the ear, called tinnitus.

Promising studies

Scientists at Northwestern University are studying how short pulses of pink noise can enhance the slow brain waves of deep sleep. In small studies, these pink-noise pulses have shown promise in improving memory and the relaxation response.

Pink noise has a frequency profile “very similar to the distribution of brain wave frequencies we see in slow-wave sleep because these are large, slow waves,” said Dr. Roneil Malkani, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

If Northwestern’s research pans out, it could lead to a medical device to improve sleep or memory through personalized pulses of pink noise.

But many scientific questions remain unanswered, Malkani said. “There’s still a lot of work we have to do.”

If color noises feel calming to you and help you drown out distractions, there’s no harm in using them. Keep them at a quiet level, of course, to prevent hearing loss. And take “plenty of breaks for the ears to rest,” Nigg said. —AP

A new way to look at toilet paper choices

Imagine being in the store trying to decide which toilet paper is best for you. It’s about comfort versus environmental concern.

Should you buy virgin white, soft toilet paper, or should you buy recycled paper because it’s thought to be more eco-friendly? While that decision is entirely up to you, I’ll share some information about each type of toilet paper to help you make an informed decision.

Made differently

other paper items you dump into your recycle bin.

PHARMACIST

By Suzy Cohen

To make new toilet paper, companies have to cook virgin wood pulp. Virgin means that the wood pulp hasn’t been used before. It’s not being recycled; it’s new. The process requires some boiling, some bleaching (usually with non-chlorine agents), and then the addition of softeners to make it feel nice on your skin. Imagine squeezing the Charmin!

Creating recycled toilet paper is more labor intensive because it takes more time and chemicals. The reason is that recycling companies begin the process with products we’ve used before — that’s how they get their “wood pulp;” it’s not from a tree. So, for example, they use magazines, paper plates, newspapers, cardboard and

These paper products have all kinds of writing and pictures on them, so de-inking chemicals are required to get the colors off there. It’s a tedious process to de-ink recycled pulp, but it needs to be done because everyone likes white toilet paper.

For this reason, recycled toilet paper requires (and has residues of) more chemicals than virgin paper. BPA (bisphenol A), which has been detected in some recycled toilet paper, is a hormone disruptor chemical. It may also have extra softeners and/or perfumes to improve its feel.

And it’s not just toilet paper; the same process is used for certain baby wipes, flushable adult wipes, facial tissues and some paper towels.

Even Time magazine wrote an article in March 2023 entitled “Now We Need to Worry About Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Our Toilet Paper Too.”

Pros and cons

putting to good use all that junk mail you throw out. On the downside, it requires and contains a few more chemicals. Does this make it more eco-friendly or not? I’m uncertain at this point.

The pros of virgin toilet paper are softness and strength. Most people think it feels better on their skin. But the downside is it requires new wood pulp. Most people today are mindful of our planet’s resources.

Should you wish for a deeper dive into the topic, a more detailed and extensive

version of this article awaits on my website, suzycohen.com.

[Ed. Note: Toilet paper made from bamboo is widely available and considered sustainable due to bamboo’s rapid regrowth.] This information is opinion only. It is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition. Consult with your doctor before using any new drug or supplement. Suzy Cohen is a registered pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist and Real Solutions from Head to Toe

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Dear Seniors,

DIRECTORS MESSAGE

By Charon P.W. Hines

Happy Pride Month! As we embrace the colorful celebrations of Pride, I hope you are eagerly looking forward to the meaningful month ahead.

With summer nearly in full swing and 2024 already at its midpoint, we reflect on the festivities of Older Americans Month. Your active participation and vibrant spirit at our events last month were truly amazing. Thank you for your unwavering support and joyous presence.

Although Older Americans Month has ended, we have a lot more in store for June! In collaboration with Mayor Muriel Bowser, DACL is thrilled to present a lineup of engaging events tailored for our senior community. On Saturday, June 8, we invite you to join us in celebrating our LGBTQ+ seniors as we proudly march alongside Mayor Bowser in the Capital Pride Parade. Solidifying our steadfast support and unity, we will participate in the parade in our infamous Senior Pride Trolley. March alongside the Mayor and Team DACL, showcasing our solidarity and dedication to inclusivity for all DC residents. Let us come together during this festive weekend to pay homage to the remarkable contributions of our aging LGBTQ+ community.

The following weekend, on Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m., mark your calendars for the highly anticipated Ms. Senior DC pageant. Join us in cheering on our contestants as they compete for the title of Ms. Senior DC 2024! The pageant will take place at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Van Ness Campus, Theatre of the Arts. Our contestants have been working so hard to be the next representative of the District of Columbia, and we invite you to witness their elegance. Secure your tickets by visiting tinyurl.com/msseniordc24tix or contact my office at (202) 724-5626.

On Tuesday, June 25 at 10 a.m., DACL will host Mayor Bowser’s 13th Annual Senior Symposium at Ballou Senior High School, marking the culmination of this month's events. Aligned with June's recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Month, this year's Senior Symposium will spotlight elder abuse and scam prevention. Seniors will have the opportunity to learn how to identify various forms of elder abuse, strategize against fraud and scams, and access support services to safeguard themselves. The theme “Empowerment through Awareness” echoes Mayor Bowser’s commitment to aging safely and ensuring that every senior in DC is protected. At DACL, our mission is to equip you with the tools necessary to live boldly, and learning how to protect yourself from fraud, scams and abuse is part of that. The symposium will feature panel discussions, educational sessions, exhibitors, access to resources and food. To register for the Senior Symposium, contact my office at (202) 724-5626.

As we honor Pride Month throughout June, we invite you to engage with the LGBTQ+ seniors in your community, learn about inclusivity of all seniors, and enjoy all the events this beautiful month has to offer. Together, let’s remain steadfast in our commitment to the equity and inclusion of all older adults. I trust you will enjoy the events lined up for June and I cannot wait to see each and every one of you this month and the rest of the summer!

In Service, Charon P.W. Hines

Director, DACL

Thank You for Joining Older Americans Month

During May, seniors engaged in various activities like fashion shows, health fairs and talent shows to honor Older Americans Month. They epitomized living boldly, showcasing the importance of connections. The theme, “Powered by Connection,” highlighted the signifi-

cant influence of meaningful relationships and social ties in daily life. Thanks to all District seniors across the 8 Wards for combating isolation through participation. While Older Americans Month is over, we urge you to stay connected with DACL throughout the year.

Capital Pride Parade Meet DACL at the Parade

Join us on Saturday, June 8 at 3 p.m. at 14th and U Sts. to celebrate the region’s largest pride celebration!

Elder Abuse Awareness Month

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month, highlighting the need to safeguard older adults from various forms of abuse. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or neglect, reach out to DACL’s Adult Protective Services hotline at (202) 541-3950 for 24/7 support. Elder abuse encompasses financial, emotional and physical mistreatment, as well as neglect and self-neglect. Factors like social isolation,

financial strain and dementia can heighten vulnerability. The consequences are severe, with abused seniors being twice as likely to be hospitalized and four times as likely to enter nursing homes. While family members are often perpetrators, abuse can occur in any setting. According to the National Center for Elder Abuse, between 1 and 2 million Americans over 65 suffer mistreatment annually.

Money Law &

Switch banks for higher savings interest

By Michael Joseph, CFA

Interest rates are pretty high these days. That’s great for retirees who need their savings to generate income.

But don’t assume that just because rates are high you’re automatically getting them. The going rate at many banks and brokerage houses is abysmally low.

The national average interest rate paid on savings is 0.45% (as of May 2024), according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Considering the Effective Federal Funds Rate is 5.33% (as of May 2024), if you have money in a savings account, there’s a good chance you could be earning a lot more interest somewhere else.

There’s good news: If you’re among those receiving lower interest on your savings, it’s a problem that’s easy to remedy. In most instances, it only takes a few clicks online or a few taps on your phone.

It’s easy to secure an interest rate of around 5% these days. Money market funds, certificates of deposit (CDs) and U.S. Treasuries are all low-risk ways of generating a nice return.

Gain a lot by switching

In most instances, your financial institution isn’t going to do it for you.

The time invested to move your cash around is well worth it. If you’re earning

the national average on $100,000 of savings, you’re being paid $460 a year. By switching to one of the many investments that offer a 5% yield, you could put an extra $4,540 in your pocket this year.

So which instrument should you use? That depends on you and your situation.

Option No. 1: Money market funds. Money market mutual funds (not to be confused with a bank money market account, which is different) are great for providing liquidity, as they should be easy to get in and out of.

However, there are new rules that create liquidity fees and redemption gates in place when investors want to cash out during “times of uncertainty.” That’s a vague description to be sure, but you can imagine an instance where we’re in a deep financial crisis and everyone is trying to liquidate their money market funds.

Fees and gates mean you could either be charged to access your own money or limited in how much you can withdraw. It’s at the discretion of the fund’s board of directors.

The chances this ever applies to you are slim, but most people aren’t aware of this risk, and you should be if you own a money market fund.

Option No. 2: CDs. CDs don’t have the immediate liquidity of money market

funds. In fact, there’s typically a penalty to access your money early. So, you’ll want to be thoughtful about how much money you need for expenses and when you’ll need it before buying a CD.

However, they come with a wonderful feature that money market funds don’t. CDs (like other deposit accounts) are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000. That means in the event of a bank failure, you’re still covered.

Option No. 3: Treasury bills and notes. Short-term U.S. Treasury bills (issued for terms of four weeks to one year) and notes (issued for terms of two, three, five, seven and 10 years) are also attractive.

The U.S. Treasury securities market is the largest and most liquid government securities market in the world. You shouldn’t have any trouble buying or selling your Treasuries whenever you want.

And the U.S. government is generally considered an ultra-low-risk debtor. However, the recurring threats of government shutdowns and general political divisiveness do make these a shade riskier than they may have been in the past.

Outlier risks aside, Treasuries, money market funds and CDs are all conservative options to potentially increase what you’re earning on your cash.

But don’t overdo the cash.

Cash and cash-like instruments are an essential part of your retirement portfolio. They can be used to cover your expenses and as an emergency fund.

But having too much cash on hand comes with its own price. Cash typically lags behind the returns of riskier assets. And the purchasing power of the dollar has steadily eroded over time thanks to inflation.

Cash is an important part of an overall investment allocation. But for many investors, it should be a small part.

At SAM, we generate income using a variety of different securities. Short-term Treasuries are our favorite cash proxy. But we’re finding higher cash yields in real estate investment trusts (REITs), closed-end funds, and merger arbitrage opportunities, just to name a few. We also use cash tactically — we like to keep dry powder on hand to deploy opportunistically.

If you haven’t already, you may want to work with a professional to figure out exactly how much cash you should be holding. Then make sure you’re getting paid fairly for the cash you’re sitting on.

Michael Joseph is with Stansberry Asset Management (SAM) in New York.

© 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Expect to inherit an IRA? Plan ahead

By Antwone Harris, MBA, CFP®

Individual retirement accounts represent an important part of the legacy many of us intend to pass on, but inheriting an IRA presents challenges that demand adequate planning and strategies.

Notably, the SECURE Act and, more recently, SECURE 2.0 Act have ushered in sweeping changes to retirement and estate planning, especially for those inheriting retirement accounts.

Under the new rules, most IRAs inherited by non-spouse beneficiaries must be cleaned out within 10 years of the original owner’s death. Previously, beneficiaries could “stretch” their distributions over their lifetimes, potentially lowering their tax obligations.

This end to the “stretch IRA” strategy means you need a more calculated approach to managing any inherited funds. Here are

some key strategies for managing inherited IRA distributions under the new rules.

Use smart timing to make tax-efficient withdrawals

One of the primary considerations when managing inherited IRA distributions is minimizing your tax exposure.

While the new rules require that the entire account be fully depleted by the end of the 10th year, you can withdraw money at various times over that period.

Thus, beneficiaries can strategically time their distributions to take advantage of lower-income years, such as during a sabbatical or after a job loss. By withdrawing larger amounts during these periods, beneficiaries can potentially reduce their overall tax burden.

Additionally, during market downturns, beneficiaries can consider taking more sub-

stantial distributions, reinvesting outside the IRA at depressed prices, and potentially benefiting from future market recoveries.

Maximize growth of inherited Roth IRAs

For beneficiaries of inherited Roth IRAs, the focus shifts toward maximizing growth. While recipients are still required to pull all the money out by the end of the 10th year, it typically makes sense to let an inherited Roth IRA compound for as long as possible.

Beneficiaries who can afford to wait will be treated to 10 years of tax-free growth. Unlike traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs offer tax-free withdrawals if certain conditions are met.

By leveraging the tax-free status of Roth IRAs, beneficiaries can maximize the growth potential of their inherited funds.

Enjoy the benefits of the stretch IRA — if you’re eligible

Some beneficiaries, however, continue to be eligible for the old “stretch IRA” beneficiary rules and can gradually withdraw money from their inherited IRA account over their lifetimes.

This group is called Eligible Designated Beneficiaries, and calculating the required distributions over their life expectancy may result in more tax-deferred growth, less taxes paid overall, and more money in the hands of your beneficiaries.

Here is a list of Eligible Designated Beneficiaries who can still do a stretch IRA after the SECURE Act:

Surviving spouses. Any marriage, whether heterosexual or same-sex, would qualify as long as a marriage license was

Inherited IRA

issued and the marriage is legal in the state where it was performed.

Disabled individuals. The SECURE Act uses a stringent definition of disability. Basically, any person who is partially disabled or is able to be gainfully employed in any type of employment would most likely not qualify.

A chronically ill person. A person is considered “chronically ill” if they are unable to perform at least two of the six activities of daily living (ADLs) for a period of at least 90 days. Also, their condition must be expected to last indefinitely. The activities of daily living are toileting, eating, transferring, bathing, dressing and continence.

Minor children. It must be emphasized that this specification applies only to the decedent’s minor children. It does not apply to other relatives, including grandchildren. Also, the decedent’s minor children can

July 9

only utilize the stretch provision until they reach the age of majority, which is 21, according to SECURE 2.0. At that point, the stretch provision ceases and reverts back to the “10-year” rule.

For example, Tim is 50 and has a minor daughter, who is 11. Tim passes away unexpectedly and leaves all of his IRA to his daughter. She is able to use the stretch IRA rules from age 11 to 21, distributing a little from the IRA each year based on her life expectancy.

Once she reaches 21, the 10-year rule will apply, and she must deplete all remaining assets in the inherited IRA account by the end of year 10.

Individuals not more than 10 years younger than the decedent. This group, in particular, may offer some unique planning opportunities. For example, one may decide to leave money to a trustworthy sibling or even one’s parents instead of to their children or grandchildren. The par-

RETIREMENT INFORMATION PRESENTATION (VIRTUAL)

Social Security Administration leads this free online presentation about retirement eligibility requirements, family benefits, options and the application process, followed by a Q&A. Join the webinar on Tue., July 9 from 1 to 2 p.m. Register at tinyurl.com/RetirementInfoWebinar. For more information, call (240) 455-5451.

ESTATE PLANNING INFORMATION SESSION

June

18

Learn about estate planning during this free information session that highlights establishing and prioritizing goals, explains what today’s estate tax landscape means for you, and provides tips on avoiding common mistakes. This free event takes place on Tue., June 18 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library, 900 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring, MD. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (240) 773-9420.

DIGITAL COUPON TOOLS CLASS (VIRTUAL)

June

18

Find out how to save money on groceries and other everyday items by using online tools like digital coupons, websites, apps and databases. This free online class from AARP’s Senior Planet takes place on Tue., June 18 from 3 to 4 p.m. on Zoom. Register at tinyurl.com/DigitalCouponClass. For more information, visit seniorplanet.org/event/digital-coupon-tools-13.

ent or sibling could then be instructed to gift the distributions to the decedent’s children or grandchildren.

This may result in less taxes paid and the ability to allow the assets to grow in a tax-deferred manner for a longer period of time. Implementing a strategy like this is complex and should be coordinated with a competent financial adviser and tax professional to consider gift tax, income tax and other tax-related implications.

Coordinate among multiple beneficiaries

When an IRA is inherited by multiple beneficiaries, it’s imperative to synchronize withdrawal strategies to serve both collective and individual financial objectives effectively.

This collaborative effort entails open dialogue among beneficiaries to harmonize

their diverse financial aspirations with the overarching estate strategy.

Stay informed

As legislation continues to evolve, beneficiaries should stay informed about any future changes that may affect retirement and estate planning. Proactively monitoring legislative developments and staying aware of regulatory changes can help beneficiaries adapt their distribution strategies accordingly.

Managing inherited IRA distributions requires careful consideration and planning. With the changes introduced by the SECURE and SECURE 2.0 Acts, beneficiaries must adopt a more calculated approach to optimize tax efficiency and align distributions with their individual financial goals. © 2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BEACON BITS

What pet insurance covers (and doesn’t)

By Sarah Schlichter

If you’ve ever spent a fortune at the emergency vet, pet insurance might sound appealing. By paying some of your vet expenses, these policies can save you money and help you make care decisions based on what’s best for your pet rather than what you can afford.

But insurance doesn’t pay for everything. Before you buy pet insurance, you’ll want to understand exactly what it will — and won’t — cover.

Covered: accidents

If you want coverage for unexpected vet expenses, you can choose either an accident-only plan or an accident and illness plan. Both can pay to treat injuries such as broken bones, snakebites or swallowed socks.

Coverage varies by company, but you can expect most pet insurance policies to pay for diagnostic tests, surgery and medications, Dr. Aliya McCullough, chief veterinary officer and director of veterinary affairs at

Fetch Pet Insurance, said in an email.

The vet’s examination fee may or may not be covered, depending on your policy. And some companies may charge extra to cover prescription medication.

Most pet insurance policies have a waiting period between when you buy the plan and when coverage takes effect. Your plan won’t reimburse you if your pet is injured during the waiting period.

Usually covered: illness

The most common type of insurance, accident and illness coverage, also pays for treatment if your pet gets sick.

Some of the most frequent reasons for vet visits are allergies, infections, stomach issues, arthritis and cancer, according to McCullough. These conditions generally fall under a plan’s illness coverage, which can reimburse you for diagnostic tests, medication, surgery and hospital stays.

However, exclusions may apply. “Some companies separate out certain types of treatments,” Kristen Lynch, executive director of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, said in an email.

For example, your plan might not cover treatments like acupuncture or physical therapy unless you pay extra. There may also be limitations for hereditary conditions or dental disease.

Usually not: preexisting conditions

Some people don’t think about buying insurance until their pet gets a serious diagnosis, like cancer or heart disease — but by then, it’s likely too late. Most pet insurance providers won’t cover conditions that showed symptoms before you bought your policy or during the waiting period.

Some insurers will pay to treat curable preexisting conditions if they haven’t shown symptoms for a certain period of time, McCullough said. Curable conditions could include respiratory infections or broken bones.

Usually not: preventive care

A standard pet insurance policy won’t cover many common vet expenses a new pet parent faces — such as spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations and annual checkups. Insurers consider these services routine care and won’t pay for them under an accident and illness plan.

However, many companies offer preventive care coverage as an add-on. Compare the cost of this coverage with what your vet charges for routine services to make sure it’ll save you money.

Not: pre-deductible costs

A deductible is the amount you pay

You Can Help Prevent Elder Abuse

Elder abuse may take many forms — physical, emotional, sexual or financial. Perpetrators of elder abuse may include family members, caregivers or outsiders who seek to take advantage of a vulnerable person.

You can take the first step towards prevention of elder abuse by learning about warning signs and locally available resources. The National Center on Elder Abuse cites some of these as signs:

Isolation

Unexplained bruises

Depression

Fear or anxiety

Lack of medical care

Unusual behavior, wandering or changes in sleep

Unpaid bills or changes in spending patterns

The longevity-ready initiative signed into law by Governor Moore this year will take a multisector approach to enhance safety and awareness for our older adults and the community at large. For more about this initiative, see the Age Friendly page in the February Beacon (p. 25).

About Protective Services

The Montgomery County Adult Protective Services (APS) program –which investigates elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation –relies primarily on members of the community, concerned family and neighbors for its case referrals.

Montgomery County is dedicated to preventing elder abuse as we strive to build a safer, longevity-ready community.

The U.S. Surgeon General reported in 2023 that social isolation puts a vulnerable older adult at higher risk, whereas remaining socially connected can lead to healthier, better-informed and safer communities.

An abuser can exacerbate an isolated adult’s vulnerability by taking away their cell phone or preventing loved ones and friends from visiting.

Scammers may attempt to take advantage of someone’s loneliness by offering companionship online or over the phone, when their true goal is to steal the person’s money.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a vulnerable adult, please report it anonymously to the Adult Protective Services Intake line at 240-777-3000.

APS provides services to vulnerable adults 18 years of age and older who lack the physical or mental capacity to provide for their daily needs. Social workers and nurses will investigate cases of self-neglect, neglect, physical abuse and financial exploitation, while offering county resources to ensure and protect the client’s health, safety and welfare.

Additionally, APS is part of the Montgomery County Elder & Vulnerable Adult Abuse Task Force, a multi-disciplinary team comprised of government agencies that educate, prevent, remedy, investigate and, when needed, prosecute elder abuse to ensure the safety of vulnerable adults.

Other members of the task force include: the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, Police, Ombudsman, Office of the County Attorney, and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. It also partners closely with the Office of Consumer Protection.

If You See Something, Say Something. Call Montgomery County Adult Protective Services at 240-777-3000 or email: ADS@ MontgomeryCountyMD.gov

Join us on June 11

More information on elder abuse warning signs will be presented at the 14th Annual Montgomery County World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Older Adult Safety Forum on Tuesday, June 11, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Silver Spring, MD (and on Zoom).

You may register for this event on EventBrite at https:// weaad2024mc.eventbrite. com.

Important Numbers and Resources

Adult Protective Services and Guardianship: 240-777-3000

Elder/Vulnerable Adult Abuse Section, Montgomery County Department of Police: 240-773-5050

Crimes Against Seniors and Vulnerable Adults Unit, Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: 240-777-7300 Montgomery County Family Justice Center: 240-773-0444; www. montgomerycountymd. gov/fjc

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

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior

Mediation for family caregiving conflicts

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there any services that you recommend that can help families resolve conflicts over the care of an elder parent?

My 86-year-old father was recently diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, and to make matters worse, my sister and brother and I have been perpetually arguing about how to handle his future caregiving and financial needs.

—Conflicted Siblings

Dear Conflicted,

It’s not unusual for adult children to disagree with each other regarding the care of an elder parent. If you and your siblings are willing, a good possible solution is to hire an “eldercare mediator” who can help you work through your disagreements peacefully. Here’s how it works:

Eldercare mediation

While mediators have been used for years to help divorcing couples sort out legal and financial disagreements and avoid court battles, eldercare mediation is a relatively new and specialized service designed to help families resolve disputes that are related to aging parents or other elderly relatives.

Family disagreements over an ill or elderly parent’s caregiving needs, medical

Pet insurance

From page 22

toward vet expenses before your insurer starts reimbursing you. For example, if you have an annual deductible of $500 and your pet needs $300 of treatment in a given year, your plan won’t pay anything. You can often lower the cost of your plan by choosing a higher deductible. Just be sure to pick an amount you can afford, said Janet Ruiz, director of strategic communication at the Insurance Information Institute.

How to avoid surprises

— Read sample policies. Reading the policy is one of the best ways to see what is and isn’t covered. Many pet insurers have sample policies available on their websites, Lynch said. Don’t understand the coverage? Reach out to the company for clarification.

— Ask about policy limits. See whether the plan you’re considering has maximum payouts for certain conditions or services, or for all treatment in a given year.

— Check the reimbursement rate. After you hit your deductible, most insurers will pay a set percentage of your vet expenses, typically 70% to 90%. The higher the reimbursement, the more expensive the plan.

— Research the claims process. See how much time you have to file a claim, McCullough said. “You don’t want to have a claim denied because you didn’t submit it on time.”

care, living arrangements, driving issues, as well as legal and financial decisions are just some of the many issues that an eldercare mediator can help with.

But don’t confuse this with family or group therapy. Mediation is only about decision-making, not feelings and emotions.

The job of an elder mediator is to step in as a neutral third party to help ease family tensions, listen to everyone’s concerns, hash out disagreements and misunderstandings, and help your family make decisions that are acceptable to everyone.

Good mediators can also assist your family in identifying experts such as estate planners, geriatric care managers and other healthcare and financial professionals who can supply important information for family decision-making.

Your family also needs to know that the

mediation process is completely confidential and can take anywhere from a few hours to several meetings depending on the complexity of your issues.

And if some family members live far away, a conference or video call can be used to bring everyone together.

If you’re interested in hiring a private eldercare mediator, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to more than $500 per hour, depending on where you live and who you choose.

Or, if available in your area, you may be able to get help through a communitybased nonprofit program that offers free or low-cost services by volunteer mediators.

Finding a mediator

To locate an elder mediator in your area, start by asking for referrals from health professionals or hospital social workers, or

search online at The Academy of Professional Family Mediators website (apfmnet.org) or Mediate.com.

To search for free or low-cost community-based mediation programs in your state, see the National Association for Community Mediation website (nafcm.org). There are listings for Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

Most elder mediators are attorneys, social workers, counselors or other professionals who are trained in mediation and conflict resolution.

However, there is currently no universally accepted credential or professional standard for eldercare mediators. So make sure the person you choose has extensive experience with elder issues that are similar to what your family is dealing with.

Also, be sure you ask for references and check them.

Hurricane & rainy season is coming , and that means our area.

Leisure & Travel Leisure &

We should’ve stayed longer in Tasmania

By Don Mankin

Aside from its beautiful beaches, Australia isn’t known for breathtaking scenery. Except, that is, for Tasmania — the island only 150 miles off the continent’s southern coast.

What makes Tasmania so special is the variety of geological features crammed into an area comparable in size to West Virginia. That means it’s a relatively short drive to see all of its empty beaches, craggy mountains, rugged gorges, scenic rivers, pristine lakes and crescent bays.

Since the island is mostly undeveloped, the drives from one stunning destination to another cross a countryside of rolling hills, quaint villages and fields of sheep and cattle.

This past April, my wife, Katherine, and I toured Tasmania’s east coast and central plateau on an all-too-short weeklong drive through the Tasmanian countryside.

I adapted quickly to driving on the “wrong” side of the road, on the “wrong” side of the car — the dearth of traffic helped. My biggest challenge was resisting the urge to sneak a peek at the views unfolding on both sides of the road. The fall colors (it’s autumn there in April) made the views even more dazzling.

Our one-week tour took us to Hobart, the capital city; Cradle Mountain in Lake St. Clair National Park; Launceston, the second-largest city in Tasmania; St. Helens, a coastal town; and Freycinet National Park. It was a week of one highlight after another.

Scenic

walks and hikes

Tasmania’s natural beauty is its main draw, and the best way to experience this is to get out of your car and go for a walk or hike.

My favorite hike was the 3.7-mile trail around Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain. It’s described in the park brochure as “moderate” — which means it’s not easy, but it’s doable for a reasonably fit senior.

Much of the trail follows a boardwalk winding through the rainforest on one side of the trail, with views of the lake on the other. The rainforest was thick with moss, ferns, grasses, reeds and Fagus trees, the only deciduous tree in Tasmania, which had turned gold in the crisp, autumnal air.

Cradle Mountain and other crags loomed over the lake as rainbows emerged from the mist, then faded away.

Other hikes included a short but steep climb to a viewpoint overlooking the cerulean waters of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park, ringed by one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, and a walk along an almost deserted beach on the Bay of Fire near St. Helens.

In Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, and Launceston, one of Australia’s oldest cities, we wandered up and down narrow streets lined with well-preserved examples of 19th-century Victorian and Colonial architecture.

We especially enjoyed strolling through Salamanca Market and Battery Point in

Hobart and the central business district in Launceston.

Culture and history

Hobart is home to one of the most idiosyncratic museums in the world, the Museum of Old and New Art, or MONA, for short.

It’s hard to reconcile the idea of a worldclass avant-garde museum in a city as small and remote as Hobart, but there it is, on a scenic bluff overlooking the River Derwent.

The passion project of David Walsh, a local boy who made good as a professional gambler, MONA is whimsical, disturbing, self-consciously outrageous, immersive, provocative, silly and futuristic.

Its wide-ranging collection includes a word waterfall, a lady’s lounge that only women can enter, and a wall of decidedly un-erotic plaster cast vaginas.

One of my favorite pieces was a room of monitors displaying abstract, computergenerated images and word strings, reminding me of the proverbial monkey typing at random for an infinite amount of time — who would supposedly eventually reproduce the complete works of Shakespeare.

Aside from their architectural significance, the walks in Hobart and Launceston also illuminated Tasmania’s colonial history and roots. For example, Battery Point was the site of an 1818 gun battery to

protect the town from real and imagined nautical threats.

Wine, cruises and wildlife

Tasmania is also renowned for its food and wine, and we took every opportunity to indulge. Most notable were the oysters, often only a couple of hours from the sea.

My wife, the wine expert in our household, raved about the wine she sampled and said it was among the best she has ever had.

In Launceston, we took a one-hour boat cruise (cataractgorgecruise.com) along the Tamar River, past the historical wharves and the seaport, then glided silently below the sheer cliffs of Cataract Gorge, just a short walk outside of the city.

Tasmania won’t rival Africa, or even the United States, for wildlife, but most of the fauna that roams its hills, mountains, and forest is fascinating and unique.

Katharine and I admired the wallaby, a diminutive and cuter version of its cousin, the kangaroo.

We also saw a couple of hedgehog-like wombats, which are even smaller and cuter than wallabies, and lots of black swans, abundant in Tasmania.

Thankfully, we saw no snakes, which are as venomous in Tasmania as they are on the mainland. Apparently, they want as

On a hike or walk through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, tourists can see the country’s lakes and mountains up close.

PHOTO BY PENNY/PIXABAY

At NASA’s Space Camp, adults can practice weightlessness. Our cover story continues on page 28.

See TASMANIA, page 27

Tasmania is famous for the turquoise bays of Freycinet National Park on its eastern coast.

PHOTO BY XISERGE/PIXABAY

PHOTO BY ELBERT SHAW, U.S. SPACE CAMP

little to do with us as we with them. Encounters with Tasmanian devils are also rare. Primarily nocturnal, they are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. We could have seen them if we had signed up for the After Dark Feeding Tour at the Tasmanian devil sanctuary at Cradle Mountain (devilsatcradle.com), but to be frank, we were too pooped after our Dove Lake hike to venture out after dinner.

If

we had more time

Besides the After Dark Tasmanian Devil Feeding Tour, we would have also tried some easier hikes at Cradle Mountain. In Launceston, we might have taken a short walk into Cataract Gorge to see the gorge from the top of the cliffs.

For a different perspective on Wine-

July 7+

glass Bay in Freycinet National Park, and one that would have required far less effort, we could have taken a boat cruise ( wineglassbaycruises.com.au ), or if we wanted to splurge, a helicopter tour (freycinetair.com.au).

It is only 60 miles from Hobart to the Port Arthur Historic Site, the former penal colony on the coast where convicted British criminals arrived in Tasmania in the middle of the 19th century. The Convict Trail, as the route to Port Arthur is known, is both historic and scenic.

Bruny Island, where “dramatic landscapes are matched by great produce” ( discovertasmania.com.au ), is just a 30minute drive and 20 minutes by ferry from Hobart.

One week was just not enough time to do Tasmania justice. I’m not sure I’ll get back there again, but if I do, it will be for at least a week and a half or two — enough

Visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday evenings in July and August to hear free organ recitals starting at 6 p.m. in the Great Upper Church. This season’s performers include Andrew Vu (July 7), Jacob Gruss (July 14), Peter Latona (July 21) and others. Registration isn’t necessary. The concerts take place at 400 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, DC. For more information, email info@nationalshrine.org or call (202) 526-8300.

time to take more hikes, eat more oysters, check out the Tasmanian devils, and just sit back and gaze at the spectacular scenery.

If you go

Round trip airfare from Washingtonarea airports to Hobart is about $1,600 on United and Qantas with two stops, including one in either Sydney or Melbourne. We booked all our hotels on hotels.com and stayed at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart for $161 a night; the Cradle

BEACON BITS

Ongoing

Mountain Hotel for $249; the Mantra Charles Hotel in Launceston for $124; the Panorama Hotel in St. Helens for $124; and the Freycinet Resort for $272.

We ate most of our breakfasts and dinners at the hotels, where the food was quite good to excellent. In Hobart, we had a first-rate breakfast at the Harbour Lights Café and snacked on oysters at Pearl and Co. on the waterfront at Victoria Dock.

For more information, visit Tourism Tasmania at tourismtasmania.com.au, which partially sponsored the Mankins’ trip.

TELESCOPIC VIEW OF THE SUN

Stop by the Eisenhower Memorial, located just across Independence Avenue from the National Air and Space Museum, to observe the sun through a filtered telescope. Museum staff will be on hand to answer questions. The viewing takes place on Fridays and Saturdays (weather permitting) between noon and 3 p.m. Reservation isn’t necessary. For more information, call (202) 633-2517 or email nasm-visitorservices@si.edu.

June 22+

FREE BEGINNER BRIDGE LESSONS

Learn the basics of bridge at this free beginner series at the Olney Library, 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Rd., Olney, MD. No experience is necessary, nor is a partner required. The class takes place on Saturdays, June 22 to Aug. 3 (no meeting on July 6) from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is not required. For more information, contact Carey Gire at (301) 461-2214 or bridgeinfo@bridge.careytutor.com.

such a relief. Being at camp was a liberating experience.”

Some remote camps have unreliable cellphone and internet service, but conveniences and luxuries are usually not the point.

Instead, adult camps are “a retreat from your daily responsibilities, tension relief,” said Paul Bay, who has attended Hog Island Camp several times.

“Try to disconnect. Don’t go and keep texting, emailing and watching the news,” he advised. “Do what camp is all about.”

What to expect if you go

Camp experiences, quality and activities vary, depending on your budget. Some are rustic, while some are upscale, with housekeeping, spas and saunas.

Lodging can be a tent, cabin, lodge, ranch house, dormitory room or boutique

hotel. Sleeping quarters range from a king-sized bed to a sleeping bag on the ground. Rooms can be snug, with limited space to unpack. You might have a roommate or share a bathroom.

Usually, your time is not your own, which means following a daily schedule. Camp is typically a group experience, so time alone may be infrequent.

Meals are often communal, buffet-style and held at specific times. You may be expected to help out at meals, but some higher-end camps offer chef-prepared gourmet meals.

Some camps suggest quiet hours. Others have evening concerts and dancing. Some have bar socials, movies and nightcaps by the bonfire, while others are alcohol-free or bring-your-own.

Music camps

All types of sounds are welcome at a music camp in North Carolina, now in its 53rd year. Since 2014, Fairfax County resi-

dent Paul Siegel, a retired statistician, has attended the Mountain Collegium on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

He takes four music classes a day, squeezes practice in between them, and reads music with pickup groups after dinner or after evening concerts.

Campers can take classes in playing recorders, Celtic penny whistles, Scottish pipes, Sephardic flutes, harps, bagpipes as well as what he calls “funny instruments” — cornetti, sackbuts, dulcians, folk harps and shawms.

“I immerse myself in the kind of music I really favor, and play in concert with instruments I can’t usually find,” Siegel said.

He recommends the camp to musicians who favor early or folk music. All levels are welcome.

“One attractive characteristic of the gathering is people’s tolerance of diversity in musical ability,” Siegel said.

Nearby Baltimore is home to the annual

Join us virtually on June 11 for an

Age Friendly DC update

The Age Friendly DC 2024-28 Strategic Plan builds on the success of the prior five-year plan to transform DC into an easier city in which to live, learn, work and play.

At our June 11 meeting, you will be able to hear Task Force members, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, discuss the new plan. You may also ask questions or make comments at the end of the meeting.

Join Age Friendly Task Force co-chairs Wayne Turnage, DC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, and James Appleby, CEO of the Gerontological Society of America, at this informative online program.

Washington, DC has been cited as a leading jurisdiction in the implementation of Age Friendly practices, thanks to your participation in earlier listening sessions and completion of surveys sharing your concerns.

Visit www.agefriendly.dc.gov to see a list of accomplishments attributable to Age Friendly DC to date. We hope to see you at the meeting on June 11.

Please join us at a VIRTUAL MEETING to discuss the draft 2024-28 Age Friendly DC Strategic Plan.

TUESDAY, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. Register for the Zoom using this

Piano at Peabody adult piano camp at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute. Amateur pianists from all over the area come for a week to listen to lectures and performances by resident and guest faculty, as well as attend master classes, classical and jazz workshops, and perform for fellow campers. Day passes are also available for those wanting to give it a try.

Learn to live well

Kathi Edwards, a retiree from Havre de Grace, Maryland, plans to go this fall to Camp Is in Your Heart in Deckers, Colorado. The camp is an outgrowth of the former Good Life Project camp she enjoyed a few years ago.

The camp’s packing list starts with: “Smiles. Consensual hugs. An adventurous spirit. An open mind. Helping hands. Your talents.”

Open to all ages, the camp offers programs, activities and speakers, but participants are free to do whatever they want, which includes meditating alone under a tree.

“You can be yourself,” Edwards said. “You can be as crazy and as silly as you want to be, as creative as you want to be.” She helped paint a mural and participated in the Saturday night talent show.

“It’s for anyone who is open to new things and being who you are in a group of people who won’t judge you for who you are.”

Torey Ivanic, who runs the camp, said time there gets people “out of their comfort zone” and is “heart-centered.”

See CAMPS, page 29

BEACON BITS

June 22

BIRDING FOR BEGINNERS

Learn how to identify birds using sight and sound on this free walk with a naturalist organized by Arlington Parks & Recreation. Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, VA, on Sat., June 22 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Register at tinyurl.com/BeginnerBirdingVA. For more information, contact Rita Peralta at (703) 228-6535 or rperalta1@arlingtonva.us.

ADULT PLAY DAY

June 23

Visit the Nicolas Guillen Room at Busboys and Poets in Takoma D.C. to participate in the 10th Annual Adult Play Day. Connect with the community through karaoke, laughing yoga, board games, a social hour and more. Free and organized by Let’s Play America. Stop by 235 Carroll St. NW, Washington, DC, on Sun., June 23 from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, call (240) 752-9176 or email info@letsplayamerica.org.

Wayne Turnage (left), Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services and Director of the Department of Health Care Finance, and James Appleby, CEO of the Gerontological Society of America, co-chair the DC Age Friendly Task Force.

Try a short version

To experience a trial run in the Washington region, the Clifton Institute near Warrenton, Virginia, offers a two-day, tentcamping Nature Camp for Grownups from August 31 to September 1. Activities include nature journaling, walks and workshops.

“Many of us have fond memories of summer camps, when we had adventures in wild places, pushed ourselves to learn new skills and take on new challenges, forged friendships around early-morning pancakes and late-night campfires, and just spent day after day outside,” said Eleanor

Harris, managing director of the camp.

“There’s no reason those powerful experiences should stop once we become adults. At our grownup summer camp, campers get to learn about Virginia’s native biodiversity, do camp-y activities like crafts and roast s’mores, and unplug by spending two days in nature.”

Everyone should go back to camp as an adult, said Kathi Edwards, who is headed to Colorado soon.

“I recommend adult camp if you’re willing to say yes to a new experience, learn more about yourself and be open to something new.”

For more information

Wooden Boat School: visit woodenboatschool.com or call (207) 3594651.

Adult Space Academy: visit rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp/ Adult/Academy or call 1-800637-7223.

Putney School: visit putneyschool.org/ summer/adults or call (802) 387-7335.

Hog Island Audubon Camp: visit hogisland.audubon.org or call (207) 360-7733 ext. 103.

Mountain Collegium: visit mountaincollegium.org or call (404) 314-1891.

Piano at Peabody: visit bit.ly/ Peabody PianoCamp, call (667) 208-6640 or email peabodyprep@jhu.edu.

Nature Camp for Grownups: naturecamp.net/adult-session or call (540) 460-7897.

For 19 years, I’ve hosted the weekly radio show “Getting Older with Eric Stewart”. Tune in every Sunday from 10 – 10:30 a.m. on WMAL 105.9 FM for insights into living well while getting older, whether you want to remain in your home, or move to a retirement community. For your free copy of my “Rightsizing Guide”, download it from the “Resources” section of EricStewartGroup.com or call 1-866-AGING WELL for a printed copy by mail (also free). Call me directly at (301) 252-1697 for your personal consultation on real estate matters.

Paul Siegel attends music camp every summer at Mountain Collegium on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Arts & Style

Rock musical Hair brings back late 60s

Mark Dreisonstok

Decades after its 1967 premiere, the rock musical Hair is seeing a revival, and with it come many of the staples of the era: Transcendental Meditation, ecology, LBJ, psychedelic aesthetics, the first lunar landing, and general confusion about the best way forward for youth of the time.

Hair began as a New York production. After a four-year run on Broadway, it soon spread to theaters across the country and the rest of the world.

Yet the musical has roots in Washington, D.C.: The script and lyrics were written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado.

Rado was born in Los Angeles but grew up in the metropolitan Washington area. He graduated from the University of Maryland and, after a two-year stint in the Navy, did graduate work at Catholic University of America.

Ragni, from Pittsburgh, attended both Georgetown University and Catholic University.

Young lives shaped by Vietnam

The Signature Theatre’s take on the musical opens with a vintage “Marine Corps

Builds Men” video and follows with many hits that have become part of pop culture.

The show, excellently directed by Matthew Gardiner, focuses on Claude, Berger, Dionne and their young friends as the United States becomes mired in the Vietnam War.

New conscripts are being called up every day, and Claude receives his notice from the draft board. He sways between burning his draft card and joining the military.

The cast is highly energetic and sings Hair’s greatest hits with skill and emotion.

Amanda Lee (as Dionne) sings a wonderful “Age of Aquarius,” which serves to introduce the show, and her powerful “Let the Sunshine In” concludes it.

Jordon Dobson (as Claude) performs an excellent “Manchester, England,” and Mason Reeves (as Berger) joins Claude and the cast for the eponymous song “Hair.”

Alex De Bard (as Sheila) voices a particularly warm “Good Morning Starshine,” and Solomon Parker III (as the militant Hud) and company deliver a compelling “I’m Black.”

As the introspective Claude, Dobson is first-rate as he vacillates between the paci-

fist and hedonistic views of his friends on the one hand, and the 1947-era pro-military views of his mother and father.

Dobson is especially effective at conveying this when he is playing a vintage record-

ing of “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” on his family’s phonograph, perhaps reflecting that this World

PHOTO BY

Noah Israel, Mason Reeves and Keenan McCarter perform Hair’s familiar songs with exuberance. Hair runs at Signature Theatre in Shirlington through July 7.

War II-era song is about peace, and thus the quest for peace might not be as unique to his generation as he had supposed.

Yet he later has a nightmare “bad trip” hallucination of war and death as he nears his decision whether to enlist or not.

Excellent design, music

The scenic design of Paige Hathaway and the lighting design of Jason Lyons are outstanding. Stage props range from glowing crosses to segregation-era signs from the pre-Civil Rights South.

BEACON BITS

June 15+

The lighting design transports the audience from brightly lit outdoor street scenes to drug-enhanced psychedelic experiences. The lighting is also outstanding at conveying the feelings of vibrancy and immediacy that the characters are experiencing.

The costume design of Kathleen Geldard likewise evokes the era. Gardiner’s direction and the choreography of Ashleigh King are superb.

The live music of a nine-piece band conducted by keyboardist Angie Benson brings remarkable verve to the performance.

This production of Hair contains outstanding renditions of the songs for which

the show is famous. However, the show is also as raw today as it was during the late 1960s, with its frank discussions of race, sexuality, “recreational” drug usage, and who benefits and suffers from war.

Because of such frankness, this is not a show appropriate for children. It will, however, please those who are nostalgic for the counterculture of the 1960s. Audiences may

BEACON BITS

June 9

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER SHOW

The origin story and play about Peter Pan first appeared on Broadway in 2012. Visit the Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg, MD, from Sat., June 15 to Sun., June 23 to see the play adaptation in partnership with The Montgomery Playhouse. The show takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/ArtsBarnShow. For more information, call (301) 258-6394.

June 18+

SUMMER TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES

Enjoy a free musical performance each Tuesday evening in June at Brookside Gardens. Bring a chair or a blanket and a picnic, or visit one of the food trucks on-site. The concerts take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, email Info@MontgomeryParks.org or call (301) 495-2595.

also be surprised at how the conflicts of that time parallel many of our concerns of today. Hair runs at Signature Theatre through July 7. The theater is located in the Village at Shirlington, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Veterans, teachers and first-line responders are eligible for a 25% discount. For tickets, visit sigtheatre.org or call the box office at (703) 820-9771.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

The Symphony of the Potomac performs a classical music concert led by music director Joel Lazaron and featuring pianist Alon Goldstein. The program includes Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. The concert takes place on Sun., June 9 at 3 p.m. at Montgomery College’s Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased at the door or online at symphonypotomac.org.

Honoring volunteers for decades of work

By Margaret Foster and Ana Preger Hart

For each of the past 25 years, Montgomery County, Maryland, has honored two older adults with the annual Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award for their lifelong commitment to volunteer service.

The awards, named after former County Executive Neal Potter, are co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission on Aging and the Beacon Newspapers.

This year, the county selected Bruce Adams and Mary Canapary. They will receive their awards at a public ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, in the Rosborough Cultural Arts & Wellness Center at Asbury Methodist Village.

‘Volunteering is my life’

Bruce Adams can’t imagine doing nothing. “I’d lose my mind,” he told the Beacon in a recent interview.

Currently, he is working with about 45 young people involved with two of his main volunteer projects — the Bethesda Community Base Ball Club and the Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program at BethesdaChevy Chase High School. Adams was the founder of both programs.

He is also the founder and a board member of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, and serves on the boards of Montgomery Sister Cities, Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, and the Fields of Dreams after-school program in Anacostia.

Altogether, his volunteer projects can take up to 70 hours a week. But rather than finding all that effort draining, Adams says, “That’s invigorating. That keeps you going.”

Growing up in Montgomery County, Adams watched his parents actively build their community. With a group of friends, they helped build up the suburb of Potomac in the 1950s, and they often brought him with them to various events.

the same event as Adams.)

“I thought, ‘That’s what I want to be like when I grow up. I want to be Joyce Siegel.’ She was so diligent and thoughtful,” Adams reflected.

“When a church was needed, they built a church; and when a garden club was needed, they started a garden club; and when they needed an almanac, they started the Potomac Almanac [newspaper],” Adams said.

In college at Princeton University, Adams wasn’t active in politics until his junior year. That’s when he took a course with Dr. Eric Goldman, the author of Rendezvous with Destiny: A History of Modern American Reform

The book described the social activism movements that swept across the U.S. from mid-19th to mid-20th century. “That book changed my life,” Adams said.

“So that was my goal in life, to be able to serve on boards and commissions, and volunteer and try to make Montgomery County a better place.”

While still in law school, Adams started working part-time for Common Cause, a citizen’s advocacy nonprofit founded by his mentor, John Gardener. It was at Common Cause that Adams first worked with groups at the state and local levels drafting model bills.

“And then I just kept getting involved,” Adams said.

Adams served as an elected member of the Montgomery County Council from 1986 to 1994, including a term as Council President from 1991 to 1992.

His initiatives there included Community Service Day (which later launched on a national level), the Montgomery Housing Initiative, the Commission on Child Care, the Capital Crescent Trail, and many others.

BETHESDA BIG TRAIN

JOIN US THURSDAY JUNE

SENIORS NIGHTSISTER CITIES NIGHT

•First 200 fans 50 or better receive a free Big Train seat cushion courtesy of Big Train baseball and The Beacon Newspapers

•ESPN’s Major League Baseball Analyst Tim Kurkjian

•Celebrate the year of the Dragon with the Dragon-Lion

When he returned to this area to attend Georgetown University Law Center, he joined the board of Suburban Maryland Fair Housing and began getting involved in politics.

One of his duties involved monitoring Housing Authority meetings, where he would watch Joyce Siegel in action. (Siegel will be receiving the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award at

In 1996, Adams founded the Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program at BethesdaChevy Chase High School, which he continues to run today. The Lazarus Fellows have completed more than 77,000 hours of service to the local community.

“That’s amazing to me,” Adams said. “[The students] are in the community

Bruce Adams

Honoring volunteers

From page 32

doing something that wouldn’t happen but for their leadership.”

Adams tells his young interns, “You got to roll up your sleeves and go to work. Whatever you see, you own. See a piece of trash, you pick it up; you see a person struggling, and you go help them.”

This summer, you can find Adams assisting at the collegiate baseball games of the Bethesda Big Train team. Adams founded the Bethesda Community Base Ball Club in 1998 and spearheaded the construction of the Shirley Povich Field in Cabin John Regional Park, where the team plays each June and July. He is also the club’s president.

met the man who would become her husband of 62 years and the father of her four children.

When the family moved to Maryland for his job, Canapary mentioned to her new neighbors that she had previously helped out at a Connecticut soup kitchen and enjoyed the work.

“I’ve never had a job where I wasn’t really proud and happy about what I was doing. So that’s lucky. I mean, how many people get that?” —Ana Preger Hart

40 years serving the homeless

Mary Canapary found her calling in the early 1980s, when she helped establish the Gaithersburg Soup Kitchen, where she still volunteers in her mid-eighties.

Growing up “at a time of incredible poverty in Ireland” gave her the compassion to treat everyone, no matter their circumstances, with kindness, she said.

“Whatever skills I was blessed with, one of them was that I knew what it was like to walk in those shoes,” she said.

Canapary immigrated to America alone when she was 17. “I knew that [leaving Ireland] was my fate from when I was really young, because we were orphans. There were not many options for our future except to emigrate.”

She got a job in Manhattan and soon

BEACON BITS

June 20

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION CONCERT

This Live! at the Library concert is a vibrant celebration of Juneteenth, featuring two-time Grammy-nominated Cha Wa, a Mardi Gras Indian funk band from New Orleans. The free celebration takes place on Thu., June 20 from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building Coolidge Auditorium, 10 1st St. SE, Washington, DC. Reserve your tickets at tinyurl.com/JuneteenthConcert. For more information, call (202) 707-9779 or email visit@loc.gov.

A month later, she got a phone call from a local church, St. Martin’s, asking her to help establish a soup kitchen for homeless people. She did — and never left, becoming its defacto president and now its chairperson emerita.

In the past 40 years, Canapary also helped create the Wells Robinson House in downtown Gaithersburg, a post-rehabilitation homeless shelter, and the Dwelling Place, a family shelter.

“When we started, there was no such thing as shelters” in the area, Canapary said. “The whole picture got brighter and easier for people who were in great distress.”

The Gaithersburg Soup Kitchen serves four-course meals every day except Sunday. Canapary has never received a paycheck for her decades of work, but “there was great freedom in it,” she said.

“Volunteering was a wonderful way to

BEACON BITS

July 13

feel at the end of a day. Just walking out knowing that you had done some wee thing to help someone else — maybe one big thing to help someone else — was far better than all the money in the world.” — Margaret Foster For free tickets to the ceremony conferring the Path of Achievement, Roscoe Nix and other awards and honors from Montgomery County, visit bit.ly/PathAwards2024.

FREE CONCERT: ROBIN AND LINDA WILLIAMS

Robin and Linda Williams have an impressive five-decade career that includes live concerts, recorded albums, music for a Robert Altman movie, performances on NPR’s “A Prarie Home Companion” and more. Bring your own picnic and a blanket, or enjoy food and beverages available for purchase at this free outdoor concert on Sat., July 13 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center, Rizer Pavilion, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (703) 584-2900.

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Mary Canapary

The best (and worst) pop song earworms

Has it happened to you? It has to me. Some rip-roaringly overconfident young person will announce that he has just discovered a new singer. “Some guy named Paul McCartney,” he will proclaim. “I hear he played in a band back in the day.”

Or maybe it’ll be “some guy” named Fats Domino or Buddy Holly, both huge stars in the 1950s. Today’s kids prove two very old truths: Yesterday’s pop music truly was better than today’s, and ancient history for today’s youth begins sometime in 2017.

By Bob Levey

Were all oldies goodies? Many were. But I recently revisited a gut-churning exception.

I hereby nominate it as the worst rock and roll song ever written or recorded. Title: “Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots.”

It was foisted upon us in 1955 by a group called The Cheers. It rocketed to number six on the hit-parade charts before plummeting right back down, to highly deserved oblivion.

The song tells the tale of a motorcycle enthusiast who sported the attire of the title. Of course, he had a girlfriend. Of course, she had a mighty bad premonition about his plans to ride one night. Of course, he collided with a diesel and was rubbed out.

All together, now: Mawkish, maudlin, mind-numbingly predictable. As for the tune, the less said, the better.

I hadn’t thought about the song — or, mercifully, heard it — in 69 years. But there I was beside my wife, as we rolled south on U.S. 101 during a recent trip to California. When I saw the little roadside sign that identified the road we were on,

the song popped into my head. I started to sing…

He wore black denim trousers and motorcycle boots

And a black leather jacket with an eagle on the back

He had a hopped-up cycle that took off like a gun

That fool was the terror of Highway 101

Why were those lyrics locked somewhere inside my white-topped head? Why had I memorized them when I was still a wee lad?

Why hadn’t I realized then — as I do now — that the song wasn’t danceable, or particularly singable, or at all memorable?

And yet…Two cheers for The Cheers. They were never heard from again. Who could be surprised?

So, as we approached Los Angeles, and I hadn’t seen a single hopped-up cycle amid all the SUVs and Teslas, my wife asked an excellent question:

If “Black Denim Trousers” is the worst 1950s rock song ever recorded, which is the best?

I cogitated. I caressed the steering wheel with total concentration. Finally, I announced my choice:

“Only You” by The Platters.

If you’ve never had the pleasure, this is a ballad sung by lead vocalist Tony Williams. He’s backed by three men and a woman. They offer up five-part harmony through-

out, and lyrics that dance with originality.

Only you, can make this world seem bright

Only you, can make the darkness bright

And in a later stanza:

Only you, can make this change in me

For it’s true, you are my destiny

Not quite poetry, but pretty close. As for the melody, it’s catchy and utterly singable. I haven’t showered in a month without hitting the highest C.

Best of all, “Only You” doesn’t try to clobber you with a back beat or a throbbing bass. It’s lyrical. It’s light. It’s inviting. It’s inventive.

And it conjures memories.

I barely remember the girl’s name, but I certainly remember the host who plopped “Only You” onto his record player at a party in late 1955.

The girl and I started to dance. I pulled her close. A ham then — and yes, a ham still — I whispered in her ear: “Only you.” She thanked me. But then she said she wouldn’t kiss me no matter what.

I can’t blame The Platters for that misfortune. But I can say to any youngster reading this:

Give “Only You” a listen. Then give “Black Denim” a listen. You will learn the true meaning of musical bookends. Bob Levey is a national award-winning columnist.

BEACON BITS

June 15

The largest blues festival in the DMV, now in its 27th year, celebrates Women in Blues with an all-woman-fronted lineup featuring headliner Bette Smith. This free event takes place on Sat., June 15 from 1 to 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of S. Walter Reed Dr. and Columbia Pk., Arlington, VA. Registration isn’t necessary. For more information, call (703) 892-2776, email partner@columbiapike.org or visit columbia-pike.org/bluesfest-2024.

Scrabble answers on p. 39.

Crossword Puzzle

Across

1. Vacation without fancy conveniences

5. Preposterous

9. BART : San Fran :: ___ : Philly

14. The A in 9 Across’ clue, but not its answer

15. Great Lake with the lowest Scrabble score

16. “This meeting could have been an ___”

17. Chris Rock voiced one in Madagascar

18. Maltese currency, until 2008

19. Less than 90 degrees

20. X

23. Attack with sticks, stones, or words

24. Playground fixture that requires a friend

27. Its 2023 strike delayed many TV shows

29. Inc., in Britain

30. 1/50/1, in Roman numerals

31. XX

37. Margarine

38. Long, long, long, long time

39. Made a picnic basket

40. XXX

45. Chinese “way”

46. Org. that distributes gun safety rules

47. Profs’ helpers

48. It was $220K per minute for Super Bowl X

50. Undermine

55. XXXX

59. Iraq’s main port city

61. Dublin’s land

62. Org. that charged 10 cents for a first-class stamp in 1975

63. Homophone of “they’re”

64. Informal term for an executive branch policy leader

65. Excessive quantity

66. ___ and Smile (David Lee Roth’s culinary album title)

67. Owners of “Mojo Dojo Casa Houses”

68. A Wimbledon match may have up to five

Down

1. ___ spade a spade

By Stephen Sherr

2. April Fools’ Day baby

3. Cat calls

4. Kung Fu expert in series of Jack Black movies

5. Biblical temptress

6. Seed covering (and 18 Across backwards)

7. Confident, as a handshake

8. Jacksonville Jaguars uniform color

9. Resting spots for torpedoed submarines

10. Awards ceremony host

11. He sang hit songs in 7 different decades

12. Tat compensation

13. End of fem- and fin-

21. Monetary abbreviation

22. Regarding

25. Advil alternative

26. More like Yoda than Jar Jar Binks

28. Gerwig, who wrote and directed Barbie

29. Web site affiliated with Liggett & Myers cigarettes

31. Spike Lee’s She’s ___ Have It

32. Greek epic with 24 books

33. Audiophile’s collection

34. “The best way to have a good idea is to have a ___ of ideas” (Linus Pauling)

35. Another potential clue for 40 Across

36. Complete a rent-to-buy agreement

41. Enclosure for tiny pets

42. Native Canadian tribe

43. Ski resort documents

44. “Woe ___”

49. American eagle’s nest (and American Eagle Outfitter brand)

51. Electrical connectors

52. Bride’s path

53. Advice

54. Obeys the sabbath

56. Location of Selena Gomez’ “LXXVI” tattoo

57. XL, e.g.

58. Nation west of Pakistan

59. It is in “debted”

60. “I know who the murderer is!”

FREE MEMOIR WRITING CLASS

All experience levels are welcome at this free, nine-week creative writing series at Wheaton’s Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Silver Spring, MD. Learn to write compelling stories about family, community, occupations and more. Classes take place on Tuesdays, June 18 to August 6 from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information and to register, call (240) 777-4999 or email instructor Laura Sturza at lauralynnsturza@gmail.com.

June

23

GLENVIEW MANSION OPEN HOUSE

The City of Rockville makes historic Glenview Mansion available for rental for events of all kinds. On Sun., June 23, the mansion will host its free annual Open House event from 1 to 4 p.m. Group tours run every 30 minutes; refreshments are provided. Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park is located at 603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville, MD. For more information, call (240) 314-8660 or visit rockvillemd.gov/glenview.

ONE BIG HAPPY By

Rick Detorie

SERVES AWARDS VOLUNTEER

Montgomery County seeks volunteers to help with the 2024 Montgomery Serves Awards. The event recognizes individuals, businesses, and groups that have demonstrated remarkable commitment to volunteer service in the community. It will take place on Tuesday, June 25, at 301 Odendhal Ave., Gaithersburg, MD. Volunteers are needed from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. to assist with greeting guests, check-in and ticketing, ushering and more. For more information and to apply, visit tinyurl.com/MontgomeryServesVolunteer.

CASH FOR ESTATES; I buy a wide range of items; art, antiques, jewelry, cultural items, furniture, collections/accumulations. Whole estate/single item. Visit theatticllc.com or call Gary: 301-520-0755. License #18-SH-004-233. PAYING CASH FOR MERCHANDISE PRE-1980S Old toys, records, antiques, and collectables, and much more. Located in Silver Spring Md. If you have old stuff to sell, call Carl: 312-316-7553.

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; Obituaries; Personals; Personal Services; Vacation Opportunities; and Wanted. For submission guidelines and deadlines, see the box on page 39.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!

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

EMPLOYMENT & REAL ESTATE ADS:

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

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Wash. Blvd, Elkridge, Md. Plots available in Meadowbrook and Masonic Sections. Older sections. Beautiful sites. Contact: john@humanandrohde.com

AVON - The Beauty Company. Beauty products, skin care, skin so soft, jewelry, clothing, intimate wear, bath and body products, women and men fragrances and home products. Get Avon delivered right to your door when you shop with me online. Shop online at https://www.avon.com/?rep=diannerussum. To view a brochure https://www.avon.com/brochure ?rep=diannerussum. Questions - leave a message at 443-835-7270

NATIONAL MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY SPACE. One Choice Burial space in the Desirable “JJ” section. Overlooks a beautiful pond and the open space of the cemetery. Asking $5,999 OBO. Contact Danny: dannyref17@gmail.com

STROKE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer - 5 screenings for just $149. Call 1-844-485-7035.

JACUZZI BATH REMODEL can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. (Offer ends 6/30/24.) Call 1-833-994-0538.

NORTH VA ELECTRICAL SERVICES. We Install: Ceiling Fans, Recessed Lights, Chandeliers, Power outlets & Other related work. We are Licensed & Insured. Feel free to call or text to: (703) 898 0797

SLOWING DOWN AFTER 42 YEARS OF CONTRACTING. Small to medium jobs mainly residential but will do some commercial work. Will work all over DC area. $45.00 from arrival on job. Andy 703-906-5429.

AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL HEATING & COOLING. As temps outside start to climb, the season for savings is now. $49 cooling or heating system tune up. Save up to $2000 on a new heating and cooling system (restrictions apply.) FREE estimates. Many payment options available. Licensed and insured professionals. Call today 1-877-691-0273.

CUSTOM PAINTING, WATERPROOFING, AND HANDYMAN Contractor in Silver Spring Md. 40 years serving MD/DC/VA. Insured, licensed, and bonded. Interior and Exterior work. Top knotch preparation and contents protection. Diagnostics and solutions to water penetration problems. Galaxy Painting and Decorating. MHIC#31079. Galaxy Painting and Decorating (301) 530-2600.

FAMILY-OWNED EXTERIOR BUILDING

SERVICES. We build custom wood and vinyl decks, as well as porches. All plans and permits will be included. We work exclusively in the greater Vienna area. For free design and estimates with the owner call (703) 587-7762. Our website is mainstreet-home-improvement.com

FAMILY-OWNED BATHROOM & INTERIOR REMODELING SERVICES. We install walk-in showers, new bathtubs, tile painting, grab bars, and handrails. Proudly serving the greater Vienna area. Call today for your free estimate (703) 587-7762 and please visit. mainstreet-home-improvement.com

SAFE STEP. North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-866-478-2363.

DON’T LET THE STAIRS LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-866-365-5170.

STORAGE SHEDS BUILT ON SITE. Licensed and insured. No permits required. Starting at $3,000. www.Townandcountrysheds.com. Call Noah 571-214-0511

THE BATHROOM OF YOUR DREAMS in as little as 1 day. Limited Time Offer - $1000 off or No Payments and No Interest for 18 months for customers who qualify. BCI Bath & Shower. Many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Call Today! 1-855-653-0087.

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

MOVING OR LIQUIDATING AN ESTATE?

Let Downsizing Specialists, LLC show you how our easy process helps you decide what to keep, gift, sell, donate, or discard. Services include estate liquidation, downsizing, estate sales, house and storage unit clean-outs, and junk removal. We buy estates, vehicles, & real estate. Free estimates. Local. Family Owned. Licensed. Insured. Downsizing doesn’t erase history, it shapes the legacy left behind. Call/Text Philip @ 301-2193600 ~ DownsizingSpecialists.com

A PRETTY LADY, EARLY 60’S - Retired, interested in meeting an attractive, kind Gentleman 60’S, for fun outings, companionship, possible relationship. Call Anne (240) 351-8001, please leave voice message for reply.

PERFECT HOUSEMATE COMPANION. I am a semi-retired physician seeking a rental or live-in situation with someone who is independent but likes occasional companionship and assistance with meals. Ideal person lives alone in NW DC adjacent to outdoor space like Rock Creek park and who has unused living space that includes a private bath. Willing to cook. Allergic to cats. Email Kat at missfitz67@hotmail.com.

DIRECTV - All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for DIRECTV and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-572-4953.

GET DISH SATELLITE TV + INTERNET! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-844-560-5837

WILL BUY MILITARY, WWII, WWI, Civil War memorabilia items. Uniforms, weapons, helmets, photos, war souvenirs, medals, photos or any other items associated with U.S., German, Japanese or other military history. Call Dave (240-464-0958) or email (david.obal63@gmail.com).

CASH FOR RECORDS, CDS AND DVDS. Best price guaranteed. Free appraisals. All types of music {33, 45, 78 & CDs.} Also buying turntables and stereo equipment. Will make house calls with CURBSIDE PICKUPS. Call or text Steve at 301-646-5403 BOOKS, DVD OR CD COLLECTIONS WANTED. House calls made. Call Nelson at 240 472 4615 to set up an appointment.

I PERSONALLY COLLECT AND WANT TO BUY old Christmas and Halloween decorations, Herend and Royal Copenhagen porcelain, costume and fine jewelry and other pretty things. I also buy out estates, full or partial. Or, I can send items to auction for you. Please call Susan, (301) 785-1129. Maryland license #2753. BUYING VINYL RECORDS from 1950 to 1990 JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, R&B, DISCO, SOUL, REGGAE, & GOSPEL, ANY VINYL FORMAT 33 1/3 RPM Albums, small 45 RPM’s & some 78 RPM, Also CD’s, Prefer LARGER COLLECTIONS AT LEAST 100 items, PLEASE CALL JOHN 301-596-6201

NEED PATIENT HELP WITH COMPUTERS, Phones, TVs or other technology? Call Phil at Senior Tech Pro! No job is too big or too small. We also safely recycle old computers and other electronics. Maryland (301) 337-0028 Virginia (571) 202-1273.

PROBLEM WITH YOUR PC/MAC OR NETWORK? Computer Systems Engineer will come to you with help. Call David G. at: 3013282112 / 3016424526

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-844-366-1003 www.dental50plus.com/320 #6258

MOBILEHELP, America’s Premier Mobile Medical Alert System. Whether You’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-240-650-9189.

PORTABLE OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 855-851-0949.

SWITCH AND SAVE UP TO $250/YEAR on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. For more information, call 1-833-742-1303.

LAVERNE SPARKLE CLEANING SERV-

ICES you call we clean offices houses condo move-in move-out (DMV) A Registered Business. Call Laverne, 301-996-1385. Thank you for your Business.

ALWAYS BUYING OLD COSTUME JEWELRY, sterling silver flatware & hollowware, school rings, gemstones & broken jewelry, old comic books(pre-1980) & old baseball cards (pre1975), and other old items you have. Text or call Alex at 571-426-5363 DMV Area

WANTED: OLDER VIOLINS, GUITARS, BANJOS, MANDOLINS, UKULELES. Musician/collector will pay cash for older string instruments. Jack (301) 279-2158, leave message & phone number (please speak slowly).

ANSWERS TO SCRABBLE

LEWDFILMLABEL ASSAIL

GIRLCHROMOSOMES

TICTACTOEWINNER

TAO

ADRATE

Answer: A judge will authorize officers to make arrests, search property, etc., when it’s — WARRANTED ANSWERS TO JUMBLE

Jumbles: ERUPT WINCE DRAGON PIRATE

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 edition).

Cost will be based on the number of characters and spaces in your ad:

• $25 for 1-250 • $35 for 251-500. • $50 for 501-750 (maximum length). The website will calculate this amount for you.

Note: Maryland contractors must provide a valid MHIC number.

• Each real estate listing qualifies as one ad. • All ads are subject to publisher’s discretion. Payment will be refunded if unacceptable for any reason.

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

Clinical Health Studies

Velocity Studies .

Employment & Volunteers

.16

JCA Virtual 50+ Employment Expo

Events

Age-Friendly DC .

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group

Brooke Grove Classes and Programs

Charles E. Smith Comm./ Ring House

Chevy Chase House Brunch

Senior Night at Big Train Baseball

.21

.28

.8

.15

.17

.13

.32

Funeral Services

Going Home Cremation . . .32

Home Health Care

Best Senior Care . . . . . . . . .14

Home Improvement

USA Marble & Granite . . . .11

Housing

Ashby Ponds/Erickson . . .1, 6

Benchmark at Alexandria . . .9

Brooke Grove Retirement Village

Charles E. Smith Life Communities

.8, 15

.17

Chevy Chase House . . . . . .13

Churchill Senior Living . . .16

Culpepper Garden

.7

Grandview, The/Erickson . . .6

Greenspring/Erickson .

Falcons Landing

.1, 6

.40

Flats at Sandy Spring, The .11

Homecrest House

Housing Initiative Partnership

Inspir Embassy Row

Leggett, The .

Legal Services

Farr Law Firm . . . . . . . . . . .21

Law Offices of Paul Riekhof . . . . . . .

Medical/Health Services

Center for Healing Family Relationships

Chesapeake Hearing

Ikon Health

Judy Oh, DDS

.14

.32

.3

.35

Park View Apartments . . . .33

Residences at North Hill

Riderwood/Erickson

Ring House .

Sommerset

Vinson Hall

.13

.1, 6

.17

.12

.31

Woodleigh Chase/Erickson . .6 Insurance

Montgomery County SHIP .24

.22

.16

.5

.12

Real Estate Services/Moving

Eric Stewart/Long & Foster

ELIEVEVINNG